Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xvii. 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚝

EVELYN FOUND clothes in a guest room the following day after Tony had left her in Jarvis's care. The woman did not sleep at all that night, feeling restless and angry as she allowed Jarvis to begin explaining what had happened in the world since the win of the war in 1945. The bed was too soft. The sheets were too nice. The air was too cold. She felt like a foreigner in her own country.

On the counter, there was a cell phone like the one Tony had. There was a note next to it from Tony, explaining it was hers and that his and Nick Fury's number was in it. Placing it in her pocket, she slid on Bucky's jacket, his scent slowly disappearing causing another tear to leave her eye quickly.

"All right, Jarvis. What year are we on?" she asked, finding comfort in the voice in the walls as she made herself something to eat. Another thing that was crazy was all the food in the pantry and fridge. She remembered fighting for rations. Even as a Stark, the war was brutal on them with money and items.

"We are on 1974. Shall I bring it up on the large monitor, Ms. Stark?"

"Go for it."

Evelyn made some cereal as she sat on the couch, watching everything the AI brought up as he made comments on things. They had gotten to the 90s when she saw Howard's death appear. Sighing, she saw the photos from the car crash. It looked like the car crash was brutal... but it seemed there were more injuries to Howard and Maria than the car itself. The phone in her pocket began to ring causing her to almost throw her bowl in the air in fright.

Looking down, she quickly fished for the phone—seeing Tony's name pop up.

"Jarvis, pause. Hello? Tony? Did I answer the phone?"

Tony chuckled. "Oh, man, this is fun. So, let me ask you this: Pepper wants to meet you. I told her to give you a few days to settle, but the woman is persistent. She said she idolized you, Venus," Evelyn's eyes widened at the name of her project. "Have you gotten to the files about you? I asked Jarvis to put them in there." He did not mention that he told Jarvis to keep out everything to do with Captain America.

"No, I haven't," she responded. "I would love to meet Pepper."

"I'm flying to Miami in a few days. I'll pop over to New York to pick you up. Do you need anything?"

"I'm good, Tony. Don't worry."

"I'm not, Icicle," Tony quipped before adding, "All right. I'll text you later."

Evelyn grinned as he ended the call quickly, and she realized how closed off the man was with his emotions. She was glad he was not leaving her to the dust, no matter how much she told him to because she was worried about disrupting his life. She did not realize how much Tony did appreciate her being in his life now.

"Keep going, J."

Evelyn spent the entire day learning about the most important events since the 1940s. Her enhanced brain kept everything locked up. When it changed to the file all about Evelyn, her eyes widened at the video beginning.

Jarvis went through a slideshow of images, some of the comic books created with Venus and Captain America. There were photos of children dressed as Venus. Another photo was a photo of Peggy and Howard, holding a book together. The book was about the war and the stories of Evelyn as Venus. They had made her an icon. She had always wanted to be a strong woman for people to look up to her, but this was more than she could have ever imagined.

"Jarvis, bring up James Barnes."

"Sergeant James Barnes," Jarvis began, "there is a plethora of information at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Would you like me to bring it up?"

"No," she said quickly." No, I'll visit it myself one day."

Evelyn adapted quickly to the world around her in the new century. A few days had passed, and Tony had stuck to his word and brought her to Malibu to meet Pepper Potts. The woman was a complete delight, of course, and she had spoken for ages about Tony that made Evelyn feel like she had known the man his whole life. Evelyn did end up staying in Malibu for a few months at Tony's request.

It was when a terrorist named the Mandarin appeared that Tony had suggested Evelyn go back to D.C. since Fury had been up his ass about getting a proper conversation with Evelyn since she was defrosted. Evelyn did not like leaving Tony when he was clearly having trouble sleeping—feeling as if she owed her brother to look after his son. Tony promised he was a big boy and could handle himself.

So, Evelyn flew back to D.C. alone, another three numbers added to her phone: Pepper, Happy Hogan, and James Rhodes (who she called Rhodey without being promoted to because she physically got sick at saying James aloud). Evelyn smiled at Maria Hill who was set to pick her up from the airport and bring Evelyn to the Triskelion—also to make sure there was no way Steve could accidentally see her since he was working there as well.

"So, how have you been settling in?" Maria asked conversationally as she drove.

"It's different," Evelyn said, her hands in the jacket pockets. Maria realized the woman was very attached to the jacket. "But Tony's made it easy."

"Yes, Tony. He's a character."

"Much like his father," Evelyn said with a small smile. "They are more similar than Tony wants to admit. He told me all about their strained relationship, but I know Howard better than anyone. He loved Tony no matter the lack of actually verbally admitting it. What does Fury want to talk about?"

Maria laughed. "He's been itching to talk to you for months now. Tony's been ignoring his calls."

Evelyn smiled as she stared out of the window. As the Triskelion appeared, Maria's eyes widened as she saw Steve Rogers walking outside to his motorbike as he spoke to Brock Rumlow. Maria quickly sent a message to Rumlow, telling him to keep Steve occupied for a moment.

As Evelyn and Maria walked inside, Maria nodded at Rumlow who subtly nodded back. Evelyn did not notice the man standing there, but the man noticed the two women walking by. Steve Rogers took a glance at the two women, his eyes almost bulging out of his head at the familiar jacket he had once seen on Bucky Barnes—and, of course, Evelyn Stark when she took it from her fiancé. Rumlow quickly called his attention again, and when he looked back at the two women, they were gone.

Evelyn could not be alive. Someone would tell him.

His eyes were playing tricks on him. He was certain of it.