January 2012
"We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when"
His blonde hair, his breathtaking lopsided smile, the strength in his jaw, the sparkle of his blue eyes, the power in his shoulders, the safety his arms provided... all she could see was him. All that Nellie dreamed of was him.
"Me neither. I will think of you everyday. Let's write to each other, it'll be romantic." Steve suggested and Nellie leant out of his arms to look up at him.
"Since when were you romantic?" She asked, a blush forming on her face at the longing look Steve gave her.
"Since the day I realised that you felt for me what I feel for you." Steve admitted as he too became choked up. "Nel, I... I..." He wanted to tell her those three words, to let her know how he truly felt.
"I know. Me too." Nellie blinked away the tears as she held onto him as tightly as she could, never wanting to let go.
As Steve realised Nellie was again on the verge of tears, he attempted to lighten the mood. "We'll meet again." He smirked as he spoke the lyrics of the well known song.
Nellie rolled her eyes and couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "Don't know where, don't know when. Right?" She continued the song as she shook her head. "Cheesy and romantic, what's gotten into you?"
"I just wanted to see that smile one more time." Nellie's heart swelled with love as she leapt forward again and kissed Steve once more.
Something began to pull at her mind, wasn't there something important happening...? Her thoughts were jumbled, there was an urgency to them but all she could see was Steve, all that she could feel was Steve. His hands on her body, his soft lips against her own, the caress of his hands against her face...
"So will you please say 'hello', to the folks I know
Tell them I won't be long
They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go
I was singing this song."
Why was the song still playing? She had gone over that memory already, hadn't she? This wasn't right, the song should have stopped.
The sound of distant sirens blurred the images of Steve in Nellie's head. Then there was shouting, again, very far away, but it was there. She heard the purr of car engines, the faint tooting of their horns, of car doors shutting... it almost sounded like home. She was not in Brooklyn though, she hadn't been home for almost two years.
"We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away"
A car horn blasted, this time too loud and too close to be a distant memory. Nellie's eyelids fluttered, her pupils absorbing the light streaming into the room she was in. Not even a second later an immense, mind numbing pain shot through her head, making her instantly feel nauseous. She blinked once, twice, and then opened her eyes properly to be met with a plain white ceiling. Where am I?
She tilted her head forward slightly to get a better look about the room. There was a ceiling fan whirring away in the centre of the room, wobbling slightly, possibly due to age. There was a window to her right, partly open, the soft breeze billowing the curtains. The room was painted sage green and white, a dado rail separating the two colours, the air smelt strangely of fresh paint. How did I get here?
Nellie furrowed her eyebrows and tried to concentrate hard. What had happened before she fell asleep? Was she suffering amnesia, is that why she was in a hospital bed? She caught a glimpse of a memory, well she hoped it was a memory. She was holding onto Steve, and he her, she had never held him so tightly. The edges of the memory were blurry and then... the plane?!
Nellie bolted upright, immediately regretting it as the room span and her stomach churned. They had crashed, though she had thought that was over the Arctic. Where was Steve? Was he okay? Was he alive? Nellie felt the bile rise up into her throat at the prospect of surviving when Steve did not.
To stop the spinning she focused on her feet, clad in All Star Converse in pristine white, she had been given a pair just like them when she began her training two years ago. She was a little surprised to find herself laying on top of the mint green bedspread, dressed in casual military attire, beige pants and a white t-shirt with the SSR logo printed across the front. Shouldn't she be in a hospital gown, and not deposited on top of the bed as if she were casually taking a nap?
The radio that had been playing We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn - one of the few special songs she associated with Steve - clicked over to another that was close to her heart: Dream a Little Dream of Me by Doris Day. Nellie's eyes fluttered closed as the fear pierced her heart. She needed Steve.
Just as she readied herself to swing her legs down off of the bed, the door clicked and she froze. Her eyes darted to the door handle as it turned, and then opened, revealing a doctor. He was young, early thirties at least, his brown hair was smartly combed back, his face fresh from a recent shave. He had a clipboard in hand, a stethoscope around his neck, and a friendly smile on his face. Nellie's eyes narrowed, this really was not normal.
"Good morning, Lieutenant." He hovered by the door that he had now closed behind himself.
Nellie didn't have time for courtesies. "Where am I?" She took another glance at the window, something wasn't right with the view, it seemed too clean, too perfect.
"Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'"
Nellie bit her lip, pictures of herself and Steve swaying side to side in that little club in London twirled around her eyes.
The doctor smiled. "You're in New York." He informed her calmly, placing the clipboard on a sideboard by the door, his now free hands clasped in front of him, a pen held fast between his fingers.
Nellie really tried to think back, tried to remember anything after the world went black after the crash... her mind was blank. "How did I get to New York? Where's Steve? What happened?" She fired back, standing to her feet in a flash only to wobble uneasily. The doctor rushed forward and steadied her with a firm but gentle grip to her right arm.
"Ma'am, you've been unconscious for quite a while." He explained as Nellie looked upon the side of his face. Her eyes zeroed in on a small black device settled just inside his ear. What the hell is that? Her heart sunk and an uneasy feeling settled in her chest. The conclusion she drew up inside her head was it was a listening device of some kind, though she had no idea how it worked, or better yet, who created it?
Nellie straightened up, her voice stern. "Answer my questions, Doctor."
The doctor tried to remain composed but she could see the sweat building on his brow. "Lieutenant Barnes, it may be best if you took a seat back on the bed." He attempted to force her back towards the bed but she snapped her arm free with unbelievable speed.
"Where's Steve?" She demanded, letting the energy build in the palm of her hand. She never indented to use it, but it carried the weight of a powerful threat.
The doctor's eyes widened in fear. "Ma'am." He held his hands up and out in front of him innocently. Nellie took a step away from him, whirled, and made for one of the windows. Maybe a skyline would be a better indication as to where she was? "Lieutenant Barnes." The doctor called to her, forcefully.
Nellie cast a quick glance back to the doctor before turning back to take in the view... only there wasn't one. It was a backdrop, like the ones they used in the movies. New York was painted before her, making it seem as if she was at least five stories up. She took a quick glance at the floor only to see that she wasn't at the edge of a building at all.
Nellie spun back towards the man, her eyes aglow as she growled. "What is this?" She commanded as the man shrunk back towards the door. Nellie let the energy build in her other palm before casting it outwards, letting the energy collide with the fake walls. She pushed until the walls rocked back, teetering on their fixtures before all four fell backwards with a groan, two slamming down to the floor, the other two smacking into real walls. The real room became visible and Nellie faltered, there were at least thirty men and women, dressed in all black, each with a large gun pointed right at her.
"Miss Barnes." A voice called out to her from behind the wall of bodies, his voice deep and confident. The bodies parted to reveal a middle-aged man dressed again in all black, a long black leather trench coat and an eye patch of all things across one of this eyes. His expression was serious, though, unusually calming. "We were trying to ease you into it." He said a little guiltily.
Nellie did not let her energy dissipate, she was not sure enough of this man yet, especially with the thirty guns pointed at her. "Ease me into what?" She retorted, her curiosity peaking. What has happened? Again, her mind flashed to Steve. "Who are you?"
The man moved forward, stepping into what would have been the centre of the room. "My name is Nick Fury, I'm in charge around here. Please there's no need for violence." He encouraged as he clasped his hands behind his back. Nellie caught sight of a handgun strapped to his hip as his coat swayed with his movements.
She felt a lump form in her throat. "Where is Steve?" She tried not to let her voice waver, but she did not succeed.
Nick Fury's face morphed into one of understanding. "Captain Rogers is still asleep down the hall. If you calm down I will explain everything." He said reassuringly. Nellie wanted to believe him. If Steve wasn't the bombshell, what was? At least he was alive, she felt like a weight had lifted from her chest.
Reluctantly, Nellie let one hand return to normal. "They need to put down their guns." She hesitated, eyeing Nick with suspicion. He nodded at her before gesturing to his team to reciprocate. Once the guns were down, Nellie let herself relax slightly. "Now where am I?"
Nick seemed to become emotionless. "You are in New York, Manhattan to be exact. 219 West 47th Street." He informed her casually.
"How did I get here?" Nellie challenged.
Nick gave her a pointed look. "That's a long story."
Nellie shrugged. "It seems I have time. Stop with the stalling". She said exasperatedly, the palms of her hands becoming clammy.
Nick looked her over, as if checking to see if she was really ready for the explanation. She opened her mouth to ask again but Nick beat her to it. "When the Valkyrie crashed into the Arctic in 1945, your own body, and Captain Rogers' were cryogenically preserved within the ice. You were found three days ago."
Nellie's heart skipped a beat. "You make it sound like it's not 1945." She felt flushed, what would that mean? She had heard of cryogenics before but didn't think it was actually possible. Her breathing began to quicken.
Nick let the carefulness return to his voice. "It isn't."
Nellie's mouth became dry. Where were her parents? Her siblings? Howard, even? Did they know? Did they think she was dead? "How long were we frozen for?" She questioned, her voice shaking.
Nick frowned. "You may want to sit down."
"How long?" She demanded, knowing the answer was going to do more damage than good.
"Today's date is January 8th 2012."
* * *
"...Curve ball, high and outside for ball one. So the Dodgers are tied, 4-4. And the crowd well knows that with one swing of his bat, this fellow's capable of making it a brand-new game again."
Steve's eyes opened, slowly, unsurely. Confused as to if whether he was dreaming or dead. Before him was a plain white ceiling, and as he glanced around he realised he was in a hospital room. It was unmistakable really, he had been in so may throughout his life. The radio perched upon a small table in the corner of the room was blaring out a Dodgers game... did that mean he was home? But how?
"Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets Field. The Phillies have managed to tie up at 4-4. But the Dodgers have three men on."
Steve slowly lifted himself from the bed, it creaked under his weight as he placed his booted feet firmly on the floor. His muscles ached and his head felt like it was splitting, he winced. He had never felt so disoriented in his life, he remembered the crash, well the moments leading up to the crash. Nellie's green eyes looking up into his blue ones with so much sorrow... Nellie! Oh God, where was Nellie?! He prepared to lift himself from the bed but the radio caught his attention.
"Pearson beaned Reiser in Philadelphia last month. Wouldn't the youngster like a hit here to return the favour? Pete leans in. Here's the pitch. Swung on. A line to the right. And it gets past Rizzo. Three runs will score."
Steve snapped his head towards the radio, his mouth falling open in bewilderment. It was like he was feeling deja vu, but it was wrong. He knew about this game, he had been there... with Bucky, Nellie, Arthur, Rebecca, Winnifred and George, even little Maria had joined them, for Bucky's twenty-fourth birthday.
"Reiser heads to third. Durocher's going to wave him in. Here comes the relay, but they won't get him."
The roar of the crowd blindsided him. Why were they playing him a recording, it just didn't seem logical? The door clicked, and Steve adjusted himself to face the door. In strode a woman, dressed smartly in the SSR Private uniform he was used to. She grinned at him with friendly demeanour. "Good morning." She snuck at glance down at her watch and blushed. "Or should I say, afternoon?" Her smile softened as she held her hands in front of her.
Steve did not relax. "Where am I? Where's Eleanor?" He demanded, his mind whirling with thoughts of her chained up to a chair again being tested on or even worse, had she not survived the crash?
The private tried to remain calm. "You're in a recovery room in New York City. Lieutenant Barnes is just down the hall." She informed him, her smile unwavering. He was not convinced.
"The Dodgers take the lead, 8-4. Oh, Dodgers! Everyone is on their feet. What a game we have here today, folks. What a game indeed."
That was all that Steve needed to clarify his earlier thoughts. He eyed the woman suspiciously, his expression stern. "Where am I really?" He retorted icily.
The woman laughed nervously, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand." She said, trying to keep her composure.
Steve's jaw clenched. "The game, it's from May, nineteen forty one." He informed her, her pleasant smile dropping ever so slightly. "I know, because I was there." Steve stood slowly, the bulking size of him intimidating the woman immediately. He moved towards her, his expression fierce. "Now, I'm gonna ask you again. Where am I?" He was beginning to think that Eleanor wasn't there at all.
She shrunk bank. "Captain Rogers..." She tried but Steve was no longer going to just stand around.
"Who are you?" He demanded once again just as two armed soldiers dressed completely in black stormed into the room. Steve rocked back on the balls of his feet as they raised their guns. One man opened his mouth to presumably bark an order but Steve was quicker. He moved like lightening, grabbing both men by their bullet proof vests and swung them into the wall to his left.
He expected them to hit the wall and fall to the ground unconscious but instead they carried on going. The wall came apart around them, the plasterboard tearing instantly as the men collided with the concrete ground on the other side of the makeshift wall.
Steve sprinted forward, alarm bells ringing in his ears as he realised the room was a ploy. "Captain Rogers, wait!" The woman called after him as Steve moved forward to the double doors on the other side of the room. "All agents, code 13! I repeat. All agents, code 13!" She spoke into her communications device, her voice repeating as it echoed around the facility.
* * *
Nellie was heartbroken... almost sixty-seven years had passed. She should be almost ninety years old. She had moved back towards the bed and unintentionally take a seat upon the edge of it, the shock wobbled her legs to the point of not trusting if she could regaining standing.
Her parents would be gone, she was sure most of her siblings too, maybe Maria was still around... did she know what has happened to Nellie and Steve? Did she know they were now alive? How was Steve going to take the news?
The soldiers that had once surrounded the room began to fidget, murmuring amongst themselves. She looked up from her hands that she had settled in her lap and frowned. Something was going on.
One soldier moved forward to stand beside Nick Fury, he kept his voice low but Nellie strained herself to hear it. "Sir, code thirteen."
Nellie pondered over that for a moment, and her mind immediately went to Steve. What else would get people so edgy and worried?
She watched as Fury nodded slowly, his lips folding into his mouth before he let out a deep puff of air through his nose. "Lieutenant Barnes, it seems Captain Rogers did not take to the news well." Knew it. "Do you think you can help us calm him down?"
Nellie stood to her feet abruptly, ignoring the slight nausea she was still feeling, though it was not entirely from the headache anymore. "Of course." She nodded a few times, suddenly feeling very nervous as the soldiers spun around and jogged towards the double doors on the opposite side of the room. Nick half turned, gesturing for Nellie to walk beside him instead. She moved quickly, jogging to reach his side, before they moved together, walking briskly to catch up with the others.
Now that the doors were open, she could hear the alarms, hear the repetitive PA system announcing: "All agents, code 13!" Her stomach flipped, what had Steve done to cause this ruckus?
She was led into the hallway, which shortly opened out onto a wide landing, the whole side of the building framed as one giant window, thought the view was obscured by an opposite building. As they walked, a woman caught up with them and pressed a grey fleece into Nellie's arms before running off again in another direction. Nellie's mind was whirling as she was taken to an elevator, the doors opening incredibly fast as she was ushered inside before they closed again. She unfolded the fleece, her eyes taking in the logo on the back that looked strikingly similar to the SSR logo that was printed across her chest. Around the outside of the badge were the words Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. "Shield?" Nellie asked no one in particular as she worked out the acronym.
"The modern day SSR." Nick informed her as the elevator came to a halt, opening out onto a lobby with more glass walls, the road and street visible from inside the building.
Again, she was ushered forward, her mind becoming more and more chaotic as she let her eyes soak in the new world before her. As she reached the doors she stopped, firstly the chill of the January air almost sent her into a shock, but the masses of people, what they were wearing, their haircuts, the diversity. It was just so busy, she remembered New York being busy but this was something else, something she had never imagined it being like. Some kind of music was blaring, much harsher and upbeat than anything she had heard before. She blinked away tears, her breath stuck in throat as she gulped, she didn't know if she could get used to this.
Three black large cars pulled up outside the building with a screech and the team that had been leading her insitcintivly moved forwards, knowing exactly what car to enter. Nick Fury moved towards the middle car, and only paused when he noticed Nellie was no longer beside him. "Lieutenant?"
His voice snapped her out of her trance, the palm of her hand coming up to wipe the tears from her eyes harshly, the embarrassment from being caught crying flushing her cheeks red. If Nick felt awkward at seeing her tears he did not show it, instead that small look of sympathy was back on his face.
She nodded once. "I'm coming." She confirmed as she rushed forward, pulling the fleece on as she went. What she was feeling now, Steve was most likely feeling it too. "What did he do?" Nellie asked as she settled herself into a plush leather seat, she felt as if she would just carry on sinking backwards it was so comfortable. A dark haired woman with a steely expression was seated opposite her within the large passenger compartment of the car. She leaned across Nellie, pulling a belt from the side of the car across her body before plugging it into a weird buckle on Nellie's right side next to her hip. "What-"
"Its a seatbelt." The woman explained in a clipped tone. "Its the law to wear one when in a car."
Nellie nodded numbly at her words as the car sped forward, the force pushing Nellie back even further into her seat.
"Lieutenant, this is Agent Maria Hill. She's my right hand woman." Nick said as he introduced them, both women proceeded to greet one another as the car rolled on, darting in and out of the traffic. "To answer our earlier question, it seems our team had not prepped the Captain's room correctly. As we eased you in with music, he was played a baseball game, though we got the timings wrong, it was a game the Captain had actually been present at. He hightailed it out of the building before anyone could explain... knocked out a few of my best men, too." Fury explained with a light smile.
The cars slowed as they approached a clearing in the buildings, immediately she recognised Times Square but they were surrounded by so many glowing billboards and moving pictures that were illuminated by a million lights, so much brighter than she remembered it ever being. So much more vibrant. Nellie gasped as she took it all in, her mind blown as she stared.
The car rolled to a stop and Nellie's eyes faced the front again, her heart leaping inside her chest as she saw Steve. Nick, Agent Hill and the other agent who had remained silent exited the car with speed, leaving Nellie strapped to the chair without a clue on how to get out. She was used to lift lever belts, not these... things. She pulled on the cord but the buckle did not release.
"At ease, soldier!" She heard Nick call out as Steve became encircled by agents. She saw Steve turn towards him, his own confusion and shock plain on his face. Nellie grew impatient, using her strength to rip the belt from its fastener instead, the buckle releasing with a ping as she scrambled out of her seat and towards the already open door. "Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but... we thought it best to break it to you slowly." She heard Fury continue as a crowd began to gather behind her. Agents rushed past her to contain it but a few still blocked her view.
"Break what?" Steve asked in a confused, pain-stricken voice. His chest rising and falling as the anxiety kicked in.
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years." Nick explained carefully just as flashes from cameras began to light up the already bright Times Square. The grief hit Steve like a wave, his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach. He didn't know how to begin processing the information. He looked about himself, taking it all in again.
Nellie knew he needed her just as much as she needed him. He hadn't even had any confirmation that she was alive. She pushed forward, shoving the wall of muscular agents out of her way. "Move!" She snapped, finally having enough with being polite.
Steve's head snapped back towards Fury, looking past him to see a head of brown curls pushing their way through the masses of people in the black military gear and suits. "Eleanor?" He called out as she finally pushed through the crowd.
She paused briefly, taking him in. The fear and uncertainty and relief on his face made him look so much younger. The tears swelled to Nellie's eyes again as the overwhelming wave crashed down upon her once more. They had lost everyone, they had lost so much time, lost their lives... all they had now was each other.
She ran for him, like her life depended on it. He met her halfway, his arms closing around her as she buried herself in his chest, feeling and savouring the warmth that he provided.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, there you have it, then end of Part 1. Are you guys ready for modern day Steve and Nellie? It's going to be an emotional rollercoaster, I'm not going to lie.
Let me know if you enjoyed it, again the feedback means everything!
The first chapter of Part 2 will available next week!
Thank you all, once again
Talia
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