America's Sweetheart (Steve Rogers) - 1

21

"It wasn't your fault." Mo said to Steve that evening as she lay with him in bed. 

He was still tormented and would probably feel like this for years to come. She could tell his mind was elsewhere, he'd barely said a word all evening – she'd simply allowed him to do whatever he wanted to take the pain away. He'd held back though knowing he'd hurt her which was the last thing he wanted.

"Did you read the report?"

"Yes"

"Then you know that's not true." He sat up and massaged his forehead. He couldn't even get a headache anymore and yet mentally Steve felt like his head should be pounding at this time.

She sat up behind him, placing a small lingering kiss against the back of his shoulder. "You couldn't have done any more. No one could. You need to stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your hands."

"But I..."

Mo put a finger to his lips with a soothing 'shhhh'. "Darling...he made his choice. There was always the risk of this happening to any one of us."

He nodded; voice quiet. "I know...I just wish it hadn't of been him." Steve turned and pushed her gently back down against the mattress. "I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured."

"You have me, the boys. We're going to bring them to their knees." She looked up at him and he leant in and kissed her slowly. Savouring every last bit of her.

"I need you to stay here. I can't have anything else happen to you."

"I'm coming with you." she insisted. "You can't change my mind about this. If we go down, then we do it together. I'm not about to sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for you to come back to me. It's not who I am."

The final assault was all planned, he couldn't let Schmidt release the weapons on the USA- and Steve wasn't going to stop until Hydra was destroyed once and for all. He owed Bucky that much.

**

They landed at the final Hydra stronghold, that was located within the Swiss Alps. The Colonel also coming along wanting to be part of the attack. As they'd taken the stronghold Steve had gone after Schmidt with the help of Phillips.

"Carter get your ass up to the control tower now!" Phillips pulled up in a Hydra car next to her and jumped out.

"Why? Where's Steve." She looked around, not seeing him anywhere in sight. 

Phillips looked to the plane that was now taking off. "On that, with Schmidt." He pointed to the Valkyrie flying out of sight over the mountains "Come on!"

They headed to the tower, knocking out a few Hydra soldiers along the way before entering. If Steve was able to overpower Red Skull and take control of the plane then he would radio through. "Does that boy even know how to fly a plane?" Phillips now asked as he paced the floor.

"I bloody well hope so." Mo muttered and sat herself down at the controls.

It was a waiting game. They'd taken the stronghold and captured the men, but they needed Schmidt. That had been the goal. "What's taking him so long?" Dugan asked, concealing his worry, however everyone was feeling the same thing. 

"I doubt they're having a nice cup of tea and chat." Mo replied, chewing one of her nails nervously. "Come on Steve..." She whispered. "Come back to me..."

Schmidt was gone, which could be seen as a small victory, however bigger problems lay in front of Steve as he took control of the Valkyrie. The course for New York was set and couldn't be diverted.

And time was running out.

"This is Captain Rogers, do you read me?"

"Steve!" Mo sat up as the others now gathered around the radio. "Are you alright!"

"Mo, Schmidt's dead"

"What about the plane? Is it damaged? Do you need me to find you a landing site..."

He cut her off, "Mo..." and she fell silent. "There's not gonna be a safe landing sweetheart."

She kept her cool, "Can you try and force it down?"

"There's not enough time, this thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." Steve told her truthfully as he looked out at just how fast it was going.

He had no choice. "I've gotta put her in the water..."

Mo was silent for a moment, "No, no we have some time – I can figure this out for you!" she begged him desperately.

Phillips cocked his head to the door, knowing this conversation wasn't about to become an easy one. He and the Commandos left Mo to speak with Steve alone.

Steve knew he had to make her see that that they didn't have any time left for thinking. "If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die." And then he swallowed. "I have to do this Lizzie..."

She froze. He never called her Lizzie. Not unless he was being serious and now the realisation hit her that this could be the last conversation between them. She swallowed the lump in her throat as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Lizzie..."

"I'm still here..." Her voice cracked, barely a whisper.

"You know I love you right?"

She nodded even if he couldn't see her. "Of course I do darling."

"Good, because I need to ask you something – and I need an answer from you ok? Because when I get back to you everything will be different."

"Ok."

Steve took the compass out of his pocket and placed it on the control panel as he took the plane down, the icy waters now coming into sight. "I know this isn't the way guys usually do these things, and this is long overdue, but I guess you can forgive me on this one." He heard her sobs through the radio.

"I forgive you...you don't have to ask me you already know the answer." She begged. He had to know. Time was running out for them. 

"I wanna do this right." He told her adamantly, even though she'd given him the answer he'd wanted. An overwhelming amount of peace washed over him as the plane flew closer to the water. She deserved to be asked properly and he wanted it to be the last thing he ever did. "Lizzie Carter..." He began. "Will you ma..."

The radio turned to static as Mo waited, "Steve..." She choked out in the hopes that the radio had just cut out. "Steve..."

Nothing.

Static. 

The tears slid down her cheeks. He was never coming back to her. She had lost the only man she had ever loved and the pain that seared through her was unbearable. Anyone who was within a small distance of the control tower would have heard the anguished scream that escaped her body. And anyone who knew the situation would know that the outcome was not a celebratory one.

Elizabeth Carter may have been lost to everyone just a mere month after, but her heart died on the day that Steve Rogers did.