**A/N: Gear up. I promise this one is a good one.

Also; It's Bethany's 95th Birthday! Wooooo!

Chapter 11- I've Been Broken and I've Been Bruised

"I've been broken and I've been bruised. Al I had, I had to lose. No more singing them worn out blues, been singing them way too long."

~Everything I'll Ever Need, Hayden Panettiere & Jonathan Jackson

Despite the fact that it was almost one in the morning, the entire team was gathered in the Rogers' living room, looking at the evidence they had in front of them and trying to create a soundproof plan. Bethany was on her eighth cup of coffee, and even though caffeine didn't have much effect on her, she was hoping the placebo effect would kick in.

In truth, she just needed a quick power nap. There was a time in her life that she would go on missions for days and only get a forty-minute period of sleep before she set out for another five-day mission. She was rusty. She knew that. It had been almost a decade since she had been on missions like that. There was a chance that she could get a quick nap when they were on the quinjet.

"We can't all go," Natasha said, looking over the blueprints for the building.

"Why not? All guns-a-blazing," Clint replied, looking way too excited.

Bethany shook her head. "No. We want to get Jen, without hurting her. We want to get information, so we can't kill anyone. And we need to backup their hard drive, so we can't blow up anything."

"Agreed," Steve said, rubbing his chin in thought. "We can't go in with intentions to kill and destroy, but we do need everyone because of that. They'll be retaliating. They will give the kill order."

Bethany shook her head. "It wouldn't be in their best interest to kill any of us. Yes, they'll try to maim us, but they're a science division. They'll find a way to use us to their benefit."

"So what do we do?" Tony asked. "I have stun guns in the dozens, but who knows how advanced their weaponry is. Or their security system."

"We don't have the time to create a huge plan," Bethany decided. "We should pair up. Divide and conquer. And each team should have their own battle plan. Find Jen, download the hard drive, capture the scientists. Someone has to get into their labs and find out what the hell is going on. I mean, it's registered as a campaign office, but the electrical bills? There's definitely some sort of experiment going on in those walls."

"Not to mention some of the stuff shipped there," Natasha added. "You'd think an organization that spent decades on the down low would know how to be subtle."

"Well, they weren't on our radars until now," Steve reminded them.

"And before, they were just putting the supplies under SHIELD's name, so why would we have noticed anything," Bethany replied, bitterness laced in her voice. "We can't all go," she remembered after a moment. "Someone needs to stay with the boys."

"They're good," Tony said with a wave of his hands.

"They can't stay here alon-" Steve began only for Tony to interrupt.

"Pepper is here. She'll keep an ear out."

"I have nothing against Pepper," Steve began. "But she can't protect them if something happens."

"I've been working on a lot of things lately," Tony announced in his usual flare. "I've stopped making so many suits, and instead… droids. A legion of robots, controlled by JARVIS. They're not designed to replace us, but they can protect and serve. And Theo knows how to use the Iron Boy suit. They'll be fine."

"I don't want him using it for actual combat!" Steve yelled.

Bethany shushed him, putting a hand on Steve's arm. "We won't be gone long. I trust Tony."

"Nat and I will get everyone in and be the get away car," Clint decided when there was a moment of silence. "We'll make sure no one gets in or gets out."

Steve nodded. "Beth and I will find Jen. Tony and Thor, it's up to you to get any information that you can. Knock the men out, but don't kill them. Understand?"

"Yeah, dad," Tony grumbled while Thor nodded respectfully.

"Same goes for you, Barton. Romanoff," Steve warned.

"You'd think we blew up a giant organization before," Natasha said before stopping with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Oh wait. We did. Maybe we should be telling you to behave, Rogers."

Bethany rolled her eyes, finishing the rest of her coffee. "We meet at the jet in ten minutes."
"Aye aye," Clint said with a mock salute as the room dispersed, leaving Steve and Bethany.

"You ready for this?" He asked, putting comforting hands on her shoulders.

"You have no idea," Bethany replied with a smirk. "You got some of your anger out by tearing down HYDRA's hiding place. I need an outlet too."

"Alright," Steve nodded. "I'll wait for Pepper to come. Tony has your suit in his lab."

Bethany leaned in for a tired hug before she left. All she wanted was to fall asleep in Steve's arms, all the troubles in their life gone. It had been so easy to forget everything. And forgetting everything was just so much simpler than remembering.

"Umm, kid?" Bethany called out as she stepped into the lab. "I'm here for my suit. It better not match Steve's."

She had whispered the last part but Tony had appeared from behind a table with an offended face. "Do not insult my taste in style."

Bethany rolled her eyes, making a gesture to tell him to hurry up. He pulled out a long, clear rectangular box from a cabinet and put it on one of the tables. "Red?" Bethany asked, moving forward with her arms crossed.

"I cannot stress how badly you need a thing," Tony said, receiving an eyebrow raise from his aunt. "Cap's got the shield, Thor the hammer, me just being bad ass. Red for-"

"Blood?" Bethany supplied. "Although, it will be easier to hide the stains, so good idea. This is very Oops… I Did It Again."

"Yeah, that's kinda where I got the idea," Tony admitted. "But no. Not blood. The suit is fitted with heat reflectors, and what not. It's fire resistant, which is good because when it's all done, you'll be able to actually produce fire from the suit. Natasha wanted electrical shocks running through her suit, so I came up with this for you."

"Not bad," Bethany mused. "As long as it fits."

"Yeah, I don't know," Tony said, scratching the back of his head. "I used one of your old SHIELD suits, but that was pre-Jamie so… if you show boob-age, don't take offense if I don't come near you."

Bethany gave an amused scoff before collecting the suit, the boots and a few weapons before heading back up to the apartment. Pepper was on the couch, casually flipping through the channels as Steve came out of their bedroom in his suit. She stopped for a moment, panic arising in her. The suit fit the image, and it was how Steve was known through the years, but a surge of worry fled through her veins.

Bethany shoved that panic away and quickly made her way to the bedroom. Steve closed the door behind them, watching her carefully as she started to take off her clothes and then slip her jumpsuit on. It was a little tight. It fit snuggly around her hips, definitely not the most comfortable thing to be fighting in, but it was one mission. She could handle it.

When she got to the zipper, she struggled when trying to pull it over her cleavage. "Ugh, I should've used the pump beforehand," she whispered to herself, worried that two wet stains would appear.

"Here," Steve offered, helping in pulling it up. He successfully got it to her neck, but Bethany pulled it down a little, flashing some of her breasts.

"It's easier to breathe," She explained, sitting down to put her boots on. "Where's the shield?"

"Under the bed," Steve said, pulling it out.

"How long has it been under there?" Bethany asked, moving to put the other boot on.

"I bring it almost everywhere I go," Steve explained, resting it on his lap as he sat on the bed.

Bethany had no response to that. In truth, she thought that was slightly terrifying. Handy, of course, but Steve had so much paranoia and mistrust in the world that he needed his security blanket 24/7. Although, thinking about it, she was glad she could heal. She wasn't sure how she had been able to go without it before, even if it did mean healing. It was a difference that the Other Bethany and her had that she would never understand.

Pulling her hair into a high ponytail, Bethany looked at herself quickly in the full length mirror. She smiled for a moment, feeling more like herself than she had since she woke up. Even more like herself than she did when she was in Steve's arms. This Bethany didn't need someone else to make her feel better. She had herself.

"I'm certain I've told you this before," Bethany began, turning to look at Steve. "If something happens to me-"

"Keep going forward, keep fighting," Steve filled in, his tone not happy with the words, but obviously they were ones he was taught to remember.

"I'll be fine," Bethany stressed. "My healing abilities are back, and I can't feel pain. It'll be fine. I'll be fine. Let's just get Jen back."

They quickly learned that subtly wasn't their strong suit. Steve, Bethany, Clint and Natasha were trained to go in and out and hardly raise a red flag. Thor and Tony were not. They were very into explosions and announcing their arrival. The giant quinjet didn't help either. Even with the cloaking device, it would've been impossible to hide their landing.

The HYDRA building was located in a populous city. The only place to land the quinjet and not crush any cars—or people—was to land on the roof. They had all been expecting alarms to go off, but the quinjet was surrounded by HYDRA agents, all clad in black with protective helmets, guns aimed and ready to fire.

Natasha had taken control, shooting them all with the quinjet's laser, a smug smirk on her face as she did it. For the first time in months, she looked like she was at complete ease, something that was alarming to Steve, but he checked his own emotions and realized that he felt the same way. By the look of it, they all felt at ease. That was a scary concept.

The teams had broken up, assigned to their own tasks. It was agreed that they wouldn't kill anyone that they needed. From where they stood, people could turn into HYDRA supporters, but not back. Not everyone would be able to fit into a jail cell. Steve wasn't comfortable with killing people, but if it meant keeping the world safe, and more importantly, his family, he wouldn't think twice. The scientists and doctors were to be sedated and picked up by some connections Clint had for safe keeping.

"Well, this is going well," Bethany mused as the two of them made their way to a holding facility located inside the building. It was most likely where they were holding Jen.

Steve looked up at the red alarm lights, which were lighting up the halls to the same tune as the loud ring. "I was wrong to think it would be as smooth as a SHIELD mission."

"Yes, you were," Bethany agreed with a chuckle. "Tony and Thor aren't exactly spy material. And we were stupid not to find a way to turn off the alarms."

"This isn't horrible though," Steve replied as they ran through the halls. "Which way?"

"Left," Bethany instructed. "Wait, hold on."

Steve slowed as she walked up to a panel on the wall. "What are you doing?"

She opened the panel door, pulling a knife from her boot and quickly cutting one blue wire in a sea of colourful ones. The alarms seized, the regular florescent lights returning and the alarm halting with a very noticeable hiss. She gave him a quick smile before beginning her jog again. "Right here," she announced as they came upon a door. "I can disable the codes and get it to open, or we can do it the old fashion way."

Steve took that as his cue, hitting his shield against the middle of the two sliding doors, creating a dent large enough for his hand to fit. As he began to pull the two doors apart, Bethany gave him a sexy smile, winking at him. "What are you doing later?"

He would've rolled his eyes, but he was too busy using all his strength to pull the doors apart, his face screwed up and emitting a small grunt. "Go," he instructed when he opened it enough for her to fit. She did as he asked, and as he was able to give it his all so he could slip in, the doors opened all the way. Going in, he saw Bethany's hand on a red button, being the source to his questions. "Looks like no one is home," Steve mused, looking around the dark lab.

"Secret base will always have more secrets," Bethany replied, wandering around the lab, eyes on the look out before her leg went out and kicked the wall violently. It creaked, giving Steve encouragement.

He walked up next to her, and the two began to pull the wall back, slipping in and looking at everything in front of them. The room was fairly dark, but there was a door at the back, a harsh light slipping from under the bottom. "Jackpot," Bethany hummed.

Steve quickly raised his shield to cover them both when bullets started raining their way. Soldiers and scientists had been hiding in hopes that they wouldn't be discovered. Bethany leaned down and started to crawl by the island lab tables, taking out her gun and peering it around the corner. He heard a loud yelp come from the direction of the bullets. He threw his shield as he quickly bounded down behind the table for protection. His hand shot up when the shield came back to him and he moved into battle.

Jumping over the table, he began hitting anyone he saw, ducking behind the shield when the time called for it. He could hear Bethany making small grunts every once in a while, but he couldn't see where she was. That made him nervous, even though he logically knew that she would ultimately be okay. It was only when her grunting stopped that he threw his shield hard around the room, only catching it when everyone was on the ground.

"Beth?" He asked, putting his shield down for a moment so he could kneel next to her. She was on her back, her eyes opened, but unconscious.

Dead, Steve corrected himself, looking at the deep concave dent on her skull. She had proved in training that she could fight without getting hurt, but it was always more effective since she would be closer to the target. Steve could see the bone developing under the skin and knew she needed a minute or two before she would be on her feet.

Taking a moment, he pulled her suit zipper up a little more, feeling a little bit better. Clint had made a joke about her being MILF, and if Natasha didn't hit Clint over the head, Steve would have.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move, but by the time he turned around, the man already had Steve's shield in his hands. Standing up slowly, with his hands held up in a mock moment of surrender, he summoned his shield back to him using the new magnetic band Tony had added to the vibranium his father had molded.

The shield, however, came with the man. His iron tight grip on the rare metal surprised Steve for a moment. He didn't have a gun with him, only the shield. He tried to fling the man back, and while his grip loosened for a moment, he didn't falter.

He was sure they looked like two kids fighting over a toy, but when another man stood up behind Steve with a gun held to his head, the situation instantly became less comedic. Before he could even think about what to do, he heard a loud gunshot, the man behind him falling before the man holding the shield was attacked by Bethany.

She had jumped onto his back and began to pull his hair. He had let go of the shield as he stumbled back, trying to get her off. Steve reached down swiftly for a knife by his foot, throwing it through the room towards the man's heart. When the man's legs gave out, Bethany tumbled forward in a graceful somersault, landing in front of Steve.

She pulled him forward roughly, giving him a quick kiss, with something in her eyes that Steve couldn't place before walking around him and into the room with the bright florescent lights. Bethany fingered the glass window to the side of the room, not being able to see out or in of it, broke it by throwing the heel of her boot through it with such a force that Steve didn't know she had.

"She's in there," Bethany announced after looking into the room. Steve nodded, looking at the door for the room. It wasn't as impressive as the other door, so it took him no time to break it open. When they stepped into the room, the lights were harsh. Steve had to shield his eyes for a moment, but Bethany didn't halt for a minute.

"Jen?" She asked, sitting next to a bed. Steve watched as Jen looked at Bethany with confusion written in her eyes.

"Who are you?" Jen asked, her eyes wide and voice small.

"Captain and Mrs. America," Bethany mumbled, her fingers working on the leather ties holding her arms to the bed. Steve moved over to free her legs, resting his shield against her bed.

"What?" Jen asked, fear in her voice.

"Look, we're gonna get you out of here. Bring you home. Help you," Bethany promised, taking a step back when Jen was untied from the bed. "But we need to hurry."

Jen stood up, warily looking at the couple as Steve grabbed his shield and took his place next to Bethany. "Jen, just come with us," Steve whispered softly. "We know nothing makes sense right now, but we can help you. Give you your life back."

"Cap, Beth. Hard drive is backed up, time to go," Tony said through their earpieces.

"Yeah, we're all good out here too," Clint reported.

Bethany reached out and took Jen's hand. Jen's eyes widened for a moment, looking down to where Bethany's hand met her wrist. The way she was looking at it alarmed Steve and when he looked down, he caught his breath. "Beth," he whispered.

"What?" Bethany asked, completely unaware that her arm was freezing. The cold was running up slowly, but making more ground with every second.

"I'm sorry," Jen cried, as if she couldn't control it, and with Bethany's wrist now frozen tight around Jen, it was clear that she wouldn't be able to stop whatever it was that she was doing.

Steve's heart hammered, but by the look on Bethany's face, she was thinking and hard. "Cut it off," Bethany said sharply, turning quickly to look at Steve.

"What?" Steve asked, unsure of what she was asking. The freezing had reached just under her elbow.

"You heard me, Steve. Cut it off now," Bethany demanded, seriousness in her eyes.

"What?" Jen asked, looking more frightened than he ever thought possible.

"DO IT!" Bethany yelled, watching as it froze her elbow. "STOP STOPPING STEVE."

She moved so that her arm was straight and Steve forcefully brought his shield down on the flesh once, twice and finally a third time before the limb was free from her body. Bethany didn't titter for a moment. Jen did. She fell to the ground, Bethany's frozen arm breaking into little crystallized pieces and finally freeing her wrist, but it mattered very little now. Bethany's arm bleed freely and he could tell that there was a good chance that the loss of blood would take effect.

"Wrap her in the blanket," Bethany instructed, nodding her head to the bed. "You should be safe in your padded suit, but I don't want to risk it."

Steve nodded once before heading to work. Bethany leaned down and looked at Jen for a moment, a crease folding between her eyebrows before she shot up. "Beth?" He called out as she left the room.

"Just give me a minute, Steve," she said through the earpiece. "Get Jen out. I'll follow you."

He shook his head, swearing under his breath. He didn't like the idea of her going off on her own. When she did that, things often turned south. Nonetheless, he followed her instructions, wrapping the unconscious Jen in the sheet before lifting her into his arms. With his shield now secured onto his arm, defending Jen's head from any harm that could come her way, he set out. Bethany was hunched over a computer, typing wildly with one hand, her eyes reading the words on the screen in an impossible speed. Steve saw that she hadn't done anything to stop the bleeding from where her arm was, but that the bone was starting to grow back, the muscle and skin following closely behind. The pale colour of her skin was alarming.

"Steve, go," she stressed, her eyes not leaving the screen for a moment. "Get the quinjet in the air."

"Beth, what are you doing?" Steve asked, worry in his voice. "I'm not leaving you. Especially not now. Not like this."

"Steve, just trust me, okay? Don't worry, I'll get out, I'll go home. You, me and Munchkin will live happily ever after, just as we've always wanted, but you need to get out and get the quinjet in the air. Don't come back for me until I tell you to."

"Beth-" Steve began again, this time with strength in his voice.

"Steve, if you care an ounce for me, for Jen, for Munchkin and for Theo, you need to leave. I'm doing this for us. All of us. Go. Now."

The urgency in her voice scared Steve. She was serious. There was no room for argument. And despite not liking leaving her, he did, feeling something wrapped tightly around him pulling her to him. Every step was a struggle, but her words echoed through his head. He didn't let his emotions weigh him still.

The trip back to the quinjet was easy. No one tried to stop him. The hall was littered with unconscious guards, and from what he could hear happening over the earpiece, Clint's contacts had arrived and were taking the HYDRA scientists into custody. They also had Jacob. Steve had let out a soft growl at the news of that. That man had caused enough pain in Steve's life that he gave very little regards to what happened to the man, as long as he was locked up somewhere, the key thrown away and never found.

Reaching the quinjet, Steve climbed up the ramp and laid Jen down on the bed. "Where's Bethany?" Tony asked as Steve began to strap Jen onto the bed, pulling the straps tight. It wasn't just about her falling off the bed. What had happened in that room proved that those weeks with HYDRA had done something to her. She had no idea who they were. She could be capable of anything.

"Get this thing in the air," Steve ordered.

"Where's Bethany?" Tony asked again, his voice louder.

"Do as I say," Steve snapped.

Tony opened his mouth again, his face hard. "We're not leav-"

"Do you really think I want to leave her?!" Steve asked, taking a step closer to Tony. They were face to face, Tony's suit giving him the extra height. "Get this thing in the air, Stark."

"I got it," Clint grumbled, moving to take the controls. Neither Steve nor Tony moved from their stance, both staring each other down.

"Boys," Natasha warned. "Play nice."

"Where am I taking this thing?" Clint asked over his shoulder.

"Just hover above the building," Steve said, eyes still on Tony. "If I know her like I know I do, she's going to blow up the building."

"We can do that from outside the building!" Tony yelled.

Steve clenched his jaw. "I'm not questioning her. I trust her. This is what she needs to do."

"She's gonna get herself killed. Again," Tony said, moving to the drop door and pressing the emergency open button.

"Stark!" Steve yelled over the wind.

Tony looked over his shoulder, the mask to his helmet sliding down. He was about to take off when a huge explosion erupted from under them. The quinjet jolted from the pressure. Steve pulled his helmet off his head as Tony zoomed into the fire and debris, but Steve directed Clint to land the quinjet in the first clear spot before running out the door, looking around the scene.

Flames erupted from the building. He didn't even think about all the people in the building who were unconscious when he left. They were probably dead or dying now. But he was looking for Bethany in the debris, smoke and fire.

"Anyone see her?" Tony asked. His tone was steady, but Steve could tell he was worried. I trust her, Steve repeated to himself. He had originally said it without thinking, but he knew that he wouldn't have left her unless he had faith in her. Why is it always her? He wondered.

But ultimately, he knew why. Because she would rather unnecessarily sacrifice herself to tie loose ends completely than to risk anyone else getting hurt. For Munchkin, she had said.

His heart hammered so hard in his chest that he felt nauseous. He needed her, whole, in his arms. Tony was flying above the building, scanning for a soft spot. "I ain't dead yet," he heard Bethany's voice through the earpiece. The static distorted her voice a little, but he finally felt better now.

"Beth? Where are you?" Steve asked, a small worried smile pulling at his lips.

"Coming for ya," Bethany promised.

"Tell me where you are and I'll get you," Tony said.

They heard her voice again, but the static was too intense for them to make out any words. A huge part of the wall fell through, Bethany's earpiece going completely dead. "Beth?" Steve breathed, that uncomfortable worry creeping up on him again. Another wall fell, the fire and smoke increasing. But this time, he could see something. Someone.

He couldn't recognize her. Her entire body was black with ash, and there were full parts of her body missing. Most of her jumpsuit had been charred and he could see right through her. But she walked straight, as if she was completely fine. He could barely move for a moment, taking in her damaged body. Her arm was still re-growing, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. There was no blood. Only a charred and black body. With every step, more skin healed. And a smile grew on her face.

Somehow, a blanket ended up in his hands, a heavy wool one. He figured Natasha had given it to him, but he was too busy watching Bethany's every step. When she finally got close enough he opened up the blanket and wrapped her body in it. Everything but her arm was now healed, but only her wrist-down was missing.

Steve pressed his lips against the top of her hair. It smelt burnt, the golden strands now grey with ash and the tips frayed and black from the flames. The elastic must have snapped or melted, her wild hair flowing freely. "What were you doing?" He asked her softly as he heard Tony land next to them.

"I sent HYDRA a message," Bethany explained. "No one threatens my son. No one."

He reached out and touched her cheek softly, some of the ash wiping off and revealing her soft, pale skin. "You're crazy," Steve decided.

"Took you long enough to notice," she chuckled, kissing him softly. "By the way, with that helmet hair? I'm so hot for you right now."

Bethany and Steve watched as Tony and Bruce worked together to strap Jen down to an observation table. They had tried to feed her an IV to keep her under, but every single time, the needle froze and broke. The look on Bethany's face told Steve that she knew what had happened, and by the glances she was sharing with Bruce, he figured he had an idea as well. He just hoped they got enough information from HYDRA to start tearing them down, and most importantly, help Jen.

Now, the blonde had an oxygen mask on her face. "JARVIS will monitor her," Tony promised. "We probably won't be able to do any testing while she's awake so…"

"We have to test her without her permission," Bethany summarized, sighing.

"It's for her own good, Bethany," Bruce reminded her.

"You took Jamie's blood," Bethany said, some resentment in her voice. "You knew how we felt about that but you did it anyways. A little boy. A baby. I'd rather die over and over again opposed to anyone touching him again."

"Beth," Steve whispered. "If he had told me, I would have given him permission."

The look in her eyes when she looked up to him showed pure betrayal, but it quickly disappeared. "Keep us updated. And more importantly, keep the lab on secure mode. Theo can't get in here, or look in here. I don't want him knowing anything until we have answers. But for now, we need to sleep. That includes you two."

"I got some sleep," Bruce promised. "I'll stay with Jen. Keep an eye on her."

"I'll keep him company," Natasha spoke up. Steve frowned. He thought that both Natasha and Clint retired for the night, but the redhead was here now, two coffees in her hands.

"Okay," Bethany nodded. "Get some sleep kid. And Tony? Thanks. For you know… worrying about me. Even when you didn't have to."

Tony sighed, rolling his eyes before pulling his aunt into his arms. "Stop getting yourself into these situations."

Bethany chuckled. "I'll work on it."

Tony bid them all goodnight, Steve taking his wife's hand and the two of them making their way to their apartment. Bethany had slipped into the shower to wash off the remainder of the ash on her body. Steve had thanked a very tired Pepper, checking the time and seeing that it was close to four am. Peeking into Theo's room and seeing him sleeping soundly, Steve had pinned a note to his door to tell him not to wake them up and to try and feed himself.

He then made his way to Jamie's room. Touching his clenched hand softly, he regretted it as he began to stir, waking up. Steve shushed him, picking him up and rocking him. Right now, he wanted Jamie in the co-sleeper anyways. He just hoped that he would sleep. His fussing indicated that he needed a feeding.

Picking a bottle from the fridge and going to the bed, Steve fed, burped and rocked Jamie back to sleep and changed into his pajamas before Bethany came out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet and hanging around her face and she was completely naked. She tiredly walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of Steve's boxers and a black tank top before walking over and looking at Jamie for a minute. She didn't dare touch him, just studied him carefully, a small smile tugging at her lips. She then moved over to close the bedroom door and turn off the lights before crawling over Steve's body and curling up next to him.

"Your hair still smells," Steve said softly, taking in the burnt scent.

"The ends are burned. Some pretty bad," Bethany whispered. "It's going to have to be cut. And short. Good thing my hair grows faster than the average human. Along with human limbs."

When she said the last part, her now completely healed hand moved up his body slowly, Steve reaching up to take it in his and kissing it softly. "What a crazy day, huh?" Steve replied quietly.

She hummed and they were quiet for a few minutes. Right before Steve was about to fall asleep, he heard her voice again. "Sorry?" Steve asked, not having been paying attention.

"I remember," she repeated softly.

His body stiffed. He looked down at her. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he could see her clearly. Her eyes were closed, but there was a smile on her face. "You… How much?"

"Everything," she replied, her smile growing, but her eyes remaining closed. Steve wanted to celebrate. To kiss her, to hold her, to hear from her all the memories that had been lost through those months, but his exhaustion overtook him.

But they would have tomorrow.

**A/N: I figured 11 chapters and 12 weeks (readership wise) was long enough. Plot wise, it was about three weeks since the explosion.

IrelandLover: Haha, well I'm happy someone was embarrassed cause it sure isn't Steve anymore ;) Just another day being married to Bethany Stark ;)

Jo: I agree, they needed time together before all the shit goes down.

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Haha, glad to hear it!

FeliciaFelicis: Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard. But absolutely no regrets! It's okay, it's coming back soon :) I'll be ready in my I'm Hooked Captain Hook shirt LOL.

JAllen1447: Oh, very much for that last chapter especially. It's All Coming Back to Me Now is pretty spot on for the story as well.