It had started again. This time worse than before. And now, more than ever, he had to keep the door shut.

Steve gazed out into meadows and hills that stretched their long, swaying bodies from Clint's family farm. Clint's kitchen, turned mini-Avengers' conference room, had become too much for Steve to bear. And he had to dismiss himself before that became apparent. It wasn't necessarily the stress of the situation; he could handle that. Or at least that's what he told himself.

That's my job after all. As a solider and an Avenger.

Nor was it the annoying fact that the Artificial Intelligence Unit which Stark and Banner had teased into existence had made them an embarrassment to justice, and had stabbed the team's core almost as effectively as Loki had a year ago.

Had it really been that long? Am I that old?

With this thought came a wave of exhaustion that almost sent Steve reeling back. He wouldn't admit it to the team, but the last few hours had taken an emotional toll on him, more powerful than any Hydra attack.

"Steve, it's time for our dance now."

Steve turned, stung by Peggy's words ringing in his ears. He turned to the east, trying to gaze past the hills, fixing his eyes on something, anything to wrench his attention back to reality. Yet her face was still there, almost playing at the corners of his eyes, stretching, fighting to take over his entire gaze. Steve squeezed his eyes shut, only increasing the lines of her soft face.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned."

Stark might have been stabbing in the dark there, but the darkness swirling in Steve's mind, beating against his eyes, would have alarmed even him.

Steve suddenly gathered himself and strode fiercely down the beaten drive way. He glanced behind him to see if anyone had noticed, berating himself for his weakness. He didn't know why, but he had to walk away, just for a short while. Somehow, in a way that Steve hadn't have expected, this place was almost a greater torture. This-a family, a home, a back door that opened to nothing but the peaceful open sky. The unpolluted sky. No planes, helicarriers, giant robots flying through the sky, enforcing peace on anything that moved.

Enforce peace. That's where we are. And that's how Ultron will beat us.