Authors Note: This story has been running in my head for a while, and I have a few chapters drafted already so I thought I would go ahead and post them. Please feel free to review at the end!

This story takes place after the Avengers movie. Story is intended to be a Steve/OC/Bruce romance with action, drama and adventure. (Pairing may change depending on feedback.) Rated M for adult subject matter, violence and dark themes. (This story will deal with hard subject maters and in your face problems, war and its effect on those who fight and survive.)

Bent, Not Broken

Chapter 1

MCAGCC - Combat Center

Twentynine Palms, California

August 10th, 1991

A heavy thud vibrated through the thin basic housing walls, forcing Leanna to wake up and clutch her small white bear close to her chest. The soft illumination of her My Little Pony nightlight cast an eerie glow on her power pink walls, alerting her it was still night.

The sound of another dull, yet heavy thud caused her to jump as she quickly pulled her knees up to her chest, dragging her pale green comforter with her. She wanted to call out for her mother, but didn't want to risk drawling the attention of whatever caused the noise that had woken her.

She kept telling herself nothing was going to hurt her, her daddy wouldn't let anything harm her or her mother. Jumping as she heard another thud, she squeezed her eyes shut and kept repeating that nothing would happen to her, her daddy was home now. There were no monsters under her bed or lurking in her closet, her daddy had checked before tucking her into bed. He had told her, monsters were too scared to come into the house, because he scared them off. He protected the house, nothing would harm them.

Her young five year old mind didn't fully comprehend everything that her parents told her, but the one thing she did understand was her father would protect them. It was the one thing she had been told over and over by her mother, even strangers. That was why he had gone over seas to fight the bad people. She had only been two when he had left, and didn't remember much about him, but she knew his voice and had looked forward to the weekly ten minute phone calls with him. He had told her how much he loved her and that as soon as he 'dealt' with the bad men, he would be home.

Three years was a long time without him, but she was proud that he was out there fighting the monsters, he was doing something to protect the world. He was a hero in her eyes. There was no doubt in her young mind that he would protect them, he wouldn't let anything harm them now that he was home.

After a few minutes, Leanna opened her eyes and strained her ears to listen if there was any more noise coming from within the house. Not hearing anything she sat up, her bear still clutched in her arms, and made her way to the door. Opening it slowly so it wouldn't crick, she looked down the hall to see the living room and kitchen lights where still off. Turning her head the other direction, she saw the light was on from under her parent's bedroom door.

Walking lightly, her feet bare, she reached out for the knob. "Mommy? Daddy?" she called out as she turned the handle and pushed it opened slowly.

The normally pristine bed was a rumpled mess. The once crisp white sheets that where typically tucked in were now pulled out and laying in a pile at the foot of the bed. The lamp that was usually resting on her mother's nightstand was missing, and the frame that held a family photo was overturned.

"Mommy," she called out not seeing either one of her parents. "Daddy?"

Walking into the room a bit more she could hear the soft muffled sound of crying. "Daddy?" she called out once again as she walked to the other side of the bed. Rounding the corner of the tall king size bed, she saw her father hunched over her mother's unmoving form.

"Daddy, what happened to mommy?" Leanna asked as she walked closer. Bending down and reaching out to touch her mother's limp hand, Leanna waited for her father's reply.

"I'm sorry," she heard her father say quietly. "I never meant to hurt her, I'm so sorry." His normally strong voice was quivering.

"Daddy," Leanna asked, but the painful tightening in her chest caused her to stop from asking what had happened.

She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew something wasn't right. Why wasn't her mother moving. Her eyes where open, she should be awake.

"I'm so sorry," her father said repeatedly. Leanna looked up from her mother to see her father squeezing his eyes closed tight. Tears were building up, and she knew he was fighting to keep them from falling.

"Daddy, I'm scared." Leanna finally said as she looked at her broken father. He was suppose to be the strong one, he wasn't suppose to cry. "Why isn't mommy moving?" she asked as she crawled closer to her mother's resting form. "Mommy, mommy get up," she said as she tried to pull on her arm.

She couldn't stop the burning pain in her lungs as she began to cry. "Mommy," she called out desperately.

So focused on trying to make her mother move, she didn't notice her father moving away from them. Briefly she heard what sounded like a drawer opening and something being lifted out, but it was the metallic click that caused her to look up and over to her father.

Tears had blurred her vision, but she could see him standing on the other side of the bed, his side. He had opened the top drawer of his nightstand, she knew that was where he had kept his gun. She had been told many times it wasn't something to play with, and she was never allowed to touch it without her father's permission.

"Daddy?" she asked as she watched him check the clip. Sliding it back into place, he reached up, wiping the tears that had fallen away with the back of his hand. With a shaky breath he leaned over to pick up the phone that had been resting on his nightstand. Clutching it in his hands, his knuckles turning white, he dialed a number. She wasn't sure who he was talking to, but understood enough that he was calling for help.

"My name is Martin Ramsey, clearance code 'Bravo Alpha Zulu Five Zulu Delta One'," he said with an eerily calm voice. "I'm sorry," he said and then looked over to Leanna who was clutching her mother's hand in her tiny ones. "I need an emergency response Delta team at my house ASAP," he said then hung up, not waiting for a response.

Leanna could only watch as he placed the phone back onto the charger. She wanted to ask him what was going on, what was wrong, but she couldn't seem to find the strength to speak. She could only watch as he walked closer to her, resting the heavy weapon on the end of the bed when he got close to her. Bending down, he reached out to her with unsteady hands.

"I'm sorry," he started to say then lowered his head. "I never meant to hurt her, please know that I love you more than anything," he said as he pulled back his hand and looked at it. Reaching up he pulled off his golden wedding ring and then pulled one of her tiny hands and placed it in her palm. "I need you to go back into your room, and stay there. Can you do that for me?" he asked as he wiped his tears away once again. "There is going to be a loud bang, but I need you to stay in her room. People are going to be here, and they'll take care of you, oaky."

"What about mommy?" Leanna cried as she looked back to her mother who had yet to move.

Fresh tears made their way down her father's cheeks as he pulled her into a crushing hug. "I need you to go back to your room now, and tell the people when they get here that I'm sorry."

Unable to say anything to her father's strange request, she nodded and pulled herself back to her feet. Clutching her fingers around the ring her father gave her. She held the small white bear in her arms, she didn't want it to slip from her grasp, the little stuffed animal was the only thing offering her any kind of comfort.

Walking out of the room, she turned to see her father reach over and lightly dust one of her mother's bangs out of her face, lightly touch her cheek as he leaned in and placed a light kiss to her pale skin.

"Leanna, you need to get to your room now," her father's firm voice shook her. She turned and ran back to her room, shut the door and climbed back into bed. She wasted no time in pulling the covers over her head, squeezing her stuffed bear to her chest as she waited.

All she could hear was her breathing, loud and deafening under the heavy layer of covers. She didn't understand what was happening, but she knew her father was going to fix it. He had called for help, she didn't understand why he had wanted her to deliver a message to them, he would be able to tell them himself, wouldn't he?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the loud bang her father had told her she would hear.

End of Chapter ONE

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