AN: I thought I would go ahead and post another chapter since the last one is short and a bit of a cliffhanger. So here it is. I probably won't post chapter 3 until this weekend or next week. Depends on how fast I can write. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Stephanie bit off a small piece of her blueberry muffin, her eyes watching Steve carefully. He had his face in his hands, propped up on the table by his elbows and hadn't said a word in almost five minutes. She was starting to worry.

"So, you're my granddaughter?" he mumbled just as she opened her mouth to speak.

He glanced up at her, and she nodded, giving him what she hoped was a comforting smile. He blew out a long breathe, his eyes locked on hers and slumped back into the booth. They had decided to go to a small coffee shop to talk. Stephanie thought it was most likely because he needed air. He hadn't said a word until they reached the shop and sat down and told her to explain.

"I don't understand," he muttered." How…how could this…"

"I know it's a lot to take in," Stephanie said, reaching across the table to rest her hand on his much larger one.

He jerked it a little but let it stay where it was, and she was grateful that he let her comfort him. He had just noticed the hint of a British accent hidden in Stephanie's voice, and it reminded him so much of Peggy, he almost thought he was staring into her own brown eyes for a moment.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"My whole life," she admitted. "My father always spoke of how my grandfather was the great Captain America and how special I was because of you."

Steve looked at her tiredly, looking guilty for some reason so she squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. Just the one action made her heart swell. Maybe he would accept her…

"I just," he whispered, "I can't believe I have a son."

"Had," Stephanie corrected, and he looked at her puzzled. "My parents died in a car accident almost seven years ago."

Steve wasn't sure if he should say sorry or not considering the person in question had been related to him as well, so he stayed silent. He had had a son but would never meet him. The feeling of loss hit him hard, and he closed his eyes tight, taking deep breaths. He could only feel grateful that Stephanie was here.

Opening his eyes, he stared at her face. Her eyes were the same as Peggy's, her lips the same fullness, and her nose straight just like his and hair just as blonde. It was amazing really how much she looked like her grandparents after two generations. But there were unfamiliar features as well, such as the light freckles that dotted her nose and the roundness of her cheeks that made her look so innocent. They must have been obtained from her mother.

Steve tried to imagine what his son must have looked like, but couldn't stick to just one image when there were so many possibilities. Instead he concentrated on the present and the fact that he was talking to a granddaughter he never expected to meet nevertheless exist.

Unsure of what else to say, he took a big gulp of the coffee he had bought. He felt he needed it now more than ever, because he just might collapse any minute.

"I can't believe I actually found you," Stephanie said.

"How did you find me?" Steve asked, unable to hide his suspicion. He knew he couldn't just accept this woman's word for it, no matter how much she looked like him or how much it made sense. Maybe he was just making excuses, because having a granddaughter changed everything. But he knew either way he needed to be safe.

"A lot of searching," she said vaguely, and when he continued to stare at her she sighed. "I've been looking for you ever since I heard Captain America had come back. I honestly didn't expect to find you this quickly, but a couple weeks ago I somehow found myself in this restricted files computer base called SHIELD. I wasn't sure what it was, but your name was there, and I managed to get by the firewalls, after a lot of hard work. Whoever those guys are, they're tough. But I studied your files and found that they had gotten you a small apartment in Brooklyn. It took me a while to finally convince myself to come see you. I didn't know if you would actually be here or if you would be what I was expecting. But I knew I would regret it if I didn't try, so I told myself to come today."

Steve stared at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes and hearing it in her voice. He wasn't exactly sure how she managed to hack into SHIELD's Avenger files, but he chalked it up to bad protection, feeling the need to believe her, because she looked far too innocent and truthful for him to not. He could only feel glad that he had decided to visit his apartment today. This must have been the reason why it drew him so randomly out of the blue.

"Who's SHIELD?" Stephanie asked after a moment.

Steve gave a quick glance around, but nobody seemed to be paying attention. He had just now realized that this type of conversation was probably best not spoken in a public place. Shaking his head, he met her stare.

"I can't exactly tell you that," he said, feeling guilty at the disappointed look on her face.

"I couldn't stay in for too long in case they realized I had hacked the system. They would be able to track me you know? So I just got your information and left. I just thought maybe you could tell me some about them," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry," Steve said. He knew he couldn't tell her a word until Fury could confirm her identity and even then, she would be on a need to know basis. Fury surely wouldn't let him tell her anything that was even remotely classified.

She seemed to accept that she wasn't going to get anything out of him, because she sighed and ate another piece of her muffin.

"I think we should have a paternity test done," Steve said.

Surprised, she looked up in mid chew, her eyes wide. She hadn't been expecting him to say anything like that. He looked as if he believed her. Why would he want to test it?

"But I told you about my father-" she started.

"Yes, I know, but you can never be too careful," Steve said.

He couldn't believe that he was suggesting this. He only knew about these tests from those TV shows that Bruce liked to watch. He never could have imagined he would be in the same situation as those ridiculous families, trying to figure out if he was 'the father' or not. He wondered if it would matter that there was a generation between them.

"Okay," she agreed, and he smiled slightly in relief.

"Where do you live?" Steve asked.

Stephanie blushed just slightly, looking down at the table, and he was wondering why she would be embarrassed by that question. Was he invading her privacy too much?

She mumbled something that he couldn't quite hear. "I'm sorry?"

"London," she said louder now, keeping her eyes lowered.

"London? As in Great Britain?" he said, shocked.

"Something like that," she replied.

Steve leaned back, swarmed with worry over what he would do with this woman. She lived half way across the world but still traveled all the way here to meet him. He was overcome with gratitude but couldn't think of what to do. He couldn't ask her to go all the way back only to return for the test.

"So, you need a place to stay I take it?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a small smile and nodded. Steve ran his hand through his perfectly combed hair, disheveling it slightly.

"I doubt my apartment will be very accommodating," he muttered.

"It was quite…dusty," she answered.

"Maybe you can stay at Stark Tower with the rest of us?" he questioned, more to himself than to her.

"The rest of you?"

"Well...yeah. Everyone sort of lives there now."

"And who is everyone?" Stephanie asked, her eyebrows raised and eyes wide. He had the feeling she already knew, so he figured it would be pointless to keep the truth from her, especially if she did end up staying there.

"The Avengers."

Steve unlocked the door, holding it open for Stephanie. The small hallway led to a great elevator and they stepped inside.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Jarvis' voice spoke.

Stephanie looked around confused, and Steve chuckled. "Hello, Jarvis."

She gave him a questioning look as he pressed a button on the elevator panel, and they started upwards. "Jarvis is a sort of robot. Tony made him."

"I'm an AI, Sir," Jarvis corrected.

Stephanie seemed to understand this because her mouth formed an 'o' shape, and she stared around the elevator with wonder. "Wow. That's incredible. I've never seen any AI so advanced. It sounds almost human."

"That's how Mr. Stark designed me to be. And yes I am more advanced than any other AI unit currently made on Earth," Jarvis said, his voice sounding somewhat disdainful. "I guess you could say that I am near human, only much smarter."

Stephanie blushed at the tone, and Steve chuckled. It had been a surprise to him, too, at how human Jarvis really could be. The AI didn't speak the rest of the elevator ride, and Stephanie continually shifted around on her feet, glancing around her as if she could feel Jarvis watching her with a disapproving glare.

When the elevator opened and she stepped out, she seemed glad to be rid of him until he spoke again.

"Mr. Stark is in the workshop. Would you like me to retrieve him for you Mr. Rogers?"

"Yes, please. Actually, could you get everyone? Tell them it's important," Steve replied.

"Certainly, Sir," Jarvis spoke and it went silent.

Stephanie took the time to take a look around the room they had entered. It was huge, one wall looking to be made of only glass and looking over the New York skyline. A large flat-screen TV was placed in front of a part of the glass wall with two large leather couches and a matching arm chair set in front of it. The whole room was very white and clean; she wondered how it could be so when the Avengers lived here. To her right was a large kitchen area that was separated from the living room by a long breakfast bar with stools. The kitchen was every housewife's dream with ample counter space, a large fridge and stove and a plethora of pots and pans hanging along the wall. Yet it looked like it was hardly used.

"I guess just make yourself comfortable," Steve said, gesturing slightly to the vast room and Stephanie, hesitantly sat on one of the couches, looking out over the tall skyscrapers through the glass wall.

"Sir," Jarvis spoke. "Agent Barton is away at the moment as well as Thor. The others have agreed to come. Mr. Stark wishes me to tell you that there better be more aliens invading Earth because he hardly thinks anything other than such can be more important than his current project."

Steve snorted in an irritated way, rolling his eyes. "He is coming though?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

The room fell silent once again, and Stephanie was starting to get nervous. She was about to meet the Avengers, possibly the most famous people in the world. There was no counting how many times each of them had saved the planet. And they were practically Steve's family. She knew that she needed to get on their good sides just like she would for a friend's family.

The elevator opened, and her stomach clenched as a woman with startlingly red hair and a man with glasses and warm brown eyes stepped out, talking quietly. She didn't stand or speak, only watching as they looked up at Steve and greeted him.

"Jarvis said you needed to tell us something important," the man said. "I hope it's not another catastrophe."

"No, it's not. But I think it would be better to wait until Tony got here," Steve returned with a smile.

Stephanie could see the woman squint her eyes ever so slightly at Steve before they flickered over toward the couch. Her eyes found Stephanie's brown ones, and they stared at each other. "Who is this?" the woman asked.

Steve glanced over as well as the other man who seemed surprised that somebody was sitting there.

"I'll explain in a minute," Steve answered.

They moved toward the couches, and Stephanie stood. She held her hand out toward the pair, putting on her best smile.

"Hi, I'm Stephanie," she said.

The man took her hand first, shaking it gently. "Bruce Banner."

Her eyes flickered to the red-head who stared at her appraisingly before saying curtly: "Natasha."

Stephanie pulled her hand back as Natasha made no move to shake it and pushed it into her pocket awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well, Stephanie," Bruce said, smiling.

She returned it and looked at Steve who seemed to be watching the whole thing with curiosity. Everyone sat on the couches, except for Natasha who stood next to the arm of Bruce's couch, and silence fell. Nobody seemed to know what to say.

"Is there a reason she's here?" Natasha finally said.

"I'll expla-"Steve said but was cut off by the elevator dinging open again.

"You know, Rogers, you have terrible timing. Why do you always feel the need to interrupt me while I'm in the workshop? You know I don't like being disturbed while I'm there," a man, who Stephanie assumed was Tony Stark, said as he wiped his oil covered hands on a dirty rag.

Tony noticed everyone else situated around the room and raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Family meeting?"

Stephanie could barely hide her smile at the irony of his words. Steve glanced at her but didn't say anything as Tony came over to the couch just noticing her.

"And who is this?" he asked.

"Stephanie," she answered, standing up and sticking out a hand.

He looked at it pointedly. "I'm not sure you want to shake hands with me at the moment," he said, wiggling his fingers to show off the black marks all over his hands.

She shrugged and sat again.

"Okay guys, I have something kind of big to tell you," Steve spoke up. "As you know, this is Stephanie. More specifically, Stephanie Rogers."

Silence. Tony looked more than amused at the finding of her surname, but something seemed to dawn on him as his face slowly slipped into one of concentration. Natasha had no reaction what-so-over, not very surprising, whereas Bruce looked politely puzzled.

"Well that's very coincidental," Tony said, breaking the silence.

"She was named after me," Steve continued. "Because I'm her grandfather."

This time, a flash of shock flitted across Natasha's face, before she pulled her straight face back on. Bruce and Tony did nothing to hide their own shock, staring open mouthed at Stephanie as if she had just grown a second head.

"But Steve," Bruce spoke, "I thought you and Peggy…" He looked uncomfortable, and a slight blush erupted on his cheeks while Steve looked even more embarrassed.

"What the hell Steve?" Tony started. "All this time you had us all thinking you were Mr. Good 'Ole Uncle Sam and you and Peggy-"

"Tony!" Steve exclaimed, his face going slightly redder but his eyes glaring at Tony. "It was one time. And I honestly didn't expect a child out of it."

It was quiet for a moment before Bruce piped up. "Girl or boy?"

"Boy," Steve replied. "Apparently I had a son."

The sadness in his voice was almost overwhelming and Stephanie wanted nothing more than to hug him but she wasn't sure if that would actually make him feel better.

"Had?" Natasha spoke up finally.

Steve nodded his head and at the questioning looks from the other Avengers, Stephanie filled them in. "Both my parents died in a car crash about seven years ago."

They looked at her with remorse but she returned their sorry eyes with a cool and collected one of her own. She wasn't going to let them feel pity for her. Natasha laid a hand on Steve's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze and he sent her a small smile.

"I can honestly say I wasn't expecting this," Tony said.

"Neither was I," Steve mumbled before straightening up and staring at them all with conviction. "But this doesn't change anything, alright? We all have family-"

"Some more annoying than others," Tony muttered.

"But that doesn't change that we're a team. We're going to get a paternity test to make sure," Steve continued without indicating he heard him. "Do they still work with the generation difference?"

"It should. Genes are genes," Bruce said immediately. "I'm just unsure if the serum you were injected with will have changed anything. Unless your son was…conceived after you were injected. Either way, it could pose problems."

Steve blushed just slightly but kept his face serious and nodded.

"Normal paternity tests can take months to pan out," Tony piped up. "I can whip up a quicker method…if you want."

Steve looked surprised, and Stephanie could only guess it was because Tony didn't offer to do things for others very often. Steve nodded again, giving him a grateful smile.

Everyone seemed to think that was that, because Tony returned to his workshop and Natasha to…whatever she had been doing. Bruce stayed with Steve and Stephanie in the living room to watch TV, and the younger pair ended up having to explain the whole storyline to I Robot, because Steve didn't understand the technology.

Stephanie felt comfortable here and was glad that the introductions had gone relatively well. She was wondering if it would go just as well with 'Thor' and 'Agent Barton'. Thor was a God from what she heard, and she wasn't sure who Agent Barton was, but she could only guess he was the last remaining Avenger, Hawkeye. Either way, they both sounded tough. But after meeting Natasha's steely glances more than once that night, she couldn't think of anyone who was more terrifying than her.