Chapter Text
The Watcher, somewhere over the Arctic Ocean - 1945
"It’s not often I feel the need to intervene in someone’s story, to change the way it ends."
"But I do now."
New York, 2011
Victoria groans when her phone rings, one night off that’s all she’s asked for. She reaches for her phone and barely glances at the caller ID as she picks up.
"Yes Coulson?" She sighs, furrowing her green eyes at her laptop, distractingly watching Security footage. "I’m not sure if you’ve heard for this called a healthy work balance but you should look it up" she comments before he can speak.
"We both know you’re doing paperwork on your last mission" Coulson replies quickly not missing a beat at her words.
"Yes well I can do that on my couch, whatever you’re calling for is going to make me to leave my couch" she counters, before groaning "and I just put on suits, because of your insistence might I add" she huffs.
"Oh finally; I’ve been telling you for ages that you’d enjoy it" Coulson comments pleasantly, ignoring her jabs at him. "Fury wants you here in the next hour, it’s important" he continues.
"You know what else is important?" She asks sweetly "a healthy balance between work. Something you clearly don’t have" she grumbles but yields and sighs "I’ll be there in thirty."
"See you then, you also might wanna pick up some coffee" he answers before the line goes dead.
————
Forty five minutes later Victoria finds herself out side of S.H.I.E.L.D’s smaller base in New York. She scans her badge, unsurprised when she’s allowed in without pause — level eight clearance helps with that.
The base is surprisingly empty, but she spots Coulson in one of the hallways and heads over, "double shot latte with hazelnut, two sugars," she offers with a grin.
Coulson takes it and sighs "do you have to proclaim it every time?"
"And what? Save embarrassing you for later? Honestly Coulson I’m offended" Victoria answers with a grin, sipping from her own coffee — a large flat white. "So what are we waiting for," she questions after a moment, pushing her glasses back from where they were sliding down her nose, maybe it would have been worth putting her contacts back in.
"You actually" Coulson answers with a grin as he hands her a file, classified stamped on top of it.
She hums and hands Coulson her coffee without looking at him, beginning to flick through the thick file. Holy shit.
"Steve Rogers?" She questions flicking her gaze back up to Coulson, a smirk on her lips "Captain America? No wonder you’re so excited Phil, you’re his biggest fan" she teases.
"Do you ever shut up Woods?" Couslon responds with a halfhearted glare before nodding "but yes, they pulled him out of the ice yesterday."
"So why am I here?" She asks with a raise of her eyebrows. "Unless a bunch of Nazis came out too I’m useless."
"The order came from Fury" Couslon answers and the two settle into silence as they wait. Victoria flicking through the file. She’s been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for almost ten years, Couslon recruited her straight out of high school, she was then sent to the Academy of Operations, despite Couslon lobbing for science and technology. She graduated at top of her class and became an agent at 20. For the last six years she’s been working her way up as a field agent. Landing her beside Phil Coulson. Her mentor, friend, one of the closest things she has to family.
"How are things with Audrey?" Victoria speaks up closing the file with a thud, deciding to put Steve Rogers away for the time being. "Isn’t it date night?"
"I had to cancel" Coulson answers and Victoria tsks.
"Work life balance" she warns with a grin. "But how is Audrey?"
"Audrey is good, wanted me to ask if you were interested in coming over for dinner sometime soon" he continues, sipping his coffee as he hands her back to her.
"Oh that’d be nice" she hums, sipping her own coffee as she stifles a yawn. It’s been a week since her last mission and her sleep schedule has just gone back to what the normal person would consider okay. "This really couldn’t have waited till morning?" There’s a tension in her shoulders that’s never fully disappeared, no matter where she is.
"Fury’s orders" Couslon answers just as a door down the corridor opens, Victoria had already catalogued all of the escape and exit routes around them, out of pure habit. Nothing more.
"Agent Woods it’s good to see you" Nick Fury’s voice rings out commanding a presence.
"Fury" she acknowledges as herself and Coulson fall into step alongside him, her eyebrows raising "what’s all this about a man out of time?"
"I assumed you’ve read the report?" Fury continues, not blinking at her attempt at humour.
"Born July 4th 1918, went to art school, signed up for Project Rebirth in 1942 — 5’4 before serum, 6’2 after—was considered ‘Captain America’. Was a mascot for the U.S army, in 1943 took down a Hydra base and started the howling commandos. After facing the Red skull he crashed into the arctic and was frozen." she parrots back, her photographic memory coming in handy.
"That just about covers it" Fury responds with a hint of mirth before silently leading them down corridor after corridor. "Steve Rogers is a liability for the time being" Fury speaks up again and Victoria just nods along. "He needs to be placed in a controlled environment while he readjusts to modern life. Which is where you come in Woods."
Victoria can’t help but laughing and the brunette shakes her head as they pause outside a door "what am i doing? Whipping him back into shape?"
"Not exactly" Coulson answers with a grin, Victoria isn’t surprised that Couslon knows, but his grin isn’t helping soothe her worries.
"You’ll be joining him off the grid" Fury continues as he reaches for the door.
"So I’m a glorified babysitter?" Victoria asks, raising an eyebrow "with all due respect Fury, I am a field agent isn’t there someone better to handle this?"
"No" is Fury’s direct answer ignoring her protests.
"So what am I meant to do with a guy who’s meant to be dead? Remind him to breathe?" She quips back and Couslon barely controls his grin.
"Good you’re catching on" Fury responds and before she can continue her arguments the door opens.
The room is spacious and bright despite the late hour and Victoria isn’t shocked to see gym equipment. Most S.H.I.E.L.D bases are similar that way.
"Steve Rogers met Agent Attwood" Fury announces, as she steps into the room, spotting the Super Solider.
————
Steve pauses his assault on the punching bag at Fury’s voice, he had heard them outside the door, discussing him due to his super hearing, heard the woman’s — Victoria Attwood? — remarks. He spots her first, her presence commanding his attention in a way no one has before.
"Director" Steve finally says with a nod to Fury heading over to shake his hand, before his eyes find Couslon and he greets him with a polite, if a bit stiff "Agent Coulson, sir."
Steve’s eyes land on hers as they lock gazes, she’s tall he notices, not a ridiculous amount but just a smidge taller then the average person, she looks comfortable like she knows exactly what she’s doing — a stark difference to himself. Long brown hair has been pulled back away from her face and green eyes behind glasses narrow at him. Sizing him up. "Agent Attwood, Ma’am" he introduces himself, holding out a hand.
————
Victoria places a smile on her face and raises her eyebrows as she takes Steve’s hand, "drop the ma’am" she comments before stepping back and her eyes track his moments, cataloging him alongside everyone and everything else.
He’s tall — taller than her, he looks out of place, out of touch, like he’s lost apart of himself and he has. Everything else about him is standard from her pre-existing knowledge about him, expect for the ring of green in his blue eyes. She suddenly has the ridiculous urge to comment that he doesn’t look freezer burnt.
"Agent Attwood is here to join you on your ‘retreat’, off the grid" Fury continues to Steve, as Victoria presses her coffee cup to her lips again, her eyes trailing around the room — it’s almost identical to an army training block during the war. But she looks back over at Steve and grins at him, studying him like he’s a book to read maybe he is.
"Call me Woods," she corrects, her eyes leaving his and map out the room. One exit just behind her, and so she moves in front of Coulson and Fury so that if push came to shove they’d be out first.
Steve doesn’t reply to her but he does nod, then looks back at Fury, who continues "she’ll reacquaint you with modern life, you leave in 10." Fury doesn’t give him an address and he doesn’t ask.
Steve looks back over at Victoria who’s expression hasn’t change expect for the flicker of something in her eyes.
————
Victoria leans against the car as Steve comes out of the base, a duffel bag in his hand. "Tell Audrey we’ll have dinner when I get back" she hums to Coulson as she fiddles with the keys to the black car, her eyes flicking over to Steve as soon as he walks out.
"She’ll look forward to that" Coulson answers before looking over at Steve Rogers "I should get him to sign my trading cards" he muses.
"Phil, no" she laughs, what she doesn’t notice is the way Steve looks like he’s been shot at the sound of it. "I respect you a ridiculous amount and I begging you not too" Victoria teases patting the older man on the shoulder with a smile.
She bids him goodbye nods to Fury, a silent conversation between the two.
The drive is a quiet affair, that is till she start to speak. "You know, you’re precious cargo" she doesn’t look away from the dark road as she talks but he can tell she’s got a smirk on her lips.
"I’m just a normal soldier Ma’am" Steve counters formally.
She laughs and raises her eyebrows "again, call me woods, or Attwood, Victoria would work too" she comments flicking her gaze over at him, "Captain, I am certain you’re anything but a normal soldier."
"Victoria" he comments tasting the word as he says it, "don’t you need a map?"
"No need" she counters, tapping her nails on the steering wheel. Steve can’t help but wonder how many times she’s made this trip to who knows where, that is until she speaks again. "Photographic memory, it comes in handy every once in a while" her voice seems to have a constant dry tone.
"It would" he answers stiffly, does this woman he barely knows finds everything a joke?
"We’ll be off grid for the two weeks but the house is stocked, it’s got a nice view apparently, lots of trees. Lots of quiet" She finally continues, sincerity lingering in her voice. Fury informed her of her job, to ensure he settles into the 21st century quickly and is ready to be in the field soon. She asked if he thought she was some fairy godmother.
"So you’re an agent?" He asks after a moment reminded by brunette agent he knew.
She nods and makes a smooth turn down a narrow street "almost ten years now. Recruited right out of high school, went to the academy and have slowly been climbing the ranks since then" pride lingers in her voice. She likes her job, likes the long hours and busy schedule.
"How old are you?" he frowns before looking back out the window.
"26" she answers "a year younger then you I believe." Victoria says that as though she hasn’t read his file, doesn’t know just about everything about him.
"You’re actually 67 years younger" Steve responds stiffly the words forcing themselves out of his mouth. He was frozen for 66 years, the concept of it kills him, he wishes the ice did.
Victoria notices the stiffness so she tries to lighten it again "I like a man who can do math" she says smoothly, Flirting with a man who’s just woken up in this century, not her finest moment.
————
Victoria is up early, she always is. She likes the stability of it, a habit since the academy and she keeps it, normally running of a morning when she can. She almost forgets that there’s a man in the room across from her, he hasn’t made a peep all night and she’s assuming he’s still asleep.
Victoria is slowly looking through cupboards to find the glasses, careful not to make much noise when she looks up and over at the doorway, unsurprised that Steve is there. "You’re up early" she comments raising her eyebrows as she looks over him. The telltale signs of PTSD lingering on his face; the lack of sleep, his constant hyper-vigilance that she’s notices despite only being around him for a few hours at most.
"Was bout’ to say the same" is his answer watching her as he lingers in the doorway of the kitchen "cups are in the second cabinet from the left."
"Absolute life saver you are" she sighs dramatically pulling out a glass and looks over to him, "I was going to go on a run, you can join me if you like."
"I join you" he replies before adding "you’ll have to keep up."
She laughs — his goal — and raises her eyebrows "is that a challenge, Captain?"
"Just a warning Agent Attwood" he answers with a slight smile.
"Doubting me Captain?" She leans forward, her lips raising as she winks at him.
"Wouldn’t dream of it" he counters just as quickly, a sense of humour in his voice and for just a moment he’s pretending that she’s one of the Howling commandos.
It was a stupid idea. By the time they make it back to the small cottage she’s sure she’s dying. And he went easy on her, Steve for his credit does look a little winded, he liked the path, the quiet jogging, Victoria swearing under her breath when he passes her again.
"Right." She gets out, pulling her long hair away from the nape of her neck and ties it up. "Breakfast, then a crash course on the 21st century" she gets out, taking a deep drink from her new found glass of water.
"I wasn’t aware you were going to be a drill sergeant" Steve responds, taking the offered water from her.
"No one warned you of me?" She teases.
"No they did, especially Agent Coulson, he seemed to have a lot to say." He responds dryly, sipping from the water.
"Of course he did" she laughs rummaging through the cupboards of the kitchen, she makes a mental note to thank Coulson for stocking up the food.
————
Informing him of everything that’s happened since he went in the ice wasn’t as difficult as she thought, although she was worried he’d become overwhelmed. Eventually the two settle in their own space, Steve in his room and Victoria at the kitchen table frowning over S.H.I.E.L.D files.
With a sigh she pushes herself up and stretches, the silence of the house grating on her nerves. "Rogers" she comments, knocking on his open door as she leans against it, "I’ve come to conclusion no one has given these to you."
Steve had looked up from his seat on his bed, away from the new sketch book he’d been given, a pencil discarded next to him. The faces of Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter staring up at him, but he doesn’t get the chance to talk before Victoria continues.
"I believe these belong to you" she says as she walks further into his room like she owns the place holding out two small metal items — dog tags and a compass. "The picture is a little water damaged and I’m sure it can be replaced if needed-"
"No," he replies sharply, gently taking them both from her "no, that’s alright" he amends quickly. Finally, something that hasn’t changed over the last 66 years. "Thank you Agent Attwood."
"You’re welcome Rogers, I’m not exactly sure why they weren’t give to you straight away" she answers, unbothered by his snap as she watches him, not a hint of pity on her face when she looks over the exposed pages of his sketch book. "I’ll leave you to it," she turns and heads back to her work.
"Do you-" Steve’s voice interrupts her as she pauses at the doorframe, turning back to him.
"Do I..?" Victoria echos, raising her eyebrows at him.
"Do you know what happened to Peggy — Agent Carter?" He asks, staring at the image in the compass.
Victoria softens and frowns "I don’t, but I can find out when we leave" she answers gently "try to put it out of your mind for time begin."
Steve doesn’t answer and Victoria takes that as her sign to leave she won’t pressure him into talking, she’ll just let him come to terms with everything at his own accord.
He deserves that much.