*blushes happily* You have no idea how much your kind words mean to me! I really hope that you like this chapter!

"You did what?!"

At least Steve had the decency to look scared at his wife's fury at him for being so careless. Confessing to her that he went off on his own to find a psychopath wasn't how Peggy expected her husband to greet her for the day. "They could have killed you! And then you went and brought Loki into this! Thor would kill you if he learned about that! Why didn't you tell me?!" Peggy demanded as her voice steadily rose higher and higher; her brown curls flopped downwards slightly covering her raging face. She hardly ever lost her control like that, so this proved just how upset she was by Steve's confession of what he did when he found Bucky again after he had just gotten a call from Loki saying that he had something.

"I was the only one who he had seen before!" Steve tried to defend his action although to win an argument against Peggy was rarer than fish learning ballet. Steve had his hands out in front of him like the barrier could keep his Peggy's wrath away from him. "He wouldn't trust anyone else! I had to try something! Was I supposed to just leave Bucky alone with those-"

"It's not about that!" Despite the height difference, Peggy could make a seven foot wrestler cower in fear over her angry features. Steve stayed frozen in his spot a foot away from her while they argued in their kitchen. "It's about the fact that you went behind my back! I would have helped you! You know that I would have! So why didn't you say anything?"

Of course Steve knew that she would have helped him, he never doubted she had his back; but trust wasn't the issue here. "I couldn't risk you losing your job if I messed up!" Steve insisted desperately. If he had told Peggy and she followed Rumlow to see where their hideout was, they could have lost the investigation since they didn't have a warrant. Since Steve had placed the tracer instead of someone in the police department, he and he only would be held accountable if this tracker was a bust.

"That doesn't matter to me!" Peggy entreated Steve to understand. "I would rather help you fight for what's right than keep my job!" She breathed heavily as her dark brown eyes glared at her husband exasperatingly. She loved him with all her heart but why did he have to keep doing things that could get him hurt? She didn't even want to think of what would have happened if this Rumlow guy had figured out what Steve was up to.

Steve ran his fingers through his light hair warily. Like he said before, Peggy rarely lost a fight. "Peggy, please," Steve knew that he should have told her but they needed to deal with this later. "Loki called and said that we should go see what he found. Please, can we wait until after we see what it is? I give you full permission to kick my ass later."

Peggy's lips pressed almost painfully against each other. Hands on her hips, her nails dug into the fabric of her skirt. Steve was right. Catching these monsters were more important that this argument…right now at least. "Fine." Steve breathed a sigh of relief that he would survive for a few more hours. "But we are not keeping secrets from each other anymore." Her strong, warning tone had Steve wonder how he ever ended up with such an amazing women like Peggy Carter.

"Promise." Steve vowed with such promise that Peggy believed him without a shadow of a doubt. She would follow Steve to the edge of the world and not have a doubt that this was the right thing to do.

MARVELMARVELMARVEL

"It took me all night but I have news. Instead of trying to impress you with my rather impressively worthy computer skills, I'm just going to skip to the good news." Loki immediately sensed the tension in the room when Peggy Rogers and her husband came into his empty forensic lab. Peggy's arms were crossed across her chest; a sure sign that she was disagreeing with how something was handled. Steve however, had his hands stuffed nervously in his pockets; another sure sign that Steve had done something that could potentially get him in some trouble.

This should be fun to observe.

Soon Thor joined them, as instructed via a text he had gotten from his brother. A huge grin was placed on Thor's face when he laid eyes on Loki and his little brother tried to hide his happiness at knowing that the smile was aimed just for him. He and his brother hadn't been this close in far too long…he hadn't admitted it aloud but this?...It was nice…better than nice. And somehow Jane had welcomed into the family despite the fact that Thor and Loki had fixed their…disagreement only a month before Jane and Thor married four years ago. Four years and the brother's relationship was better than when they left it.

Seeing how his audience was now all together, Loki straightened his green shirt labeled God of Mischief shirt, smoothed down his pure white lab coat and swung his spiny chair to face his computer. Peggy and Steve stayed close together with no hint of personally space while Thor naturally took his place at his brother's side as usual.

"So after Steve had placed the tracer-" Loki tried to begin before being interrupted.

"What tracer?" Thor demanded suspicious, head spinning towards Steve to which Peggy instantly stepped in front of her husband protectively.

"You can fire him later." Loki snapped as his fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed out the information he needed to show. Thor nodded slowly at his brother;s words yet his eyes stayed on Steve curiously.

"I don't even work here."

"Shut up. Now," Here Loki stopped typing, revealing on the screen a red dot that beeped softly as it was settled in the middle of the screen that was showing street names and routes. "This destination is Rumlow." Loki assessed as he pointed to the red dot. "If I'm right, which I always am, this is where you'll find the trafficking ring is located."

"You're sure?" Peggy breathed in hope. She never doubted Loki Odinson's skills when it came to information. He was the smarted man in the room no matter where he was. If he said he found out where the ring was located, he meant it. Yet she hardly dare believe that this was the answer to the case. The ring moved around almost all the time. It was growing increasingly difficult to find the victims. This case could finally be over? They could save the victims?

'I'm positive. Do what you gotta do, because if they find the tracer, they'll be in a new spot within the hour."

Peggy and Thor wasted no time whatsoever to flip out their phones from their pockets and start calling in for backup and permission from director Fury to go in.

"You need to go home. Wait until I call you. I'll tell you when we find Bucky." Peggy's voice was urgent as she turned to face Steve as Thor was quickly relaying orders for where the department needed to meet.

As an answer, Steve cupped the back of Peggy's pale neck and gently pulled her forward, pressing his lips against her own. "Love you." Steve sighed tenderly.

"Love you too." She said with absolute devotion before bringing him back in for a short peck on the lips again and rushing out the door, heading to her department with a strut that would make any grown man cower.

"Great job brother." Thor said with affection as he squeezed excitedly at Loki's shoulder. If everything went right, this nightmare would be over.

"It's a gift." Loki shrugged knowingly yet his smile was kind.

Thor couldn't stop his grin though, making Steve feel like he should leave the brothers and give them privacy. "Go home Loki, we'll call when we need you." Thor brushed his fingers in concern over Loki's black hair, seeing the dark circles under his little brother's eyes and knowing that he hadn't slept since the tracker was activated...and maybe nor even before.

Loki nodded without a fuss and patted Thor's back tenderly, a silent word of thanks was sent through that touch and soon Loki left. following Steve out the door of the office.

MARVELMARVELMARVEL

Steve looked at his blank phone for the tenth time in just one hour. It had been several hours since Peggy and Thor headed out to infiltrate the sex trafficking ring. He swallowed heavily and gets up from the sofa to walk to the door. Peeking out the window, he sees that his wife has not yet returned and can't help the fact that the first thing he feels is fear. Fear for his Peggy, for his friends, for the victims…and for Bucky.

This case was taking a personal toll on him...maybe because he felt like he should have been able to do something. To be at his wife's side and help make this world a safer place. Bullies come from every place, no matter where one lives, but if he could help bring down even one person who was hurting others, Steve would do it with no thought of his own safety.

They have gone on countless runs like this, where they are surrounded by danger and Steve never had any doubt that Peggy would walk out alive. But this case was different. It didn't make any sense but it was unlike the other cases and Steve just needed to hear from Peggy, to know that she wasn't going to be unable to call him ever again. Sighing frustratingly, Steve shoved his phone back in his pocket and has the mindset to leave this house and go to find the others. He opens the house door with a fierce pull, fully intending to walk around to get some fresh air (and maybe "accidentally" wander to where Peggy is and see what he can do), when an unexpected sight stops him in his tracks.

There, lying in his porch curled up into a tight ball with ripped black clothes and recent bruises on his face, was Bucky.

I honestly wasn't even close to being done with this chapter because of the endless amount of school I need to get done but I read the reviews and I had a powerful urge to finish this chapter! I hope you enjoyed!