XXVI

Bells

"Sharon… I think we need to talk."

She'd been expecting a complete rejection to follow those words.

She'd not been expecting a well-thought out plan. She had not been expecting a compromise.

She most certainly hadn't been expecting a marriage proposal.

Her knee-jerk reaction had been to shoot it down, but she'd managed to hold her mouth shut long enough to hear Steve out. He wasn't doing this out of obligation, but rather something he'd been considering for a while. She was still privately doubtful of his reasons, but decided to take the leap of faith anyway and agreed.

They both agreed on the private ceremony on the Carter family estate in Richmond, primarily to remain hidden from the media, who would hound them until the end of days and potentially risk the unborn child by exposing him or her to potential enemies. That was Sharon's greatest (and secret) fear, medical complications aside, that Hydra would catch wind that their deadliest enemy had a family now, bargaining chips to use for cooperation.

"Sharon, relax, he hasn't bolted yet," Amanda Carter said, fussing with her daughter's hair. Sharon didn't dare ask her about the timing between the mention of the pregnancy to the wedding plans, especially since Amanda had had seven months to voice any complaints from when Sharon timidly told her she was getting married to the wedding date itself.

"That's not what I'm anxious about," Sharon replied, gritting her teeth as her mother gave the hairbrush a particularly vicious yank. "More of like how long he'll stay."

"He has a higher opinion of you than that sweetie, I can tell from the way he looks at you," Amanda replied as she began braiding her daughter's hair.

"How would you know that?" Sharon blurted out, turning to stare at her mother.

Amanda huffed in impatience. "I'm your mother sweetie, I learn how to spot these things. Besides, your father is talking to him right now, so I wouldn't worry."

Sharon groaned, but stood up obligingly when her mother tugged her hair to get her to stand. "He's going to scare Steve away."

"No, they have a nice rapport, I noticed that as well. I wouldn't worry about Steve, honey. And smile for goodness sake, I understand that you're nervous, but you look like you're being led to the gallows!"

"Not funny, Mom."

Amanda shrugged. "Just saying." She finished Sharon's hair and then said; "Now let's go find that pretty gown and get you all dressed up into it. When is the baby due?"

"Five more months, Mom. Doctor Sanderson is going to come out to join us to check on things, and he'll stick around for the actual birth."

"Please tell me you'll be in the United States for the birth, I don't want to have to worry if my grandchild will have American citizenship or not."

Sharon sighed. "Fury's got that taken care of, and I can't exactly tell you where we're going because for one, Steve won't tell me and two, it's best if you don't know so you won't have to worry about hiding it from anyone who comes after us."

"Yes, how are you going to keep doing your saving-the-world business with a child?"

Sharon shrugged. "I have no idea. I think Steve and I were going to talk about it at some point soon."

"It had better be soon. I don't know how they did parenting in the forties, but I will bring hell to your front door if you're left with all the work," Amanda warned as she helped Sharon into the sleek white gown.

"No, he'll be there too. He said he wanted to give the child what he didn't have growing up, and that was a father," Sharon said, standing still so that her mother could zip up the gown. "We've even discussed about keeping his Captain America persona a secret from the child, just so he or she doesn't feel pressure to follow in his footsteps."

"Hm. Be careful with that, I don't want you to lose your child just because she or he felt betrayed you didn't trust them with such a secret," Amanda warned.

"I know, Mom. We haven't decided that one yet."

Amanda merely sighed. "One step at a time, sweetie. Focus on getting married today, worry about the baby tomorrow," she said before reaching for her jewelry box. "Now let's see what I can add, you still need something borrowed and something old."

"Mom!"

A/N: Prompt: Getting married.