AN: Jessica's outfit is the same.

✧

The next morning, Jessica and Steve were in the backseat of a car that was taking them to Dr. Erskine's secret lab for the man's procedure, awkwardly silent.

Peggy was in the front seat along with the driver, only turning back slightly as Steve pointed outside his window, saying, "I know this neighborhood."

"Of course you do, Steve," Jessica rolled her eyes, shifting and crossing her leg over the other, "You got beat up in that alley."

Steve nodded, pointing to it, "That's it!" They drove past a parking lot, "And that parking lot. That's where Jessica saved me by punching that guy in the nose."

Peggy laughed at that and Steve sighed as he saw one of the diners Jessica, Bucky and himself would go to as teenagers, "And that diner."

"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy questioned curiously.

Jessica tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying, "Actually, Steve saved me at that one. Some asshole from school had lifted my skirt and Steve was able to throw the first punch. Knocked him into next week he did."

"Yeah, but he had friends," Steve ran his hand against his jaw, remembering where he got hit, "Not very nice ones either."

Jessica rolled her eyes and gave him a small smile, saying, "Then it's a good thing that you do."

"I do," Steve turned to her and met her eyes, noting that they were duller than usual.

Jessica was the first to turn, shifting to look out the window and Steve sighed, returning to Peggy, "And to answer your question, Miss Carter, I don't. But you start running, they'll never let you stop. You stand up, you push back. They can't say no forever, right?"

"I know a little of what that's like," Peggy admitted, "To have every door shut in your face."

Steve nodded and thought for a moment, "I guess I just don't know why you'd want to join the Army. I still don't even understand why you did," He glanced at Jess and back to Peggy, "If you were beautiful dames. Or- or women. An agent and nurse. Not a dame."

"Steven, just stop of the love of all things holy," Jessica shook her head, placing her hand on his knee, making his eyes widen.

Jessica gave him a look that flashed of hurt, not knowing if he had made that at her or the action and moved her hand, whispering, "Sorry."

She looked back at the window and Steve's mouth opened despite no words escaping, sighing to himself as he mentally realized what he had did.

The same thing her father used to do.

"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" Peggy asked Steve, shaking her head at his stupidity. Steve bit at his lip, "Jessica is really the only one and even then I can't seem to do it right."

Jessica stayed quiet, looking out at the window and Steve continued, "Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."

"You must have danced?" Peggy's eyes flashed back and forth between the pair of best friends.

Steve gulped, his face turning red at the thought of being that close with Jessica again, "Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying. And with the past few years... didn't seem to matter that much. I figured I'd wait."

"For what?"

"To work up the courage to ask the right partner."

Jessica silently gulped at that, feeling Steve's eyes on the side of her head as they finally parked on the side of the road. Steve stepped out and turned immediately, offering Jessica his hand to help her out of the car.

The woman looked at it before she met Steve's eyes, his blue ones pleading with her green irises. Jessica sighed before she put her hand in his, allowing him to help her onto the concrete below them.

When Jessica stood, they were chest to chest, causing Steve to inhale deeply before whispering, "Sorry."

"You're okay," Jessica said without emotion before she looked to Peggy, "We'll follow you, Pegs."

"This way," Peggy winked at her, acknowledging the interaction between her friend and Steve before walking away, Jessica going to follow.

Steve's hand on hers pulled her back a bit, causing her to turn back to him, "Steve?"

"Can we just... can we just stay close? Like before at dinner with Lyds and Stiles?" Steve questioned softly, squeezing her hand tightly to insinuate what he meant. Jessica sighed, shaking her head in thought, "Why?"

Steve gulped, his eyes on hers, "Because I feel terrible about what happened. I shouldn't have ran away when you," He lowered his voice, blushing, "Kissed me the other night."

"You're right. You shouldn't have," Jessica's voice was tight in her throat as she spoke, "If you didn't want that, then you should have said something instead of getting up and leaving. You know I can't handle people leaving after my dad."

"I would never leave like your father did, Jessica Lynne," Steve immediately replied, voice stern as he took a step toward her, "I would never do that to you... especially for the reason he did it. I know you know that."

Jessica bit her lip as she glanced over at Peggy, who was watching the interaction and let out a long breath through her nose, saying, "Come on. We have to go."

The red-headed green witch fought with herself for a moment before she untangled her hand from Steve's, walking in front of him to Peggy. 

The woman gave her a look before she glanced behind Jessica's shoulder, seeing Steve's hurt expression as he looked to the ground, "Steve. Come on."

Steve made his way over to the women and they walked into "Brooklyn Antiques" as he put his hat on, Jessica clasping her hands in front of her as they did so.

A woman walked out from the back room of the antique store and said, "Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," Peggy spoke evenly, Jessica narrowing her eyes as she realized it was a code.

The elder woman walked back around the counter and pressed a button underneath it, unlocking the bookcase behind the curtain of the room she had just come from. Peggy gave her a curt nod before they walked back, the doors opening to allow Steve, Jessica and herself in the secret lab.

Jessica's eyes wandered all around the laboratory, taking in all of the larger panels along the walls.

Everyone stopped what they were doing upon their arrival, staring at Steve in astonishment before Jessica pressed against his back, whispering to Peggy, "Let's get this over with."

Peggy nodded and they walked down the stairs, Jessica smiling as she saw Dr. Erskine. She was the first to get to him, wrinkling her nose at him before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a friendly hug.

Erskine hugged the woman back and said, "This is not professional, you know."

"Fuck professional and ladylike. I do what I want," Jessica whispered back, the pair chuckling as they pulled away from one another. The father-like figure kissed the side of her head and whispered, "Yes, you do."

The red-headed woman moved by his side and Steve put his hand out to shake the doctor's as he said, "Good morning."

A flash obscured everyone's vision for a moment before Dr. Erskine sighed, turning to the photographer, "Please, not now."

The man nodded before he walked away and Steve turned to the capsule that was made to withstand the Vita radiation that would be used to activate the Super Soldier Serum within Steve after injection.

Dr. Erskine noticed his weariness and said, "Are you ready?"

Steve nodded, briefly meeting Jessica's eyes before Dr. Erskine spoke once again, "Good. Take off your shirt, your tie and your hat. I'm sure Ms. Martin will hold onto those for you."

"It's Jess," She scolded him, playfully taking Steve's hat off his head, "You know this, Abe."

"I do it to, what would you call it? Piss you off?" He waved a finger as he walked away, earning a chuckle from the woman as Steve tried to undo his tie.

Steve grunted as he got stuck and Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes as she placed his hat under her arm, holding it against her side. She took a step toward him, swatting his hands away while saying, "You could never work ties, could you?"

"One of my many failures in life," Steve sarcastically remarked, holding in a breath as Jessica's fingers quickly helped him out of his tie. His tie rested in the crook of her arm and Steve admired the woman before him as she simply started unbuttoning his shirt without asking, her fingers dancing across his skin after every button.

A cold chill ran up his spine with her touch and Jessica met his eyes as she finished, moving her hands up and helping him take his arms out of the sleeves.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile as she quickly folded it, holding his shirt close to her chest as she took a step backwards. She kept her expression as she said, "Good luck, hero. I'll be here when you're done."

"I think I'm going to need it, Brooklyn Baby," Steve sighed, giving her the same goofy grin he had many times before walking up the step stool they had placed for him to get into the capsule.

Jessica sighed as she watched him lay in it, coming around to the side of it and saying, "If anything starts feeling wrong... I need you to tell us. You know what you can handle. I promised Bucky that we'd both be back in one piece."

Steve gave as a small nod and said, "I promise."

Dr. Erskine came up beside Jessica and looked to Steve as he put a hand on the woman's shoulder, "Comfortable?"

"It's a little big," Steve chuckled, making the pair beside him laugh as well, "You save me any of that Schnapps?"

Erskine looked to Jessica, who only shrugged, before going back to Steve, "Not as much as we should have. Sorry."

"Maybe next time," Jessica suggested, smirking a bit. Steve rolled his eyes playfully at that as Dr. Erskine said, "Mr. Stark how are your levels?"

"Levels at one hundred percent," Howard Stark walked over to them, a charming smile dancing across his lips as he looked at Jessica. The woman was only focused on Steve as Dr. Erskine spoke, saying, "Good."

Howard looked to Steve as Jessica and another nurse started doing as they were assigned, "We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready as we'll ever be."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark for your help," Jessica nodded, "I appreciate you being here."

"Only for a dame like you, Jessica. You may have to let me take you to dinner after this though," He winked, Jessica simply chuckling as she rolled her eyes at him.

She snapped the belt around Steve and the said man looked to her, asking, "Since when have you known each other?"

Jessica met his eyes, "He was at the base the other night. We all had a meeting about this."

"Oh... and you two are close?" Steve questioned, not paying attention to Dr. Erskine who was speaking to Peggy. Jessica rose a brow, smirking a bit, "Nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about."

She then winked at him as a thudding over the PA was heard, the woman not leaving Steve's side as Dr. Erskine spoke into a microphone, saying, "Do you hear me? Is this on? Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path of peace."

Jessica turned when her name was whispered behind her, a nurse gesturing for her to bring down the chest pad on her side.

She did so, Steve grunting as Dr. Erskine said, "We begin with a series of microinjections into the subject's major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change."

Jessica was handed a box of gloves and she thanked Howard, who had handed them to her, slipping the gloves on before turning. She grabbed three injections of the Super Soldier Serum, the bright blue contrasting with the white gloves on her hands.

She placed them in their designated spots, Steve looking down at them as Dr. Erskine continued, "And then, to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays."

The woman then went to the tray-table set beside her, tearing an alcohol wipe package open before cleaning a place on Steve's tricep. She grabbed the large syringe of Penicillin that was on top of a cloth, meeting Steve's eyes once more.

Jessica gave him a light smile and whispered, "Close your eyes. I know you hate big needles."

Steve did as asked and Jessica pressed the needle into his arm, going deep enough to insert the medication into the muscle. He opened his eyes as she pulled it out, her thumb and pointer finger applying pressure to the wound with a gauze pad.

"That wasn't so bad," Steve commented, earning a chuckle from Dr. Erskine, who had walked back over. Jessica rose a brow, "Steve, that was Penicillin."

Steve's eyes were wide as he looked between Jessica and Abraham, the doctor simply shrugging in response.

"Serum infusion beginning in five," Dr. Erskine counted down, arms coming down onto Steve's arms as Jessica softly pressed her hand to Steve's stomach to keep him still, "Four, three, two, one."

Jessica's ears buzzed as she watched the serum quickly be injected into Steve, the man grunting as his whole body burned.

His eyes burst open and he only moved them to look at Jessica, the woman giving him a reassuring smile as Dr. Erskine turned to Howard, saying, "Now, Mr. Stark."

Howard flipped a switch and everyone stood back from the capsule Steve was in, the holding place moving to be perpendicular to the floor. Steve's only focus was on Jessica as the capsule shut, obscuring his vision from the woman he loved.

Dr. Erskine stepped up a step stool, looking into the single glass paneling and saying, "Steven? Can you hear me?"

"It's probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?" Steve teased, Jessica rolling her eyes as she looked up to Dr. Erskine who only chuckled. The man turned to Howard Stark, "We will proceed."

A low rumbling was heard as Howard twisted a knob to start the Vita-Ray's, Dr. Erskine pulling a pair of radiation-grade sunglasses out of his pocket and handing it to Jessica. She smiled in thanks, placing them on the bridge of her nose as she turned back to Steve.

"That's ten percent," Howard told, continuing to twist the knob, "Twenty percent. Thirty," The light got brighter, "That's forty percent."

"Vital signs are normal!"

Howard continued and once they reached seventy-percent, Steve began screaming causing Jessica's heart to leap into her throat as she went to run toward him, whispering, "Steve."

Dr. Erskine let Jessica run up the steps and her voice shook with fear as she yelled, "Steve!"

"Shut it down!" Peggy ran in as Jessica banged on the capsule, eyes flashing a bright green as she was going to manipulate the metal to open. Jessica let out a dry sob as Steve screamed louder, "Steve! Steve please."

"Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark!" Dr. Erskine demanded, "Turn it off! Kill it!" Jessica joined, "Kill the reactor!"

Steve's voice caused Jessica to turn back to him as he yelled, "No! Don't! I can do this!"

Jessica's heart was split as she knew that Steve could handle it, glancing over at Howard and nodding, telling him to continue.

Howard went back over and Jessica turned back to Steve, pressing her hands against the capsule and saying, "You got this, hero."

"Just stay by my side, please, Jess," Steve panted, his muscles feeling like they were on fire as he stretched. Jessica nodded despite Steve not being able to see it as Howard continued and said, "I'm right here always."

A high pitched scream echoed through everyone's ears as the electricity hummed, the light coming from Steve blinding the room. Sparks came from the machines as they powered down, the group's hearts stopping when nothing was heard from Steve.

"Mr. Stark!" Dr. Erskine immediately said, Jessica stopping from opening the capsule herself.

She knew that Erskine didn't want her to get caught.

Hot air hissed against the cold as the capsule opened, Jessica's eyes widening as she took in Steve.

The man had grown ten inches and gained one hundred and forty-five pounds in muscle, Jessica's mouth bubbling as Steve's chest moved rapidly.

She took her sunglasses off in shock, letting them fall to the ground as she whispered, "Steve?"

"Brooklyn Baby?" Steve murmured, his head tiredly moving from his side. The pair met eyes and Jessica gave him a bright smile as excited chattering entered the room, "It worked."

"It worked," Steve repeated, sweat dripping down his body. Jessica nodded and reached forward, saying, "Let's get you out of there, yeah?"

Dr. Erskine came up beside Steve and Jessica as the woman wrapped Steve's arm around her shoulder, grunting as his weight was on her. She put an arm around his waist, helping him down the stairs as Dr. Erskine did the same.

"I did it," Steve panted, looking lazily at the doctor. Erskine chuckled softly, meeting Jessica's green eyes, "Yeah. Yeah. I think we did it."

"You actually did it," Howard shook his head in shock from beside them. Jessica looked to Stark, "Do you think you can take my place?"

Howard nodded and they quickly switched, Jessica moving to be in front of Steve as Peggy joined her side.

"How do you feel?" Jessica questioned him, the man meeting her eyes. He gave her a smile, breathing heavily, "Taller."

She chuckled, all anger for him at the moment taken away as she was only glad he was alive. Steve noticed her changed expression and said, "Does this mean I can have a hug now?"

Jessica nodded as she smiled, stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his neck as she stepped up on her toes. Steve held her close, happy to finally hold Jessica again, and closed his eyes as he placed his hands on her waist.

"I liked you before, but this is interesting," Jessica laughed in Steve's ear, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. Steve tightened his hold on the woman at that, blushing a bit as she stepped back and brushed her hand on his chest before saying, "You know, you look taller."

A white shirt was brought between them, the pair turning to see Peggy, who said, "This is peculiar."

Steve put the shirt on and went back to Jessica, going to say something when an explosion above echoed throughout the laboratory. Glass shattered throughout the room and Steve grabbed Jessica roughly, pressing her back against his chest as he bent them down, away from the shards of glass.

Erskine's voice was panicked as he yelled, "Stop him!"

Jessica's heart sank as indistinct whispering flooded her ears, a gunshot echoing throughout the room. She let out a blood-curdling scream, feeling Dr. Erskine close to death as the said man fell to the ground after getting shot.

Steve's grip on Jessica tightened as she screamed, causing the building to shake at the force of it. After a moment, Jessica let out a sob, Steve knowing she was done as she wrestled against his hold to get to Dr. Erskine.

They ran over, Jessica falling on her knees as Abraham turned to them. The dying man had enough strength to point his finger at their hearts before he let out a wheeze, head tilting to the ground as he died.

Tears streamed down Jessica's face as she felt his spirit go back into the Earth, small cries escaping her lips as she noticed Steve tighten his grip on her hand that they hadn't realized they were holding.

She saw the anger flooding through Steve and spoke, her voice hoarse, "Steve."

The man didn't listen as he stood and ran out of the room with no shoes, Jessica looking back down at Dr. Erskine's still body.

She sniffed, leaning down and kissing his forehead before she whispered, "Thank you for everything."

She stood quickly and pushed her way through the crowd, running after Steve, who was twice as fast. She screamed his name as an explosion was heard outside the antique store, eyes wide as she jumped over the shop owner's dead body.

She stopped as she watched Steve push Peggy out of the street, the woman having almost been hit by the man who shot Dr. Erskine and the shop owner.

Peggy growled, "I had him!"

"Sorry!" Steve exclaimed before he stood up, running after the car quickly. Jessica's eyes moved in thought before she kicked off her heels and looked down to her skirt.

She bent slightly and grunted as she ripped it up her thigh, stockings being seen as she started running after Steve, who was car lengths ahead of her. Jessica's legs pumped under her as her arms stayed close to her sides, lungs burning after a few minutes of running.

Jessica paused as she came onto an intersection, seeing Steve stepping out of a bridal store window that he had fallen into, not yet understanding the force of the serum.

She glanced at the road before she ran through, cars honking around her as Steve yelled, "I'm sorry!"

"What did you do?" Jessica exclaimed, running beside the man at full speed. He didn't turn to her as he said, "How did you catch up so quickly?"

Jessica huffed, her breath catching in her throat as her legs burned, "It helps when you fall into buildings."

They came onto a gate, Steve ahead of Jessica a bit as he jumped over a wire gate. Jessica only rolled her eyes, flicking her fingers toward it causing the steel gate to light a bright green and open to allow her to run through it.

Tires screeched across the street as they hit their breaks for Steve, Jessica following closely behind. She watched as Steve jumped on a car and rolled her eyes, saying, "What a show off."

She ran beside cars as they stopped, seeing Steve on the yellow taxi cab watching as it sped and turned around a corner. Jessica slowed a bit, not being able to catch her breath as she paused against a wall.

Screaming and gunshots took her from her heart pounding in her ears, legs shaking as she was breathing heavily. She made her way down the alleyway that the taxi had gone through, hand on her side as pain spread throughout her abdomen from running.

Her pace quickened as she heard a woman from afar screaming, "No! No! Not my son!"

Sweat dripped down her back and brow as she moved as quick as she could, looking to the crowd as she wheezed, "Which way?"

The all pointed toward the pier and she stumbled frantically, trying to find Steve.

Her eyes widened when she saw a boy swimming in the water, her body resting tiredly against a pole as she said, "Honey, are you okay?"

"I can swim!" He told, lips turning blue due to the cold water from the early morning. She mustered a laugh and lifted her hands from her knees, eyes a bright electric blue as she brought the red-headed boy out of the water.

His eyes widened as his feet hit the cement floor, Jessica pushing the water back off of him and back to the ocean. She smiled at him and put a finger to her lip, telling him to keep it a secret.

The boy nodded and smiled, saying, "Thank you, miss."

Jessica winked at him before she walked off, finding Steve by hearing an unidentified man say, "Hail Hydra."

The man choked as foam dripped down the sides of his cheeks, Jessica's eyes widening as she witnessed the man die. She felt the shift within him as he fell to the ground, Steve in shock as he loosened his grip on the dead man.

They met eyes, chests rapidly rising as Steve looked down to his chest and arms, finally taking in his transformation. Jessica shook him out of his trance as she said, "If you ever make me run like that again? I will severely hurt you."

Steve met her green eyes before he took in her appearance, stockings torn as the slit in her skirt reached her upper thigh. He choked, walking over to her to cover her from the crowd that was gathering around them.

"What's your problem?" She quirked a brow as he wrapped his arms around her, trying to cover her. Steve looked down to her, Jessica's chin having to be pressed against his wet chest to look up at him, "You're exposed."

"Oh what ever. They can fuck off. I've seen a lot worse."

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AN: Well, that was a long chapter.