A/N: Sorry about the delay in the update, real life got busy. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please keep following, liking, and reviewing, I love all your feedback!
A few days later Emma felt herself going while she was reading in her room and grabbed her SSR uniform and some dresses out of her second closet, the one she kept all her period clothes in and threw it in her bag with her wallet and closed her eyes. The familiar session of wind and spinning surrounded her as she stayed in place and she felt anticipation bubble up inside her as she waited anxiously to see Steve's familiar yet very new face.
Once she felt her traveling finish, she opened her eyes to find herself in front of an old theater with a sign out front that said USO CHORUS GIRL OPEN CALL TODAY! COME SERVE YOUR COUNTRY WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA! Emma rolled her eyes at the sign but then had an idea, she did theater and dance for a while when she was younger, community theater productions and the like, it would be fun to kill some time. She quickly went to change into her SSR uniform and then headed inside.
As she entered she saw Senator Brandt and tried not to roll her eyes at him.
"Ah, Agent Walker, what do I owe the honor of seeing you? We haven't seen you in a few days since the attack in Brooklyn?"
"Hello Senator, I was detained on another mission and now brought back on this one, I am here to keep an eye on Steve Rogers, but I see you are holding auditions and thought I would give this a try, a better way to fit in." Emma smiled and told a little lie to get herself in to see Steve.
"Ah, well that will be up to the show directors on casting you, but I will let Rogers know you are here. If you don't get cast, I'm sure he would love a friend to keep him company."
Emma smiled at that, she quickly went to the sign in and found herself next to perform. She took off her military jacket and went to the casting table.
"Here's your sheet music for the song to sing along with and you will need to just be able to copy the simple dance we teach you."
Emma smiled and got up on stage, she saw Steve enter from the back dressed in his uniform. She smiled to the casting table and to Steve and started to sing with the pianist and then after she followed along with the choreographer on the dances.
"You're hired!" the director called and Emma got down and grabbed her schedule and started to head off to get fitted but Steve followed.
"Where have you been?" He asked.
"Working, I apologize for leaving so quickly last time."
"It's fine, it's just been a few days." He ran a hand through his hair in a nervous motion and gave a little smile.
"Yeah, when work needs me, I have to go. So, I see you are working for Senator Brandt now?" Emma asked as she entered the costumers shop. She walked over to the lady, handed in her papers and stood on the stool to be measure for her costume.
"Yeah, it was either this or stay stuck in a lab. At least this way I'm still serving my country. But I don't know how I feel about it yet."
"You're selling war bonds?" Emma asked.
"Yup."
"Well, I'll be selling them with you. The SSR doesn't really know I'm here, but I'm going to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't get into any trouble. It seems a running theme with us." Emma teased and Steve smiled.
"Yeah, it does." At that the costumer said she was finished and told her to report for a fitting in two days.
"So, where are you staying?" Emma asked him as they left.
"The senators got a hotel for me and the other girls, you should probably stay there with us."
"Sounds like a plan."
So for the next few days Emma learned the choreography and songs for her part as a USO Chorus Girl or as her part was called a Star Spangled Singer and got to spend time with her friend.
One day, during rehearsal, Emma and the other Star Spangled Girls were sitting in the theater watching the choreographer go over and over the dance steps with the chorus girls when she noticed off in a corner Steve looking worried.
Emma walked to the back corner and saw Steve hunched over his script. It was small and simple, but he was looking over it like it was in Latin.
"Hey soldier," She said leaning on the back of the seat in front of him.
He looked up startled and gave a small smile, "Hi Em," then he went back to look over his script. Emma rolled her eyes and placed a hand down over the words; Steve gave a frustrated sigh and looked back up. "Can't you see I'm trying to learn my lines?"
Emma gave him a glare, "Testy much Captain?" She snapped back, "I came over to see what was troubling you and give you a hand. It's easier to learn lines with a partner but if you don't want my help…" She trailed off and got up and started to walk away.
"Emma wait!" Steve said jumping up and grabbing her arm and turning her towards him, they both looked down at where his hand was softly gripping her arm and how close he had pulled her back to him. They quickly stepped apart, "I'm sorry, I just am frustrated. This wasn't what I signed up for when I said I would join the Army."
She could see the sincere apology in his eye and smiled, "Believe me, I did not sign up for the SSR to be dancing and singing in a skimpy patriotic costume either. But we have to do what we have to do, can't change orders or what we chose to do. I have faith in you Steve, you can do this. If you can be brave enough to be a human test for an experiment you weren't completely sure was going to work, then you can memorize a page or two of dialogue for a show."
Steve smiled and gave Emma a hug, "This is why you are amazing." Emma reveled in the hug and smiled into his shoulder. It felt good in his arms and she quickly pulled out of the hug, not wanting to get too comfortable in that position.
"Now, let's get cracking, since we open in two days." And she pulled him to the back of the theater to rehearse and memorize his lines.
Soon it was their premiere night in a small theater in Brooklyn. Emma lined up with the two other Star Spangled Singers off stage for Steve's appearance, she could hear him talking to Brandt's assistant not too far away and she ran over to him.
"I have faith in you Steve, you can do this."
"Thanks Em!" He called with a shaky voice as she ran back off to join the other girls.
He had to admit, with her brunette hair in pin curls, with the red and white stripped hat and her wearing that blue and white striped skirt with the matching blue and white halter top with stars, she looked ever the part and extremely beautiful. Had he ever noticed how beautiful she was before? She glanced towards him and smiled a bright smile against her rose red lips and he felt his heart skip a beat.
Senator Brandt's assistant said a few last words and then pushed Steve out on stage.
Emma and the other two girls marched out on stage singing as Steve stumbled out, "Who's strong and brave to save the American way?"
Emma tried not to laugh when she saw his note cards taped to his shield so he wouldn't forget his lines, after they had rehearsed them!
"Not all of us can storm a beach or drive a tank, but there's still a way all of us can fight." He read in a monotone and Emma tried not to roll her eyes. He was letting his nerves get the better of him, he sounded so good earlier that day!
"Who vows to fight for what's right, night and day?" Emma sang with the other two girls.
"Series E Defense Bonds, each bond you buy is the bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun." Steve read and Emma finally let out a small laugh as he walked to the other side. They were going to need to really work on his stage presence.
"Who will campaign day door to door for America? Carry the flag shore to shore for America? From Hoboken to Spokane, the Star Spangled Man with a Plan!" Emma sang and danced and she could feel someone watching and she turned and saw Steve watching her whole performance. There was something about that look in his eyes that made her stomach flip but in a good way. Plus she couldn't help but sort of love him in that suit.
After the show they posed for photos with many men and women and children and babies. The worst were the men who just wanted to pose with the girls because they were good looking. Senator Brandt came up to pose with them and Emma whispered to him.
"If one more man touches my ass Senator, I will show my SSR side to some of these men." She kept a smile on her face while she said it and he laughed for the cameras.
"Sorry, I'll tell Captain to scare them off."
"No, just tell them not to do it okay?"
"I will, I will!" He walked off with a smile to the cameras and the crowd.
Emma after that headed back to the dressing room and threw her hat on the table and tore off her gloves. She was so aggravated with Senator Brandt and being a typical male.
"Hey, I thought you did pretty well tonight," Steve said leaning against the door way.
"Oh, hi Steve," Emma gave him a smile, "No, it wasn't that. It's stupid Brandt. The men were being a bit promiscuous and I told him about it and he didn't even care."
"I'll go talk to him about it, you shouldn't be treated that way," Steve argued looking very angry and Emma just smiled. Oh, he would be in for a shock in the future. Or maybe he was still in the future? She never did read the end of his file. She brushed away that thought for now.
"Thank you Steve, but it's okay. Men are going to be that way, I mean I am dancing around in a very short skirt and low cut top," Emma waved a hand in front of her and Steve looked her over and then blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"It's alright, it's things I need to get used to with this new job."
Emma walked over to him and gave a small laugh, "I remember when we were about the same height and now I only reach right at your shoulders."
He then enveloped her in a hug as he laughed and placed his head on her chin, "I'm glad you've been here through this all with me, you're one of my oldest friends, next to Bucky."
She sighed, sadly she was starting to think of him as more than a friend and being wrapped up in his strong arms and feeling his warmth around her was making her all weak. If only she knew he was starting to feel the same.
"Have you heard from Bucky?" Emma asked changing the subject.
"No, not yet." Steve said as he pulled out of their hug.
"Emma, we need you back outside, they want all three of us for the photos, and you too Steve!" Carol, the red head of the trio called as she nearly walked into them in the doorway. She gave a quick look over at the two of them still in a close embrace, with Steve's hands on her waist and Emma's hands on his chest.
"Sorry, we were talking a water break."
"Uh-huh, sure ya were," She teased with a wink.
Emma quickly went back to her dressing table and fixed her hat and put her red gloves back on. "How do I look?" She posed for Steve and he laughed.
"Perfect, let's get back out there," He slipped his mask back on and then walked out to take more pictures.
Over the next few weeks they traveled to theaters across New York and New Jersey and filmed ads for movie theaters and took pictures for posters. When one day, Senator Brandt came and announced the big news before a rehearsal.
"What's going on?" Emma asked dressed in her rehearsal dress and sat next to Steve on the stage.
"No idea, sounds like big news though."
"We are going national! After our stint here in Buffalo, we are hitting bigger cities across the country for the summer!"
Everyone started chatting excitedly and Steve looked happy but Emma could see he was upset.
"Just think, he has big pull up at the hill, maybe we will get to go overseas and then you can be back with our old group. You can be Captain of a Division," Emma nudged him and he smiled.
"That would be nice."
"And I also got fresh off the printers today, going out next week, The Captain America comics!" Brandt held up the comic and Emma laughed out loud and closed her mouth.
"I didn't mean to laugh as that's bad; I laughed because that's really neat!" Emma covered for herself. Steve was going to be a comic book hero! It was a really cool privilege.
Brandt handed it to Steve while giving Emma a look, "That's wonderful Senator, thanks." Steve said being nice and he whispered to Emma, "This is flattering but so strange at the same time."
"Alright, back to rehearsal, just the chorus girls right now, we need to work on those steps and high kicks!" The director called.
Emma and Steve snuck off to the back off the theater to read the comic together. They sat close and giggled over the comic.
"It seems like they are taking most of your ads you've filmed and put them all together. Oh look! There you punch Hitler again!" She pointed to a panel.
"Do I really look like that when I hit him?" Emma looked up at him and realized suddenly how close they were and they shuffled apart awkwardly.
"No, not at all, I should go practice my high kicks and stretch. See ya later Steve!" Emma stumbled over her words and quickly ran off.
What in the world was she doing, she can't fall in love with him. She doesn't even know if he exists in her real world, what would happen if he did die? What if she finds out he married someone else later in life and had kids? She shook her head, they were from two different worlds. Even if she felt more at ease in this one than her own, she knew she wouldn't be here forever. She had to step back and stop getting this close to Steve. At least, stay friends but nothing more.