Nearly Morning {A Captain America Story}

Chapter Twenty-Nine

{Chapter Twenty-Nine}

Side note: any feedback or advice you have is greatly appreciated and encouraged.

--

(Rose's Perspective)

-A week later-

"Rose!"

The shrill cry of my mother made my head snap up from my book which I had been reading with immense fascination.

"Yes Mother?" I called back, however I could hear her footsteps echoing up the staircase before I finished talking.

Softly closing my book and placing it on the desk at the end of my bed, I look up towards my bedroom door and observe quietly as she enters my room, hesitantly.

I look up at her questioningly, waiting for her to speak.

Her chestnut curls hung loosely over her shoulders, signalling to me that she isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Hi my darling, just checking in on you." She says in her soft, motherly voice which I have learnt to cherish after missing it for so long.

"I'm fine, just reading another of my new books from Mr Stark." I gesture at the book on my table.

She smiles knowingly and comes to sit on the edge of my bed next to me.

Snuggling into her side, I let her play with my curls, brushing them with her fingers and wrapping them around her finger.

"Rose, I can't imagine how you must have felt when you first disappeared. I felt so horrible that it was all my fault, that if I had not of asked you to go out then you would have been safe."

"It's not your fault—" I interject but she continues anyway.

"I spent years wondering where you were taken and if you were okay. It tore myself apart and I suppose you must have been utterly terrified wherever you were. It is a wonder that you came back to me at all, I can't imagine how you did it.
You are such a brave girl, you know. And I'll never forget what happened, such memories cannot be undone and I want to remember it so that I know better. So that I can protect you."

Her eyes were welling with tears, so I took her brief pause and used it to stop her from working herself up.

"Mother, it's alright. Yes, of course it was horrible but I don't want to think back to that anymore. I'm home. We're all home and we are together again.

That's all that matters. Besides, it was because of everything that you taught me that I survived it all."

"What do you mean?" She furrows her brow in confusion.

"Well.." I struggle to find the right words, "you know how whenever I got frightened during a storm, or when I was afraid of the darkness and you would say to me
"Don't be afraid Rose, it's nearly morning. Everything will be alright, it's nearly morning. And in the morning, everything will turn out fine",
well that's what I remembered whenever I felt afraid, lost or alone. I just remembered that it was nearly morning and in the morning I would be with you again."

"And it was true, no matter how long it took I suppose." She whispered through tears.

"I love you beyond words" I whisper as I hug her tightly, burying my face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you more, my darling." She whispers back and kisses my temple.

As she wipes away the tears, Steve comes in and leans his arm against the door's frame.

"What are my two girls doing?"

"Just spending some good old-fashioned time together." I say with a beaming smile.

Steve smirks and sticks his tongue out at me.

"Well how about a game? The weather is too good to be cooped up inside all day!" He says enthusiastically.

"Can we pretend we are fighting against HYDRA?" I plead with building excitement.

"What's that I hear?" Steve cups his ear out to the direction of the door, "it sounds like HYDRA has got the place surrounded. They are looking for a battle on the front lawn! Are Captain America and Little America up to the challenge?" Steve asks with mock seriousness.

"I've got my shield ready!" I say, holding up my arm as if holding a shield.

"Let's go!" Steve commands.

And with that I bound down the staircase and out to the front lawn, pretending there are a bunch of evil monsters waiting for me outside.

--

(Steve's Perspective)

As Rose launches out of the room, Peggy stands up and hugs me, resting her head on my chest.

"I love you" I tell her.

"I love you" she says immediately.

"After you," I gesture and watch her smile and head down the stairs.

As I turn to exit, I felt something in my pant pocket. Pulling it out I turn it over in my hands.

It was the white iPhone that I left in my pocket back when I was at SHIELD.
I smile, remembering everything that I've gone through.

Hearing Rose's warrior cries coming from the open window in her room, I remember the game.

Then, quickly leaving the iPhone on the edge of the side table in the room, I begin running down out the front door and onto the lawn with my 'shield' and begin fighting off the invisible baddies with my daughter.

As I swing my shield around and pretend to knock out the villains, I catch a glimpse of Peggy standing in the doorway, arms crossed and looking at us with an extraordinary smile on her face.

Calling out, I encourage her to join in.

"And now, here comes Agent Carter to save the day with her super fighting skills!" I announce loudly and watch as she laughs then heads down the porch steps onto the lawn.

When she starts kicking the air and doing some karate moves, I start laughing and Rose giggles as she helps her mother fight against HYDRA.

"Just like old times" Peggy calls out to me as we continue fighting.

I laugh loudly as we all run around the lawn, chasing HYDRA and laughing excitedly in the light of the sun on a sunny and warm afternoon without a care in the world.