Sorry this is a little later than planned. I had it almost ready to go late last week and then suddenly had an idea to take it another direction that I thought would work better. I hope you agree. Though, since you didn't read the first draft, you really won't know, would you.

Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews. I got the impression that you liked Bucky.

All For Jesus: Thank you. Glad you liked and glad I made you smile.

Qweb: Destiny, indeed. In the draft, his name was Scruffy, but then I was trying to think of something to really draw Steve to this dog, and it suddenly hit me.

The Red Fedora: I thought he was :)

Loki's Army0602: Never. In fanfic, all things are possible

Sandy-wmd: Yup. Fluffy puppies

dontstopthelove15: Thanks, but Maria said 'never' to getting her own dog...

iammarvelgirl: Shelter animals and the people who help them are cool. When I started thinking about a dog for Steve, a senior one just seemed appropriate

Michael's Dirty Diana: Glad you are enjoying the story. It's always nice to welcome a new reader

TT: Thanks. I hope this next chapter is all you were hoping for

kali rogers: Thank you. Like I said, the name just hit me out the blue and it just felt right.

Swallows Fly as Free as a Bird: Sorry I made your heart implode. Not really. I like this duo as well and am glad that you enjoy my interpretation.

New followers and favoriters: Welcome aboard. I appreciate every one of you and hope I continue to live up to your expectations.

You are the jello pudding pops in my freezer.

I had mentioned in the last chapter that the next one would be a little more serious. Turns out, that chapter has gotten pushed back a couple of spots, so this one is another light and (hopefully) sweet one. It's not quite as fluffy. No puppies.

Now, on with the story. Oh, usual disclaimers.

Stroll 10

After her morning workout with Natasha, Maria had joined Steve and the other Avengers at the tower for their regular breakfast buffet.

"Is the new apartment working out alright for you, Agent Hill?" Pepper asked.

Maria looked up from the notes she was going over. "It's fine, Ms Potts. It's nice to have a place away from work where I can relax a bit more. Guess I never realized how much of my 'free' time I actually spent working on things there. It's also nice to not have to tote my clothes back and forth when I come over here to work out with Nat."

Tony looked up from his breakfast. "Looks like the Widow clocked you pretty good there, Hill."

At her puzzled look, he rubbed at his jaw. "Your jaw's a little swollen on the left side."

"Oh," she commented, returning to her notes.

"Or did things get interesting with the Captain last night?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

She looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Are you going to apologize for that comment, Stark, or am I going to have to wrap my hands around your throat and choke it out of you?"

"Touchy, aren't we?" he asked with a grin. Pepper placed a warning hand on his arm.

Standing, she placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward. "No. Downright pissed that you could even insinuate that Steve would hurt me."

Steve gently laid a hand on hers. "It's okay, Maria."

"He's just being Tony," Bruce interjected.

Maria suddenly slapped the table.

"Yeah, he's just being his normal jerk self. Isn't that what we always say? Don't we always let him get away with everything just because he's 'being Tony'?"

Tony held up his hands in surrender. "I was joking, Hill."

"Jokes are funny, Stark. Beating people isn't funny," she stressed. "It wasn't funny when my father did it and it wouldn't be funny now. It's not a topic for joking."

Tasha, Clint, Pepper and Bruce watched with wide, curious eyes, wondering what would happen next.

Tony finally nodded. "You're right. It's not a topic for joking. I'm sorry."

She straightened but still maintained her glare.

"And just for the record," he glanced to Steve, "I never thought for a moment that Steve would or could deliberately hurt you. That's not who he is."

His remarks seemed to placate her. With one final sip of her coffee, she grabbed up her mobile. "This has been fun, but I have to get to work," she told them. "I'll be seeing you later," she told Clint and Natasha. It was more of a statement than question.

Steve and Bucky followed her out to the landing pad where her helicopter waited.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her.

"Everything's fine," she told him, bending down to scratch the dog behind the ears. He sighed with pleasure, closing his eyes.

"You got a little intense in there, sweetheart. You know that no one took Stark seriously," he told her.

"Fine," she spat. "Excuse me for standing up for you. Next time I'll just let him badmouth you to his little heart's delight." She spun around and started to climb into the chopper.

He quickly followed, touching her arm to draw her attention. "I didn't say that, Maria. I appreciate you standing up for me."

She patted his hand with a sigh. "Sorry. I suppose I may have gone a bit overboard. Do you think I should apologize?"

"No. You had a good point. Sometimes he goes a little too far to make a joke. It's just that you usually let stuff like that roll of your back," he told her. "You know that responding to him will usually just encourage him to keep going."

Taking his hand in hers, she nodded. "Sorry. I haven't been sleeping well and it's got me a little irritable I guess."

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" he asked, concern on her face.

"Just things," she told him, waving dismissively.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Are those 'things' the reason you haven't been eating much lately either?"

"I just had breakfast with you," she protested.

"No," he corrected, "You drank coffee and pushed the food around your plate."

She shrugged, not denying his claim. "Just a lot of stuff going on," she told him.

"Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help," he answered, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. When his lips contacted her skin, she jumped slightly, pulling away.

"Gotta run. See you later," she told him, climbing aboard.

XXXXXXXXX

Later, at headquarters, he approached the elevator, standing behind two staff members already waiting.

"I won't be able to go with you tonight. Deputy Director Hill assigned me to a week on kitchen duty," he heard the young man complain.

"What did you do?" he was asked.

"I was 15 minutes late turning in a report she had asked for," he said, disbelief in his voice.

"Consider yourself lucky," the woman told him. "I heard that Martin got two weeks in the kennels for not cleaning his weapon after target practice."

"Must be PMS'ing," the man answered.

The female snorted. "I cannot imagine what Captain Rogers sees in her."

Steve cleared his throat, causing them both to turn with a guilty start. "For one, she doesn't talk about people behind their backs," he said. "And, she pays attention to her surroundings, like knowing who's in hearing range before she starts talking."

The duo mumbled excuses and apologies, quickly scurrying away.

A bit concerned by their comments and her behavior earlier in the day, he pulled out his phone and sent her a quick text.

Doing okay?

Her response was quick and brief.

Fine. Busy.

He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Noting the time, he swung by the cafeteria to grab some juice and a tuna sandwich, then headed to her office.

"Brought you some lunch," he told her, holding up the bottle and the takeout bag.

She took the juice bottle, eying the sandwich with apprehension. He unwrapped it and held it out to her. "You really need to eat something, Maria."

"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry," she told him.

"Your mouth says 'no' but your eyes say 'yes'." With a sigh, he set the sandwich down and reached to cup her cheek. She pulled back before he could make contact.

"Toothache?" he asked.

She nodded. "The dentist told me a while back that I needed to have my wisdom teeth out on that side before they started causing problems, but I've just been too"

"Scared?"

She glared at him. "Busy."

"You know it's just going to get worse if you don't do something about it," he reminded her gently.

"Yeah. Ignoring it sure doesn't seem to be working," she agreed, lightly rubbing her swollen jaw. "I'll talk to Fury about it and see if I can arrange something."

"Soon," he urged.

Three days later, she woke up in the recovery room of a local oral surgeon. The nurse checked her pulse and heart rate, smiling in satisfaction.

"Is the hottie in the waiting room your boyfriend?" she asked.

"Hottie?" Maria mumbled.

"Really good looking guy," the other woman clarified.

"Oh. Yeah. Boyfrien'," she agreed.

"You want him back here?"

"Uh huh."

Her eyes drifted closed, only to open again when she felt Steve take her hand. He smiled at her. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

Her eyes went wide. "Wow. You really are a hottie," she told him.

His brow wrinkled. "A what?"

"Hottie," she pronounced carefully around a mouthful of gauze. "Right?" she asked, looking at the nearby nurse.

The woman blushed. "The anesthesia still has her a little loopy," she explained to the confused soldier.

"Ah."

After another check, the doctor pronounced her ready to leave. Steve pulled the car around, then stepped over to help her rise from the wheelchair. Swaying slightly, she watched him through narrowed eyes, then held out her hand.

"Keys," she demanded.

He raised an eyebrow. "You think you're going to drive."

"You're swaying," she told him, "and you look fuzzy."

Reaching out to steady her, he smiled. "I'm not swaying, Maria, you are."

She looked back to the nurse for confirmation.

"You just had anesthesia for oral surgery, Miss Hill. You should probably let your boyfriend drive."

"Okay," she agreed.

He settled her in the car, carefully securing her seat belt, then headed back towards the tower. On the way, he drove through the pharmacy to drop off her prescriptions, then to a fast food place to pick her up a slushie.

In the tower parking garage, he tried to carry the drink and information from the surgeon with one hand while supporting and guiding her with the other. The elevator doors opened and Pepper stepped out.

She quickly handed her briefcase to Happy and reached out to take the bag and drink from Steve, her eyes filled with concern.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Steve smiled his thanks as he scooped Maria off her feet.

"Just had a little oral surgery, Miss Potts," he explained.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Pepper'?". Telling Happy that she'd return shortly, she stepped onto the elevator with the other two and hit the button for their floor. "I'm sorry to hear that, Agent Hill."

"Call me Pepper," the dark haired woman told her.

Pepper laughed. "I can't call you Pepper."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm Pepper. You're Maria."

"Okay," the patient replied. "Then I suppose you should call me Maria." She looked up a Steve again and sighed, then looked back at Pepper. "He's a hottie, isn't he?"

Steve blushed, looking to the other woman. "Anesthesia," he explained.

"He certainly is," Pepper agreed with a grin.

"Hey!" Maria glared at the other woman.

"It's okay," Pepper assured her. "I'm dating someone, he's dating someone."

Maria looked up at Steve. "You're dating someone?" she asked, sounding hurt

"She means you," he told her.

"Oh. Thas' okay then," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder as the elevator finally came to a stop. He carried her down the hallway to her apartment. When the door opened, he headed towards the bedroom. Pepper scooted in front of him, reaching to turn down the covers, then removing Maria's shoes so Steve could slide her into the bed. He covered her, placing a gently kiss on her forehead before following Pepper back into the living room.

"Do you have everything you need?" she asked him. "Plenty of soft foods?"

He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Pudding, jello, yogurt." He closed that door, then opened the freezer. "Popsicles, ice packs for the swelling."

"Did they give her prescriptions?"

Steve grinned. "We dropped them off at the pharmacy on the way home. They should be delivering them shortly, mom."

She smiled back sheepishly. "Mother henning again, aren't I?"

"Just a little bit. But it's okay," he reassured her. "It's how you show you care."

"Carl is the doorman at the moment. I'll let him know to expect the delivery. Be sure to let someone on the staff know if she needs anything else," she told him, letting herself out.

He headed back to the bedroom to check on her again, Bucky padding along behind. After Steve ran a hand across her forehead, checking for fever, and straightened the blankets over her, Bucky jumped up on the bed, settling in beside her. Steve stroked his head and told him to keep an eye on their girl, then returned to the living room, settling on the sofa with a novel.

An hour or so later, a sharp bark brought him to his feet. He quickly made his way to the other room where he found Maria holding on to the wall as she slowly made her way across the room.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he asked.

She turned and glared at Bucky.

"Snitch!" she accused, then turned to look at Steve. "Bathroom," she mumbled, sounding just a little bit desperate.

He quickly offered assistance, waiting while she completed her business, then wrapping an arm around her waist again.

"Do you want to go back to bed or stay up for a while?" he asked.

"Up," she told him in no uncertain terms.

Grabbing a blanket from the bed, he wrapped it around her before sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her in to settle on the couch. The dog followed, resting his head in her lap while Steve stepped into the kitchen to collect her slushie and an ice pack.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"For this to be over with," she grouched, applying the ice to her swollen jaw.

"I know," he sympathized. "I'm really sorry you're hurting, but it is kind of nice for me to be able to take care of you."

"Even though I make a lousy patient?"

"Even though you make a lousy patient," he agreed, tapping her nose with his finger.

They sat in silence for a while as she spooned in small bites of the drink. He finally spoke. "Do you want to listen to some music or watch a movie?" he asked.

"Movie sounds good," she mumbled drowsily. "Are you going to make some popcorn?"

He laughed. "I think popcorn is out for a few days, but we have a lovely selection of puddings, jellos, and popsicles."

"Nothing for now. Thanks," she replied.

"Any preferences for the movie?" he asked.

"Nope. Whatever you want," she assured him.

"JARVIS?" he addressed the ceiling. "Would you choose a movie for us?"

"Certainly, Captain," the AI responded. "What sort of movie would you like? Action? Adventure? Comedy? Romance? Pornography? Musical?"

"No pornography," Steve quickly interjected. "How about a musical?" he answered, looking to Maria for approval.

"Sure."

After a brief pause, the television lit up with a scene of a gorgeous mountain vista. As music started to play, there was a light tap at the door.

"Wonder who that is?" Maria commented.

"Don't know," Steve told her as he rose. "Phil and Director Fury have both already called to check on you and Nat and Pepper have both sent texts asking if you needed anything." He opened the door to find Bruce Banner, pharmacy bags in hand.

He held them out. "Carl called up to let me know that these had been delivered."

"Why would he call you?" Maria mused.

The doctor shrugged. "He said that Pepper had told him to let me know so that I could bring them up as soon as possible."

"And check up on me."

"And get me out of the lab for a few minutes," he added. "Apparently, running Stark Industries doesn't keep her busy enough, so she has to keep an eye on her friends as well."

He pulled up a chair to sit in front of her. "So, how are you doing?"

Before she could answer, he held up a hand. "Never mind. I know. You're 'fine'."

"Am I really so predictable?" she asked.

"When it comes to people asking about your well-being, yes," he told her, reaching over to place a hand on her forehead. "No fever. Any bleeding? Excessive pain or tenderness?"

"No."

He reached down, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. "Pulse is a little fast. Hurting?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

Steve came over, handing her a couple of pills. "Antibiotic and a pain pill," he explained.

As she swallowed them, Bruce looked to Steve. "I'll be around. Don't hesitate to have JARVIS let me know if she develops any sign of infection, fever, extreme pain or swelling or bleeding."

"Will do," the soldier told him. "Thanks, Bruce."

"Happy to be of service," he answered.

Maria spoke up. "By the way, Doctor Banner, I'm sorry about the other morning." He looked confused. "For yelling at you."

He smiled. "Actually, it was kind of refreshing. People who know me, who know about the other guy, don't usually yell at me. Besides, you were right. I have more reason than most people to understand just how serious domestic violence is, but it never crossed my mind to call him on it, just because he tends to make jokes about everything. He did come to me later and admit that he crossed a line. I think he'll be a little more careful about what he says."

Maria and Steve both raised their eyebrows at that.

"Well, at least about that topic," he added. As he turned to leave, his eyes landed on the television screen. "The Sound of Music. Good movie," he told them.

"We told JARVIS to pick something out," Steve replied.

The doctor smiled again. "One song in particular should catch your attention, Captain." Before the door closed behind him, he reminded them again. "Let me know if you need me."

Steve sat down, wrapping his arms around Maria again as the movie continued. They watched as the young woman on the screen spun through the hills, singing as she went.

"We should go mountain climbing some time," Maria commented.

"That would be fun."

Soon the scene shifted to the inside of the convent and after some discussion, another song started. Leaning against Steve's chest, Maria could feel him laughing softly before he joined in.

'How do you solve a problem like Maria?'

At her glare, he buttoned his lips, but she could still feel the laughter rumbling in his chest.

"Do you consider me a problem?" she asked.

'When I'm with her I'm confused

Out of focus and bemused,

And I never know exactly where I am.'

"More of a puzzle than a problem," he told her. "And I've always enjoyed puzzles."

They settled back to watch the movie, both getting wrapped up in the story of the family and their daring escape from Austria and the Nazis. Midway through the movie, Maria suddenly groaned. Steve jumped.

"What's wrong? Do you need me to get Bruce?" he asked, concern evident.

"Very funny, JARVIS," she yelled towards the ceiling.

"I found it amusing," the AI responded.

She looked at Steve. "The main characters?" He shook his head, still not understanding what she was referring to. She pointed to him. "The Captain?"

"And Maria," he finished, pointing at her.

"Just don't expect any singing and dancing," she warned.

"Understood."

As the movie wound to a close and the credits rolled, he looked down where her head rested in his lap.

"How about we get you something to eat so you can take your next dose of medicine and get to bed?" he asked, stroking her hear.

"Sounds good," she murmured drowsily. "I like my steak slightly pink in the middle."

"And how do you like your jello?" he asked. "Or would you prefer pudding?"

She sat up. "Surprise me."

He presented her with a pudding cup, then pulled out the blender to put together a smoothie and fixed himself a sandwich before joining her. Their meal completed, he handed her her medication. She eyed the pain pill distastefully, but finally swallowed it. After completing her evening routine in the bathroom, he helped her back into bed, covered her up, and laid down next to her.

"Thanks for taking such good care of me," she told him. "I know it hasn't been much fun."

"Thanks for letting me," he answered. I know it's not easy for you to let people do things for you."

"I'll deny this if you ever repeat it, Steve, but it's actually been kind of nice."

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

So, I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know what you think. The first reviewer pushes me into triple digits (Wow. I didn't think that would ever happen when I returned to the keyboard).

The original draft had her coming down with the flu and Steve taking care of her, but then I thought about the things that get said when someone's coming out of anesthesia, so I decided she needed oral surgery instead. I think it was the right choice.

Next chapter of Risks coming soon.