( WELCOME TO THE FUTURE )

EDITH STOOD UNCOMFORTABLY BY STEVE, IN AN OFFICE, THE BLACK MAN WITH AN EYE PATCH STARING AT THE TWO OF THEM WITH THE MOST ANGRY GLARE EDITH HAD EVER SEEN. He was wearing a lot of leather, or looked to be, and Edith watched his good eye narrow at Steve, who had just finished telling his story. Well, his partial story. Something about him being from the future and coming back to try and stop something terrible from happening. Edith stood beside him, dressed in the most casual skirt and blouse combo she had had in her closet. Steve had given her a magic suit that formed around her by the press of a button and if Edith wasn't itching to get the bracelet-thing off of her wrist so she didn't have to feel that sensation again, she would be lying. 

The black man, who Steve had called Fury, leaned forward in his chair, his good eye still narrowed, "You expect me to believe that you're Steve Rogers? And on top of that, from eleven years in the future?" The man scoffed, before leaning back and shaking his head. Steve let out a breath of frustration, which made Edith look at him, to Fury, then back to him. She shifted from foot-to-foot as the tension rose in the room. Steve then put his hands on his hips and stood for a second, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Carol told me about how you lost your eye," Steve told Fury, who's eyes sparkled with recognition upon hearing the name. His body became less tense, but Edith could tell that he was still slow to trust either of them. Especially the man who claimed to be Captain America. "Also, I didn't even know that you had a Flerken as a pet."

Edith reared back at the word Flerken. What the hell was a Flerken? Edith stared at Steve, who glanced at her, and rose a questioning eyebrow at him. He gave her a small smile and a look that told her that he would tell her later. She crossed her arms and huffed, but kept quiet. Fury just sat there for a moment, taking in the two of them in. He sighed, before shaking his head and getting up, crossing around his desk to lean against the front of it.

"If you really are from the future, then you already know that we found past you in the wreckage of the Valkyrie and have you defrosting in New York headquarters right now." Edith took a step back at the news, watching in shock as Steve nodded solemnly. She felt her knees start to buckle and reached out for Steve, who wrapped an arm around her waist in support and pulled her close to his body. Steve was... Steve had frozen. He hadn't drowned, he hadn't died. He had been frozen for seventy years. She wondered if anyone had searched for him. If any one had looked for the wreckage? Edith found herself bristling a squishing closer to Steve at the thought of Agent Carter searching for Steve. "So, that doesn't explain her." 

"Did you really expect to throw me into this day and age and be fine? Did you think I would cope because I was Captain America and I was the perfect soldier? Just because I have scientifically modified DNA to be what I am, I am still a man. I needed help, not to be set loose and spend nights beating a punching bag instead of dealing with my PTSD. And Edith..." Steve paused and looked down at the girl. His eyes were filled with such affection that Edith felt herself melt into him, her heart feeling warm and huge in her chest. His hand squeezed her hip, the two of them sharing a smile before Steve turned back to Fury. "Edith was my rock. She was always my rock. And she'll help me, when I finally wake up. And maybe things will play out differently. And everything will be better this way." 

Fury's eye darted to Edith and took her in. His eye scanned her body, a considering look on his face as he took in her body and her posture and whatever else he was looking at. Edith shifted under the scrutiny, not used to it from anyone other than Steve. And Fury sure as hell didn't look at her like Steve did. Feeling analyzed, Edith raised her chin in defiance, staring at Fury. She didn't care what he thought about her. Plus, she had whatever it was that her thing with water was considered. Whatever this man thought of her, there was more people who thought something different. And even then, that didn't matter. It was really what she thought of herself. And what Steve thought of her. 

After a few moments of silence, Fury nodded to himself, uncrossing his arms from his chest and walking back around the desk. "She'll be trained as an agent." 

"Get Natasha Romanoff assigned to it, " Fury gave Steve a look, on which he matched head on. Fury sighed, Steve smirked and added, "If you don't mind." 

Steve turned to leave, but Edith stopped him, biting her lip. She wasn't sure if he had seen it when he had come to the apartment, but Steve hadn't brought up the water manipulation and she thought now would be a good time to. And as much as she could tell that Steve was tense around Fury, he did seem to trust him. So, after seeing the glass of water that was on Fury's desk, she sighed and thought about accessing that part of her brain. There was a tingle, she raised one of her hands, and the two boys watched in shock as Edith hovered a perfect sphere of water in the air. 

Huh. So Steve hadn't noticed. 

"I was going to tell you," Edith told Steve quietly as she willed the water back into the glass. Then, because it always did seem to make her thirsty after using what she was going to deem her 'powers', Edith walked forward and scooped up the glass, smiling awkwardly at Fury. She drank it down before turning back to Steve. "It happened when I found out you went into the ice. I was a crying mess and suddenly all the faucets were exploding. I don't know anything other than that. I don't know how it works or how I got them." 

It was silent for a moment, Steve the center of Edith's attention. She didn't care about Fury. He could be looking for ways to take her out, lock her up, but all that mattered was Steve. He didn't looked disgusted. And his face started to show one of recognition as he continued to look at her. He took a step forward, clasping a hand in his, and kissing the palm. "S.H.I.E.L.D has a file about a woman with water manipulation. All the names are redacted, but she helped with a lot of ongoing missions and stuff. It must have been you. But bringing you forward must have changed that, because you're here now." 

Edith nodded, before she was turning back to Fury. He had gotten over whatever his shock was, which probably stayed on his face for a second, and was talking on something that resembled a telephone but was... smaller? Steve gave him a look and nodded, before he was pulling Edith away and out of the room. Edith followed him, staring at the width of his shoulders and his narrowed hips. Sometimes, she was still surprised that his body looked like that. That the serum had done that. 

Yes, Edith loved his body before, the shorter and more petite version. She had thought he was beautiful. But, with the taller, bigger body, he was healthy. He didn't have to suffer through asthma attacks or eating raw liver every morning or turning his head so he could hear with his good ear. And she didn't have to worry about his bad heart. He was beautiful before and beautiful after, but he was also healthy now and that was the greatest thing in the world. 

He lead her through the headquarters and not stopping as people gave him looks and such. He walked to a desk, told the man sitting there that Fury had sent them, and suddenly they were being handed things and a woman that had fiery red hair was stopping in front of both Steve and her. She thrust out her hand, "Natasha Romanoff." 

Steve grinned at her, which made the woman cock an eyebrow. But, Steve remained silent. Edith gave him a weird look, but grabbed Natasha's hand and shook it while saying, "Edith Rogers. Nice to meet you, Natasha." 

She nodded in acknowledgement, gave a look between the two of them, and then wandered down a hall a couple of steps. Edith turned to Steve, knowing this was the time that Steve needed to return to whatever time he was from. A wave of grief was overtaking Edith as she stared into Steve's blue eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, just taking in the sight of each other. 

Edith cautiously raised her hand, traced the angle of Steve's cheekbone and the slope of his nose, the curve of his eyebrow and the sharpness of his jaw. Made sure to run a hand through his grown out hair, smiling at how soft it felt. While she was memorizing his features and the softness of his skin, Steve's hands planted themselves on Edith's hips and dragged her closer to him. She let her fingertips trace his cupid's bow and the roundness of his bottom lip, before looking into his blue eyes again. 

"I love you, Steve," she whispered in the space between them, her hands moving to rest on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart underneath her palm. Steve was dragging her closer until there was no space between their bodies. "I'll always love you, Steve. Always. Remember that." 

"I love you too, Edith," Steve mumbled back, leaning down to capture Edith's mouth in a kiss. Edith made sure to raise as far as she could on her toes so that the foot gap between their heights would not put as much strain on Steve as they kissed goodbye. It was a slow kiss, not rushed, exploring and there was the familiar push and pull that came with kissing Steve. They knew each other so well, even if they had been married for close to five years (plus the time the had traveled forward). 

When they pulled apart, they let their foreheads rest together, their eyes closed as they breathed each other in. For a few moments, they just held each other, ignoring the analyzing gaze of Natasha down the hallway. Edith opened her eyes, nosed at Steve's cheeks, before planting another kiss on Steve's jaw. "Please take care of yourself." 

"Always, Darling," Steve whispered, pulling her back in for one more tender kiss. When they broke apart, Steve stepped back, giving Edith a soft smile. Then, he was walking in the opposite direction, only looking back once before he turned around the corner. Edith had watched him leave, then kept on watching for a moment when he disappeared from view. With a nod to her head, she turned back to Natasha, putting a smile on her face. Natasha eyed her, looking at the features of her face, her eyes darting around. A moment later, she was nodding down the hallway in indication that that was where they were going. 

Edith took a deep breath and followed.

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so, this is the rewritten chapter sixteen of skulls and bones! she didn't get to meet 2012!steve, that will come next chapter. but i do like this much better and it sets up a reason for edith to be on the avengers. 

2023!steve brought edith a few months before steve is defrosted, so the start of the next chapter will be starting with some nat and edith content.

i hope you enjoyed!