Wouldn't Leave You (A Captain America Fan fiction)

The Quinjet

Chapter 9 - Rachel Stark

"So I see you found the packet?" Steve says as he walks into my apartment. He barely ever goes back to his apartment and to be honest, I love that he doesn't go back. He is great company, especially when I've been alone for all these years.

"Yup, I did some research with this cube before you woke up, I'm in. What time do you want to leave?" I tell him.

"Well, what does it say in the debriefing packet?" Steve asks. "I haven't been able to read mine yet." 

"The start is basically an introduction to the Tesseract which, neither of us really need since we have both dealt with it before." I shoot Steve a look. He is getting a glass of water.

"Then it says that we need to get to the top of our building and send off a beacon through this machine." I hold up what looks like a beeper while I keep my eyes on the briefing packet. "Then a plane is going to come pick us up and take us to a S.H.I.E.L.D base so we can track Loki and find the Tesseract," I say. "I think we should get up at around seven and be on the roof by eight. Just so we can get there before anyone else."

"Okay, Rach. See you tomorrow at 7:30? So we can get up on the roof together?" he asks.

"Yup! See you then!" I say. "Don't forget to pack your bags!" I yell after him.

"Okay," Steve says smiling, closing the door behind him.

Once Steve leaves, I start to pack my bags. I put guns, knives, and my catsuit in my bag. I also throw in my old notes about the tesseract and some makeshift gamma tracking devices. My case was almost full when I realized I forgot to pack my normal clothes. I pack three outfits and then quickly get ready for bed. Once I hop into bed, I try to relax. I want to get all of the sleep I can because I have a feeling Fury is going to put me on tracking duty, and Steve on defending duty. I can't have him get hurt. I already care about him too much to have him suffer through anything if he doesn't have to. I just can't watch him get hurt. Not anyone else. He means too much.

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I wake up with a start. I had a bad dream which means I probably was screaming last night. And since I locked my door, Steve probably couldn't get in. Well then, he will be worried this morning. I love how he cares about the little things so much, it is really cute.

I get dressed and just as I finished, I hear a knock on my door. I already know who it is. I opened my door to a concerned looking Steve.

"Hey," I say shyly.

"Hey. Are you okay? You were rustling around and yelling last night. I could hear you in my room." he says and I immediately feel terrible.

"Yeah, I am fine. I just had a bad dream. We need to get up to the roof." I say, trying to change the subject.

"Okay, and hey, if you ever need anyone to talk to, you know where I am," he says smiling.

"I know," I say, cracking a shy smile.

After that, we started walking up to the roof. We walked up all of the flights of stairs and sent off the beacon signaling that we were ready to be picked up. When the plane finally got here, the back opened up and I see Phil.

"Phil!" I yell and run up the ramp to give him a hug. I met Phil when he was tasked with keeping Tony in his home and we have been working together ever since. 

"Hey Rach. How've you been?" Phil asks. Oh boy do I have a surprise for him.

"I've been good. I've had a lot of company from Captain Rogers over here." I try to introduce Steve so that Phil doesn't just drop.

"Hello, Agent Coulson, correct?" Steve asks politely like always.

"Yes, it is an honor to meet you, Captain," Phil says, completely star-struck. He slowly puts his hand out for Steve to shake, complete shock overwhelming his body. Steve takes his hand and shakes it. 

"Well if you two wouldn't mind, don't we have a world to save?" I ask rather sarcastically, trying to break up the already forming bromance.

After I've said that, the boys and I get on the Quinjet. Apparently, we are going to the Helicarrier, aka the S.H.I.E.L.D base in the sky. I love that place. It has the best, most advanced tech I've ever seen. Inside of the Quinjet, I am on one side, and on the other side, the boys. I wasn't really paying attention to their conversation. I was trying to reorient myself with the powers of the tesseract on the tablet that Phil handed me, but I was still listening.

"So this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" Steve asks.

"A lot of people were and still are," I say, "You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve says, smiling at me.

"Not so much. When he's not that thing though, the guy's like a Stephen Hawking." Phil says and I give him a look that says 'really'. Steve doesn't know who that is. I don't like confusing him.

"He's like ... a smart ... person," Phil says. "I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially." Steve smiles at that comment. His priceless beautiful smile. Wait...

"I sort of met you, I mean I watched you while you were sleeping," Phil says. I slap my hand onto my forehead.

"Um, Phil..." I try to stop him.

"I mean, I was... present while you were unconscious from the ice." Another long, awkward, silence. "You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honor to have you on board." Phil finally spits out.

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job," Steve says. I smile at him.

"Oh, you are. Absolutely. Uh... we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input." Phil says. Why does he keep talking?

"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old fashioned?" Steve asks.

"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned," Phil tells Steve. 

He looks really puzzled by what he just said. He sits back down next to me as we wait to get to the Helicarrier.