Emily Andrews smiled as she finished putting all the ingredients away, wiped up all the counters. Business had been heavy in the pizza shop in Tony Stark's Avengers compound and that made time fly. A good thing. Especially when said Avengers were out on a mission, had been for the last week, and she was getting lonely up on the top floor all by herself.

"Why don't you take off?" Roger asked, smiling.

"I'm fine," assured him. Emily patted her flat stomach. "You can send me home earlier when I get closer to having this baby."

Roger shook his head. "You think he's going to let you work here that much longer?"

"Mr. Stark?" Emily shrugged. "I'm hoping he'll let me work until time."

"Not him," Roger said, shoving empty boxed back on their high shelves in the back. "The captain."

Emily tried not to let her boss see the color rising in her face, the smile she couldn't fight. On the one hand, Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, was a bit overprotective and it wasn't even his child. On the other hand, she loved the attention and had a huge crush on him. If Steve had his way, she would have resigned from the pizza shop until after the baby was born. If not for Marley, who realized she needed something to do, she wouldn't even be there.

"We'll see," she told him.

Emily was smart enough to know that Steve was protective over her because of her last relationship. Steve had thrown Billy out of the shop she stood in when he'd threatened her one night. He had seen the bruises. Hell, if it weren't for Steve and Marley, the mother of the baby she now carried as a surrogate, she might still be with Billy, living a life of hell.

The baby was the rest of Steve's interest in her. The father was his best friend, the Winter Soldier. He'd told her all about what had happened to Bucky one night and it was a heartbreaking story. It made her glad that she was helping them have a child. She was proud to give something back to people who sacrificed so much to keep ordinary people like her safe.

She also hoped it would help heal her heart from the loss of her own child the year before, a pregnancy that had ended at six months when she'd fallen down the stairs. Neighbors at their apartment building believed Billy pushed her. Believing that hurt worse than trying to write it off as an accident.

Emily was two months along. She would be careful, do a good job and deliver a healthy, beautiful baby to them.

And she tried not to think about what would happen when it was all over. She knew she'd have to leave the compound. She knew she would miss it so much. She hadn't felt like she was home with a family since she and her brother were little. It was nice being part of a family again.

"That's it," Roger announced to her and Melanie, another girl who worked there. "Time to go home. Thank you."

"Night," Melanie called out, already out from behind the counter. "Emily, there's someone here to see you."

"Night," Emily called, her heart leaping with hope. Were they back? Was Steve waiting for her?

With hope in her heart, she walked through the door to the lobby to see him leaning against the wall waiting for her.

"There you are," Billy said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He was tall and lanky, all long limbs and shaggy dark hair. He had eyes so dark they almost looked black. And they were mean.

Keep calm and get to the restricted area. That's all she had to do.

Emily nodded and walked past him like he was a stranger to her, she really had nothing to say. He stayed right on her heels.

"Too good to talk to me now?" he taunted her.

Emily sped up. She just had to make it to the door down the hall.

"You don't answer my texts or emails," Billy went on. "Why?"

Emily hadn't answered any of them since the night Steve had escorted him out. What was there to say?

Just before she could reach the security panel to put in her access code, Billy smacked his hand over the panel.

"I'm talking to you, bitch," Billy spat in her face. "You think because you're fucking Avengers now that I can't get to you?"

"I'm not fucking anybody, Billy. Stop," she pleaded, digging in her pocket for her phone so she could call for help. "Please."

"Let's me and you go out to my car to talk, eh?" Billy grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully so her phone flew out of her hand. "We'll go for a drive and get this shit straightened – FUCK!"

And then he let go with a scream, looking at his palm in horror.

Then someone hit him in the head with force, knocking him to the ground. Natasha, who hadn't been cleared for missions yet sneered down at him.

"I'm talking to you, bitch," Nat threw his own words back at him. "How's it feel when a woman kicks your ass? Huh?"

Billy struggled to his feet, glaring back at Emily before turning it on Nat. "This isn't your business," he told her. "Beat it."

Nat backhanded him, putting her back into it, first with her right hand, then punched him with her left. She took him to the floor a second time as three large security guards ran up.

Billy held his hand up enough for Emily to see his palm was dark red. Were those blisters on his skin?

"We'll take care of it, Miss Romanoff," one of the guards said as they hauled off a howling Billy who cursed them the entire way.

"This ain't over, Emily! This is ain't over!" Billy yelled.

Nat pressed a hand to her ribs where she'd been shot. The bullet had punctured her lung. Thanks to Helen Cho, the Avengers doctor, she had a miraculous recovery.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, picking up her phone and relieved it wasn't cracked or damaged.

"Yeah," Nat smiled. "I am all healed. That didn't hurt a bit. Now, how are you? Let me see your arm."

Emily realized she was holding her wrist and dropped it quickly.

"Come on. Let's go see, Helen," Nat put in her security code and herded Emily into the restricted area.

"I'm fine, really," Emily told her. "No need to bother Helen."

Nat grinned at her over her shoulder as she led her to medical. "Not a chance."

Helen smiled when she saw them, asked Emily to sit on the table. Nat gently took her arm, pushed up the sleeve. Ugly bruises in the shape of Billy's fingers were already forming as Helen took a look.

Helen shook her head, checking the wrist, the elbow. At least Emily could move everything even if it did hurt a little.

"That's going look terrible in the morning, but I think you'll be okay. I'll give you a topical crème for the pain. Is it your dominant hand?"

Emily nodded. "Thank you. And thank you, Nat. I'm so glad you came along when you did."

"No problem," Nat told her, smiling. "You're making me an aunt again so I'm here whenever you need me."

Emily thought of the beautiful spy a friend though she wasn't sure how to read her sometimes. She seemed a great friend to Marley and Steve thought the world of her. Nat had scared her at first. Little by little that fear was fading, and she could see the kind woman underneath the Black Widow.

"Any word on everyone?" Emily asked.

Nat helped her off the table, her grin widening. "They'll be back by morning. All safe."

"Even Clint?" Emily teased, knowing that Clint being released for duty first was a sore subject.

"Yeah, even him." Nat shook her head. "Bastard."

"Hey, he was ready to go back," Helen pointed out. "You should be by the next mission."

"Better be," Nat said in playful warning. Emily hoped so too. Nat stuck on bed rest was like watching a restless tiger pace in its cage.

As they left medical, Nat said, "So have you heard from Steve?"

Emily shook her head. "Not since they left."

Nat muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." Nat smiled. "You have his number, right? He has yours?"

Emily shook her head.

"Idiot," Nat grumbled. She stopped in the hallway. "Give me your phone."

Emily handed it over. It seemed the safest approach. She watched Nat set up a contact for Cap on her phone.

"I'll take care of it," Nat assured her.

"Take care of what?"

Nat just smiled, handing her phone back.

Nat left her at her apartment. Hers was an apartment on the top floor in between Steve's and the one Marley shared with Bucky. Emily loved it. Loved the beautiful view of the woods, the wide-open space. It couldn't have been more different from the small holes she'd live in before.

The only other occupant on the floor was Sam Wilson, Falcon, and with all of them gone, it was really quiet. Quiet wasn't so bad, she'd learned. Sometimes alone was better.

She's just changed into her pajamas when she saw the light on her phone was blinking. A message?

Emily was afraid to look, certain it was a threat from Billy.

It was from Steve.

[S] Hello. Nat tells me you had a run-in with your ex earlier. Are you alright?

Emily smiled like a lovesick schoolgirl. Then she shook her head at herself. This was not a good idea. He was America's hero, Captain America. He was too everything for someone like her. Once she had the baby, the Avengers wouldn't need her anymore. So, wasn't continuing this crush a bad thing?

Still, it would be impolite not to answer.

[E] Hi, Steve. I'm fine. Nat and security took care of it. No worries.

[S] How's your arm?

Ah, Nat put him up to this. What was in her head?

[E] It looks worse than it is. Promise.

[S] We'll be there in a couple of hours. Maybe, if you're not working, we could have lunch tomorrow?

Stop. He's just being polite. He just wants to ask what happened with Billy.

Well, she had the day off and they had apparently restocked her kitchen a day or so ago.

[E] I'd like that. I'll make lunch here at my place. What's a good time?

[S] You're cooking. What's a good time for you?

[E] How about 1 tomorrow afternoon? Anything you don't like or are allergic to?

There was a five-minute gap before he answered.

[S] No, Ma'am. I'll be there. Night, Emily.

[E] Night

Emily hugged her phone, smiled. Yeah, she knew it would end badly, but just maybe she could enjoy it while it lasted. How many people got to have lunch with Captain America?

Marley planned out what she'd make, got out the leftover soup she'd made a couple of nights ago and settled in to watch some Netflix before she went to bed. With any luck, she'd dream about her lunch date tomorrow.

"There? Was that so hard?" Bucky Barnes asked him, grinning.

Steve Rogers was terrible with women, always had been.

Nat called him to tell him about the incident with Emily's ex-boyfriend, wanting to give him the report before he heard it elsewhere and thought it was worse. He was grateful that Nat had been there to defend her. When he got back, they'd make arrangements to have someone there at all times with her. That the man was still trying to get to her in the Avengers' own compound sent up a red flag for him.

And it wasn't just her ex they had to worry about. HYDRA knew of Marley's pregnancy, trying to steal her, Bucky, and their baby for their own ill intentions. Steve and the team had gotten them all back and through the talents of geniuses and the science they wielded, they were able to move the baby to Emily who had generously offered to be a surrogate since Marley couldn't carry it.

Then Nat had asked him why he didn't have Emily's number, why she didn't have his. She sent him Emily's number. Bucky prompted him to text her since he had the excuse of wanting to check on her after the Billy incident. Then Bucky persuaded him to ask her out.

And he'd wanted to ask her out. She'd been with them for about six weeks now.

Emily was beautiful with dark curling hair and big green eyes. She was a good person who'd been through a lot and when they talked, she wasn't after Captain America or even asking much about him. She seemed to like Steve Rogers just fine. That more than anything had drawn him to her.

Steve smiled at his best friend. "I guess not."

"You have a date tomorrow," Bucky pointed out.

"Don't you think it's strange?" Steve asked. "Going out with a woman who is carrying my best friend's baby?"

Bucky chuckled at that. "Yeah, but it's really not like that you know."

Steve did know.

"You two could be good together," Bucky said seriously. "You don't know until you try."

"Maybe we could be good together at another time." Emily was carrying a baby, putting her life back together. Should she really be thinking about a relationship, with someone as screwed up as him no less, with a plate that full?

"You're really going to let the pregnancy thing be an obstacle?" Bucky asked.

"It's something to consider," Steve pointed out. "That and I don't even know if she likes me that way."

"She likes," Bucky assured him. "But one of you needs to make a move."

Maybe he was right. Bucky had surprised everyone by falling in love with Marley when Fury added her to the team. Her love had helped heal his friend, made him something like whole again.

Was it so wrong to want something like that for himself?

A couple of hours later, they got into the compound and did a quick debriefing. It was nearly four in the morning and if he wanted to get sleep before their lunch, he knew he needed to do it now.

"Night," Marley whispered as she and Bucky walked past to their apartment on the other side.

Once they were in, he stared at Emily's door for a long moment. He wished he didn't have to wait to see her. What would it be like to have someone to come home to? He'd never had that. Aside from a short period of time with Peggy Carter, he'd always been alone.

A night like this, even if she was asleep already, he could still climb in bed next to her, snuggle into the sleepy warmth of her. He could smell the flowers in her perfume while he fell asleep. Hold her.

Maybe one day.

She was making him lunch for now. It was a start.

Exhausted, Steve walked into his apartment and got ready for bed.