Allie
~~~
"Where to now?" I ask and Steve shrugs. Picking up the pace I step in front of him and stop his angry stalking. Steve back steps abruptly to avoid mowing me down and I place a firm hand on his shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
"I want you to stop and take a deep breath," I say and the super soldier mechanically obeys. "A real deep breath, one that empties your mind and resets your lungs." Steve closes his eyes and draws in a long breath, holding it for a moment, before exhaling peacefully. "There we go."
For a moment Steve genuinely appears at peace but soon that lost look comes back to his eyes. These days the modern world has been dragging him and old memories are haunting him. Everything here is new and he has almost nothing of his old life, an entire life he lived before.
"What do you need?" I inquire and cup his cheek. Steve holds my hand against his face and smiles down at me.
"I feel like if anyone should be taking care of anyone it should be me taking care of you," he counters and I snort.
"We all have trauma, Steve. You do not have to carry this weight alone for my sake or for anyone's," I murmur before reposting my previous words. "I am here to help so what do you need?" Steve is silent for a moment before nodding his head and leaning down to kiss my hair.
"A partner for the day."
"Allison Hollden reporting for duty, Captain." Steve laughs and no take his hand, twining our fingers together. "Although we need to change before we go out."
~~~
A half hour later Steve's classic motorcycle pulls up to the Smithsonian Museum. Riding on the back of his bike always ramps up my nerves but Steve finds it so freeing and so I tolerate it.
"Steve, are you sure this is a good idea for you?" I ask as he parks the bike and kicks the stand out. "I mean if we're here for what I think we're here for then I'm concerned."
"There is an exhibit dedicated to Captain America in this museum, one I've never seen," Steve says and helps me off the motorcycle. "I feel it's about time." Then we are here for that and I'm not sure how Steve is going to take any of it.
"Steve, I understand the desire to look upon fragments of your history and see how your actions are portrayed but won't all this bring up painful memories?""
"Maybe it's time I confront them."
With nothing more to say I watch as Steve dons a pair of blue jacket and a baseball cap with his civvies. He looks to me and I pull the hood of my jacket up to cover my hair and give him a wink.
"I don't think hats and hoodies offer the anonymity you think they do," I tease and take his hand as we walk towards the front entrance.
We stride up each step and then through one of the many rotating doors into the grand and bustling building.
Signs and advertisements of all kinds declare the exceptionality of the Captain America exhibit and its various extensions and updates.
Steve and I move through the crowds of people inconspicuously and in the direction of the exhibit, where most of the crowd is heading anyway.
The entrance to the hall of Captain America is a brick arch and propped next to it is a screen playing an animated waving flag with 'Welcome Back Cap' plastered on it.
"That's so sweet," I whisper and point it out to Steve. He smiles and nods.
"I remember the President saying that after I made my reappearance in Stuttgart."
YOU ARE READING
Target Acquired (3) (Siren and Quiver Series)
Fanfiction"The Siren is dead, the villain Killian murdered her in cold blood," she taunts and I flinch. "The people call you Phoenix now." "Siren isn't dead, I'm not dead," I growl and clench my hands. I'm furious, I hate that I was renamed, hate that Siren...
