Steve POV

When they arrived back in the Tower, Jarvis told them Holly was in her apartment, which just happened to be right below Steve's. As they stepped off the elevator, the sound of a familiar piece of cello music drifted down the hall and he couldn't help but smile. It brought memories of getting ready for school in the morning, being surprised with the occasional treat of an orange or bacon with his morning oatmeal.

At Natasha's curious look, he explained. "My mom liked this when it played on the radio. She liked classical music in the morning."

She nodded and they made their way down the hall to Holly's apartment. She shared the floor with Natasha and Clint, who shared quarters but no one really brought any attention to it. They'd had separate places initially but it hadn't lasted long. He wondered if it was done purposefully, to make Holly feel more comfortable and at home to have her old partners nearby.

They reached the doorway that was open to find Holly facing them, a huge cello in front of her. Her eyes were closed and he was intrigued by how easily she played, the key to making the beautiful melody a complete mystery to him. He remembered listening to Bucky play on the piano and how effortless he made it seem.

They both stood in the doorway listening tor a while before Natasha nudged him and motioned that she was going back to her apartment. He nodded and the redhead left, leaving him alone in the doorway.

The piece came to an end and Holly seemed to wait for the final note to dissipate before she let her arm holding the bow drop. Her eyes were still closed as she rolled her left shoulder, the one that had been dislocated when she'd been slammed into the wall by the Doombot.

"Is playing that a form of physical therapy?"

She opened her eyes to see him standing there and for a moment, she looked utterly surprised and a touch embarrassed that he'd again been right there without her knowing it. "Yeah, I guess it could be considered that." She stood up, easily hefting the huge instrument over to a stand next to a piano. "Come on in. I didn't know you were back."

He stepped in as invited, closing the door behind him. "Natasha and I just got in. You play beautifully."

She smiled a little and did a small curtsy. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling? You look like you are feeling much better."

She shrugged, heading over to her kitchen area, her entire apartment a large loft, much like his own above. The windows took up one entire wall and he was glad to see that as much as she hadn't wanted to be in New York, she wasn't having difficulty looking out onto the city. That much was good. "Bruce has cleared me for the most part. I'll spend some time with Clint and Natasha, getting my flexibility back, my balance."

"Why would your balance be off? The concussion?"

A shake of the head. "The new ribs." She put her hand to her side. "It's not a lot, but it does change a bit how I move and everything. I can still feel the difference, from one side to the other."

"But everything has healed?"

She nodded. "Funny how that serum helps, huh?"

He blinked. She already knew he'd read her file? "How did you know?"

"Natasha told me she was going to make you read my file if she had to have to tie you down." She giggled. "Don't test her on that, by the way, she'll do it." She opened her fridge and tossed a bottle of water over one shoulder that he easily caught before taking a seat at the breakfast bar that faced her kitchen. "Anything surprise you?"

"Well the fact that you have the serum did surprise me a bit. I didn't realize SHIELD had done that."

She took her own bottle of water and after closing the refrigerator, opened it and took a long drink. "It was just after everything happened with Bruce. Believe me, he realized it a couple weeks ago and was none too pleased. I knew the risks going in, so did my brother. My dad wouldn't have allowed them to do it if he thought either of us would be in danger. It was more of a protective measure. It made both of us heal faster and move a bit faster."

"And I would guess increased your agility too?"

"A bit. Training does a great deal, as well as genetics. Our mother was...well my father said she moved like flowing water."

Steve smiled. "So does his little girl."

She looked away, a soft smile on her face. "I try." She looked back to him. "Does it bother you that I have the serum?"

"No, why would it? That was what, 1994? I was lost in the North Atlantic. I know Natasha has a form of it and they must have given Bucky some kind of it when they had him back in 43 and then after. I'm glad it helps you. That's what Dr. Erskine meant for it, I think. To help people. Let others help people."

"Yeah, it does." She took another drink, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Anything come of your time away? Any news?"

He looked down at the counter, absently drawing circles with the condensation from his water. "No, not really. As far as we can tell, Doom hasn't left the borders of his nation. If he has Hydra contact, we couldn't find it. Coulson's looking into the chance that Pierce might have done a backroom deal with Doom before SHIELD fell."

"What if he just took advantage of what he could find at the castle? I mean, the SSR was good in how they dealt with dangerous materials and 084s, but someone like Schmitt would have had secret rooms, little hideaway spots for just such an occasion."

Steve nodded, thinking of the madman and his final moments. At least what he hoped were his final moments. What if the Tesseract hadn't killed him but had transported him somewhere just like it had brought Loki and the Chitari to Earth? Could Schmitt still be alive somewhere?

He jumped a little when a small hand covered his own. "Earth to Steve. You in there?"

He nodded, clearing his throat and taking a drink. "Sorry, just thinking."

"About Schmitt?"

"Yeah. Hoping that he didn't manage to luck out like I did. I honestly don't know what the Tesseract did to him."

"And you're afraid that he could be out there somewhere?"

He nodded, embarrassed. 70 years later and that maniac was still affecting his life.

"I would be too, to be honest. From everything I learned about him when I was growing up, he was utterly insane. The kind of insane that can cause a lot of hurt. But you know what? Doesn't matter if he was still alive. He wouldn't accomplish anything or even get near you. The Avengers would kick his ass. And I'd be right alongside them getting in a few hits."

Steve smiled a little. "Maybe get the Hulk to put another crater in the floor of Tony's penthouse?"

Holly giggled. When the Hulk had literally smashed Loki into the floor, Tony had had the spot covered with plexiglass instead of fixed and placed a plaque reading "Loki Slept Here". Part of it, Steve was sure, was to remind Bruce that while the Hulk could be dangerous, he could also do a lot of good. It was something Bruce had to be reminded of quite a bit.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long. Natasha accused me of avoiding you out of guilt for you being hurt in Bavaria."

Holly raised a brow. "And?"

He shook his head. "No, I wasn't avoiding you. Did I feel bad you got hurt? Yes. But I wanted to track down Doom so he could pay for that. I don't want him to have that kind of power over anyone."

"I understand. If it helps, I didn't feel avoided. Of course I wasn't exactly exciting to be around until Bruce started letting me do more."

"I doubt that. You are a better conversationalist than most people these days it seems." He gave her a shy smile. "I mean, everyone seems to care more about their phones and texting than talking anymore." He paused and sheepishly added, "I'm sorry I wasn't here, to help you with being back in NY."

She shook her head, leaning against the counter. "It's alright. It was difficult at first and I had the windows blacked out for a while but I can look out there now. It's not like I ever have to leave the Tower anyway."

His heart sank. She still wasn't dealing with it. "Not even once?"

"No." She turned away, moving back toward the refrigerator. "Are you hungry?"

"Holly." He followed her, knowing she was deflecting the question. She'd made herself a prisoner of the past in Avengers Tower and that didn't sit right with him. He didn't have the chance to know her father but something told him that the last thing the man would want was for his daughter to be emotionally unable to step out into the city that was her home. He had a feeling that with a such a brave personality, she was at war with herself for the inability to do something so simple because of the pain and memory it brought back.

"No. Don't Holly me." She said, opening the fridge and rooting through it. "I never planned on coming back here but being here doesn't mean I have to go out there. As soon as I can, I'm going to leave."

"And is that what your father would want?" He braced himself for her reaction.

She whirled, her black hair fanning out around her. "He didn't want to die in a fucking terrorist attack, I know that! I know he would have liked for his son to reach 40! I know he would have wanted to take down SHIELD himself than to let Hydra infiltrate! I know what my father wanted! You never even knew him!"

She was near yelling and he held his hands up. He'd had a feeling that this would be a sore spot for her and had been more than ready to get a sock in the jaw for it. "Holly, I'm just saying that hiding here isn't helping. Your pain isn't going to get any better until you face this. Dum Dum wouldn't have let you hide, you know that, don't you?"

She looked down at the counter, breathing through her nose to calm herself. "No. He would have thrown me over his shoulder and dragged me out. Black belts be damned."

"That's right." He took a risk to his own physical wellbeing and reached out, touching her hand, resting on the bar. "We can do it together. Let me help you with this, since I wasn't much of a friend the last few weeks. Please?"

After a long moment she let out a sigh. "Fine. Not today though, alright?"

"When you are ready."