So we got to the end - although there is a short epilogue so please come back for that.

Thanks so much for all the reviews and follows - you are all very generous and I appreciate you taking the time.

I did end up changing the original ending, much as I loved it and it made me laugh it was just too much of a stretch out of character for the moment at any rate (hopefully I can use the idea another time).


Chapter Four

Natasha had made her way to the elevator knowing that Steve had taken the stairs and not wanting to meet him en route. She took advantage of its reflective interior to regain her composure for the conversation she was now desperate to hold.

"Jarvis, please engage privacy mode for residential corridor B." She also wanted this conversation to be private – she needed some answers!

"Privacy mode engaged for the location as instructed." Natasha could have sworn there was an element of smugness in Jarvis' tone but dismissed that as purely fanciful.

She waited patiently, leaning against the wall opposite the entrance door to Steve's room knowing that he would be out before long, as was his habit.

Sure enough, within a few minutes he emerged, clad in a pristine white T-shirt and khaki pants, his hair neatly combed in his habitual style. Oddly enough, he didn't look particularly surprised to see her there.

"Hello Natasha, did you enjoy your viewing this morning?" he asked pleasantly.

It was rare in Natasha's life for her to be completely taken aback but this was one such occasion and, she realised, to an atypical feeling of disquiet, that for a split-second her face probably betrayed that fact.

"You knew…?" she hesitated.

"That you've been watching the security feeds? Well, I worked it out after a while…" he grinned, "…you suddenly finding me a TV programme I really need to watch once when I'm about to lose it and demolish a wall is one thing – three times in a month is beyond coincidence. Figured it was the only way you could be doing it."

She got no sense that he was angry but she could feel her jaw dropping yet again – he really had to stop doing this to her!

"I'm sorry if…" she started to speak but he interrupted again.

"Don't be. I'll admit I was a bit annoyed at first but then you stopped Thor from setting the kitchen on fire and, when I realised you hadn't mentioned it to anyone, I felt reassured that you were just looking out for us. Tony's been incredibly generous with the accommodation here but even with all his money he probably doesn't need to be rebuilding the gym every few days."

He punctuated this statement with a warm smile before looking directly at her with his more typically serious expression to impress on her the sincerity of what he was about to say.

"I guess sometimes I just get overwhelmed by the newness and strangeness of everything here and whilst I know everyone I knew before is long gone in real time, for me they were all still young and with me just a few months ago. So….I guess I just want to say….thanks for bothering enough to stop me from destroying the place."

Generally speaking, there was a better chance of piercing the skin of a steel-plated rhino with a feather than there was of permeating the Black Widow's armour-clad shell but this very brief acknowledgement of the inner turmoil she knew he had to be feeling made her feel honoured that she'd started to gain even a small amount of his trust. Oh he trusted them all in battle well-enough, he'd assessed their capabilities and weaknesses with stunning alacrity; but letting them in on a personal level was obviously something that was a lot harder for him.

"If you ever want to…you know…talk…" she said, a bit lamely. It wasn't an offer she would normally make. She did regard herself as being to emotional comfort what global warming was to the ice caps under normal circumstances, but there was something about the Captain and the sheer magnitude of his loss that made her want to reach out.

"Understood…" came the abrupt reply that suggested that this topic was now closed, for the time being at least, "…and thanks again." He softened the statement realising that the offer was as hard for her to make as it was for him to accept.

"So, what did you want to speak to me about?" His officer's demeanour had now returned in full force.

Natasha had to think for a moment, she'd been so thrown by his perceptiveness over the security feeds she'd almost forgotten the questions that had sent her scuttling up here from the den in the first place. She realised that there was no point in beating about the bush; Steve had answered her in a forthright and honest manner so she should address him similarly.

"Did you know you could lift the hammer?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "but I didn't realise there was this whole mythology about being worthy to lift it…I picked it up to move it the other day when Thor and I were sparring. He got really excited and wanted to tell everyone but I thought he was exaggerating and that surely other people could pick it up too. I'm not really sure what to think now."

"Well if it's about being worthy, I'd say you're the only one who'd qualify on that basis."

"I wouldn't say that," said Steve self-effacingly.

"I would!" Natasha stated unequivocally, emphasising her statement with one of those rare smiles few people were privileged to see. Steve graciously acknowledged the compliment although she suspected his modesty would never let him completely believe it – it really was a very endearing trait.

"Was there anything else?" he prompted, a glint in his eyes suggesting he knew full well there was.

"…Erm….did you forget to get dressed…?" she said tentatively.

At this, Steve did have the good grace to blush very slightly and even look a little bit sheepish. Natasha was quite relieved in truth, it was good to see normal service at least partially resumed. She was starting to wonder if this was the same reserved, almost painfully shy man she was used to seeing around the mansion.

"Well…." he started, "I knew who was in the living area already, and then I heard the noise they were making – so I followed your example and got Jarvis to show me the security camera feed." He grinned with a hint of what could only be described as mischief, an expression Natasha had never expected to see on his face but one that suited him surprisingly well.

He continued, "I don't know if those two have had some sort of bet or competition going but….let's just say…my things have been going missing whilst I'm taking a shower for a while now. Having grown up in orphanages and then lived in barracks….well it's not the first time I've encountered this kind of prank – it's kind of nice to know some people still find the same things funny after all this time. It just seemed like a good opportunity to give them what they wanted without either of them actually winning."

"How were you so sure it was them?" Natasha asked.

"Well, not wishing to infer anything, but I think if you were out to get me I'd have been well and truly "got" by now…" he grinned, "….you're a bit more subtle than they are. And I really don't think it's exactly Bruce or Thor's style. I do feel a bit guilty now though. I've had people do double-takes but I've never sent anyone through a window before – I hope Tony's really OK – and I'm just glad he missed Clint." He looked quite distraught that his actions could've potentially resulted in harm to his team-mates.

"I wouldn't worry, they'll be fine. Tony's done far worse both in and out of the suit and it'd take more than that to dent his ego significantly – I'll bet it's still visible from outer space; and Clint's survival instinct's second to none under any circumstances." Natasha paused a moment before continuing: "If anything, I think we're the ones who owe you an apology, for under-estimating you."

"No you didn't," he replied softly, "I think they were just been trying to get a reaction from me: It's all my fault, I've been so busy focussing on what I've lost, I'd forgotten to consider what I've gained as well."

"It's normal to grieve and, as you said, it's only been a short time for you."

"Yes, but I shouldn't allow it to stop me living now. Peggy, Bucky…none of them would have wanted me to wallow in self-pity about what I can no longer have. It's going to take a while and it's not like I could just forget about them all even if I wanted to – which I don't - but I'm also starting to realise that I'm incredibly lucky: I have a second-chance to make a difference." His face was open and sincere.

"We're all on second chances here Captain," she smiled. "The difference between you and us is that you did good the first time around – the rest of us are all just making amends. We should all remember that where we're standing at the moment wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you."

"Hardly…." He muttered, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, enough with the modesty and the being perfect all the time – you make the rest of us feel inadequate," her words were sharp but her tone was most definitely joking.

"Do you ever do anything wrong?" she said in mock frustration.

"Sometimes…" he said intriguingly.

"Really?"

"If I tell you, you've got to keep it quiet."

She leaned forward conspiratorially and he bent to whisper in her ear, very softly he said…

"I've been known to surprise the hell out of my team mates by walking in on them wearing only my boxers…."

"We're going to have to work on the whole openness thing aren't we Captain?" Natasha couldn't help giggling at his unexpectedly dry sense of humour.

"I think a few of us might benefit from that Agent," he returned cordially.

She couldn't argue with that. None of them was exactly falling over themselves to bare their souls, why should he be expected to do any different?

"I think we might want to omit Tony from that particular course though," she mused as they began to walk down the corridor back towards the living area.

"Good point," he agreed, "am I using the phrase 'too much information' correctly where he's concerned?"

She patted him gently on the shoulder and paraphrased:

"You know Steve? This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."