Chapter 2

It had taken Emily a good few hours to figure out how to put her desk together, the instructions weren't even easy to read in German. But with a cry of success she had managed to put together her desk and computer with little trouble.

Her bed however was a different story, and remained in several scattered pieces on the floor of her bedroom. She had given up last night and slept on the mattress curled up in her fleece blanket dubbed the 'snuggie' it wasn't the most comfortable of sleeps but it would only be temporary, she had a text from her brother at five in the morning profusely apologizing for not being able to help her out and he'd be around later in the day to help her unpack.

With that in mind she didn't bother to touch anymore of her flatpack stuff, instead turning to her computer and sitting on a box she logged in to check her emails.

It was the usual stuff, she typed out quick replies to her friends back home, they were full of well wishes and half hearted ' I miss yous' She sighed softly, her friends had meant well, but while every night they were out partying and at first she had been studying all the time, even though she didn't even really like history that much, but her mother had pushed for her to take it, telling her that to learn about the future, one must learn about the past. Then when the news of her Father falling ill had reached her she rushed to his side to take care of him. Thus her friendships were strained at the best of times.

She grumbled and rubbed the bridge of her nose before turning her attention to her last email. It was from Jeremy; which was unlike him, he rarely emailed her, preferring to call or text. She clicked on it.

Hey Sis,

I know you are just settling in but I thought I would let you know the local Library has a space for an assistant, and you might have an interview at 1:00pm.

Love you and good luck,

Jeremy.

Emily looked at the clock and swore. It was already 11am and she had to have a shower and dig out her suits and she was going to kill her brother later. She began to frantically dig through her suitcases until she found an appropriate outfit and her wash stuff and dived into the shower.

She sighed as the water rolled down her back, it had been such a hectic few days she just wanted to have a few days to mooch around in her new place, but alas, no rest for the wicked. She scrubbed her brown hair, wondering if she should leave it down or put it up. Ugh, why did she have to do this. She didn't want to disappoint Jeremy and not turn up to the job interview since he already had to go through the trouble of setting it up, and a library was a nice place to have a job... She sighed and stepped out the shower, glancing around for her towels.

Did she forget to unpack towels?

Yes, yes she did. With a sigh she crept out the bathroom to her open suitcase.

"Wait, why am I creeping about, this is my house?" She rolled her eyes and grabbed her towels, wrapping one around her body and one around her hair. She glanced at the clock. 11:45 She had plenty of time.

But she couldn't get ready without some music, Emily strutted over towards the computer and set it to play one of her random youtube playlists as she began to get ready with the propped up mirror against the wall as a guide to how she was looking.

"Ugh!" She cried out, as she let her hair down again. If it was up her neck looked really long, but if it was down it was doing it's wavy going everywhere in her face thing. With another cry she attacked her hair with a hairbrush before glancing at her watch. 12:15pm She had no time to fuss over her hair anymore she had to go. She grabbed her handbag and shoved her brush in it before reaching for her keys and walking out the door.

She passed Steve in the hallway and smiled to him in passing.

"Wait Steve!" She called out after a few moments, he turned to her and tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Yes?"

"I have a job interview and I can't decide what looks better, hair up, or hair down-" She reached for her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. "- What do you think looks best?"

Steve took a few moments to study her, she was wearing a plain white button up shirt paired with a black blazer, a skirt, tights and heels. If the material had been green Steve might have mistook her for Peggy at a distance.

Peggy..

He shook his head, trying to clear the sad thoughts from his head.

"Down suits you better.. I think." He smiled weakly, still troubled by sad thoughts. Emily noted the expression, and almost regretted asking him.

"Thanks, I owe you another one." She laughed lightly before waving an descending down the stairs. Steve watched her go before turning around and heading into his apartment, his mind filled with Peggy Carter.

She had died not long after the battle for New York. It took SHIELD a long time to find her, but when they did Steve was on the next plane out. He had managed a brief meeting with her before he was whisked away by the doctors and he never saw her again. He never got his dance. He broke his promise.

He saw his reflection in the mirror and with a swift punch the mirror was in pieces on the floor.

Emily wouldn't admit she had ran the last ten minutes to make sure she got to her interview in time but there she was hunched over, leaning against the wall gasping for breath. She was so unfit.

"Ugh, I don't have time for this." She mumbled to herself before standing up straight, sorting out her outfit and shyly wandering in the place.

The reception was a beautiful room with a high celling and lots of natural light. Emily glanced around at the motivational posters on the wall before she heard a small 'ahem'. She turned to see an old man with a file in his hand.

"Would you perhaps be Miss Emily Korbl?" He asked softly. Emily nodded and put on her best smile.

"Yes that's right."

He fumbled with the folder for a few moments, pulling out what appeared to be her resume.

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Edward Harris, I own this establishment." He extended his hand to her, which Emily shook.

"Your Brother tells me you are an avid reader."

She nodded. " Unfortunately since I recently moved I have had to give up quite a few of my hardback collection but I kept a few of my favourites, it just means I get to start again and find even more good books to read."

Edward smiled lightly, "Walk with me" he gestured for her to follow him, he lead her into the main section of the library. Emily gasped lightly, it was even more pretty than the reception, bookshelves lined the walls and there was a winding staircase to the balcony above. Her attention was drawn to Mr Harris again and he began to speak.

"This library has been in my family for many years, it has been a labour of love and I expect my staff to treat it with as much respect as they would give another person. But I think you already know that." He smiled lightly before he began to point out the doors leading to the staffroom, the bathroom and the archives.

"Since you are going to here for a trial period first I request you do not go down into the archives unless you are supervised by another member of staff." He paused for a moment to let the shock wash off Emily's face. "Are you alright?"

Emily nodded. " I-I uh, wasn't expecting to hear back so quickly, you just surprised me, that's all."

Mr Harris chuckled lightly before reaching across to put a hand on her shoulder. "Life is short and precious, why waste time? You are the only application we've had in a month that is up to the expectations that I wish for my staff and I'm certainly not letting you walk away without giving you a fair chance at the job. Call me old fashioned." He cracked a thin smile, which Emily returned.

"Let's say do you think you'll be able to come in starting Monday?"

It was Thursday which meant she had Friday and the weekend to get settled. "Yes, that is more than enough time, thank you for this opportunity." Her small smile widened into a grin and she was practically bouncing as she walked back to the entrance of the library with Mr Harris.

He shook her hand and wished her a nice weekend and Emily set off to walk home. On her way back she stopped in the store to pick up some groceries when she had an idea; she would bake something for Steve, as a thank you for helping her out.

It didn't take long for her to find all the extra bits she needed and soon enough she was back home.

She had barely put away her shopping when there was a knock on the door, Emily smiled slightly and crossed the room, cringing as she almost knocked over another box.

The door opened to reveal her brother with a bottle of wine and a potted Orchid tucked under his arm.

"Hey Sis." He said with a grin before stepping into the house. "You have a fine sea of boxes here."

Emily reached up to rub the back of her head as a small sheepish laugh escaped her.

"Heh, yeah, I downsized most of my stuff as well so I have some money in my savings, not that I really need to dip into it now thanks to you."

Jeremy furrowed his brows slightly. "Thanks to me?"

"Yeah, you know, the job, at the library, they took me on for a trial period." Emily took the Orchid and wine and set them on the kitchen counter. She was unaware of the confused look that crossed Jeremy's face, it was gone the moment she turned back around. "Do you want tea, coffee?"

"Coffee sounds fantastic, black, no sugars please." He leaned against the kitchen counter, idly glancing around the room as Emily prepared drinks and the room fell into a comfortable silence for several minutes.

"So how come you couldn't help me yesterday?" She asked as she passed him his coffee. Jeremy pulled a face.

"It's-"

"-Classified?" Emily cut him off, an unamused look on her face. The look Jeremy gave her confirmed it. "I figured as much, but at least I tried." She shrugged and turned her back to him, rummaging through the kitchen utensils box.

"Em..." Jeremy began.

"No." Emily snapped turning to face him, "Don't you 'Em' me. It's all this cloak and daggers with you, just like with Ma and Pa. You never tell me anything. I get it, I get that you have a dangerous job and you could put me in danger but..-" Her voice trembled lightly. "- But you are all I have left... and I don't want to lose you like I lost them."

A heavy silence filled the room, Jeremy sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise you I am not going anywhere, but there are some things that need to be kept secret until they are ready to come out."

Emily narrowed her eyes slightly. " And what's that suppose to mean?"

"I will tell you everything when I can, I promise." He held a hand up to his heart and smiled. Emily's harsh gaze melted and she sighed.

"Now can you put the rolling pin down, or do I have to go in tomorrow with a huge bruise on my face?"

Emily flushed. "Oh sorry-" She set the rolling pin on the counter top. "I was going to do some baking while you was slaving over the furniture and was looking for my utensils."

"Baking something for your darling brother who is helping you with all your annoying furniture?" Jeremy grinned.

Emily returned the grin for a few moments before shaking her head and sticking her tongue out.

"Nope, baking something for my lovely neighbour who helped me with all the annoying heavy boxes."

Jeremy's grin fell into a pout and he huffed before turning back to her. "That's no fair..."

"Well maybe if you do a good job I might bake you a little something to take home." Emily giggled as Jeremy downed his coffee and rushed into the bedroom.

"It better be apple!" He called out from the other room. Soon after sounds of hammering and cursing came filled Emily's ears. She giggled again before getting to work mixing the ingredients.

Hopefully Steve liked apple pie.

Steve's morning had been mostly uneventful, he went for his morning run, hit the gym that SHIELD had provided for him and headed in for his regular meetings with SHIELD personnel, even after the Loki fiasco he was still expected to report in for various assessments. Most of them in the mental department. At first he didn't want to go, he just wanted to hole himself up in his apartment and not have to face the 21st century but after a while a nagging curiosity got the better of him and he found himself venturing out to these meetings.

Most of the time they consisted about various people trying to urge him to talk about his feelings, something he was never very accustomed too, especially now so, being thrown into a world he didn't understand.

And then there was the matter of SHIELD Scientists. Steve was sure they meant well, but jabbing him with needles and going on about Dr. Erskine's formula left a sour taste in his mouth.

He had left a little later than usual that day, having been pulled into an discussion with Natasha and Clint, although as soon as it came to Natasha trying to set him up with another one of her friends Steve had found himself walking out the building.

As soon as he climbed up the stairs to his apartment he could smell the most delicious scent. He glanced across towards Emily's apartment, the source of the scent coming from under the door, smelled like apples and cinnamon. He loitered in the hallway for a few moments longer before heading into his apartment.

SHIELD had provided him with the place a little while after they discovered him and allowed Steve to furnish it himself. It was modest but was nothing like the apartment he had in Brooklyn back in those days. He still wasn't comfortable calling it home yet.

There was a light knock on his door.

He strode across the room to open it.

It was Emily. She smiled sheepishly at him. Was she holding something behind her back?

"Hi." She said with a little grin. "I uh wanted to thank you for yesterday-" She produced from behind her back a pie and held it out for him. Steve looked at it for a few moments then back to Emily.

"Ah-thank you." He said finally, reaching out to take it. The smile on her face widened and Steve noticed she had a flour smudge on her cheek. Would it be rude to point it out to her? Yes, most likely. He realized he'd been staring into space and tuned into her talking again.

"-dropping my plate box I had no plates, so it's still in my baking tin, whenever you are done if you could drop it off after that would be super." She laughed and rubbed the back of her head before her face turned to one of concern. "What happened to your hand?"

He followed her gaze down at his hand, several jagged cuts decorated his knuckles. He side glanced the broken mirror across the room.

"Uh, nothing."

It would heal fast enough, it was nothing. Not that he could tell her that. She studied the cuts for a few moments before looking back up at him.

"Wait here."

And with that she had rushed back inside, he could see her every time she ran past the open door, digging through boxes. What was she looking for? After a few minutes he heard a cry of triumph and Emily emerged again with a small first aid kit. Steve raised an eyebrow at her and a small nervous giggle escaped her.

"Let me take a look at that." She said quietly, hoping she wasn't overstepping her bounds. The silence between them stretched out for what felt like an age before Steve finally, with a small incline of his head, turned away and walked inside his apartment. He had to keep up the appearance of a normal person, and he didn't want to offend his new neighbour by turning her down.

Besides if she was perceptive and spotted it, what would she think when it was healed tomorrow. He couldn't blow his cover.

And he didn't want to know what would happen to Emily if SHIELD found out he blew his cover to her.

"Alright, let me just put this down, come in." He added after a few moments, as she followed without closing her own apartment door. "Will your apartment be okay with the door ajar like that?"

She nodded as she set the first aid kit on the table. "My brother is inside at the moment, fixing up my bed." She rummaged through it as she was speaking and pulled out an antiseptic wipe and gestured for his hand.

"May I?"

He hesitated for a few moments before placing his hand in her outstretched palm. Gently she dabbed the wipe across his knuckle, it stung slightly but Steve made no indication that it hurt. Once she was satisfied she began to wrap it in a bandage. They stood in silence, Emily had a deep look of concentration on her face and Steve took the time to study her. She had a small scar on her cheek, he wondered how she got it. Suddenly her eyes flickered up to his, there were grey, like storm clouds. Colour flooded her cheeks.

"Uh- I, done." She announced. Steve looked down at her handy work, the wrapping was good, he clenched his fist, not too tight.

"It's been a long time since I've had to do that." She laughed lightly.

"Thank you for the help." He paused, glancing to the pie. "And the pie, it smells delicious."

More colour touched her cheeks.

"No problem." She packed up the kit. "Have a nice evening."

"You too." Steve said as he walked her to the door. As she walked across the hall a man stuck his head around her door, he must be her brother.

The man met his eyes and quickly dropped them, disappearing again behind the doorway as Emily entered.

He almost seemed familiar, but Steve couldn't quite put a finger on where he had seen that face before. He'd probably seen him out on the street somewhere. He closed the door and turned to the pie.

It did smell good. Maybe one slice after dinner.

Wow, I was surprised at the response, lots of follows and favs. Thank you all for the interest, I hope I don't disappoint! See you next time.