All Along - Steve Rogers {1}

Chapter 10: The Right Partner

"The fifth one was here in Poland, right near the Baltic." Steve disclosed as he marked the position on a large map of Europe. "And the sixth one was... about here, thirty, forty miles west of the Maginot Line." Steve straightened himself out as one of the SSR analysts gathered the map up ready for strategic evaluation. "I just got a quick look." He said honestly to Peggy who was perched on top of a table opposite Steve.

"Well, nobody's perfect." She shrugged teasingly before hopping down and strutting over to the newly promoted Captain, dressed dashingly in his new uniform.

They turned to enter the Strategic Movements Room but were stopped by Howard Stark as he caught site of the two moving across the room. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in Washington right now?" Howard asked, surprised to see the Captain down in the basements of the London SSR base.

Upon noticing his presence, Steve's expression became hard and angry. He squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw. In the week that they had been in London, Nellie had been taken down to testing facilities, facilities run by none other than Howard Stark. There she had to be analysed, her vitals and genetics tested, and she had to complete demonstrations for officers and scientists. Steve had not been allowed to see her, they needed to understand Nellie before she was allowed into the public again... apparently. Steve wasn't sure, he had no proof, but he had guessed that was Stark's doing now that Nellie and Steve were an item.

"I've decided I'm officially off the press circuit." Steve stated through gritted teeth. "And besides, I will not take full credit for liberating those men when Nellie played a part in it too." Steve acknowledged with malice. Just because Nellie was a woman and now had her powers that Hydra had given her, her recognition had been swept under the rug by Senator Brandt. She was to be a secret until she could be understood and most likely put to use as an Allied weapon.

"Rogers!" Colonel Phillips strode into the room with purpose. "You just embarrassed the Unites States Senator in front of a room full of board members and government officials." His frown was harsher than his usual chosen expression but, as the seconds of uncomfortable silence passed, his frown morphed into a proud smile. "You deserve a medal just for that!" Colonel Phillips handed Steve a small case which contained his medal of honour, he then turned his attention to Howard and the small Hydra cartridge he held in his hands. "You figured out what that is yet?"

Howard huffed out a breath of air as he turned the cartridge in his hands. "You know, if you believe Rogers, its the most powerful explosive known to man." He said with disbelief and Steve narrowed his eyes.

"If?" Steve snapped, taking a reserved yet threatening step forward.

Howards stood his ground. "Well either you're wrong or Schmidt's rewritten the laws of physics."

Peggy stepped forward to be level with Steve. "We know that he has." She acknowledged, silently referencing to Nellie.

Steve carried on with the unspoken topic of Nellie, needing to know when the girl he loved would be in his arms again. "How is she? When will she be let out? She didn't spend five weeks as a tortured prisoner for it to continue here." Steve said firmly, his expression still stern and threatening. He would not let anymore harm come to Nellie. Not anymore.

Howard furrowed his eyebrows. "She's not a prisoner."

Steve clenched his jaw. "Then why can't we see one another?" He asked fiercely.

Noticing the tension, and almost quite enjoying it, Colonel Philips spoke up. "You can, Lieutenant Barnes is to be discharged from her... from the testing facility today. It was decided about ten minutes ago. Stark you can go and oversee this. Rogers, talk me through the locations before you rush off as well." The Colonel instructed as he winked at Steve, Colonel Phillips was still riding the high from hearing about the Senator being so embarrassed.