Loss

Chapter 3: the stories we tell

Hey everyone! I'm back for a new edition of Loss! This chapter is going to be a lot bigger than my others and will contain those surprises ;-). Have fun and R&R!

"You guys are also going to hear a lot of "I'm starting off when I was born because my mother died in child birth." Steve started again, ignoring the team's sympathetic faces. "And like I said before, wait for me to finish, it might get confusing." With a deep breath he continued. "Now my father blamed me for my mother's death, he took care of me for a couple of years but as I grew older I guess I reminded him of her." He went on with a bitter edge to his voice. "He told me we were going for ice cream, a rare treat, on the way back he started apologizing. Next thing I knew he abandoned me at the orphanage." I went into a sort of depression I wouldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and had selective mutism. After about a year or two I was in really bad heath, the orphanage was dirty and full of vermin. Then Bucky arrived and we became friends, he was able to pull me out of it. But the damage was already done, I grew up sick, malnourished, picked on by others, and abused.

Roll forward a couple years to freshman year in high school, I was in my usual place, ignoring the bullies who tried to get a rise out of me. A group of girls walked by and a beautiful redhead stalked over and told the other boys to back off and leave me alone. They left and she asked me my name, I told her and dumbstruck asked her hers, I wasn't used to pretty girls, or any girls for that matter talking to me." A wistful look had passed over Steve's face. "She told me her name was Peggy Carter, then asked me if I would walk her to class. I, of course, said yes and we hit it off."

Flash forward and we had been dating for a few years. We were juniors and there was a party, we went and like the stupid teenagers we all were decided to smuggle alcohol to spike the drinks. Me and Peggy got drunk and accidentally took it too far, a few months later found out she was carrying. Her parents were sympathetic and gave us some money to buy an apartment and get started, we both got jobs and we fudged our birth certificates so we were eighteen instead of sixteen. Her father was a high ranking military officer and approached us a couple months later with a position for Peggy after the babe was born and could be without its mother for extended periods of time." He stopped to take another deep breath.

"A couple of days past her due date we were on our toes and I was flat out losing it. I was extremely worried for her, my thoughts drifting to my mother, not wanting the same thing to happen to Peggy. I was making breakfast when her water broke. I rushed her to the hospital and held her hand throughout the whole thing, I was surprised she didn't break my hand." Steve let out a small chuckle. The team's minds were running wild, the cap had a kid, when did it die? omg poor cap!

Steve got a faraway look in his eye, "We named her Elizabeth, she was perfect, my little angel." Then his eyes hardened, "When I held her for the first time I promised her and myself that I would NEVER abandon her like my father did."

"We took her home and raised her, I stayed home to watch her when her mother was away. When she was almost eight is when I was approached by Doctor Erskine, Peggy had mentioned me to him and he was interested. Then the serum and you know a bit of what happened after." They knew he had sold war bonds then became an actual Captain after a one man rescue mission.

Steve's voice grew soft, "Me and Peggy decided to act like we hadn't met so we could keep Elizabeth a secret and therefore safe." His voce then started to crack, "But it wasn't enough, HYDRA discovered her." The Captain was openly crying now face in his hands. "While we were overseas they, they TOOK her, they took my little girl, we got back after Bucky died and she was gone, her Nanny slaughtered." Sobbing he continued, "I promised her I wouldn't abandon her, I left and she was gone. She was never found, and it kills me that to this day I never found out what happened to her."

They were silent for a full five minutes before Natasha got up and pulled Steve into her arms. She looked at the others lost, many emotions played out on their faces, anger, sadness, sympathy, horror, surprise, among others. Tony was the first to speak,

"What if I help you find out what happened to your daughter?" Tony almost flinched at the look of desperate hope on Steve's face, he just had to open his big mouth didn't he. "But I might have to hack shield again…"

"Do it." Steve said, a fierce glint in his eyes.

Well… how was THAT? The hunt is on! Please review, I will also take into consideration any suggestions made.