Koryandrs: I never actually intended for it to seem that way, but I had always pictured Steve as being about two when he goes through the machine. I think It would be interesting to know what exact age he was and if they could alter it with the machine. This will definitely be going in the next chapter! Thank you for reading!

A/N: Okay, so I know that this isn't a fiftieth drabble, But it wouldn't stop telling me to write it! I hope you all like it!

111. Fury

After a long mission in Germany, Steve had been given a day of leave from the director. Natasha had put him straight through the machine and had put him down for a nap.

None of them had expected Nick Fury to come to Stark Tower that day.

"Director," Natasha had said in surprise. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Where's Rogers?" He'd asked. Her eyes narrowed a fraction, but not enough to be visible.

"He's sleeping. Timezone got his sleeping patterns out of whack." She lied quickly.

"We need him." He said simply. The other Avengers had gathered in the dining room to see what the matter was.

"For what?" Piped up Bruce.

"A Mission. Classified." He said sharply.

Before Natasha could debate him on it, a scream rang clear and true throughout the tower.

Before anyone else reacted, she was flying toward Steve's room. She opened the door with a shove and saw tiny legs going through the window.

"NO!" She shrieked, shoving the window up so violently that some of the glass cracked. Before she realized what she was doing, she jumped out the window and latched onto the helicopter ladder that was flying away fast. With fierce determination, she climbed up the ladder and busted the door down. Two muscular men came charging at her with automatic rifles, but she easily disarmed them. Doppelgängers of the two kept coming at her, but she kept fighting, filled with a rage that made her head spin and made her vision hazy and red.

The adrenaline flowed throughout her body, making every movement quick and precise. With every punch and kick landed, her stress ebbed away just a touch more. Finally, there was a pile of bodies in the pathway. She looked to see a syringe inserted into her son's neck. She charged at the man and slammed him into the back wall.

"What have you done to my baby?" She hissed. Her eyes were filled with rage and no hint of mercy.

The man didn't speak, so she slammed him again. "Tell me."

Again, silence greeted her demand. She threw the man aside and went to the small babe huddled in the corner.

"Steve? Sweetheart?" She crooned sweetly. She could hear the others entering the craft- Tony carrying Bruce up, and Thor carrying clint. The child looked at her with glazed eyes.

"Can I pick you up, baby?" She asked, trying to be cautious. She had no idea what they'd injected him with.

"No!" He said suddenly and cowered away from her. Natasha felt shock ripple through her.

"Why not?" She asked gently.

"Al." He said, shaking. She felt rage boil over in her and made note to herself of clubbing the man in the head. For now, she kept her cool.

"What is Al doing, honey?"

"Hit." He said with big eyes, holding his arm close to his chest. Natasha couldn't help but compare him to a frightened bird- ready to fly away at the drop of a hat.

"Can I see?" She asked, carefully maintaining her concerned expression. Hesitantly, he stuck a tiny arm out to her. She took it with tenderness and care, and examined it. Although she saw nothing, she knew he felt it.

"We need to get those taken care of, don't we?" She said gently. He nodded, looking confused. "Mommy can't help unless you let me. Will you let me help you, Sweetheart?"

Steve looked at her, slightly frightened. Allen kept screaming at him. He paused and considered the options he had. Mommy had stopped Allen before. Maybe she could stop him again. With shaking arms and terrified eyes, he reached out to her.

She carefully swept him into her arms and held him close. She knew she had to get him out of the helicopter and back to the house so he could take his medications. Thorazine, Lithium, and Clozaril- Every day like clockwork. She held him close to her, and felt her emotionless mask begin to crack. She held him a little tighter and almost felt herself begin to cry. She held it in and waited for Clint and Tony to land the craft. She could feel him shaking with sobs and felt hot tears soaking into her suit. She bumped him up and down in her arms in hopes of calming him slightly. She could feel the helicopter descending down toward the roof.

As soon as they touched down Natasha jumped down from the helicopter. She paid no mind to Fury, who she was sure was talking to her, but ignored him in favor of helping Steve. She went to the kitchen and immediately started making him a bottle. Bruce came up and asked to hold him, and she'd begrudgingly let him after he got Steve's medication from the medicine cabinet. She'd given him to Bruce and asked him to take Steve into the other room while she mixed the medication into the milk.

Bruce had shown him to the others, who were all concerned if he was okay, before handing the child back to Natasha who cradled the child in her arms with more care than ever before.

"Steve," She'd crooned softly, "It's time for your bottle." He'd buried his face in her shoulder.

"No." He'd whimpered softly. It broke her heart to see him so distressed, but she knew she had to stand firm.

"Come on, sweetheart. It will help stop Allen from talking." She'd urged. Finally he'd looked up at her, blue eyes big and wide as saucers.

"Pwomise?" He asked, looking like he might burst into tears at any moment. It took all the strength she had to fight back her own, so she simply nodded and sat with him in the easy chair with him curled up in her arms, suckling quietly on the bottle.

She had never felt so fragile or breakable. The rest of the team and Fury were watching her intently. She looked as if she were going to cry, but she didn't. She started humming but couldn't bring herself to look at Steve's face again. She knew if she did she would start to cry. She kept humming until she could feel his breathing even out. Finally, she let herself break, and a tear streamed down her face. She held Steve a little tighter and tried to reign her emotions back in. She had to be strong for him. With a shuddering breath, she patched up the cracks in her emotionless mask and started rocking him again.

Fury watched her with extreme interest. The woman who had seemed unbreakable and cold hearted had been broken by motherhood. When he first understood that the child was Steve Rogers, he'd felt shock. The shock didn't last long, however, because he realized that there was not much that couldn't go on in this tower. When he got over that, he felt livid. What gave them the right to do that to his best soldier? When he saw the others reactions to Steve's kidnapping made him think twice. They cared so much about the boy. He saw that protectiveness spring up in all of them, and he realized that it had bonded them more than he ever could.

Seeing the miniaturized Steve in Natasha's arms made something inside Nick Fury loosen.

No, this would not leave the tower.

He stepped forward. "I see you've got the situation handled, Agent Romanov. I trust you'll keep up the good work?"

Natasha blinked in surprise, then said, "Yes, sir."

With that, Nick Fury made his exit.