"God DAMMIT!" Max screamed as she stood up again, wiping sweat from her eyes and pushing her hair back. "Again!" She fell into stance and waited for the drone to come at her. The bot hovered for a few seconds before coming at her, despite valiant attempts to beat it into submission ultimately Max was defeated and knocked to the ground.

"Aaaauuuuuugghh!" Max screamed, standing up and rubbing her hip. By this point, after being knocked down so many times, she was beginning to bruise in a few spots. Taking another breath and collecting herself, Max slid into a new stance and called out, "Again!"

Tony, after hearing the commotion, straddled into the training room and watched as Max used every trick in her arsenal to beat up her opponent. She attempted to use brute force and attack head on, and for a bit it seemed like her building rage might be just enough to earn her a victory. However, just as she was starting to let her vision tint red, she seemed to get a grip or think better of that tactic and return to a more levelheaded technique. Even though her form was admirable and her attacks were not lacking in power, Max was still defeated and thrown to the ground.

"God Fucking- Cock shit damn!" Max rolled off of her bruised hip cussing. "Of all the cock sucking, shit eating-mother FUCKing balls! This is bullshit." She delicately lifted her shirt to examine the growing purple splotch all down her side. She lay there defeated and trying to will the pain away.

"I know you didn't learn all of that from dear old Grandma." Tony chimed in. He was slightly amused at the foul mouth on the girl, but on the inside his brain was whirring away trying to make sense of why a technically perfect fighting style was useless for Max. By all accounts, someone with that skill should have won.

"Stuff a sock in it, you douche-canoe." She glared up at him before rolling into a sitting position. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm working on punishing myself?"

"You're not big enough for that." Tony said blankly. He had discovered the missing piece and answer.

"Excuse me?" Max looked at him like he was crazy.

"That's why you can't win the fight. The technique your using, matched with the drone as your opponent, it's disproportionate to your size and weight." He walked closer, descending the stairs into the pit and stepping onto the mat. "It has nothing to do with your strength, and everything to do with how you're using it."

"You're telling me that my being small is why I'm getting my ass handed to me?" Max replied. "No shit Sherlock, now I see why they call you a genius. Who could have guessed, a fourteen year old is small." Despite Max's snarky tone, she was visibly in pain as she stood.

"You're never going to win this battle head on. That drone is made to fight adults, specifically this adult in my Iron Man suit. It's impressive you can go toe to toe with it for as long as you can, but if you want to win," Tony watched her as she winced adjusting her weight. "You'll need to use your athleticism to your advantage."

Max took this in and thought about it. He was right, it had nothing to do with how well she was fighting. It was all about weight and height, two things Max just didn't have.

"You can come back to train when you're feeling better." Tony said. Max broke from her thoughts and looked at him suddenly.

"No. I'll be fine, just tell me what you mean. What are you seeing and how should I fix it?"

"You're hurt. That thing's not going anywhere you can do it later."

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." Max replied stubbornly, taking a step forward. "Tell me how you would fix the problem. Analytically, what's wrong with the way I'm attacking?"

"You're bruised all up the side, if you try to do it now you'll only hurt yourself."

"Pain is temporary." Max said seriously. Her face was practically blank, as if it was a learned response. "I'll fight through it, become stronger, overcome weakness; I won't be stopped. Just tell me."

Tony contemplated for a moment whether or not he should allow her to continue when she was already this badly injured. On the one hand, Max was bruised all over her right side and no doubt other places as well from fighting; on the other hand she wouldn't give up until she was successful in defeating the drone, something she wouldn't be able to do without Tony's observations. Finally, after a long silence he looked away.

"It's not what you're doing as much as how you're doing it. You need to use athleticism. What you lack in brute strength you make up for with agility and speed. You're good at combat but you need to avoid attacking head on, most of your opponents will overpower you there. You're good at jumping and gymnastic stuff so, throw in a little bit of that." Tony's recommendations were eaten up by Max, who stood there nodding and drinking in everything he said. His final bit of advice was potentially the most helpful. "Try to figure out how your opponent fights. You're supposed to be some sort of copy-cat, watch to figure out how to do it, how they do it, but don't copy them. Once you know how they fight you can figure out the best way to fight back." When Max simply blinked at him Tony sighed. "I don't really want to get into brain stuff, it's not really my area of expertise, but you get it right? Learn how to do it, but don't do it."

"Learn how to do it, but don't do it." Max mumbled back. "I understand. Heighten the learning portion, and turn off the action process. Use what I learned in a different way."

"Yeah, something like that." Tony replied. "Additionally, I can reprogram that thing as many times as you need, with as many different styles as you like, to practice with." He offered. "Only if you want." He shrugged.

Despite seeing his willingness to help, Max was focused on one thing right now. "Let me figure out this one first, then we can talk." She approached the drone again, falling into a stance that was less rigid this time.

The new plan was to move around enough to see just what this bot could do before attempting to really get into it. With her feet planted and hands up into fists, Max took a deep breath.

"You don't have to try it now!" Tony called.

"Again!"

"I tried to tell you, you should have waited." Tony commented. He watched as Max carefully sat down while simultaneously giving him the world's worst stink eye.

"What are you talking about? I won, remember?"

"Sure, but now you have to wait to get back in there because you damaged it and yourself."

"Whatever, I fuckin nailed it." Max smiled, a little lopsided and proud of herself. "What are you so upset about? I know you can fix it."

"Yeah well your Smother is going to blame me for your injuries." Tony frowned, tinkering with the bot. He angrily pulled out a panel and muttered,"tells me he doesn't want kids then starts parading you around like he's trying to prove something."

"What?" Max tried not to sound so wilted.

"Nevermind." Tony responded without even bothering to look at her. "He clearly budged on that subject. Maybe he felt bad for you, I don't know, he's heroic like that; taking in a lost kid."

Max sat silently, wrestling with how the admission made her feel. On the one hand she had kind of dropped into Steve's life, but on the other she was sure he had wanted her there. She'd never been made to feel like she was undesirable or a burden, but then again would he have bothered to tell her if she was? It was like lead settling in her stomach, the realization that she might not belong had never occurred to her. Max took a breath and stood up.

"Fuck you." She spat. Tony looked up in shock and anger, but she cut him off. "You didn't have to say ANY of that, but you did just out of spite." Anger radiated from her. "I don't know why you and Steve are so frigid to each other, but it doesn't give you any right to be an ass."

Before Tony could respond Max had stormed past him and locked herself in her temporary room. He considered going to talk to her, but he had seen what she could do and didn't want to become a human punching bag. He went back to tinkering silently, eventually moving down to the lab and leaving Max by herself. They didn't speak for days. By the time Steve came to check on the two of them the tension was so thick he noticed it as soon as he stepped inside.

"Tony, where's Max?" He asked cautiously. It only took a quick glance to the layout of the building for Tony to find her, but he responded frigidly.

"In her room."

"What is she up to?" Steve could tell it was a face off between two children; the man-child and the teenage drama-Queen.

"Don't know don't care." Tony continued to work.

"May I see her?"

"Just be careful she doesn't bite your head off." Tony turned to look at him. "Wild animals are like that."

"She's a teenage girl, not a wild animal." Steve said, moving to find Max.

"Same difference." Tony muttered.

True to the testament of the technology Max was in her room when Steve found her. She was bent over a tablet and despite looking occupied she glanced up savagely.

"Hi." It was emotionless and it hit Steve the wrong way. Every other time she had been able to at least spare a smile, but now she was disconnected and unpassionate.

"Ouch." Steve placed a hand over his heart, wounded. "Is that all I get?"

"Hello Steve." Max looked up just long enough before returning to her tablet. Steve walked in and sat on the edge of the bed, prompting Max to pull her feet away and lean against the headboard. Steve waited for a moment, observing her body language.

"Are you okay?" He tried to keep it from sounding too pushy, but Max was huffy either way.

"I'm fine." She said without even looking up. Moments ticked by with no contact or conversation and finally Steve had had enough. He reached over and pushed the tablet down to her lap, prompting her to look up at him.

"I'm not convinced."

"I'm FINE." Max replied more forcefully. "I don't need you to care about me." She returned to the tablet.

"Well it's a little late for that." Steve responded. "I already care about you. I want to know what happened between you and Tony."

"He's a dick, that's what happened."

"Maxine, that is not appropriate and you know it!"

"It's true." She mumbled.

"What happened?" Steve pressed again. When she wouldn't look at him he called for her, "Max look at me."

With careful eyes and a frown she glanced up.

"What happened?" It was softer this time and it made Max bite her lip and blink away the threat of tears.

"He told me you didn't want me." It was so quiet Steve wasn't sure he'd heard right. He sat there in shock watching Max work up the courage to speak again and his heart ached for her. "Why didn't you say something? If you didn't want kids you should have told me. I know I'm not anything special but I thought- if you don't want me I'll go." Tears fell down her cheeks and Steve watched stunned. She kept avoiding eye contact, turning her face down, and she cried quietly. Steve reached out and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear. He tilted her face up but her eyes were screwed shut as tears ran down her chin and dripped onto her shirt.

"Max," He said tenderly. She shuddered at the sound of her name so lovingly and delicately spoken. Steve wiped the tears from her face and soothingly rested a hand on her cheek. "Max look at me."

Her eyes were watery and her eyelashes hung low with the weight of tears. She tried desperately to put on a brave face by biting her lip, but it didn't fool Steve. He combed his hand through her hair and her lip wobbled. She didn't deserve it, she didn't feel worthy of this care, but Steve gave it to her because he knew how starved she was for reassurance.

"When I said I didn't want kids or a family," Steve began quietly. "It was before I met you. I'd taken a look at myself and where I was, and I knew that I wasn't going to have the time or devotion to spend on domestic life. I knew it wouldn't be fair, that most of my time would be spent working with The Avengers." He looked at her softly and smiled. "But you dropped into my life and I made space for you. We moved mountains to keep us together and our little family grew to be stronger than ever . I don't want you to ever sell yourself short or think that I don't want you here with me. I care about you, even if we're apart, and I do want you. I love our family." Steve pulled Max closer into a hug that she readily accepted. "Even if I know it's a little unconventional."

Max sniffled and dried her tears against Steve's shoulder, feeling just a bit better now that she knew she wasn't a bother. Once she had calmed down and stopped crying, Steve looked at her again searching for answers.

"Max you're a lovely and capable girl, everyone you meet falls in love with you," He pushed her hair out of her face to see her properly. "What makes you feel so inadequate?"

"I don't want to be alone again." Max whimpered.

"You aren't alone." Steve said, brushing away more tears that threatened to spill over. "Why would you be alone?"

"I'm worried that," Max struggled with the weight of her confession. "That people won't like me if they get to know me. What if I scare them away, or they want nothing to do with me?" She looked up tearfully, brown eyes so sad as they found blue only to be cast down again. "What if you want nothing to do with me?"

"Max I promised I was going to take care of you. I promised sunrises and sunsets and all I asked was that you be honest with me. I know you can't tell me everything and there's something you're running from, but I at least expect you to tell me how you're feeling. Especially if there's something I can do about it." Max's face was turned down but Steve continued to comb her hair back out of her face and brush past her shoulders. It had gotten a little longer since she had cut it a few months ago, and it made Steve realize how much she was growing up.

"Max do you understand?" She nodded softly before looking back up. "We 're a team, remember?"

"I know." Max whispered. "I've spent so long fighting for myself it takes some getting used to."

"Well I hope you get used to it," Steve smiled. "Because there are a lot of people willing to fight with you, people willing to fight for you, and I'm at the top of the list."

"What about-"

" Him too." Steve added softly. " My God Max, he loves you so much." Steve looked at Max, watching a smile spread across her face. "He'd do anything for you."

"Well I'd do anything for him too." Max whispered, bittersweet.

"You always seem happier after you visit her." Steve had heard it before, but now as he looked across the table he was almost sad to admit it was true.

"I get to missing her, so I'm glad when I can stop in." Steve admitted. He took off his sun glasses and set them on the table. "She misses you too; like crazy."

Bucky looked up and almost cracked a smile. He had somehow managed to stay under the radar and was living a decent way while he determined what he wanted to do now. Although he was away from many of his triggers, he found that his days were significantly brighter when he had lived with Max and Steve.

"I wish I could see her."

"Maybe you can." Steve said. "I could pick her up for a few days and the three of us can do something. I'll talk to her, figure out what she wants."

"I'd like that." Bucky smiled with the promise of seeing Max again. In the back of his mind the knowledge of Max's numbers weighed heavy and with time so short and precious he felt compelled to say something.

"Max is getting better at combat." Steve added, trying to fill the space. "She was always a natural, but she's really coming into her own."

"Steve," Bucky began carefully. "Do you ever wonder if, uh... Or what the," He tried to approach it delicately, his hand coming up to touch the back of his neck as if that would help. "Have you noticed the-"

"The numbers?" Steve questioned. "Yeah, I noticed. She's real scared of them." Steve's gaze fell to his hands where he wrung them together on the table. "But I don't want to push it. If it's important, I have to believe she'll tell me." He looked up to find Bucky who seemed concerned and uncertain of how to continue.

"She's recovering. I know that it takes time to come to terms with all that happened, and things are good now." Steve tried to look reassuring. "If it becomes important or a problem, she'll tell me. If not, I'll confront her." For all the softness and care Steve handled Max with, Bucky could tell this was more than just a statement.

It was a promise.

This is officially the longest fanfiction I have ever written! There's still so much more, and I am thankful every time that people care enough to continue reading. I promise there is so much more interesting stuff to come.

Sometimes I surprise and entertain myself while writing. I continue to think ,'Oh damn!' Every time I read Steve acknowledging the numbers.

Can't wait to continue the story with more surprises.

You can also find me on Tumblr ella-animine and feel free to talk to me there!