The rest of the drive was quiet as Parker soundlessly seethed in the back seat of the car. The trip back the Avenger's mansion took longer than it had to,

Parker noticing that Steve seemed to be taking his time on the return trip.

Steve glanced into his review mirror to see that Parker wasn't even going to look at him, the other man defiantly staring out of the window even though he was sure that Parker would have noticed he was taking his time by now.

Steve wanted to give him time, allow things to cool off before they arrived, and a little time in the car might give Parker a chance to sober up some too, though Steve was guessing that alcohol played only a small factor in the way he was behaving.

Steve sat back in the driver's seat and sighed as he tried to think of what to do next. Parker was right; he couldn't just lock him up in his room and throw away the key. How did you get a man to accept responsibility when he was acting like this?

Steve thought back to the lessons his own father had taught him when he was young, and felt a strong sadness for Parker, realizing that the other man must not have had much in the way of a good role model as a kid.

Steve's hands tightened on the wheel. Well, he wasn't going to give up on Parker; he was a good man who loved his family, he just needed a kick in the butt.

Steve opened the door to the car and Parker stepped out, giving him a frosty look. "Well, we're here. If you wanted to talk, start talking; I have some quality sinning to return to."

Steve shook his head at Parker, annoyed with the continued attempts to shock him. "Come on, then."

Steve walked with Parker along the broad long halls of the mansion to the room that Tony had designated as Parker's when it had become apparent that the man sometimes spent entire nights on the premises working.

Parker paused in front of the door as Steve opened it, "What, it this a gilded cage?"

Steve shook his head as Parker stepped inside with him, and took a seat in one of the room's soft upholstered chairs. "Actually, I just wanted to give us both time to settle down and think on what we've been talking about."

Parker stood there for a long moment giving Steve an angry glare as the other man stared back up at him with a sad look on his own face. Finally, Parker sat on another of the chairs with a sigh and waved at Steve, "Go on, give me the sermon; I can tell you're dying to."

Steve sat back as he contemplated how best to approach the situation without further provoking Parker's rather rebellious young nature. "Alright, let's make a pros and cons list of what's been happening lately to figure out where we are…."

Parker gave him a dull look, "Should I recline on the couch? I don't want a shrink; if you've got something you want to tell me fine, but don't waste my time with this shit; I've got better things to do."

Steve's brow drew down, "Yes, you want to keep throwing a tantrum because you don't feel like you can be the person you want to be, so you tell yourself that you're just a scumbag and take the easy road."

Parker scoffed, "Is that what you think? You don't know anything at all about me, old man; you don't know what I want and I'm not looking to be saved, 'hero', so you can fuck off now." Parker stood, "Well, if you're done sticking your nose into my life, I think we're done here."

Steve looked at him serenely a moment then stood, stepping over to Parker and placing a hand on his shoulder, shoving down hard and causing Parker to sit hard. "Sit. You are a liar, Parker, and I think that's the first thing we need to address."

Anger flashed across Parker's features at Steve sudden repeat violation of his personal space, "Fuck you! I haven't lied, and what the fuck do you care, anyways?"

Steve shook his head, "No, you've been lying to yourself for a long time. When I saw you with Briana I saw the only honest thing about you to note since meeting you. You've always seemed uncomfortable, like you had something to hide…"

Parker splayed his hands, "Exactly what the fuck do you think I'm hiding? I just told you back there that I intend to bone a whor…"

Steve cut him off, "That's exactly what I meant; I can tell you might do the things you say, but I can also see you're conflicted about it."

Parked shook his head, "Who made you the judge of that?"

Steve sighed and sat again heavily, "Like I said back there, I've been watching you, and I think you're more of an onion than you give yourself credit for."

Parker frowned, "Why do I have to be an onion? I hate onions."

Steve opened his mouth then stopped and smiled, realizing that Parker had been joking with him, which was a good thing. He took another tentative step in their conversation, "You betrayed the fact that you don't feel you could be reformed earlier, you said something about having been a crook…"

A dark look crossed Parker's face and he sat back, "Like you don't already know. I'm sure you are all together on the idea of putting an opponent out of the game by converting him like this."

Steve shook his head, "I've never heard about it before today, and I'm sure that the reason I haven't is because Janet respects your privacy." Steve leaned back and gave Parker a studious look, "From what I've seen, no one has been pushing you to do anything."

Parker grunted, "Bullshit, I've felt nothing but heat from you guys since I went out to this fucking mansion."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "Well, seeing as no one here except Janet even knew about your past, that would be impossible, and I don't appreciate being called a liar, Parker. You have yet to feel any 'heat' from me or anyone else here, too."

Parker shook his head, "Whatever." He slumped back into the chair he sat on, staring darkly at the floor.

Steve's brow furrowed as he watched Parker sulk, "Why don't you tell me a bit about your past? Obviously it weighs on you, because I've never seen you act like this."

Parker clucked his tongue, "You don't know the first thing about me, and I don't really feel like that's any of your business." Parker gave Steve an even glare, bracing his arms on the chair as if to rise, "Are we done now?"

Steve recoiled once more at the disrespectful manner and tone of the younger man, and sat there a moment, putting together how he should react. He was a man from a different time, literally, and Steve often had to work to acclimate to this current world's views.

For one thing, the youth seemed to be far ruder to their elders than Steve ever would have thought possible, and the people of this future accepted it as a matter of course. Steve sighed, pushing his reaction to Parker's attitude down; he had to remember that things were different now.

Parker's expression became even more disgruntled, "You falling asleep over there, old man? I told you we should be done now, because I'm done with this conversation." Parker watched him a second more and seemed to decide that it was enough, and stood again.

Steve's eye twitched and his jaw set in righteous conviction. He didn't care if things were different anymore; at least he didn't right now. Maybe this new way of thinking was what was wrong with the world.

Steve stood as Parker did, taking the younger man by the bicep in one powerful hand and pulling him over to his own seat. Parker's face registered surprise and annoyance as he grab ahold of Steve's hand in an attempt to pry himself loose, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

Steve's face betrayed only calm resolve though, as he sat himself back into his own chair, dragging the protesting Parker with him. With a swift, strong motion Steve hauled Parker into his lap, so that he lay prone over Steve's knees.

Parker punched out at Steve but found he had no leverage for an effective strike, cursing the whole while, "What the fuck?"

Steve took Parker's offending hand and neatly tucked it against the younger man's side, so that Parker couldn't use it to lash out or block him for what he planned to do next. With measured movements, Steve unfastened Parker's pants and pulled them down far enough to expose the other man's pale cheeks.

Parker hissed at the insult, kicking hard in an attempt to upset Steve's balance so that he might get the leverage needed to free himself. Steve paused in surprise for just a moment, not having expected Parker's speed or strength with his legs, but after a small adjustment, he threw his own thick leg into position, locking Parker's to the chair.

Parker struggled but Steve held him tightly, and he became furious at the Avenger for treating him like this. "You can't do this shit to grown men, asshole! Whatever fruity gay shit you did back in the day is outdated in addition to being homo. Let me go, or I'm telling the others what a fucking perv you are!"

Steve shook his head, insulted but not letting Parker see how much, "You know this is strictly punishment as well as I do, so feel free to tell them what I did to correct your behavior." Without another word Steve brought his hand down, smacking Parker smartly on his exposed backside.

Parker howled in rage and kicked hard, but knew that Steve didn't even feel his efforts. The serum that gave the soldier his strength made him ridiculously resilient. He cursed, panting with the efforts that yielded him nothing, "What right do you have to 'correct' me anyways? You're not my dad!"

Steve nodded, noting how angry this was making Parker. The younger man's face was flushed with the heat of his emotions to the same color of red that

Steve's even swatting was making his ass. "I'm not; why don't you tell me what your father would've done if he had known what you said to me?"

Parker went quiet, simply glaring at Steve, and the Avenger realized that he had struck true; apparently Parker's father wouldn't have approved of his behavior either. "He would've probably just hit me like a man instead of this gay-ass approach."

Steve measured out more even, powerful swats, watching with care that he didn't hit Parker too hard. The younger man bucked and seethed in a manner that made it clear that he was definitely hurt by the swats, though he tried to hide it. "I can't 'hit you like a man', Parker. You wouldn't be able to handle it, so I'm going to treat you like the punk kid you're acting."

Parker gritted his teeth both against the stinging pain Steve administered and the further insult of Steve stating that he 'couldn't handle it'. He looked back over his own shoulder at Steve with the most menacing glare he could manage, "You can't hold me forever, and when I get free I'm gonna kick your fucking ass!"

Steve realized he shouldn't goad Parker into being any angrier; it wasn't going to teach the young man anything, so he took a deep breath and tried again. "What was your father like, Parker?"

Parker's mouth shut into a tight line and his eyes watched Steve with loathing before he finally replied, "What the fuck do you care? What, you wanna see if he ran out on us too, so you can say 'like father like son'?"

Steve gave Parker a piercing look, "Is that what you feel; that you're doomed to follow in his footsteps?"

Parker fidgeted, the uncomfortable slapping making their conversation feel very one-sided. He bared his teeth at Steve, "Fuck off, I didn't ask for your help, Doctor Phil, and I sure as hell don't want your nosy opinions."

Steve sighed, continuing to pelt Parker's now deeply reddened cheeks with his flat palm, the way Parker shifted from side to side evidence that the punishment pained him. "I'll try not to smother you with opinions, then. I'm going to be as open-minded as I can be, but I think this nonsense about seeing a whore…"

Parker shouted at Steve in a fit of rage, "I said mind your fucking business! I'm a grown man and I'll make my own choices, fuck you very much."

Steve grew quiet and left Parker alone with the only the sound of the even swatting to keep him company. Parker winced a bit with each slap and lowered his head, finally stopping his struggles as the over-whelming certainty that he couldn't get free by fighting started to sink in.

Parker closed his eyes tightly and did his best to imagine he was someplace else, where captain fucking America didn't have him stretched out over his knee. He was totally sober now, the effects of the alcohol easily overridden by the intense sting in his buttocks.

Parker clenched his fists at his sides, feeling helpless and unable to stop from comparing the feeling to the one concerning John. As the steady discipline continued and Parker dwelled on not only how much he had screwed over his cousin, but also how much of an asshole he had returned to being, he started to wonder if he didn't deserve this humiliation.

Parker didn't look back at Steve, staring at the floor, but he suddenly stirred, speaking up, "I've cheated on her so many times it's not funny, why worry about once more?"

Steve paused; a little surprised that Parker would say this now. He finally replied in an understanding voice, "Because now you would be ruining everything you've worked to achieve."

Parker looked back at Steve, his eyes limned in water due to the intensity of his feeling, "And what the fuck is that? I sacrificed my own cousin to run away from my problems, and didn't even think twice about it!"

Steve answered calmly, "You have a girlfriend and daughter who love you. You have friends in the Avengers who would help you if you only asked."

Parker looked away angrily, "You people don't even know me, and Janet made it clear that you all think my own blood isn't worth saving from life in prison, even though he was innocent."

Steve sat silently for a moment and then nodded, "Parker, if you look me in the eye and tell me that your cousin is truly an innocent man, I'll back your efforts to see him released."

Parker looked back at Steve, his eyes studying the soldier whose word he knew would sway a court. He was torn between his desire to free John from the mess he had put him in and a new feeling, one that Steve had elicited simply by being himself.

This man was offering to help a known felon simply because Parker might be convinced he was innocent, and suddenly Parker didn't feel that telling Steve that his cousin was 'truly innocent' would be the right thing. Who was he kidding? John was a criminal, and had chosen to continue doing what they had been doing even after Parker had offered him a way out.

Steve watched Parker and sensed the sudden reluctance, "Have you told Sara about the other women?"

Parker frowned, "No. I… I think she would leave me if I did." Parker laid his head down, suddenly feeling tired and old despite his years. Why was he unloading on Steve like this? He had never shared with anyone like this, except maybe Luke.

Steve nodded again, "So you decided to straighten your life out, but you failed to be honest with her because you were afraid…"

Parker glanced back, anger rising again, "Fuck you, man; I'm not about to lose my daughter in a custody battle because of some mistake better left buried."

Steve was quiet a moment, "I think I can understand how conflicted that makes you. But has keeping it a secret made everything okay, or is it festering in your heart, making you feel guilt and ruining any chance you'll ever have at happiness? Sometimes we have to take steps that hurt us to profit in the long run."

Parker gritted his teeth angrily at Steve's fortune cookie wisdom, but he closed his eyes, realizing regardless that there was merit to the other man's words. He shifted uncomfortably, "Can I get up, now? You wanted your talk and we're having it; there's no reason for you to fucking bully me like this."

Steve lingered a moment and then nodded, but kept his grip on Parker, "On two conditions; one, you cut out the cussing and show some respect, at least as much as you can, and two; you go home to your family tonight and keep everything you've worked for."

Parker glared at Steve, hating him simply for making mandates, but he finally nodded, despite his frown. Steve let Parker up and the other man gently pulled up his pants, mindful of the painful swelling. Parker sat back down gingerly, trying not to betray how much the action stung.

Steve watched him, speaking once Parker was settled again, "I admire your loyalty to your family, Parker; I think it's one of your best traits, and I promise to see that John gets a fair trial. I can't help you with Sara, but I can give you one piece of advice…"

Parker listened, raising an eyebrow, "Oh, and what is that?"

Steve smiled grimly, "Shoulder what you've done and take the hurt you've caused her just like the punch you would have expected from me. Take it 'like a man', and you'll feel better for it; you'll feel free."

Parker only watched Steve's face, his own countenance thoughtful and brooding for a while. "I suppose I have always been fair at finishing what I've started…"

Parker sat alone in the living room of the apartment he shared with Sara. He could hear her crying in the other room, and the sound of it grated on his soul like a dull knife. He had tried to hold her when she had first started, right after he had told her about his infidelity, but she had pushed him away and run from the room.

Parker couldn't help but remember what she had said when she had almost discovered that he had cheated before; that she would leave him. Parker didn't feel very free right now; he felt shackled by the weight of what he had done to someone he loved, but he supposed these things took time to heal.

After a while Sara came out again and wiped the tears from her eyes. She had a suitcase in her hand and a determined look on her face, "I'm going to take Briana and head over to my mother's. Is there anything else you wanted to say?"

Parker stood, gulping back the hard lump in his throat. "Yeah, I had a few things…" Parker licked his lips, "For one; I'm sorry; I was stupid, and never wanted to hurt you. Two; I was hoping that if I told you up front, you might be more willing to give me another chance…"

Sara interrupted him, her anger rising to replace her grief, "You told me before that there was no one! You lied to my face, Parker, when I asked you to tell me the truth. Why should I forgive you now?"

Parker went down to one knee, pulling a small box from his pocket with shaking hands, and opening it to reveal a ring with a small diamond on it glinting inside. "Because I have been really trying to start fresh, and I want you to marry me; to be my one and only."

A long silence followed that left Parker's heart aching in worried anticipation, and finally Sara spoke, "Do you really love me, Parker? Or do you want to marry me because it'll make you feel like less of an asshole?"

Parker hesitated, and Sara nodded, "I thought so. I'll call you later, when I've got my head straight."

Sara left and Parker remained kneeling on the floor, his own heart breaking.

Sara surprised Parker in her approach to their separation; she moved out of his apartment to her mother's as promised, but stayed within the city even after she left her mother's place. She didn't seek to pursue custody of Briana in court, simply making a deal with Parker that both would spend equal time with their daughter.

As time passed Parker realized to his disappointment that though he and Sara occasionally went to see movies with Briana or visited a restaurant together, they were never going to be a couple again. With time, Parker started to understand what Steve had said, that the cost of his mistake had been to lose Sara.

On the bright side, though, Parker was still able to see his daughter, and he did in fact feel free, as if by telling Sara what he had done, they were able to be closer friends. He knew now that he hadn't really been in love with her, and perhaps it would all work out better this way.

They shared the next Christmas at the Avengers mansion again, except this time Parker mingled with everyone, happier as he watched countless smiling faces greet him than he could ever remember feeling.

The plate glass between allowed John to see clearly as Briana blew him a kiss, "Come home soon!"

John smiled affectionately as he sat on his side of the window, "I will if I can, sweety."

Parker gave his cousin a strained smile, knowing that it would be at least five more years before John would be free of his new home in prison. "You look good, cuz, never knew you'd be able to sport orange like that."

John frowned and rasped at Parker, "Asshole, go blow yourself."

Sara piped in, shaking a finger at John, "John, don't be teaching her those words; she can talk now and the last thing I need is you adding to her vocabulary."

John nodded soberly, "Sorry, ma'am." He glanced down at Briana where she sat in Parker's lap, "You don't listen to anything your mean ol' uncle John says, okay?"

Briana giggled and Parker leaned forward, looking at John's face carefully, "Cuz, do you have something on your face?"

John brought a hand to his face absently, "Oh, yeah, that. I got a shiner; just some punk who thinks him and his own the yard."

Parker's brow furrowed in worry, "Try not to do anything too stupid, okay?"

John smiled, "Who, me? Nah, I'm smart as they come, these pricks aren't gonna rule me. So are you still working for big boy Stark?"

Parker smiled, "Yeah."

Briana piped in, "Daddy is a super hero!"

John looked surprised and Parker cut in before he could get any ideas, "Perhaps if running a desk for the people who wear that title qualifies, sure. I wouldn't say there's much heroic about me, though."

John smiled widely, "Well, I agree with Briana. I may hate it here, but it's only made it that much more clear what being a lifer here would have been like, and I know I owe you for dodging that bullet. You're my hero, too, Park."

"Brooding again?"

Parker turned to see Steve had moved up behind him, and he shrugged, "Just thinking about how crazy the last few years have been."

Both men stood outside of the Avenger's mansion, Parker having come to work early, a change that started due to his want to be away from home. It was too quiet there, with Briana over at Sara's place for the next few days.

Steve smiled, "I hear you and Clint are inseparable now."

Parker smiled back, "He plays a mean game of pool, and I know I can jibe at him without him taking offense…" Parker's eyes wandered over the grounds, as if looking for the target of his disdain, "Not like some people, anyways."

Steve laughed, "Well, you won't see much of Pietro anymore; I hear he's moved west. He's never had much of a sense of humor anyways, so it's probably not your fault." Steve took a moment to enjoy the cool air a moment, "How's your mother?"

Parker looked up surprised, but Steve waved off his unasked question, "Janet told me you visit her often and that her health isn't very good, that's all. Is she doing alright now?"

Parker shook his head sadly, looking down. "Nah, she's never going to be better; apparently the doctors say she has an incurable case of degenerating dementia, or something like that."

Steve frowned in sympathy and put a hand on Parker's shoulder, "I hate to impose, but would you mind if I visited her with you the next time you went?"

Parker raised an eyebrow at this, "Why would you want to do that?"

Steve smiled at him, "Because I want to tell her as soon as possible that her son took on a hard life and came out a good man."