A/N: Hey guys! So, hopefully, this is the last chapter! Enjoy!
Everyone was silent for what seemed like hours before they all spoke at once.
"You're getting married!?" They shouted, earning more stares from everyone in the diner.
"Well, congrats bud!" Tony said, getting up and patting Steve on the back before moving to hug Maria, only to stop when she glared at him.
"Well, I can't say we didn't see it coming." Jane said, taking a sip of her coffee and smiling at both of them.
"I already knew, so of course i'm okay with this." Natasha said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.
"As did Danny and I. I feel old now," John started, turning to look at Maria before turning his gaze to Emily, "You're not aloud to get married until you're Danny's age."
Emily rolled her eyes, "Uh huh. Good luck keeping me from getting married for fifteen years." She said, watching as her dad and Danny hugged Maria and shook Steve's hand.
"Hey, Maria! You can rub it in our Aunt Shawna's face the next time we see them...and you guys can now adopt Alexa!" Danny said, earning a disapproving look from John.
"That's what I said!" Emily exclaimed, high fiving her older brother.
"We're seeing that side in December right? We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I might as well because that child would be safer with us than with them."
"Yes, Maria, we're seeing them in December. I'm surprised that they even want us to go this year. Try to be civil with Shawna," John started, leaning over to whisper in Maria's ear, "But feel free to put her in her place."
"I will, Dad." She said, ignoring the confused looks from everyone else at the table as her phone buzzed, indicating that she got a text message.
You have the same number, right? If not, i'm going to feel completely stupid. Want to hang out with me and Amara today? Steve can join too.
~Jake
She quickly typed a reply;
We're actually swimming with the dolphin's today. You and Amara can join though. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind.
~Maria
"Well, are we ready to go?" Tony asked, paying the bill and getting up, the others following him out the door.
As soon as the group arrived, they met Jake, who was actually in civilian clothes today, and Amara, and they went in the direction of the dolphin area where they met with the trainer.
"I take it you folks are interested in interacting with our dolphins?" He asked, shaking everyone's hand.
"Well, i'll stay with Jace this time." John said, carefully taking the infant from Pepper and heading over to the bench before anyone could ask questions.
"Okay then. Come with me and I will get all of you fitted into some wet suits. We have a special wet suit incase any of you can't swim."
Jake elbowed Maria, "Does that apply to you, Maria?"
"Jake, don't tease her." Amara reprimanded, glaring at him.
"No, it doesn't apply to me actually. I learned a few days ago." She said, glaring at Thor and Jane.
"She is still mad, lady Jane."
"Not mad. Just annoyed." Maria said, smiling sweetly at them as she undressed so that she was just in her black bikini and put the black, tight wetsuit on.
Natasha helped Lili into her's as the trainer started going over safety.
"Just a few safety rules though. Do not approach a Dolphin without a trainer present, and please be gentle with them. If they get scared, they can and will act in self defense. If anyone wants too, we will also have one on one time with the dolphin's in which time all of you can have some dorsal fin rides. Sound good? Great." He said, nodding his head and leading the group out into the dolphin lagoon where two other trainers stood.
"The water is so clear." Betty said, shocked to actually be able to see the bottom of the lagoon.
"Yeah. It's beautiful." Bruce said, holding her hand in his as their trainer, a young woman named Faith, lead their group consisting of them, Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint, and Lili.
Each trainer had a group of four, with the exception of the older trainer, Luke, who had his group consisting of Jake, Amara, Maria, Steve, Thor, and Jane.
"Congratulations by the way," Jake said, nodding to the engagement ring on Maria's hand, "that wasn't there when I saw you yesterday."
"We just got engaged last night, so I suppose you wouldn't have seen it." Steve said, trying to sound as polite as possible.
Jake leaned in and whispered in Maria's ear, "He doesn't like me, does he?"
"He's just over protective. A lot of crap has happened in the last year." She said, looking at Steve, who nodded in agreement.
"Aye. We do get over protective of our ladies." Thor said, putting an arm around Jane's shoulders.
"Yeah, Jake. You were the same way with my guy friends." Amara said, crossing her arms as the trainer called a Dolphin over.
"This is Sandy. She's very friendly to people...most people anyway. Dolphin's can actually detect people's moods, so they won't want to go near you if you're in a bad one." Luke said, waiting for someone in the group to approach.
In the end it was Maria, who reached her hand out and pet the animal on the head.
The Dolphin whistled in response and nuzzled Maria's hand with her nose.
"She likes you. Would you like a dorsal fin ride?"
"I probably shouldn't. I'm too..."
"Maria if you say you're too heavy, I will slap you." Jane said, glaring at her.
"She's right. Your hundred and twenty pounds is nothing compared to my two hundred and forty." Steve said, watching in amusement as his fiancee gently and cautiously grabbed hold of the dorsal fin.
"Wow look at Maria go." Natasha said as Lilith returned from her dorsal fin ride on a dolphin named Ruby.
"Again again!" She shouted, letting go of the dorsal fin as Clint picked her up.
"Your turn, Nat." Clint said, nodding to the dolphin that bobbed it's head up and down.
"It won't bite, will it?"
"You're kidding, right?" Tony asked, raising an eye brow at her.
"Well you never know, Tony." Pepper said, coming to Natasha's defense as the redhead grabbed hold of the fin as well, the trainer blowing her whistle and the dolphin took off.
The group continued to swim with the dolphin's until around dinner time when they had to get changed back into their clothes and leave the park.
"Maybe i'll come visit you in New York." Jake said, giving Maria a hug,
"Well, you would know where to find me. Just call first before you get there." She said, giving a soft smile.
Jake always had a habit of calling Maria when he was right outside her front door whenever the two of them happened to be on leave at the same time. He had always called her and said, "mind if I come over?" and whether she said yes or no, he'd say, "Too bad. I'm already here" which would get her into a lot of trouble with John and Diana, but it was usually once he left that she'd be in trouble. Jake never had a clue.
Jake nodded and shook everyone's hand once more before he and Amara got into their car and left.
Steve put his arms around Maria's waist.
"Having fun, darlin'?" He asked, kissing her on the cheek.
"Yeah. At first I wasn't, but now I am. We should have these trips more often." She said, moving to kiss him on the lips only to be rudely interrupted.
"Hey! Wait until we actually eat dinner before you two start kissing!" Tony called from the van, honking the horn.
Maria and Steve both rolled their eyes and got into the van.
This wasn't such a bad bonding experience after all...
A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)
About the mention of the little girl in the last chapter, I renamed her Alexa for those that may have been confused. You guys will actually meet her in one of my next stories, the Falling Back sequel, and I will write a two shot about the whole Christmas reunion with Maria's family. The sequel will mainly be Clintasha based, but Maria and Steve's wedding will be included in the sequel :)