America's Sweetheart (Steve Rogers) - 1

23

April 1945

Mo entered the lab one afternoon, finding Howard busy soldering something and looking at his blueprints. The base was silent, it had been ever since they'd lost Steve. She was a shadow of her former self. No longer did she laugh, go out to drink, she simply hid herself away from all the talk of Captain America and his heroism. The pain was too great to carry on and in her mind she'd already made the decision about what she was going to do to make it stop.

Howard turned and saw her, dropping his tools and making his way over. "Hey doll face." He said softly, "How you holding up?" He'd not seen her much, Mo choosing to keep to her cabin or the hangar in which she could be alone.

She nodded, "I'm ok." But they both knew that was a lie. 

Howard had spent days looking in the ice for any signs of Steve or the plane, however nothing was to be found. In the end the Colonel had called the search off, stating that they'd probably never find anything as the ice was moving and the landscape changing constantly around the area. "What's that?" Mo now pointed to what Stark was working on.

"It's almost finished, just needs a few tweaks. Had the idea when I went out looking for Steve. It's a bit like the vita chamber he had the serum given in. Except..." he now showed her the chamber. "What if I could freeze a person for so many years, only for them to wake up just as they were the day they went in?"

Mo blinked, "That's impossible." 

"I built a flying car, right now? Anything is possible doll." Howard told her with a grin. "Tested it on a dog for a couple of days and it worked. Dog was absolutely fine, and it was as if nothing had happened. Temperature of preservation is the main element. The body will still live but will be preserved in pristine condition for years, maybe even centuries to come..."

Mo looked at him. "I want in..."

Howard chuckled and then saw she was serious. "You do realise I can't just..."

"Stark...I've lost everything...if I can't do this? Then I'm only going to take my plane down and end it all." She told him as his face fell on seeing that she was being serious. "It hurts, and it will never stop. This idea? It can make it all go away. I can rest easy." She saw his expression. "Please Howard, you need someone to test it on, and I'm offering myself..."

He was silent, running through all the scenarios in his mind - all the things he could point out to try and sway her, but he knew that she wouldn't be. Her mind was set. Howard then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright Mo..." Somehow he'd always give in to her. It was just the effect she had on him. He wasn't going to do this out of pity for her. He was doing it out of love. 

"Peggy can never know the truth though. You need to just shut me away from everyone and everything" She told him. "Keep me hidden, just as though I never existed." 

Howard shook his head slowly. "You're not an easy one to forget doll face." 

"Promise me Stark." 

"I promise I won't say a word. I'll make sure you're taken care of."

She kissed his cheek. "I know you will, thank you."

Already a plan was forming in her mind, and if she could pull it off then the world would never truly know what had happened to her.

What she didn't know was that seventy years later she'd wake to a new world. The world that never forgot her or Steve Rogers.

"How long until we can do this?" She asked. 

Howard calculated it in his mind. "Give me a few days to get everything together and to make sure everything's up and running smoothly. We should be good to go on the 17th." 

April 17th. She made a mental note and smiled weakly. "Thank you again Howard. For everything." 

His smile was a sad one, and his reply just as half hearted. "Anything for you, doll face."