Hello, and welcome to my newest Captain America fanfic! Thanks so much for reading. I've been dying to write this ever since I got the idea a few weeks ago. I hope you guys like it.

On we go...

Disclaimer: I own nothing Marvel.

The Violinist

Chapter One:

October 1997

In a sleepy town in Michigan, just southeast of Detroit, a young girl wept on her birthday. She hid under the pink butterfly comforter on her bed with all of her stuffed animal friends tucked around her. Her pink and purple tutu scrunched up as she curled onto her side and sniffled. She listened to the voices outside her bedroom.

"She's five, Nick, and she's damn smart," her mother said.

"I get that, Emily. You still could have held off on telling her until tomorrow," her uncle replied.

Her mom choked up. "Her father died. He died and she had a right to know why he wouldn't be here today."

"I'm just saying you could have let her have a fun birthday and then told her after," he explained.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now," she remarked. "Let's see if she's ready for cake. Maybe it'll make her feel better."

"Gonna need a lot of cake to do that," he half-joked.

"Maxine, baby, do you want some cake?" her mother asked, coming into the room.

The little girl peeked out from under the blanket and shook her head no. Her mother frowned and looked at the man standing next to her for some help. He stepped forward and flung back the blanket exposing the girl. Before she could cover herself again, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Uncle Nick, put me down!" She kicked and screamed and cried until he set her down at the dining room table. Her mother began lighting the five pink candles on the butterfly cake.

"Now sit there and act happy for the sake of your mother," he ordered.

When her mother was done with the candles, she looked at her daughter and waited for her to blow them out.

A minute passed and Maxine remained still. "Make a wish, baby girl."

The girl thought for a second and then blew out the flames with a big huff.

"What did you wish for, Maxi?" Uncle Nick asked.

"My daddy," she answered truthfully.

Her mom and Nick exchanged a sorrowful look.

Her uncle cut her a piece of cake and placed it in front of her. "Eat up, kiddo."

They all ate their cake in silence. After they cleared the table, Maxine's presents were set out in front of her.

"This one is from me," the man told her, handing her a small square box. She tore into it and opened the lid. Inside she found a beautiful silver necklace with an 'M' and a butterfly hanging from it. "As long as you're wearing this, I'll always be able to find you."

"That's adorable, Nick. What do you say, Max?" her mother commented.

"Thank you, Uncle Nick."

Her mother nodded and slid the larger rectangular present towards her. "This one is from your father and me."

Max ripped the paper and pushed it out of the way. Before even unlatching the locks and opening the case, she knew what it was. Her eyes teared up as her eyes racked over the brand new Stradivarius violin. Gingerly she plucked one of the strings and closed her eyes as she listened to the note ring through the room.

She slammed the case shut and bolted to her room. Throwing herself on her bed, she pulled the covers over her head and sobbed. Her father had given her the one thing she thought she wanted more than anything in the world only, now, all she wanted was him.

September 2002

Max sat in an all-white room watching TV while her mother slept next to her. She was exhausted but wouldn't let herself sleep in case her mom needed her. It had been a rough couple of days and today wasn't looking any better.

Her mother coughed and cracked open her sunken eyes. Max jumped up and poured a glass of water for her mom. She carefully held it to her lips and let her drink.

"Than—thank you, baby girl," her mom croaked.

"Of course, mama. How are you feeling?" she asked.

Her mom adjusted the bed so she could sit up straighter. "I'm just tired, Maxi," her mom insisted and glanced around the room. "Where's your, stepfather?"

"He had a phone call he needed to take," the girl explained.

The door opened and Nick entered as if he sensed them talking about him.

"Ah, there's my wonderful husband," her mother smiled. "Max, why don't you go get something to eat at the cafeteria. I wanna talk to Nick for a bit. See if Nat will take you."

The ten-year-old opened the door and was greeted by a redhead in a blue spandex suit with a gray eagle symbol on her upper arm. "Hey, Natasha. Mom said we should go eat."

The door closed and Nick looked at his ailing wife. "She's so grown up."

"She didn't have a choice when I got sick. I needed help and she stepped up while you were away," the woman admitted.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here like you needed me to be. I thought moving you to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters would mean I could be with you more," Nick said. "But with everything that happened last September and shitstorm that followed, it just meant more work for me."

She placed her hand on top of his larger one and spoke, "I understand, honey. You're the director now and with that comes more responsibilities. It was the same when Thomas was alive and he was on missions all the time. I knew what I was getting myself into."

"But now you're almost out of time," he mumbled. "The cancer…it's going to take you sooner rather than later and then what am I supposed to do?"

"You will move on and continue to raise Max. You'll be all she has left in the world. She will need you and you're going to have to be there for her, protect her," Emily said strongly. "You'll be her father, Nick."

December 2013

She stood quietly at her mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. It had been eleven years since she passed, sixteen since her father had, and today was the only day of the year she got to visited them.

A hand rested on her lower back and she turned to see Nick Fury beside her. He stared at the matching headstones with melancholy eyes. Snow began falling in big flakes.

"Our plane leaves in an hour. We should go," her stepfather muttered.

They stood there a moment longer before saying their silent goodbyes and leaving the cemetery.

The car ride to the airport was quiet. Max stared out the window at the place she once called home and all the memories she had left behind here. It was here in Michigan where she had learned her father was never coming home, where her mother first fell sick; but it was also full of some of her best memories. This is where she learned how to play violin, where her father taught her how to ride a bicycle and where her favorite uncle became her stepfather.

They arrived at the airport with a half hour to spare before their plane was set to take off. She exited the town car and gazed up at the small aircraft with a black S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle painted on the side.

A sigh escaped her and she followed her stepfather towards the plane.

"I'm going to see if we can't take off now. Agent Hill says Jane Foster's just arrived with Thor and they're ready to be debriefed on the events in London," Fury enlightened her.

"Okay."

Max trudged slowly behind him up the stairs and into plane. She picked a plush chair, took off her winter coat and got comfortable; pulling out the book she started to read on the way here and tucking her legs under her.

The plane thrummed to life beneath her sending a gentle vibration through her body. Nick appeared and took the seat across from her. He rested his head in his hand and observed her with his one eye.

"I'm fine," Max insisted before he could say anything.

"Yeah…so am I," he agreed in a voice laced with sadness. "So what's on the agenda when we get back?"

She laid her book on the tiny table in between them and pulled out her tablet. "You have to approve the teams selected to go in and investigate what was left behind from the battle in London—that's the last thing for today since we're getting back so late. I moved the debriefing with Jane and Thor to tomorrow at nine a.m. Your boxing workout with Tiger is at ten, and then you and Hill are supposed to fly out to meet with Dr. Chan about the new developments with Project T.A.H.I.T.I. at noon."

Fury nodded. "How's the Captain America exhibit coming along?"

"Great. Charlotte is working really hard to finish up a few last-minute things. It's expected to open in January as planned," Max replied.

"Let her know the Captain's and the Howling Commandos' uniforms are ready to be sent over," he ordered and she typed out a reminder on her calendar. "Did she get the clips of Peggy Carter's interviews?"

Max nodded and continued tapping away on her tablet. Life as her stepfather's personal assistant was always busy.

The remainder of the flight was spent making arrangements and ironing out details for upcoming events. For the past year this was how Max spent her time; she hardly had time for anything else but being the director's P.A.

"Preparing for landing, Sir," Agent Jackson, the pilot, announced.

As soon as the plane touched down and the door opened, Fury jetted off to take care of business. She stood and collected her things when a hand materialized holding her book.

"Don't wanna for get this," Agent Jackson said.

She took the book from him and tucked it inside her carryon, giving him a polite smile. "Thank you, Agent Jackson. I would have missed it."

"I'm sure. You see to know my name. What's yours, beautiful?" he flirted and winked at her.

She took in his dark brown hair, the five o'clock shadow highlighting his strong jawline and the black nerd glasses shielding his jade-colored eyes. He was definitely a good-looking man and he thought she was beautiful.

She blushed. "You're too sweet. I'm Director Fury's assistant, Maxine."

They shook hands and stood there awkwardly silent for a moment. Their eyes stayed locked on each other until someone cleared their throat, drawing their attention towards the front of the plane.

"Forgot my phone," Fury revealed. He glared at the man who had been openly flirting with his stepdaughter as he retrieved his phone. "Come on, Max, we've got things to do."

She started to follow Fury and glanced back at the handsome agent. "Goodbye, Agent Jackson."

"Maxine," he smiled and bowed slightly.

The business that needed to be taken care of before bed was finished and Max retired to her room just after one in the morning. She curled up in bed and thanked god that the day was finally coming to a close. She relaxed back into her favorite pillow and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was jam packed pull of tasks to complete and errands to run for the director. Her only break came during lunchtime when Fury was boxing with his trainer. She grabbed some food from the cafeteria and rode the elevator to the top floor of the Triskelion. From there, she climbed a flight of stairs and found herself standing outside with the bright sun shining down on her. She sat on the edge of the building and ate her lunch as she stared out at the river sparkling below her. This was her favorite place to come when she needed to relax and unwind. Fury had told her once that she got her love of being up high from her father, who was known for scaling tall buildings during fights so he could take out his opponents stealthily.

She ate quickly and met Fury in his office. He stood looking out the window in gym shorts and a white wife beater.

"Sir, your plane is scheduled to take off in an hour. Maybe a shower would be in order before leaving?" she laughed.

He turned and gave her a joking glare. "I'm aware of the schedule, Maxi, but thanks."

"Our teams in London have reported back. The Dark Elf bodies that were discovered, along with the other artifacts recovered, are in the process of being sent to the Fridge," Man informed him.

"Good. Prep the files on T.A.H.I.T.I. and send them to me. I want to know as much as possible on the new developments before—."

"I could accompany you. I'm up to date on all of it," she offered.

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. You know I don't want you out in the field."

"But you've trained me like all the other agents and it's not a combat mission. You're just meeting with some scientists and then flying back," she argued.

"You know better than anyone how quickly a seemingly harmless mission can go south. Or have you forgotten how your father died?" he asked harshly. Her face fell to the floor. "You're my daughter, my responsibility, and you will stay here where you're safe. Now get the files ready and send them to me."

She exhaled loudly and stomped out of the office. It took her two seconds to email Fury the files he requested and then she went to the gym to blow off some steam. Being the director's 'daughter' was a pain in the ass ninety-five percent of the time.

Max was still upset about her disagreement with her stepfather earlier in the day and decided to head up to the roof to watch the sunset. She climbed the stairs and pushed open the roof door, letting the fresh air welcome her. But it wasn't the only thing greeting her as she stepped out onto the patio area.

Sitting on the edge of the building holding a strange golden wine bottle was Captain America. She stayed there frozen not knowing what to do. Should she leave? Should she walk up and start a conversation? Before she could decide what to do, the Super Soldier twisted around and spotted her.

"Evening, ma'am," he greeted with a smile.

"Uhh…Hi," she replied shyly.

He stood and asked, "Would you like to join me? There's more than enough space up here for the both of us."

She strode over a sat on the wall. The captain reclaimed his spot and stared at her. Self-conscious under his gaze, Max shifted and raised her eyes to meet his. His sandy blond hair moved gently with the breeze and his blue eyes twinkled in the moonlight; he was gorgeous.

Since his miraculous recovery two years ago after being frozen for decades, Max had heard stories of women falling head over heels for him. She thought the women were pathetic floozies, but now she understood their wild infatuation with the six-foot-two muscle man.

He tipped back the wine bottle he had and she caught a glimpse of a glowing green liquid coming out. Now that she was closer, she could see tiny intricate designs adorning the outside of the bottle. It looked some kind of language.

"What's in that bottle you're drinking from?" she asked.

He licked his lips getting the rest of the liquid from them; she was distracted by it for a minute before her spoke, "This? It's Asgardian wine. Thor gave me a bottle of it last night when he arrived. He was devastated the last time we drank together that I couldn't get buzzed."

"Why does America's favorite hero want to get wasted?" she laughed.

"Today's a rough day for me," he admitted. "My best friend, well he died… sixty-eight years ago today, but it only feels like two years to me. Guess I'm still getting over it."

"What's it taste like?"

He held out the bottle to her. "You wanna try it?" he questioned. Max grasped it and hesitated for a second. "Careful, it's strong."

She took a small sip and gagged violently. "Holy shit!"

He chuckled. "What's your name, kid?"

"Maxine," she choked out. "But everyone calls me Max."

"Pleasure to meet you, Max."

She returned the bottle and said, "Pleasure's all mine, Captain."

He took a quick swig. "Just Steve," he insisted.

They fell silent and continued to pass the wine between them. It was clear that it was affecting her way more quickly than it was him.

Stupid Super Soldier serum, she thought.

"Why does a pretty dame like you want to get drunk?" he asked after a while.

Not wanting to discuss her parental situation with someone she just met, even if it was Captain America, she made a joke.

"I'm Director Fury's personal assistant. There's always a reason for me to drink.'

They laughed.

They swung their legs over the side of the building and let them dangle. Somehow during their movement, Max ended up closer to the soldier. Every part of them, from their shoulders to their feet, touched. Tiny tingles of electricity coursed through her body and made her blood race from her head to her gently-throbbing core.

Clouds covered the sky and blocked out the moon. A chill ran through the air and made Max shiver.

"We should probably head inside," he suggested and set the now empty wine bottle down beside him.

She shook her head. "I'm not ready for bed yet. I want to stay out a little longer."

They sat quietly for another few minutes before Max felt a drop of water hit the top of her head. Before she could turn to Steve and tell him it was starting to rain, it was coming down heavy. She screamed and whipped around, drunkenly stumbling towards the door. Steve came up behind Max and wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her get inside faster.

By the time they were both out of the rain, they were laughing hysterically.

"Oh my god, that was awesome!" she giggled and leaned into him. "We are so wet."

He smirked and proposed, "We could continue this party in my room."

She smiled up at him and nodded. Max could see the heat in his eyes that matched her own desire and, at the moment, they were too drunk to realize what kind of trouble they were barreling towards.

So that's the first chapter, ladies and gents. It felt so good to get it started. Let me know what you think, yeah? Just a warning that the next chapter is going to get HOT. Hope you all are ready for some sexy Captain America-ness! Oh, who am I kidding? Everyone is always ready for some sexy Captain America-ness.

Thanks so much for reading. Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I skimmed through but might have missed some. Until next time! -KAITi