Emily smoothed her hands over her tummy and took a deep breath, praying with everything that she had that the little one inside her, her baby with Steve, would be okay. That she, okay maybe Wanda didn't know for sure but the idea that it was a daughter felt right, would be strong through what her mother had to do. Emily deserved to be free of Nox and his twisted obsession. He'd taken the life of her first child, tried to harm Marley and Bucky's child when she carried him.

Emily would be damned before she let him or anyone else hurt Steve's daughter.

Shuri had the blasters she'd fashioned for herself on her wrists by the time Nox, flanked by his daughters, found them.

Emily had deliberately chosen Marley's practice cell and Shuri was tucked behind one of the heavy lead shields. The shields would help protect Shuri from the girls' firepower and they reminded her of Marley and Steve. It helped give her courage.

Tony was around. She couldn't worry about where or when he'd appear. He'd do so when the time was right for him.

Emily stood in the center of the room, calm as she watched Nox in his true form enter the room. His young daughters were behind him, Mila's eyes widening in recognition. Nadia's expression was a curious mix of fear and loathing. Emily knew she'd need to watch that girl especially. Her powers weren't as strong as her sister's but her temperament was very different.

"Emily," Nox said in his own voice, his long tail slithering over the floor behind him. Pain flared in her ankles just looking at it, her wounds from where that tail had cut her were probably still bleeding. "It didn't have to be this way."

She gazed at him steadily. "What if it did?"

The smirk faded from his blue face.

She just had to ask. "Why couldn't you just let me go? I'm not her. I could never be her."

Nadia's gaze swung up to her father's face. Mila's gaze stayed on Emily, her expression hard to read but not unkind.

Nox shook his head. "It's more than that."

"Pride?" Emily asked. "I'm sure it is. You lost Anya. Then you were sent after Marley, Bucky, and their baby and that didn't work out."

"Anya." The name was a whisper in the quiet of the room. "I did lose her. I loved her, you know?"

"I believe you did," Emily told him. "And I'm sorry."

His gaze dropped. "That's what I've always loved about you, Emily. Your heart. You love and you mean it. If my Anya…"

Nox took a step forward, his gaze still on the ground before him.

Emily kept her gaze glued to him, not letting her guard down for an instant.

"If my Anya had been more like you. More trusting… more loving… Maybe she wouldn't have lost hope. Maybe… she wouldn't have gone where I couldn't find her."

Mila's gaze was big-eyed and on her father now. The anguish in his voice was impossible to miss.

"You… You were meant to be a mother." Knox looked up at Emily. "And that's one of the reasons why you're so important to me. My girls need a mother. Someone like you."

Nadia turned her glare on Emily. "I don't need her."

The color that began to rise from the collar of the girl's shirt made Emily a little nervous. She wasn't as powerful as Marley from what she'd been told. Not by a long shot. But Nadia was still a child. She likely had little control over her abilities.

"You do," Nox told her. "And she can give you siblings. Wouldn't you like a brother or sister?"

The hopefulness in Mila's face as her dark head lowered broke Emily's heart a little. Nadia's anger only seemed to grow.

"Not me," Nadia told her.

"It's still not too late," he pitched his voice low. "For any of it. I can have it all. I can deliver to HYDRA their prizes. I can claim my prize even if you are carrying his baby. See? That's what you fail to understand, Emily. They'll be back soon. He'll come for you. But he'll be too late. I'm leaving here with you, dead or alive. Please don't make us hurt you. Think of your baby, Emily."

That pissed Emily off. "You think I'm stupid?"

Nox studied her for a long moment.

"I'm not leaving with you," Emily said slowly. "And I'm not standing here praying that Steve and the team get back here to save me. To save us. I'm going to deal with you myself."

Nox's eyes narrowed. "Even if your child dies with you?"

"I'd rather her die than to have her fall into your clutches or HYDRA's," Emily said honestly. "I've been through a lot since you entered my life, Nox. Poisoning, kidnapping, drugging. And whatever that was put me in a coma. You used that god awful gun on me, obliterated my back. I'm always going to have those scars."

He remained silent and Emily felt her own confidence growing as she recounted his many offenses against her.

"Worst of all, you caused me to lose my first baby," she told him while his daughters looked to him, Nadia's mouth agape. "You were so gleeful when you told me about it. I want you to know that even if you were able to overpower me and take me from here against my will, I wouldn't be yours long. I'd escape you. Even if I had to follow Anya."

Nox screamed in rage.

Nadia's hands flew out and Emily braced herself, focusing on her shield. The thin streak of fire reached her in a second, spreading around the shield now formed around her. Frustrated the child tried again, sending more flames while Nox hissed at Mila to help her sister.

Mila shook her head, took a step back.

When Emily shot a small string of fire out at Nadia, the girl shrieked and tried to duck out the way. Narrowly she missed the first attempt. The second reached her arm and set her thin jacket on fire. The girl smacked it down, with the palm of her hand and Emily nodded in confirmation.

The girls' own fire couldn't hurt them or be used against them. Nadia wasn't hurt at all.

But it could hurt him.

Emily sent a powerful volley of flames directly at Nox and he screamed, dropping to the ground and rolling to try and put out the fire. Shuri sprung out from around her shield, shooting at Nadia and hitting her dead on.

"Shuri!" Emily cried out.

"It stunned her," the princess said quickly. "She's not harmed."

Mila took several steps back, watching with wild frightened eyes as he father writhed in pain and her sister lie motionless on the floor.

"Mila!" he screamed as the girl moved further back.

Rolling frantically, Nox managed to put most of the flames out. Parts his flesh were charred and smoke rose from him in weak curls. Mila watched silently as tears streamed down her face.

Nox pulled up weakly on his knees, his attention divided between Emily and Mila.

"Mila?" he asked in a kinder voice than she'd ever heard him use with the child. "Help me."

"Master," she whispered. "Is it true?"

Nox's gaze shifted to Emily and back to the child. "Is what true?"

"Did you… did you do all of that… to Emily?" her voice rose in her anxiety. "What did she mean you caused her to lose her first baby?"

Emily's heart broke. While she needed to tell Nox exactly what she thought of him and what he'd done to her and her family, she'd never meant to hurt the girls. Especially when she knew from Mila that they'd been through so much. They hadn't had a mother and a father that used them and had them call him master.

"Mila, she's lying to you," Nox hissed. "I did none of those things. She's lying –"

"Why would she lie about that?" the girl yelled. "You said to listen to people's words. You did! You said the bad things they said… were usually true. Why?"

Nox held out a hand to her. It was too late. The girl shook her head, stepping back.

"Look what they've done to your sister," Nox pointed to Nadia.

"They said she wasn't hurt," Mila argued.

"They're lying!"

"When they took Nadia away, Emily said they wouldn't hurt her," Mila went on. "They didn't. She told the truth."

"Mila, I don't want to hurt Emily," he reasoned. "I want her to be with us. Would you like that? You like her?"

Mila nervously glanced to Emily before returning her gaze to Nox. She nodded.

"Yes? Then help me," he told her.

"You want me to hurt her?" Mila didn't understand.

"We won't hurt her," Nox promised.

"She's carrying a baby," Mila pressed on.

Nox blew out an exhale, his head lowering as if were so tired it was a struggle to think of an answer.

"She is," Nox told her.

"I don't want her new baby to die," Mila told him, her small voice gaining strength. "I don't want you to hurt the baby."

It took Emily a moment to realized that tears were flowing down her face.

"Mila –"

"No!" Mila yelled.

The child ran straight for Emily, wrapping her small body around her like she could protect her from her father. Shuri watched the scene with wide eyes from behind the shield and nodded to Emily, understanding that she meant to protect Mila in any way she could.

"Mila," Emily whispered, keeping her eyes on Nox who was clumsily climbing to his feet, "no matter what happens, hang on to me. Okay? Can you do that?"

"Yes," Mila told her and she felt the nodding against her hip where she clutched.

Nox was on his feet now and he looked ready to spring at her.

"Shuri, now!" Emily yelled.

Shuri fired her blasters at Emily full press as Knox ran at her. They weren't set for stun now. Emily sucked in her breath, feeling the surge of power flowing through her entire being and hoping with everything in her that her daughter could withstand it. Knox slammed into her shield, his face filled with rage and his eyes met Emily's, the fierce determination in his eyes impossible to miss.

Shuri turned her blasters on Knox in that moment. Emily channeled her energy into pushing that energy back out, directing it at Knox and feeling faint as all that power flowed through her to aim for him. Under assault from both sides, Knox writhed and twisted in pain, fighting through it but not doing well as they kept it up.

Finally, Emily's was all expelled and Shuri kept firing. Emily fought to stay on her feet, to stay there until Knox was dealt with.

And just when they thought he might collapse, that he just might be done, he stretched out an arm as he fell to the floor. He was reaching for Nadia, knowing if Shuri kept firing at him, it would also hurt his other child.

"No!" Mila screamed. Hanging on to Emily's jeans, Mila held out a hand, sending an impressive ball of flames out at her father just as he reached Nadia.

But the flames couldn't hurt the girl.

Knox's scream was an inhuman sound, a loud screeching that shook the room and seemed to bounce off the shields lining its walls. Outside Tony led a flurry of SHIELD agents against soldiers sent from HYDRA, meant to come and extract Knox. They no doubt intended to take her and the girls with them.

Not today.

She saw him frantically trying to glance through the small window as he flew by to check in and Emily appreciated it.

But she had a promise to keep to herself and her baby.

Emily had to end Nox once and for all. She had to make sure he never hurt anyone ever again.

He was a charred ball of blue burning scales, coming to a stop as a ragged heap at her feet. The breath he had left was shallow and Emily knew he didn't have long. It needed to be finished.

Sinking onto her heels, Emily took Mila's face in her hands. "I need you to do something for me," Emily whispered. "Do you see Shuri behind me? She's my best friend. She's a princess, from Wakanda. Did you know that?"

Mila looked back at Shuri in wonder, her eyes wide.

"I need you to go with her," Emily told her "With the soldiers fighting outside, I want you to be safe. Can you do that for me? I'll get help for Nadia and we'll all be safe. Okay?"

The child's expression was a blend of sadness, fear and trust. Slowly, she nodded, hugging Emily before shuffling around her to Shuri who led her from the room. The princess was uncertain what Emily planned to do, but she did as Emily wished.

Once they'd left, Emily turned her attention on the creature she needed to be free from. She had to protect her family.

Nox's eyes slit open as he gazed at her in a defenseless heap.

"You were wrong," Emily told him. "It had to be this way."

Crossing her arms at her chest as Shuri had made her try, Emily focused her shield and all of her strength on Nox. The force she wielded was heavy on him, mashing him beneath its weight. The fight was gone from him, what was left created a low rumble that was more muffled by the second as she pressed harder and harder. When she felt she'd reached the limit of what she could do, Emily took a deep breath and watched Nox's eyes slide closed.

Emily forced her arms down and apart and resulting boom was a jolt that was loud and powerful, shaking the room around her and causing what was left of Nox to fly apart in heavy, wet chunks all around her. Blood and burnt flesh rained down with ashes as the door to the room flew open and Steve burst in, followed by Bucky and Marley.

"Oh, my God," Steve's voice was low as he took in the scene.

Catching a shield that looked ready to fall on Nadia's prone form, Bucky ran up and Marley bent to scoop up the child. Steve was at her side in a second.

"Emily? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" Steve's voice was in her ear but it barely registered.

Emily sobbed, wildly, feeling the power surging around her like a maelstrom. She didn't realize she'd been screaming when they ran into the room and she didn't fight him when he hauled her up into his arms and ran out of the room with her.

They made it into one of the medical rooms, and Steve gently placed her on the bed there. Tearing off his helmet, he smoothed his hands over her hair, trying to calm her.

"Emily," he whispered. "It's okay. It's over."

After a moment, she realized that he was real, her Steve, and he was right there. Throwing herself into his arms, Emily hung on, letting the restless power in her drain and fade. Steve just held onto her, smoothing her hair and her back and whispering to her that she was going to be okay, that he loved her.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she pulled back to gaze up into his beautiful blue eyes.

"Nox," she managed. "I got him. He can't hurt us anymore. He can't –"

"I know," Steve told her. "He can't. I just need you to be okay, Emily."

"I'm okay." Her breath was still coming fast, her hands slid around her body until they both smoothed over her tummy.

Her baby.

"Shuri!" Emily yelled in panic. "Shuri, are you here?"

Shuri came running her eyes wide and blasters at the ready as she ran into the room. Seeing Steve, she lowered her arms and stared at Emily.

"Are you okay?" Shuri asked.

"The baby?" Emily's tears were back, she couldn't stop them. "I need to know. I need…"

Shuri motioned for her to follow and Steve scooped her up to do just that. Marley ran in just as Shuri finished starting up the machine.

"Tony, Bucky, and Sam have everything under control," she told Steve before her gaze flew to Emily. "Is everything…"

"We're going to find out," Shuri told them.

Using a wand, Shuri waved it over Emily's tummy as she reclined on the table in the room. An incredibly complex screen arose from the machine, giving a detailed look inside her womb and Emily's gaze moved over the digital representation of her daughter.

The little heart was flying. The tiny baby was fluttering around, constantly moving and Emily's hand flew up to her mouth. "She's okay?"

Shuri cocked an eyebrow at her. "She huh?" Moving the scanner and trying to zero in, Shuri studied the screen very hard. "Too early to tell what gender."

"It's a girl," Wanda assured them with a knowing grin, stepping into the room. "Are you okay?"

Shuri's grin was wide and she shook her head. "You have so much adrenaline coursing through your body, she will never sleep tonight."

Emily nodded, clutching Steve's hand. Their baby was okay. Nox was gone. Everything was better than okay.

"Everything… looks okay though?" Steve asked, his tone careful, his eyes glued to the image.

Shuri smiled. "Everything looks perfectly health, Captain."

"Yeah?"

The princess nodded.

The relief on his handsome face had her heart squeezing in his chest.

"She's going to be just fine," Emily told him.

"Emily?"

Mila peeked into the room, her eyes widening when she saw everyone else there. Particularly, Steve.

Easing down from the table, Emily held her arms out and Mila ran right into them.

"Are you okay?" Mila asked, fear in her voice.

"I'm okay." Emily kneeled to be on her level. "How are you?"

"Okay." Mila's eyes swam in worried tears. "Is your baby okay?"

Emily smiled, nodded.

"She is."

"So it's a girl?" Steve asked, still confused.

"Yes," Wanda answered firmly.

"It's too early to tell," Shuri threw out there, shutting the equipment back off.

"Nadia is awake," Mila explained. "She's mad. But she always is mad."

Emily grinned. "That sounds like her."

"Where will we go now?" the child wanted to know.

Looking up until her eyes met Marley's, Emily gestured to her friend. "Mila, this is Marley."

Marley joined them in the floor.

"You're the one who… is like us?"

Marley nodded. "I can help train you. If you want to."

"Will we be staying here?"

"I think so," Emily told her. "You'll be safe here. We'll help you use your powers. You'll have to go to school."

The excitement in the girl's eyes made Emily pause.

"Have you gone to school?" Emily asked.

Mila hesitated and then shook her head. "But I want to…"

"Then you will," Emily told her.

"There you are," Helen stood in the doorway. "Come one, Emily. I'm going to do a checkup on you and Nadia and make sure you're okay."

Mila glanced to Emily who nodded. "I'll see you later."

They talked for a while about the fake mission, the wild trip back, and the aftermath that would surely result from the events they'd just come through.

Shuri, Marley and Wanda slowly wandered out eventually, leaving Emily there with Steve.

"Ready to head up to the apartment?" he asked, smiling.

The question took her off guard. "You don't need to go check on things?"

Steve shook his head. "They've gotten along without me so far."

Emily hadn't stopped to consider that. He'd came to her the instant he'd arrived and hadn't left her side.

"Let's go up," Emily told him.

Steve looked undecided about whether he should pick her up so she just started walking. Getting to the elevator just seemed like a chore because she was so tired, and Steve was quiet. Too quiet. She knew there was something on his mind, felt like she had an idea of what it was, and she'd decided by the time they'd gotten off the elevator that she'd listen to him.

Once the door to the apartment closed, Emily sank down onto the couch and waited. Steve's gaze met hers head on and she braced herself for it.

"Emily," he said, his face a mask of calm that wasn't fooling her. "We need to talk about what happened today."

"I know. I'm sorry, Steve."

That took him off guard.

"You didn't tell me the truth," he began, his thumbs hooking into his belt as he stopped next to the couch. "You didn't tell me your shield was back. Why?"

Emily met his gaze steadily. "I'm sorry. I needed Nox to think I was defenseless."

"I could understand if you hadn't said anything to anyone. But you told Marley."

"And Shuri," she added.

Emily flinched at the hurt in Steve's expression.

"And then you thought it was a good idea to take him out yourself?"

Emily knew she had to be careful here. "I just wanted him taken out, Steve. I wanted him gone. I didn't want him to hurt you or anyone else on the team. Not when it was me he was after. Can't you understand that?"

Steve nodded. "I can understand. But, Sweetheart, you realize that Nox wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything to cause his obsession with you."

"What if I did?"

Taking a knee in front of her, Steve put himself on her eye level. "Nox wasn't your fault. I just want you to understand that it would have killed me if something had happened to you. Both of you."

"Steve, I'm so sorry," Emily meant it. "But she was part of the reason that I had to make him go away. I needed to know that he could never hurt her."

"I need to know that you won't ever do something like this again," Steve said looking her in the eye. "I need to know if you have it in mind to deal with something like this in the future, that you'll talk to me. That you'll let me have a say. I love you and you I love our baby. But if we're going to be together…"

He tipped his blonde head at her middle. "She's mine too."

Emily felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. "She is. And I'm sorry."

"Hey." Steve sat down next, pulling her against him when the tears started. "You know I love you. But I can't remember the last time I was so scared. We got here and what I walked into…"

Emily chuckled through her tears at that. "I can imagine. I didn't expect him to… It was awful."

He nodded. "You know Tony's going to make us clean that up, right? In Hazmat suits?"

Emily grinned. "I did make a mess."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"I'm okay," Emily held on to him. "should probably get in a shower and go to bed."

"Sounds like a plan," he told her, scooping her up and heading to the bathroom.