A/N: I was really excited for this chapter so I wrote it pretty quickly and decided to go ahead and post it though it hasn't been a full week yet since the last update :D thank you guys so much for your reviews and support (especially for the last chapter, which I was so nervous about :D) and a HUGE thanks to midnightwings96 for helping me revise this chapter and just being too awesome for words to adequately describe. I look forward to hearing from you guys, and the next update may take a bit longer since this week is gonna be busy for me, but in any case I love you all and shall see you again in a week or so :D

A little less than three months later, one of Summer's greatest and long-developing labors of love at last came to completion. Only a few months short of her 30th birthday. Summer became an officially published author.

When the novel about two troubled lovers meeting and falling for each other on a farm hit the bookshelves in its final edited form, Summer kept her expectations of sales and critical reception as low as possible to avoid disappointment. After all, it was her first published work and just because her friends liked the book, it didn't mean that anyone else would. And for that matter, maybe all of her blog followers wouldn't bother to pick up the book either.

And so, when the book's sales during the first two weeks were modestly good and the first handful of reviews were mostly positive, she just about had a heart attack. Her cautious optimism exploded into pure glee, and she at last allowed herself to screech and run around her house nearly screaming with joy and acknowledge that she was, in fact, not a complete failure as a writer. And one of the best parts of the whole experience was how readers gave her feedback directly to her on her blog.

In the midst of all of this, Summer got to apply her day job skills as an event planner to something a little more fun than usual. Halloween was rolling around, and Summer threw together a party just for the Avengers and their inner circle. She was excited not only because it would be her first time dressing up with Bucky, but it was also one of those very rare parties that he could actually accompany her to, since it would be completely secure and risk free for him to show up and mingle.

When the day came, Summer and the whole family left their home for the tower early and got into their costumes there. For the kids, picking costumes had been easy - David had decided well in advance that he wanted to be a ninja, since ninjas and all ninja-related things were his new obsession, and then Adelaide was a pretty pink princess. Lest anyone think that Summer was pushing the overload of girliness on an innocent baby, she had showed Adelaide a number of different costumes including a kitty cat, a pumpkin, and a ballerina, and the child had showed overwhelming favor for the puffy pink dress and sparkly crown that the princess costume consisted of.

Summer and Bucky, meanwhile, chose matching outfits for themselves. She expected to be the one doing all the choosing, but as it turned out, Bucky had vehemently insisted on a particular pair of costumes when he'd seen a photo the one that she'd be wearing. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why.

And that was how they ended up in the bathroom of their old room at the tower while the kids played in the bedroom on the other side of the open door. Bucky was sitting and Summer was standing in front of him, meticulously applying eyeliner to his already-stunning eyes. Or at least she was trying to.

"I said look up!" Summer exclaimed in frustration. "Stop staring at my boobs and let me finish your damn makeup!"

"I'm sorry," Bucky sighed in equal frustration, looking up towards the ceiling obediently. "But you can't blame me when you're wearing that corset and putting them in my face."

"It's not my fault they're huge and popping out," she shrugged, carefully lining the lower lid of his left eye. "Besides, the corset's what made you insist on these costumes."

He grinned. "Well, I mean... that and the boots."

She rolled her eyes though she couldn't help but smile as well, putting the finishing touches on his eyeliner. "Okay. Done."

Bucky blinked a few times, not having particularly enjoyed having his eyes nearly stabbed with the pencil, then stood up and, along with Summer, looked in the mirror. His lips split into a grin, and after he examined his eyes, he slid an arm around Summer's waist and said, "We look pretty good like this."

"Yup," she agreed, catching his eyes as they again dropped to her chest in the mirror. "Hottest damn pirates on all the seven seas."

He chuckled and then shifted behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and murmuring in her ear, "I bet if I play my cards right, I could inspire you to write a pirate novel next."

"Don't you dare," she said with slightly wide eyes, and he merely chuckled before kissing her neck and making her giggle as well.

Having chosen to go as a pair of sexy pirates, Bucky was decked out all in leather and his aforementioned eyeliner, plus his hair was still long and fit the part rather well. His leather pants were very tight and the costume shamelessly showed off quite a bit more of his chest than he was used to, but it at least made things a little more even for Summer, what with the corset situation. She couldn't really breathe but she looked fantastic, in leather pants even tighter than Bucky's and leather boots with sky-high heels. Beneath her underbust corset was a big puffy white shirt, and she wore a big chunky skull necklace that was quite fitting with matching dangly earring. Last but not least, her hair was a nearly black, wild, curly and teased mane that she was very proud of.

They really were a couple of hot pirates.

"But I bet you could make it work," Bucky told her, eyeing her in the mirror. "I'm the captain of a pirate ship and you're a... hmm... what would you be?"

She raised her eyebrows and said, "Trophy wife of some horrible rich old man I'm sailing with, and you kidnap me and hold me for ransom but we end up having super hot pirate-y sex in your quarters? Then I sail away with you into the sunset after I help you rob the gross old man blind?"

He raised an eyebrow and said, "See? You could write the hell out of that."

"Maybe," she conceded, "but I've been thinking about what to write next, actually, and..."

"And what?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe..." She paused for effect and then said, "Russian mafia."

Bucky raised his eyebrows and chuckled with surprise. "Russian mafia?"

She smiled and nodded excitedly. "Yup."

"Like a crime thriller?"

"Sort of," she nodded, then added contemplatively, "But with a lot of super hot banging between people who look suspiciously like us."

He chuckled and pressed a little kiss to her temple. "Sounds pretty intriguing."

"Oh yeah. Or maybe it's just an excuse to write you speaking Russian and being all badass and murder-y but like so hot at the same time that the pages will melt."

He scoffed. "Like I have to be a mobster for that to happen."

Summer rolled her eyes again and wriggled away from his arms. "Okay, we really have to get going, so... oh wait! I almost forgot." She grabbed her makeup bag and started digging in one of the compartments, then whirled around and happily held up a black, modestly dangly clip-on earring. "Your look isn't complete until the earring goes on."

He made a slight face but let her clip the earring on to his right ear lobe anyway, and once it was secure, Summer smiled and clapped her hands. "There! My God, you make a sexy pirate."

"You make a sexier one," he muttered before leaning in closer and stealing a kiss from her. She giggled and kissed him back, just starting to get into it when a tiny pink princess came toddling in the door and came barreling directly at their legs.

Now eleven months old, Adelaide had been walking for a few months and was starting to look like a toddler, to both Summer and Bucky's dismay. She was taller and not quite as fat as before but still pretty chubby, and still at peak development on all fronts like she had been since birth. And just as they had anticipated, she was utterly and undeniably beautiful. She was the death of adoring old ladies everywhere that she went.

"Addie!" Summer exclaimed happily before reaching down and scooping the little girl up. Clint's nickname for Adelaide had definitely stuck.

"Mama!" Adelaide cooed back, and Summer responded with a smile and a squeeze while Bucky looked on and sighed.

"Come on," he said, rubbing Adelaide's back and making her glance back at him over her little shoulder. She eyed him strangely for a moment, noticing the eyeliner and messier than usual hair. "Can't you just give me one little Dada? Just one!"

Adelaide smiled at him and then hugged Summer tighter, chanting "Mama mama mama" like a mantra. Summer smiled and shrugged at Bucky, who rolled his eyes and then grabbed Adelaide out of Summer's arms. He gave her a kiss on her chubby little cheek and then strolled out of the room saying, "All right, Pumpkin. Let's have a short little lesson on first words, okay?"

Summer smiled as Bucky and Adelaide disappeared from her sight. At the very same moment, there was a sudden blast of black right before Summer's eyes, and ninja-David leapt in front of her from out of nowhere. She jumped back and screeched, then held a hand to her heaving chest as she tried to catch her breath. "Oh my God, David, you scared the living crap out of me."

His response was taking his fake katana and swooshing it around dramatically before poking Summer's very pushed-up boobs with it. Summer narrowed her eyes at him and then sighed as he continued poking, finding it more and more hilarious the more she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, that's enough poking," she said, batting the sword away. "I realize that I look ridiculous to you and that popping balloons is one of your favorite things to do, but these aren't actually balloons."

David then withdrew the katana and turned around, going back to battling imaginary foes as Summer headed out of the bedroom. Now that they were ready, it was time to put the finishing touches on the party and double check that everything was done. Everyone would soon be arriving, and Summer didn't want to disappoint. She also had a few helpers to help make sure that everything was on point.

"Esteban," Summer called as she made her way out to the main area, "how's everything coming along?"

He popped up from under the bar, two bottles of alcohol in hand as he asked, "How drunk do you want the punch?"

Summer paused and then replied, "Well, you're the one who insisted on making your 'famous punch', so I'd say make it as drunk as you want. Doesn't matter to me since I'm not drinking tonight."

"Ah," Esteban nodded before grinning and pouring a hefty amount of both bottles into the glass punch bowl in front of him. "Then leave it to me."

Summer made a face as she examined the contents of the bowl, asking, "Is it actually punch or is it... just... alcohol poisoning in a bowl?"

Esteban looked up at her sharply and said, "It's family recipe, and my Grandma Rosita would slap you for saying such a thing."

Summer grinned and said, "Well, good thing you're not Grandma Rosita. By the way, where's your costume?"

"I'm saving it for the last minute," he said, a sudden mischievous glint in his eye. "Nic and I chose a couple's theme too. You especially will love it."

"Oooh, tell me!"

Esteban waggled his finger and reached for another bottle. "No. It's a surprise. By the way, I love the pirate look."

Summer smiled and stood up a little straighter, replying, "Yeah, I gotta say, aside from not being able to breathe, I do like this costume a lot. And have you seen Bucky yet? Oh my God..."

"Yes, he walked by a few minutes ago with your baby," Esteban nodded. "I whistled at him. He flipped me off, and then I asked 'where and when?' and he laughed."

As Summer laughed at the story, her phone dinged and she looked down at it and snapped back into business mode. Only fifteen minutes until party time.

The tower was decorated in all sorts of both cheesy and genuinely creepy things, silly ghosts and skeletons as well as well-placed vintage dolls and clown-related things because well, who didn't find those things creepy as heck. The truly scary things were in a designated side and the silly stuff on another, which was where the kids would stay so that the really creepy stuff wouldn't scare them. There would also be music, of course, and Summer had no doubt that once everyone arrived, it would be a Halloween party for the ages.

And as it turned out, she wasn't wrong.

One by one, once the appointed time came, everyone began trickling in. First was Sam and Darcy, who arrived together hand in hand dressed as, respectively, an angel and a devil.

"Oh my God!" Summer laughed in amusement, holding Adelaide on her hip as she poked at the horns on Darcy's head and the halo above Sam's. "You guys are so cute! And wow, Darcy, your boobs."

Darcy, who was rocking the pint-size devil look with an appropriately skimpy red costume and matching red lips and black heels, replied, "No, not my boobs - your boobs!"

Darcy then poked at said boobs, which made Adelaide giggle and start smacking them too, and Summer sighed and muttered, "I swear, it's poke-the-boobs night or something."

That was when Bucky showed up at Summer's side, drink in hand and a grimace on his face. Darcy gasped the moment she saw him and exclaimed, "Oh my God, are you kidding me?"

Bucky ignored her and looked at Sam, then remarked, "Nice wings."

"Nice earring," Sam grinned back.

"Okay, so like later," Darcy said, "you guys should do some pirate roleplaying thing. Seriously."

"Don't give her any ideas," Bucky replied before taking another sip of his drink and grimacing again.

"What's wrong?" Summer asked.

"This 'punch' is the worst thing I've ever tasted," Bucky replied quietly. "I can't even finish it."

"Can't be that bad," Sam said before taking the cup from Bucky and taking a small sip. He immediately furrowed his brows and coughed as he forced the liquid down, and he handed back to Bucky as he groaned, "Oh God. You weren't kidding."

"Hey, where's David?" Darcy asked, looking around. "I haven't seen him yet."

"Oh, you wouldn't have," Summer shrugged.

"Why not?"

As if on cue, David leapt between the two couples out of nowhere, again brandishing the toy katana and making Darcy yelp and jump back in surprise.

Summer grinned and replied, "Because he's a ninja."

Next to arrive soon after were Steve and Natasha, also hand in hand, and, as Bucky was the first to loudly point out, not even in real costumes.

"What the hell," he exclaimed, gesturing to Natasha's sexy black dress and Steve's matching black suit. "Those aren't costumes!"

"Yes they are," Steve replied, looking at Bucky's pirate costume in great amusement. "Hey, I like the eyeliner."

"How are they costumes?" Bucky asked, ignoring the eyeliner comment.

"We're Mr. And Mrs. Smith," Natasha explained. Bucky rolled his eyes just as Adelaide went scampering by, Summer following behind her but pausing once she saw the newest arrivals.

"Hey! You guys look good! Let me guess... um... uh... super sexy President and First Lady?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Bucky rolled his eyes again, replying for the other couple.

"Oh!" Summer grinned. "Nice!"

"Wow, I love the pirate theme," Natasha grinned, checking them both out. "And wow. Your b-"

"Boobs, I know," Summer sighed, stepping closer to Natasha. "Go ahead, poke them."

Natasha shrugged and then took up her offer, and Steve watched with slightly furrowed brows. Bucky watched too, though he was much more laid back about it. Natasha lifted her eyebrows and said appreciatively, "Wow. You know, people say breastfeeding ruins them, but I think yours have gotten even better."

"Oh yeah! Squeeze it, feel how firm they are," Summer said. Steve nearly had a heart attack, but Bucky just watched even more closely, not at all objecting to what was happening.

And that was how Clint found them, dressed up like Robin Hood with his own bow and arrow as props, and not even an inch of surprise on his face. "Well. Seems about right."

Natasha dropped her hand and Summer looked up, breaking out into a smile and running up to Clint to give him a big hug. Natasha glanced at Steve to find him still looking vaguely like he might have a stroke, and she rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs while Bucky chuckled at his expense.

"I didn't know for sure if you were coming," Summer said after pulling away from the hug. "And nice costume."

Clint shrugged and said, "It was either this or Legolas, but I didn't feel like wearing the wig." Then he looked at Steve and Nat and said, "Why aren't you two in costumes?"

"See?" Bucky gestured, as if he'd been vindicated.

Natasha rolled her eyes again and sighed, "We're Mr. and Mrs. Smith. How is nobody getting this?"

Clint scoffed. "Oh please. That's not a real costume."

"Exactly!" Bucky nodded in intense agreement.

Adelaide then came running by again, only this time she ran right into Steve's legs and started babbling excitedly and holding out her arms for him to pick her up. He smiled hugely and scooped her up right away, and she giggled as he raved over how pretty she was. Summer started snapping pictures on her phone, adding to her already-extensive collection of photos of the two of them being adorable together.

Just after Clint got settled in and the argument over what constituted real costumes continued, Tony arrived next. He stepped off of the elevator in an expensive suit, looking more red carpet-ready than anything, and Bucky and Clint both rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Tony just strolled towards them without blinking, complimenting Summer, "Hey, looks great in here, kid. Sorry I'm late. My costume took awhile to get right."

As Summer smiled and quietly thanked him, Clint shared a look with Bucky and asked, "What costume?"

"Oh, you can't tell?" Tony asked. "Really? I thought it would be obvious." He looked around and waited for someone to guess, but when he had no takers, he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I'm Robert Downey Jr."

"Who?" Bucky squinted.

"Actor," Summer helpfully informed him.

"Apparently there's a striking resemblance," Tony shrugged. "I don't really see it, but Rhodey said he's in talks to play me in a movie based on my life."

Steve choked on the drink of horrid punch he'd been taking. "They're making a movie about you?"

Tony flashed Steve a grin. "Jealous? But don't worry. If my movie's a hit, rumor is they'll make one about you next."

Steve, looking all kinds of confused, continued to stare at Tony until the group's attention was stolen by Esteban and Nicolo finally making it out of one of the rooms down the hall in their full costumes. Summer turned around to look first as they strutted in, and her jaw dropped as a huge smile appeared on her face.

Esteban was dressed up as Iron Man and Nicolo was Captain America. Both costumes were remarkably realistic, Esteban's all clunky and metal-y and complete with a helmet that the facial portion of was lifted up and over his head, and Nicolo's was appropriately skin-tight with a replica of the shield strapped to his back.

They were just beautiful, Summer thought.

"At least they're wearing actual costumes," Clint said as Darcy showed up next to him and handed him a cup of the questionable punch. He sniffed it and then took a sip, apparently not finding it so bad and taking another drink.

"You guys look great!" Summer raved, and Steve and Tony both eyed their costumed counterparts before glancing at each other, silently agreeing that they pulled off their suits better. Duh.

"I told you you'd love it," Esteban grinned. "And see? Couple's theme."

"Oh, you're right," Natasha grinned.

Steve rolled his eyes. "That's hilarious."

"Seems right to me," Bucky shrugged nonchalantly.

"Me too," Tony nodded. "I approve of this."

Esteban then gestured to his face and said, "See, I even shaved to look like you."

"Yeah, not bad," Tony said, inspecting his handiwork.

Nicolo glanced at Summer and said, "I wasn't sure about the spandex, but..."

"Oh, you totally pull it off," Summer assured him. Then she leaned in closer and whispered to him, "By the way, later on, you guys should totally start kissing whenever Steve's looking at you, just to make him super uncomfortable."

"Oh, that's already been planned," Nicolo assured her before they pulled away from their conspiratorial huddle. Summer grinned at him, pleased, and then Nicolo said, "By the way, I started editing your family pictures earlier today. They're gorgeous."

Summer smiled excitedly. "Yay! I can't wait!"

"There's this one of all four of you, and it's so sweet - it's my favorite," Nicolo smiled, referencing the family photo shoot he'd done with the little family a week earlier. The photos had been taken at a park not far from their home outside of the city, and it had been a blast. Summer couldn't wait to see the finished product.

She was about to reply to Nicolo when she heard a quiet but startling "boo" behind her. She jumped and whirled around to find a ghost literally floating behind her, and it took her a few confusing seconds to realize that it was Vision covered with a long white sheet. Two eye holes were cut out in the fabric, and Summer broke into a smile as she exclaimed, "Oh my God, I love it! You're the best ghost I've ever seen!"

"Thank you," he replied, presumably smiling under the sheet. "Should I avoid your daughter? Would she be frightened?"

"Oh no," Summer smiled, shaking her head. "I think she'll just giggle. But thank you for asking first. That's very thoughtful of you."

"You are very welcome," he replied.

"Did you come up with being a ghost yourself?" Summer asked.

"No. It was Tony's idea," Vision replied. "He suggested it while he was explaining the holiday to me."

"Oh, makes sense," she smiled. Then she glanced across the room, where David had been lurking and waiting eagerly for Wanda's arrival. She had just showed up - dressed, appropriately, as a witch - and he was engaging her in mock battle alongside Adelaide who was also very happy to see her. Summer then turned back to Vision and said, "Hey, I think someone else could use a scare."

She then gestured to Wanda, and Vision glanced her way before quietly thanking Summer and floating off. Summer grinned and didn't budge from where she stood, crossing her arms and watching as Bucky came and stood next to her.

"Still trying to match those two up," he observed, sliding his arm around her waist.

"Heck yeah," she grinned back. "I'm the captain of this ship, and I'm telling you, it's sailing soon."

"If you say so," he replied, kissing her cheek as continued to watch the scene unfold.

As Vision silently and stealthily floated closer to Wanda, whose witch costume consisted of a short black and red dress and a big, sparkly and pointy black hat, Adelaide tackled her big brother to the floor with a huge burst of giggles. Wanda chucked at their antics, and then when Vision came to a stop just behind her and said boo, she jumped and spun around only to start laughing and give the sheet an affectionate little tug.

"See?" Summer said quietly. "It's so happening. It's not a question of if but when."

"Maybe," Bucky conceded. Then he glanced to his left and said, "Summer, look at Steve. Hurry."

Summer quickly shifted her gaze and slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Esteban and Nicolo were taking selfies with Steve and Tony and, as promised, kissing and trying to make Steve uncomfortable. Normally it wouldn't really phase him, but since they were dressed up as his and Tony's alter egos, there was clear discomfort on Steve's face, and it only got worse when Tony gave him a big kiss on his cheek for one of the pictures.

"My other prediction," Summer pointed out as Bucky was thoroughly entertained by Steve's squirming, "is that those two are so gonna make out one day."

"I don't know about that one," Bucky replied as Steve wormed his way out of Tony's grip and headed to Sam's much safer side. "Maybe if Steve could get drunk, but..."

"He already kissed Tony once just to prove a point," Summed argued.

"He was playing Gay Chicken," Bucky explained as if that made it completely normal. "They didn't actually kiss."

"Oh it totally still counts," Summer replied. "I mean, if you were playing Gay Chicken and kissed a dude, that would count too."

"That's the difference between me and Steve," Bucky replied. "I wouldn't play Gay Chicken because I don't have weird sexual tension with Tony Stark."

Summer's eyes widened and she gasped, "So you admit there's weird sexual tension between them?"

Bucky sighed heavily and Summer continued to pester him as the party went on. Everyone was having a good time and most of them were managing to choke down Esteban's punch without giving away how difficult it was, and the kids were having a blast as well. Adelaide was on a mission to grab everything that she shouldn't, and every little tiny choke hazard on the entire floor ended up in at least one of her little fists once, but it was a successful team effort keeping her safe. One time it was Tony who plucked a loose button of all things from her hand, and she retaliated by giving him the evil eye, crying, and then running back to her daddy for comfort. Tony became convinced that he was never gonna persuade the kid to like him.

Then, in the midst of the festivities, Summer got an alert on her phone regarding a new email from her agent. She opened it and found links to a few new reviews of her book, all of which she hurriedly read while sitting on the couch in between Bucky and Steve, who were arguing about something with Tony and Natasha.

The first two reviews were pretty positive, their only critiques being things that Summer was already aware of thanks to her penchant for self-criticism. The third one, however, was her very first truly and utterly scathing review, and rather than really get to her, she found herself battling a case of the giggles.

"Bucky!" she said, patting his arm and getting his attention. "Listen to this review my book got. It's from some dude from a magazine I've never heard of. He says its 'Nicholas Sparks meets mommy porn, only distinguishable from the other hundreds of titles in its genre thanks to the lack of vampires or billionaire CEOs and the addition of goats and barns'." Then she paused and said, "Heh, barns. Like your name. And my name."

Bucky wasn't as amused. "What a dickhe-"

"Language!" Summer and Steve said in unison, both motioning towards Adelaide playing with David near their feet.

"What a... douchebag," Bucky amended, though Summer didn't necessarily want Adelaide repeating that either.

"Well, not all the reviews are gonna be winners," she shrugged. "I actually find it pretty funny. Nicholas Sparks meets mommy porn."

"What exactly is mommy porn?" Bucky asked, squinting.

Tony piped up from the other couch to reply, "Fifty Shades of Softcore Vanilla."

"You read Fifty Shades?" Natasha asked with amusement.

"Pepper got it and never read it," he shrugged. "It was sitting there by the bed one night and I was bored. Highly disappointing. I was under the impression there'd be weird stuff."

"What kind of weird stuff were you hoping for?" Summer asked Tony in great curiosity.

Tony merely stared impressively blankly at her before changing the subject. "So, can I safely assume you'll be writing pirate smut next?"

"See?" Bucky said to Summer with a grin. "There's already demand for it."

About half an hour of similar conversations and the party moving right along, Summer had took a break to feed Adelaide and, to her surprise, the baby went down for a nap. She fell asleep right in the middle of the living room, on the end of one of the couches despite the music playing and loud voices surrounding her. She was out like a very pink, fluffy light, and after Summer left her there with plenty of eyes on her, she headed towards the bar to munch on some of the snacks and maybe even finally try the punch herself.

She decided against the punch after sniffing it. Instead, she was eyeing up the food she'd ordered from a cafe a couple blocks away, but before she could grab a single bite, there was suddenly a long-haired pirate embracing her from behind and tickling her with a kiss just under her ear.

"Holy crap, you scared me," she grinned, leaning into Bucky's hug and putting her hands over his. She leaned back so he could kiss her lips, and then she asked, "Having a good time?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I was watching you walk over here and I started to wonder if I might be able to have a better time." He punctuated his statement by pushing his lower half against hers a little tiny bit, and he then said right into her ear, "Your ass in these pants is incredible."

"Hey, simmer down there, Captain," she grinned, touching his jaw and the perfect amount of scruff that covered it.

"I don't want to," he replied, dropping his eyes down to her chest before bringing them back up. He then grinned and said, "What do you say we have Steve and Nat keep an eye on the kids and go in my old room and..."

"And?" she replied, raising an eyebrow and trying not to grin.

He then leaned in close and whispered a string of words so filthy into her ear that it was something even for him. He pulled away smirking and she stared at him with a bright blush engulfing her cheeks for all of two seconds before she grinned and nodded.

Bucky asked Steve to keep an eye on the kids with just a series of hand and head signals. He pointed at David and Adelaide and then back to Steve, then jerked his head towards Summer first and then the hallway. Steve gave the thumbs up, and just like that, Bucky was leading Summer away from the party and towards a room they had torn up together many, many times before.

The difference was, this time they were apparently doing it as pirates.

The sounds of the party were muffled through the door that Bucky slammed shut and then pushed Summer against once they were inside the room. His lips collided harshly with hers as his hand went to the light switch on the wall, flicking the light on as they kissed and tugged at each other's clothes frantically. There wasn't a lot of time and that was part of the thrill of it all, so neither of them minded the rough kisses or the way that they went from kissing to rapid foreplay in seconds.

There was no getting around Summer's corset or getting it even partially off, so Bucky's first order of business was getting her leather pants undone. The minute he got them peeled down her thighs just enough, his right hand was between her legs and making her lose her breath as they continued to fiercely kiss and claw at each other. He pushed her up harder against the door, breaking their kiss at last and panting softly as he watched her face, all heat and merciless touches as she clung to his hair with one hand and part of his costume with the other.

Her eyes were closed, mouth open and chest heaving up and down more and more quickly with each new flick of his fingers. He leaned in closer and started kissing her neck, doing everything he could to get her ready and needy as quickly as he could. Once he knew she was there and could feel it, he pulled his hand away and then took her hips in both hands, spinning her around and pressing her face-first to the door.

"Fuck, Summer," he groaned into her ear, hurriedly undoing his own pants as she ground back needily against him. "Think you can keep quiet?"

"Probably not," she admitted, both palms pressed flat against the door as she waited impatiently. "But they won't hear us over the music."

He smirked. "Sure about that?"

One thrust of his hips later, Summer let out a yelp and dug her nails against the door, unable to keep quiet in the least. The music and general noise should have covered them, but neither of them cared about it much as things officially ramped up into overdrive.

Summer might have ended up finding inspiration to write a bit of a pirate story after all.


Amid quiet giggles and the sounds of clothes being fixed and put right again, Summer and Bucky managed to pull themselves together and get ready to rejoin the party after an impressively short amount of time. Normally getting things done quickly wasn't a lot to brag about, but in their case, being able to get things done fast was essential, what with having two little kids.

"Is my hair super messed up?" Summer asked, and Bucky grinned as he looked her over, straightening out his big pirate coat.

"Yeah, but... makes you look the part even more," he said, and Summer decided that the logic was sound enough.

"All right, well... we'd better get back out there," she said, looking down and checking to make sure she was completely covered again. "My boobs are still completely in the corset, right?"

He looked at them and nodded wistfully. "Unfortunately."

She grinned and then turned and opened the door, Bucky following close behind and making her giggle with how he reached out and tugged at her hair as they went. They were both all smiles until they reached the end of the hallway, which was when a Summer gasped and came to a sudden stop. Bucky smacked into her and nearly knocked her over as a result, but she stayed upright and held out her arm to keep him back.

"Bucky," she whisper-screamed, "look! Over there, in the kitchen behind the island!"

Bucky then peered around the corner with Summer, and together they both beheld the sight of Wanda and Vision having a rather cute moment in the kitchen.

Vision's makeshift costume had gotten all tangled and messed up over the course of the night, and after he accidentally half-collided with the refrigerator, Wanda laughed and came to his aid. He was on his feet now and she was standing on the tips of her toes, gathering up the sheet and straightening it out for him. Then she pulled it back over his head, so that she could see his face, and as their eyes met, he told her with his typical quiet sincerity, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, not bringing the fixed sheet back over his face just yet. Instead, with her little smile still on her face, she lingered and got a curious sort of glint in her green eyes. Then she leaned up just a little bit further, as far as her toes could take her, and she closed her eyes before placing a small but sweet little kiss on the "ghost's" lips.

Vision was, very understandingly, quite stunned by the kiss, and he stood there completely still, staring at Wanda even after she'd pulled the sheet back down, aligning the eye holes just right, and then walking away with her smile still on her face. He continued to stand there and watched her walk away, both of them unaware of their audience and of how incredibly excited one half of it was.

Summer was all but jumping up and down in pure glee. She turned and grasped Bucky's hands in hers, again whisper-screaming as she told him excitedly, "It happened! Oh my God, it happened! I told you my ship was about to sail!"

Bucky grinned at her enthusiasm, being happy to see two of his friends finally take a step towards realizing what was obviously between the two of them, but not quite on the same level of excitement as Summer.

Vision was back in the air and floating back towards the living room, his flight there somehow even lighter than usual, and Summer just couldn't contain her glee. She dragged Bucky by the hand back to the party, and the first thing she did upon arrival was let go of his hand and then plop down on one of the couches next to Wanda.

Wanda looked at her, then furrowed her brows a little at the overly eager way that Summer was smiling at her.

"What?"

Summer just continued to beam. "I was in the hallway a minute ago, and I kind of accidentally... saw... something."

"Oh," Wanda replied, her own smile immediately reappearing as she looked away and blushed just a little bit.

Summer smiled back and then looked across the room. Vision had been pulled into a conversation with Tony, but he was glancing over every few seconds like a nervous teenager. Summer turned back to Wanda and said, "I think it's great. Honestly I've been dying for you guys to get together for so long."

Wanda chuckled. "Yes, I've noticed, but I am not sure that we're... together, exactly."

"Maybe not yet," Summer shrugged, "but I hope you will be. You're adorable together. And he cares about you so much."

Wanda looked at her a little more seriously and asked quietly, "Do you think so?"

"We all do," Summer nodded. "Bucky's told me how on missions he looks out for you a little more than the others and is always protecting you. Which is funny, because you're a powerhouse and probably the most capable of looking out for yourself of all the Avengers. But it shows how much he cares. Even here, he's always looking out for you. You're his... priority." She then paused and noted, "You can literally read minds. How did you not know he felt that way?"

"I try not to read people unless I have to," Wanda explained. "But it isn't easy. Especially when someone's mind is loud. Like yours."

Summer paused. "I have a... loud... mind?"

"You project everything you think and feel like a big flashing neon light," Wanda said with amusement. "But he is very quiet. Remarkable, too. His mind is... so..."

"... Amazing and inhuman?" Summer guessed.

"Peaceful," Wanda replied, smiling again. "Curious. Brilliant."

Summer then grinned and nudged the other woman's shoulder. "And you expect me to believe you don't have a crush?"

Wanda merely smiled and opted to neither confirm or deny the question.

Meanwhile, following the unexpected kiss, Vision had decided to seek out advice not from his sort-of father/creator Tony, but rather Steve who he had come to view as among one of the very best of humanity and therefore the perfect one to ask certain questions of.

Bucky happened to be standing next to Steve as Vision, currently out of his ghost costume, stood on the fray of the party and said, "I was hoping that maybe you could... enlighten me on something."

"Me?" Steve grinned, glancing at Bucky. "Sure. What's up?"

"Well," Vision began, looking perplexed, "on a... theoretical level, I understand why people kiss one another. I understand the mechanics and the purpose, I suppose, but..."

Steve looked at him in a bit of surprise, having not expected that question. "... But?"

Vision then looked up and asked, "What makes someone want to kiss someone else?"

"Oh," Steve blinked. Next to him, Bucky hid a grin and glanced over towards the girls sitting and probably having their own kiss-related conversation. "Well... that depends on who it is you're kissing. I wouldn't kiss my mom for the same reason I'd want to kiss Natasha, for example, but either way it's still love."

"But do you have to love someone to kiss them?"

"No," Steve quickly shook his head. "But that helps. Sometimes people kiss just if they like each other or... think they might like each other."

Vision contemplated these things, appearing very much in deep thought, and Steve was on the verge of asking where all of this was coming from when Bucky stepped forward and gave Vision's shoulder a good-natured pat.

"Look, man," Bucky said, "she kissed you 'cause she likes you. Simple as that. And you liked it because you like her, too."

Vision blinked in surprise. "But I didn't say -"

"I know," Bucky nodded. "I saw. Me and Summer accidentally kind of walked in right as it was happening."

"Who did you kiss?" Steve asked Vision, and Bucky turned and looked at him incredulously for a moment before going on with his own talk.

"Kissing's great. It's... a lot more intimate that some people make it out to be. And a kiss can change your life. I know because the first time Summer ever kissed me, it was..."

"Powerful?" Vision guessed quietly.

Bucky nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, and even now, almost four years later... kissing her's still my favorite thing to do. Just nothing like it, honestly."

Steve grinned at his friend's words and then said, "Yeah, I can relate to that."

Vision then glanced over towards Wanda, and he all deep thought and careful contemplation as he turned back to the two men and said, "You've both been very helpful. Thank you."

"No problem," Steve grinned. "And hey, if you need any dating advice soon, Bucky's the one with all the expertise. He was basically born with it."

Bucky shrugged and nodded. "But if you need help on figuring out what to say to her, Steve's your guy."

Vision looked at them both, clearly in way over his head, but that didn't stop him from replying, "I will keep that in mind. Thank you again."

They nodded and then glanced at one another as Vision departed from their midst, perhaps to seek out other opinions or maybe wait for his chance to get Wanda alone and ask for himself just why she had kissed him.

"Well, I didn't see that coming," Steve said, earning a roll of Bucky's eyes.

"You're the only one."

"Well, I knew they cared about each other, I just didn't think -"

Suddenly, Steve was silenced mid-sentence by Clint throwing both of his arms around him and Bucky from behind, a bottle of vodka in one of his hands as he slurred, "Hey guys! Some party, huh?"

They both turned and looked at the obviously very drunk Robin Hood, and Bucky eyed the vodka bottle and said, "Yeah... some party."

"Man, I just... I love you guys," Clint said, tugging them both a little closer. "You know that, right?"

"Now we do," Steve said, smiling and muffling a laugh as his fellow Avenger squeezed him.

"No, I mean it," Clint insisted, sloshing the bottle a little and almost spilling some on Bucky's pirate costume. "You guys are great. I mean, back when I first met you, Rogers, I thought you were an uptight old man who needed a week at a Vegas brothel, and you -" he turned to Bucky, "honestly, I still haven't forgiven you and Summer for being so loud back when you lived with me that it sounded like I was running an amateur porn studio in my guest room."

"Sorry, man," Bucky grinned.

"Yeah, no you're not," Clint shook his head, "but that's okay. I love you anyway."

Clint then illustrated his words by laying big fat drunken kisses on the cheeks of both men before giving them one last pat and wandering off, presumably to find someone else to declare his love to. Steve and Bucky both wiped off their cheeks, the latter remarking, "Hopefully he stays away from Vision. Then we'll have to explain drunk kissing to him next."

"Speaking of that, you get the birds and the bees talk when it comes up," Steve declared, fixing his suit from where Clint had rumpled it.

"Me? Why do I get it?"

"Practice for when your kids ask you someday," Steve grinned.

Bucky scoffed. "But Tony's his... father... thing. Shouldn't he get the talk?"

Steve then eyed Bucky pointedly and asked, "Would you want Tony Stark giving one of your kids the sex talk?"

Bucky paused. "Yeah, good point."


It was well into the late evening when the party wound down and Summer bade farewell to the the tower along with her family. It had been a lovely day and the party had been a big hit, but she was more than ready to crawl home and peel her corset off and just lay on her couch in her pajamas until bedtime rolled around.

Once they returned home, Bucky took a short shower to rid himself of his eyeliner and general pirate-y look, and Summer got the kids back into their normal clothes before at last getting out of her own costume. The corset had to wait until Bucky had emerged from the shower and could help her with the laces, and keeping him from getting handsy in the process was a struggle in itself but eventually, everybody was happy and comfortable again and sitting together in the living room.

The kids were on the floor playing toys together - Adelaide not happy with being handed a princess figure to play with when she really wanted David's Hulk figure, which he was not giving up - and Summer and Bucky were on the couch, snuggled under a blanket as they watched the kids and enjoyed the relative quiet after the day's festivities.

"I love how she's so girly," Bucky said, his head on Summer's shoulder as he watched Adelaide throw the princess toy and try to pry the Hulk from David's hand, "and she spends the whole day dressed as a princess but then comes home and just wants to smash things with a big green guy's fist."

"You can't pigeonhole her, that's for sure," Summer smiled, her cheek resting on the top of Bucky's head. His hair was damp from his shower and thrown back in a knot at the back of his head, and as Summer realized upon taking a whiff of, it smelled rather nice. "Hey, you used my coconut shampoo, didn't you?"

"Got a problem with that?" he asked, raising his head and throwing her a grin.

"No," she replied, bringing her hand to his face and running her thumb along the stubble on his cheek. "I just think it's funny that my big scary Avenger husband smells like a piña colada."

"You like piña coladas," he pointed out, eyes dropping down to her lips for a moment before coming back up.

"I wasn't complaining," she chuckled before closing her eyes as he kissed her. It was a small, sweet kiss, and it was just enough to make Adelaide start giggling from where she was now standing at the couch, near their legs.

They pulled away and smiled at their daughter, Bucky leaning forward and grabbing her from the floor and putting her on his lap. Adelaide giggled more as he kissed her cheek, and then she grabbed on to his hair and smacked her forehead against his a few times as she continued to giggle happily.

"Ouch, ouch," Bucky grimaced, though he was still smiling. "Man, you've got a hard head."

"She gets that from you," Summer was quick to point out.

Bucky grinned at that and then asked Adelaide, "What do you think? Think you got this big, hard head from Daddy?"

And then, as if the not-quite-one year old had planned it like this from the start, she smiled and said in her cute little girly voice, "Dada!"

At first, it didn't even register in Bucky's head that she'd finally said his name. It took him by that much surprise, and it only dawned on him once she grabbed his hair again and started babbling, "Dada dada dada dada..."

Summer gasped. David dropped his toys and hurried over, wanting to see this for himself, and Bucky was all wide-eyed, huge smiles as his jaw dropped and he exclaimed, "You said it! You said Dada!"

Adelaide, picking up on his enthusiasm, held on to his hair tighter and pushed his head back and forth as best as she could, continuing her giggly chants of many dada's, and Summer was quick to break out her phone and get as much of it on video as she could. It was, in both her mind and Bucky's, the absolute perfect way to end what had been a great day all around.

Little did she know, it was about to get even better.

Once Adelaide calmed down a bit and was lying with her head on Bucky's shoulder, working hard on pulling out each individual hair on his head one by one, David was leaning on the couch with his head on top of his crossed arms. He watched for a bit, then reached forward and tapped Bucky on his leg. Bucky immediately looked his way, giving him his full attention.

"Daddy," David quickly muttered quietly before smiling and reddening with embarrassment. As soon as he'd said it, he smacked his hands over his face and then dropped down to the floor, hiding, and if Bucky had been shocked by Adelaide, then he was utterly floored by David.

Summer nearly went into cardiac arrest. She and Bucky stared at each other with their eyes as big as saucers, and then Bucky leaned down to put his hand on top of David's head to try to coax him out of the shell he'd just retreated into.

"Hey," Bucky said gently, "hey. Don't be embarrassed. Come back."

David shook his head vehemently, and Bucky and Summer shared a smile. David surely just didn't want them to make a fuss about it, and silently they agreed not to, even though Summer was on the verge of tears and Bucky wasn't all that far behind.

But instead, he leaned down enough to scoop David up on to the couch - which was easier than it looked, considering he used his left arm - and then he held the kid to his other side that Adelaide wasn't occupying. He hugged David close and said, "I know you don't like talking, so... that was really special. Thanks, buddy."

David then peeked up from behind his hands and almost immediately retreated back behind them, but it gave Bucky just enough of a glimpse to know that David was smiling and happy, and that was enough for him.

Summer was simply beside herself. She looked on at the sweet sight before her, of Bucky holding both kids and clearly adoring them both equally, and Summer could feel herself nearly descending to a pool of blubbering happy tears. To spare herself the waterworks, she got herself together and, upon asking if anyone wanted cookies and getting three very affirmative answers, she got up and headed into the kitchen with a huge smile on her face.

Once in the kitchen, she grabbed some sugar cookie dough that she'd made a month earlier and stored in the freezer, then turned on the oven and let out a heavy sigh. Life continued to throw happy little surprises at her, and she was just so damn happy. The one that made her even happier than she already felt was seeing how happy her family was. Bucky had come so far and so had David, and Adelaide, well... she'd just been born happy.

Still smiling to herself, Summer got the cookies into the oven as soon as it had preheated. She was washing her hands when there was a knock on the front door, and she quickly dried off her hands and made her way to who she assumed was Paul and a few of his kids, since he'd mentioned earlier in a text that he might stop by that night.

When she opened the door, she didn't find Paul on the other side but rather a man she'd never seen before. He smiled in a very friendly way and said, "Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I live close by - couple streets over - and my car just broke down," he said, gesturing to a car that was parked on the road with its hazard lights blinking. "Do you maybe have a phone I could borrow?"

"Oh," Summer said, nodding. "Sure. Hang on, I'll be right back."

She closed the door and walked back to the kitchen, where her rarely-used house phone sat on its charger. She picked it up and went back to the front door, opening it and handing the man the phone. "Here you go."

"Thanks so much," he said gratefully. "My wife has jumper cables she can bring me, but my phone died at work a couple hours ago and I left my charger at home. Go figure."

"Well, when it rains it pours, right?" Summer chuckled, and the guy nodded and laughed back.

"Oh, for sure. Hey, not to impose or anything, but could I just step inside for a minute while I call her? It's cold out tonight."

It was indeed cold, but Summer wasn't about to let a stranger in her house, seemingly harmless or no. "I would, but... my kids are about to go down for the night soon, so..."

"Oh, sure, sure. I understand. I mean, I'd be quiet though. I'm just kinda freezing here."

It was cold, and Summer did feel sort of bad for saying no, but she simply had to stand her ground. "Yeah... I'm really sorry."

He nodded, looking down at the phone before looking back up and asking, "Could I use the bathroom? I'd only be a minute and then I could come back out here and make the call."

Summer paused at the question, starting to feel a bit uneasy now. She understood the guy's predicament, but he was trying so hard to get inside, and something about it wasn't sitting well. "Look, I'm really sorry that I keep saying no, but really, the phone's the best I can do right now."

The man let out a sigh and nodded, looking back down to the phone. Then he handed it back to Summer without dialing a single number on it. She took it with a look of confusion, and the man didn't blink as he whipped out a gun with one hand and an ID proclaiming him an FBI agent with the other hand. He aimed the gun at her, and Summer dropped the phone to the floor as her hands flew up and her heart dropped out of her chest.

"Stay quiet, ma'am. We know you've got kids here and we don't want this getting out of hand."

Terror overcame her like ice engulfing her veins, her eyes wide and horrified as the first few confusing seconds gave way to grim understanding. She knew what this was and what was happening, and that was why she quietly and shakily pled as the man stepped inside of the house, "No, no, no, no... please, no..."

"Step aside, Mrs. Barnes," was all the man said, and hearing him call her that nearly made her knees give out. They knew who she was. They knew who she was married to and that she had kids with him.

After the man walked through the front door, next came a line of men dressed in heavy black tactical gear and armed to the teeth. They poured in soundlessly, following the orders of the first man, seemingly ready to start shooting at any minute. She watched them helplessly, heart pounding and ears ringing with panic.

In just the next room, Bucky was still sitting there with both Adelaide and David, having no clue what was coming. She couldn't warn him and even if she could, she doubted it would have helped. Still, those few seconds spent in the kitchen watching federal agents slowly make their way to the living room were some of the worst of her life.

Her babies were in that living room. That was what propelled her out of her state of shock and sent her running, because she knew how easy it would be for a stray bullet to pierce either one of her children. They needed her there to protect them.

Unfortunately, one of the men caught her and restrained her. She yelled at him to let her go, and that was when all of the agents swarmed into the living room with guns raised.

Some came in from the back door, others through the garage, resulting in the entire living room being surrounded. Bucky jumped up from his previously reclined position on the couch, both kids still in his arms, and his expression went from shocked at the sudden sight of an army swarming his home to absolutely murderous in the three seconds it took for him to see that Summer was in the grip of one of the agents. Everything happened so fast that it was dizzying.

"Drop the kids and get down!" yelled the man who had pretended to need a jump for his broken down car, aiming his gun somewhere in the center of Bucky's chest. Every other gun in the room was also trained solely upon home. "Get down on the floor now, hands up where I can see them!"

Adelaide burst into tears the minute the yelling started, and David had never looked more terrified in his life. Both kids clung to Bucky, who wasn't moving. His eyes darted from agent to agent, then to Summer who was struggling to free herself to no avail. Tears were streaming down her face, and for a moment Bucky's murderous, calculating glare broke. In its place was sheer heartbreak.

There was nowhere to go. There was no punching or shooting his way out of this one.

"David, buddy, let go," he whispered, but David only held on tighter. Adelaide was red-faced and crying hysterically, looking at her mama being held back by a man with a gun and hardly breathing for how hard she was crying.

Eventually, though it wasn't easy, Bucky managed to get David to let go. Adelaide was a different story. He tried to put her down on the couch, but she clung to him like her life depended on it, and he was absolutely not going to rip her away and leave her like that. He'd die before he let that happen. She was too little and not the least bit able to comprehend anything that was happening.

And so, he turned and addressed the man in charge directly. "You want me, you've got me. I won't fight you. But you let my wife go and you don't touch her again, and you don't touch my kids."

The man considered that for a moment, then turned to the man holding Summer back and nodded. He let her go, and she ran to Bucky on her wobbly, almost useless legs.

He handed Adelaide over to her as David grabbed on to her as well. Her eyes were frantic and terrified, but Bucky put on his bravest face as he kissed Summer goodbye.

"It's okay," he whispered to her, even as three men converged on him and started pulling him away. "It's gonna be okay. I love you."

"I love you," Summer choked out, holding Adelaide close and shielding both her and David from danger as Bucky was then forced to the ground. Tears flowed anew from her eyes as they held him down and restrained him, putting a pair of cuffs on him that had undoubtedly been crafted specifically for holding him, and she covered David's eyes with one hand and guided Adelaide's gaze away with her other.

The man in charge didn't read Bucky his Miranda rights. Even though Summer was shocked and horrified and heartbroken, she didn't miss that fact, and it scared her even more. Miranda rights were read to U.S. citizens entitled to their rights under the Constitution. But they were treating Bucky like an enemy combatant or foreign terrorist rather than an American citizen whose name was in history books that described him as a war hero.

This wasn't just Bucky being arrested. This was Bucky being arrested with the intent of never seeing the light of day again, with no concern for due process, and if Summer knew that, Bucky surely did too. She wondered if they would have even taken him alive had there not been innocent kids involved.

They dragged him away once they had him searched and completely restrained. He tried to look back to Summer and the kids one last time but they shoved his head forward and didn't let him. Summer stood there and watched as he disappeared, still crying and still in shock that a day that had been so perfect had ended like this.

Clutching Adelaide tightly and keeping David at her side, Summer ran towards her front door after Bucky had been taken through it. She didn't quite make it there before not one but two men held her back, but she still managed to look over their shoulders and see something she'd never forget for the rest of her days.

Bucky was being loaded into the back of a huge armored car. The agents tossed him down on a bench inside of it and then, as they went to close the doors, he turned his head and made eye contact with Summer one last time. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough to break her all over again as the doors slammed shut and, seconds later, the truck was taking him away.

She backed away from the agents, retreating into the living room with her children. All around her, the agents began to search her home. Some went towards her bedroom, others towards the kids' rooms. A few headed down to the basement, where they'd find Bucky's small armory of weapons that he ironically kept there in case of incidents like these.

They acted like she wasn't there. She knew it wouldn't stay that way, so she took the opportunity to grab her phone where it had been sitting on the couch the whole time and make a very important call. She was devastated, but she wasn't going to sit back and just watch her life crumble before her eyes.

Adelaide continued to cry as the line began to ring, her big blue eyes darting from agent to agent like they were monsters who had invaded her world and filled her with terror. David was quiet but trembling, holding on to Summer with everything he had and whimpering a little bit like he did when a meltdown was coming on.

"Steve," she said as soon as he picked up on the other end, tears still streaming endlessly down her face but her voice impressively steady and strong for both her own sake and the sake of the kids that she needed to be strong for, "I need you. Now."

A/N #2: *hides behind couch*