CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE —
( I love you. )

────────────────

        Evelyn and Steve changed out of their uniforms and slipped into comfortable, casual clothing. They then headed to the garage to retrieve Steve's bike.

"I want to apologise for my attitude earlier," Steve suddenly said, causing Evelyn to raise her eyebrows

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Steve took a step closer and gently held her hands in his. "I want to apologise for ignoring you on the Quinjet earlier and getting upset with you and Nat. I shouldn't have reacted that way because it's not my place to question your job, especially if Nick is the one who assigned the extra mission to you both. I know you've been doing this work much longer than I have."

Evelyn offered a soft smile in return. "I'm sorry too for not informing you about our extra mission before we started yours so you could plan around it."

Steve gently shook his head. "I should be able to handle anything that comes my way, but I'm truly sorry for getting upset with you."

"Come here," Evelyn said softly as she reached out and drew him into a comforting embrace. "I don't blame you for feeling that way. I would have reacted the same if someone had jeopardised my missions."

Evelyn pulled back and looked up at him with a warm smile. "I love you," Steve said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Evelyn met his gaze and nodded, returning his smile. "I love you."

────────────────

Steve and Evelyn decided to visit the Smithsonian so that they could go see the Captain America exhibit. Steve, wanting to avoid being recognised, wore a cap to conceal his identity, while Evelyn strolled around nonchalantly, unconcerned about drawing attention to herself.

"A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honour, bravery and sacrifice." Steve and Evelyn strolled past the entrance and headed toward the exhibit, which talked about Steve before he underwent the experiment.

"Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a Programme unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first Super Soldier."

Evelyn gently pulled on Steve's hand and directed his attention to a picture of him before the serum. "Oh my goodness, I completely forgot what you— I mean, Steve Rogers, looked like when you were smaller," she exclaimed. Evelyn stepped in closer and quickly took a snapshot of the picture. She then turned to face Steve, who was smiling back at her. "Come on," she said, leading the way.

They strolled over to Steve's bike, which Evelyn and Howard had geared up. As they stood there, they gazed at the footage of Steve, Evelyn, and the Howling Commandoes displayed above it.

"Battle-tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission: taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division." In the gallery, a painting displayed the entire lineup of the Howling Commandoes, with Bucky and Evelyn standing on either side of Steve. As Evelyn pivoted, she gently guided Steve toward the exhibit showcasing Bucky.

"Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country." As they watched the screen before them, Evelyn's grip tightened on Steve's hand. The video displayed a scene of Steve, Bucky, and Evelyn riding on a truck headed towards a HYDRA base. Suddenly, the footage shifted to Bucky letting out a hearty laugh in response to something Steve had said.

"Amethyst, is that Evelyn Parrish?" Some girl asked from behind them. Evelyn turned around and noticed two teenage girls behind them. Evelyn smiled and they grinned. "Oh, my god. Hello, it's lovely to meet you. I'm Cheryl," the red-headed girl introduced herself.

The girl beside her smiled lightly. "Nice to meet you, Amethyst. I'm Evelyn," the brunette said before frowning. "Shit. I said that wrong."

Evelyn chuckled lightly as she watched Cheryl huff and talk to Amethyst, who was playfully rolling her eyes at her. "It's lovely to meet you two," Evelyn interjected, gaining the two teenage girls' attention again.

"Can we take a picture with you, please?" Amethyst asked.

"Sure." Cheryl brought out her phone. "Stevie, are you able to take the picture for us?"

Steve nodded in agreement and reached out to take the phone from Cheryl. Evelyn stood between two girls while Steve positioned himself in front of them. Evelyn reminded Steve, "Remember what I told you."

Steve let out a light chuckle. "I've been with you for two years. I'm quite confident I know how to take a photo using an iPhone," he remarked, just as the camera flashed, capturing the moment.

Cheryl leant in close to Evelyn. "Your boyfriend's hot," she whispered, which made Evelyn chuckled lightly and Amethyst to playfully slap the girl's shoulders.

"Oh, my god, Cheryl. You can't just say that," she hushed to her.

"Amethyst, it's fine. It was just an observation," Cheryl countered before looking back at Steve. "He does look familiar, though."

Evelyn chuckled lightly as she looked at Steve. "He gets that."

Amethyst squinted as she shifted her gaze back and forth between Evelyn and Steve. Suddenly, her eyes widened in recognition. Evelyn could tell that Amethyst had spotted Steve, but then it was clear that Steve didn't want to be disturbed. Amethyst subtly nodded at Evelyn, silently conveying, "I won't say anything." Evelyn responded with a grateful smile.

Steve took a few more photos of them before handing it over to Cheryl. "It was lovely meeting you two," Evelyn said.

"Thank you for the photos," Cheryl told Steve and Evelyn, and they bid them farewell.

In the exhibit, there was a small section dedicated to Evelyn. It featured a captivating picture of her with her date of birth displayed at the bottom of the screen. The exhibit detailed Evelyn's remarkable journey, starting with her noteworthy achievements alongside Howard. It then delved into her enlistment in the army, her transformation into an agent, and her pivotal role in training Steve to enhance his abilities, including her contribution to creating the Super Soldier serum. The exhibit also highlighted Evelyn's instrumental role in aiding Steve with rescuing Bucky and the 107th, as well as her distinction as the sole female member of the Howling Commandoes, which ended when Evelyn was believed to have perished after falling off a train, only to be discovered alive days later.

Additionally, the exhibit chronicled Evelyn's evolution into a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and her eventual participation as an Avenger. On a screen adjacent to the exhibit, videos were displayed of Evelyn conversing and sharing smiles with Steve, as well as engaging in lighthearted banter with Howard.

Steve and Evelyn then entered a viewing room showcasing a video of Peggy talking about them.

"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve—Captain Rogers," Peggy corrected herself, "he fought through a HYDRA blockade with my good friend Agent Parrish that had pinned our allies down for months. They saved over a thousand men. Including the man who would become my husband, as it turned out. Even after they died, Evelyn and Steve are still changing my life." Peggy's lips curled into a fleeting smile as she glanced at the camera, but her expression quickly shifted to one of pain as she turned away.

As they walked out, Steve gently rubbed circles on Evelyn's hand. "I miss Peggy so much," Evelyn said with sadness. "I know she's alive now, but I miss how it was back then."

"I get it," Steve replied softly. "Do you want to go see her?"

Evelyn smiled lightly with a nod. "I'd love to."

────────────────

As Evelyn entered Peggy's room at the nursing home, she carried a bouquet of vibrant flowers. She was aware of Peggy's struggle with Alzheimer's disease, so she hoped that today would be one of her lucid days. Upon seeing Evelyn and Steve, Peggy's face lit up with a warm smile.

"Eve, Steve, it's wonderful to see you," she greeted them cheerfully. "Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."

Evelyn returned the smile as she approached the chair next to Peggy's bed. "It's wonderful to see you, Pegs. I bought these flowers for you because they're as beautiful as you are."

Peggy chuckled softly. "Oh, Eve, always the complimenter," she said, reaching for Evelyn's hand as she sat down. Steve took the flowers from Evelyn and went to find a vase to display them in.

"How are you, Pegs?" Evelyn asked with a gentle touch, her thumb rubbing over her friend's hand.

"I've been better," Pegs admitted with a sigh. "But I find myself quite bored. You and Steve need to visit more often."

"We would if we could, but you know how demanding S.H.I.E.L.D. can be," Evelyn explained.

Peggy nodded in understanding. "It's a whirlwind in that line of work," she remarked.

"How are your kids and grandkids, Peggy?" Steve asked with a warm smile as he carefully placed the fragrant vase of flowers on the nightstand next to Peggy's bed. He then settled into the plush armchair beside Evelyn's, his eyes filled with genuine concern and affection.

Peggy's eyes twinkled with love and pride as she spoke, "They are all doing wonderfully, thank you. They've planned for a visit next week, and I'm especially looking forward to meeting my soon-to-arrive great-granddaughter. It's a dream I've been holding onto, and I'm determined to see it come true."

Evelyn reached out and gently squeezed Peggy's hand, her smile radiant with unwavering support. "You will, Pegs. I have faith."

"And how are you two doing?" She asked.

Evelyn looked at Steve and shrugged. "We're doing alright, I guess," she said.

"No, I mean, are you planning on getting married in the future? Having kids?" A blush rose onto Evelyn's cheeks as Peggy smiled at them. Steve and Evelyn had discussed starting a family a few weeks prior, envisioning children in their future, but not for many years. They didn't want their children to be born into a world where Evelyn and Steve had to go out and fight for the lives of everyone every other week.

Steve chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his neck, avoiding the topic. Peggy smiled warmly and squeezed Evelyn's hand. "Please make sure to share the wedding details with me. I want to be around to see it happen," she said with a hint of playfulness.

"Absolutely, you'll be the first to know. After all, what are best friends for?" Evelyn and Peggy exchanged heartfelt smiles, their bond shining through their words.

Steve gazed at the photos of Peggy and her children, a sense of pride in his eyes. "You should be proud of yourself, Peggy," he told her, his voice filled with admiration.

Peggy gazed wistfully at her collection of old photographs, a tinge of longing evident in her eyes. "I have lived a life," she whispered. "My only regret is that you both didn't get the chance to live your lives." Evelyn nodded in understanding and lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands, her expression pensive. "What's on your mind?"

"For as far back as I can recall, I always aimed to do what was right. But now, I'm not entirely certain what that means," Steve admitted. Evelyn gently reached for one of his hands, offering quiet reassurance. "I thought I could simply throw myself back in and follow orders. Serve. But it's just not the same."

Peggy chuckled. "You're always so dramatic. But look at what you both accomplished. You saved the world. We, on the other hand, have rather mucked it up."

Evelyn countered, her voice filled with admiration, "Don't sell yourself short, Peggy. Your contributions to the world have been extraordinary. You're an inspiration to countless young girls, myself included."

Peggy reached out and gently squeezed Evelyn's hand. "You're not so young, dear." Evelyn and Steve let out a chuckle while Peggy cheekily grinned. "The world has evolved, and none of us can turn back the clock. All we can do is strive to do our best. And sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."

Peggy began to cough uncontrollably, causing Steve to reach over and fetch her a glass of water quickly. He whispered her name as she paused and held the glass out to her.

Peggy gazed at the two of them, her eyes widening in sudden realisation. "Evelyn. Steve," she breathed in disbelief.

"What is it?" Evelyn whispered in response.

Peggy let out a gasp."Y-you're alive," she started crying. "You came, you came back."

"Yeah, Peggy," Evelyn whispered.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she smiled. "It's been so long. So long," she cried. "I thought you died, Evelyn. I missed you so so much."

"Well, I couldn't just leave my best friend alone. Could I?" Evelyn said, mustering a smile as Peggy drifted off to sleep.

Just as her skin started to cool down, Steve reached over to Evelyn and grabbed her hands. His warmth enveloped her, and this gesture alone helped her breathing immensely. She closed her eyes and pulled his hands to her chest, then took large inhales and exhales through her nose and mouth.

"It's okay. You're okay," Steve mumbled quietly, breathing with her.

Once she finally calmed down and her heart rate returned to normal, she kissed Steve's hands and opened her eyes. "Thank you so much, Baby," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Evelyn's phone beeped in her pocket. She let go of one of Steve's hands and reached for it, seeing a message from Fury.

BOSS: My wife kicked me out. See you in ten.

Evelyn's expression turned sour as she realised the hidden significance within the words. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated, and Fury seemed to possess crucial information about it. Evelyn looked over at Peggy's sleeping figure, then at Steve. "Fury's picking me up in ten," she told him.

"Well, I did want to visit Sam," he said.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow playfully. "Is this a hint of friendship I'm detecting?" Her sly remark prompted Steve to roll his eyes. "Make sure to give him my regards."

Steve nodded again. "I'll be sure to do that." They exchanged a brief, knowing smile before directing their attention back to Peggy — the last living connection to their old lives.