Elizabeth ∞ S. Rodgers

Prologue

"Not the little blonde guy, he's shorter than I am." She groaned and he laughed. He made his way around to his side of the car and got in.

"That won't matter after he receives the serum." Erskine shrugged. "Presuming it works as it should this time."

"That's a mighty big presumption, Abe." Elizabeth sighed and removed her heels in the car.

"Well let's hope it pays off. If it means anything, he passed your little test." Erskine said and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, what'd he say?" She asked. Not one soldier had passed her test in the year since she had put it in place to ensure a good candidate.

"He said, and I quote, 'I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from.'" Elizabeth looked to Erskine and squinted to see if he was lying.

"I want to watch him train and Peggy Carter has to approve," Elizabeth told the doctor and he nodded with a smile.

"I wouldn't expect any less Dr. Henry." He smiled and she pulled her knees up to her chest, allowing herself to be lulled to sleep by the movement of the car.

/~/~\~\

Elizabeth crossed her legs and watched Peggy punch one of the recruits in the face. She laughed and watched the other recruits stare at Peggy in awe.

Erskine's little soldier stood out amongst the others and Elizabeth felt a pang of sympathy run through her as she looked him over.

"That's Erskine's man?" Colonel Philips asked and Elizabeth nodded her head. He stepped out of the jeep and made his way over to the recruits with his heaviest glare.

"Already punching them in the face?" Elizabeth asked as she joined Peggy by the recruits.

"That one deserved it. Which one are you looking for approval for?" She asked and Liz nodded her head to little Steve Rodgers from Brooklyn.

"The ninety-pound asthmatic?" She asked and Liz nodded.

"Erskine is looking for traits beyond the physical. The serum will deal with that." Liz told Peggy.

"I might need some of this stuff." Peggy laughed and Liz shook her head with a smile.

"Trust me, if we gave you some of the serum there'd be no stopping you." Liz laughed and looked over the small recruit before returning to the jeep and leaving Peggy to do her thing.

In the following weeks, Liz watched over Steve Rodgers and found that where he failed in physical he excelled in intelligence. That didn't mean he ever gave up. He was usually last but he persevered, finishing everything he needed to in the best time he could manage. Elizabeth knew he was really the only candidate worth considering.

He was resourceful and took the time to think things through where other soldiers dived in and failed.  She had never laughed so hard than when Peggy told her about how Rodgers had delivered the flag and cut his morning run in half.

"See, a soldier who isn't just a trigger-happy meathead can make all the difference. Imagine that kind of tact on the battlefield. He could finish this war alone." Liz watched him out the window with a wide smile. He was struggling through a barbed wire run and she felt her heart go out to him. He tried so hard.

Peggy laughed, handing over a cup of bitter coffee just the way Liz liked it. The pair stood watching the soldiers training and both frowned when Private Gilmore Hodge once again stood in Rodger's way. He had kicked the stump out of the ground, landing the wire down on Rodgers' body.

"He's beginning to bother me. He's out." Elizabeth frowned and took a small sip from the coffee, frowning at the heat. She should have just waited. Peggy shook her head with a sigh. They both knew Hodge was Colonel Philips' preferred soldier.