Like a Brother

A Little Larger

The Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters; Steve and me walk into Fury's office.
"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Steve asked.
"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours" Nick said.
"Which you didn't feel obliged to share" I said.
"I'm not obliged to do anything" Nick said.
"Those hostages could've died, Nick" Steve said.
"I sent the two greatest soldiers in history to make sure that didn't happen" he said.
"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns" Steve said.
"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything" Nick said.
"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their owns" Steve said.
"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all" Nick said.
"Except you" I said.
"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that" Nick said pointing at me.
Fury steps into an elevator with Steve and me following behind him.
"Insight bay" Nick ordered.
"Captain Rogers and Stephanie Barnes do not have clearance for Project Insight" said the computer.
"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J" Nick said.
"Confirmed" said the computer and the elevator starts moving down.
"You know, they used to play music" Steve said making me smile.
"Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter" Nick said.
"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked.
"Every week some punk would say, "What's in the bag?" Nick said.
"Well, what did he do?" I asked.
"He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones and loaded 0.22 Magnum" Nick said with a smile, "Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much."
As we continue to ride down the elevator Steve and me notice the giant Helicarriers. "Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a 0.22" Nick said. As Fury shows me and Steve around.
"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites" Nick said.
"Launched from the Lemurian Star" Steve said.
"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulser engines" Nick said.
"Stark?" I asked.
"Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen" Nick said.
"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime" I said.
"We can't afford to wait that long" Nick said.
"Who's "we"?" Steve asked.
"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surgeon threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve" Nick said.
"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection" Steve said.
"You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff" Nick said.
"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well" I started. "But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear" Steve finished.
"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap, and you too Dream" Nick said.
"Don't hold your breath" Steve said as me and Steve turn and walk off. We exited the building, Steve climbed onto the motorcycle and I climbed on after him. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tightly as we took off. We got back to the apartment and I changed into one of his sweaters and a pair of jeans. I pulled my hair into a bun before following Steve back outside to his motorcycle. Soon we drove off again this time towards the Smithsonian Museum to visit the Captain America exhibit.
"A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice" said the museum narrator over the speakers me and Steve, keeps our faces hidden under a baseball cap, as we walk over to the exhibition.
"Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier" said the narrator. A boy recognizes me and Steve, Steve smiles puts his finger against his mouth to indicate for the boy to keep quiet and the boy nods, Steve then watches an old footage of himself.
"In this rare footage, everyone's favorite warrior, Captain America..." said the narrator as Steve goes to the display where there are mannequins with costumes of Steve's old commando squad, I quickly follow behind.
"Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division" said the narrator, Steve walks over to the a display of his friend Bucky Barnes.
"Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both school yard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling commando to give his life in service of his country" said the narrator.
"The youngest member of the Howling Commandos was Stephanie Barnes, Bucky's younger sister. She was like a little sister to Steven Rogers. At age 12 she joined the Commandos and fought along side Steve and her brother. When Rogers was presumed dead, Stephanie signed herself up for the next Super Soldier Program in Steve's honor. Soon she became American Dream and then during a battle she was frozen in the ice like Captain America" the narrator spoke as I looked at a video of me performing was American Dream. The performance changed to a picture of me, Steve and Bucky. I felt tears in my eyes as I stared back at my older brother's smiling face.
Me and Steve sat down in a small theatre watching an older looking Peggy Carter being interviewed.
"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve...Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life" Peggy said as Steve looks at the photo of Peggy he'd kept in his old compass. I look over his shoulder and smile.
"I miss her too" I said smiling at Steve. He smiles back.
"We're going to go visit her" Steve said making me smile again. I really missed Peggy.
Me and Steve arrive at Peggy's house and visits Peggy, who is now lying sick in bed.
"You should be proud of yourself, Peggy" Steve said as Steve looks at Peggy's family photos by her bedside table showing her with her husband and children.
"Mm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours" she said Steve looks at her with an sad expression.
"What is it?" Peggy asked.
"For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same" Steve said and I nodded in agreement as Peggy chuckles.
"You two were always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather...mucked it up" she said.
"You didn't. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason we stay" I said as Peggy takes Steve's hand.
"The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over" she said Peggy starts to cough, Steve turns to get her some water and goes to hand it to her.
"Peggy" Steve said suddenly Peggy looks at Steve and me like she's seeing for the first time since we were frozen.
"Steve? Stephanie?" She asked.
"Yeah" Steve said
"You're both alive! You...you came, you came back" she said I had to quickly wipe tears away before Steve saw them.
"Yeah, Peggy" Steve said as Peggy begins to cry.
"It's been so long. So long" she said as she placed her hand on my cheek and I leaned towards her hand.
"Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance" Steve said and with that I left my tears flow. Steve pulled me towards him and allowed me to cry into his shoulder. I wanted to be with my brother. I missed him so much.

Flashback
"Hey. It'll be okay, Steph" Bucky said as he pulled my covers over my body with a gentle smile. I let warm salty tears trickle down my cheeks, "hey! Hey! Steph! Don't cry!" Bucky pulled my small form close to him and rubbed my back gently. He pulled me close to his warm chest and kissed my head softly.
"I'm gonna miss him" I choked out. Our dog died yesterday.
"I'm gonna miss him too. But sometime we gotta let some things go" he said lifting my chin with his finger before kissing my forehead. I wrapped my small arms around my brother's neck and buried my face into his warm chest as he rubbed my back slowly making me fall asleep.