Don't forget to vote and comment x enjoy

. ☾ .

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐀𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

Steve Roger's Apartment

Manhattan, New York City

. ☾ .

The shrill sound of the kettle reverberated throughout the room, drowning out the noises that Steve was making as he fumbled around in the kitchen. Nervousness radiated from his body, evident from his incessant tapping and constant inspection of his apartment.

Allie guessed that he was searching for HYDRA soldiers, waiting for them to announce their surprise attack. Anticipating them to leap out from the shadows and reveal that this was all a trick.

She was almost hurt by the insinuation. But then again, she couldn't blame him.

She gazed out from the small kitchen table at Steve, watching as he made them some coffee. She returned his anxious smile as he looked her way, trying to hide the fact that she was just as nervous as he was. Completely unprepared for the conversation that she had came here for.

After their reunion at the library, Steve insisted that they talked back at his apartment. So they made the journey to his temporary abode, which was thankfully within walking distance from the library. The trip was pretty much spent in silence, with only meaningless conversation hanging in the air when they decided to talk.

After they entered the room, Steve whisked away to go make them some beverages. He immediately hurried into the kitchen, using some foreign machines to assist him with the process. His entire home, including the kitchen, was quite quaint, suiting Steve's style. It was nothing too extravagant nor was it anything less than fitting. It was the perfect place to call home for a single bachelor living in New York.

As he fumbled around in the kitchen, Allie sat down at a beautiful wooden table in the dining area and gazed out the window into the expansive Manhattan skyline. The mountainous buildings extend into the skyline for as far as the naked eye can see. Captivating Allie with its beauty.

She had been staring out into the glimmering skyline for a while now. Completely enthralled by the city that never sleeps. Thankfully for the obvious distraction from the poignant tension that overwhelmed the room.

The sound of the kettle finally turning off broke Allie from her daydream. She flicked her eyes back over to Steve who hastily finished up with the coffee and brought it over to Allie with a sheepish smile pulling at his lips.

"Here you go." Steve said, setting the mug down on the table in front of her. The rich aroma of caffeine invaded her senses, causing her mouth to water with anticipation. The smooth, brown liquid rippled as she lifted the mug up to her lips, savoring the heat that spread through to her hands 

"It's black, which is what you used to drink before our missions to give yourself an energy boost." Steve smiled lightly, taking a seat opposite her and watching for her reaction.

She took a sip of the beverage, letting the warm liquid sit on her tongue as she relished its bitter taste. A wave of familiarity washed over her as she swallowed the drink, but she paid no mind. Instead, she returned Steve's smile with one of her own.

"Thank you." She replied, delicately putting the mug back down on the table before she let out a deep sigh.

"Steve, I—" She started, unable to find the words to accurately portray how she was feeling. Unable to express how much she regretted her previous actions against him back in Washington.

"I'm so sorry." She spoke, guilt welling in her chocolate eyes.

"Allie, it's ok. I don't blame you for anything. Absolutely nothing at all." Steve replied, shaking his head.

"But I hurt you."

"No, HYDRA hurt me. I'm just glad that I have you back." He countered, giving her a reassuring smile.

Allie blinked the tears back from her eyes as she held Steve's gaze. Staring into the cobalt eyes that she hadn't seen for over 70 years. And even though she didn't remember everything, she remembered enough to know that Steve deserved better.

"I missed you." She told him, feeling her throat constrict with unsaid emotions and words.

"I missed you too, Allie. So much." He replied sadly before he let out a sigh. "What made you come back?"

"I remembered who you were." She lamented before continuing her explanation. "Two weeks ago, a memory came back to me. It was you and I, we were sparring somewhere. Then you talked to me about Bucky, how happy I had made him."

Allie watched guiltily as she saw a flash of pain fly across Steve's face. Bucky had told her before she came that she wasn't to mention to Steve that she was staying with Bucky. She had fought against the idea, unwilling to continue lying to her friend. But eventually, Bucky had won out. Decreeing that it was his decision alone if he wanted to face Steve.

"I don't remember everything yet. But so far it is mainly you and our time with the Howling Commandos." She continued.

"So you want some answers?" Steve guessed, sipping from his own coffee.

"Yes, but I also want to give you some answers." She nodded sadly. "After everything that I have put you through, you deserve an explanation."

Steve gave Allie a gentle smile, placing his half-empty cup down on the coaster before he clasped his hands together tightly. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." She said. "But start with how we met."

"You were still working for HYDRA when we met. But you had been helping Bucky who was being experimented on by some of the scientists there. Once I found out where they were keeping him, I planned an escape. I snuck into the building to try and free the captured soldiers. But I couldn't figure out how to open the cells." He chuckled lightly, remembering his somewhat botched rescue.

"And then you came in. You gave me the right keys and you helped me free all the men. I didn't even know who you were but you said you knew Bucky, so I followed you and you told me where I could find him." He explained, watching carefully as Allie's face furrowed slightly in confusion.

As he spoke, a memory of hers pushed to the surface. She faintly recalled scrawling down the coordinates to her base on a piece of paper. But the edges of the memory were blurred. Her mind only half letting her remember.

"I gave you those coordinates to the base." She stated, willing her mind to give her more details on the memory.

"You did." Steve nodded. "Well, actually you gave them to Howard."

That mention of that name sent Allie's mind spinning again for it sounded eerily familiar. But of course, she failed to remember the reason why it triggered such a response. Because as usual, her mind only liked to remember what it wanted, not what she needed.

"Who's Howard?" She questioned, not missing the flash of sadness that overwhelmed Steve's face.

"Howard Stark, he was also one of your friends." He told her, waiting for her to recognize his name. Waiting to see if she remembered anything about him at all.

But she didn't.

"You first met Howard on a mission for HYDRA. You went undercover to try and steal information on Project Rebirth for HYDRA which Howard held. You found the vial containing my blood. But instead of taking it, you left the coordinates to the base for me to come and find." Steve continued.

"I—I don't remember him." She frowned, frustration welling inside her as she pleaded for her mind to just remember something. So that she could finally put the pieces of her life back together. So that she wouldn't have to keep disappointing the people who were trying to help her. So that she could finally continue on with her life instead of being stuck in a seemingly endless limbo.

Immediately noticing her inner turmoil, Steve reached across the table and put his hand on top of hers. His large, rough hand gripped her smaller one and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Forcing Allie's gaze to rise up from the partially empty mug to meet Steve's warm one.

"That's okay." He murmured. "I'll just keep telling you until you remember."

She couldn't believe how lucky she was. Having Steve who after everything, still was willing to take her in and help her fit the pieces of her past back together. Despite the fact that she kidnapped and tortured his friend and then attacked him afterwards.

And then Bucky, who was waiting back home for her return. Who rescued her when she was lost. Saving her from her demons even when he was battling his own. She couldn't be more grateful for him. For all his help and everything he had done to keep her safe.

Which was why she was here, hoping to get her memories of him back.

"After we burnt down your base, you came over and joined the Howling Commandos with me and Bucky. You became best friends with Howard and you helped him understand the tesseract. You guys were the two science nerds in a pod." Steve continued, chuckling at his own joke.

"So was it just us four? You, me, Bucky and Howard?" Allie asked.

"You also became best friends with Peggy, considering she was the only other female at the SSR." Steve said, trying his best to keep the sorrow from his voice as he spoke.

But Allie had been trained to notice things like that. She had seen the melancholy in his eyes before he had even opened his mouth.

"Who's Peggy?" She inquired.

"Peggy she was..." Steve started only to let out a sigh. "She is one of the most extraordinary women that she would ever meet. She was one of the only females actually fighting in the war. She helped make S.H.I.E.L.D what it is today."

Allie could tell from his words that Steve held a deep affection for Peggy. Because despite the sorrow in his words, she could hear the utter admiration he held for the woman. Beneath his sad eyes, there was infatuation. Behind his strong facade, there was a part of him aching for her.

"You love her, don't you?" She asked.

"Loved." Steve corrected and Allie felt guilt hit her like a tidal wave.

"Is she..."

"No, she's still alive." Steve answered, shaking his head.

"And Howard?"

"Howard died well before I came out of the ice." He informed her solemnly.

"Oh." She murmured, feeling immensely guilty for Steve. Realizing that he lost everyone that day when he plunged into the ice.

Steve shook his head, recognizing the pity that she was feeling. "It's fine." He told her before he asked her the question that he had been dying to ask. "Do you remember Bucky?"

"No, not entirely." She responded, not completely lying to him. Which to be fair, was better than nothing.

"You were his other half." Steve explained, a sad smile pulling at his lips. "After everything you did to save him from HYDRA, he fell in love with you. He was absolutely heartbroken when we didn't find you after your base collapsed. But the relief he felt when you rocked up at camp the next day, it was unparalleled."

"He had loved you for months before you started dating. I had never seen him act the way he did around you before, not even back home in Brooklyn. You were the love of his life." Steve continued, somewhat jealous of the love that Bucky and Allie had. Wishing that he was able to have something even remotely similar. Hoping that one day, he would have his own forever with someone.

"He had even planned to ask you to marry him. The day he told me about what he was planning to do, I knew that you were his everything."

Confusion overwhelmed her, drowning out all other thoughts. His words sunk into every pore of her body, engraving themselves into her bones. So deeply that she knew they were burned into her very being.

She couldn't believe it. Bucky had never mentioned a thing to her about them being that close. The other day he even said that they were just friends when she had asked how close they were. She knew that it simply couldn't be true.

But what if Bucky didn't remember? After everything that HYDRA did to their memories it would make sense that he couldn't remember their relationship. It was a fair assumption, but given the fact that he seemed to remember everything else aside from their 'apparent' relationship, she doubted that to be true.

Or Steve could have been lying. But then again, what would he gain from that? And why would he lie about that in particular?

Which only left one possible answer, that Steve was speaking the truth. That Bucky had lied the other day. And that the two of them truly did have a relationship that was more than just friends.

"What?" Allie stuttered. "I—I didn't know that we were together."

"You two were inseparable. I was so happy for him when you two got together." Steve added, pulling Allie from her thoughts.

"When you died, Bucky never recovered. He was devastated. He wouldn't eat or sleep. He had to stay over at my place because he said that he couldn't sleep in your bed without you." Steve reminisced wistfully. "Your death broke him."

"I don't..." Allie murmured, struggling to put an intelligible thought together to convey how she felt. "I wish that I could remember."

"Hey, it's okay. It will come back to you eventually." Steve replied softly, giving her a warm smile that mirrored the Steve she saw in her memories. But then that looked was wiped from his face and replaced with a look of someone having an epiphany. His face lit up as he hurriedly scrambled from his chair.

"Actually, I have something that belongs to you." He announced, speeding over to one of his wooden drawers that stood against the wall whilst Allie watched on. Her brows furrowed as she heard him rumble through the contents of the chest, unable to see past his large frame.

After a moment, his hands clasped ahold of what he had been looking for. He carefully held it in his hand and walked back to Allie who sat expectantly. Returning to his seat, he held out his hand and dropped the two items in her own pale hand.

The cool metal chilled her skin, glimmering in the light that streamed in through the window. A chain fell between the slips of her fingers, dangling along the wooden table. She could feel the minuscule letters imprinted on the items that brushed lightly against her palm.

As she gazed down at the items, she realized that they were a pair of dog tags from the war. But not just anyone's dog tags.

"James Buchanan Barnes from the 107th." She recited, running the pad of her thumb over the minuscule imprint of his name. "And Alexandra Williams, spy operative." She continued, flipping the other tag over to see her own name.

"After one of your fights, you gave each other your dog tags. You swapped them so you would always have a piece of each other no matter where you were." Steve responded, watching her with a bittersweet smile. "But after your death, Bucky gave them to me. He couldn't even bear to see your name."

The dog tag triggered something in her, pushing an old memory to the surface. She recalled the fight that Steve was talking about. She had been adamant that she was ready for a mission, that she had to get back to work. But Bucky was worried and tried to stop her.

He had done everything that he could to try to protect her during the mission, even when it meant that he had accidentally hurt her. He had hindered the mission due to his overprotective behavior. And Allie had thought that it was because he didn't trust her.

So she had yelled at him, calling him out for being dick. And then he had explained why he acted that way.

He was scared of losing her again.

So to say sorry, they both exchanged their dog tags. And in typical Bucky fashion, he got mad that hers sounded cooler. That "spy operative" was better than "107th".

She smiled at the memory before she felt her mouth drop open in shock. She remembered something. She remembered the mission and she remembered her and Bucky's fight afterwards.

But that wasn't what she was the most surprised about.

It was her first memory of Bucky.

"I can't believe you still have these." She murmured, running her fingers over the tiny letters.

"They were the last things I had of the both of you." Steve said wistfully. "I kept them in my pocket to remind me of what I was fighting for. Of what HYDRA had taken from me. So when I went into the ice, they went in with me."

"Went into the ice?" She repeated his words in bewilderment. "What happened after I was taken?"

Steve opened his mouth to answer her, but he was cut off by the sound of the door being flung open. Allie and Steve hastily rose to their feet, her eyes instantly reverting back to their usual silver hue as she focused on the person's brain waves. Steve's hands curled into a fist as he silently crept towards the hallway, ready to attack.

"Hey Steve, I heard that —" The voice called out cheerfully as he rounded the corner. But as soon as he gazed at the duo standing in the kitchen, he quickly stopped.

"No fucking way." None other than Sam Wilson declared, glaring at Allie with a look that only she could describe as pure hatred. And to be fair, she couldn't really blame him.

She did kidnap and manipulate him for HYDRA.

Within a blink of an eye, Sam lunged at her with a look of blazing fury flickering in his dark eyes. Before she even realized, he was only inches away from her, his hands clenched and aiming for her face, ready to strike.

But with unparalleled speed, Allie grasped his outstretched hand and pulled it behind his back. Then before he could attack her again, she slammed his body into the kitchen table and used her strength to pin him down.

"Get the hell off me!" He tried to yell but was muffled by Allie pushing his body further into the wooden table.

"Sam, calm down!" Steve ordered.

"Don't tell me to calm down when she's here."

"Sam, she's with us." Steve told him calmly, wincing at how hard Allie was holding Sam.

"So we are taking in Anne Boleyn now." Sam spat, tilting his head to glare at Steve menacingly.

"Sam please." Steve pleaded.

A brief moment of silence passed between the pair, with Allie still holding Sam against the table. But then Sam rolled his eyes and let out a reluctant grunt.

"Fine, but you know what she did to me." He spoke, still glaring at Steve.

"I know." He sighed before he turned to Allie and gave her a nod. "It's okay."

Allie raised her brows at Steve before she begrudgingly let Sam go, watching in amusement as he wrenched his arm back and gave it a slight rub. Turning his glare towards Allie as he did so.

"What is she doing here?" He spat venomously and Allie promptly returned his glare with one of her own.

"I came to talk." She spoke. "Peacefully may I add."

"You weren't very peaceful last time you paid me a visit." Sam growled.

"Last time I paid you a visit I was under the control of HYDRA."

"And how do we know you aren't now?" He bit back, narrowing his eyes at her spitefully.

"Sam!" Steve scolded but the two paid no mind.

"Because if I was, you would be dead." She snarled.

"I'd like to see you try." Sam spat, taking a step towards Allie furiously as he glared down at her.

"Remind me, who just had you pinned against the table?" She asked him, her voice dripping with mockery as she eyed him up and down.

"Just wait until I have my suit." He added, his own voice dropping to a baritone growl.

"I don't need a suit to beat you." She snapped, flashing her silver eyes threateningly and grinning as she saw him slightly gulp at the action.

"Both of you, that's enough!" Steve reprimanded the two angrily.

At his forceful words, the pair quickly shut up. Still maintaining their heavy glares at each other whilst Steve stood between the two, resembling an enraged parent telling their children off for fighting.

"How were you friends with her?" Sam questioned, not taking his eyes off Allie as he addressed Steve.

"I wouldn't be talking Sam. You are still my replacement." She smirked.

"More like an upgrade."

"What did I just say! That's enough!" Steve yelled, quickly rendering the pair silent again.

With a derisive roll of her eyes, Allie sat back down at the table and turned her gaze back to Steve. "Well since your are both here, I guess I should probably explain what happened during our last encounter."

"That would be nice. I always wanted to know why I was kidnapped and tortured." Sam scoffed, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table next to Steve.

"Sam, enough." Steve barked making Sam roll his eyes indignantly. But he did as he was told and shut up.

Allie felt her jaw clench at his words in annoyance, but she ignored him. Instead, clearing her throat before she spoke up.

"I was on a mission to seize Sam and extract detail regarding you and the covert S.H.I.E.L.D task force." She explained, nodding her head towards Steve. "Me and a team of HYDRA operatives had tracked you, Sam, and found you at a cafe in Washington, where you were searching for Bucky."

"Wait, how did you know that?" Sam butted in.

"We had hacked into your computer and phone." Allie shrugged nonchalantly while Sam's eyes flew open in shock.

"What!"

"Yeah, you might want to use a better firewall." She grinned at him, watching as his look of surprise slowly morphed into an angry snarl.

"Anyway, we were trying to decode any information about the task force from your laptop, but you didn't have anything on it so we followed you home. Then, as you know, we knocked you out and began interrogating you for information." She continued.

"Torturing is the correct word." Sam spoke up, once again glaring at Allie.

"Forcefully questioning."

"Keep going please, Allie." Steve interrupted the two before they started going at it again. Giving Sam a harsh glare.

"When you refused to give up what you knew, we had to resort to other methods." Allie conceded, rolling her eyes at Sam's childish behavior.

"Yes, your mind torture."

"I used my illusions to get the information and we found out the Fury was leading the missions in Chicago." Allie corrected.

Steve nodded at her, running the new information over in his head before he asked her a question. "Does HYDRA know?"

"No, you knocked the Commander out and I assumed had him arrested before he got the information back to HYDRA." Allie shook her head. "Your secret is safe."

Steve let out a relieved sigh, glad that Fury's secrets hadn't got back to HYDRA and that they still thought he was dead.

"What happened to you after you escaped?" He inquired, finally getting around the one question that had been plaguing him since that very moment she had disappeared.

"Yeah, the entire country was on lockdown looking for you." Sam added, for the first time dropping his juvenile behavior and actually looking interested in what she had to say,

"I managed to steal some clothes and get on a flight to Europe without anyone finding out." She shrugged.

"Allie, you know you can stay with me. We can protect you from HYDRA." He continued, ignoring the glare Sam sent him for saying that.

"I can't Steve. Me even being here puts you in danger and I don't want to be the reason you get hurt." She denied, shaking her head softly at his words.

"Allie, we are Avengers, you know that. We can protect ourselves." He argued.

"I know Steve, and I am proud of you. But there is still so much I need to figure out. And I'm still not safe to be around." She countered somewhat angrily. But she knew that despite Steve's naive demands, that his words were coming from a place of love.

"What do you mean your not safe to be around?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Everything that HYDRA did to me in those 70 years, it's all still there. The monster they created is still in me. And every day it threatens to push back up to the surface. I just don't want you to be around when it does." She explained regretfully.

Steve stared at her, watching the heartbreak and guilt swirl in her chocolate eyes. And he just couldn't fathom how the woman that he knew all those years ago back in the '40s could have been turned into this. How HYDRA had taken away all her hope, her liveliness, her joy and left her thinking that she was a monstrosity.

When she was really just another victim of HYDRA's grand schemes for global domination.

"What did they do to you?" He questioned softly, watching her with sorrowful eyes.

"I still can't remember everything, they made sure that we were wiped after every mission. But I know I did a lot of bad stuff Steve, stuff that Captain America should arrest me for." She frowned.

"But you weren't you." Steve fought, shaking his head at her preposterous words. "You are just as much a victim as everyone you killed Allie."

"It's not that simple Steve." She said gloomily.

"It is that simple! You had no choice, you didn't know who you were or what you were doing. You aren't a monster Allie!" He protested, raising his voice as he gripped the table tightly.

He was so caught up in his own disbelief that he didn't notice Allie flinch at his harsh tone or the way her body stiffened as he yelled.

"Steve." Sam cautioned, seeing the pain flash across Allie's face as she glanced down at the table.

"I am a killer though, and even you can't deny that." She told him calmly, gulping at her own words as she pushed herself up from the seat.

"Allie—" Steve started, frowning as he finally noticed her troubled demeanor.

"I'm pretty tired. If you would have me, could I please stay for the night." She cut him off, turning her gaze to the wall behind Steve as she forcefully hardened her own expression. "I will be out of your hair by morning."

"Of course you can stay the night." Steve spoke guiltily, a frown pulling at his lips as he realized that she couldn't even bear to look at him.

"Right I'll go find my room then."

"It's the first room on the right." He told her softly, unable to tear his eyes away from her retreating figure until she disappeared behind the door.

As soon as she vanished from his sight, he let out a regretful sigh and dropped his head into his hands. Massaging his temples as he realized that he had pushed her too far even though he had only just got her back.

"Steve, she isn't the same person she was during the war." Sam finally spoke up, breaking the pregnant silence. "After everything that she has been through, she needs patience."

"I know, don't you think I know that!" Steve said exasperatedly before he lowered his voice down to a sigh. "It's just... If I had known she was at HYDRA, I could have saved her months ago."

"Steve, she had been there for 70 years. I don't think a few months would have made a difference." Sam pointed out, furrowing his brows as he took in Steve's guilty demeanor.

He had never seen Steve so torn up before. Even with Bucky, he hadn't been this shaken, but he guessed that it would have been a lot different for Steve. There was no way that Steve could have known about Bucky being enslaved by HYDRA. But after everything that had happened, the fall of Triskelion and S.H.I.E.L.D., he should have known that Allie was there too.

He should have searched harder, he should have read through every single leaked document in search of Allie. And he shouldn't have found out that Allie was alive when he he did. He should have saved her months ago.

"It would have made a huge difference, she could be back to normal by now!" Steve argued, anger fuelling his words.

But Sam just let out a dejected sigh and shook his head. "Steve, I don't think she will ever get back to how she was. Not after what she has been through."

"I know." Was Steve's only response.

And from the adjacent room, Allie agreed. She was never going to be that same girl again. She was never going to be the person that Steve remembered.

And that thought nearly made her want to burst into tears.

. ☾ .

Hello my loves!

Once again, I have updated on time! This must have to be a new record for me...

I honestly felt like crying writing this chapter. Steve and Allie's friendship is so pure and I ship it sooooo hard! But omg, Allie and Sam get me going bro! They are so fun to write about because it's honestly just reflecting my type of humor lol!

The next chapter is gonna be sooo good so prepare yourselves! I'm also back at school now (online school peeps bc isolation is important rn!!!)  which means chapters might be a bit late. Although I doubt it bc the dialogue for the next 2 chapters is all written (go me!)

ANYWAY, onto the questions!!

1. What did you think of this chapter?

2. What do you think will happen next?

3. Who do you prefer, Tricks Allie or Trickery Allie?

4. Who else would u like to see Allie have a reunion with/ meet?

Until next time my loves!

- Grace xx