It's Been A Long, Long Time // Steve Rogers

Chapter 23

A new year, a new me. Well not really new me...happier me for sure. With the new year, I did make a few New Year's resolutions. One of them was to start going on morning runs with Steve...we'll see how long that lasts. Currently it's snowy and freezing so actually leaving the apartment is a big deal for me, even if it's just going into work. Thankfully, he has Scout to run with anyway.

"Happy New Year, Peggy." I mumbled as I walked into the SHIELD headquarters the day after New Years. "Rebecca."

New year, same attitude from Peggy. She didn't even glance at me. Steve and I had gotten drinks with her and her husband a few days ago and the entire night was miserable. George on one hand was very friendly and always trying to include me in the conversation but his wife...she couldn't care less that either of us were there. She was locked in on Steve and Steve only. So either her husband knows or he's too oblivious to realize she's in love with my boyfriend. I think it's the latter.

She's clearly still jealous of my relationship with Steve. I don't know what she expected...she turned him down. What was he supposed to do? Wait and wonder if she'd ever leave her husband for him?

I found my way to Howard's office and started working on organizing some of his files. Soon Howard came in and quickly went to his lab. I was quickly called down and saw him frantic. "Howard, is everything okay?" I asked. "I think we've found it..."

"Found what?"

"The cube. In the ocean. We have to fly out to see but the unique signature of the cube...oh my god...we've found it!" He was frantically throwing his arms around as I watched him. "I need you to call Peggy and Phillips down here!" I nodded and called Phillips first and then...Peggy.

"Hello, Agent Carter."

"Peggy, it's Becca..." I audibly heard her scoff and I rolled my eyes. "Howard needs you immediately in his lab."

"I'll be down." She was short and snappy and I was tired of her. Soon Phillips came down and then Peggy. I could hear her from a mile away with the click of her heels.

"What is it Howard? I'm busy working with Zola." Phillips said. "The cube, I think we've found the cube." Howard exclaimed. "Are you sure?" Peggy asked. "No, I'll have to fly out there but the ship, it's picking up weird readings that I believe are from the cube. Becca and I are leaving asap." He said. Wait what? I'm going? "Howard, maybe it would be better if I accompanied you." Peggy said. "Why? You're needed here and Rebecca is my assistant."

She huffed again and Phillips quickly left to make a phone call but not after telling Stark to 'find that goddamn cube'.

"Becca, I've made arrangements for us to leave in an hour. Go home, tell Grant and grab a change of clothes in case we are there overnight. Jarvis will take you and then bring you back so we can go." Everything was happening so fast that I barely even knew what was happening. Next thing I knew, I was in the town car and pulling up the the apartment.

I walked inside, still stunned and spoke to Steve. "He found it?" I nodded. "We're leaving today..."

"Okay, just be safe." He kissed my forehead and then my lips. "Scout and I will miss you." I smiled up at him and then down at the puppy dog at his feet. "I'll be back soon, promise." With one last passionate kiss, I was out the door and back in the car. Jarvis then picked up Howard and we were on our way to his plane.

A few hours later, we arrived and then took a small boat out to the larger tanker that Howard tirelessly had searching for the stone or even better, Steve. "Welcome, Howard!" The captain of the boat, Ricardo, greeted us. Howard shook his hand and happily introduced me before we were being led towards the bridge.

Once inside, Howard was quick to look at all of the readings. "This has to be it." He mumbled. "Let's get something down there and pull it out!" Soon, everyone was scrambling around to get ready to pull the cube, or at least what they hoped was the cube, out of the ocean.

It took a few hours but they did it. It was here. The Tesseract was staring back at Howard and I. "Steve must be around here somewhere. The crash site can't be too far away. Keep searching." He told Ricardo. "This is coming back with us." Howard pulled out a protective case and locked the cube inside tightly.

"It's late so we will spend the night here and head out in the morning." Howard said. I figured this would happen. I was shown a stateroom and then laid down on the bed once I was alone. As I laid there, I missed Steve. I hadn't really been apart for him coming up on a year in a few months. So this was weird for me. Not only that but knowing there was an entire ship dedicated to finding a man that was sitting on my couch with our puppy...it just felt weird. But day by day that lie got easier even though I still hated it.

Once we finally arrived home, I had Jarvis take me straight to my apartment, aka to Steve and Scout, while Howard went to SHIELD to immediately start work on the cube with Zola, since he had the most exposure to it. Therefore, I was not needed. Zola creeped me out and most importantly, I made a promise to Steve to stay away from him. Good thing Phillips thought the same thing so that made keeping my distance even easier.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Steve grunted as I jumped into his arms once I arrived home. Scout barked and jumped around us at the excitement. "I missed you." I mumbled into his neck. "I missed you too." I kissed him happily and he carried me through the apartment. He set me down in our bedroom and I smiled as I saw a couple of framed photos of us during Christmas that Lois took. "Lois bring you these?" I asked. "Last night. She had them developed. Left some for you to take to Howard and Riley as well."

"I love them." I smiled, lifting the one of us and Scout before lifting the one of Steve and I kissing in the snow with Christmas lights twinkling around us. Our little family. "Me too. You and Scout are my world right now."

"Only right now?" I teased.

"All the time. Forever." He whispered. "Is that a promise?" He backed me up until my knees hit the bed, causing me to fall. Once I was laying down he leaned over me and caged me under him on the bed. "It's a promise. I love you." He whispered. "I love you too, Stevie." He kissed me passionately and moved us up further on the bed. "And right now...I'm gonna show you just how much I love you."