CHAPTER 13

The next hour was spent in anxious silence. If Steve thought he was fidgety and nervous before, it was nothing compared to the anxiety sweeping through his veins now.

It seemed like time was crawling. Finally, they were at the Compound. After landing the QuinJet they all unbuckled and started to gather their things.

"Alright, I need everyone's attention so listen up." Rhodes called. "We have a few ground rules to go over before we head into the Compound. First, you will all have your old rooms. They have been basically untouched since you left. Two of the extra rooms on the floor are now occupied by myself and Sergeant Barnes. There are many places in the Compound that you do not have access to, and it will remain that way for the foreseeable future. This includes, but is not limited to Tony's lab and the upper levels of the compound, including the penthouse. You will not be allowed outside of the Compound or its perimeter. Be careful, there have been reporters outside the Gates day and night hoping to catch a glimpse of some kind of drama. We will not be giving them the satisfaction, understood?

If you have any questions, FRIDAY is linked into the entire building and available to you at all times. Everyone is to be civil with each other, regardless of ideological or moral differences. Sergeant Barnes and I will be your main points of contact, should you need anything that FRIDAY cannot provide you with. My next point I cannot stress enough, you will not, under any circumstance, lay your hands on another member of the compound in a threatening manner. You will not be participating on any missions until we have established trust with the public and with one another. There will be mandatory team training sessions to try and accomplish this. You will find that there are many changes to the Compound, mostly its inhabitants. Once we get inside you are free to make yourselves comfortable. Does everyone understand?"

They all nodded. "Good. Sergeant Barnes, lead the way." Bucky stepped up and pressed the release button, opening the door.

Steve couldn't help but stop for a moment in the cool New York night air. Breathing deeply, he let the feeling of home wash over him as he looked out to the Compound. He felt his breath catch at the familiar building.

Sam gave him a friendly shove forward and joked, "I bet it feels even better once you're actually inside man, but if you'd like to stay out here and stare we could send out a sleeping bag." Steve returned his smile and adjusted his duffle bag on his shoulder.

They entered the building and walked through the familiar lobby on the first floor. Things looked basically unchanged, except as Steve surveyed the area, his eyes caught on some shoe scuff marks on the tile floor and a small plastic green army man peeking out from the pot of a planted fern. Spider-Man, Peter? Was young, but not that young. Interesting.

As they rode the elevator Bucky turned to Steve with a smile. "So, miss me, punk?"

Steve couldn't help but beam at him. "Everyday, Buck, I can't tell you how happy I am that the treatment worked. How are things here, you happy?"

Bucky nodded, "Yeah, Steve, its…well its home."

The elevator bell alerted them that they had arrived at their floor. One by one they all stepped off into the familiar area.

"Dude." Scott said. "This is so sweet. If my prison had looked like this before, I never would have wanted to leave." Wanda's eyes narrowed at his back as he continued further into the room to explore.

Rhodes strode in past all of them and walked into the connected kitchen.

"FRI," he called, "What is Tony's status?"

"Boss and the others have just pulled up to the compound." Came her smooth answer.

A few minutes later the elevator bell sounded and Steve felt like the world moved in slow motion. The doors opened to reveal Tony Stark, a young male teenager- Peter, Pepper Pots, and Happy Hogan. Bucky and Rhodes both rushed forward as the group stepped off of the elevator.

Tony. Steve's heart felt like it broke and mended itself ten times at just the sight of the man. He looked awful. He looked beautiful. Awful and beautiful, Steve's brain couldn't decide which one to land on. Tony looked absolutely exhausted, dark circles around his eyes, although now that he thought about it, they myriad of bruises covering Tony's face blended into the dark circles.

His bottom lip was split open, some dried blood still clinging to it as it stretched. His was holding his wrapped sprained wrist to his chest somewhat protectively over the ribs that they had heard were bruised badly. His breath was shallow, but Steve honestly didn't know if that was from physical pain or from the sight of seeing them all standing in the living area of their floor. Tony's warm brown eyes looked dim as they landed on each of the others, resolutely avoiding landing on Steve.

"Oh good," his voice was tired and cracked, "Gang's all here. Grab the ice Pep so we can go."

Any answer Pepper might have had for Tony died on her lips as the door to the stairwell clicked open from the lock and a small crowd surged through it.

Laura Barton and Maggie Lang were trying to contain Cooper, Lila, Cassie from running full speed at Tony.

"Uncle Tony!" Cassie's tearful voice rang through the silence. She tried to shake off her mother but Maggie kept her grip on the girl. "Cassie, for God's sake he's hurt, calm down. We talked about this!"

Tony's eyes softened at the sight of the children. "Hey Cassie-Bug. 'm okay, honey. Maggie, Laura, it's alright."

The two women released their hold on the three older children, though Laura didn't put down the wriggling Nathaniel.

Cooper, Lila, and Cassie quickly approached Tony. The two girls had tears flowing down their cheeks seeing the bruising and blood on his face. Cooper's face was scrunched up, the poor boy trying to hold back any tears and appear strong.

Maggie and Laura immediately began to fuss over both Tony and Peter.

"What the fuck, Laura?" Clint said.

All the people in the room turned their attention back to the Rogue Avengers. It was like they hadn't even realized that they were there when they came in. So focused on "Uncle Tony", Scott and Clint's families hadn't even realized their fathers were in the same room as them.

Laura Barton slowly turned and leveled fiery eyes at her husband. Clint was frozen to the spot, and Steve honestly couldn't blame him. The look on Laura's face was anything but welcoming. It was stony and impassive.

"That's two dollars to the swear jar, Agent Baron." Maggie said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Daddy…?" Lila's voice was so small in the heavy air.

Clint's wary gaze turned to his daughter and he slowly sunk down onto one knee. "Hi, baby."

Lila turned her gaze back to her mother, then to Tony. Cooper looked furious as he spat out, "Don't call her that."

Clint flinched at the the bite in his son's voice. "Coop." Tony said sharply. Cooper turned towards Tony and just shook his head. "You said I didn't have to."

Clint's glare turned on Tony but Laura cut him off quickly, "You don't have to, baby. Lets all go, come on, take your sister back upstairs, please. I told you that you could see Tony and Peter and we have. Let's go." Nathaniel began to cry at being led away from Tony.

"Laura?" Clint took one step towards her and she quickly backed up two steps.

"Don't you dare, Clint. Not right now." She shook her head and hid the tears that began welling up in her eyes.

Next to Steve, Scott was trying to catch Cassie's eyes, but the small brunette resolutely kept her eyes on her mother.

"Tony, dinner is ready upstairs, if you feel up to it." Maggie placed a light hand on Tony's unhurt hand. He squeezed her delicate hand in thanks and gave her a nod. "Be up in a minute."

"Uncle Tony, I made your favorite confetti cupcakes, you too Peter." Lila whispered.

"Oh sunshine, that sounds perfect, exactly what I need right now. You go on ahead; I'll be right behind you." Tony gave her the best reassuring smile he could muster without splitting him lip open again. Peter gave her a smile and an enthusiastic nod.

Happier now, she let herself be herded back towards the door to the stairs with the others.

After the door closed Tony turned back to meet the outraged Clint and puzzled Scott.

"You wanna explain yourself, Stark?" Clint seethed. Tony was about to tell him where he could stick his anger, but Natasha's irate voice spoke up instead. "After you all broke out of jail, Ross and some other people started looking to your family. Tony and I got them out. Cassie and Maggie too. They've been here at the Compound for months now."

Clint's anger only seemed to grow. "And no one bothered to tell us? T'Challa said he looked for them and couldn't find them. Do you know how worried I've been?"

"Then you shouldn't have left them, Barton." She bit back.

"I did what was right!"

She scoffed. "What was right? Leaving your family was right?"

Tony cut in, "No one could know, that's how they stayed safe."

"They are my family, Stark!" Clint yelled.

"And did you tell them where you were going? You left your family in a position to be just as worried as you were. Lucky for them, you all don't know how to disappear without help."

Scott's calm voice broke through the haze of anger, asking, "Is she happy? Cassie, has she been safe and happy?"

Tony eyed him warily but gave a stiff nod. Pepper supported him, "She's become very close with Lila, they call each other sisters."

Scott considered this for a moment. Then, as if he made a decision, he suddenly stepped forward and moved until he was directly in front of Tony. Tony's hurt wrist that he was holding against his chest moved slightly to cover his arc reactor at the sudden proximity. Scott simply stuck his hand out and held it there, waiting.

Tony moved slowly, but eventually lifted his good hand and took Scott's outstretched palm. Scott have him a firm handshake and looked him in the eyes as he said, "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I appreciate everything you've done for my family."

Tony wasn't sure he could trust himself to answer with an even voice, but he cleared his throat and tried, returning Scott's handshake and saying, "The pleasure is mine. She's a wonderful girl, and Maggie is one of the kindest women I've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm sure you're very proud."

Scott's smile was natural and his eyes were honest as he answered, "Absolutely."

They released each others hands and for a moment Tony felt like he could breathe, like he could do this. The feeling was short lived however, when St-Rogers decided to open his mouth.

"What did you mean, that we didn't know how to disappear without help?" Steve asked. He had a feeling there was a lot more to that statement. Natasha never said anything unless she wanted it heard.

Tony wouldn't meet his gaze, though his eyes flicked in his direction.

Pepper scoffed at him. "Did you really think that you approached the government's high security raft, broke apprehended criminals out of specialized cells, and were able to hide out in the world with everyone looking for you, all by yourselves?"

Sam's mouth tilted upward, amused. "Guess we gave ourselves a little too much credit, huh?"

Peter's laugh burst from his mouth before he could contain it. "Mr. Stark put Secretary Ross on hold while he played interference. You never would have made it within 50 miles of that place without him."

"Alright, enough, that's enough. We don't need a play by play." Tony rushed to end this. They weren't supposed to know these things. Rogers could keep his accomplishments, he didn't need to know Tony had done anything for any of them, it didn't matter.

"Actually," Steve said, his voice channeling the voice they all knew so well as his "Cap Voice", "I think I would like a play by play. The whole story."

Tony couldn't help snapping. Hearing St-Rogers speak like Tony owed him anything was too much. "The whole story? I don't think so. You don't pick and choose when you get to know the whole story."

Steve felt hurt, but not at all surprised. Truthfully, he knew that the words would rub Tony wrong as soon as they left his mouth. Still, he had hoped for once that things might not continue to deteriorate and blow up in his face. His eyebrows drew together as he said, "Tony, I'm trying to-"

Tony let out a sound that was somewhere between an ironic chuckle and a scoff. "Rogers- "

"Tell me what happened in Siberia."

All the eyes in the room landed on Sam. He stood, his arms crossed across his chest, eyes trained on Tony in intense earnest.

"You – What?" Tony stumbled.

Sam's resolve strengthened. "At the raft, we spoke and I told you where Cap and Barnes had gone. You promised me you would go as a friend, Stark. You promised me that you would go to them as a friend and help, and I don't know how- "

Ice crawled its way through Steve's veins. "No. No, Sam stop please, you don't understand, you don't know- "

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Tony asked, fuming.

"No, I asked you, Stark!" Sam yelled back.

"What's the matter, Rogers, you couldn't tell them what happened, how the icon of truth and integrity fell of the scales of justice?"

Steve lifted his gaze and met Tony's brown eyes. He wished more than anything to walk away from this right now, but he knew it was too late. The fire had been lit in Tony's eyes and it was raging at a full blaze. Steve could only steel himself, raise his chin and let it come.

"There it is. Do you know that's the first thing I recognized in you? That stupid look of disappointment. I saw it every single day of my life, every time I looked into the old mans eyes. You'll have to do better than that, Rogers, because you can't touch me with that shit at this level."

It was like Steve was watching this all unfold like a movie. He didn't have control over his own mouth and body. He nearly cringed as he watched himself say, "Tony, your dad was proud of you."

Tony's face contorted into pure rage.

"My father wasn't a great man like all of the propaganda and media make him out to be. I know that because I lived with the guy. I was there! He was a self centered controlling asshole who never let anyone else shine for the fear they might outshine him. I hated the man! I'll call him every name in the book, but the one thing I never, not ever, forgave him for was the one thing that I found out he wasn't; a murderer."

Steve felt like someone had doused him in ice water.

"I spent my entire life thinking that man took away one of the only people who ever gave a damn about me. He got behind the wheel, plastered drunk and he murdered my mother. He could have gotten behind that wheel and killed himself and I would have mourned him like a good son," he sneered "but he didn't. He got behind that wheel and he took her down with him. And that, that is something I could never let go of. I promised myself, I promised him, I promised any God that existed, and most of all, I promised her, that I would never forgive him for that."

He smiled, a grimacing horrible smile as he looked down to his feet and continued, "I knew it wasn't what she wanted and not what she would have done, but damn it, her whole life she never was able to stand up for herself, so as God was my witness I was going to do it for her. I was going to hate him with everything I had."

His eyes then rose and looked directly into Steve's.

"And then I was standing in that fucking bunker in the middle of fucking nowhere next to someone I had really believed to be my friend. Zemo's voice came over the speakers and I thought, 'It will be fine, because Captain fucking America is next to me and there has never been anything we haven't faced down, as long as we faced it, what did you say, oh yes, together.

And then that screen came on, and in a few short moments, not only did every lie that I had been told so many damn times come down on me, but so did the lie that I had built myself; that somehow I had become someone who mattered, who was part of a team, that I had a family."

He spat that word out like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "My life was lie, after lie, after lie, and standing next to me were both of the people who had caused them." Tony's chest was heaving now as he stepped closer to Steve. "So, did I lose my shit? Abso-fucking-lutely. I went completely insane. I had the strength to resist for only one moment of clarity, as I used it to look into the eyes of the man I trusted with every piece of me, and ask him if he knew. If he really knew the truth, and he had not only let it shatter me anyways, but played a part in it. And guess what? My answer will haunt me and hurt me long after any of the physical pain has healed."

Tony stepped back, disgust evident on his face for only a moment more before it was replaced with a look so tired and so hollow, he looked like he had aged ten years in seconds.

"Now, on advice of my doctor, I am going to the penthouse to lie down. The rest of the compound is yours, have at it kiddos."

Peter and Natasha were by his side in an instant, each wrapping an arm around his side and holding an elbow, careful to avoid his bandaged ribs and wrapped wrist. Together they supported him to the elevator FRIDAY had waiting and stepped inside followed closely by Pepper and James.

As the doors closed, Steve got only a moment to watch as Tony's forehead rested on Natasha's shoulder. His blue eyes connected with hers, ice cold as she glared at him with a look Steve had never seen directed toward even their worst opponents.