Emma Joan Tallis

chapter thirty-six: 13 Miles

"First in War, First in Peace, and First in the hearts of his countrymen."
~George Washington

~*~

"When you said we should go for a run, I wasn't imagining this," I told Steve as we ran around the Washington Monument.

"What? You don't think this is romantic?" Steve asked sarcastically.

"I can barely keep up with you," I muttered.

"On your left," Steve warned a man as we ran right by him.

"We're going to lap him again," I said as I slowed down slightly.

"Come on," Steve encouraged, and I picked up speed again.

"You are so taking me out to buy a coffee after this!"

"On your left," Steve greeted the man again.

"Uh-huh, on my left. Got it," he said.

"Sorry!" I called out as I lagged behind Steve a little bit. Steve was laughing lightly when I finally caught up. "You're horrible, you know that? Calling me at this ungodly hour, telling me we should go running. And I was having such a lovely dream."

"Was I in it?" Steve asked.

"No, Bucky was!" I shot back and then sighed.

"I miss him too," Steve said.

I didn't say anything, at least not until the poor man we were lapping came into my view again. "We should really talk with him after this. Seems rude not to."

"Don't say it! Don't you say it!" The man said.

"On your left!"

"Come on!" The man exclaimed as he tried to run faster, but ended up having to stop. Once the sun rose, I managed to convince Steve to stop.

"Oh, that was not fun," I said as I breathed heavily as Steve walked over to the man we were running past.

"Need a medic?" Steve asked.

"Who are you asking?" I demanded grumpily as I sat against the tree with the man who was not a super soldier.

"I need a new set of lungs," the man answered with a laugh. "Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes."

"I guess I got a late start," Steve said as he gave me a look.

"Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap," the man said. "Did you just take it? I assumed you just took it."

"Blame me for the late start," I said as I laid down on the ground.

"What unit you with?" Steve asked the man.

"58th, Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA," the man answered. "Sam Wilson."

"Steve Rogers."

"Yeah, I kind of put that together," Sam said before looking at you. "I'm guessing you're Thor's girlfriend?"

"Why does everyone think that?" I asked angrily as Steve choked on a laugh.

"She doesn't like it when people ask if she's dating Thor," Steve explained to Sam.

"Emma Tallis," I told Sam brightly. "Not, and never will be, Thor's girlfriend."

Sam laughed, "nice to actually know your name. The news only really cares about the big guys."

"I noticed," I said dryly.

"Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing," Sam said to Steve.

"It takes some getting used to," Steve admitted as he helped me up. "It's good to meet you, Sam."

"It's your bed, right?" Sam asked when Steve turned to leave.

"What's that?" Steve asked.

"Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there I'd sleep on the ground and use rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like..."

"Lying on a marshmallow. Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor," Steve said.

"Better than snow," I sighed. Sam smiled and nodded in agreement. "How long?"

"Two tours," Sam answered, and we fell into a lengthy silence. "You must miss the good old days, huh?"

"Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything," Steve said.

"No polio is good," I added.

"Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up," Steve said.

"Really?" I asked Steve. "I find the internet annoying."

"Marvin Gaye, 1972, "Trouble Man" soundtrack. Everything you've missed jammed into one album," Sam said.

"I'll put it on the list," Steve said as he pulled out his notebook.

"You look familiar," Sam said to me.

"Well, you did just say that the news likes to write about me," I reminded him.

"No, in some of the pictures I've seen of Captain America here, you look like a woman who's in a lot of them," Sam said as he looked at me closely.

"Guilty," I said with a wink, and then my phone went off.

"That sounds like an interesting story," Sam said as Steve pulled his phone out.

"One for another time," I said when I saw the text we just got: Mission alert. Extraction imminent. Meet at the curb. :)

"Alright, Sam, duty calls," Steve said.

"Thanks for the run," I told him with a smile.

"If that's what you wanna call running," Steve teased.

"Oh, that's how it is?" Sam asked as he and Steve shook hands.

"Oh, that's how it is," Steve agreed.

"Men," I sighed.

"Okay," Sam said with a laugh. "Any time either of you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."

"I'll keep it in mind," Steve said.

"Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is?" Natasha asked as she pulled up. "I'm here to pick up a fossil and a shieldmaiden."

"That's hilarious," Steve said as he walked over and opened the door for me.

"Where am I supposed to sit?" I asked and Natasha winked. "I am not sitting on Steve's lap."

"But he'd probably enjoy," Natasha said.

"Widow," I growled.

"Middle seat," Nat said and I climbed in.

"How you doing?" Sam asked as he looked in.

"Hey," Nat greeted.

"Can't run everywhere," Steve said as he got in after me.

"No, you can't."

~*~