Chapter Two

Steve and Jaime stared mutely at each other. They'd never disagreed this strongly before, with so much intense emotion driving them on. Finally, Steve could contain himself no longer. "I don't trust her, Jaime, especially not around you," he said, struggling to keep a low, even voice and almost (but not quite) succeeding.

"Steve -"

"I mean, her sole purpose – her order to Marchetti and Williams – was to hurt you as badly as possible." Steve still had vivid nightmares of being forced to sit helplessly while Jaime writhed in pain – and nearly died.

"To hurt both of us," Jaime reminded him quietly.

In spite of his best efforts, Steve's voice and temper were rising. "So how could you even consider -?" He stormed across the room and stared stubbornly out the window. "I won't give her the chance to hurt you again, Sweetheart; I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

"Cut the macho crap, Austin!" Jaime rose to her feet and inserted herself between the window and her husband, where he had no choice but to look at her. "I'm not asking your permission," she seethed, "but it would sure be nice to have your support!"

"Forget it! You owe her nothing – and that's exactly what she gets from us now – NOTHING!"

"I'm not asking you to 'let' me do anything! I'm going, Steve..."

"NO!"

"Nonononono!" a tiny voice chimed in from the nursery.

Steve and Jaime froze and looked at each other; their angry glares returned to loving gazes and their tight-set mouths began to laugh. "Out of the mouths of babes," Jaime said softly. They shared a tender, quiet kiss and a near-perfect-unison "I'm sorry."

"Let's go get our little peacemaker," Steve suggested, and they walked arm in arm to the nursery.

Jenna was standing up in her crib, wide awake and bouncingly happy to see Mom and Dad. Jaime picked her up for a three-way hug, but her tiny legs pumped eagerly toward the floor. "Mind of her own," Steve chuckled, "just like someone else I know...and love."

"I love you, too," Jaime said, giving him a squeeze and releasing Jenna onto the floor. Both parents watched in amusement as she took off down the hall.

"You'd think she was...you know..." Steve laughed, following the tiny whirlwind.

- - - - - -

'Increased aerobic capacity', 'bionic speed' and 'endurance factors' had absolutely no bearing when dealing with the tiniest Austin. "What happened to learning to walk before you run?" Steve asked Jaime in amazement. "Did this child ever walk anywhere?"

"Of course she did," Jaime told him, handing him Jenna's dinner. "Here – it'll go with the milk."

"Very funny," Steve grumbling, laughing anyway. Jenna was hungry enough to cooperate, at least temporarily, and father and daughter sank into an easy, comfortable feeding rhythm.

"When we saw Peggy at the trailers, she seemed...different," Jaime said tentatively. Steve's back tensed, but he said nothing. "More like her old self," Jaime continued, "except really, really scared."

"She should be." His anger toward his wife had dissipated, but he didn't see himself ever forgiving Callahan for what she'd done.

"Well, I'd like to hear what she has to say to me," Jaime persisted. "is there any way to get us both on the same page here...?"

Steve turned to look into Jaime's eyes while Jenna drained her cup. The pain Jaime saw in his face tore at her heart. "Let's assume she says all the right things," Steve finally answered, "and walks out of prison and straight back at us, to finish what she started? Jaime...I don't wanna lose you."

"I'm not saying I think she should get out. I just think I should hear what she wants to tell me. Maybe it'll even help us heal."

Steve thought for a minute, feeding Jenna a few more spoonfuls of strained peas. "I guess if I saw her first, to find out exactly what she wants to talk about..." he ventured.

"She might be trying to make things right."

Steve shook his head. "If she's looking for forgiveness, she may as well mine for gold in Kansas. Ain't happening."

"Steve..."

"An apology would be nice, though. She at least owes you that."

"So it's ok, then? We'll both go and see her?" Jaime repeated.

"I'm not promising I'll be anything more than civil – because I won't – but, yeah, we'll see her. I'll call Oscar as soon as we're done here." He turned once again to Jenna, who pursed her lips shut and shook her head. Steve put the spoon to his own lips and had to force himself not to gag. "Oh...this stuff is nasty!" he whispered for only Jaime's ear to pick up. "Yummy, good, Bug!" he said to Jenna, scooping up another spoonful and offering it to her.

"Mmmm...!" Jenna parroted, without parting her lips.

"Open the hangar – here's comes Colonel Daddy's airplane!" Steve said, swirling the spoon through the air and back toward the baby.

Jaime began to chuckle softly, already sensing what was coming next. "It's yummy good," Steve repeated. Jenna raised her hand toward the spoon as though about to take it herself, then tipped the spoon up and out of Steve's hand, sending it to the floor and the peas...onto the tip of Steve's nose.

"Mmmmm!" Jenna giggled, tipping the bowl over to join the spoon.

"Sweetheart," Steve said quietly to his wife, "our daughter says she's done."

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