AN: Jessica's outfit is up top.

Also, I've had this song linked before, but this is a refresher for later in the chapter. You'll know why.

✧

The next day, after Steve and Jessica had packed everything into the moving van and sent it to Manhattan to the Avengers' tower, the woman found herself outside a hospital.

Jessica's free hand was curled into a fist, her other being held by Steve, who sensed the anxiety radiating off his wife.

"Are you okay?" He ran his thumb over her knuckles softly.

The redhead hummed lightly, biting her lip before she whispered, "I just don't like hospitals much anymore..."

She trailed off and Steve's chest tightened, knowing what she was speaking of. He nodded and licked his lips, sighing after a moment.

"We don't have to go, if you don't want," He murmured, blue eyes finding her green ones.

Jessica shook her head, saying, "No, it's okay. I'm curious as to why you're taking me here."

"To see an old friend."

She quirked a brow and only nodded, allowing Steve to walk them through the double doors to another hospital in Washington D.C.. After walking up the stair well to the third floor, the couple made their way through the corridor to a reception desk.

Jessica noticed they were on the geriatric floor and gave Steve a confused look, asking, "Steve?"

He gave her a smile before turning to the nurse at the reception desk, the woman with darker skin and jewel tones immediately recognizing him.

"Mr. Rogers," She gave him a kind grin, "How are you today?"

"We're doing okay, Nancy. Is she okay for a visitor?"

Nancy nodded, pulling two guest badges from the console drawer before handing them to Jess and Steve.

"You know the room?"

Steve answered with a shake of his head, "Yes, thank you."

Steve grasped back onto Jess' hand, pulling her through the hall making her say, "Steve, what's going on?"

They stopped in front of a door, Steve looking down to his wife as he said, "She's here. I found her right before I found you. She gave me the grimoire."

A sharp, harsh breath let Jessica as tears clouded her eyes, "Peggy is alive? She's here?"

"She has dementia," Steve whispered, "It doesn't seem too bad, she remembered almost everything when I asked her questions. But, after a moment she forgets the conversation she just had."

Jessica nodded, swallowing her emotion, "So she remembers her life but has short-term memory loss?"

"Yeah," Steve whispered, cupping her cheek and wiping a stray tear with his thumb.

Jessica let out a sigh before she turned back toward the door, raising her hand and hitting her knuckles against the wood. After a moment, she opened the door, eyes immediately finding a grey-haired woman, who was watching the television on the other side of the room.

Peggy didn't turn to Jess until the redheaded woman said, "Pegs?"

The woman tilted her head at the sight of Jessica, a look of recognition crossing her features after a moment making her let out a small cry.

"Jessica?"

Jessica teared up and pursed her lips to not let out a cry, nodding, "It's me, Peggy. Steve found me."

"You're alive," Peggy whined, "You're alive! We tried to find you."

Jessica quickly made her way to Peggy's bedside, grasping onto her hand before lightly leaning over to embrace her. Peggy clutched onto Jessica's neck as the said woman carefully had her hands on Peggy's waist to not hurt her.

Peggy cried into Jessica's neck, wailing, "I tried, Jess. I tried. I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," Jess closed her eyes, nodding against Peggy as tears freely flowed down her cheeks, "I missed you so much, Peggy."

The elder looking woman pulled back slightly and Jessica retracted her embrace, covering Peggy with her blanket that had fallen to her waist. Steve moved and pushed a chair toward Jessica, the woman giving him a thankful smile as she sat beside Peggy's bedside.

The women's hands were entwined as Steve sat beside his wife, a light smile on his lips as Peggy turned toward him.

"You found her."

"I had to find my best girl and bring her back to her best friend."

The women chuckled and Peggy leaned her head back on her pillow, Jessica quickly standing to adjust it for her when she saw her wince. Peggy gave her a thankful smile.

"Thank you."

Jessica wrinkled her nose, "You know I would do anything for you."

Peggy was quiet for a moment before her dry lips trembled, "Where were you, Jess?"

"I was taken," Jessica let out a quick sigh, "I found Bucky, we almost got out. But I was sedated before I could take him out. When I woke up... I was being tested on. I fought back, lost a lot of blood and a guard yanked my hair so hard I lost some. I endured test after test until they found the perfect antidote- a serum that made me forget Steve entirely. It came on slowly, trying to remember his name."

Jessica paused, eyes closing as her brows scrunched together as she suppressed the pain.

"I wrote his name over and over again until they perfected it, but it didn't help. Soon it only became a name I had no reason to remember," Jess shook her head, opening her green eyes, "I was given the serum, trained along with Bucky. We became the Winter Soldiers. After training, we went into cyro and were only woken up when needed. Sometimes it was only one of us, others both; but they always pitted us against one another. Bucky didn't remember me, but I remembered him. They would torture or hold a gun to his sleeping body to make me do awful things. I..."

A crack of her voice made Jessica stop, shaking her head as she looked to her shoes in shame. Light fingers tilted her head up and Jessica looked to Peggy, who gave her a smile.

"You were made to be a weapon, Jessica. There should be no shame in that. You are not that person."

Jess gave her a hurt smile, "I like to think I'm not. I don't like hurting people... but the things I had to do?"

"They don't matter to the people who love you," Steve finally spoke, Jessica turning to him and noticing his eyes were wet with tears, "Peggy said it. You aren't that person. Who we remember? You would bring trees back to life and help injured birds."

Jessica let out a throaty chuckle, wiping her eyes with her free hand, "I suppose."

It was quiet for a moment before Jessica glanced back at Peggy, saying, "Enough about me. What of you, Ms. Carter? What did you do with your extraordinary life?"

Jessica's answer was Peggy's turn of the head, the woman looking at all the picture frames that littered her bedside table. Jessica smiled and let go of Peggy's hand lightly, taking the picture of a middle aged Peggy and Lorraine on the beach in her hand.

"You two got married," Jessica smirked, "I told you that you would."

Peggy chuckled, shaking her head, "It took a lot of pain and tears, but yes. We married in secret after hearing about a priest in Massachusetts who married people in secret, but officially were able to marry in 2004."

Jessica shook her head, disappointment laced through her voice, "I'm so sorry. No one should have to fight to be married."

"We were married in our hearts. Yes, it was hard, but we found peace in one another," Peggy smiled, "We were so very happy for so many years."

Steve gave Peggy a grin, "We're happy for you Peggy. Though I wish I would have known back in 1945."

"I don't know how you didn't," Jessica scoffed, "I knew the minute I saw Peggy look at Lorraine."

"I guess I was just oblivious," Steve joked, giving Jessica a sarcastic look.

Jessica nodded, patting his thigh, "It's okay, sweetheart. You usually are."

Four hours later, after the married couple had walked out of the hospital to let Peggy rest because she fell asleep holding Jessica's hand, the pair was on the road back to Manhattan.

The couple was quiet until Steve broke it, saying, "You know, you looked good back there."

"Looked good?" Jessica questioned, turning her body toward him, "Looked good, how?"

"Being a nurse again. When you helped Peggy with her pillow, then helped her to the bathroom and then eat? You looked good doing it," Steve praised, one hand on the wheel while the other laid on her thigh.

Jessica shook her head, a small chuckle leaving her lips after a moment, "Well, it was my job once upon a time."

"Seems like forever ago," Steve whispered, making Jess laugh and say, "That's because it was. We are old, Steve!"

"So, old."

"Prehistoric."

The pair let out deep laughter from their abdomens, no sound coming from their mouths as they let in gasps of air. Jess wiped tears from her face as Steve lifted his hand from his chest, the two falling into a peaceful moment.

"I haven't laughed like that since 1945 when you fell off the bed because you couldn't feel your legs," Jessica whispered, trying to regain her breath.

Steve laughed once more, hand banging against the steering wheel while they drove down the freeway, "Oh, god. Do you remember how mad Bucky was at us the next morning? He said we kept him up all night."

"Because you're too fucking loud!" Jessica shook her head, hitting her leg, "You're like a woman."

Steve blushed, shaking his head, "Hey, it take's two."

"I suppose so," Jessica smirked, turning to meet his eyes, "It was nice."

"Yeah, we had some good times."

Jessica bit her lip to suppress her smile, leaning her head on her fist that was on the window seal.

After a blush, Jessica wrinkled her nose, saying, "We'll have more good times in the future, Steve... I just need some time for that. Self destruction and all."

Steve squeezed her thigh before grabbing her hand, bringing it to his lips and giving her a tender kiss.

"You take all the time you need, Brooklyn baby."

Jessica pulled his hand to her lips, lightly kissing it before running her thumb over his knuckles.

"I can say the same, hero."

The two continued to drive up the coast, roads whining around the foliage covering the ocean. Jessica's lips held a content smile for a moment, peace washing over her for the first time in years.

"You know those perfect moments within the bad times?" Jessica whispered, eyes out to the dark road.

Steve nodded, "Yeah, I do."

"I think this is one of those," She murmured, "I have you back. Lydia and Peggy are here. New friends... though I'm not dying in pain over all we've lost. I miss everyone so much, but they're at peace now."

Jessica turned to him, "Does that make me a bad person? For having a happy moment?"

"No, baby. It doesn't. It makes you human," Steve reassured, "Despite everything that's happened, you can find a golden moment. Hold onto it."

The red headed woman squeezed Steve's hand and whispered, "I am."

Steve met her eyes quickly, giving her a smile as she realized she was speaking of him. They shared a soft glance before Jessica turned back out toward the ocean, Steve noticing her grin as she looked out toward the sun that was setting lightly beside her.

A light hit her face and Steve watched through several glances the sun hitting her bright hair, the red looking as though it was on fire. Steve suddenly looked back to the road and got off the freeway at the next exit, making Jessica turn back to him.

"What's wrong?"

Steve shook his head, "Nothing. I just want to do something."

Steve quickly found a spot in the empty parking lot to the beach below, the pair having to walk down the stairs when they got out of the car to the ocean.

The two held hands lightly as they descended, Jessica looking to her husband.

"We always did have special moments at the beach."

She quickly brought her leg up onto the railing, unlacing her shoes before stepping into the sand. A soft laugh left her lips, not having been to a beach since 1943 when she and Steve were making their tour at the Captain America shows.

Jessica glanced back at Steve, who had done the same and gave him a large grin before running off, causing him to chase after her. The woman laughed as she sunk into the sand, a burning pain hitting her ankles as she did so.

She fought through the friction until she got to the compacted sand from the ocean, the sand being easier to run upon. Jessica turned and kicked water at Steve, causing him to gasp as his pants became soaked with water.

Jessica went back to running, now an equal competitor for her husband due to the super serum she had been experimented on with. She let out a scream of joy as Steve grabbed her by the waist, spinning her while her back hit his chest.

Steve turned her in his arms and raised Jessica in the air, the woman giving him a bright smile as he brought her back down. Her arms tangled themselves around his neck subconsciously, fingers finding the nape of his neck.

It felt as though every bad thing had been lifted from the couple as they looked in one another's eyes, Jessica stepping onto her toes to rest her forehead against Steve's chin.

The man pulled back for a moment, one hand digging through his pocket for his cell phone. Jessica rose a brow, watching as he went through his playlist until going soft as the tune of the song that they danced to when he had asked her to marry him began playing.

He put his phone back in his pocket, the music playing through it as he brought a hand out, whispering, "Would you like to dance, Jessica Martin?"

"I most certainly would, Steve Rogers," Jessica spoke the exact words she had the night they married, not being able to help the smile she held.

Jessica placed a hand on his shoulder, her other lacing with his while he wrapped an arm around her waist tightly. The red headed woman rested her head on his chest, ear right above his heart as they looked out onto the dusty orange and purple sunset.

Steve's cheek was laying on her forehead, the two swaying as much as they could in the wet sand while waves crashed at their feet. Jessica's eyes closed subconsciously as a warm, protective feeling washed over her, knowing Steve felt the same.

They always felt like home in each other's arms.

Jessica looked up to him, craning her neck while she put her chin on his chest, "I love you, Steve Rogers."

"I love you, Jessica Martin."

She pouted a bit and stood higher on her bare toes, Steve picking her up slightly so she had both arms around his neck while his held her waist. Their chests were pressed together as Jessica was now slightly taller than Steve, legs automatically rising in the air.

"Call me by my real name, hero," Jessica whispered, "I think after everything, we deserve that."

Steve gave her a loving smile, blue eyes shining from the sun, "I love you, Jessica Rogers."

Jessica grinned and leaned down slightly, eyes closed as she brushed their noses together. Steve let out a small sigh from her close, shifting her so he could hold her easier.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands on her backside making her say, "I feel like we've been in this position before."

"This might be presumptuous, but, god, I missed it."

Jessica threw her head back as a humorous laugh escaped her lips, Steve in awe of the sound. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the column of her throat, a breathy sigh leaving her at the feeling.

Her eyes closed once more and she pulled on his hair slightly, Steve groaning making her smirk.

"Works every time," She met his eyes, lips curled in humor, "Oh, Stevie."

"Can I kiss you?" Steve murmured, glancing at her pink lips.

Jessica nodded and smiled as his lips softly pressed against hers, sighing against his mouth as he pulled her flush against him.

The familiar electric spark coursed through their bodies as they kissed, Jessica pushing every ounce of love she had for her husband into it as she played with the hair that was at the nape of his neck. Steve was the first to pull back, his chest heaving rapidly against hers as they met each other's gazes, the only thing the pair being able to see being each other due to their closeness.

Steve's lips twitched as he pulled her back to him, leaning down once more before kissing her softly, tracing to the corner of her mouth as he whispered, "I love you, Jessica Lynne Rogers."

Jessica wrinkled her nose toward him and brushed her chest against his, kissing him lightly once more.

After a few seconds they pulled back and Jessica grinned bashfully, "I love you, Steven Grant Rogers."

The soft lull of Ella Fitzgerald mellowed out, a silence overcoming the pair as Steve continued to sway them in the sand. The couple was completely at peace, foreheads touching as they shared a soft kiss every few moments.

"You really are too good to be to true," Jessica whispered after a moment, pulling back to look in his eyes, "Steve... you're so much more than I could have ever asked for. I am so lucky to call you mine."

"I'm the lucky one, Jess," Steve shook his head,  "I got you back. I... I thought I would never see you again. Get to hold you..."

Steve trailed off, looking down as tears welled up in his eyes. Jessica cupped his jaw and used to fingers to bring his chin up, resting her hand there after a moment.

"You never have to go through that again," She murmured, giving him a light, reassuring smile, "You never have to be in the dark alone. You'll always have me to hold your hand, run a thumb over your hand to reassure you I'm there. I'm your wife, Steve. We've been separated for so long... but that is our truth in our hearts. We are one, together always."

Steve gave her a heartbroken chuckle, teeth clenching together as tears built up in his blue eyes so much they looked grey. Jessica shushed him lightly, pressing her head into his neck so he did the same.

"You can cry," She voiced, a raw emotion in hers as well, "It's okay to cry."

With her words, Steve broke down, gripping onto her tight enough to leave marks. The grown man cried into her hair, Jessica holding onto his shoulders that were shaking in defeat.

"God, I was so alone," Steve sobbed, "So cold and alone. No one knew it, but I felt like I was drowning... no purpose without you."

"No," Jessica pulled him back, green eyes hard, "Steven Rogers, you have a purpose. This heart?"

She pressed her hand against his heart as she continued, "This heart is pure and loving. So kind and gentle. You have a heart made of gold, brighter than anything I've ever seen. You have sacrificed so much for the people you love; the world, even. You are worthy of so much more than you give yourself credit for. Your purpose in life, Steve? You've fulfilled it a thousand times over, saved so many lives. Including mine."

Tears fell down Jessica's chest as she looked to her husband, the man who held every ounce of love she could muster.

"You are my hero. The world's hero," A wail-like noise escaped her throat as she trailed a hand to his jaw, "My Steve. The boy I fell in love with."

"But I didn't save you," Steve shook his head, sniffing loudly, "I couldn't."

Jessica gave him a light smile, "You did. In so many more ways than one, Steve. You've given me more than I could ever ask for."

Steve copied her expression, leaning his forehead on her cheek as she ran a hand up and down his back. The two were quiet for a moment before Steve broke it, whispering in her ear.

"You didn't ask for that cold I gave you in '42."

A sad laugh let her lips, Jessica shaking her head at his ability to be humorous in this moment.

"No, you're right. I definitely didn't ask for that."

Steve shrugged, pulling back, "I just wanted to share the moment with you."

"Well, you definitely did. Stayed at my place for a week and we drank all the tea in the house."

He chuckled, Jessica wiping her eyes before doing the same to his while he still held her, "Bucky brought us food with a rag covered over his face so he didn't get sick."

"And he sprayed that god-awful spray that made everything smell like the boy's change room for gym," Jessica joined his laugher, happy for the more uplifting tone.

The two shared a look, knowing that they both felt better and Steve let Jessica's feet hit the floor. She steadied herself against him for a moment before turning back to the sunset.

"Always makes my breath catch," Jessica let out a long breath through her nose, "So beautiful."

Steve nodded, his eyes only on her, "I can say the same."

Jessica smiled, looking back to him, "You're a flirt."

"Just for you."

The woman leaned her head on Steve's chest, arms wrapping around his waist while his did the same around her shoulders.

"Could we just... stay like this for a bit?" Jess asked, eyes on the water that looked as though it was set ablaze from the orange sky.

Steve nodded lightly, following her gaze as he held her closer, afraid that she would disappear if he didn't.

"As long as you want."

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AN: God, I love them.

Also, I'm sorry there's so much angst so far, I wanted to portray that they both are had a hard time without one another. They're just so in love, it really took a toll- especially given the circumstances. Their emotions are also still very raw from the miscarriage.

It's going to take a long time to heal and I want to emphasize that. People don't get over resume in one night. It's a slow and grieving process, sometimes that never fully goes away.