Emily had been moved into a room in Logan's quarters. He'd explained that it was her bedroom, next to his, and they'd "negotiate" other arrangements when he returned from his meeting with his superiors. Larger, muscular women had all but stripped her and forced her into a fairly hot bath and there she sat, soaking in water scented with enough lilac oil that she felt really sick. That or it was the morning sickness.

Curls of smoke rose from the water that modestly came up to her chest and since she had a moment alone, feeling her muscles relax in the warmth of the water, Emily slowly began to lose her composure. She tried to keep quiet as she began to cry in the tub, pulling her knees up to her chest. She didn't want those women back in there. They'd been rough, and one was nearly as big as Steve.

"It's okay, Sweetheart."

The voice was so quiet she thought she imagined it. Emily's head shot up, glancing over her shoulder.

Her heart squeezed in her chest to see Steve standing there, looking determined and strong. In place of his normal suit, he wore mostly black with no helmet. The only thing that gave him away was the shield.

"Steve? You're here."

"I'm here," he said, the warmth and relief in his blue eyes made her melt. Moving silently, he crouched down by the clawfoot tub in the center of the opulent bathtub. "Do you have clothes nearby?"

Emily nodded, pointing to a wardrobe in the bedroom beyond. Steve stalked over there, quickly pulling out a few things before returning to her and motioning her out of the tub.

His gaze flew over every inch of her, wincing at the bruises that covered her legs and arms. He wrapped her in a fluffy towel, drying her quickly but gently before helping her to hurriedly dress.

"Thank you… for coming for me," she whispered by his ear and he helped her into the expensive looking slacks he'd found, clothing Logan had selected for her. She was lucky he was helping. Her trembling was so bad she probably couldn't have dressed alone.

Steve paused as she pulled the cashmere sweater over her head, wrapping his arms around her middle and pressing his head against her midsection. Emily choked up at the gesture. He didn't even know…

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm here to take you home, Sweetheart."

"She is home," a cold voice said from behind her.

Steve grabbed the coat and shoes he'd brought, gently pressing them into her hands and urging her behind him. His expression went from the gentle one he saved for her to an expression she'd never seen Captain America wear before.

Emily scrambled to finish dressing, wanting to be ready for whatever Steve wanted to do.

Like a scene from a horror movie, she watched in shock as Logan transformed before her eyes into a huge, blue-scaled creature with stark yellow eyes. She'd seen photographs but to see it in real time was just…

Emily took a step back and another until she reached the wall and she just waited.

Steve turned his head enough to determine where she was in his peripheral vision. Then he advanced on Logan, his shield in hand.

"I knew you'd return," Logan's voice even changed, becoming guttural with a German accent. "I've been waiting for you."

Steve said nothing just kept advancing.

"Once I've finally disposed of you," Logan informed Steve, "I can bring HYDRA's other assets back into the fold and finish our great work. It's just you are always in the way, Captain Rogers."

"I'm always going to be in HYDRA's way," Steve told him in a chilling voice.

"That's why you have to be eliminated," Logan smiled, a terrifying wide grin revealing a mouth full of white, pointy teeth. "It's not personal."

Steve finally came to a stop right before Logan. "It's very personal," Steve told him.

"She's made her choice, Rogers," Logan growled. "She is mine."

Steve froze for a moment and it was so silent Emily could hear the terrible rhythm of her heart pounding as she watched.

"No," Steve's voice was way too calm. "She's mine."

Steve charged at Logan only to watch him disappear in what looked like a plume of inky, dark smoke. Then he reappeared behind Steve, moving so fast Emily's heart flew. Logan repeated the pattern, materializing in front Steve, getting in a hit and then disappearing to miss Steve's blow.

Steve slowly began stepping back, moving closer to her as he dared.

And then in the blink of an eye, Logan materialized behind her, his clawed hand her wrapped around her throat.

Logan's voice was a low growl by her ear. "Oh, don't worry. I won't jostle her around too much, Rogers. HYDRA needs your child, for research."

In horror, Emily's stared at Steve, but his gaze didn't leave that of his opponent.

"The child is mine too," Steve said fiercely. "Not HYDRA's."

He knew, Emily realized. Somehow Steve knew. And just maybe he was talking things up to Logan but in her heart, she couldn't help but feel his words were a message to her too. He knew about their baby. He wanted it and tears stung the backs of her eyes at the thought.

"We'll see," Logan told him. And in a terrifying moment, he was jerked from the room feeling as if she'd been forced out of her body.

"FUCK!" Steve yelled in rage.

T'Challa, Okoye ran into the room followed by Thor, Loki and Heimdall.

"He got away from me," Steve yelled. "He's a teleporter."

Thor nodded in understanding, glancing at his friend. "Where is she?"

Heimdall stalked out of the room. "Follow me."

The group of them marched through the luxury suite behind the large, golden-eyed man. When he led them out into the grim-looking base beyond, Heimdall sped up. They arrived in a large room filled with glass tanks, all but one holding a prisoner and not all of them looked strictly human.

Steve realized after a moment that these were HYDRA's experiments. It was in facilities like this where people like Bucky were hurt, created like Marley. He'd die before he left Emily or their baby in their clutches.

Heimdall only paused for a moment before he began marching through rooms, surprising men dressed as doctors or scientists in each room. One man threw a cannister at them, Steve trapped it between his shield and the floor and they dashed by so they wouldn't be affected by the contents of it.

When they reached one final room, shaped like a hexagon, Steve's heart sank. They had lost them?

Loki pointed to the ceiling. "There."

Steve couldn't see anything but Loki, Thor, and Heimdall were staring hard.

With a poof, Nox materialized in the floor behind them, dropping Emily to the floor. She was unconscious and his heart was gripped by fear until he heard the steady pounding of hers.

Alive. Okay, then. They needed to get her out. Fast.

It was T'Challa who lobbed a small orb at Nox who didn't disappear fast enough. When it touched him, electrical currents coursed through his body taking him to the ground, rendering him unconscious.

Steve didn't waste any time, dashing to Emily's side and scooping her up.

"Sam? Going to need some cover to get back to the Quinjet," Steve called into the commlink.

"On it!"

"Wait," Tony called. "I've found the other girl. Cap, get back to the jet with Emily. Sam cover them. If someone else is available, I could use some backup."

"Go," Loki told their immediate group. "I'll escort Captain Rogers back."

Thor, Heimdall, T'Challa, and Okoye dashed on.

Steve was a little uneasy, but Thor didn't question his brother, so he decided to go with it. It was a gamble because Steve couldn't get Emily back to safety, fight HYDRA and take on Loki too so…

"Save all of that cerebral activity for later, Captain," Loki teased him, motioning them to move. "I only want to help you ensure her safety. I have few friends among the Avengers. Emily is one of them."

Something in his tone put Steve at ease. He followed Loki through the hallways until, sure enough, Loki found them a way out of the base. The jet was off in the distance but just maybe they'd be able to pull this off.

When a unit of troops came up behind them, Steve broke into a run, hoping to make it back to the jet with Loki trying to block their fire from behind them. He knew without looking back that Loki had taken a couple of shots, trying to provide coverage. He managed to toss his shield back to Loki and prayed they'd make it.

Loki managed but he was weakening, yelled at him to go on. Steve's heart was torn but he did it, hoping the god could survive his injuries. The jet was in view…

Wait, there were two jets?

"Cap! I'm trying to get to you," Sam yelled in the commlink. "They're getting the RPGs out."

"I'm here," Vision's voice entered the conversation.

He saw Vision – he hadn't come with them - fly by him and he stopped to see the android cover Loki. Then a flash of blonde hair raced by them and fire lit up the entire field, HYDRA soldiers screaming as smoke filled the air.

Steve sensed him before he saw him. "I believe I ordered you to stay home."

"I have a hard time telling Marley no," Bucky said, grinning when Steve glanced at him. "Let's get Emily on the jet. We're just here to cover you guys. That's all. Come on."

Steve headed for the jet with Emily, calling back to Bucky. "Get Marley and get back to the jet, now!"

"Fine," Bucky said laughing. "Bossy."

Steve wanted to hug his best friend and punch him in the jaw at the same time. No way he'd risk Hydra getting his hands on them too.

They'd almost made it to the jets when Nox materialized before him.

"You will not take her from me," Nox growled.

The creature disappeared and Steve wrapped his arms around his girl's body, hoping he wasn't hurting her. But he'd be damned if he'd let Nox have his family, his whole world held tightly to his heart.

Nox tried.

Bucky and Marley came up, trying to hit Nox around his disappearances and reappearances. Cuts were forming along Steve's skin as Nox sliced him, hit him, doing whatever he could to get him to release Emily. Vision and Marley couldn't risk some of their abilities without risking harm to Steve and Emily and Bucky, with his speed and agility, well, so far he was the only reason Nox hadn't bested him.

The Wakandans ran up with Thor to see the scene and in the blink of an eye, one of the orbs they used to stun was turned on Steve meaning the pulsing energy would course through Emily – and their baby. Steve dropped her immediately and it was the chance Nox wanted, materializing to grab Emily and then he was gone.

"I win," he hissed behind them, grinning with Emily's unconscious form slumped in his arms.

"Her forcefield," T'Challa whispered pulling another orb from his vibranium suit. Yes, Steve thought. They could disable Nox and Emily would be protected by his forcefield.

As the orb sailed toward Nox, a couple of things happened.

Nox tried to teleport out but Okoye staked him to the ground by his long tail and he screamed. Loki, eyes wide with fear literally dove towards the creature and Emily, a glowing blue barrier forming around him as hurtled towards them.

The orb went off as intended but Emily was caught up in the pulsing energy rays too, no sign of her forcefield. Steve's heart was in his throat as he dashed forward, trying to pull his Emily free. Nox had again been rendered unconscious and Emily remained so, Steve picked up her fragile form, holding her to his chest as he tried to wrap his mind around what just happened.

"Jesus, Steve," the fear Steve felt was on Bucky's face. "We gotta move. Let's get her on the jet. C'mon, pal."

T'Challa looked horrified and Steve thought the king was apologizing profusely. He'd tuned it out. He was listening for the sound of her heart. It was faint but there and he ran madly up into the jet, heading straight for one of the medical pull-downs. As soon as he'd arranged her on the table, he dropped to his knees, pressing his ear to her abdomen.

"Captain Rogers," Vision's voice was gently above him. "I'm not certain that even with your advanced hearing that you could discern the child's heartbeat just yet."

Marley's blue eyes were wide as she reached them. "Child?"

"Miss Andrews is pregnant," Vision announced calmly.

All the color drained from Marley's face and Bucky didn't look to be doing a lot better. Marley gently took her friend's hand in her own. "Why didn't she tell us?"

"She didn't know until Nox told her," Steve said grimly. "I didn't know until it came back in her blood results from the pre-mission scan."

"I'm so sorry," Marley told him, smoothing Emily's still mostly wet hair back from her face. Then she scrambled to pull a blanket down to cover Emily with because she was cold.

Steve stayed where he was, kneeling by Emily's side and Bucky stood with them.

"Why… why didn't the forcefield work?" Bucky asked gently.

"It's possible, Sergeant Barnes, that it has been negated by the new pregnancy," Vision told him.

"Captain Rogers, I am so sorry," T'Challa looked beside himself with worry.

Steve glanced up at his friend, shook his head. "It wasn't your fault," he mumbled. "We just need to get back."

"Take off," Tony called. "Leave me a jet and we'll bring up the rear. I've got Nat, Clint, Sam, and Wanda. Have the other girl. Get Emily back to the compound, Steve."

"I'll stay with them," Thor announced, turning to Loki. "Brother, you will live?"

Loki nodded, looking like he'd been through hell. "Yes, I will."

Thor dashed off as Vision prepared them for takeoff. Loki struggled over to them but slowly made it.

Steve glanced up at his former nemesis. "How did you know?"

"Her forcefield is something I can actually see," Loki explained. "I haven't seen it in the entire time we've been here. I'm sorry I wasn't able to move more quickly."

"She might not be alive if not for you," Marley told him over the shoulder and for once Bucky wasn't glaring at anyone.

Loki nodded, seeming a little embarrassed by the praise.

It was one of the longest flights of Steve's life. His girl laying there motionless, so pale. Inside her was their child. His child. Steve didn't care if it were a boy or a girl, he just knew he wanted it. Had always on some level had wanted at least one child of his own. That it was his child with Emily, he couldn't have asked for better than that.

When Nox had mentioned it casually, the first time he'd escaped him with Emily, the worry in her beautiful green eyes had broken his heart. She'd been afraid that Steve wouldn't want the baby. He sent up every prayer he knew that he'd get the chance to convince her just how much he wanted the baby and a life with her.

Steve knew how much she'd want this child, how much she'd love it. She'd lost her first child and he knew the loss still haunted her. He'd give up his own life to give that to her.

Life had taken so much from Steve already. All he wanted was this one beautiful girl and the life they'd created together. He prayed, somehow, he could have it.