**A/N: Hello everyone! If you are just clicking this story without reading the others, I'd like to direct you to my profile. There's three stories before this (Sorry Ever After, Wrong for the Right Reasons and Broken Strings) and it's kinda crucial to read them. They're long, but don't let them scare you away!

For everyone else, welcome back! I present the next of the story to you! Hopefully you all enjoy it! I've decided on a new naming convention for this story, which I think is unique :)

Chapter 1- Home

/ hōm/ noun. The place in which one's domestic affections are centered.

Bethany reached up to scratch the back of her head. Her bun was too tight and had been left in too long. Personally, she hated wearing buns. They always reminded her of her mother. They made her feel old and strict, and while she was technically old, she didn't look it. But she knew that the bun served a purpose that day. It was her duty to look professional, first with Peggy's funeral and now with the signing of the Accords. She needed to look calm and poised, serious. This was no laughing matter. There was no reason to smile. While the UN was happy about what was about to happen, Bethany wasn't all that sure that this would change much, if anything. Or maybe it would change everything, but that did not necessarily mean the change would be a positive one.

She felt as if all eyes were on her. But she knew for certain that it wasn't because of the bun, or even her mere presence. She was retired. She had no intentions of signing the Accords because it would force her to go out and fight or suffer the consequences when all she wanted to do was be at home with Jamie. Bethany was there because she felt that, like the bun, it was her duty. Taking responsibility of past actions and mistakes was something she had taken very seriously ever since Steve had gone under, and she felt that after New York, Washington, Sokovia and Lagos—even if she wasn't there for it—she needed to show the world that she was willing to fix those mistakes. This was the solution that governments from all around the world and millions of civilians wanted. Bethany had tried it her way. She couldn't deny them the chance to try it their way.

"Will you stop it?" She snapped quietly to a reporter standing by her. He looked caught off guard, obviously not realizing he was staring intently on her. All because he, just like everyone else in the room, was wondering why Steve wasn't there. Because despite the fact that they were getting the signatures of Iron Man, Black Widow, Iron Patriot and Vision, Captain America was a living legend. It was a shock and a disappointment to most to see that Steve, someone who was so morally driven, was refusing to sign the Accords. Bethany knew why. She understood and respected his decision. While she wished that Steve would have retired from his duties as Captain America for her and Jamie, and not because someone was forcing his hand, she was still excited for what their future would hold.

Scratching the back of her head again, she pushed her way through the crowds and into the washroom. The ceremony would be starting soon, so luckily, after looking under all the stalls, Bethany found the washroom empty. She let out a heavy sigh, leaning against one of the sinks to look at her reflection. She was paler than usual, but she chalked that up to circumstance. Other than that, she looked tired. Not happy, not sad. Not anything but tired. And it was true. It had been a rough couple of nights and a whirlwind of emotions. The vibration of her phone in her pocket took her away from her reflection.

"Hey babe," she answered with a soft smile.

"I just wanted to check up on you, Doll," Steve greeted. "Have they finished the ceremony yet?"
"They haven't even started," Bethany revealed. "Some politicians were late. Any minute now though."

"Has anyone said anything to you? Or hounded you?"

"Some stares, but besides the vultures outside, no one has said a word to me, to be honest. I think they're all afraid I'll throw them through a wall or something."

Steve's laugh made her smile, feeling warmth fill her body. "I'd be sorry to miss that. Beth, I'm sorry I couldn't come with you."

"You showing up and not signing would make Tony livid," Bethany pointed out to him. "I'm fine here. Although I am sorry I had to leave Peggy's wake. I just felt like I had to be here so that people would understand… I don't know. I don't even understand, I just felt like I had to be here."

"There's no need to explain it to me," Steve promised her.

"How's my little boy holding up?" Bethany asked, just wanting to be with Steve and Jamie right now.

"He fell asleep in my arms while Sharon and I were having a drink. He's still fast asleep now," Steve informed her.

"You still at the wake?"

"Yeah. I'm going to walk Sharon back to her hotel after she settles some final details here."

"And then home," Bethany finished with a fond smile.

"Bethany, there you are," Natasha said, poking her head into the washroom. "They're about to start."

"Okay, thanks. I'll be right there," she replied, watching as Natasha slipped back out. "Okay babe, they're about to start. I'll call you on my way home, okay? Love you."

She hung up when he repeated her sentiment and took one last look in the mirror. Taking in a deep breath, she reminded herself to not only look strong but to be strong. She had a role to play. She needed her strength, her wits and her sanity in order to get through this, especially if people continued to look at her and wonder where Steve was.

In reality, she was proud of him, all things considered. He never failed to stand up for what he believed in, but ironically, this time it meant sitting down. It was a huge step for him, one that Bethany had to appreciate fully. But what she was really worried about was something else worth standing up for coming along and Steve ignoring the fact that he couldn't very well do anything unless he signed the Accords, and even then, the UN may tell him to stand down.

When Bethany walked back into the room where they were holding the signing and the ceremony, it had already started. She quickly and quietly tip toed, taking the vacant seat beside Natasha, and paying attention to King T'Chaka.

"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we, in Wakanda, were forced to question our legacy," he explained to the crowd. "Those men and women killed in Nigeria, were a part of a Goodwill mission from a country too long in the shuttles. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join."

Bethany couldn't help but smile softly. King T'Chaka had a knack for making speeches, evidentially. He was filling her with all this hope about a better future, and she wasn't even from Wakanda. She could only imagine how proud his people were of their King and his recent actions. "I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace."

Bethany was so enthralled by T'Chaka's speech that she was completely caught off guard when the King's son, T'Challa yelled "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

Bethany could barely follow his instructions before an explosion raked through the building, glass, debris and people flying every which way. Losing her balance, she toppled over, hitting her head hard on the corner of one of the tables before darkness flooded over her.

PART ONE: UNITED WE STAND

Steve shifted his duffel bag back onto his shoulder as he walked from the Facility to the house. He had just arrived back from a four-day conference that he and Natasha had been summoned to. He wasn't quite sure why they were asked to attend and really how important the conference had been, but they went anyways. In Steve's opinion, it was a waste of time. They had reviewed their past missions, both with SHIELD and the Avengers, but other than that, Steve and Natasha had been sitting there, feeling like children who were called to the Principal's Office. They hadn't been reprimanded much and Steve was wondering what the end goal of all of this was, but he was just happy to be back home. He had spoken to Bethany and Jamie multiple times a day, but just seeing their faces and hearing their voices made him want to hold them even more.

As he got closer to the house, he couldn't help but smile. The leaves had all fallen from the trees and while there was no snow on the ground yet, he knew it would fall down upon them soon enough. He was excited to play in the snow with Jamie, teach him how to skate and make snow angels. Jamie's second Christmas was just around the corner and Steve was filled with some anxiety. It felt like every time he got a handle on how to deal with certain things, Jamie would grow out of them and he would have to learn all over again. The boy was growing like a weed. Before Steve would know it, Jamie would be starting school and it would be all new territory all over again.

Steve laughed as he saw Bethany run out from the house towards him, feet bare and wearing a t-shirt in the brisk weather. He dropped his duffle when she got close enough, lifting her up in his arms and holding her close. Her legs wrapped around his waist and they clung tightly onto each other. "Hi Doll Face," he whispered into her ear, tightening his grip on her. "I'm home."

"I missed you," she told him, leaning back a little so she could see his face.

"I was only gone four days," he reminded her, but knowing that he missed her just as much.

"I couldn't help it, I kept looking at things, or thinking of things and just immediately wanting to share them with you and I couldn't," Bethany explained. "Now kiss me, please."

Steve chuckled before complying, tasting vanilla on her lips. Bethany's hand moved towards the nape of his neck, playing with the soft wisps of hair there, something Steve secretly loved. It was something so very simple, but always made him feel so loved.

"Where's Jamie?" Steve asked when they pulled apart, kissing her nose softly.

"Making Christmas cookies with Wanda," Bethany replied. "I wanted a moment alone with you before he refused to leave you alone."

"We'll be alone tonight," Steve reminded Bethany with a soft smile.

She bit her lip softly but shook her head. "He's been crawling into bed with me less than ten minutes after I put him to bed. I want to start putting my foot down, but I can't."

"You want me to?" Steve asked lightly, knowing that she was right. Jamie could sleep with them if he had a nightmare, but it wouldn't be good to encourage him sleeping in their bed every night. And it wasn't just because of sex. They could easily figure out a way around that. It had everything to do with his development.

"I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine-"

"No, I will," Steve assured her. "I'll just keep bringing him back to bed whenever he comes unnecessarily. It's not like I need as much sleep as you."

"You're my hero," she smiled to him. "How did the conference go? You didn't really say much about it before."

Steve let out an exasperated sigh. "Later. Let's talk about it later. I just want to go see my boy and eat some Christmas cookies." Bethany giggled, beginning to unwrap her legs, but Steve held them in place. "No no, I've got you."

"Oh, do you?" Bethany teased. Steve reached down for his duffle, securing it on his shoulder before walking towards the house. "I know you just got back, but some of the moms from Mommy and Me want to get together for lunch tomorrow, with the kids. I don't mind sitting out if you-"

"I'm sure I'll survive not eating lunch with you two tomorrow. I'll just eat at the Facility. I'm glad that they're inviting you and Jamie out. Must make you feel normal," he finished with a smirk, knowing that Bethany craved a dose of normality in their crazy life.

"I'm excited," Bethany admitted as they walked through the door to the house. "Hey Munchkin. Someone is here to see you!"

She hopped down from Steve's body, closing the door behind her husband as they could hear Wanda prompting him on. "Who is it Jamie? Is it your Daddy?"

"Daa-dee?" Jamie asked before they could hear his footsteps padding against the floor. "Daa-dee!" He cheered when he saw his dad standing in the front hall. He ran towards him and Steve scooped him into his arms holding him tight and kissing his cheek.

"Hi Little Man. Did you miss me? I missed you," Steve told him, giving him one more kiss before opening up one arm and bringing Bethany into their circle. "I missed you both."

The oven began to beep, Bethany slipping from Steve's arms to take the cookies out of the oven. After taking his jacket and shoes off, he followed Bethany into the kitchen, dropping his duffel bag by the stairs. "Hi Steve," Wanda greeted him from the kitchen table, decorating a cookie as elegantly as she possibly could.

"Hey Wanda. Smells good in here," he commended. He placed Jamie on the kitchen floor, moving to where Bethany was looking at the cookies. "They look amazing too."

"We went a little overboard," Bethany admitted, gesturing to the counter where heaps of cookies were cooling or already in Tupperware. "But we figured that we could leave some all around the Facility."

"Or I can just eat them all," Steve replied, picking up a shortbread cookie and popping it into his mouth.

"Oh, I'd pay to see that," Bethany said with a wink. Steve pulled her into his arms again, kissing the top of her head.

"No Mumma!" Jamie screeched, running over and giving her leg a firm push before taking a death grip onto Steve's leg. "Mine Daa-dee!"

"Oh really?" Bethany challenged, looking down at her son.

"You don't push," Steve reprimanded, but unwrapped Bethany from his arms and picked Jamie back up. The toddler immediately gripped tightly onto Steve's shirt, clearly not willing to share his dad just quite yet.

"I told you," Bethany reminded Steve, touching his arm softly before brushing past him to go help Wanda.

Yes, you did, Steve thought, looking to Jamie. What a little troublemaker you're turning out to be.

Bethany sat in bed, one of her hands covering her mouth, watching as Steve continually brought Jamie back to his own room. Their bedroom light was off, but the television was giving off some colourful light. Bethany couldn't help but chuckle lightly, watching this little exchange. She knew Steve didn't find it as hilarious as she did, but she couldn't help it. Jamie thought that it was a game and would crawl out of his bed and follow Steve back to his parents' room with a smile.

Finally, Steve had enough and had closed Jamie's door and held it shut. Bethany felt her heartbreak a little when she could hear Jamie saying "Daa-dee? Daa-dee?" and a long silence before "Mumma?"

"Oh for the love of God, Steve, let him sleep with us tonight. We'll try again tomorrow," Bethany said exasperatedly. When Steve still didn't move, Bethany spoke with more authority. "Steve, I mean it. I'm not letting him go to bed thinking we've abandoned him when we know it's his biggest fear."

She could see Steve's shoulders fall a little when he realized she was right. He opened the door and Jamie immediately rushed out, clinging onto Steve's leg. "Oh, Munchkin, come over here," Bethany prompted, Jamie following his mother's instructions. "I'm so sorry love," Bethany promised, collecting Jamie in her arms and kissing his temple.

Steve crawled back into bed as Bethany put Jamie in between them, rubbing his back soothingly. "Tomorrow, we'll stay in his room until he falls asleep," Bethany whispered to Steve. "Can we talk about the conference now? I know you think it was boring and useless, but I'm still curious."

Steve sighed, leaning against the headboard. "We reviewed a bunch of missions Natasha and I did at SHIELD and as the Avengers. None of the confidential ones. Basically just the ones made public."

"That was it? They needed four days to do that?" Bethany asked with a frown. "That seems excessive."

"Well, not exactly," Steve replied with a sigh. "The American government leaders… they haven't approved the latest contacting CHRIS sent them because technically she doesn't have a law degree and doesn't think that we should let a self-made computer program have so much control and access after the Ultron fiasco."

"I guess they have a fair point," Bethany allowed. "I'd probably feel the same way if I was in their position. Hell, even if I hadn't created the system myself."

"Yeah, but they want to shut her down," Steve continued. "That's the issue. They really think she'll go down the same path as Ultron and they want to end it before it's too late."

Bethany let out a dry laugh. "If they ever met CHRIS, they'd know that's not going to happen. She doesn't have a violent thought. She's all logic. And doesn't have the ability to transfer herself through the internet, I made sure of that. And I check up on her system once a week to make sure that everything is still safe. And if they're concerned about CHRIS, surely they're concerned about Vision too, right?"

It took Steve a few seconds to find the right words. "They're concerned, you're right. They didn't say much, but I know that they're concerned about Wanda too. I don't know. They're up to something."

"It's the government, Steve. It'll take them a long time to do anything, so we have time," Bethany pointed out.

"I'm just worried about you," Steve admitted.

Bethany frowned again before raising an eyebrow. "Why? Do I concern them? Do they want DNA or blood samples or something?"

"No, because of CHRIS. I know that while she's there, at the Facility, you worry a lot less and can just enjoy life," Steve explained.

"That's sweet," Bethany whispered with a soft smile. "It's because CHRIS has my thought process when it comes to everything. With just a little less emotion to guide her along the way. So far, everything she's done has had no issues. They won't get their hands on her. The government owns a lot, but CHRIS is not one of them."

"According to them, they own everything inside the Facility. All the computers, weapons, pieces of paper. Everything. Even us," Steve reminded her.

"It's just a scare tactic," Bethany disagreed, rolling her eyes. "They don't own everything. They barely own anything at all. All that they can really claim to own is the SSR documents and tech, and anything they've personally funded or supplied towards us. I don't think they have the rights to the SHIELD stuff. Or the Stark Industries things."

"Unless Tony signs them the rights," Steve supplied.

"That doesn't sound like something he would do," Bethany pointed out. "You worry too much. That's my job, remember?" She teased.

"Will you have time to stop in at the Facility after your Mommy and Me lunch? You don't have to, but Natasha wants to go over some things with you, on the record. It's completely up to you whether or not it's tomorrow though."

"I know that," Bethany assured, winking to him. "Steve, I created CHRIS so that I wasn't putting Jamie or you on the backburner. Not so that I could retire forever. I don't mind popping in when I'm needed. These people are my friends. My family. I'm not going to let them stress and fret when I have the answers they need."

"They don't want you to stress or fret either, you know."

Bethany smiled, leaning over to him. "I know," she whispered before kissing him lightly. She looked down at Jamie, seeing his little body rise and fall rhythmically, his lips cracked open slightly. "He's asleep," she whispered.

"Should I put him back in his bed?" Steve asked, personally wanting some alone time with her.

"I'm afraid you'll wake him," Bethany disagreed.

"I'll be careful," Steve promised, an excited smile on his face, even though Bethany had disagreed.

"Stev-" Bethany started before sighing as Steve began to pick Jamie up. "Be careful."

She was annoyed that he had ignored her previous statement but knew it wasn't worth making a fuss about it right now. She knew that he wanted to have sex. She had packed a polaroid photo of herself in his luggage where she was naked and he expressed his love for her when he saw it. Bethany knew that he was probably alarmed when he first saw it, blushing a little and then laughing as it all sunk in. She wanted to have that in case he missed her… or maybe it was because she wanted to give him an extra reason to miss her. She wasn't quite sure which one it was, but Bethany didn't care. He came back into the room excitedly, closing and locking the door, smiling at her as he came back to the bed, hovering over her body before giving her a soul-crushing kiss.

Bethany smiled when she read her latest text message from Steve. Since she and Jamie were out for lunch, she had packed Steve some leftovers and left him a little note inside, which Jamie had doodled on with a blue pencil crayon. She knew he would appreciate the gesture but it still made her feel good to get acknowledgement from it. Putting her phone back down, she turned back to the conversation at hand with the other mothers. Jamie was sitting on her lap, as the other children were doing on their mother's laps, eating some fruit and bread.

"I think he's being ridiculous," Tiffany, a mother of three with an incredibly thick southern accent said. She always made her opinion known, and while Bethany didn't tend to disagree with her, she always had to hold back her chuckles at how passionate she got over nothing. "Either we buy the damn sofa, or we don't. It's not rocket science. He always gets like this around the holidays, as if we aren't allowed to buy ourselves anything at all. I know it's a time for giving, but the good Lord would agree that we need a new sofa."

"Some people get spending guilt," Bethany replied. "If you wait a month, he'll probably be fine. Or you can just bite the bullet and buy the damn sofa."

As the other mothers chuckled, Chary, a woman with the biggest afro Bethany had ever seen spoke up. "Would you just bite the bullet, Bethany?"

"If I wanted the sofa, I would," Bethany shrugged. "Steve picks and chooses his battles when it comes to spending excess money, and he knows by now that if it's something I want, I'm going to get it no matter what he says. Plus, it's not like I buy myself designer handbags every few days. I barely buy them at all."

"I wish Kevin was like that," Marie replied wistfully. "Ever since Yale was born, he's put me on the strictest budget just because he's the breadwinner. I can't wait to go back to work, merely so that I can have a say in whether or not I deserve a new purse."

"If he doesn't think you deserve a new purse, honey, he's a damn fool," Tiffany responded. "I mean, damn, I do more things as a mother than I ever did behind a desk. Men are fools when they come home from work, humming and hawing, thinking that their day was long and tiring. Meanwhile, I did all the laundry for the messy little brats with a child attached to my boob and a dog following my every move. He just sat at his desk reading e-mails."

"Trust me, men have come a long way," Bethany assured them. "I'm not sure why they think they're entitled to complain when we do the majority of the work, but they do."

"I can't even imagine what it would have been like to be married in those days," Chary added, shaking her head. "Ugh, 'age of gentlemen'. Well of course they paid for everything, we weren't allowed to have jobs."

"Thank the Lord some ladies decided to burn their bras," Tiffany agreed, making all the ladies chuckle again.

"Couldn't have been all that bad though," Samantha, widowed-mother of two, said. "You married someone from that time."

"True," Bethany nodded. "But Steve is as much of a rarity these days as he was then, unfortunately. His mother raised him well, that's for sure."

"I keep telling Frank that it's important to be a gentleman every second of the day, except in the sheets, cause that's too conservative for my liking," Tiffany told the ladies. "Of course, he's a buffoon and sometimes gets them mixed up. I'll tell you one thing, a vibrator is the best invention to ever be graced upon this Earth. Even better than hot sauce, and y'all know how I like my hot sauce."

Bethany couldn't hold her laughter back. "And by some strange co-incidence, it was actually invented by a man. Which means they weren't all that bad, now were there?" She teased the group.

"You can have the best sex in the world, and a vibrator would still make it better," Tiffany stated firmly. "Although my husband wasn't pumped up with a bunch of chemicals to make him look like he was photoshopped to perfection, so I could be wrong."

Bethany could feel her face start to warm up a bit. The women liked to tease her about Steve whenever they could, but it was all in good fun. Bethany was always careful about what she said, knowing that it would humiliate Steve and could very easily find it's way to a tabloid or something similar. "You could be, but you'll never know," Bethany teased, winking toward Tiffany.

"Well, as long as you don't tell Frank, I'll dream," Tiffany replied.

"The internet sure likes to imagine though," A redhead mother of one, Sabrina, began. All the girls looked towards her with curious and bug-eyed looks. Bethany's heart increased, not entirely sure if she wanted to know. Sabrina, realizing what she was implying, took a step back. "Listen, that man is the horniest creature on this planet and I'm too tired to get down and dirty, so he watches a lot of porn. Whatever, it's better than him cheating on me. Anyways, he says he gets a good laugh out of the parodies, and it's true since I hear him laughing at the dialogue all the time. Apparently there are a lot of you and Steve. And the rest of the Avengers."

All the women looked back at Bethany who couldn't say anything for a minute. "That makes me sick a little bit. It's not like it's some fictional movie, it's my life. My private life."

"I hear you," Sabrina agreed. "I told him it's off limits. He knew I was serious, and he'll listen. I know he will."

"That is nasty. You could probably sue," Tiffany pointed out.

"To do that would mean me having to tell Steve and I would rather avoid that, if at all possible," Bethany said truthfully.

"But imagine how awkward it'll be for poor Jamie in the future. Just because he won't look at it, doesn't me his friends will," Chary added.

Bethany looked down at Jamie, who was still innocently eating his fruit. Sensing his mother's gaze, he looked up at her, his big, blue eyes filled with so much innocence. Bethany sighed, leaning down to kiss Jamie's forehead.

Well shit, she thought to herself. Well shit, indeed.

**A/N: I didn't want to jump right into the Civil War drama ;) Gotta have some before. Not too much though, I promise!

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