ETERNAL.
002. | ❛ you came back. ❜

FLASHBACK

It was the fifth time that day that Caroline visited the Stork Club, hoping that at any given moment Steve would be there waiting for her and their dance. It started becoming an obsession everyday to check the Stork Club, with Peggy and Howard noticing that it was starting to become unhealthy for their friend. But Caroline would come up with excuses, telling them that they should have hope and pray for Steve's return.

Both Peggy and Howard would have screaming matches about how to deal with Caroline about her delusion about Steve's return. Caroline would wake up in the middle of the night, due to her nightmares, hearing the two bickering which would put her in a already bad state, knowing that one of her friends didn't support her. She held onto her dog tags and tried to see if she could hear the situation better.

"Why would you give her the dog tags? Don't you see you're building her illusions furthermore?" Howard's muffled voice was heard through the door.

Caroline put her ear up to the door to hear Peggy's response better as she rubbed the dog tags that swayed from her neck. "Because they were her friends, Howard. That's why. Steve was her epic love and forever will be. Don't you see that when she finally does accept it that she'll need us? Or have you accepted that Steve is truly gone?"

"Caroline is my friend and so was Steve. And all I'm trying, we're both trying to do is help her."

"And by crushing her hopes is helping her?"

"Caroline is going to have to realize sooner or later that he isn't going to come back."

"Think whatever you want Howard but let Caroline have this hope because when she does realize it, the light we once use to know will turn dark."

The following morning, against Howard's pleas, Caroline once again went to the Stork Club. Not being able to take the pain of a another day without Steve showing up, Caroline ordered a good drink knowing that she was a lightweight and she would easily forget the pain quicker than you can say booze. With just a couple of rounds, Caroline was staring to see blurry faces that she couldn't recognize. A woman with brunette hair took a seat on the stool next to Caroline. The woman took no time to strike up a conversation with Caroline.

"You're in pain aren't you?"

"How would you know?" Caroline slurred her words together which didn't go unnoticed by the stranger who looked a tad disgusted by the Stork Club.

"I've been there and I know it's not a pretty site."

"But there's a way out," the stranger seductively offered with a sly smirk that could comply millions.

"We haven't been formerly introduced. I'm Katherine Pierce."

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PRESENT

Caroline and Fury sat in the car parked outside of the gym where Steve was. Even being dead didn't stop her heart from beating uncontrollably. She shut her eyes for a minute, hoping that they wasn't just some cruel dream that she would wake up from.

"Are you okay, Miss. Kingsley?"

"Just terrified. When he went under, I thought everything was over my love for Steve was the one thing I had and when that was too much, I erased it. Everything that I did was for Steve and now that he's here, it's- it's-"

"Scary?"

"What if he's terrified of the person I've become?"

"After reading your file, he insisted even more to meet you again. For my view, he didn't see you as a monster, he saw you as the sweet and doleful girl he fell for."

"Careful, Fury. You're starting to sound like Coulson."

"I'll go in first. It'll give you time to think of what you want to say."

Fury went in with Caroline staying in the shadows of the gym, admiring his figure from afar. It was Steve. It was her Steve. He was there in front of her and only a couple of minutes later, she would be in his arms again.

Watching the punching bag fall to the floor, Fury stepped out of the corner. As Steve hung another bag he spoke, alarming the soldier,"Having trouble sleeping?"

"I slept for 70 years, Sir." Steve replied being respectful, confusion running through his eyes as he looked at him," I think I've had my fill." His voiced still sounded the same, the voice she was dying to hear for over 70 years.

"You should be out, celebrating, seeing the world, enjoying what life has to give."

"I went under, the world was at war." Steve moved away from the punching bag and had begun unwrapping the tape from his knuckles," I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We've made our share of mistakes along the way. Some very recently. I could say I'm guilty of that either way, especially with Caroline."

Just the mention of her name caused Steve to stop punching the bag.

"When do I get to see her?"

"It depends on her. She's truly achieved a lot. Not even mentioning that she did that all thinking of you."

"She's on a mission, when does she get back?" Captain asked

"Speaking of my mistakes, I lied. She's not a mission. I told you that so you wouldn't search for her until she knew you were alive. I guess she actually found you, Captain."

Caroline took one step out of the shadow and instantly froze at what was in front of her. She could say that Steve was having the same reaction to seeing her as well.

"I'll give you two a moment." Fury excused himself from the room, leaving the two lovers in their same position, marveling at the the other.

Caroline could feel the tears building in her eyes, for years she thought Steve was gone. Every Friday visiting The Wall of Valor to get some closure but what she wanted for years was standing right in front of her. The many times that Caroline wanted to end it all by flipping a switch that could turn her into an emotionless and reckless person.

"You're alive," she whispered believing that if she said it any louder than his presence would shatter and it would be some cruel joke.

"I'm alive," he smiled with Caroline cracking one as well.

"You came back," Caroline still in a hushed voice and taking a step forward to get in his reach. "You came back." She not able to contain her feelings anymore, she launched herself into Steve's arms. He wrapped his brooding arms around her not wanting to ever let her go. Caroline kept her arms fixated around his neck hoping that this moment wouldn't be disrupted. He took in her sweet smell that he missed when he woke up. The sweetness in which she cared for others around her.

"I'll always come back." He whispered in her ear which only resulted in Caroline hugging him even tighter.

"I thought you were dead." Caroline left go of her hug but Steve still held on. Caroline brushed her cheek and taking it into her hand.

"Ditto."

She rested her forehead against his, in a way that their lips were centimeters apart from each other.

"We have a lot of catching up to do," Steve said breaking the small moment up.

"I'll explain everything but first we have a mission to do.Well, it's more for the both of us." Caroline explained with both of them inches apart, holding hands.

"Is Fury trying to get me back in the world?"

"Actually, trying to save it more likely. HYDRA's secret weapon."

"Howard Stark fished out the Tesseract when he was looking for you. He thought what SHIELD thinks; The Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world surely needs with the whole global warming issue going on."

"Who took it from you?"

"Fury informed me that he's name is Loki, as in the Norse God of Mischief." Caroline revealed, "he's not from around here, There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed one if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know."

"They should've left that thing in the ocean."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

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what is your favorite part of this eternal? or what do want to see in the next couple of chapters?