If I Had the Chance

By: Hogwarts Wonderland

Hi readers. I originally wrote this after seeing the first Avengers movie for the first time. Recently, I have been going through documents on my computer and editing old work (I can't stand to read how bad they initially were) so I thought I would repost the new and improved version of this. Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!

When Beth Hanson woke up on the Tuesday morning in her small studio apartment, she thought her day was going to be completely normal.

She thought that she would get up, go to her creative writing class at NYU at eight, leave class at ten o'clock and go straight to work at a Hal's Diner in Midtown, New York. And she did. But it wasn't until the middle of her shift that things started turning for the worst.

"Hi, my name is Beth and I will be your server today. Can I start you off with a drink?" Beth asked a group of women in office entire most likely on break.

"Yes. I would like a-" the woman in a smart looking blue business suit started to order before stopping, looking up as if she had seen a ghost.

Beth and every other person outside the café followed her gaze. What they saw was the catalyst for the widespread panic and fear that caused people to freak out. What they saw could be described as other worldly. There was a massive portal in the cloudy blue sky that showed a contrast of a black starry abyss. But that wasn't the most terrifying part. It was the massive mechanic, worm like space craft that was most likely carrying more of the vile looking creatures with dirty grey shell like skin, slanted eyes that looked to be on the side of their faces and a horse type mouth with a set of jagged teeth. They were riding on hovercrafts and into our world.

The sight of them alone made Beth freeze in fear. She couldn't move from her spot because she was numb with fear. Beth only snapped out of her trance when she realized that a large swarm of the creatures where coming her way.

"Everyone needs to get inside!" she yelled in hopes of preventing the customers and anyone else from being harmed. They all followed her advice immediately. But unfortunately for some of the people as well as herself, they couldn't reach the safety of the diner. A sudden blast of blue energy erupted from one of the aliens knocked Beth right off her feet. Everyone else was in full panic mode and was running amuck in terror. Julia was struggling to get back onto her feet when another blue blast was released in her direction. She didn't have the time to react. She just closed her blue eyes and awaited her impending doom. But it never came. Instead a tall, muscular man sporting a blue, red and white costume jumped in front of her and shielded them both with a patriotic colored shield with a white star in the middle. He then proceeded to throw the shield at the creatures as if it was a boomerang. It knocked them out and then returned to its handsome owner. The mysterious man turned around to look at her in concern with baby blue eyes.

"Are you alright Miss?" asked Beth's savior.

Beth nodded her head, too shocked at the recent events to speak. The man guided her up into standing position and led her to the door of the restaurant.

"Please take cover in here Miss," he said before running off into the midst of the battle.

Beth scrambled into the diner as she was told. Her boss, Hank, and a friend and fellow waitress, Nina, expressed their relief of Julia being safe then proceeded to ask question of what happened. Beth couldn't even tell them because she was still wrapping her mind around the events. What had just happened? That man came out of nowhere… and he sounded very familiar. Whoever he was, Beth would be forever grateful for him saving her life. Beth wandered over to the window to look at what was happening, and if she was being truthful, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man clad in patriotic colors.
She couldn't find him. Beth sighed. 'If I ever see him again," Beth promises herself, "I will tell him thank you."

It was only a couple of hours after the battle and there were mass amounts of news crews, people looking for lost friends and family, and groups of cleanup crews milling around the ruins of New York city like ants on an ant hill. The television crews were interviewing various survivors on there take of what happened. One news crew actually found out from Beth's friend that she was saved by the man called Captain America and was currently interviewing her. Beth, who was still shaken up from the events was still dressed in her mustard yellow, old style diner dress and had a blanket wrapped around her figure. The news anchor asked Beth of her opinion of the group now called the 'Avengers'.

"They are heroes. Captain America saved my life and wherever he is, I just want to have the chance to say, thank you."

Later on, only a short week since the Battle of New York City, things couldn't be more different for the waitress. She has spent the all of her free time the past week looking up anything on Captain America. He has taken over her mind and consumes her every thought. She would revisit the sight of him looming over her as he faced those creatures now known as Chitauri, while she was at class or bussing tables at the diner. It wasn't the fact that he is handsome or a superhero. But there was no denying that he is both. No. The entire reason that she was researching him so vigorously was to hopefully find him and thank him. Beth wasn't sure if he heard her message on the news, but she could only hope that he did.

"Are you alright Beth?" her friend Nina asked with concern weaved into her words.

Beth smiled at her friend to reassure her. Once again she was deep in thought of the ever-elusive Captain America as she cleaned tables after her shift at the diner. Nina and their boss Hank tended to notice when she lost sense of the real world around her. It could be attributed to the fact that Hank believed that she has some very 'emotional trauma' from her almost-but-not-quite near-death experience. Nina thought it to be that she was thinking about the 'overly handsome man that she would mind getting into bed with' that had rescued Julia. In a way both of them were right. Beth continued her task of cleaning the tables in hopes of getting done in time to reaching a gathering that was taking place in central park to honor the Avengers. Many- including Beth- were hoping that the avengers would make an appearance. Beth rolls her eyes at the thought. She knows well enough by now that most of them- save for maybe Iron Man- will stay low and out of sight of the media and general public. Beth looks at her watch. 7:30. It takes 20 minutes to get to central park from where she is, and the ceremony starts at 8. She gathers up the few remaining dishes on the table and puts them in the dishwasher then grabs her belongings. On her way out she bids Hank and Nina goodbye. When she steps outside the door it is humid and makes her long blonde hair stick to the back of her neck. The only source of coolness is a light breeze that tickles her bare arms. She takes a glance around to the city in front of her. The city has changed in many ways since the attack. Most of the rubble has been cleared away but skeletons of buildings still remain. The diner was fortunate enough to only have minimal damage to the outside eating area. Probably another thing to thank Captain America for.

Beth sighs. She can't look at the diner without thinking about him. With one last fleeting glance, Beth begins the walk to Central Park.

She manages to reach her destination just in time for the ceremony to start. As she scans the vast crowd in hopes of seeing the Captain, Beth realizes that she was right before. None of the Avengers were there. Not even Iron man. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Beth spins around to meet a woman selling candles for the event. She ignores her crestfallen feelings and pays for a candle. After all, she can remember those who had lost their lives and weren't as lucky as herself. With that final thought, Beth follows the crowd as they gather together. She listens attentively as various people speak of their experience or the ones they lost and bows her head and prays when a local priest leads the group in a hymn. When she leaves, Beth feels lighter than when she arrived and has taken the next step into moving past the trauma.

Days pass into weeks, and weeks pass into a month. It is now June 6th, and it is the one-month anniversary of the Battle of New York. People have been celebrating this landmark since the last couple day. At this point, Beth can't help but feel annoyed. She still thinks of the elusive captain from time to time, but she has reached the point where she would like to forget the day ever happened. As of late, she has begun to have nightmares of the terrifying creatures that attacked the city. She has gotten little sleep and it has made her irritable. Even some regulars at the diner have noticed it. The irritability comes and goes at different parts of the day. The only times she is actually pleasant is on the morning for the breakfast shift. Beth has always been a morning person but there is something about seeing the light reflecting upon the window, hearing the birds chirp and smelling the aroma of coffee in the morning.

"Good morning' Bethie," Nina greets the blonde-haired girl.

Beth smiles softly at the sight of her sluggish friend. Nina was never a morning person.

"Good Morning Nina. There is a cup of coffee on the counter for you. Two sugars, just the way you like it."

"Thanks Beth. You're a lifesaver."

Julia shrugs and smiles sheepishly.

"By the way, we already have a customer. He is outside. Can you take care of him while I wake up?"

"Sure Nina."

Beth gets up from her spot on the counter, reties her apron, and grabs her notepad and pencil, the proceeds outside. She spots as man with a blue buttoned-down shirt, a worn leather bomber jacket and blonde slicked back hair reading the morning paper. She smiles. The man, Steve, is a regular customer and Beth always serves him. She hasn't seen him in about a month and she has missed her conversations with him on classic pieces of literature. They really knew nothing about each other besides their first names and their passion for the classics.

"Good morning Steve. How have you been?" Beth asks.

Steve puts down the paper and looks at the blonde waitress. The moments their eyes meet, Beth gasps. Steve and Captain America have the same gorgeous, baby blue eyes. She couldn't believe that she hadn't seen it sooner. She knew that there was something was familiar about the Captain when he saved her, but she never thought that she had already met him.

"I'm," Steve says then hesitates as if he doesn't know.

"I have been alright. How have you been Beth?"

She smiles at him, trying to keep her cool. "I have been better. I am afraid I haven't had the chance to read To Kill a Mockingbird."

He smiles back. "Well I hope you read it soon. It is an interesting novel. Can I have a black coffee and a blueberry muffin?"

"Of course. I will be right back," Beth says then rushes inside.

"Black coffee and blueberry muffin," Beth calls out to Nina.

"Is it Steve again? He is the only person I have met that drinks that nasty stuff."

"It is a matter of the taste buds Nina."

"Yeah, yeah," Nina says sliding Beth the order.

Beth places it on a tray and walks back outside.

"Here you go Steve. Enjoy," she says placing his order in front of him.

"Thanks Beth."

Beth walks back inside and sits on the counter in the back. She can't believe that a sweet and polite Steve, the one who she talks about books to, is her savior. She hadn't known him for long, but it seems like he wouldn't hurt a fly. He was too nice for that. But now that she knows who he is, she can finally thank him. Properly.

"Beth, Steve wants his check."

An idea pops in her head. " Alright. Thanks Nina!"

Beth grabs the leather check book, scribbles something down on the receipt, takes it out to Steve and walks away. She busies herself with some incoming customers and kitchen duties.

When Steve looks at his receipt, he is surprised at what he sees.

It's on the House, Captain.

Thank you.

-Beth

He smiles at the message. It is moments like these, when he sees the difference he can make in people's lives, that makes him happy to be a part of this future. And for that reason, he is not going to give up on getting back out into the world. After all, he needs to learn more about it he is ever to avenge it.