All Along - Steve Rogers {1}

Chapter 15: Harsh Reality

May 2012

For the what felt like the millionth time, Eleanor Barnes stared up at the house she had once called home. Nothing had changed really apart from the flower boxes and pots that lined the front steps, or the newly framed modern windows that were now double glazed and kept the heat in rather than letting it seep out.

Her hands were clasped around the top of front gate, it seemed to keep her grounded knowing that it was in fact her father who had installed the gate over one hundred years ago. Her bottom lip wobbled again and she bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to hold back the tears. No matter how many days passed, the pain took her breath away.

"Nel?" She hadn't heard the front door open and her head snapped up to see her brother, Arty, staring down at her.

She let a smile spread across her face as she hastily wiped away her unfallen tears. "Hey Art." Her voice wavered as she swallowed hard.

Arthur smiled at her sympathetically, she did this most days she came to visit, had a minor breakdown before she even had the chance to ring the doorbell. "Come on in, sweetheart. Barb is making tea, the others will be here soon." He waved her forward stiffly, motioning as best as he could with his arthritis.

Nellie nodded and slowly released her tense hold on the gate and swung it open with care. As she closed it softly behind her, her eyes caught sight of the inside wall of the small front garden, the initials JB, AB, RB, EB and MB carved into the brickwork. Her throat tightened again, she had completely forgotten about that.

Grief was a terrible thing, it was constant, ever-flowing. She felt it every day, it sat heavy on her chest, not once letting up as everything reminded her of the time she had said goodbye to all that she had missed.

The morning that Nellie and Steve awoke, and once they had collected Steve from Times Square, Nick Fury explained to them briefly what had happened after the Valkyrie had crashed into the Artic. Their mission was successful, Hydra had collapsed on the day of the crash, the war ended a few months later with Germany's surrender, and then Japan a few months after that following the catastrophic bombs that the USA had dropped.

He went on to explain that Howard scaled the sea floor for any debris, any sign of where they had crash landed but had come up empty handed. He told them that Howard, Peggy and the Colonel had created Shield, each becoming a director in their own rights, continuing the fight for those that couldn't.

Nick handed the couple over to liaisons when they returned to the Shield facility, there they were debriefed about world events that had occurred over the last seventy years. They were shown basic technology like cell phones, computers, television and modern day cars. At the end of the day they were taken to an apartment in Hamilton Heights, one that they were to share, welcome packets were waiting for them inside the apartment and then they were left to their own devices.

Nellie hadn't heard from Shield since.

The next morning they were awoken by the buzz of the intercom and when Nellie heard the voice of who was asking to be let in she broke down. Arthur had been told by Shield about Nellie and Steve's survival and he made it his mission to find where they had placed her. When Shield finally confirmed, Arty, his wife Barbara, and their oldest child Michael made their way to Long Island.

When Steve opened the door, she fell to her knees in tears, immensely grateful that she had a piece of her old life back. Arthur was worn with age, his hair thin and white, his skin wrinkled, his hands dotted with age spots. He had shrunk slightly too, his back a little hunched as he used a single cane to walk, he still had his cheeky smile though, and was as fit as expected for a man of ninety-three.