The Curious Tales of Evelyn Stark

Miss Stark

Early 1945

Evelyn stared at Captain America, Steve. She stared at Steve, right now he wasn't the hero, he was her friend. His blue eyes meeting her green ones. Sorrow pooling in the pit of her stomach as Steve told her James was gone. She bit her lower lip, her bright red lipstick, she swallowed. "Are, are you okay Steven?" she whispered. She knew by looking at the super solider that he wasn't okay, but she needed to hear Steve say it.
Steve shook his head, "He was all I had left Evie."

She nodded, "I'll write the letter to his family. It's the least I can do."
"Evelyn"-
"Steve yes I cared for him, but it was nothing more than that," she said.
"He loved you, you know. Only dame Buck ever said he loved," Steve noted.
Grief hit Evelyn, hard. He was gone. James wasn't coming back this time. James wasn't coming back ever. No more coy smiles, dancing in his tent while he hummed some unknown tune. They were in their twenties, their whole future together was waiting and now that door had been slammed shut. 

The sobs wracked her body as Steve pulled her into his arms. His eyes met Peggy's across the room.  Peggy read his silent signal and went to get Howard her heels clacking on the cement floor.
Howard came taking Evie after she'd collapsed. Her grief finally taking her down. He picked up his younger sister, cradling her to his chest. He put his hand on Steve's shoulder, "Sergeant Barnes was a good man.

Steve nodded. "He"-
"He asked me.  He had my full permission. Once we won this war. I wasn't going to let him make her a widow," Howard stated kissing Evelyn's forehead. "I don't know how to help her through this."
"Me neither," Steve said.

A few months later Evelyn stood holding Peggy's hand as Steve crashed his plane into the Arctic. Peggy buried her head into Evelyn's neck sobbing, like Evie had done months earlier. Howard made it to the control deck, watching his sister and friend grieve for the Captain. Evelyn looked at her brother, "They're both gone Howie."

They buried Captain Steve Rogers' empty casket next to Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes' equally empty casket a few weeks later. Evelyn was settled beside Peggy, a tumbler of bourbon in her hands after the private service. They were settled on the couch of Evie and Howard's shared townhouse in Manhattan as Howard came out of his home office. "I want to recreate the serum," he announced, "I have the samples from Steve. I'll be able to recreate this."

"When do we start?" Evelyn asked.
"I need a test subject," Howard stated.
"I'll do it. James is gone. Better me than you Peg or even you Howie. Someone has to carry on the Stark name," Evelyn replied draining her glass with a tilt of her head. Wincing as the bourbon burned its way down her throat, warming her in away she hadn't realized she'd been cold. God she hadn't realized how empty she was. 

"Evie what if it kills you?"
"Then I'll be with James," Evie answered simply.
"And if it doesn't kill you?" Peggy asked.
"Then I was truly meant to spend forever alone," Evie replied.
"We start Monday," Howard stated.
"You're just going to let her do this Howard?!" Peggy yelled.
"Peg I am. Eve is a genius. She knows the ramifications of this.  I'm not going to stop my sister."

1950

Howard looked at the slides, "You're not aging Evie."
"I noticed Howie," Evelyn laughed, "I think your serum worked."
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Taller," Evelyn joked, mimicking the statement Steve had said all those years ago.

"We have to run some more tests."
"I expect nothing less. But I have to nudge Peg into Souzas' arms. They're floating around each other," she stated.
"I expected her to"-
"Mourn the Captain forever?" she asked, gathering her things. 

"Maybe. You seem to be doing a great job of that," Howard stated.
"James was it for me. The one. My soul mate. The only person who would ever get me, Howie. I hope to god you find that one day and you absolutely never have to lose it. Because damnit Howard. It's a wound that doesn't close. Peg loved Steve. But he wasn't her forever," she stated, kissing his cheek, "I'm gonna go terrify some new agents."

Evelyn looked at the wall of fallen SHIELD agents. Her fingers tracing James' name. She knew Peggy had done that for her. A reminder of what they lost. She still spoke with the Commandos often. Letters. Trips to Europe. Anything to link her back to James and Steve. Anything to make them alive again. 

A hand rested on her shoulder, "Your husband?"
"Something like that," Evelyn replied turning to face the gentleman speaking to her. She didn't startle any more.  Nothing phased her. She was long past that point.
"Agent Nathaniel Hawley," he greeted.
"Director of Intelligence Evelyn Stark," Evelyn replied, "I believe you're my ten am. Follow me Mr. Hawley." She led the way to her office. Her heels clacking on the marble floor as she led the way to the lift.

May 29, 1970

Evelyn cradled the small baby in her arms. Her nephew. Her Tony. She looked over at a resting Maria, and Howard asleep in the chair. Life had finally been kind to Howard, bringing him Maria, and now Anthony Edward Stark. Her Tony. Poor kid needed a nickname after that mouthful. She wanted to hit her brother and sister in law for that one. But she personally would never understand the pressure of naming a baby. James had been gone almost as long as he'd been alive. She had fifty years under her belt at this point. 

"Hey buddy I'm your Auntie Evie, and it's my job to spoil you. Rotten. Whatever it is the answer is yes. And your daddy loves me. So I'll get away with it. He kind of owes me after the whole serum and never aging again thing," Evelyn whispered, kissing Tony's forehead. "It's my job to protect you because at the rate I'm going I'll be around forever."

December 24, 1991

Evelyn squeezed Tony's hand, as they buried Howie and Maria. Peggy gave the eulogy expressing how great Maria and Howie were. How their greatest accomplishment was their son Tony. Evelyn watched her nephew hold strong. He was only twenty one, around the same as her when his grandparents had passed away. 

 Only she'd had Howard to lean on. The only person Tony had was her. And she barely looked old enough to support her nephew despite her seventy one years of life.  Tony looked at her, "I miss my mom."

"I miss her too," she replied. 

"How'd you do it when your parents died?" he asked. 

"I had your dad. We supported each other. I know you two had your differences Tones but Howard was a decent man. Not the best man I'd ever met. Your dad his faults. I'll admit that. But he did love you in his own way," Evelyn said. 

"Evie don't give me bullshit," Tony replied. 

Evie exhaled. Her nephew was more like her, than either one of his parents. Something Howard had cursed her for on more than one occasion. "I'm not Tony. I love you dearly. You know this. I'd give my last breath for you. Howard loved you. He just wasn't great at expressing it," Evelyn said. 

Tony exhaled. "I need a drink."

"Let's go home then."

"Can I"-

"Do you even need to ask?"

___________________________________

A/N: Kind of a short chapter but I think I love Evelyn Stark.