WS AU - 6

Cont...

James was exhausted. Between beating the crap out of Batroc last night sleeping maybe two hours on the flight back and then getting into an argument with Fury only to be shown one of the biggest armadas of firepower he'd ever seen all he wanted to do was collapse but deep down he just wanted someone to talk to. Natasha as much as she was trying to reach out to him was off the board so he went to the one place he never in a million years would have gone, the D.C. Veterans Assistance building.

He caught the last of Sam’s class that they all brought stuff back. He was right, very, very right. James pushed the thought away as Sam came over, "Well look who it is, the running man."

James smiled in spite of his mood, "Caught the last of the session, powerful stuff."

Sam nodded, dropping the last of his first paperwork onto a desk, "We all are carrying the same things, paranoia, fear, guilt."

James saw the look that passed through Sam's face, his own guilt. James knew that face, he had that face whenever he was reminded of what he had lost, "You lost someone?"

Sam hesitated but nodded, "My wingman Riley. We were flying a night op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before till an RPG kicked his dumb butt straight out of the sky. Nothing I could do, up there to watch ya know?"

James' brain was filled with that scream drowning out the howling wind, "Yeah I know."

There was silence as Sam filed his paperwork, "I'm almost off for the day, how about we get some lunch?"

 James nodded, "I'll warn you, I'm gonna be lousy company."

 Sam chuckled, "You and me both I'm probably going to shove food into my face before even thinking about talking or breathing."

James smiled and waited for the man to finish before they walked out, making sure to nod to the gal at the front desk making her cheeks turn pink. The lunch crowd was intense as they exited the VA, "So I was thinking Ike's diner, you know it?" Sam suggested.

James knew it. It was one of the few places that were still up and running relatively the same way it had been back in the ‘40s down to the music and decor. James nodded and hopped onto his motorcycle.

It took fifteen minutes to get there. James beat Sam there and simply waited, leaning against the bike. The man got there with a smile, "I just might have to get me one of those. You were gone in a flash, man."

They headed in and James' whole body seemed to sigh at the ambiance of the place. They went to sit and James' muscle memory sat them at the table he and Steve always had sat after school, sometimes with others sometimes by themselves.
Sam looked over the menu before ordering James ordered from memory. The menu hadn't changed he checked.

"You come here often?" Sam asked.

 James shrugged, "Use to."

"Man you're good. But your reputation precedes you, Sergeant." Sam said.

James sighed he'd known Sam would figure it out eventually but he had hoped for more time.

Sam must have seen his sigh because he quickly leaned forward, "Don't worry man. I just thought you ought to know I know. I thought your name sounded familiar so I looked it up last night. But right now you look ready to fall asleep where you're sitting so I'm not planning on pestering unless you don't eat."

James smiled a bit Sam really didn't seem to care. "Thanks. It's been a long day."

"Man I couldn't even imagine but if you fall asleep your food is mine," Sam warned. James chuckled.

Their food came and both men devoured it.

"So," Sam said once his burger was gone, "Is the place the same as you remember it?"

James nodded munching on his fries looking around, "Mostly. The colors are new and the food is worlds better but yeah otherwise it's the same. Except for the price."

Sam snorted at that, "Yeah we kinda ruined cheap decades ago."

James shrugged, "Not like I could have stopped it."

"You must miss the good ole days," Sam remarked.

James thought for a moment, "Well people aren't dying from polio, health standards are way better, the food actually has flavor to it other than boiling it to death, and," he paused, "The Internet! What I would have paid to have that in high school. So overall the future ain't that bad."

Sam burst out laughing but nodded, "Alright alright. Well if you're taking recommendations, the Troubleman soundtrack by Marvin Gaye. Everything you missed in one album."

James fished out his phone and wrote it down in the notes, "Will do." They finished up their food and paid after James frowned at the price. They stood outside the diner, "You have any plans today?" James asked.

Sam shook his head, "Nope."

"I'm headed over to the Smithsonian, wanna come?" James asked, "Free admission." He added when Sam hesitated.

They drove over and when the ticket counter saw James they nodded him in. They walked around for hours getting to know each other. Finally, they came to the Captain America exhibit.
James let himself be dragged in by Sam. He had insisted that he was not the one that should be exhibited and had fought tooth and nail to get them to agree. It was all about the Commandos, a compromise the museum men and him had come to.

"What were they like?" Sam asked, looking at the display of all their uniforms.

"We are a rowdy group. That was for sure. I'm surprised the oversight didn't keel over from half the stuff we did." James said fondly, "Dum Dum was the hothead. Had a temper like no other and earned his nickname he could dumber than a skunk sometimes. Gabe could do anything if you gave him a radio; the man worked it like an instrument; he'd be a scary hacker if he was alive. Monty was the strategy guy. He could see things coming you never would. Today people would probably call him a genius. Dernier was the explosives guy if it could burn he could make it blow. Nowadays he'd probably be considered a liability but man was he good. I was the sniper. Never missed. That and I was also the one with a brain between them all most of the time. The common-sense brain that said, no, we shouldn't have Dum Dum juggle knives and explosives even if he can do it."
Sam burst out laughing at that, tears streaming down his face.

James smirked, "True story."

Sam wheezed as he finally stopped laughing getting odd looks from people.
"What about him?" Sam finally ask solemnly, looking at the Captain's display. James was struck silent for a moment, how to explain Steve to a generation that only knew a legend.

 "A complete idiot. He was the best though. There's one thing they don't tell you about the serum that changed his life, it amplifies what's already there. He was a good man and then when they gave him that concoction the world finally saw." James said proudly.

Sam looked back up at the display, "He sounds incredible."

"He was, though your attitude would have probably gotten you punched not greeted by him." James chuckled.

Sam raised an eyebrow at that.

James chuckled, "The stories I could tell. You know Chihuahuas? The small ones that will bite your finger off if provoked? He was exactly like that he just got upgraded to a German shepherd size midway." Sam snorted at that. James for the first time chuckled at the thought of Steve instead of drowning in guilt or sorrow.

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