chapter fourteen
a vial of blood

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐋 my years of knowing you, I've never seen you this quiet." Grace looked up from her mug of coffee and chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Colonel," she said, leaning back in her seat. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind. And I have been this quiet, you just never noticed."

Colonel Phillips shrugged. "Perhaps, but I also know that Captain Rogers certainly helped break you out of your shell. How are you?"

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "With which part?" she asked, tilting her head. "The 'Steve is dead' part or the 'Howard is missing' part?"

"Either?"

Grace chuckled. "I'm alright, Colonel."

"You know, you can call me Chester," he said and she raised her eyebrows. "We aren't working together anymore."

She shook her head. "Colonel sounds just fine to me," she replied before playing with the top of her mug. "Colonel... can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why did you agree to look at my inventions?" she asked, looking up. "And even continue to use them?"

"Because they were really good," he said and she sighed. "Do you not believe that they were? Stark... they helped us win the war."

"I just don't know what to do now that the war is over," she told him with a shrug. "I mean, for so long, I wished for the war to end because so many people were losing their loved ones. But now... now I don't know what to do with my life. Steve told me of so many things he wanted to do and he said he wanted to do them with me. He would explain baseball to me, would... he would come to California with me for a little while. But he's gone and I've done those things alone."

Phillips let out a breath. "You'll figure it out," he said and she looked at him doubtfully. "Don't give me that look. I'm serious. You have a talent and you could make a future out of it. And if your brother doesn't see that, then he's blind and an idiot." Grace chuckled and looked down. "Nobody is expecting anything from you. Which means you can go at your own pace. And figure it out."

Grace opened her mouth to reply when she was interrupted. "I'm so sorry..." She looked up to see Jarvis standing by their booth. "Miss Stark, there's been an urgent matter that needs your attention."

"Urgent matter?" she replied, furrowing her brow. "What kind of urgent matter?"

"Um..." He glanced at Phillips before Grace sighed.

"Give me a few minutes, Jarvis. I'll meet you outside." He nodded and Grace turned to Colonel Phillips. "I guess I have to cut our meeting short," she said with an apologetic smile. "But it was very nice to see you again, Colonel. I've missed seeing you every day."

"I'm sure that that's not true, but the same to you," he replied and she chuckled before kissing his cheek and paying for their coffees.

She slipped her coat on before walking out to the man who was waiting beside the car. "What's the urgent matter that couldn't be said in front of the Colonel, Jarvis?"

"I'm afraid it will be easier to show you rather than tell you," he said and she furrowed her brow, sliding into the backseat.

After a short car ride, Grace looked out the window and saw they were outside her brother's penthouse. "Why are we here?"

"As I said, it would be easier to show you," he said and he opened the door, gesturing her inside. Grace glanced around and noticed several men standing around; SSR agents, she figured.

Jarvis opened the door of the penthouse and Grace stopped short.

"Hi, Gracie."

Grace blinked at her older brother before walking over to him. Peggy and Jarvis were standing to the side. Instead of a hug as Howard had been expecting, her fist connected with his jaw.

⸻ ~~~ ⸻

"𝐎𝐖!" 𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐃, 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆his jaw and looking at his sister. "What was that for?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" she retorted, walking closer to him. "Do you have any idea how stupid that is?"

He nodded. "Yes. Peg's already given me the lecture."

"She may have given you her lecture, but you haven't heard mine," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Every law enforcement in the country is looking for you. I've had agents come to me more times than I'd like to count because they think I know where you are. Oh! And you didn't think to mention that you recruited Peggy to try and clear your name? Which is putting her and Jarvis in the middle of a very complicated situation and possibly in trouble with the law?"

"Gracie, I—"

"I'm not finished," she snapped, slapping his head. "You left. Again! You didn't give me an explanation. Again! You left me alone. Again. Why the hell did you come back?"

"I—"

Grace shook her head with a scoff. "It can't possibly be safe for you here. Or anywhere. They're tracking everything. Your bank account, the houses." She looked at Peggy. "Do you need my help with anything?" Peggy shook her head and Grace nodded. "Jarvis, can you take me home, please?"

"Oh, certainly."

Grace turned back to look at Howard. "I am happy to see you, really, I am. But I'd rather see you as an innocent man than a wanted one. Just..." She sighed. "Stay out of sight. And whatever you do, do not sleep with anyone!"

⸻ ~~~ ⸻

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 the table, staring at the sphere object placed in front of her. Peggy was sitting across from her with her fingers linked together. Grace swallowed, picked up the sphere, and opened it. As the pieces burst open, a small, red vial appeared in the middle. She picked up the vial with a shaking hand and looked down at it.

"Gracie...?"

"It's his?" she asked, looking up at the agent. "It's Steve's blood?" Peggy nodded softly and Grace blinked, feeling tears prick her eyes. She looked down at the small vial, tracing the glass with her fingers. "How did you get it?"

Peggy glanced at Howard who had been standing by a wall in silence. He sighed and cleared his throat. "I was one of the lead scientists on Project Rebirth. Eleven vials went to the government, one vial went to me."

"But why do you have it?" she asked, looking back at him. "Why not the SSR or someone else?"

He looked down. "The government's almost through their supply," he replied and she raised her eyebrows. "If they know they have mine, they'll never give it back, even if Peggy clears my name."

"That still doesn't answer my question," she said, shaking her head. "Why was it given to you in the first place?"

"And why do you still have it?" Peggy added.

"You know, I believe that sample CR-53, that blood, Captain America's blood, holds the key to vaccines, medications, possibly even a cure for the common cold." Grace held her head in her hands and let out a breath. "Gracie, Steve Rogers may not still be with us, but he can still save millions of people."

"And how much money will you be making from those breakthroughs?" she asked, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

Howard looked taken aback. "What the hell do you think of me?"

"I think you're the man who left his sixteen-year-old sister with a drunk of a man while he went off to make his own name," Grace said harshly. "Our name." She stood up and crossed her arms. "I think you're the man who always seems to forget that he has a sister. I think you're the man who forgot about the time that he came into my tent to lecture me about how I shouldn't have gone with Steve for a picnic because 'all soldiers are the same'. And now that same man wants to use Steve's blood for cures." She shook her head and wiped the corners of her eyes. "Wasn't losing him enough?" she asked tearfully. "Wasn't that enough, Howard? Apparently, it wasn't, because now you've gotten everybody stuck in your problems again. Sometimes I wish you hadn't found that book about science."

"I had to get out of there, Grace," Howard said and she scoffed, shaking her head. "I couldn't be the son of a fruit seller and a seamstress. I needed to make a name for myself."

"Well you did," she told him with a nod. "Mr. Howard Stark, wanted criminal. Nice ring to it, don't you think? How many more secrets are you keeping from me?" Her brother stayed silent and she had her answer. "I can't keep doing this. Howard, you were my favorite person in the entire world. It was you and me against the world. Now, it's you. And me. Against the world."

She glanced back at the table and saw the blood of the man she had lost. She delicately put it back into the sphere and let out a shaky breath.

"Take it," she said, giving it to Peggy. She looked at the younger Stark and Grace nodded. "Please. Take it." She turned back to face her older brother. "I hope your name gets cleared, I really do." She kissed his cheek and gave him a tearful smile. "But you've lied to me way too many times to count. I love you, and I always will."

"Gracie, please—"

"You should go," she interrupted, pressing her lips together and crossing her arms. Grace looked up at him. "You really were my favorite person, Howard."

"I'm sorry, Gracie."

She nodded and Howard followed Peggy out of the house. Grace looked down, hearing the click of the door and tears traveled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry too."