At Long Last...

(I've seen Avengers: AOU too many times, haha.)

But seriously, At Long Last...

The Threats Closer To Home Sequel!

This chapter is literally the epilogue from Threats, but I thought it would be a good idea to make the Epilogue ALSO the prologue, since it's been so long since that story finished, and some of us might need a recap. (If you're golden, just skip to chapter two!)

AHHHHH I'm excited! Let's do this!

Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.

Steve shouldn't have come. But…

It had been three months.

Three months since he'd last seen Harper, since any of the Avengers, or team two had. Three months since he'd heard her voice, seen her face….

And he missed her. He was the one who'd told the others not to follow her, to find her, because that's what he thought she'd wanted.

Nonetheless he'd stopped by her graduation. She hadn't walked, though they'd said her name. She hadn't been there. But she'd done it. She'd received a high school diploma all on her own, despite everything.

He was so achingly proud. He missed her so much. So despite his rational mind that had told him not to come…he'd done so.

"Hi! What can I get you?"

Steve wasn't looking up when he reached the counter of the coffee shop. He instead kept his eyes to the right, where a framed picture of a newspaper article detailed an attempted robbery that had happened nearly nine months prior, and how a young teen, with the help of Captain America, had saved the day. A robbery that had occurred in that very coffee shop. Steve gave his order without looking, still eyeing the article; remembering that day. He sighed when he heard the "fan rage" take over,

"Oh my….GOD! Steve Rogers!"

Steve sighed as he turned to send the barista his media smile, but froze when he caught sight of the young woman standing in front of him.

Harper grinned at him cheekily as she continued. "Captain America! In MY coffee shop! I cannot BELIEVE it!" She fluttered her hands ironically.

Steve felt a smile overtake his face, and without his consent he started to tear up a bit. "Harper?" He croaked out, throat tight.

Harper smirked. "In the flesh."

Steve's lips trembled, and he beamed. "It is so GOOD to see you." He looked around. "I can't believe you're actually HERE."

Harper shrugged, smile still in place. "College is more expensive than I'd planned. After high school I thought it'd be a good idea to get a job. A real one. I walked in here on a whim. The manager saw me and offered me a job on the spot. Apparently I'm famous here."

Steve smirked. "I wonder why."

Harper snorted, handing him his usual coffee order. "Here. On the house." Steve smiled down at the coffee.

"The service here has improved at least," he joked, and Harper laughed.

"You can say that again."

Steve and Harper grinned at each other, and Steve had a sudden panicked realization that this was the part where he was supposed to take his drink and leave.

But he'd just found her, Harper was here, and in front of him, and he didn't want to leave, not yet, and-

"I get off in like ten minutes if you didn't mind waiting, maybe I could buy you a refill? We could catch up?" Harper asked tentatively, a nervous look on her face, and Steve sighed in relief.

"I don't mind waiting at all! I'll just sit…" Steve eyed an empty booth, then jerked his head in that direction. Harper nodded excitedly, and Steve moved out of the way, sliding into the booth with a light heart. Steve looked down at his watch and realized if he stayed he'd be late for his meeting. He found he didn't much care…given the choice, he chose Harper.

Those ten minutes gave him an opportunity to observe her. The last time he'd seen her she was dirty, clothes torn, but skin unblemished, eyes closed and chest rising peacefully as she laid on a cot in the med-bay. A blond haired medic that looked more like a kid had pushed him out of the room with a smirk and a vaguely familiar accent, promising Steve that he'd make her good as new.

Steve had reluctantly left to debrief and deal with team two, and the next thing he knew Harper was gone and he was telling everyone to leave her be.

But she was here. And she looked good. She glowed with life and vitality, eyes bright and smile genuine. There were small bags under her eyes, but she looked nowhere near exhausted, and Steve was relieved that her deep brown eyes showed no glimpse of violet.

Her shift ended and with a wave to her boss she was moving in Steve's direction with a smile. She slid into the other side of the booth, another cup of coffee in her hand.

Steve couldn't stop the smile that overcame his face.

"So….how's life?" Harper asked. "Everyone good?"

Steve nodded with a small laugh. "Everyone's great. Team Two is busy training and The Avengers are taking turns with teaching them and training themselves." Harper nodded as she listened. "How about you?"

Harper laughed. "The life of a barista is much more intense than I thought it'd be. Add into that college prep and my volunteer hours and I'm a lot busier than I thought I'd be."

"College?" Steve leaned forward. "How's that going then? Which school did you decide on?"

"NYU." Harper answered quickly. "Decided I didn't want to go too far, plus they offered a great scholarship package."

"Ah." Steve nodded. "So…you'll be living on campus then?" Steve pressed.

"Er, well, that's the plan." Harper hedged lightly.

"That sounds rather hesitant." Steve observed. "Housing issues?"

"Well," Harper shrugged. "My scholarship doesn't cover room and board, so I have to come up with that half on my own,"

"I see." And Steve did. And he couldn't help himself. He opened his mouth, but Harper was already shaking her head.

"We tried that before, remember?" Harper chastised, though there was a new light in her eyes.

"You didn't even know what I was going to offer." Steve pouted lightly.

"I'm not moving in with you." Harper guessed correctly, and Steve raised a brow.

"Why not?"

"that didn't work out the first time, and you're probably moved into the Tower, and I'd really rather not have a huge commute, and.."

Steve raised a hand. "I have not moved into stark tower, I haven't moved at all, actually, and I have the room, and I would absolutely love to have you, and we can figure out the commute thing, and the third time's the charm?"

Harper rolled her eyes. "it's only the second time!" Harper retorted smartly.

"Well," Steve hedged, "You have to have a second time before you get to the whole charmed third time."

"I guess you're right about that." Harper though it over.

"It wouldn't be exactly like before." Harper warned slowly. Steve inwardly screamed for joy, but nodded seriously.

"I understand."

"We're both different people, and I won't even be there very much, what with school and work and everything."

Steve nodded more. All that mattered was that it sounded like she was caving.

"I get that."

"I have to think about it."

"I know you do. After everything, I totally understand. But…I do miss you. And I am so sorry for everything that happened. I should've trusted you, called bullshit and never let you leave with them, come right after you, saved you, and I'm so sorry that I didn't…"

Harper raised a hand, silencing Steve.

"We can't go backwards. We can't change what happened," Harper spoke lowly, comfortingly. "But I hold nothing against you, or anyone. What happened happened, and we saved the day. We still have a lot of issues to deal with, and a conversation will need to take place at some point, whether I accept your offer or not. You have to know though," Harper reached forward and grabbed Steve's hand, and Steve gripped back comfortingly, "I don't blame you for anything. You were a great dad. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't give you, us, another chance. Worse than that, I would be stupid. And I'm done being stupid." Harper smiled softly and Steve returned the look, heart happy.

"Oh. Hey, Kid. I didn't know you worked today." A tall man dressed in a policeman's uniform approached their table, a smile for Harper and assessing look for Steve.

Harper sent the cop an easy grin. "I just got off. How are doing Detective Morris?"

Detective Morris' frowned at Harper and Steve's connected hands, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm doing just fine. Who's this?"

Steve sent Harper an odd look. Harper mouthed the word 'regular' and Steve nodded slowly.

Harper patted the cops arm reassuringly with her free hand. An odd look came over her face, then she smiled. "Detective Morris, this is my Dad, Stuart."

Steve shot Harper a surprised look, and Harper shrugged.

Steve accepted the surprised man's hand to shake, still watching Harper. She grinned, and winked.

This coffee shop was the best place in the world. Both time he'd entered its doors he'd been given a gift; the same one, actually, both times.

Someone to love.

A family.

More specifically?

Harper.

EEK! Harper's working at the same coffee shop where she first met Steve?! Cute.

Chapter Two up in a mo!

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LLAP (Live Long and Prosper)

~CLC~