Chapter Eleven

Howard watched as his sister sat down at his desk, a metal box with wires sticking out of it in her hands. He had seen her playing with it for weeks, absentmindedly twisting the wires. He wasn't sure what it was, and was almost one hundred percent sure Bethany didn't know what it was either. It was keeping her busy though. Keeping her from locking herself in her room, not eating, not sleeping, not doing anything but sitting and watching the wall.

The war was over. They were going home the next morning, something Howard was grateful for. Bethany needed a change of scenery, a place that wouldn't constantly remind her of Steve. Everything had been packed up and ready to go. All he needed was Bethany to follow him. He wasn't sure if she would, though.

I'll find him for you, Howard thought as he watched Bethany twist to wires together, a spark flickering. Howard had immediately set forward to look for Steve, but all he found was a little blue cube, giving off strong energy. He instantly knew that this is what HYDRA was using in order to power their weapons. He was planning on setting out on another expedition soon. Looking over some of Erskine's original notes, he was almost sure that Steve would still be alive. And even if he wasn't, they needed to find his body and put him to rest with his family. He deserved that much. He deserved more than that.

"Howard?" Peggy asked from behind him, letting out a soft sigh. "How is she?"

Howard shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The same."

"Poor girl," Peggy mumbled. "I honestly didn't think she would take it like this after… well after everything."

Howard nodded. "I knew she loved him. Her decisions never made any sense to me, but I knew she loved him." He sighed heavily. "Once we get back to California, I'm taking her to a doctor."

"Oh?" Peggy asked, tilting her head a little.

"There's something wrong," Howard stated. "She's unbalanced. I'm worried about her."

Peggy placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Let me know, will you? She and I haven't been close these last few months, but I think we're all learning that the friendships made during this war will last us a lifetime. And let me know if there is anything that I can do for her."

"Will do," Howard said with a nod before the agent walked away. He looked back to Bethany who was still staring at that little metal box, her eyes red and face puffy from crying. If only I knew what I could do for her.

SHIELD?" Bethany asked, looking at the sheet Howard handed her. "The initials spell SHIELD. That's not a coincidence, is it?"

Howard took a sip of his drink. Time had passed and Bethany only seemed to get worse. There was a long period of time where she did nothing but stay in her room. Everything he tried to do to help her only seemed to make the situation worse, but after recent turn of events, he figured what Bethany really needed was a distraction. And a big one at that. "Nope, not in the slightest."

"And you want me to do what, exactly?" Bethany asked, putting the sheet down and crossing her arms.

"You've always said you wanted to be an agent," Howard explained. "I want you to work for SHIELD."

"Why?" Bethany asked, looking bored.

"'Cause you can't just sit and mope for the rest of your life," Howard explained in the nicest way possible. "You need to go out and take your anger out on something, someone."

Bethany sighed annoyed but nodded. "Fine."

Howard gave her a small smile. "Good. Now there's a couple things you need to do before I send you on your first assignment."

"Yeah?" Bethany asked, folding her arms.

"You need to get an examination, just to make sure you're in the right mental state," Howard said carefully. "And when you're given the all clear, you'll have to go through training. I've already found someone who is willing to train you. He's the best at what he does."

Bethany nodded, but there was no emotion in her eyes. Howard had been hoping for a flicker of excitement, but she was very much a dead woman inside. Mourning after a loved one was one thing, but Howard knew that Bethany was carrying her guilt with her, and it was only going to weight her down every single day. "Okay. But why does my mental state need to be evaluated?"

"We're doing it with everyone," Howard explained casually. He technically wasn't lying, but he didn't reveal that the real reason was to see if there was something wrong with Bethany. Ever since they returned to America, he tried to get Bethany to see a doctor. It wasn't right, what she was doing and how she was acting. The doctors he had consulted said it was just depression, and when Howard told them that her attitude change had been there before Steve disappeared, they all said the same thing: they needed to evaluate her in person to make an actual diagnosis.

"Sign me up," Bethany replied, giving him the softest of smiles, but it looked both forced and foreign, as if the movement was actually painful.

"And?" Howard asked the doctor he hired to evaluate his employees. Bethany's evaluation took longer than most of the other patients, and Howard was worried about what that could mean.

Dr. Kiriakis sighed. "I understand your concerns about your sister. She isn't schizophrenic though, so you can relax."

Howard nodded, feeling a weight being lifted off of him. "But you agree that there is something wrong?"

"To be honest, yes. Your sister seems to be going through manic depression right now. Most likely due to the death of her ex-lover."

Howard sighed, repeating what he had already said a million times. "Everything started before his death."

"Here's the thing about science and medicine," Dr. Kiriakis started, showing Howard his notes. "We haven't yet discovered everything there is to know. I'll talk to some other doctors, see if they have any ideas as to what it could be. The good news is, she isn't suicidal. If she hasn't had any accidents yet, I doubt that there will be in the future. Some people are afraid of actually committing harm to their bodies, which fortunately, keeps them alive."

Howard kept his thoughts on the matter to himself. He knew that Bethany had a nasty habit of inflicting pain on herself, and while it made him feel uneasy, it somehow made her feel a little better, and since she could heal, it was strangely beneficial.

"And for the time being?" Howard asked, looking at the results of Bethany's tests.

"Let her train," the doctor suggested. "Not any real assignments, but things to make her feel useful. She needs to feel like she has meaning in the world."

Howard nodding, knowing that Dr. Kiriakis was right. Bethany had always had a purpose in life, a reason to get up every morning. Now, she had absolutely nothing motivating her except the promise of SHIELD. When he had been falsely accused of committing treason, Bethany broke out of her bubble a little, but it hadn't been enough. She had slipped back in. She needed something to keep her going every single day.

Daniel McCain was a British agent who Howard welcomed into SHIELD as a trainer. Paying him a generous salary, he was very impressed at what the British agent accomplished. McCain spent the majority of his time with Bethany, however, seeing true potential in her. He said that she had so much pent up anger that it pulsed through her, making the one-hundred and twenty-pound girl stronger than she should be. Howard had told McCain about Bethany's ability to heal, which was something the agent thought more than useful. He could push and push Bethany to her limits and know that she would be fine the next day. It had been a year since he first started training her and Bethany was already shaping up to be the best agent at SHIELD.

Bethany had instantly become the most lethal person McCain had ever met, and while he had little more to teach her, he wasn't ready to leave his position at SHIELD as he had previously arranged. One; Howard told him he wasn't ready to give Bethany her first assignment. The results of her mental evaluation still held her in question on whether she would be stable enough to be put on the field. Two; he really enjoyed spending time with her. She really wasn't like any other girl in the world.

Bethany wasn't the same girl she once was. She didn't fool around at all, but took everything very seriously. She was hardheaded and powerful. She could take out a man twice her size using very little energy, and do it while still looking fabulous. She wasn't the same person, but McCain still thought she was brilliant.

"Do you… do you have a crush on my sister?" Howard asked one day as McCain watched Bethany punch a punching bag with purpose. She was barely breaking a sweat, and despite being at it for a good five minutes, didn't look exhausted yet.

"What?" McCain asked alarmed. "Of course not."

"Because I'm pretty sure my sister has given up love forever. I just don't want to see someone else fall into her trap," Howard explained. "I don't even think she's capable of love anymore."

"Don't worry," McCain assured. "I take my job very seriously. I will not let any of my feelings ever get in the way. If I had any, that is."

Howard looked to McCain for a moment, watching as the British man studied Bethany carefully. He had seen that look of infatuation time and time again over the years towards his sister, and if Bethany had never fallen for Steve, Howard could see Bethany loving Daniel McCain. But the reality was that Bethany had met Steve and seemed to believe that since Steve didn't get a happy ending, she wasn't allowed to either.

After Peggy successfully completed a mission meant for 5 men by herself, Howard invited her to join him in running SHIELD. He had always wanted Peggy to join him in this spot, but he needed her to prove to him that she could do it. Not that Howard needed convincing, but everyone else working inside of SHIELD did. However, with Peggy helping Howard with operations, they tended to get into disagreements in regards to Bethany. McCain had told Howard that he couldn't teach Bethany anymore and she was more than ready for her first assignment. Howard didn't agree.

"I know you're still hoping that a doctor will show up and tell you that there is something wrong with her, Howard," Peggy started as they sat in his office. "But why don't you give her a partner? Someone to watch over her during assignments?"

Howard sighed, "I know, I know. If they haven't found anything concerning by now, they probably won't. I guess I'm just being overprotective. I feel like I have to now because…"

"Because Steve isn't here?" Peggy finished for him.

"I've always been her big brother, and I've always wanted what was best for her," Howard explained softly. "But Rogers came along and he stepped into that role with such ease, I guess I took a step back and didn't realize it. Now I feel like I have to be even more protective of her than I ever was."

Peggy offered him a small smile. "I'm sure Steve would be grateful for that."

"We'll find out," Howard said sorting through some papers.

Peggy frowned, "Howard, you can't still believe that he's out there-"

"I know he is," he interrupted. "We still have thousands of miles to scope. I'm heading out on the next expedition to supervise it myself. During that time, you will be running SHIELD."

"Understood," Peggy said with a nod. "Will it be completely out of hand for me to assign Bethany her first assignment?"

"I don't need a babysitter," Bethany moaned as McCain trailed her. "My first assignment and I can't even do it alone? What are they so afraid of?"

"Darling, you need to stop complaining. You have an assignment, be happy."

"Don't call me 'darling'," Bethany snapped as she peered around the corner.

"Well, stop complaining," McCain answered back with his usual cocky smile. "You want to know the truth?"

Bethany rounded the corner, waving for McCain to follow her. "Does that mean you've been lying to me?"

"Your brother doesn't want you going on missions alone because he thinks you're unstable," McCain said as he knocked out a guard sneaking up on them.

"'Unstable'?" Bethany asked as she scissor kicked the guard's friend. "And why am I unstable?"

"Because of Steve-" Bethany quickly moved to push McCain against the wall, arm pressed against his throat. They were pressed up against each other, but Bethany's eyes shone only with anger, as they did whenever McCain spoke about Steve.

"Well, you can tell him that I'm fine," Bethany stressed between gritted teeth. "I don't need him looking out for me. I can take care of myself."

"Evidently," McCain coughed as Bethany walked away, leaving the man gripping his throat and wishing he hadn't said anything.

Five years later and Bethany was the top agent at SHIELD. Howard still insisted on her having a partner on every mission, and while Bethany disagreed, she didn't argue. Not since they found out she had bipolar disorder.

When they first found out, Bethany laughed. She actually laughed. It seemed to explain everything in the last fifteen years so clearly that she knew it was true. Dr. Kiriakis suggested they start treatment, to which Bethany rolled her eyes to. She refused electroconvulsive treatment and lobotomy on the spot. She really didn't think they'd have effect on her, since her body would heal. Instead, Bethany did her own research and decided to use lithium carbonate to stabilize her moods.

McCain noticed an instant change in her, him spending more time with her than anyone else. Before she went through stages of not feeling anything to feeling too much. Now, she didn't feel anything, but it was clear that her decisions weren't affected by any emotion. She was completely invincible, nothing phasing her in the slightest.

Not even the knowledge that she wasn't aging. It was 1952 and Bethany watched as Howard's hair began to grey around the edges, Peggy's eyes always having a crinkle around them. Even McCain was starting to complain of back pains every once in a while. Everyone around her was showing signs of their age while Bethany could barely pass for twenty-three.

"Beth? I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with waiting. But you're not going to be young forever." Howard's words rang through her head once every single day. He had it wrong. She did have forever. Forever in a young woman's body. She was stuck in the same spot, never moving forward.

Yet she didn't let this get in the way. She continued her duties; agent, inventor, doctor. Whatever was required of her, she became it. She now had forever and she planned on making the best of her life. If she had to spend eternity with the guilt of Steve riding on her every move, she had to keep herself occupied somehow.

May 29th, 1970

Bethany held baby Tony in her arms. She couldn't help but crack a small smile when his arms waved around. "He's beautiful, Maria."

Howard's wife smiled. "It means a lot to him that you're here," Maria said about Howard. "He wasn't sure you'd come."

Bethany looked out the window of Maria's hospital room to see where Howard was talking to a doctor. "I know it's been a couple years, but I wasn't sure this day would ever come. Howard, a dad? This was something I had to see for myself."

Maria chuckled, "He's nervous, I can tell you that much."

"I don't blame him," Bethany whispered, taking in Tony's appearance. "Are all babies this beautiful?"

"Hey Beth?" Howard asked poking his head in the room, interrupting the moment. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Bethany gave Tony one last look before handing him over to his mother and following Howard out the room. "Congratulations, Howard."

Howard gave a curt nod, clearly nervous about becoming a parent. "Nice hair."

Bethany pushed one of the short brown curls out of her face. "I thought it was time for a new look. You know, considering I'm dead and all."

Howard gave her an exasperated look. "Bethany, you know that people were starting to question why you looked so young. We're in the direct public eye. If we didn't fake your death, you would've had to admit the worl-"

"I know," Bethany told him. "But you're the only family I have, and I haven't seen you in years."

Howard reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Look, Maria suggested I stop spreading myself so thin, so I want to give you some responsibility at SHIELD."

Bethany took the paper and opened it, it being an official letter to the SHIELD Council Howard was in the middle of making. "I want you to get all rights to anything related to the Super Soldier project. All of it."

Bethany nodded, folding the paper and putting it in her pocket. They shared a look before Howard pulled her in for a hug. "I've missed you so much."

Bethany held her brother close, taking a deep breath in. "I want to be a part of his life."

Howard nodded, "And I want him to know you. But Beth, it's not a good idea. What if he tells someone that his aunt doesn't age?"

"Howard, if I don't have my family through all of this, then what's the point?" Bethany asked against his shoulder. "I already lost Steve, I can't lose you and Tony too."

Howard pulled a part slightly to look at her. "What about McCain?"

"What about him?" Bethany asked, clearly not wanting to discuss her recently deceased partner.

"Beth," Howard said with a tilt of his head. "You've been taking your meds right?"

Bethany nodded. "Yes. Look, I have to just forget about McCain. I can't mourn everyone I've lost in my life, or else that's all I'll be doing the rest of it."

"It's okay to feel," Howard told her.

"I do," Bethany assured. "But I only let myself feel for the things that matter."

"And McCain's death doesn't matter, doesn't bother you at all?" Howard asked, not believing her.

Bethany looked away, back into the room where Maria was cradling Tony. "Cherish every moment with your son."

With that, she walked away.

May 20th, 1975

"This… this is amazing Tony," Bethany told her nephew looking at the circuit board he built. "You did this by yourself?"

The little kid nodded, happy that someone was appreciative of his work. "Yes. I got most of the materials from Daddy, but I did it all by myself."

"Wow," Bethany said. This kid is a genius, she thought as Tony explained everything to her.

"Aunt Beth?" Tony asked, settling in her lap. "How come you've been gone so long?"

Bethany sighed, holding Tony close. "I guess I've been busy kid. But you know that you mean more to me than anyone else in this world, right?"

"Does that mean I can ask you a question?" Tony asked, turning his head to see her face.

"Of course," Bethany said, pushing one of his wild curls out of his eyes.

"Why is Daddy old and you're not?"

Bethany gave him a small smile, the biggest smile she ever gave anyone anymore. "Can you keep a secret Tony?" Tony nodded enthusiastically as Bethany rearranged them so Tony sat on her knee facing her. "I don't age."

"Ever?" Tony asked, wide eyed.

"Ever," Bethany nodded.

"Why?" Tony asked taking a hold of her hand.

Bethany sighed, "It's hard to explain. But I will one day, kiddo. I promise."

June 1st, 1977

"Howard," Bethany said leaning against Howard's work table. "You need to stop. Come upstairs and spend the day with your son."

"I'm busy Beth," Howard insisted. "I need to perfect this befo-"

"No, you need to spend some time with your son. See how amazing he is," Bethany corrected. "He built an engine last week, Howard. He's seven."

Howard sighed, "Look Beth, I don't have time. I know he understands. Plus, you're here. He keeps telling Maria how you're his favorite person in the world. He'll be fine."

Bethany groaned but went back upstairs to see Tony sitting on the floor, working on his engine. "What cha doing, Tony? I thought it was done."

"It's making too much noise," Tony explained. "I want to make it silent."

Bethany nodded, sitting beside him. "Need some help?"

Tony smiled and nodded, his curls flopping every which way. "Yes please!"

Tony chatted away as the two of them found the source of the noise and began working on silencing it. "Aunt Bethany? Why doesn't my Daddy love me?"

Bethany's hands froze as she looked at the heartbroken look on Tony's face. "Oh, Tony. Why would you think that?"

"Because he… he's always more interested in work. He was away for my birthday, too."

Bethany cupped Tony's face in her hands. "Listen kid, your Dad loves you. He just thinks you know, so he doesn't have to show you. But you know that your Dad is a very important man. The world depends on him."
Tony nodded sadly, "My class is doing a project on someone we admire, and my teacher said I should do Daddy since he helped end the war, but…"

She pulled him into her lap, grateful that he still let her do this. "You don't have to pick him if you don't want to, kid."

"I don't know who to do," Tony admitted. "Who would you do?"

Bethany sighed, thinking about this carefully before saying "Captain America."

"Daddy talks about him a lot," Tony said, rubbing some grease off his fingers.

"He was an amazing man," Bethany said softly. "People like that don't exist anymore."

Tony leaned his head on her shoulder. "Did you love him Aunt Beth?"

Bethany nodded slowly, kissing his forehead. "I still do, Tony."

June 16, 1986

Bethany waited in a corner, watching as Tony walked up and received his honors. She knew that Howard and Maria were already settled in, sitting in the uncomfortable looking chairs, but she figured she wouldn't risk being seen with them in public. Her life consisted of staying on the down low, but she wasn't going to miss Tony graduating from MIT at sixteen.

She let that small smile reserved for only Tony take over when he walked down the stage, immediately making eye contact with her. When the ceremony was over, he walked over to his aunt, waving his diploma around like a baton.

Bethany gave him a small chuckle, shaking her head before pulling him into a hug. "Congrats, kid."

"I'm really glad you're here," Tony told her. "You look good. Nice earrings."

"I always wear these," Bethany reminded him, touching her diamond earrings carefully before swinging his tassel from the hat in front of his view. "And you know I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Dad said you'd be busy," Tony explained, looking to where his parents were patiently waiting for Tony to make his way over to them.

"Yeah, well I made time," Bethany revealed. More like killed those fuckers on day one instead of day three like the outline said. "No trouble."

Tony smiled and pulled her in for another hug. "Thanks Aunt Beth. It means a lot to me."

Bethany patted his back. "Go, get out of here. I'm sure your parents want to celebrate with you."

"I'll see you soon?" Tony asked, not ready to let her slip away.

Bethany nodded, "And you know whenever you need me, I'm here."

1990

"Agent Stark," Bethany heard from behind her. She was currently in the level 8 filing room, looking for some extra information about her current mission. Bethany turned around to see a shy looking man in a black suit. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm Phil Coulson. I've been assigned to you."

Bethany closed the filing cabinet and leaned against it. "Right," she said holding out a hand. "I got the memo this morning."

"I hope it's alright," Coulson said, shaking her hand. "They asked me if there was anyone I would like to have as my supervising officer, and I chose you. They said that you didn't normally take on students."

"Usually, I don't." Bethany explained, moving to another cabinet. "But it's SHIELD protocol for me to have a partner at all times, and my last one got herself pregnant."

Coulson nodded, frowning as Bethany sorted through the files. "You don't have to answer, but why do you need a partner at all times?"

Bethany sighed and looked at him, "They didn't tell you?" Coulson's blank face answered her question. "I'm bipolar. Because of that, they don't trust me to make decisions by myself. Which is also the reason I'm not running SHIELD. Which I should be, if you asked me."

Coulson nodded as Bethany went back to the files. "What are you looking for?"

"Dr. Abraham Erskine's notes on the Super Solider formula," Bethany answered, closing the drawer. "They must have moved them."

"All due respect, Agent Stark, but weren't you Dr. Erskine's prodigy?"

Bethany sighed, running her fingers through her brown hair. "I was. There's just been some reports about a man with super human abilities working for the Russians, and I just wanted to read up on the serum."

"The Winter Soldier?" Coulson asked.

Bethany nodded. "He's been a thorn in my side for a while now. Some say he doesn't exist, but I want to be prepared in case he does. Anyways, I should probably get you briefed. We leave for Afghanistan in the morning."

December 16, 1991

The speed on which Bethany met Tony at the hospital was incredible considering she was at the SHIELD base in Tampa and Tony was in Long Island.

Tony's tear streaked face met Bethany's worried one as Tony attacked her with a hug. "They're gone," Tony whispered in her ear as he cried.

Bethany could feel tears well in her eyes, but she willed them to go away, rubbing Tony's back. "Shh, Tony. Just breathe."

Bethany looked up to see Alexander Pierce, one of the leaders of SHIELD standing at the end of the hall. Bethany held Tony closer to her for a couple moments longer before finally deciding to confront the man. "Stay here, okay kid? I'm just going to talk to some people."

Tony nodded and sat back down in his seat. Bethany straightened her leather jacket before making her way over. "What are you doing here, Pierce?" She snapped.

"Offering my sympathies on behalf of all of SHIELD," he explained. Bethany scoffed, rolling her eyes. She never liked the man. The two of them had been partners once and he always rubbed her the wrong way.

"Look, now isn't a good time. Tony doesn't know anything about SHIELD," Bethany told him. "I need you to leave. And better yet, not get yourself involved in my family."

Pierce gave her a sly smile. "How's your assignment coming along, Stark?"

"You mean the Winter Soldier?" Bethany asked crossing her arms. "That one?"

"That hasn't been assigned to you," Pierce told her strongly.

Bethany smirked, "No, but it's clear that the Council doesn't believe he exists. I do, however. What I want to know is how the Russians got their hands on Erskine's serum."

"Maybe they haven't," Pierce stated. "But until you've been told otherwise, you are to not get involved with that. The same goes for Phil Coulson. You two should remember that." Bethany crossed her arms stubbornly. "I also wanted to let you know that with Howard gone, we've elected to stop looking for Captain Rogers."

"No," Bethany almost yelled, her heart starting to pound. She knew that Howard had spent millions of dollars looking for Steve over the years, but they hadn't found the plane or a body. He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. He was still out there somewhere.

"It's too time consuming, not to mention expensive," Pierce said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"I may not be the head of SHIELD," Bethany said stepping closer, "But Howard stated long ago that anything regarding the Super Soldier project was to be conversed with me first. I've always had that right. And trust me, I will be bringing this up with the Council."

Bethany turned on her heel, on her way to comfort the only family she had left.

October 9th, 1996

"Someone needs to step on this spider," Bethany groaned to Coulson as they looked over the last mission report from Russia. "Black Widow. What kind of codename is that?"

Coulson chuckled, "I think it's pretty cool actually."

Bethany gave him a look before taking a bite of a banana. She personally enjoyed Coulson's company. There was just something about him that put her at ease. He was the best SHIELD partner she ever had, especially since he never undermined her, as some agents had done in the past because of her bipolar disorder. "She's going to be a major threat if she doesn't stop soon."

"I think you should spend less time worrying about her and more time worry about your nephew." Coulson said, handing her a magazine.

Bethany took it and rolled her eyes. "All that money and fame, just going to his head. At least he's making some good decisions with the company."

"I think it's more Obadiah Stane than Tony," Coulson admitted.

Bethany made a face, "Don't mention that name in front of me. I hate that man."

"You hate a lot of people," Coulson reminded her with a small smile.

Bethany gave Coulson a pointed look before turning her attention back to the Black Widow files.

February 14th, 1998

"Happy V-Day," Clint said to Bethany handing her a basket of fruit.

Bethany looked at the basket with amusement, a hint of a smile on her face. "What are you doing Barton?"
He shrugged. "Just wanted you to feel special. Nothing more, nothing less. A beautiful, talented girl ought to have some sort of-"

"There's a favor attached to these compliments, isn't there?" Bethany said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe…" Clint admitted. "Look, you know I wouldn't come to you unless it was serious."

Clint held up the yellowest banana and held it to her with a smile. Bethany took the fruit and sighed. "Fine, what?"

"It's about Natalia," Clint started.

"I thought she wanted to go by Natasha now," Bethany said sitting on top of her desk.

"I know she's going to be an amazing SHIELD agent, but I also know that a lot of people are nervous about her being here."

"Yeah," Bethany said peeling the banana. "We're letting an enemy come behind our lines. Historically, not a good decision."

"Look, can you just take her on as your student? She doesn't need any training, but people will start to trust her more if you do." Clint explained.

Bethany raised an eyebrow. "Are you crazy?"

"My psych evaluation says no. Look, just do this for me? Please?"

Bethany took a bite of her banana. "Coulson is my partner."

"So we'll trade for a couple weeks," Clint responded. "Please?"

Bethany fought back the urge to roll her eyes as she conceded. She hadn't wanted to become friends with Clint, but he was very good at worming his way into people's lives. Now, she couldn't even imagine not seeing him almost every single day.

July 4th, 2000

"Something on your mind?" Natasha asked Bethany as they waited for Clint to give them the go ahead.

"What's going on between you and Barton?" Bethany asked, loading her gun.

"Nothing," Natasha quickly stated. "You know how seriously I take my job."

Bethany nodded. "Just wondering, that's all. It's my knowledge that romances on the job don't end well."

"You sound like you speak from experience," Natasha said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not exactly," Bethany answered, placing her gun in it's holster. "We didn't really work together, but in the same general area. It's complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it and tell me," Natasha insisted.

Bethany let out a heavy breath of air. "He was a soldier, I was working in the lab. We lived on the same base, and more often than not interacted."

"Does this guy have a name?" The redhead asked, pulling on her gloves.

"Captain Steve Rogers," Bethany whispered before putting in her earpiece.

Natasha frowned for a couple of seconds, "I know that name."

Bethany nodded. "Clint said the exact same thing when I told him."

"Well, can I have a hint?" Natasha asked, fixing her hair.

Bethany bit her lip before nodding. "He was born on this day."

Happy Birthday, Steve.

September 13, 2001

Bethany sat in Director Fury's office, looking at a file folder in her hands. "They want to start up Project Rebirth?"

Fury nodded. "After the recent attacks, the military agreed that we need what we once had."

"A Super Soldier," Bethany mumbled.

"An army of them," Fury corrected.

Bethany shook her head. "It was always just Steve."

"Well, you know politicians. The bigger the better," Fury explained. "We'll be sending you in to join the group at Culver University. There you will just be an expert on the first experiment sent in by the government to overlook the process. What you'll actually be doing, Miss. Stark, is giving any assistance that you can."

"We're condoning this, then?" Bethany asked, looking up from the file.

Fury nodded, "However, we both know this may take years to perfect, and we still need you here, so you'll just be supervising once a month until you think they are close."

Bethany sighed but nodded. "And if this works? We let the United States Army become one of purely Super Soldiers?"

"That was the original idea, Miss. Stark. One that you agreed to."

Bethany let out a huff of air in exhaustion. She had tried to never let her mental age reflect the one on her birth certificate, but instead her physical age, but she couldn't help but feel like a bitter old woman in this circumstances, people using her past decisions to influence her future. But, at the same time, she ultimately knew she had no choice. "When do I leave?"

December 25th, 2005

"Don't you have any family, Dr. Banner?" Bethany asked while watching the doctor work.

Bruce laughed, "Don't you, Miss. Coulson?"

In attempt to keep her identity a secret, she asked Coulson if she could borrow his last name for this assignment. Phil had smiled and told her that he didn't mind at all, and it was the least he could do for her. "Just a nephew," Bethany said taking out her phone and sending a quick text to Natasha.

"And you don't think you should be with him?" Bruce questioned.

Bethany shrugged. "I asked him if he wanted to do anything. He went to Cuba or something."

"You know, I've known you for almost four years, and this is the longest conversation we've ever held about our personal life."

Bethany thought about it and nodded, "I'm a very secretive person. I like to keep to myself."

"No boyfriend or anything?" Bruce asked while studying a vial.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Bethany asked crossing her arms.

Bruce put his hands up in surrender, "I didn't mean it like that. All I meant is you're an extremely attractive woman with incredible knowledge. It's hard to see why men wouldn't be attracted to you."

Bethany leaned against the wall, letting a deep sigh escape her lips. "It's not that. It's me being attracted to them. I once had a boyfriend so perfect, so beautiful that no one can compare now."

"And what happened?" Bruce asked, fixing his glasses.

"He crashed a plane into the ocean," Bethany said calmly. Bruce immediately looked up in surprise.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely.

"Don't be," Bethany assured him. "It was a long time ago. And I know he wouldn't have change his decision. It saved a lot of people. Bruce? Why don't we take a break? It is Christmas after all."

January 21st, 2006

"Any news?" Bethany asked Coulson in the level 8 clearance deck.

Coulson shook his head, "Not a word. Betty Ross is doing well however."

"Good," Bethany sighed. "We need to find him before the military does."

"And do what exactly?" Clint asked from his place across the room. "You saw it. How do you take something like that down?"
Bethany scowled. "Bruce Banner isn't an 'it'. And yes, I saw the footage. But everyone has a weakness, we just need to find out what it is. In the meantime, I have to go do damage control."

"The Hulk's damage?" Clint asked, playing with one of his arrows.

"Don't call him that," Bethany said strictly. "Banner is a good man. And no, my nephew's. The little son of a bitch is spending too much time with women and booze and not enough with running Stark Industries."

"Before that," Coulson said halting Bethany. "You're the expert on this. What do you think happened that turned Banner into the Hulk?"
"Gamma radiation isn't the key to unlocking the serum," Bethany told him. "Once the serum is perfected, it needs to be stabilized with Vita-Rays, not gamma. I figured I'd have more time to convince Banner of this before it was experimented. Although I can't blame him, considering I did the same thing once."

Clint frowned, "Yeah, but that was years ago and you're still the same. Do you think that means there won't be a way to undo the effects on Banner?"

Bethany pulled her growing locks out from her face and into a ponytail. "I don't know. We've never tried to undo what happened to me. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

May 19th, 2010

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MISSING?!" Bethany yelled at Fury.

"I'm sorry Miss. Stark, but they can't find him any-"

"Get me a fucking plane, I'll go find him myself," Bethany insisted. "I'm taking Romanoff, Barton and Coulson with me."

"No," Fury corrected her. "This isn't something we can get involved with, Agent Stark."

"Like HELL it isn't! The founder's son is MIA and you think it's okay to just sit around and do nothing?"

Fury sighed and nodded, "I'll call the military and see if I can get you on one of the search and rescue teams."

"Thank you," Bethany said before storming out of the room. Outside, Clint was waiting for her.

"Hey," he said stopping her. "He'll be okay."

Bethany shook her head. "That cocky stupid son of a-"

Clint pulled her in for a hug. "He'll be okay. He's strong, just like you."

"I can't lose another family member like this," Bethany whispered against Clint's shoulder. "He's the only family I have left."

"No, he isn't," Clint reassured her, pulling away to look at her. "I'm your family. Nat, Coulson."

Bethany gave a hint of a smile. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Howard. To… to Steve… I'm not letting that happen again."

Clint nodded, "I'll go with you to find him. I'm supposed to be on leave of absence, but what kind of friend would I be to leave you in a time like this?"

August 18th, 2010: Germany

Bethany ran through the halls at top speed. She was aware of all the funny looks she was receiving, but didn't care. She was a girl on a mission and just like all her other ones, she was going to complete it.

Finally reaching her destination, she opened the door and for the first time in years, gave an actual laugh. "Don't you dare do that to me again, kid."

Tony looked up from where doctors were drawing blood from his arm and smiled. "It's about time you got here."

Bethany wrapped him in her arms, not caring that he was covered in dirt and swear and frankly, smelled. "Damn it, Tony. I was so worried. How the hell did you get out?"

Tony ran a hand through his dirty hair, giving her a weary smile. "Mechanics."

Bethany nodded, giving him that special smile reserved only for Tony. "Of course. I hope you know your dad would be proud of you."

"I don't care about his pride," Tony told her. "Only yours."

Bethany leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Well, I'm proud of you. And… I'm sorry I've missed the last six Christmases."

Tony chuckled, "Get me a burger and we're even."

"Deal," Bethany said with a wink. Her phone started to ring and she excused herself. "Director?"

"I heard about your nephew," Fury said. "Which means you can return to work now."

Bethany rolled her eyes. "Anxious, are we?"

"The Hulk made a reappearance," Fury explained. "We need you to come in. Try and find him. He needs a friend to talk to, and you're it. Plus, you're the only one who remotely understands what's happening to him."

Bethany played with the tip of her long, dark braid. "Look, I need a couple more days with Tony."

"He'll be under SHIELD observance from now on," Fury told her. "We have some interesting footage to show you once you return. Which will be in three days, understood Miss. Stark?"

October 24th, 2010

Bethany watched as Bruce sat in a corner, keeping to himself. She was waiting for the perfect opportunity to confront him. In the meantime, she was receiving messages from Coulson, who was assigned to bring SHIELD into Tony's life. Bethany wanted to be the one to do it, but Fury insisted that the Hulk was her first priority.

PHIL COULSON: Situation at hand, but handling it. Relax, Agent Stark. You taught me well.

Bethany read Coulson's message five times before she put her phone away and started toward Bruce. "Long time, no see," she said before sitting next to him.

Bruce jumped slightly, but calmed down as he saw the familiar face. "Bethany..?"

"I'm not here to bring you in, don't worry." Bethany insisted. "I just want to talk."

"How did you find me?" Bruce asked.

"I'm a very resourceful person," Bethany settled with. "Listen, I know you aren't a bad guy. And yes, what happened to you is awful. But I understand. Not to the same degree, but in a way."

"What are you talking about?" Bruce questioned lightly.

Bethany took her pocket knife out and quickly slit her wrist. Before Bruce could panic, the skin had already stitched itself together. "Back in 1941, I was working for Abraham Erskine, the man who originally created the Super Soldier serum. I, like you, tested it on myself. It wasn't ready and ever since then I've had rapid cellular regeneration, meaning that I can't die."

Bruce's eyebrows creased together, "1941… but that would make you…"

"Let's not talk about my age," Bethany insisted. "My point being, we're both phases of the experiment that failed to be successful. The last thing I want to do is lock you up and experiment on you."

"Like you could," Bruce muttered bitterly.

"You can trust me," Bethany insisted. "I've already convinced my organization to lay off of you. It may take a while, but you should be able to escape their eyes, if only for a while. I've been part of SHIELD for decades and they haven't forced me into experiments. Everything has been voluntarily."

Bethany phone started to ring to which she answered immediately. "Bethany?" Tony's voice sounded.

"What's up, kid?" She asked giving Bruce an apologetic look.

"Some guy in an eye patch just approached me saying he's from SHIELD."

"And…?" Bethany asked waiting for his point.

"At what point where you going to tell me you worked for a super-secret organization as a spy?"

Bethany closed her eyes, "I was hoping they'd leave that out. I wanted to tell you myself."

"Beth," Tony moaned. "That's what you do?"

"Tony, you need to listen to what they tell you to do," Bethany insisted.

It was silent until Tony said "you know how I feel about following instructions."

Bethany was on the plane heading back to SHIELD HQ when Fury finally picked up. "You cannot be serious about asking Tony to join the Avengers."

"Miss. Stark, you watched the footage, correct?" Bethany looked down at the little screen that was showing her of Tony's recent battle. She had to admit it, the suit was brilliant. They should have thought of it years ago. Clearly perfecting the serum was a once in a life time thing. This was something they could easily replicate.

"If my nephew dies on your watch Fury, I will kill you." With that, Bethany hung up.

April 22nd, 2011

Bethany watched as Tony, so much like his father, played the show-off on the stage. Since his accident, Tony and Bethany talked every day. Now that he knew what she really did, he understood her absence from a big portion of his life. Together, they decided a good way for Tony to show that Stark Industries wasn't just weapons—considering Tony made the decision to eliminate that division all together—was through an expo. Thus, the Stark World Exposition was revived.

Natasha came up beside her, smirking. "How can one man be so cocky?"

"He had Howard for a father and me for an aunt," Bethany explained. "Fury told me about your undercover mission. I wish you all the luck in the world."

"Think he'll buy it?"

Bethany watched as Tony entertained the crowd. No falling cars today. "Tony is a brilliant man, but he can be quite idiotic on some occasions."

"Good to know," Natasha said with a smile. "I don't know. I think it'll be fun."

"He's a sucker for redheads," Bethany mentioned. "You'll have him under your thumb in no time."

"Any word from Banner?"

Bethany checked her phone again. "No, but I'm not worried. I told him to lay low, and that's what he's been doing. Every couple of months we catch wind of an accident, but we've been able to keep it out of the news, so that's good."

"Is it just me, or are our jobs getting more complicated by the day?"

Bethany tilted her head, watching as Tony danced around the stage. "'Tash, when you've had the same job for almost seventy years, complicated is exactly what you want from it. Better than boring."

April 31, 2011

"Sir, don't you think Agent Stark has the right to know?" Coulson asked Fury regarding Tony's palladium poisoning.

Fury shook his head, "I've sent her on a mission that requires her full attention. Until such time where Stark is critical, she will stay on task."

Coulson nodded, not really agreeing but having no other say. He knew that Bethany wouldn't forgive any of them if Tony died and they didn't tell her they knew about his illness. But he knew that her assignment was top secret and time sensitive. Her and Agent Barton had left without a word and had been gone for almost two weeks. Bethany had missed everything regarding Tony's current predicament.

Tony was currently in lock down in the basement, Coulson watching Super Nanny like it was nobody's business. Bethany always rolled her eyes at his choice of entertainment, but he didn't care. It was relaxing to watch and it always made him laugh.

Half way through an episode, he got a call from Bethany. "Done the mission?"

"No, but Hawk and I are headed to New Mexico. There's an 0-8-4."

"Seriously?" Coulson asked, muting the TV and sitting up straight.

"Yeah, seriously." Bethany answered. "You coming or not? Fury said I could have my choice of agents."

"You're leading this mission?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah, apparently they want me busy. I don't know why, but at this point, I don't care. I'll see you soon?"

"What took you so long?" Bethany asked at the meeting place. She was reading up on Tony's latest battle at the Stark Expo, greatly annoyed that she had been kept out of it, but knowing that an 0-8-4 was something to be excited about.

"There was a robbery at a gas station on my way up," Coulson shared. "Naturally, I got involved."

"Naturally," Clint said with his usual flair. "Guess what the 0-8-4 is."

Coulson took his glasses off and squinted in the distance. A bunch of men were gathered around it, pulling. "What?"

"A hammer," Bethany said making a face at the damage left at the expo.

"A… a hammer?" Coulson asked. Bethany nodded before giving the team the signal to clear out the area so they could secure it. "Well, this beats Super Nanny."

Bethany looked up at him with a single brow raised.

Bethany looked at the man in question. He was big. And she meant big. His long blond hair and blue eyes showed that this wasn't just an ordinary man. "What do you think?"

Bethany turned to Coulson and shrugged. "I thought Steve had a body of a God, but this guy is packing."

"You're saying he's bigger than Captain Rogers?" Coulson asked, always excited to talk about Steve. The conversations about him were few and far between, Bethany avoiding talking about him whenever she could.

Bethany nodded, "Oh yeah. What'd you get out of him?"

"Nothing," Coulson admitted. "I don't know who he is, or what he wants with the hammer, but we'll find out."

"We always do," Bethany agreed. "He doesn't seem like a threat to me though. I think he just really wanted the hammer."

"But why?" Coulson asked. "Why would anyone want it?"

"Clearly it's something special," Bethany responded. "I'm gonna talk to him."

Opening the door, Bethany took the man in. "Hi," she said catching his attention. "I'm Bethany."

"Hello fair lady," he answered softly.

Bethany waited for more before crossing her arms. "Do you have a name?"

The man looked up before briefly saying "Thor."

Bethany nodded, sucking on her bottom lip. "What importance is the hammer to you?"

"Mjolnir," Thor corrected.

"Right," Bethany said nodding. "That… wait," she took a step forward. She felt herself go back to 1946, doing research with Howard on the blue cube he found when looking for Steve. They were lead to a mythology book, the object revealed to be the Tesseract. Bethany claimed it all to be nonsense, but actually took a slight interest in it and finished the book.

Her phone began to ring as she put everything together in her head. Looking at the message, it was from Fury. There was a problem with the Hulk. Again.

Before heading out to deal with the Hulk situation, Bethany made her way over to the building her team raided in order to get any and all evidence based on the strange happenings in New Mexico. Knocking on the door, she waited as a brown haired women with glasses and ruby red lips opened the door.

"We didn't order pizza," She said in a humorous way.

"Darcy Lewis?" Bethany asked.

"Depends whose asking," She responded.

"Bethany Coulson of SHIELD," Bethany responded, once again borrowing Coulson's last name. It was well known that Howard Stark had a little sister named Bethany, even in today's society. Better be safe than sorry. "I believe this belongs to you."

Darcy smiled as Bethany gave her the mp3 SHIELD confiscated earlier. "Awesome!"

"I'd just like to apologize for us taking it in the first place," Bethany told her. "In return, we've added a thousand dollars to your personal music library for you to download those pirated songs legally."

Darcy chuckled nervously, "Yeah about that-"

"It's okay," Bethany assured her. "We have more important issues on our hands. Again, we're sorry. Have a good night."

"No wait!" Darcy cried out. "Dude, I have to pay you back or something. Like coffee or a movie."

Bethany gave a hint of a smirk, "I like you."

April 15th, 2012

Bethany was exhausted. She was losing track of time and place once again. Fury kept her on the Hulk's trail as much as they could, but her services was needed elsewhere. Her theory about Thor ended up being correct, as Coulson took over her role as leader when the Hulk situation arose.

She currently sat in the middle of the hellicarrier hallway, legs spread out, looking at the wall. "It's been a hell of a year," Clint said before sitting opposite of her.

"You can say that again," Bethany mumbled.

"When's the last time you had a vacation?" Clint asked, putting his hand on her boot.

Bethany frowned, "When's the last time Tony didn't have an issue, the Hulk didn't rampage around a city and mythical gods didn't have temper tantrums that required my assistance?" Clint gave a sympathetic smile. "At least my vacation days are adding up."

"Yeah?" Clint asked, playing with the zipper on her boot.

"Four-hundred and seventy-five," Bethany said pulling her foot away from him. "Four eighty next month."

"The real question is; are you going to use them?"

Bethany sighed, shaking her head. "SHIELD is my whole life. There's nothing else. I can't get married and have kids. I can't really make friends outside SHIELD anyways. I'm stuck here, never moving forward."

"You're not going to be here forever," Clint promised. "One day, you'll realize there's more to life than just working."

Bethany's phone started to ring loudly. Pulling it out, moving her legs up close to her body and leaning her forehead against her knees as she answered it. "Hello?"

"They found him," were Fury's response.

"Who found who?" Bethany asked closing her eyes.

"A Russian oil team," Fury clarified patiently. "They found Captain Rogers."