New Avenger (A Steve Rogers love story)

Hello Again Sam

I followed Steve down the hall, listening to what was being said in the room we were headed to. We decided to visit Sam after leaving Peggy.

"The thing is, I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week." A woman said. "He thought I was drunk."

Steve walked up to a pillar in the middle of the divider and leaned against it, listening. I stayed behind Steve, not really wanting to make my presence known. Sam stood at a podium at the front of the room. Several people sat in chairs, lined up and facing Sam.

The woman continued. "I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED." She looked like she was ready to cry. I felt so bad for her. Because of my experience with combat, my life was changed as well. Looking at Steve, I knew he felt the same.

Sam spoke up. "Some stuff you leave there. Other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it." Sam looked around the room as he spoke, his hands clasped together on top of the podium. "Is it gonna be in a big suitcase, or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

Sam finished and everyone dispersed. Steve and I stood back and waited. I began to wonder how I was carrying my "stuff" as Sam put it. Sam shook hands with the woman who had spoken before. "I'll see you next week."

"Definitely." she replied.

The woman left and Sam turned around. As Steve and I walked toward him, Sam noticed we were  there.

"Look who it is, the running man and the woman who is somehow able to keep up with him." Sam said, arranging papers lying on a table.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense." Steve replied. He leaned against the wall in front of Sam. I sat in a chair next to the table.

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret." Sam looked toward the doors, then at Steve.

"You lose someone?" Steve asked.

I could sense Sam's emotions, feel his pain. He had lost someone close to him.

Sam shrugged and shook his head. "My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op. Nothing we hadn't done 1,ooo times before." Sam briefly looked down. "Until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky." He paused, holding back tears. "Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

Steve looked at the ground for a second, then looked back at Sam. "I'm sorry."

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?"

"The number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell yeah." Sam smiled. "Are you thinking about getting out?"

Steve shook his head. "No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam asked.

Steve and I laughed.

"Just a great idea off the top of my head." Sam chuckled. "Seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

Steve looked into the distance and shook his head. Then he looked at Sam. "I don't know."