"I know this neighborhood." Steve caught my attention. We were on the way to where we were doing the procedure. My nerves were getting the best of me. I sat in the back with Steve while Peggy sat in the passenger seat with the driver. "I got beat up in that alley."

He paused.

"And in that parking lot. And behind that diner." he looked down at his hands in embarrassment. Peggy turned around to look at me and we shared a look of pity.

"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy asked. He shook his head.
"If you start running, they'll never stop." he glanced back out of the window. "You stand up, you push back. They can't say no forever right?"

"We know a little of what that's like." Peg and I made eye contact again. I leaned my head back. "To have every door shut in your face."
"I guess I just don't know why you'd want to join the Army if you were a beautiful dame" he shrugged and looked at me.

".. o-or a beautif- a woman. An agent! N-not a dame." he stuttered. I gave him a look. "You are beautiful! But." he stopped himself from making a further embarrassment and I giggled a little bit. Peg gave me a knowing look and I tilted my head in confusion. I mouthed 'what' at her but she ignored me and turned back.

"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" I asked Steve.
He chuckled. "I think this is the longest conversation I've had with one." I nodded. "Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on..."
"You must have danced." Peg piped up from the front.

"Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying. And the past few years, it just..." he shrugged again. "didn't seem to matter that much. I figured I'd wait."
"For what?" I questioned.
"The right partner." I smiled and turned back to the window to be nervous again.

We reached there a couple of minutes after our conversation. Peggy had filled me on where we were going but that's pretty much all I knew. The car stopped and everyone got out.
"This way," Peggy lead the way to some kind of antique shop.
"What are we doing here?" Steve asked, looking from Peggy to me.
"Follow me," she walked in without another word. When Steve looked at me, I shrugged and followed her. The bell rung when we walked in. I took everything in. Nothing looked out of place. Not even the old lady that walked out from behind to the cash register.
"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella." Peggy and I chorused. The lady walked up to the table and put her hand underneath. She must have pressed a button because when we walked behind the curtains, the bookshelf split into two and opened. It revealed, what looked like, a hospital hallway. The closer we got and the more guards I saw, the more nervous I got. Soon my heart was racing and not because of how close Steve and I were walking. Wait. What? What am I thinking?

"Are you okay, Ms. Carter?" he whispered. I nodded.
"You can call me Cynthia, Mr. Rogers." I smiled.
"Then you can call me Steve." he grinned and slightly blushed. I turned away and faced forward but I knew there were remains of a smile on my face. We walked into a set of doors. We were standing on a balcony of sorts. On one side was a booth to watch. On the other side, was a set of stairs to go down. I placed my hands on the railing and gaped. My heart was beating so fast that I was sure everyone could hear.

The scientists paused and stared at us. Steve and I turned to each other and our eyes met. I could see the nervousness in his. Peggy looked at both of us and turned away. Without a word, she started walking down the stairs to the lab. The clunking noises returned and the scientists returned to work.
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