Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Only my OC, Agent Clarissa Melanie Connors and her story line belongs to me.

~0~ = little break

By the time Steve came back, medics already took away Abe's body from me. I was still in Howard's arms when he came back, dripping wet for some reason. I slowly took Howard's arms off me and walked to Steve hugging him. I needed this right now.

"Clary, wait I'm soaking wet." He protested when I wrapped my arms around his torso.

"I could care less right now." I told him with a sniffle. "Howie, can you go get dry clothes for Steve?" I asked, facing him while trying to dry my tears.

"Yeah, of course Mels. I'll be right back." Howard gave us a sad smile.

Steve finally ignored the fact that his dripping wet clothes were also getting me wet and wrapped his arms around me. Even though his clothes were wet and cold, he was warm and giving off heat.

"I'm sorry about Abe..." He said quietly.

"Yeah... Me too."

Howard finally came back with clothes for Steve and he changed into it and we were off. Apparently Hydra was the one trying to steal the formula. Fortunately that didn't happen because of Steve, but unfortunately, we lost the only sample of the serum. Once we got to the building that held the submarine the Hydra agent tried getting away with, a nurse came to Steve and I.

"Mr. Rogers, Colonel Philips is requesting we take blood samples from you."

Steve and I shared a look and I shrugged and watched as Steve was whisked away by the nurse. I walked over to where Howard was checking out the submarine. He looked very confused and lost.

"What's the matter?" I asked, taking a look at the engine myself.

I know enough about mechanics to build or repair but this was way beyond me, and it seems Howard feels the same.

"Just... tinker around it more, I'm gonna go check on Steve." I told him leaving to go find Steve.

I entered the ward, noticing that the nurse has filled a whole tray of test tubes with his blood. Steve looked very annoyed and done with the blood taking.

"Think you got enough?" He asked the nurse bitterly with a huff.

"I think so." I told the nurse. "Could you leave us please?" I requested.

Once the nurse left with her tray, I stood over by Steve who was fixing the sleeve of his shirt where the needle was inserted.

"The reason why they're taking so much blood is that any hope of recreating the serum at all is locked away in your genetic code." I explained to him. "Without Abe, it would take years for us to succeed."

"He deserved more than this..." He said solemnly.

"I know... but if it could only work once, I know he'd be proud it was you." I told him with a small smile.

"Thanks Clary." Steve said to me with his own smile.

I grabbed his hand making him stand up off the bed and looped my arm through his and lead him back to where Howard was. I saw Chester talking to Senator Brandt about what happened.

"Colonel Phillips, my committee is demanding answers." Brandt said indignantly.

"Great. Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car?" Chester asked Brandt rhetorically then turned to Howard. "What do we got here?"

Howard took his head out of the engine to look at us.

"Well, speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country. But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works, and neither does Mels. We're not even close to this technology." He huffed.

"Then who is?" Brandt asked openly.

"Hydra." I announced.

"I'm sure you've been reading our briefings." Chester asked with a bite.

"I'm on a number of committees, Colonel." Brandt answered annoyed.

"Well, then you should know that Hydra is the Nazi deep-science division. It's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions. Hydra is practically a cult. They worship Schmidt. They think he's invincible." I explained to the Senator while rolling my eyes. Invincible my ass.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Brandt asked Chester.

"Spoke to the President this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked." He announced.

"What?" I asked.

"We are taking the fight straight to Hydra. Pack your bags, Clara. You too Stark. We're flying to London tonight."

Howard only nodded and left to do so, but not before looking and waiting for me.

"No, you go ahead. I uh- I wanna say goodbye to Steve." I told Howard.

"Alright, I'll see you in the car."

I nodded and he left.

"Sir? If you're going after Schmidt, I want in." Steve said firmly.

"You? You're an experiment. You're going to Alamorgordo." He told Steve harshly.

"Chester!" I cried indignantly. "The serum clearly worked. Steve could be of help in London." I told him.

"No. I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough." He told Steve sternly.

I could see Steve's shoulders schlump down because of the words Chester said.

"Chester!" I exclaimed, shocked at his words but he just left.

I was about to comfort him and tell him to ignore Chester's bitter words but someone beat me from speaking.

"With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." Brandt told Steve, asking his assistant for a copy of the newspaper.

Curiously, I looked at the front page and saw it was Steve holding the door of a taxi cab as a shield, wondering how fast reporters were these days to have been able to get that photographed and published already.

"The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands." Brandt said excitedly.

"You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab." He put his hand on Steve's shoulder.

"Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?" Brandt asked Steve.

I could see Steve contemplating this offer internally before he made up his mind, which made me close my eyes and sigh.

"Sir, that's all I want." He told Brandt seriously.

"Then congratulations, you just got promoted." Brandt told Steve, excitingly shaking his hand before leaving hastily with his assistant.

"Steve... You have to understand this but Senator Brandt isn't helping you help the country, he's helping himself." I said, voicing my concern.

He looked at me with a bitter expression. "Clary, you don't understand, this is better than what Philips would make me do."

"I know, but believe me when I say that you won't be fighting if you go with Brandt." I told him. "The only thing he wants to win is people's attention to get their money."

"He's not war profiteering Clary." Steve defended.

I scoffed. "Are you sure about that?" I asked him rhetorically.

"Look Clary, I'm doing this." Steve told me firmly, holding my gaze.

I let out a frustrating sigh and took hold of Steve's hands.

"Okay, okay. I know whatever I say will just go in one ear and out the other but please, Steve, listen to me when I say to be careful. Not everything is what it seems."

Steve nodded and rubbed his thumb on my hand in a comforting manner.

"I shouldn't be upset at you for this, I'm sorry." He apologized while pulling me in closer to his chest. "I'll be careful, only if you will."

A smile pulled on my lips.

"Don't worry blue eyes, I will." I turned to leave, imagining how bored Howard was in the car waiting for me before Steve called me.

"Clary! I- I'm really glad I met you." He said honestly with a breathtaking smile on his face.

"I'm glad I met you too." I told him with my own smile.

This time before I got a chance to turn around, Steve grabbed my arm. I saw him slightly rocking back and forth with his feet. I sent him a questioning look.

"Um, do you- would you mind if I uh, wrote to you?" He asked, a bit nervous if I say so myself.

"You want to write to me?" I clarified, a bit astounded at his request.

Steve must have taken this the wrong way because he started stammering.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, that must have been way out of line, you don't have to agree to it, we should just forget I ever asked." He spluttered out.

I just laughed.

"Steve, that's not what I meant!" I told him "I was just shocked you wanted to. No guy has ever asked that to me, but I would love if you wrote to me. I don't know where we're going to be but I'll be sure to send something to Brandt then we'll start from there." I informed him.

"Done deal." Steve said with a smile.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug, which he gladly returned.

"Stay safe, Steve. Wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite now do we?" I whispered in his ear.

"Of course Clary." He replied back.

I let him go and turned to go but not without waving a final goodbye.

~0~

"Sorry I took so long Howie." I apologized immediately once I got in the car.

"Don't worry about it Mels, I understand that you had to say your goodbyes to lover boy over there." He said.

I rolled my eyes at the lover boy part but otherwise stayed silent, replaying all that has happened today.

"You alright Mels? How are you coping with the whole Abe thing?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm 103 years old Howard, I've seen plenty of deaths and you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but it still hurts every time..." I smiled bitterly, scoffing.

"Mels, I don't think it would be a good thing if you got used to deaths... Everything's going to be fine, you'll pull through like you always do." Howard told me, putting his hand over mine in a comforting manner.

"Think about something happy you know, be positive!" He advised me.

I scrunched my nose at that. I'm not a very positive or optimistic person, although I have been smiling a lot not thanks to Steve.

"C'mon Mels, for me?" He pouted his lips in a playful manner which made me chuckle.

"Fine, I'll be more positive Howie, only for you." I said with a smile, though thinking in my head how hard that would be.

~0~

To my surprise, it wasn't that hard to be a bit happier than usual. Once I got around to sending Steve a letter, that's where my happiness revolved around. Imagine my reaction to when Steve wrote to me saying what he was doing for Brandt, being "America's New Hope" and all. Much to his dismay, Steve wasn't doing anything while being Captain America. I wrote a satisfying I told you soin my next letter to him but then told him that I wasn't doing anything either besides filing files. Chester denied my request in joining the 107th in their mission to infiltrate a Hydra base. I was in a pretty bad mood for the rest of that day until Howard managed to get me a poster of Steve in his Captain America outfit which made me laugh so much. That poster now sits hidden in my trunk. He also told me that he was coming to our base the next day, which made me really excited.

Howard and I watched Steve try to get the crowd of soldiers to participate in his show under a tent, shielding myself from the London rain.

"Now how many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?" He asked the soldiers expectantly, though nobody answered.

"Ok... I need a volunteer." He said to the audience.

"We already volunteered! How do you think we got here?" A soldier shouted rudely at Steve.

The men laughed at their fellow.

"Bring back the girls!" Another one yelled, causing the rest to yell in agreement.

"I think they only know the one song, but... Let me... I'll see what I can do." Steve told the guys, looking back.

"Nice boots Tinkerbell!" Hodge shouted which made me narrow my eyes, very annoyed that he was here.

"Ugh I hate him." I told Howard who only laughed.

"Hey, Captain! Sign this!" A soldier yelled, standing on the bench, pulling his pants and underwear down showing his ass.

The men rioted once more before continuing to demand for the girls again and Steve finally gave in. I saw him exit the stage and leave my eyesight.

"Go."

I turned to look at Howard who was just nudging me towards where Steve went.

"Go, I won't tell." He told me winking making me smile.

"Thanks Howie. You're the best." I told him gratefully with a kiss on the cheek before running off, lifting my coat and putting it over my head so I wouldn't get that wet.

"You know I am!" He yelled after me, making me shake my head and laugh.

(Steve's POV)

I heaved a sigh when I came off stage. The stage manager came up to greet me, pulling me aside so I wouldn't block the girls who were frantically trying to get back on stage.

"Don't worry, pal. They'll warm up to you. Don't worry." He assured me but I brushed it off.

Grabbing my coat and sketch pad, I took a seat on one of the crates under a tent and drew. I flipped through my very worn out sketch pad and stopped at a drawing of Clary I drew a few days back. Smiling softly, I turned to a new page and started sketching a monkey on a unicycle wearing a uniform that was similar to mine. It was like I was drawing how I felt right now. A familiar voice interrupted my sketching.

"Hello Steve."

I immediately looked up, hearing the familiar voice that I have missed.

"Clary! Hi." I said shocked but still smiled widely.

She looked beautiful, even slightly wet from the pouring rain. Her light brown hair that would have reached to her torso but is slightly starting to curl because it was dampened by the rain. Even though she did come from the rain, her makeup stayed intact, her green eyes seemingly larger because of her black eyeliner and the beautiful red lipstick coating her delicate lips that was turned up into a smile showing her teeth.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" I asked her as she took a seat on a crate beside me.

"Well, officially I'm not here at all. That performance was... something huh?" She asked with a teasing tone.

I breathed a laugh "Yeah... Had to improvise a little there. Usually my crowds are more... 12"

She laughed softly.

"From what you've told me you're "America's New Hope" now right?" She asked.

"Bonds sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit." I recited tiredly.

"You have been around Senator Brandt way too much." She joked which made me laugh bitterly.

"Still, at least he's got me doing this. You heard Philips back then; he would have stuck me in a lab." I told her.

She tilted her head and said "And those are your only options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey?"

Clary gestured towards my drawing.

"You were meant for more than this you know..." She said honestly.

I sat there in silence thinking about what she said and what I've been doing for the past few weeks.

I could feel her looking at me curiously before she spoke.

"What?" She asked, pushing me to speak my mind.

"You know, for the longest time, I dreamed about...coming overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted...and I'm wearing tights." I finished off lamely.

Clary opened her mouth to speak but before she could, car honks distracted both of us. We saw medical people aid the injured from the truck that came in.

"They look like they've been through hell." I commented, noticing how bad they looked.

Clary nodded.

"These men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him, and less than 50 returned." She informed me.

"Your audience contained what was left of the rest were killed or captured."

That caught my attention and right away, I stood up, her following in suit.

"The 107th? Clary, are you sure?" I asked her frantically.

She looked confused at my sudden distress but said, "Yes, Steve I'm sure. I wanted to go with them but Chester declined."

I quickly grabbed Clary's wrist and pulled her towards the Colonel's tent.

"Wait, Steve! What's wrong?" She asked me but still running as I dragged her.

All I said was one name that made her run as fast as I was.

Bucky.

AN: Wow! Two surprises today! An early update and I added a Steve POV! I just realized that I never really described Clara before so I hope that gave some of you a picture of how she looks. I don't have an actress in mind when I picture Clara to be honest so I'm just as lost as you guys, I just put together a bunch of characteristics that I liked! But if you have any suggestions as to who she might remind you of, feel free to tell me! Also a big thank you to all who reviewed! I am getting such positive reviews and it's what's keeping me going! Once again thank you for reading! Since I'm about two chapters ahead of myself, I will post another on Monday as usual so follow/fave this story to be alerted! -E