Helena Stark: A WWII Widow

chapter five: Ring

I sat next to Mr. Rogers awkwardly, well more him than me. I'm just glad that it wasn't Peggy, she would scare the poor man to death. "I know this neighborhood." Mr. Rogers said suddenly as he pointed outside the window. "I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that dinner."

"Did you have something against running away?" I asked.

"You start running they'll never let you stop." Mr. Rogers said. "You stand up, push back. You can't say no forever, right."

"I know a little of what that's like." I said, but Mr. Rogers looked at me confused. "To have every door shut in your face."

"I guess I just don't know why you would want to help the military like you are. You're a beautiful dame. Beautifu... oh a woman. I mean... A scientist, not a Dame." Mr. Rogers stammered out making me smile. "You are beautiful. That dress really does look wonderful on you..."

"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" I asked with a blush on my face.

"I think this is the longest conversation I've had with a woman." Mr. Rogers said smiling. "They're not exactly lining up to dance with a guy that might step on them."

"You must have danced," I said surprised, a gentleman like him.

"Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying. And the past few years just... Didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait."

"For what?"

"Right partner." We sat in silence after that, we were still a ways away from the facility. I was slowly twirling my ring around my necklace. "Was he in the army?"

"Excuse me?" I asked not realizing what I was doing.

"Your wedding band, I know you have a daughter, but you don't wear it." Mr. Rogers said quickly, but then he got quieter by the end of it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's alright. He was a major in the army, died right after the war started in Poland." I told Mr. Rogers softly.

"I'm sorry." Mr. Rogers said.

"Thank you," I replied as I put the ring back down my blouse, probably not the most appropriate thing to do in front of a soldier. "I think we're here," I said as I saw the bookstore on our right. Steve quickly got out and held the door open for me, offering me his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers," I said as he helped me out.

"Steve, call me Steve, Ms. Stark." He said with a shy smile.

"Then call me Helen," I said as I led him in. "This way."

"What are we doing here?" Steve asked confused.

"Follow me," I ordered as I approached the elderly lady.

"Wonderful weather this morning. Isn't it." She asked.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," I replied, then she let us in. Steve and I walked forward and then made our way down to the secret facility. "Home sweet home," I muttered as everybody looked at us, I rolled my eyes as they froze, and then continued on their way.

"Good morning." Dr. Erskine said, then a photographer took a photo making me jump. "Please, not now. You ready?" He asked Steve, to which he nodded. "Good. Take off your shirt your tie and your hat."

Steve was about to take them off when he glanced at me, I blushed and went to walk away. "I'll go find my brother, I think he brought my daughter. Don't know how he managed that." I mumbled as I quickly walked away and found my brother with a little girl on his hip.

"Madre!" Rosemary cried happily as she jumped out of Howard's arms and ran into mine. "I missed you." She whispered in my ear as I kissed her cheek.

"I missed you too," I told her as I walked back over to Steve who was now in the huge device. "Do you remember Mr. Rogers?" I asked her as she nodded and smiled. "Well, he's here to help Madre and you Uncle."

"Really? Thank you, Mr. Rogers!" Rosemary cried happily.

Steve chuckled. "Just doing my duty little miss." He said as he gave her a playful salute, Rosemary giggled as Dr. Erskine came over. He smiled at her as he pinched her cheek.

"Comfortable?" He asked Steve.

"It's a little big," Steve replied making me smile. "You save me any of that schnapps?"

"Not as much as I should have. Sorry, next time." Dr. Erskine said making me laugh. "Mr. Stark. How are your levels?"

Howard came over and dragged me to his side to double check all of his calculations. "Levels at one-hundred percent."

"Good," Erskine said with a nod.

"We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready." Howard said.

"Good as we'll ever be." I added as I handed Rosemary to Peggy, she'll only go with Colonel Phillips for some odd reason.

"Agent Carter, don't you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?" Dr. Erskine asked.

"Oh yes, ah, sorry," Peggy said as she quickly went up and handed Rosemary to Phillips.

"Can you hear me, is this on?" Dr. Erskine asked as he taped the mic making all of us cringe at the feedback. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Today we take not another step towards annihilation. But the first step towards the path to peace. We begin with a series of microinjections, into the subjects major muscles. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. Then to stimulate growth. The subject will be saturated, with Vita rays."

I checked all of the machinery one last time as Steve was given an injection. "That wasn't so bad."

"That was penicillin," I told Steve as I patted his arm. "Good luck, I'm going in the box. Howard's got everything from here."

"Thanks, I'll see you when this is over?"

"Definitely, I'll take you out drinking," I said.

"Isn't that my job?" Steve asked as I walked over to Howard.

"Serum Infusion. Beginning in, five...

"Four...

"Three...

"Two...

"One.

"Now, Ms. Stark," Abraham ordered me as I closed the machine around Steve. There's no going back now.

"I'm going into the box, make sure I come down if you need my help," I told Howard, he nodded as he kissed my cheek and I ran up to join Peggy as we stood by the door. Rosemary waved at me from her spot on Colonel Phillips lap.

"We will proceed." Dr. Erskine said as Howard powered up the machine.

"That's ten percent.

"Twenty percent.

"Thirty.

"That's forty percent." He called out as I watched, terrified of something going wrong.

"All signs are normal, I hope," I whispered under my breath.

"That's fifty percent.

"Sixty.

"Seventy." Howard had just called out when we heard Steve shouting in pain. I felt my heart freeze as I saw Rosemary bury her head in Colonel Phillips shoulder as I ran out and leaned over the railing.

"Steven, Steven," Erskine said as he banged on the device, on a coffin.

"Shut it down!" I shouted as I started running down the stairs.

"Steven." Erskine tried again.

"Shut it down," Peggy called out as I ran to Howard's side, about to turn it off, or at least back it off.

"Turn back, Mr. Stark. Turn it off, kill it, turn back." Erskine ordered.

"No!" Steve shouted making me jump. "Don't I can do this."

***