Exception to the rules // Steve Rogers // (1)

~ To weak to know ~

It had been months since I last saw Steve but finally, he was here. In spandex but he was here. "How many of you ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw" an awkward silence fell from the crowd, all the men were tired and after what happened none of them wanted to be here "ok uh I need a volunteer."

"I already volunteered how do you think I got here" a soldier yelled at Steve followed by a chorus of laughter from the other soldiers then the same soldier yelled "bring back the girls" the soldiers laughed again. Poor Steve had no idea what to do.

"I think they only know the one song. But um, let me see, I'll see what I can't do" he looked to backstage than the soldiers."

"You do that sweetheart."

"Nice boots tinker bell."

Poor Steve "come on guys we're all on the same team here."

"Hey captain sign this" the soldier who I'm pretty sure is frank stood up, turned around and pulled his pants down then the rest of the soldiers started throwing things at him, looks like that fake shield came in handy after all, as Steve rushed off stage the girls came back on, the guys started to cheer finally happy.

********************

All the men had finally gone allowing me to go see Steve, I approached him behind him to see him drawing in his notebook "Hello Steve" I said.

Steve turned around to see me bewildered and happiness mixed in his eyes "dotty hi, you, you look amazing."

I softly chuckled "hi, thank you."

"What are you doin' here?"

"Officially I'm not here at all" I moved to sit next to him "Peggy is covering for me when I heard you were here I had to see you. So that's what you've been doing these past months, it was quite a performance."

"Yeah. Uh, I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more uh, twelve."

"Well from what I've seen and heard I understand you're "America's New Hope"?"

"Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit" he replied automatically.

"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" I nudged his side playfully.

"At least he's got me doin' this. Phillips would have had be stuck in lab" he replied looking out to the rain.

"Why do those have to be your only two options" I glanced down at his sketchbook he was drawing a performing monkey dressed as him "performing monkey or a lab rat, you were meant to be so much more than this, you are so much more than this" Steve went to respond but hesitated "what, Steve you can tell me" I have his arm a squeeze.

"You know me dotty, for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearing tights."

I chuckled slightly "you don't look that bad, they suit you."

Steve nudged me smiling, honking in the distance drew our attention to behind us, an ambulance had arrived with more wounded soldiers "they look like they've been through hell."

I breathed deeply, they were apart of the troops who went out with James's regiment "these men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. You're, you're audience, they, they Erm they contained what was left of the 107th, the rest were captured or well you know."

"The 107th" Steve said urgently.

I nodded sadly "yes."

"But Bucky-"

"I, I don't know, his regiment came back and I couldn't see him, I was too scared to ask because I always thought if something bad was to happen to him I'd know, but yet nothing and that's what scared me most. To find out something had happened and call me selfish but to not to have you here."

Steve grabbed my hand "oh sorry, come on I'm here and we'll find out together" together we ran through the rain until we got to Colonel Philips's tent, Peggy was also there "Colonel Phillips."

"Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan," he said not moving from his desk "and what is your plan today?"

"I need the casualty list from Azzano" we had let go of each other's hand now but we were standing close enough that our hands would brush against each other.

"You don't get to give me orders, son" Phillips said turning around to face us.

"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh."

The colonel pointed a finger at me "you and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Please Sir he's my brother, I need to know if he's alive" I pleaded.

"If he's your brother why didn't you come earlier."

"Because I was scared, I still am."

"sir. B-A-R-"

"I can spell" the colonel stopped Steve, he got up from his desk "I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry."

We were both silent, he wasn't dead, I wouldn't believe it until - no matter how hard it was - I had seen physical proof "what about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?"

"Yeah. It's called winning the war."

"But if you know where they are, why not at least-"

"They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl."

"I think I understand just fine" his face was hard set.

"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes" Colonel Phillips done with the conversation went over to the other side of the tent.

"Yes, sir. I do" Steve was staring at the war map, I knew what he was going to do. Steve in a hurry left the tent and I quickly followed.

"I'm coming with you," I said.

"No."

"Yes."

He spun around to face me just as we got to his tent "dotty you can't."

"Why because I'm a woman."

"No, because you could die."

"Well that's a reason for you not to go as well" I took a breath to calm myself "if the roles were reversed you'd be doing the exact same thing, now instead of wasting time arguing we should be getting ready to leave" Steve nodded his wordlessly knowing there was no changing my mind, we went into his tent and he quickly as he could fill his bag with essentials.

"What do you two plan to do? Walk to Austria?" Peggy asked coming up behind us.

"If that's what it takes" replied Steve.

"You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead."

"He's not" I snapped, I paused to regain my composure "we don't know he is for definite and I am not about to give up on my own twin when he wouldn't on me."

"Even so, he's devising a strategy. If he detects-"

"By the time he's done that, it could be too late" the pair of us walked out to a Jeep parked outside the side Peggy following, "dotty told me she thought I was meant for more than this, what'd you think."

"The exact same."

"Then you gotta let me go" he climbed into the jeep.

"And you're really going with him," Peggy asked me.

"I can't let him go by himself."

"Well, then I can do more than let you go."