Steve dozed on the couch in the lounge as James snuggled against his side, watching cartoons. The sponge show was on again. Steve had attempted to follow along for a few minutes, but checked out somewhere involving a squirrel with an underwater tree. It was possible he was distracted by the dull throb still present in his groin from the punch he'd taken, but he couldn't make heads or tails of this show. He missed the days when a rivalry between a cat and mouse was the pinnacle of animated achievement. There was no practical way to understand this Spongebob show and he fully sympathized with his regular self's urge to limit it. Still…James seemed to like it. As did Sam.

"I went to college!" James and Sam both shouted along with a one-eyed character, startling Toby who had been asleep under the coffee table. Steve had no questions about Natasha's tactical disappearance, though she was supposedly checking when Bucky would return. Steve forced himself to remain calm about the prospect of seeing his best friend again – if Bucky even occupied that role anymore. Natasha and Sam certainly provided competition for the title, assuming it was a single thing. Steve wished for the umpteenth time that he could remember the past eight years.

He still didn't have any answers about what Wanda might do to heal his mind, beyond what he'd gleaned earlier about her powers. She was sitting on the sofa across from him, but he felt uneasy asking about it. She was an Avenger. If that weren't enough, he could take comfort in the fact that if she were truly dangerous James wouldn't be allowed around her. She seemed to feel his gaze and looked toward him with a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" He sincerely hoped she couldn't read his thoughts. "Oh, sure."

Her smile both widened and managed to look guiltier. "He does hit hard."

"Oh, that." Steve shifted slightly, more thankful than usual for the serum's benefits, even if he still ached. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Dr. Cho has not found any problems yet?" She tapped her finger against her temple, as if the question needed clarification.

"No. Not yet."

"She will. She is brilliant."

"Uh huh."

James piped up, "It's hard to find it when Daddy's sick because he heals so fast. It doesn't still hurt where I hit you, does it?"

"Nah, I'm fine, buddy."

"Good." He suddenly bounced in Steve's lap as a new title card appeared. "Sam, this is the one with…"

"Man Ray! I know!"

Steve forced himself not to grimace as James bumped against him again. Wanda shook her head and smiled. He had no idea what she may have done to make anyone think she was dangerous. Of course, Natasha didn't exactly look threatening at first glance either and he'd met her on the SHIELD helicarrier. He leaned his head back against the couch as he thought about the first time he'd seen her. He hadn't questioned her abilities when Coulson had introduced them on the flight deck, taking it for granted that she was just another agent. Seeing her catsuit for the first time had changed his mind pretty quickly, even if he hadn't seen her in action until later.

He was lost in memories of fighting beside her in New York, remembering how well they both fit under his shield, when she appeared above him. She reached around his shoulders to embrace him before she settling her hands on James' arms. "Guess what? I talked to Maria and she says Uncle Bucky will be back tonight."

"Awesome!"

"Are you watching Spongebob?"

Without missing a beat or turning away from the TV, Sam offered, "Steve said it was okay."

"I never…" He stopped protesting as Natasha turned his head with a finger under his chin and kissed him soundly. When she pulled back, he amended, "Well, Sam's been really good today, so I thought he deserved a reward."

"Hey!" Sam was immediately distracted by the cartoon. "Oh! The Orb of Confusion!"

James was now standing next to Sam, practically vibrating with excitement. "It's coming up!"

Steve allowed Natasha to take his hand and lead him out of the room as Sam and James began an odd refrain of 'm' sounds that caused the dog to join in with a howl. They continued in silence through the hallway to their suite. The door had barely closed when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into deep kiss. His arms encircled her torso like that was their true purpose. She pressed against him and he could feel her fingers dragging down his back and tracing along his waistband. His jeans began to get uncomfortably tight. Just as he was wondering if he should suggest moving into the bedroom, she stepped back. "Whew! Sorry. Pregnancy hormones. Unpredictable horniness has been a great fringe benefit and only occasionally problematic."

"Really?"

"As far as you know," she replied with a wink. "I didn't actually pull you away with the intention of seducing you, though."

Curiosity wasn't strong enough to override disappointment, but he asked, "What, then?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Bucky knows about your memory issue and he's ready to do whatever he can to help."

"And you needed to get me alone to tell me that?"

She slipped her hands over his shoulders and up the sides of his neck. "I also wanted to ask you how you're doing with the news about Bucky. You were a little shocked when you found out this morning."

"Only a little?" He couldn't remember his worry as clearly as he could remember her lying on top of him, calming him down with contact and kisses. "I'm okay, I guess. Or as well as any of the other stuff I've found out about in the past two days."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I will be once I get my memory back." He clumsily segued into his next thought, "Any chance Wanda could help with that?"

Natasha dropped her hands with a frown. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything about that."

"I just want to know why. She seems like a good kid and I know James wouldn't be allowed around her if she was dangerous. I don't get the feeling that she'd hurt me. Why can't she give it a try?"

"Steve, you've trusted everything I've told you so far. Please just trust this and drop it."

"I wouldn't even know about it if you hadn't mentioned it, so…was that not a hint?"

"You are the most stubborn…" She dropped onto the sofa and patted the spot beside her. He moved slowly as he crossed the room, waiting for her to nod before he tried to sit. When he had quietly settled in, she said, "I should just let you remember this on your own, but…when we met Wanda, she was working against us."

He waited for a moment, watching her thoughtful expression, before prompting, "And?"

"And she used her powers. She got to all of us. It was…it was a rough thing, but you held up better than the rest of us. Not a big shock, considering you're you…"

"Nat, I…" He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. He felt her breath hitching. Knowing she was on the verge of tears affected him in ways he couldn't have anticipated. He pulled her closer. "What happened to you?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "You can talk to me."

"I know, Steve. We've had this conversation."

He tried to ignore her lips sucking his Adam's apple, hoping he would succeed before she distracted him further. "Would it, uh, would it be so terrible if we had it again?"

"Yeah." She didn't smile but she snuggled against him, burrowing into his embrace. "I love you. I just…I remembered my life before I joined SHIELD and how you never could have been a part of it.. You, though…you remembered what your life used to be. You danced with Peggy. It was like you and me…we never…"

"Nat…oh, Nat…" He tried to think of a time he hadn't been obsessed with the scent of her hair and failed even without his memories. "I don't want to imagine a life without you."

"Thanks." He felt her relax into his body the longer he held her. "It's funny…I mean, not funny, but…I hadn't thought about this in so long."

"What?"

"No, it's just…I remembered the Red Room. I…you know this already, but I was forcibly sterilized. I wasn't supposed to be able to…but we have James, who is so... and we're going to have…" She placed her hand on her stomach as tears welled in her eyes. "Sorry. Like I said – hormonal."

"It's okay." The ring on his left hand had stopped feeling odd yesterday, replaced by confidence if not assurance. He wanted to be with Natasha and no one else. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She kissed him with confidence that let him guide her to their bed not long afterwards.