**A/N: I'll just stop making excuses for not updating regularly.


Chapter 12- Blackmail

/ˈblakˌmāl/ verb. to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc.


Steve had been surprised when Jamie jumped out of Bethany's arms and ran out of the room, but he didn't move when Bethany told him she'd follow him. Steve assumed he was ready to do something new. Play with something, or chase the cat around some more. But when ten minutes had passed, Steve got up and went looking for them. It didn't take long to find them, curled up in Jamie's bed, both fast asleep. Steve wasn't sure how that had happened, but he decided that the best thing for them was to stay asleep. They both needed it.

When Steve told the rest of the team what had happened, they all volunteered to stay at the house with them. While part of him was questioning if it was necessary, he didn't argue. There was no point. They had divided up the room spaces, everyone getting a bed or a couch, with Steve telling Sam and Kiley to take the master bedroom. He had plans to sleep on the rocking chair in Jamie's room. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but he had spent many nights in worse conditions.

He moved the rocking chair closer to Jamie's bed, wanting to be as close to them as he could without being disruptive to their sleeping, when Natasha came in with a pillow and blanket. "Thought this might make the arrangements better," she told him with a smile.

Steve gave her a heartfelt smile, accepting the two. "Thanks Romanoff." Natasha looked at the sleeping bundles in the bed and smiled softly.

"They'll both be okay, Steve," she whispered to him. "Don't doubt it. And don't blame yourself. The world is cruel enough without you believing that you're the one who is to blame. Good night."

"Night," he whispered back, settling into a comfortable position. Only a night light illuminated the room, casting long shadows against the walls. Jamie was curled up against Bethany's body, his fingers wrapped loosely around one of Bethany's curls. He wished he knew what was going through his son's head. Bethany's as well, but Bethany's mind was a self-proclaimed labyrinth. He'd just get lost. But Jamie was so young that it was probably easy to travel through his thoughts and feelings. But ultimately, Steve just wanted to know if Jamie was really okay. Because despite the fact that he seemed to be doing fine, he had constantly been with people he knew, loved and trusted. What would happen when they expect him to sleep in his own bed, without them in the room?

How did they ensure his security without being helicopter parents? How did they make him feel secure without making him dependent on them? These were questions he never had to answer to before, but now he was searching for answers. Because he wanted his son to feel free, but safe. To be independent but with his parent's security. It was all so confusing. And he knew some people would tell him that he had time to make these decisions, but realistically, he didn't. Jamie was growing smarter every single day. But it had taken a lot of work and effort to get him to sleep in his own bed in the first place. But not only did he have to deal with Jamie, but with Bethany as well. He didn't see her accepting Jamie sleeping in a room alone any time soon.

All he wanted to do was to protect them. He had made them both promises. Multiple times. And even though he wanted to keep all the promises he had made, that was the most important one to keep. And it wasn't just for them, but for him as well. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without either one of them. If he lost one of them, it would be unbearable. Two? He couldn't even imagine.

Looking at his wife's face, seeing how calm she looked in her sleep, he was reminded of his compulsive need to protect her. She could very well protect herself. And Jamie as well. He had seen her prove her talent for combat through the years and he knew just how strong her love for Jamie was. But it didn't matter. She could be stronger than him in every sense of the word, and he would still have that compulsive need. It wasn't just because of the way he loved her. She just had this energy about her that made him feel like despite the fact she could take care of herself, he had to protect her as well. He could easily remember the first time he promised he would take care of her. It wasn't even when they were together. It was months beforehand. And for Steve to tell Bethany how he felt back then, it was almost impossible. He would stutter over his sentences, but somehow he had promised her he would take care of her.

A meeting with Colonel Phillips went way longer than anyone had anticipated. Bucky had credited to the fact that Steve and Phillips weren't seeing eye-to-eye on the situation and spent the majority of the meeting bickering. But Steve knew that Phillips was being unreasonable. While he was still Steve's superior, Steve was going to do whatever was right at the end of the day, even if it was against a direct order. If Phillips had a problem with that, Steve didn't really care.

He had been gone on a mission for a few days and had only briefly seen Bethany's blonde ponytail swinging back and forth as she headed down a hallway earlier that day. He felt like it had been months since the last time he saw her. And while he didn't want to sound like a heartsick fool, he had been hoping that she'd be there to welcome him back. She usually was, but he knew that at the end of the day, she was there to work. Just like him. She couldn't just wait for him to come back. But when she did, the huge smile on her face would make his heart pound so loud that he was afraid that everyone would hear it. He hadn't got that yet, and he felt like he was going to burst if he didn't soon.

But it was late. And it was a Friday night. He knew that she wasn't at the base. There was no way that a beautiful girl like Bethany would be unnecessarily holed up in the base on a Friday night if she didn't have to. He knew that she was probably out, having accepted some other soldier's invitation with a soft smile. He knew it all too well. He saw her give soldier's that same smile every time they asked her. But Steve always reminded himself that he preferred that large smile she gave him when he returned from a mission over the meek smiles she gave the others.

"You going out?" Bucky asked Steve. Steve already knew that Bucky was. Bucky and Bethany were cut from the same cloth. They both enjoyed going out, even if it was just to soak in the music and energy from the room. "What am I saying? Of course you are. 'Cause Bethany is out."

Steve didn't respond, merely shoving his hands into his pockets. He didn't want to get into this again with Bucky. It was usually the same old thing, but at the end of the day, nothing would change. Yes, Bethany seemed to be more comfortable with him than anyone else, sometimes even more than Howard, but he couldn't let it get to his head.

"Fine, I'll drop it," Bucky offered, sensing Steve's mood. "But only after I say this: She may go on dates with fellas, but she's never gone out with a guy more than once. It's like she does it purely to give them a chance to impress her and they don't. Maybe that's just how she is, but you and I both know there's a lot more to her."

"I'm going to drop this off," Steve replied, holding up his notebook. "I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah, whatever you want pal," Bucky sighed, patting him on the back once before Steve slipped down a hallway to his room. His mind was blank as he walked along but came to a halt when he saw a blonde sitting in front of his door, inspecting her nails.

"Bethany?" He asked, shocked to see her there instead of already at the bar. She looked up, that beautiful smile he had been craving lighting up her face.

"Steve!" She greeted, reaching out for the hand he was offering to help her up.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd already be out," he told her, trying to slow his speeding heart.

"Well, I knew you came back today," she began, stepping aside so he could let himself into his room. "And today was just… it was just really busy for me. I wasn't sure if you'd be coming out tonight, but I wanted to welcome you back. So are you?"

"Am I what?" Steve asked as he dropped his notebook on his rickety desk and turned to face her. She was now leaning against his doorframe, still smiling at him.

"Coming to the bar," She chuckled. "I understand if you're too tired."

"No, I'll come," Steve replied. "Didn't have a date tonight?"

Bethany rolled her eyes but stepped out of his way once again so he could close his door and they could be on their way. "That idiot Jerrkins asked me out. I only said 'yes' because I felt bad for him. Until this afternoon when he made some not-so-nice comments about his plans for tonight, which I naturally overheard."

"Naturally," Steve replied, but already knowing his fist would be making acquaintance with Jerrkins' face soon.

"I mean, the word 'jerk' is in his name, so I shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, I called it off, but I have a feeling he'll be there anyways. And if I stay in, I'll look like the pathetic one. So at least I have you to protect me," she teased him.

"What was he saying?" Steve asked her, taking the conversation to a serious turn.

"Nothing I can't deal with," She promised him. "It's not your job to beat up every guy that makes a rude remark to me."

"It's not just about you," Steve replied, only lying a little bit. "If no one teaches them a lesson, they won't learn."

"Never thought about it like that," Bethany responded before shrugging the conversation off. "No date for yourself?"

"Yeah, right," He chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Why do you sell yourself so short, Rogers? You could have your pick of girls. They'd all be fools to say 'no' to you. There has to be someone who's caught your eye."

"Even if there was," he began, treading carefully. "I'd be too embarrassed to ask them. Not everyone has your confidence."

"It's contagious," Bethany teased, tossing him a wink. "Soon enough, you'll have the confidence to ask out anyone you'd like. I bet there are starlets in Hollywood drooling over you."

"Stop," Steve mumbled.

"Steve, you're a catch!" Bethany insisted. "I don't just overhear jerks. I overhear the girls here too. You're handsome. You're strong. You're passionate. You're a gentleman. And when you're riding your bike, you have the bad boy image girls fawn over. Without being a jerk. And I get it. Maybe you haven't had luck in the past. But all those girls were fools because you're the nicest guy I've ever met. Girls might like the bad boy image, but they know better than to fall for them. Everyone wants someone who will treat them like… like they're the only person in the world."

"Thanks Bethany," Steve whispered, feeling his cheeks pinking under the weight of her compliments. Bethany continued to talk about Steve's attributes, naming all the girls she had overheard talking about him. Through it all, Steve got more and more embarrassed. But there was a little voice in the back of his mind telling him that these were things she agreed with. She liked his personality. She was calling him handsome. And it was evident that she liked his company. Maybe if he was really patient, one day he would get enough courage to do something about their mutual feelings. Or maybe he was over reading the situation and she really just thought of him as a friend. Either way, he did enjoy when she got into her non-stop ramblings, occasionally talking to herself, but allowing him to hear what was going on in her mind.

When they reached the bar, Bethany took a grasp of Steve's hand and began to pull him deeper into the bar. A bunch of their friends were already sitting at a table, throwing back their drinks like they were going out of style.

"Ah, look who's here!" Howard called out, his arm wrapped around some blonde wearing a skimpy red dress.

"Yes, yes, I have arrived," Bethany flaunted with a teasing tone before sitting on Gabe's lap. "Let the fun begin."

It wasn't long before they saw Jerrkins dancing with a dark-haired French girl. While Bethany didn't care about him attempting to show off in front of her, she had told Steve she had planned to stay out later than them. Especially since turning in early, with a man on her arm, would defeat the purpose of calling him out earlier. But it was close to midnight, past curfew and Jerrkins was only now leading his French girl out the doors.

"Finally," Bethany mumbled, finishing off her drink. The bar was almost empty. Steve had stayed back with Bethany. It was too dangerous for her to be out alone at this time. It didn't matter that he was tired. Bethany herself looked exhausted. In fact, Bucky had misread Bethany's exhaustion for drunkenness, but Steve knew that wasn't possible.

"Ready to leave?" Steve asked her.

She nodded slowly but made no move. "I don't want to get up."

Steve chuckled, pushing out his chair and standing up. "Want a lift?"

Bethany looked up at him, giving him a soft smile. "Maybe just someone to lean on?"

"Come on," Steve replied softly, helping her up and wrapping his arm around her to keep her steady. As they made their way back, Steve kept looking down at Bethany, who he was convinced was half-asleep. Her eyes were closed and she was barely moving at all, but Steve didn't pressure her. He maintained the same pace until she stopped altogether. Chuckling under his breath, he stooped down and picked her up as carefully as he could. Her head naturally rested on his chest, nuzzling itself in her sleep.

Walking through the base, he got some looks from fellow soldiers, some clearly questioning, some with knowing looks. But in actuality, everything about the situation was innocent. He planned to simply take her to her room, place her on her bed. Maybe take off her heels. Pull her sheet over her so she'd stay warm.

Taking off her heels was easy enough, but as he tried to pull the wool blanket over her body, she jolted awake. He took a step back, watching as the surrounding registered in her mind. For a quick second, she looked wild but realization came over her and she looked up at him. "What happened?"

"You, uh… You fell asleep," Steve told her carefully.

Sitting up in her bed, she smacked her lips together absentmindedly as she thought hard about something. "And you carried me home?"
"Yes," Steve nodded slowly.

"Well, thanks," She told him before leaning her head back against the back wall and sighing.

"Something wrong?" He asked her awkwardly.

"No," she said before groaning. "Yes. Yes. Today… today was awful, Steve."

"Yesterday," Steve corrected, earning a pointed look from Bethany. "Sorry, continue."

"I just…" She shook her head, taking a minute to gather her words. "Phillips called me into his office this morning. Plainly asked me what I was doing here. I was so caught off guard that I stared at him for a good minute or so, saying nothing. That gave him plenty of time to think of a few reasons why he should send me home."

"But you-you're the only one who worked directly with Dr. Erskine. And you help Howard. And the nurses when it gets busy," Steve listed off, awkwardly standing beside her bed.

"Yeah, but I don't have a specific role," She explained. "I do what is needed of me. Sure, it's helpful but not necessary."

"So… is he sending you home?" Steve asked carefully, trying to hide his emotions.

"He would have if I didn't remind him that I'm not being paid by the government, but by Stark Industries. But part of me feels like I should go. Being here is such a risk for someone finding out my secret. One small accident, and I'm exposed. Shipped off to Alamogordo or worst for medical testing. So much testing that I'll wish I could die."

"That's not going to happen," he told her firmly.

"You don't know that, Steve," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Yes, I do," Steve promised. "I won't let it. You don't deserve that. No one does. But you especially. Okay? Nothing will happen to you."

She looked up at him, her eyes shining slightly, with a hint of a smile on her face. She thanked him quietly before wishing him a good night and slipping down into her bed.


Bethany woke up with a crick in her neck and the desire to just fall back to sleep for a few more hours. But the night before settled into her mind and she jolted awake, Jamie's room surrounding her. Jamie wasn't in the bed next to her, but sitting on Steve's lap on the rocking chair. He looked up to her with a concerned expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded, yawning and running her hand through her hair. "I guess we fell asleep?"

Steve chuckled. "Just a bit. Sleep well?"

"I did," Bethany replied, sitting up against the wall. "I'm guessing you didn't."

"I've slept in worse fixes," Steve reminded her.

"Maybe," Bethany began, her face soft. "But I know you. How much sleep did you actually get?"

He sighed, shifting Jamie on his lap. The boy was looking at one of his books quietly, lost in the imaginary world in front of him. "Enough," he promised her. "I'm not tired. If I get the chance to work out this morning, that'd be nice, but I'm good for today."

"What time is it?" Bethany asked, rubbing one of her eyes.

Steve reached out for his phone, which was resting on the changing table. "Just after seven. Lots of time before President Ellis shows up."

"Great," she replied, her voice lacking all emotion. "Is it too late to postpone?"

"A little. You're the one who insisted it was today," he reminded her.

"I know, I know," Bethany sighed. "I just don't feel like putting on a mean front today. Obviously I don't have a choice."

"You don't have to be mean," Steve responded with a shrug. "We could go in there calm and collected."

"Yeah, right," Bethany scoffed.

"Or you can stay here with Jamie, and I can go by myself," he suggested.

"No," she replied instantly. "Not at all. I have to be a part of this. We both do. It's our son's life. Our life. I'm whining because I'm lazy. Just ignore me."

Steve chuckled at her words, which pulled Jamie out of his wonderful fairy tale world. "Hun-grwy Daa-dee," he told him, looking up at his father.

"I bet you are," Steve replied, taking the book and putting it aside so that he could stand Jamie up on his legs. "We can go down and make a nice big breakfast, with pancakes and eggs and lots of fruit. How does that sound? Beth?"

"Sounds amazing," Bethany hummed with a smile. "I'll help you, I just want to go wash my face and brush my teeth." Knowing that she'd lose her ability to be productive, she got up right away, heading to her bedroom but stopping in the doorframe when she saw two shapes in her bed. She tilted her head in confusion before backtracking back to Jamie's room, standing in the doorframe.

"Oh!" Steve remembered when he saw her. "Kiley and Sam are in our bed. Everyone is here by the way."

"They didn't have to stay," Bethany replied.

"Yeah, they did," Steve sighed, getting up and letting Jamie down on his own feet. "For now, we accept their hovering because we secretly are thankful for it."

"Just a bit," Bethany admitted. Steve walked over to her, placing his hands on Bethany's shoulders. "Hi."

"Hi," Steve smiled, leaning down to kiss her softly. "No matter what happens today, I'm not going to let anything happen to our family. You know that right?"

"I know you'd rather die than let anything happen to us," Bethany whispered. "But I wouldn't like that very much." Bethany attention drifted back over to Jamie who was standing over his toy chest, pulling out his old Hulk plushie. "I just want us all to be together."

"And we will be," Steve told her, leaning down to kiss her again.


Bethany stood at the window, one of her legs jiggling impatiently. They had received word that President Ellis had arrived, but it had been five minutes since and he hadn't arrived into their conference room yet. Bethany had refused to meet him at the helicopter pad, no matter how much sweet talking Steve did. He decided not to pressure her and had joined her in the room. Their friends had offered to sit with them, but Steve and Bethany both knew that the best thing would be if it was just them and President Ellis. Their only exception was Jamie. He sat on one of the chairs, a booster seat holding him in place, colouring in a notepad. Steve was taking turns looking between Bethany's shaking leg and Jamie's mindless chattering and scribbling. They were stark opposites. Jamie was carefree and at ease while Bethany was nervous and tense. And he was sure that if he could see her face, angry too.

"Daa-dee?" Jamie spoke softly, his stubby little fingers holding onto a coloured pencil, offering it to his father,

Steve smiled at his son, accepting the pencil and placing a kiss on the top of his head. "What are we drawing here, huh?" Steve asked before he began to colour a cartoon dog in the corner of the page.

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Bethany mumbled, her patience running thin as she moved away from the window to stand behind Jamie's chair.

"Relax a spell," Steve suggested. "He's here. He'll be with us soon. Grab a chair, a pencil and just relax. Okay?"
Bethany gave Steve an annoyed look, but begrudgingly followed his instructions. "I just don't get why he gets to keep us waiting. We shouldn't be having this meeting in the first place."

"I know you're frustrated," Steve began.

"And you're not?" Bethany asked exasperatedly.

"Of course I am," Steve corrected her. "I'm just hiding it a lot better than you."

A smile threatened to pull at Bethany's lips at his words, but she fought it back. "I'm happy our boy seems to be okay."

"It's a blessing," Steve agreed. "And after this meeting, we head to the infirmary. Okay? I want you on a higher dose as soon as possible."

"Yes sir," Bethany replied with a soft smile, but it dropped as soon as the door opened and President Ellis walked into the room.

Steve stood up, offering his hand to the President, as well as a formal greeting, but Bethany stayed where she was, content with just staring up at the President like he was the devil incarnate.

"Mrs. Rogers," Ellis greeted as he took a seat at the table.

"Matt," Bethany said, stressing the fact that she was not going to play nice.

"And this must be little James Rogers," Ellis continued, ignoring Bethany's attitude.

"Well, you should know for sure, considering you seem to be extremely invested in him," Bethany snapped, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Mrs. Rogers, I'd appreciate it if we could discuss this in a civilized manner," Ellis said with a sigh.

"No, uh huh," Bethany disagreed. "See, maybe I'd be okay with that if you had come to us, explained your uncalled for involvement to us, but no. I had to force your ass to get here."

"Beth," Steve said under his breath, warning her slightly. He knew she was angry and didn't exactly have patience himself, but he knew that they needed to get information from Ellis and being snarky didn't guarantee that in the least.

"We have a lot to discuss," Ellis agreed, folding his hands together. "Let's all sit and talk about this as professionally as we can."

"Okay, well…" Bethany began, taking a deep breath. "We called you here today because we feel like it's our right as parents to have the information you're keeping from us."

"If we weren't who we are," Steve began, elaborating on Bethany's words. "We'd be involved in the investigation. The parents would be working with the authorities. By keeping information from us, it's just putting Jamie in more danger."

"Not to mention that we were the ones who started the investigation," Bethany pointed. "We're the ones who found him. We should be getting rights to the investigation, regardless of our connection to the case."

"See, I disagree," Ellis began patiently. "Your close involvement means you'd take manners into your own hands, just like you did. If you were normal parents, you wouldn't have started the investigation by yourselves. Like you said, you'd be working with the authorities. Not bossing them around. Not taking the reins by yourselves. You used your status and abilities as the Avengers to find your son. So already the situation isn't a normal one."

"Regardless," Bethany shook her head. "It was our investigation. It's our son. And no matter what, you wouldn't involve yourself in a kidnapping."

"No, not unless I thought that it was a concern of national security," Ellis explained.

"Pardon?" Steve asked, placing a protective hand on Jamie's back.

"How does a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler jeopardize national security?" Bethany demanded.

"Not the boy, the kidnappers," Ellis clarified. "These people were well-equipped. And from our investigation, there are massive gaps. Few knew who they were employed by, but even in that situation, they were hired by other people. We're not sure how deep this runs. And if it was a normal child, they wouldn't be taking blood samples with possible intentions of experimentation."

"So you don't think what they're saying about using his blood samples to find cures to deadly diseases?" Bethany asked, not at all surprised since she had admitted to having similar ideas.

"No," Ellis confirmed. "My staff and I think that they were going to use the blood samples to pinpoint the genetic code to unlock the key to the super soldier serum. And that is a national threat."

"What are your theories? An enemy group? Country?" Steve asked, not liking the idea that his son was being used as a potential weapon.

"We're looking into it," was all the President said.

"How do we know you're telling us the truth?" Bethany asked suddenly, everyone turning to look at her in shock. "What? I know how to play this game. I've been a game piece in it way too long. What if you're just saying all of this to get us off your scent, and really your goons are behind this?"

"Why would you think that?" Ellis asked, completely off guard.

"Because I know you," Bethany smirked. "You're constantly looking for a way to strengthen America's defense. If you had it your way, you'd make sure the Avengers worked for you and you only."

Ellis sighed, narrowing his eyes. "If I wanted blood samples from your son, I could get them without blinking."

"Excuse me?" Steve asked, not liking the threat that was associated with his words.

"The blood that is running through both of your bodies? The serums that have altered your genes? That belongs to the United States of America. Legally. And by default, so does your son. If I did want blood samples, whether yours or his, I wouldn't need an elaborate scheme."

Steve felt his blood run cold and goosebumps break out all over his body. Luckily for him, Bethany's was running hot, fueling her anger. "Is that a threat?"

"No," Ellis said nonchalantly. "I'm just informing you."

Bethany let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "Then why haven't you? Done it? I know you. I know people like you. You're all after the same thing; power. And we know that having an army of genetically engineered soldiers is something you've been craving. Don't try to deny it."

"Because with the samples we do have, we haven't been able to figure out how to isolate the gene to recreate the serum. Not just that, but finding people to trust with the information? This is a dog-eat-dog world. One small leak, one small pay-off and we're dealing with another country with an army of genetically engineered soldiers looking to do one thing and one thing only."

"Destroy the United States," Steve answered with a sigh.

"We are not short of enemies," Ellis reminded them. "I understand where you two are coming from. But I need you to understand that if my suspicions are correct-"

"You want us to stay out of it?" Bethany asked. "Are you forgetting the capabilities of this team? We can help more than hinder."

"That may be possible, but it is also highly possible that you'll let your connection get in the way," Ellis spoke bluntly. "I just need you to know that the information we're keeping from you will in no way put your son in danger. It's our intent to keep him safe to keep our country safe."

"You keeping stuff from us keep us from getting even."

"Which is exactly why I think you'll get in the way, Mrs. Rogers," Ellis said, losing his calm demeanor.

"We appreciate that you want to keep Jamie safe," Steve quickly interjected to keep Bethany from getting into a full-blown battle with the President of the United States. "Tony has revamped the security and we're working on maintaining a safe perimeter. We've established that even with our old system and protocols, it was impossible for them to take him, which is why they did it the way they did."

"This property might just be the most secure in the country," Ellis agreed. "I can have representatives from the Secret Service work here to help make sure all stops are being exercised."

"Hell no," Bethany snapped before Steve could accept. "I don't want your representatives crawling on the inside, ready to spill all our secrets at a moment's notice."

"Mrs. Rogers," President Ellis began, sighing. "We're on the same side."

"See, if that was true, you wouldn't be keeping vital information from us," Bethany snipped.

"I'm trying to protect the country-"

"The country? Or yourself? Are you doing what's best for the country? Or are you thinking more along the lines of this being the last year of your term and just serving your own interests?"

"Beth," Steve whispered, trying to catch her attention. If he did, she elected to ignore it.

"Are you going to give us that information willingly or not?" Bethany asked, challenging the President. When he said nothing, Bethany let out a dry laugh and let a smirk split her face. "That's what I thought. You know, Mr. President, there's a lot worse things than impeachment."

"Is that a threat?" Ellis asked, not at all fazed.

"Just an observation," Bethany replied smugly. "I've been walking this Earth a lot longer than you. I've been playing this game longer than anyone else. I can easily make your life a lot harder than it already is just by spilling a secret or two. A mere whisper."

"Beth," Steve said again, not liking that she was essentially blackmailing the President.

"No," she replied, looking to Steve this time. "I'm going to do everything I can to protect our son. If that means stealing, cheating, blackmailing or even murder, you know I'll do it. Now murder seems a little hasty. If the other three fail, which I don't expect they will, it'll be a nice backup plan."

Ellis' face was red now. He wasn't scared like anyone else in his position would be, but angry. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want," Bethany snapped. "Give me the full damn transcripts, videos, information and access to the prisoners. And not in a week, not in a few days. By the end of the day. The only thing I have to lose is my family. But you? You're still young, naïve and innocent enough to lose everything. Don't be an idiot and gamble with that. Because I'll win. And the way I'm feeling now, you don't want to even take the chance. Is that understood?"

Ellis sat there, his face still red, but he looked defeated in his anger. Bethany was threatening him, with no real evidence on the table, but it was like Ellis knew that Bethany was telling the truth. Steve didn't doubt that Bethany had enough dirt to bury Ellis and his entire team under with. He also didn't doubt that she'd find a way to steal the information she wanted. But she didn't want to take time away from Jamie. She just wanted the damn information that they should have gotten in the first place.

With Ellis' silence, but apparent agreement, Bethany reached over to the teleconference speaker on the table, pressing the intercom button to outside the room. "If you could escort Mr. Ellis off the premises now," she told them with an air of ease. The door opened, two guards coming in, ready to lead the President away. "Remember," Bethany began as Ellis stood up. "I'm indestructible. But you aren't."

Steve saw a vein in Ellis' jaw twitch before he left the room. Steve watched as Bethany's body crumbled as soon as the room was empty of everyone but her family. A moment ago, she was a force not to be reckoned with, one that did not doubt her abilities. But now, she looked tired, weak and… broken.


**A/N: They very much, long awaited President Ellis/Bethany Stark showdown with some hints of Civil War mixed in for your pleasure :)