Seren Soul was ashamed to say that being home didn't feel like home anymore. The truth is that she hadn't felt like any place was her home ever since she left New York two years ago. In London, she spent most of her time working and now she was in D.C. to continue doing just that. As her jet was landing, she felt these feelings doubled by the minute. Maybe she needed a break, that's what her director in London had advised her before leaving.

"After we finish this introduction, you need to take a well deserved break before we start this again," Rebeca Hale was cheery with the implications of her words.

Seren wasn't all that happy about it. "Have they said anything else about another team replication?" Long ago, they had discussed the possibility of once again recreating a team in a different country just like she had for London. But that was so long ago and nothing had been set since then.

Rebeca shook her head. "No, but I'm confident that they will once we present the team. After the presentation, though, you will take a break. It's only fair."

Seren sighed in her seat. She wasn't sure how to take the news if it were to actually happen. It was so strange because she'd been so happy — so thrilled — when Rebeca first brought up the fact France wanted to work with them. Two years later today...Seren found herself wary of it.

When the jet finally landed, Seren gathered her immediate bag and started for the door. She thanked the attendant for the care and walked out into fresh air.

"Seren!" she heard Chloe's call almost as soon as she'd stepped out.

Of course. Seren had planned on a surprise early landing but she didn't expect for Chloe to come out and actually meet her. With a wide grin, Seren hurried towards Chloe and hugged her.

"Ooh! Welcome back!" Chloe had Seren in a bone-crushing hug despite the latter being, quite literally, twice as strong.

Seren laughed. "It's good to be back, honestly."

Chloe pulled back from Seren, wearing a grin from ear to ear. "We're going to have so much fun, I swear! Here, let's go downstairs and get you a cab or something." She helped Seren with her bag and then started walking towards the door leading down to Headquarters. "Natasha will pop by later. She got assigned."

"No worries," Seren said, following Chloe into the building. Already she felt the nostalgia for the building when she walked down the hallway. "Place never changes..."

Chloe chuckled. "You would know. I wonder if Fury ever thinks about remodeling or something. I know a thing or two about international interior designs."

Seren couldn't help but laugh thinking how that conversation with Fury would go. It seemed like Chloe was thinking about the same thing, judging by the threatening laugh on her face.

"I missed you, Seren," Chloe said a moment later.

"Seriously? But you always travel anyways," Seren remarked.

"Yeah, but it was always nice knowing that when I came back, you would be here. Kind of like home, you know?"

Seren smiled. "Well, you did have the others. I know you spent most of your time living with Steve. Was it that bad?"

"Course not," Chloe shrugged, "But you're my best friend. It's just different." She bumped shoulders with Seren. "We're going to hang out later, you know that right?" She led Seren into a new hallway.

"Yeah," Seren said, her attention drifting over to the elevator across them that had dinged as it stopped on their floor. As soon as the doors slid open, out came a crowd of agents with a few familiar faces in the midst. It almost scared Seren that she didn't immediately recognize some of the people. Have I been gone that long? She wasn't used to not knowing everyone at SHIELD.

"Winters," Rumlow called as he led his STRIKE crew.

"Oh, great," Chloe mumbled under her breath then, at a normal volume, told Rumlow she was off duty for the day. "Can't you see we have our old agent back?" She made a gesture at Seren beside her.

Seren rolled her eyes and pushed Chloe's hands down. "Hey," she greeted Rumlow with a polite smile.

"Long time no see, Soul," Rumlow remarked. "You back with us for good now?"

"Um...it's still being discussed," Seren said. "Everything been good around here?"

"Yeah, perfect," Rumlow said with a strange smile. "Winter's been hanging out a lot more around here, did she tell you? Almost like she was waiting for you to leave."

Chloe deadpanned the man. "Shut it. Don't you have an assignment to go do?"

The elevator dinged again.

"Yeah, we're heading there now," Rumlow said, "See you, Soul."

Seren waved goodbye as the STRIKE team walked around them to head up to the rooftop. Chloe wasn't as kind and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Look what the cat dragged in!" Chloe's loud exclaim drew Seren's attention up ahead.

It was a few more SHIELD agents coming out of the elevator but Seren's eyes fell on the only agent she truly cared for. She locked eyes with Steve and, with a wide grin, hurried towards the group. In her running, she knocked past Chloe's shoulder.

"Hey!" Chloe dropped Seren's bag in the process.

Seren would apologize later — if she ever realized what she did — because all she cared about in that moment was hugging Steve with all her might. And with him, she could totally do that.

"Hi!" Steve was breathless from shock. He had no idea she was coming today. As far as he knew, she wasn't due for another few days. He immediately saw Chloe's smirking face across from them and knew. That sneaky—

But Seren had squeezed him enough to claim his attention again. It'd been two years since he last saw her, touched her, held her. He couldn't be mad at anything right now. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, letting his entire senses be consumed with Seren Soul. He could stay like that forever...

Chloe dismissed the rest of the agents towards the rooftop. She figured this was going to last for a bit. She would've left herself if the way to the elevator wasn't being blocked.

Luckily, Steve came to and set Seren on her feet, drawing away from her. Seren's hands still rested on his arms but it took her a while to meet his gaze. She looked at him from head to toe, blatantly admiring him. He was geared for a mission, clad in his stealth uniform and his shield. By the time she looked up at his eyes, she was red-faced and so warm.

"Hi..." she swallowed hard. She pulled her hands off his arms and stepped back, very self conscious about herself now.

Steve was grinning from ear to ear. He honestly felt like he couldn't breathe — Seren was right here. She was right in front of him, so dazzling and pretty—

"You guys okay over there?" Chloe had a hand beside her mouth, acting as if she needed to yell the question out to be heard.

The grin from Steve's face dropped when he looked over at Chloe. "You didn't tell me anything!" he accused her.

Once again, Chloe smirked. "I didn't? You know, I just have so many things on my mind. Literally!" She tapped a finger on her temple. "It's the Hive—"

"Oh, save it," Steve rolled his eyes. Seren's giggle brought his attention back to her. "I mean — I would have loved to know that you were coming earlier. I—"

"It's fine," Seren said, "Did I catch you at a bad time?" She may have quickly looked him over again.

"Kind of," Steve was regretful to say. "Actually, I sort of have to — sorry..." He was sure that Rumlow was already growing impatient up on the rooftop waiting for him.

Seren still smiled at him but behind that clean smile she was reminded why they were where they were today — not together. Work. "Yeah, of course," she nodded and stepped aside. "I'll see you later..."

"Definitely!" Steve jumped at the opportunity even when he had to start heading to the elevator. "Uh, just, Chloe can let me know if you're too busy—"

Chloe gave him a thumbs up on the spot. "She won't be!" Seren glared at her.

"Great!" Steve exclaimed and soon disappeared in the elevator. Before the doors slid shut on him, he flashed another smile at Seren. She could almost melt at that moment. She missed him and all his charming smiles.

"You guys are so pathetic, it physically hurts me," Chloe bluntly said as she walked past Seren.

~0~

Seren would be staying in a hotel close to where her gathering with the Council would be happening. Like her apartment in London, the hotel room was a luxurious one. Chloe was utterly jealous and warned Seren that if she didn't properly keep hold of her key card, she would take it.

"I oddly miss that, you know," Seren shook her head at the blonde. Chloe had left her suitcase in the middle of the living room for Seren to go through.

"Well, lucky Steve is getting all of my attention these past weeks," Chloe flashed a big smile at Seren. "But don't worry, I told him it wasn't going to work out between us. I understand that he's all yours."

Seren threw Chloe a look that screamed 'murder'. "That's not funny!" she said while Chloe laughed.

"I'm sorry, but it's so annoying the way you two act!" Chloe plopped down on the couch and threw her head back to rest for a bit. She had another headache coming. "Seriously," she brought a hand on her forehead, "you practically ogled him earlier and he didn't bat an eye."

"What!?" Seren went red in a matter of seconds. "I didn't — I was not—"

Chloe smiled when she lifted her head off the couch. "It's okay. I told him that he looked hot. You should've seen his reaction. Hilarious."

Seren was nowhere near amused with the conversation. "I don't need to know about that stuff and I was not 'ogling' him!" she insisted.

Chloe shrugged as she pushed herself up from the couch. She needed a drink of water. "I exist to annoy you and fluster Steve. I take my job very seriously but I'm also irritated with both of you for being so dumb."

"Did you bring me to my hotel to insult me all day?" Seren crossed her arms. "Because the door's over there."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It's so funny how you get insulted by the truth, and just about every little thing I say. Steve has the same problem. You're even similar in that aspect."

"And I genuinely wonder how you and Steve have managed to live together for so long," Seren said.

"Because as annoying as I am, I'm also so loveable," Chloe said with a wide grin. "And as 'imprudent' as you like to say that I am, I do make him laugh and trust me, Steve needs to laugh some more. He always smiles but I know it's not real half the time."

Seren fell silent then. She knew Chloe was right.

"I mean, he's trying to navigate himself but I feel like he's just kind of...floating," Chloe continued. "I think he's missing you."

"Chloe..." sighed Seren. It always went back to this.

"No, for real this time," Chloe said, putting her hands together in a praying motion. "Like, he's learning the new things about our world — the customs, the food, the places, the language — but I think at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter because what he wants...he doesn't have. And that's you. Seren Soul."

Seren lowered her head for a moment. Her heart could explode in that moment hearing — thinking that she was that important to someone. "I think he might want his friends back too, Chloe," she said quietly.

Chloe chuckled. "Well, of course, but that doesn't mean you're any less important. I think that Steve just makes a habit of pretending to be happy and no matter what I do to try to get him to actually be happy, it doesn't work. You know I take him to the Smithsonian museum all the time to try and cheer him up?"

"Smithsonian museum?" Seren frowned. "What's that?"

Chloe all but gawked. "He never told you?"

"Told me what?"

Chloe groaned. "I'll kill him! I swear I'll kill him!"

"Chloe, what's going on?"

Chloe explained to Seren what the museum was all about. Seren was shocked, and maybe a little disappointed, that Steve never mentioned to her that there was a whole exhibit dedicated to his life.

"It's really cool," Chloe said. "I've gone on my own too, not going to lie. It tells Steve's whole life and then you get to see his friends there too!"

"Everyone?" Seren said, sounding like she was dreading something.

"Yeah," Chloe nodded, raising an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Well, maybe seeing his dead friends isn't exactly the uplifting activity Steve needs," Seren said, half smiling at her friend. "Did you ever think about that?"

"Dammit." Chloe smacked her forehead and then completely regretted it. There was definitely a headache now!

Seren chuckled. "It's alright. I'm sure Steve appreciates your intentions. I just think seeing his dead friends, and his dead best friend, might be doing a bit more harm than good."

"Well, yeah, now that you say it like that!" Chloe groaned. "I'm stupid. I'm definitely stupid."

"You're fine, Chloe. You always are." Seren had to always remind herself about that fact as well. As imprudent as Chloe was, she did always have the best of intentions.

"I'm going to get a glass of water now," Chloe said, rubbing her forehead. As she walked towards the kitchen, Seren watched her and noted the slight stumble in her pace.

~ 0 ~

Steve was able to get back to SHIELD in under a day. It was probably one of his quickest missions and he didn't want to talk about it. As soon as he had returned home, he went to get ready to leave again. He showered, got changed, and did all he could to make himself presentable. He was on his way out when he found Chloe lying on the couch fast asleep. He stopped with an almost skid on his feet.

Chloe never napped.

He often questioned what energy she ran on because their missions could go on for long periods of time and yet she was always bouncing off the walls with exceptional energy. He didn't want to wake her up, but he did promise himself that he would start bugging her with questions until she answered him clearly.

It was truly like he and Seren ran with the same signal.

He had surprised her at her hotel room and quickly learned that she was on her way out to run some errands. He was glad to join her and in the midst of their conversation on their walk, they stumbled on the topic of their mutual friend — pseudo-sister.

"Do you know what is going on with Chloe?" Seren finally got the courage to ask him directly. "I notice she looks more tired than usual. And she kind of walks funny too, like she's low on energy."

"You don't read minds, do you?" Steve couldn't help the words that flew from his mouth. He apologized not a second later with a meek smile. "Sorry. Yeah, I've noticed the same thing."

"Do you know what's going on then?"

Steve shook his head.

"I love Chloe like my little sister. I'd like to know if there's something wrong with her, something I can help her with."

"I'd love to have the answers, Seren, but I really don't," Steve sighed. "I've asked her dozens of times but she doesn't tell me anything."

"How long has it been going on?"

"A while," Steve admitted, feeling guilty. "I-I should have been more on it, but I have no idea what to do, honestly. I'm scared I might offend her or something."

Seren half smiled at him. "It takes a lot to really offend, Chloe."

"I mean, one moment she's okay but then suddenly she gets these headaches or she stumbles. She's usually very alert but lately she looks like shes could sleep a lot more. And she probably does."

"Chloe's never had insomnia, not even when I first found her," Seren said. "There were days where she wouldn't sleep but eventually she would. Has she seen a doctor?"

"I don't know, probably not." As far as he could tell, Steve was sure that Chloe had kept it all to herself.

"Why didn't you say something to me before?" As much as Seren wanted to keep the peace, she couldn't help the tinge of irritation in her tone.

"What was I supposed to say? I don't actually know if there's something wrong with Chloe. She doesn't say anything and I can't force her to say something either."

"But there's something clearly wrong with her!" Seren exclaimed and stopped walking. "Steve, you don't get it. I found Chloe when she was a teenager — a kid — and I have been with her every step of the way ever since then. I still remember the way I found her. It's permanently seared in my head." It was why she preferred not to remember it so much but sometimes moments like these sent her back.

"Agent Soul, we have one heat signature recorded in the building," a female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent reported over the comms. "Completely still but very much alive."

Seren and a few other agents behind her were making their way into said building. "But you're sure this is where the energy readings are coming from?" Seren asked.

"Absolutely," the female agent said. "It matches the readings we found in the explosion site."

"Be cautious everyone," Seren led her group into the corridor of the building. "If this is the same person, they're responsible for the deaths of twenty people. One bad move and we might all go down in an explosion."

"Copy that," the female agent over the comms. said. Behind Seren, the other agents agreed with dutiful nods.

Seren soon divided her in half so that each half could take the two doors of the room. As they got closer, they could hear the incoherent mutterings. For a moment, Seren thought she heard the voice of a girl. That couldn't be right. They were searching for a bomber. A reckless bomber with no regard for innocent lives. That was what SHIELD told them.

"On my mark," Seren readied her team. Her hands balled on her sides, creating a soft orange glow she would use to attack the bomber. She neared the door first and peeked through the crack of it.

'I didn't...I didn't...I didn't do...no...I didn't….'

A girl. It was definitely sounding like a girl was in the room.

"Be on guard," Seren suddenly said, "The bomber might have a hostage."

"Negative," the female agent over the comms. said, "There's only one heat signature coming from the room."

"Something's not right," Seren mumbled. She pushed open the door and cautiously stepped in. Her eyes swept over the dusty room bathed in a radiant blue glow. "No bomb parts in sight…" she informed the team.

"I didn't...no, stop it! I didn't...Stop talking!" A girl shrieked behind an overturned desk.

Seren forewent caution and ran towards the desk. She came to find a blonde girl huddled underneath the desk, her body trembling as she kept talking to herself.

"Hold fire," Seren told the rest of the team as she bent down in front of the girl.

"They need to stop. You need to stop! Stop!" The girl scrunched her face — a rather gaunt face. She was far too skinny and pale. She was dirty too.

Seren wondered if the girl had been homeless for a while now. Whatever she was, she couldn't be completely human. The blue glow was coming from her body. "Hey there…" Seren said softly, "My name's Seren. Can you hear me?"

The girl's eyes flickered everywhere before landing on Seren. "I didn't...make them stop!" her face scrunched. "They won't stop talking! They won't stop talking to me!"

"Who?" Seren looked around. No one was talking but her.

"Them!" The girl whacked her head hard. "They won't leave me alone!" She hit herself several times before Seren intervened and grabbed her wrists. "STOP! STOP!"

"Who won't? Who won't leave you alone!?" Seren tried to be louder than the girl.

"They're so loud! Loud!" The girl burst into tears. "They won't stop talking!"

"Who won't!?"

"The creatures! Whatever they are! They won't stop talking! Please help me!" The girl flung her body into Seren's, causing several agents to move towards them.

"Hold your fire! I said hold your fire!" Seren waved to the team to stop with her free hand. The girl had grabbed her in a tight hug that included her right arm. She was a sobbing mess. Seren slowly lowered her free hand to the girl's back. "It's alright, it's alright. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Ch-Chloe. You gotta listen to me, I didn't...I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I can't control this," Chloe raised her head for a split moment. Her eyes flashed another bright blue before the entire glow left her body. "I didn't mean to kill anyone." Tears spilled from her eyes and suddenly Seren was her lifeline again.

Seren quickly cleared a tear from her eye. She didn't like thinking about that day, not when Chloe had come so far now. "Chloe was 17 years old when I found her. She was responsible for the death of 20 people in a bank. Her blasts left an imprint that S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly picked up on. I took Chloe in — she said her family was dead. We assumed it was another accident. She was terrified when I found her."

"She's never told me that story," Steve said quietly.

"I don't imagine she's ever said it to anyone else since that day. I know I'm not that much older than her but I helped her train, I helped her get better. If something is wrong with her, I need to know," Seren said earnestly.

"I'd love to help but I really don't know. She doesn't say."

Seren believed him. She couldn't imagine Chloe telling anyone what was really going on with her. She was a master of secrets. "But if you do find out, you'd tell me right?"

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "To me it looks like it's all from the Hive Mind."

"It's possible the Hive Mind is being more active," Seren started walking slowly. "We've never been able to pinpoint the origin of the Hive Mind. We don't know what the creatures are, we don't know where they're from. It's basically all unknown to us. I don't blame her for lying to us about her parents. They're not dead. She just ran away from them before she could hurt them."

"Do they know about that?"

"I don't think they know anything," Seren said, "Except that she's alive. She just made it seem like she ran away for the hell of it. She has an aunt and cousin here in New York, visits them on occasion. She knows that when she does, her aunt will call her mother to let her know that Chloe's well and alive. But she's never talked to her parents since that day."

Steve couldn't imagine what it had to be like for Chloe leaving all that behind, especially if they were still nearby. "All because of that tech?" Seren nodded. "Where'd it even come from anyways? Chloe's never told me."

Seren shrugged. "We have no idea. We know that aliens have been landing on Earth ever since before humans knew of their existence. It's possible that it was just left behind."

"Not even your grandmother could tell S.H.I.E.L.D. anything? Being a psychic and all…"

Seren smiled. "Yeah, apparently it's hard to 'see' things when it's a Hive Mind you're trying to see. No, we've never really been able to get the origins of that tech. All we know for sure is that it bonded with Chloe's body."

"Permanently?"

Seren met Steve's look. "I...don't know," she admitted. "When Chloe was first brought in, we tried to extract the piece but it was too far gone into her system for such a thing. But then again, that was years ago and years ago we didn't have the technology we do now."

An idea suddenly struck Steve, or rather an answer did. "Like Stark's tech?"

Seren shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Could that be why Chloe was seeing Stark for a while now? Steve suddenly felt a twinge of betrayal from Chloe. If she was really trying to get the tech out of her body, why wouldn't she say something? Confide in him? More than that, how could he not notice!?

"Steve?" Seren called to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" That was far from the truth and both of them knew it. Steve felt stupid for even trying. "No. Honestly, there's just too much going on."

Seren appreciated his honesty. "Still feeling overwhelmed sometimes?"

"More than sometimes."

Seren remembered what Chloe had told her about Steve's difficulties. She didn't know how to tackle them without outing herself either. "How's, um, how's SHIELD?" She figured that was as good of a place to start at. His reservations about the organization were pretty clear from the start.

Steve scoffed. "Ask Fury. According to him, it's 'damn near past time for me to get with the program'."

"Fury can be challenging but he does mean well." The next time Steve scoffed, it was hard enough to make Seren wince. "Or not…?"

"Look Seren, I get that you're probably one of the closest people to Fury but he and I...we don't see eye to eye. And if I'm being honest, I don't know if we'll ever see eye to eye."

"And?" Seren was sure that there was something else he wanted to add but was too reluctant to do so. "I know it's been a long time since we really talked but you do know that you can tell me anything, right? No matter what it is."

"Yes but I know what S.H.I.E.L.D. means to you…" He had no intention of getting into arguments about S.H.I.E.L.D. with her. He knew what the organization meant to her.

Seren stopped walking again, forcing him to do the same. She touched his arm and moved over to stand in front of him. Even though he didn't want to look at her, she eventually made him meet her eyes. When he did, she was able to read him like a book. "You're not happy there," she whispered.

Instead of being honest and agreeing with her — and thanking the stars that she was able to make it easy by just saying it like that — Steve went on the path that had him trying to deflect her assumption. "Who's actually happy these da—"

"Don't," Seren's command was soft but still enough to cut him off. "If you're not happy, say it. What do you think? That it'll hurt my feelings?"

"You've worked there for a long time, a longer time than you should have, and you've said it too. It's your life."

"So? It doesn't mean that I expect for you to stick around, especially if I'm not even around anymore."

"It's not that simple—"

"Why not?"

"Because I have no idea what I actually want to do. I don't know if I want to stay, I don't know if I want to leave!" It's what troubled Steve the most. If he wasn't happy at S.H.I.E.L.D., then logically he should just leave...but then what? What was he supposed to do? In a way, he felt stuck. "The only thing I know for sure is that I don't know anything."

"That's not entirely true," Seren said in a means to be optimistic. "I mean, you've been learning loads of new things from our world. You're not the same person you were the last time we saw each other. That counts for something, right?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Steve didn't know how to put 'it doesn't feel enough' into proper words, especially considering it was Seren he was talking to.

"Okay," Seren nodded, bringing her free hand to rest on his arm again. "Have you thought about taking a leave of absence? Clint does that all the time. Maybe you need it too."

"I don't know…" He was a broken record.

"Just think about it," Seren shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt. I think you sort of jumped back into things that you never really considered doing something else."

It was funny how easily she put together honest sentences like that. No, Steve had never really considered doing anything else other than fighting and missions. Whether or not he actually wanted to, he ended up smiling. It was such a fond smile that Seren shifted on its receiving end.

"What?" she asked for the sole intention of breaking the silencer that fell over them.

"I really missed you." It wasn't the first thing he was thinking of but it was certainly in the top three.

Seren sheepishly smiled back. "I missed you too."

"Hey, why don't we stop by for some cinnamon rolls after you run your errands?"

"Okay," Seren nodded. She hoped she didn't seem too excited. She led the way while simultaneously wondering if she really forgot how to walk suddenly.

~ 0 ~

Perhaps it was luck or perhaps it was sheer fate trying to tell him something, but somehow Steve ended up in the VA right where Sam Wilson was in the middle of a meeting. Seren was doing her last errand across the street — hence the luck or fate playing him — and so, not wanting to bother her, Steve crossed the block to come get a glimpse of what the building was like. He was pleasantly surprised to find Sam inside. He listened to the entire meeting, hearing other fellow soldiers' stories and sympathized with them. It seemed like no matter what the year was, things like these sadly stayed the same.

Sam had seen him early on and as soon as he ended the meeting, he met Steve outside in the hallway. "Look who it is. The running man," he said with a grin. "Is the not-running girl here too?"

Steve chuckled lightly. "Ah no, I don't make her run past nine."

"Just at 6 a.m?"

"The normal amount."

Sam shook his head, leaving a bit of silence to follow. Steve watched as a few of the people from the meeting lingered by the entrance. They seem a bit more calm and content rather than where they were five minutes ago.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense..." He said, watching the group leave then looked back at Sam.

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret," Sam said with a familiar sigh slipping from his lips.

"You lose someone?"

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry." Steve knew that feeling so well. He would never get the image of Bucky falling from the train out of his head, even with the decades that had passed them by. It was still fresh as ever.

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?" For a moment, Steve envied Sam. Sam seemed like the kind of man who knew what he wanted and got it.

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero," Sam laughed a bit. "So, hell yeah. You thinking about getting out?"

"I don't know." There went the broken record again. "To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did." On some level, Steve understood what Seren often said about leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. behind. They were both so used to their way of living that to suddenly get out was unimaginable, terrifying even. Maybe that's why he barely considered such an idea.

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam's joke made Steve laugh. "It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

Before Steve could say 'I don't know' — again — he heard his name. It was Seren coming over and unintentionally answering Sam's question. Steve had no idea what kind of work he'd want to do if it wasn't part of S.H.I.E.L.D. but he was sure about Seren and what she did to him. She made him happy.

And did she even look extra pretty today or was that just him being a fool?

"I thought you'd be here," Seren came up to the two men, none the wiser about anything of course.

"You just happen to know that?" Steve raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mhm," she nodded. "It wasn't that hard to put together." Her eyes flickered between them, curiously lingering on Sam. "Hi there…"

"Sorry, this is Sam Wilson," Steve motioned to the man who said a simple "Hello". "Sam, this is—"

"Seren Soul," she stretched a hand forwards to shake with Sam. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Sam said with a lingering gaze, "Sorry, you look familiar…"

Seren chuckled. "Uh, you may remember that big ball of colors that exploded in the New York battle 2 years ago?"

"Aha…"

"Yeah, that was me." Seren loved his wide-eyed reaction. Her laugh may have been slightly louder than what it should've been and then she felt guilty. "Sorry, I just love mentioning that. It was my finest moment but I probably should've just waited outside."

"You're fine," Steve told her. He was failing to keep his fond smile hidden. He just couldn't help it. Having her around was reminding him exactly why he wanted her in the first place.

"I'll just do that — I'm going to see if Chloe answers my calls anyways," Seren said, one hand already fishing for her phone inside her purse. "It was nice meeting you Sam."

"Likewise," Sam nodded at her. "Say hi to Chloe for me."

Seren chuckled. "Sure. I'll be outside," she told Steve.

"You don't have to wai—" He tried to say but Seren assured him it was fine. She really did want to call and check in on Chloe.

"It's okay." She couldn't help but laugh at how guilty he seemed, like he really did have something to be sorry about.

"Seren—"

"I'll be outside," Seren said. "Seriously, take your time, I'll be fine." She patted Steve's arm, assuring him one more time before heading out.

Sam watched them go back and forth for those few seconds until eventually Steve accepted his loss and turned back to him.

Sam was smirking all too knowledgeable. "Special lady?"

Steve couldn't help it. He smiled. "...something like that."

~ 0 ~

Seren was hanging up when Steve came out of the building. By the look on her face, Steve presumed that Chloe had done to her what she'd been doing to him.

"She says she's absolutely fine," Seren sighed and stuffed her phone back into her purse. "Does she think I'm an idiot?"

"Honestly, I don't know what goes through Chloe's head most of the time — besides the obvious of course — but hey, maybe she just needs some time and soon enough she'll finally tell us what's been bothering her."

"I hope you're right," Seren folded her arms, still looking mighty upset. Steve hated it.

"You want to get those cinnamon rolls now?" He asked her in hopes of cheering her up.

"I think so, yeah," she nodded.

"My treat," Steve said and motioned her to walk with him. "Did Chloe say where she was at least?" He doubted that she had stayed home all day after that strange nap.

"Just that she was out and busy," Seren said, sighing. "She got a bit defensive, mind you. Told me I should stop worrying about her so much and just...hang out with you."

Steve had to smile to himself. Even in moments like these, Chloe never wasted an opportunity.

"Which reminds me," Seren said, suddenly shooting him a squinted-eye look, "When were you planning on telling me about the Smithsonian exhibition?" Judging by the look on Steve's face, the answer was close to 'never'. "I didn't know you were capable of hiding things from me, you know. Don't know whether to be irritated or impressed."

"I didn't exactly see the necessity of telling you that some people made a whole exhibition about my life," Steve said, scrunching his face. "It's awkward, you know."

"But you still go," Seren said like she had all the certainty in the world. "Chloe said she brings you sometimes but it only worsens your mood."

"It doesn't—"

"And then I told her she probably shouldn't take you to the place where you see all your friends who are dead now," Seren said ever so bluntly. For some reason, it made Steve laugh. "But now I'm second guessing myself because if you really hated it that much, you wouldn't have gone with Chloe every single time she dragged you there which means—"

Steve was downright amused with her at this point. "What are you, a detective?"

"—you" — Seren poked his arm with a finger — "have been going there on your own when she's not looking. Am I right?"

"Can't keep anything away from you, detective Soul," Steve said with a mock salute. Seren was smiling pretty smugly (and looking adorable in the process). "Yeah, alright, I do go on my own. As hard as it is, it's all I have left, you know? I don't have any pictures of my own and...in some way, it's easier having them away from me. I decide when I see them. And I don't have to bring them home."

"Home away from home?" Seren presumed. Steve nodded. "It's hard being the only one left to remember something. I'm sorry."

"It's not like it's your fault," Steve said, "But if you do want to see it—"

"Oh, I don't have to — I wasn't saying it because I needed to—"

"Can I take you, actually?" Steve asked, startling her with the sudden request. "It is my home away from home. I'd like for you to see who I was before all this stuff."

"I know you, Steve," Seren said softly, resting a hand on his arm. "I don't have to see anything to confirm that."

"You know me — this me," Steve pointed out, bringing his hand over hers on his arm. "You don't know that stupid man before the war. Chloe didn't either, actually. And do you know what she said?"

"Oh God..." Seren groaned, "What did this girl say to you?"

Steve was half smiling when he remembered. "'How did you expect to win WW2 when you're pint-sized?'"

"I swear to God, I'm going to ki—" But Steve was laughing before Seren could finish, and the way he was so carefree and genuine is what made her stop altogether. She hated that he rarely had moments like these and wondered how many of these moments there had actually been while she was gone.

"Chloe helps me, whether she knows it or not," Steve said when he managed to calm himself down. "Her comments makes things seem lighter. I know for sure my old friends would've gotten a kick out of that."

"Oh, so they were all rude too?" Seren was smiling, wanting to keep the moment going.

"You think Bucky was all kind all the time? He'd insult me the most. I have to make sure Chloe never finds out the things he'd call me because I get the feeling she'd take on his mantle and keep it going."

"You know what, you might be right," Seren chuckled.

"So, if Chloe got to know the other me. Can I show you now?" Steve didn't know how anxious he could get so quickly and suddenly, but it always seem to happen when he was around Seren. It was true that with Chloe, she had helped him and that was that. She didn't make him nervous. He certainly didn't feel nervous when she saw the old videos and pictures of his old self. He was terrified knowing that Seren might be watching them now. But it was still important to him that she saw them. He didn't want to hide anything from her, not even those parts.

"Of course," Seren replied, and watched as Steve took her hand off his arm and kept it in his. "But it's not really going to change anything. You'll still be the same to me."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Steve said, truly meaning it with every fiber of his being. Because if she couldn't see him the same way, he had no idea what he would do with himself.

~ 0 ~

The exhibition was crowded. Seren was honestly in awe at how many people showed up, and even more to find out that it was more or less like this every day. And apparently, Steve wasn't exactly all for it. He still preferred to stay away from the crowds when possible.

There was so much to see that Seren didn't know where they could possibly start. Steve seemed drawn to certain parts so she followed him and even though he didn't say it out loud, she could tell he was nervous. He held onto her hand like he thought she would run away or something, especially when they wandered over to a corner of his very early days.

'Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier…'

Seren's chuckle subsided the more she watched the different footage playing ahead of them. It helped loosen some of Steve's nerves. If she was laughing like that, she wasn't appalled.

"I've seen pictures of you — the you before the serum — but it's never really looked so...real…" She said distractedly, a fond smile tugging at her lips the more footage she saw. "You're my size! Ha!"

Steve playfully rolled his eyes at her. "You know, now I can kind of see how you and Chloe are friends."

Seren flushed and sheepishly looked up at him. "Sorry." But Steve was smiling, shaking his head at her.

"Don't be."

"If this is what you had to show me, I gotta say that there's really no difference…" No sooner had Seren said that than Steve let out an incredulous laugh.

"Really?"

Seren knew exactly what he meant and so she looked at him again. "There's no difference where it matters," she said earnestly. "You were who you were before any of this stuff. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"That's one way to think about it," Steve said. He certainly never thought about it that way.

"It's the only way," Seren told him. "And I don't accept any insults towards yourself. Sorry."

Steve laughed lightly. "Good to know the rules, then. Do you know you have to follow them as well?"

Seren knew she'd walked into that one. "I'm a different case—"

"No, you're not—"

"I'm literally half alien, Steve. You're entirely human. People love you—"

"People love you too."

"Yeah, but there's always going to be a faction that sees me as a threat. I mean, what do you think your friends would've thought of me back then? What would you have thought of me before any of this serum and Hydra stuff? Before you knew about aliens and hybrids?"

Steve took one look at her and knew exactly what he would've thought. "'She's pretty'." The world had flown from his mouth but he didn't regret them one bit. The look on Seren's face was prize enough.

"I don't— I mean—" Seren laughed because there was nothing else she could think of at the moment. Her face was on fire. "

"I would've told Bucky that," Steve continued, shrugging. He felt a surge of confidence he wasn't quite used to and surprisingly he was going with it. "He would've agreed."

"Mm, really?" Seren could barely look at him without blushing all over again.

"But truthfully, you wouldn't be his type."

Seren blinked. "Oh? I wouldn't be?" There was a hint of disappointment in her voice that Steve couldn't ignore. In fact, he very much felt jealousy spring in his chest.

"It's just — Bucky was always kind of — he just had a type, you know? And he himself was a…well…a bit rambunctious. He was always the life of the party—"

"Are you saying that I'm not the life of the party?" Seren laughed lightly.

"I didn't mean to—!"

But Seren patted a hand on Steve's arm. "You're fine. I don't actually party but you know who does — or did? Chloe. She's a bit, uh, rambunctious too."

Steve's lips twitched into a smile. He was fighting the urge to laugh. 'Rambunctious' was cutting it short to describe Chloe. "Well, I just meant the way your personality is…it wouldn't really match with Bucky's."

"Mm…" Seren hummed, "Well, if that's right, then maybe you're right."

'I am' almost slipped out from Steve's lips. He took her hand again and began leading her out of the exhibit.

There were plenty of other things to see in the museum. They wandered over to one display and Seren quickly realized that it was the telling of Steve's old team, primarily of Bucky Barnes himself.

'Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.'

Seren felt her hand be squeezed just a tad tighter. She wondered how many times Steve had come into this place and watched this specific display.

To watch and hear how he lost his best friend…Seren couldn't imagine how she would handle that kind of situation if it was, say, Chloe in Bucky's place. She would go mad.

Seren felt like that whole museum did a lot more harm than it did good. Seeing the faces of the past wouldn't be easy for anyone, much less for someone who'd gone through what Steve had. By the time they finally stepped out of the museum, they'd gone through every display and available interviews, including Peggy Carter's. None of it seemed to put Steve in any better mood.

"If your intention was to drive me off because of all this stuff, you failed," she told him as soon as they were on the sidewalk. "I just care that it seems to hurt you. How many times have you come here on your own?"

"Uuh, a few times every now and then…" Steve gave a light shrug of his shoulders. He was very careful not to look at her.

"So I'm guessing every time you're feeling a bit down," Seren folded her arms over her chest. "Those people...they all seemed like very good people."

"They were." There was an etch of pain over Steve's face when he forced the last word out from his mouth. Were. Because they were, most of them.

"They're not all gone," Seren whispered to him, bringing him out of his sure-to-be grim thoughts. "I know it seems like there's no one left but that isn't quite true, right? Peggy's still around."

"She is but...at the same time she isn't." Steve felt his hand be taken by Seren. She was well aware of Peggy's deteriorating condition.

"Have you visited her lately?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Maybe you should consider visiting her again," Seren took her hand out of his to rub a comforting hand over his arm. "If you want to feel connected to your home, I think you should take advantage that she's close by."

Steve nodded. "Yeah, maybe." There was always a need to visit Peggy whenever he wanted to reminisce about the past but ever since Peggy started losing her memories, it became even more difficult for him to see her. If he lost her too then it meant he would finally lose everything from home. He would be the last one to remember everything.

Seren hated the way his face slowly fell. "Listen, we can skip the cinnamon rolls. I'm sure Chloe and Natasha can use my help or something. You should visit Peggy today, help ease your mind a bit."

"What? No!" Steve started shaking his head. Somehow the idea of letting go of Seren's hand made things feel ten times worse. "I told you we were going to get some cinnamon—"

"It's fine, really! I'll be here for about a week anyways."

"No, Seren, I promised you—"

"And I am happily liberating you from it!" Seren wanted to pull her hand out of his but he was gripping it. "I can take a few days without cinnamon rolls, I swear."

Steve smiled at her. Of course she'd do something like that. He often told Peggy about these selfless choices that Seren would make. Sometimes they were small, sometimes big, but always with the same intention: to help others. It was a shame that she couldn't really remember much about Seren.

"Seren, how about you come with me?" As he expected, Seren gave him an odd look. "I think you're right, visiting Peggy would be a good idea but it would be an even better idea if you came with me."

"But I…" Seren laughed nervously, "No, absolutely not. I don't...I don't have anything to do there — she wants to see you not the...the alien that S.H.I.E.L.D. adopted."

"She'd like to see you too, I know it. C'mon," Steve offered her his arm. "You're not going to let me go alone, are you?"

"Well, it's not like you wouldn't know your way back. Steve, no, it's...I wouldn't even know what to say. The last time I saw her she was...an adult and I...wasn't." She scrunched her face. Had it been that long?" Steve laughed. "Don't laugh! I was being serious! I don't...I don't know what I'd do or say…"

"It doesn't really matter because I already told her enough about you," Steve said so casually that he never considered how Seren would react to that admission.

It certainly brought her out of her nerves for a split moment and it was only to be replaced by surprise. "You talk to her about me?"

It was her soft tone that warned Steve to tread carefully with his next words. He didn't want to weird her out. "I talked about everyone," he said. "S.H.I.E.L.D., you know? But yeah, she knows you well enough to know what kind of person you are. Not to mention she did see what you did in New York."

Seren rubbed circles over her chest with her free hand. It was getting a little hard to breathe normally. "And what did she-she say?"

"She likes you...which is why I know that she would love a visit from you too. Please?"

Seren deliberated for another minute. She was nowhere near ready but she wouldn't lie to herself: meeting one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. had always been one of her dreams. Plus, this was the Peggy Carter.

"If I end up looking like a fool, I am never talking to you again Steve Rogers," she announced as she now squeezed his hand.

Steve laughed. "You are literally incapable of doing that."

"I guess we'll be finding out, huh?"

~ 0 ~

It was breathtaking to see someone after more than 10 years, even more so when it appeared that Peggy actually did remember Seren more than the latter had anticipated.

"You didn't have orange hair…" Peggy made her first comment after both Seren and Steve sat down beside her bed. Peggy chuckled when Seren's hand flung to her short, ginger hair. "I do remember some things."

"Wild actions a young twentier takes," Seren poorly reasoned. It was like she could hear her mother's appalled yells again.

"If I had done that in my time, I can't imagine what they would've done to me," Peggy's eyes widened slightly at the idea. "What do you think, Steve? Orange?"

Steve bobbed his head for a moment. "I think very few people can pull it off. Seren is one of them."

Seren smiled bashfully. "Hair aside, it is very nice to see you again, Agent Carter."

Peggy laughed. "I haven't been called that in a very long time."

"It's how I remember you," Seren shrugged. "I remember before I was younger, my grandmother would bring me around whenever I was sick. S.H.I.E.L.D. is the only place where I could go for medical attention...and the only place where they could handle a pretty strong kid."

Peggy looked at her for a long time, so long that Steve started worrying she'd forgotten again. "You're the little girl that hated doctors." Seren flushed. Of course she would remember that. "You would kick and thrash even when you were this small." Peggy made the traditional notion of her index finger and thumb. "You had to have at least 3 agents on you back then."

"I never liked doctors," Seren said, glancing at Steve. "You know that too."

"Oh, I do," he agreed.

The last time she had been injured was during the battle against the Chitauri. She was beyond exhausted but the moment she was lucid enough, she pulled the IV tubes from her skin and jumped out of her hospital bed to get changed. On some level, he could understand the fear of doctors considering his own experience with them but he believed Seren had a degree or two more of fear.

"How is S.H.I.E.L.D. treating you?" Even with her own problems, Peggy was aware enough to know to be cautious with that question.

Seren briefly glanced at Steve. She wondered how many times Peggy had asked him the same thing.

"I'm doing good, though to be honest I haven't really done missions for them in over 2 years. I've been in London."

"Oh right, Steve's talked about it. Recreating the Initiative."

"Aha." Once again, Seren looked over to Steve. She wanted to ask exactly how much he would talk about her with Peggy. At that moment, Steve wished he hadn't talked about her so much.

"I have to admit that I was never quite on board with that Initiative," Peggy sighed. "One of my many regrets is allowing you, as a child, to participate."

"Agent Carter, it's not your fault…"

"Peggy, please, and as one of the founders it is partly my fault."

"Steve, that's not true," Seren had shifted in her chair to face him better. "By the 90s, she wasn't that involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. She was with family."

"I know," he told her, touched that she was trying to clear Peggy's name even when he himself didn't blame her for anything. "But she's made it very clear that she's not backing out of the guilt thing. Some things never change."

Peggy rolled her eyes at him. "I think you're the least qualified to speak about never changing."

Seren laughed. "Ouch. That hurt from here."

"You know he's always been dramatic, right?" Peggy reached for one of Seren's arms to tap. "Don't let him do it."

"Alright, I think we can stop," Steve's attempt was done in vain. Peggy continued to point out things that he often did "to make himself miserable" as she pointed out. The only reason he wouldn't take it to heart was because it was nice watching her and Seren get along.

"I did not know that," Seren chuckled. "But I will definitely keep an eye on him."

"Through a screen?" Steve sarcastically retorted. "I don't think so."

Seren rolled her eyes at him. "I have ways."

"Will you be staying here long?" Once more, Peggy studied both of their faces as Seren worked up the courage to answer.

"Probably not," Seren bit on her lower lip. "My current director wants me back in London and when I successfully introduce the new team, France will most likely request my official transfer there."

"I see," Peggy said, eyes lingering now on Steve. He was obviously upset but he would never tell Seren how he felt about it. She could understand. What kind of person would he be if he told Seren to stay with him? But, if she was seeing right, it didn't seem like Seren was that excited about moving to France.

Seren felt the vibration of her phone from her purse on her lap. "Sorry, it's my director," she apologized.

"Go on," Peggy assured her it was fine.

"I'll be out in a bit," Steve told her as she hurried out to take the call.

"Rebeca? Hey, I'm not…" Seren's voice disappeared as she walked further away from the room.

"She seems lovely," Peggy didn't waste a second when it was just her and Steve.

"She is," he agreed. His hands weren't wrangled with each other, like they usually did whenever he wasn't saying what was bothering him.

"And she's leaving soon — again." Peggy smiled at him.

Steve nodded. "I can't say anything, Peg. I...back then, it was just the norm for women to stay at home for their husbands. Now women can do whatever they want. They can go out, have jobs — I can't imagine Seren doing anything more than what she's doing right now. The world would be a goner if Seren Soul was a housewife." He chuckled with Peggy.

When their laugh subsided, things fell quiet for a few moments.

"I'm not telling you to make her your housewife. I'm telling you to tell her the truth," Peggy said, "And then let her make her choice too. She has that right, you know."

Steve drew in a shaky breath. Yes, he did know that Seren also had a right to make a choice like he did but the last time they talked about…she chose her job. He would never reproach her for that because he never knew what could happen to him. When things were for the greater good, they tended to go in that direction. It was in their nature, he supposed…their so-in-sync nature.

A/N:

Surprise, I'm on vacation for 2 weeks in Mexico so I'll either have time to write or not. It can go in different directions lmao. But anyways, Seren's back in town and these 2 idiots continue to be hopelessly in love, what else is new? :)

P.S. As always, I have an AO3/Wattpad account under "noblecrescent" and a tumblr account under "saiilorstars" if you'd like to follow :)