**A/N: "KATIE. TEAM CAP. SWEET CHOICE. FOR A SWEET GIRL. SWEET." - Paul Rudd.
I was very excited with this. 'Cause he actually said my name. Also, he's Mike from Friends and I'm obsessed with Friends so...
Chapter 45- My Strings of Love
"Tender out the way she hunts my mind. She was only mine one night in time. Chasing after the dreams she've left behind. No one compare to how she shines. She signs her name on my guitar. Spanish kisses on my heart. We dance flamenco in the dark. We're on my strings of love."
~Strings of Love, George Benson
Bethany had spent longer deciding on what to wear that day than was altogether necessary. She didn't know whether to wear civilian clothes or her uniform. And then there was the option of dressing like a mom, or dressing like a super spy. And if she ended up on her uniform, should she pick her Avengers uniform, or the new uniforms that were given to each of the new Avengers Facility employees? She stood in front of the closet for almost twenty minutes, feeling like a fool for not knowing what to do. It wasn't just clothes. It was what life to take on.
"Have you moved?" Steve asked, walking out of their bathroom, a towel secured around his waist. Bethany pushed aside how amazing he looked, all his muscles taunt and glistening from the shower, his damp hair falling in front of his face.
"No," Bethany admitted. "Can you pick out something for me? Please?"
Steve, seeing her desperation, placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Of course. Sit down."
Bethany backtracked and sat on the bed, crossing her arms. They had been living at the Avengers Facility for a week so far. Originally, Bethany hadn't wanted to take any of her clothes out of the box. She told herself that she was comfortable living like she was in a hotel until they moved into their house, but after a long talk with Steve, she decided that the essentials did need to be unpacked.
Bethany waited patiently as Steve pulled some things out, even picking out her underwear, bra, socks and shoes. "This good?" Steve asked, holding the outfit up to his body. Bethany chuckled, imagining him wearing it.
"It's perfect," she breathed. Steve had paired a sleek black leather jacket with a pair of straight legged blue jeans, but giving the look a softer tone with a loose fitting blush pink blouse and a pair of pink heels that matched. "You're amazing."
"You can be too, if you want to," Steve reminded her, cupping her face lightly. "If you were to walk around here in yoga gear, or even your pajamas, people would still admire you. Now, are you going to get Jamie dressed or am I? Because I don't know how much longer he'll wait patiently in his crib."
Bethany turned her head to the tablet that showed Jamie keeping himself busy in his crib, not having cried out for his parents yet. It was as if he knew they would come for him soon, so crying for them would be pointless. "I will," Bethany promised.
Steve had disappeared back into the bathroom, most likely to shave, while Bethany quickly got ready. Looking in the mirror of her vanity, she applied minimal makeup and just pulled her hand through her soft waves before slipping her rings on and going to her son.
"Hey, Baby Boy," She said happily, catching Jamie's gaze. His smile split up his face, his body bouncing excitedly. "Good morning, Cutie Pie. How did you sleep, huh?"
Jamie's arms reached up and Bethany pulled him to her, kissing his little face a bunch of times. "Today is a big day, Jamie. Mama's a little worried, but I know you'll be with me, keeping me in line. Isn't that right?"
Jamie's room was fairly boring right now, but Bethany wasn't interested in decorating it for only a few months of him living in it. Putting him down on the change table, she took off his pajamas, changing his diaper and then raising him up to her. "You're very adorable, has anyone ever told you that?" Jamie rewarded her with one of his big opened mouth smiles. "Oh, they have, have they? Was it me? Was it Mommy? Huh?"
Taking the soft baby brush from the table, she sat down at the rocking chair, balancing Jamie on her lap. She handed him a book, opening it so he could look at the pictures as Bethany brushed his knotted curls. "No, Mumma," Jamie cried, raising his hand up to stop her movements. 'No' had slipped out of his lips a few days earlier, giving him the ability to construct opinions. 'No, Mumma' had been a constant every time Bethany tried to brush his hair. His beautiful curls would always knot at night, but despite being careful, Jamie always asked her to stop.
"No, Jamie, I have to," Bethany pressed on, kissing him softly, trying to work around his complaints and hands trying to stop her. She really didn't want to cut his hair. Steve opposed it more than her. But she knew that she would have to soon enough.
"Okay, good enough," She declared, putting Jamie down on his feet and the baby taking off to the corner where his stuffed animals were waiting for him.
"Oh, the simplicity of being a child," Steve said, leaning up against the doorframe. Jamie turned his head to see Steve, giving him a bright smile before attending to his stuffed toys again.
Steve was fully dressed in his Captain America uniform, and while Bethany assumed he'd be wearing it for the first day with the team, she wished he was wearing something like she was; a little of both worlds. "He fought me brushing his hair again," Bethany said with a sigh.
"I can tell," Steve chuckled, looking at a particularly knotty patch at the back of his head. Jamie then turned back around, clutching a stuffed toy to him and walked over to Steve, who crotched down for his son. "What cha got there?" Steve asked softly with a little smile, Jamie adorably holding out his Captain America plush toy. Tony had bought Jamie the entire Avengers set. There was even one of Bethany, but the manufacturers had elected to give the doll brown hair instead of blonde.
Bethany couldn't help but smile softly, placing a hand over her heart at Jamie's gesture. "Is that me?" Steve teased, pointing to the toy. Jamie only threw his head back in a dramatic laugh, Steve taking the toy and the baby going back over to his pile.
Steve looked at the toy and then back over to Bethany. Neither of them could really say anything in regards to this. It was absolutely adorable, neither of them could deny that. But the thing that was keeping Bethany from reacting further was the fear that Jamie would start to think of Steve as only Captain America. Yes, she was aware that she was probably worrying for nothing, but that was kind of her life now.
"Come on, bug," Bethany began quietly, moving to swoop his body up in a dramatic movement, to which he replied with that beautiful laugh of his. "Time to get dressed."
Bethany had put the onesie and t-shirts in the bottom rows of his dresser to encourage Jamie to start making decisions. Picking what to wear or which toy to take with him on trips was the biggest decision he had to make right now, but Bethany wanted to encourage this decision making on a daily basis. Some days, it took all of Bethany's effort to get him to focus on picking an outfit. The day before, Bethany had caved and picked something out for him.
But today was different. Once Bethany opened up the drawers, Jamie was eagerly trying to get out of her arms, and once he was, he seemed to be digging through the piles of clothes—he had a lot, but Bethany couldn't resist the urge to buy them with some of those cute little outfits—in search for something particular. Bethany could see Steve move closer out of the corner of her eye, his curiosity getting the best of him. They waited as he finally pulled out a onesie, holding it out to Bethany, his tongue poking out of his lips a little. "What is that?" Bethany asked, utilizing her baby mouth as she looked at the onesie.
Her breath escaped her as she looked at graphics on the blue fabric; a white star and red and white stripes. Looking up at Steve, she could see just how touched he was at the idea that his son wanted to be like him. "Come here, Jamie," Steve whispered, moving to sit on the floor and pulling Jamie close to him, kissing his mop of curls.
"Here," Bethany said with little emotion, handing Steve the onesie. She wanted to be happy. Obviously this was the cutest thing that Jamie had ever done, and was certifying that Steve was important to the baby. But it was only solidifying her fears. Steve dressed Jamie patiently, Jamie holding the Captain America plush as Steve snapped the buttons close.
"Okay, ready for breakfast?" Steve asked, holding his hand out for Bethany. She looked at it for a moment, his hands encased in his leather fingerless gloves. He was dressed in almost full Captain America garb and they were about to sit down at breakfast.
"I…" She began, fully prepared to say 'want this to be our life', but she refrained from it. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm starved," she finished with a smile.
They weren't particularly at a place or surrounded by people who loved children. However, it seemed all Bethany's old SHIELD friends or associates swarmed Jamie. Most of them would mention Jamie's outfit, to which Bethany would honestly tell them that he picked it out after seeing Steve wear it. Bethany hadn't even purchased the onesie. It had been a gift from the baby shower. Even Kiley fussed over Jamie for a few minutes and it was not a secret that Kiley was not fond of children.
Bethany had subtly been keeping an eye on Kiley the last few days and she knew Steve had been too. They both felt guilty for what had happened to her, but Bethany more so than Steve. She was the one who set Kiley up with Bucky, thinking that it would be good for him. She could explicitly remember telling Kiley that she wouldn't get hurt. Paying for her hospital bills, offering her a job where she basically made her own hours and work schedule and paying her way more than what she would earn was supposed to make Bethany feel less guilty. It wasn't working.
But all things considered, Kiley seemed to be doing good. Yes, there was something different, which Steve and her had discussed at length the night before. Bethany didn't want to call it an 'argument'. It was more like a heated discussion where they got a little frustrated with one another. Bethany was expecting Kiley to be less… herself. Steve was expecting her to be more. At the end of the day, they both realized that Kiley had to do what was best for her, and if this new personality was what was best for her right now, they couldn't really say otherwise.
But the discussion really began because Kiley had cut her hair. Her previous long, luxurious curls were now a sleek long bob. It really suited her and gave her the ultimate impression of a business woman, but it had been alarming. Her hair had been a huge part of her carefree personality. But Bethany recognized that this meant that Kiley was turning over a new leaf. It was amazing what a simple change in hair style could do to someone, she knew that first hand.
Thor was leaving soon. He had his goodbyes with everyone so far, he was just conducting some last minute business. Bethany knew she'd miss him. They didn't always get along, especially where Tony was concerned, but Thor had been an amazing friend to Steve, and she wouldn't be able to repay him. They were cut from the same cloth and Thor, despite being stronger and taller than Steve, respected him immensely. In fact, Bethany was sure that next to her, Thor respected Steve the most. And even then, some days he probably respected Steve more than she did. It really depended on what Steve did that day to irritate her.
She took a mental note that this could be the reason why she wanted Steve and Sharon to be friends. Sure, Sharon didn't have the bulging muscles, thick accent and a mystical hammer. But they both had beautiful blond locks, a charming smile and the deepest respect for Steve Rogers. But then again, Sam would be around a lot more now since he was part of the team, and Bethany realized that Sam would be willing to lay down his life for Steve, even if he didn't necessarily agree with what Steve was fighting for. And Rhodey had always treated Steve with respect. In fact, the entire team seemed not only willing, but eager to let Steve lead them. He wasn't the type of guy to fight for the leader position… he just took it. Because people let him. Even when he wasn't trying.
But in a way, that was very similar to her own situation. Bethany wasn't assuming the role as a head position of the Facility. She offered to help around, give advice and support Maria with all the shit she would undoubtedly have to deal with in the coming months. Bethany knew changing diapers all day would only drive her bat shit crazy and that she'd have to get out and exercise her brain a little. But ever since she solidified that she was willing to help, people had been coming to her left and right about the stupidest of things that Bethany certainly didn't need to give input on. They just naturally flocked to her as their head.
Through all her years at SHIELD, she never really wanted to be Director. Sure, she coveted the power and wanted to know all the dirty little secrets, but she didn't want to deal with everything the Director had to deal with. She was hoping to convince Nick to take his rightful place at the top of the Facility while he was visiting, but she wasn't sure what he would say. A year ago, it would have been a clear and obvious 'yes'. A lot had changed in that past year though. Anything could happen. Steve seemed to do a good job convincing him the night before, and Nick was even lending a very valuable hand with getting the rest of the Facility set up that day, but they wouldn't know until they had it in writing.
Bethany had made it her new mission to work twice a week and three days at the end of the month, emergencies not included. Other than that, she was off the clock and if she decided to roam the Facility, she wouldn't be working.
Tony had driven over to pick up one last box they had found in the storage unit that he wanted to play around with, and of course say goodbye to Thor and his life as an Avenger. Bethany knew that Tony retiring would be the same as her retiring. As soon as something big enough came along, they'd both put on the suit and save the world. But for the time being, Bethany was happy that Tony would just be enjoying his life. Maybe even finally propose to Pepper. She was going to harass him on that until he finally did.
As the group, Jamie's fingers wounded up in Bethany's hair, moved around the Facility, she realized just how much potential the next year had. The past one hadn't been perfect. It had been far from perfect. But it held some pretty amazing moments that she wouldn't trade for anything. This was a new adventure, a little of so many past experiences. All the good ones were present in the Facility. How could something like that go wrong?
"The rules have changed," Steve insisted as they walked down the ramp to the Facility.
"We're dealing with something new," Tony agreed.
"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence," Steve elaborated.
"A machine," Tony offered as Bethany rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe they were still talking about this. Okay, Tony? Yes. But Steve? In her book, he was worthy. He jiggled the freaking hammer, and while Thor still couldn't confirm what that meant, Steve was technically not worth right now to wield Mjolnir. But again… it was a hammer. And for some reason, the men were getting all bent up and out of shape about it.
"So it doesn't count," Steve continued, trying to build their argument.
"No," Tony agreed. "It's not, like, a person lifting the hammer."
"Right. Different rules for us."
"Nice guy, but artificial," Tony concluded with.
"Thank you," Steve stressed.
"I guess I should just be happy you two agree on something," Bethany voiced, trying to detangle her hair from Jamie's fingers.
"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone," Thor spoke up. Bethany had completely forgotten about the Mind Stone, but apparently it was a big deal. She wasn't too comfortable with the thing that gave Loki and Wanda their mind-invading powers being plastered on some guy's head, but she really couldn't do anything about it. "It's safe with the Vision. And these days, safe is in short supply."
Bethany didn't like the sound of that, but it was true. Their life was built upon that premise. It wasn't new information, just sorely unwanted.
"But if you put the hammer in an elevator…" Steve began slowly, earning another eye roll from his wife.
"It would still go up," Tony agreed.
"Elevator's not worthy," Steve summarized, completely missing the look Bethany was giving them, shaking her head in both amusement and disapproval.
"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours," Thor offered after being the only one to see Bethany's reactions.
"Not if you don't leave," Tony reminded him. Out of all the people asking Thor to stay, Bethany always assumed it would be Tony.
"I have no choice," Thor insisted. "The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. Once all these pieces are in position..."
"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony supplied as they stepped out onto the green grass of the exterior of the Facility.
"And you think you can find the answer before this puppet master steps out of his hiding spot?" Bethany asked, knowing that she couldn't focus on this entire Infinity Stone situation right now. It was bigger than her and if Thor was planning on taking care of it, she just needed to focus on making sure that Jamie's next word wasn't an inappropriate one.
"I do. Besides this one," Thor promised, laying a flat hand on Tony's chest for a moment. "There's nothing that can't be explained."
Thor stepped forward, giving them a firm nod and offering Jamie a kind smile before raising his hammer to the sky. They watched as a rainbow of colours danced down from the Heavens before Thor disappeared, a Celtic symbol being left in his place. Jamie had jolted back in surprise, obviously completely baffled at what just happened before he broke out into cries.
"Should have seen that coming," Bethany offered the two men, taking a few steps away so she could calm the baby down before saying goodbye to her nephew.
Understanding her actions, Steve and Tony began walking towards the road, Tony summoning his car after making a comment about Thor's regard for lawn maintenance. "I'm gonna miss him though. And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."
"I will miss you, Tony," Steve stressed sincerely. The two hadn't always seen eye-to-eye, but they had become great friends. Steve knew that he'd be seeing Tony again soon, since Jamie's birthday was only a few weeks away, but it was more than just not seeing Tony everyday. Working with him that at first had been a nuisance, had turned into a pleasure. They had found a dynamic that had worked. Most importantly, he was going to miss the fact that when Bethany couldn't sleep, Tony was only a few floors away, waiting for her with some blueprints and a wrench. Steve knew that he couldn't always help ease her mind, but knowing that Tony could… it meant the world to him.
"Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm. Hope nobody blows it up," Tony joked lightly.
"The simple life," Steve replied softly, not being able to picture Tony and Pepper living on a farm. They were both city people. They wouldn't be able to last very long.
"You know, she'll wait seventy more years for you to be ready," Tony began quietly, looking over to where Bethany was still trying to settle Jamie. "Don't take advantage of that. Not to mention, Jamie won't wait. Take it from someone who had an absent dad, it's not a happy life, no matter how good the mother is. And she's as good as it gets."
"I know," Steve promised. "I just… I can't step out yet. I'm not there. And truth be told, I don't think she is either. I think we need this."
"That I agree with. Gives her a little of both. Better than what we had before. She needed SHIELD. You took that from her," Tony granted, watching as Bethany finally started to make her way over.
"To be fair, that wasn't completely my fault," Steve defended himself with a hand raised slightly.
"I respectfully disagree," Bethany offered before smiling. "I'm not sure what we're talking about, but-"
"Oh, is that how it's gonna be now? Everything I say, you'll disagree?" Steve teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and bringing her close.
"Yes," Jamie offered, looking up to his dad softly.
"Took the word right out of my mouth," Bethany praised her baby before kissing Steve lightly and handing Jamie over to him. "Don't be a stranger, kid," Bethany insisted, pulling Tony into a tight hug.
"Oh, I'll be back soon enough. I'd be a bad Uncle if I missed Jamie's first birthday," Tony reminded them as they broke apart.
"Don't get into too much trouble Tony," Bethany whispered softly.
"Same goes for you three," Tony said, pointing a finger to the family before looking at Bethany seriously. "You gonna be okay here? You know I'm always just a quick drive away."
Bethany looked back at Steve and Jamie, slipping her hand into Steve's and nodding while a smile grew. "I wouldn't have agreed to this if I wasn't. It's not… ideal. Normal. But neither are we. I got everything I need. The world is safe for now. As long as my boys are happy…"
"I'm home," Steve told her softly. Around them, it sounded like they were right back at Fort Lehigh, the soldiers all fighting for that coveted position as the first candidate for Erskine's serum. But it wasn't just that military air around them, or a sense of purpose and fulfillment that Steve got from being there. "Wherever you are, I'm home. But this? What we've built here? This is where we belong. Not forever, but for now? We need this as much as it needs us."
"Okay, enough mush for me," Tony declared, reaching out to take Jamie's hand and give it a little fist bump before getting in his car and leaving. They watched until the orange car disappeared before Bethany looked to Steve with a huge smile on her face. "So, I have a plan," she began excitedly.
"A plan, huh?" Steve teased, the two beginning a soft pace back to the Facility.
"It's a good plan, I promise. I put a lot of thought into it and we both come out winners. Trust me, you'll approve."
"Okay, let's hear it then," Steve encouraged.
"One year," she replied, Steve repeating the word out of confusion. "One year, we enjoy this. What we have. I won't complain about you working too much, you won't complain about me working too much. The only one who complains is Jamie. And we listen to him. No one else's voice is louder than his."
"And then after the year is up?" Steve questioned.
Bethany stopped walking, Steve following suit. "Steve, I'm painfully aware that I won't get normal. I can hope and dream and plot, but I won't. And I'm coming to terms with that. But I don't think we should compromise our dream just because it won't be perfect."
"I'm not following," Steve admitted.
Looking around for a moment, she let out a deep sigh. "I want more kids. I want a daughter. I want another boy. I want a family. A big one. All I have is Tony, and you don't have any blood family left. We need lots of family around us. When we were in SHIELD, we had very little qualms about all of that. But after it fell, that's when we started to have our doubts. This? What we've created now? It's the best of SHIELD and the Avengers. So why isn't it possible for this to happen?"
"Kids?" Steve repeated, keeping his face neutral to see where she was going with her plan.
"One year. We talk about it one year from now," Bethany offered, hope laced in her tone. "That'll be long enough for us to determine if it's a good idea. And in one year from now, we'll have spent enough time with this team of ours to know where it stands."
"And if everything is good?" Steve asked carefully.
"Then you knock me up, in the most delightful of ways, and you take one step back from this," Bethany requested and when Steve reacted to her words, she continued to press on. "Just one. That's not hard is it? Just… let go of control a little? Think about handing the reins over to someone else? Just sit back on some assignments? Spend more time with us, Steve. I want kids, but I can't do this all alone."
"And then after that?" Steve inquired.
"You're not against it?" Bethany asked, surprise written all over her face.
"What you're asking… It's reasonable," he replied.
"I know, I told you it was a good plan," Bethany chuckled. "I've been thinking about this a lot lately."
"What happens in two years from now?"
She smiled, loving that he was thinking that far in advance. "Ideally, we have a baby. And by then, you've taken two steps back. Slowly walk away. Going cold turkey isn't going to benefit anyone. And then, one day, you'll be free of this, and you'll be happy."
Steve looked down suddenly, remorse written on his face. "What if Ultron was right?" "Well, he was," Bethany reasoned. "You keep fighting because that's who you are. You were trained to fight a war. I helped make you that way. I'm not blind to that. But people change. A few years ago, I was in your shoes and you in mine. You wanted kids and I wanted to fight."
"I thought having kids…"
"Honestly Steve, if you were hoping Jamie would fill that void? The one you tried to fill when you were working for SHIELD? That's not right, but not uncommon. People have kids for that reason. To fill the missing piece of the puzzle. I'm not mad. Jamie is a gift I get to enjoy every single day."
"But the void isn't…" Steve began slowly.
"No. It's not filled completely," Bethany agreed. "I know. You think I don't? I miss it too. For a long time, it was my entire life. Walking away for Jamie? It wasn't easy. I'll always have one foot in, and there's nothing wrong with that. As long as you have one foot out…"
"But when do we cut our losses?"
"The way I see it, as long as we're together, with our kids? That's not losing. One step at a time. And as Jamie grows and we have more kids, stepping away…"
"Will be easier?" He supplied.
"Maybe," She said with a shrug, a look of desperation on her face. She really wanted this. She was willing to wait a year before bringing up the topic of pregnancy again because she knew that it would allow Steve to settle into his new life. She was making this plan on the premise that this life they were building was for the long run and things wouldn't change once again the next spring, since that had been a kind of ritual by now.
"How do you do it?" Steve asked suddenly. "You make stepping away look so easy. I know what this job meant to you. It was your life, your identity."
"I know that one of us needs to be there for him," Bethany explained, looking at Jamie while she spoke. "And you're not ready to be that one yet. And it would've been nice to know that before Munchkin came into our lives, but I don't hold a grudge. You gave me the best gift anyone ever could. I love Jamie. He has completely changed my entire life and who I am. I mean, I didn't think that I would be the one trying to convince you to have more kids, but he's completely changed everything in my life. It's okay that it's not the same for you. I know you love him. And I think he knows that too, babe."
"You were right though," Steve whispered, reaching out to tuck a curl behind Bethany's ear. "Back during the war. When you weren't ready and you… You knew."
"I've never doubted that you'd be a good father," Bethany was quick to assure. "Steve, if I was assured that you would have been there, and that I could still continue with my work-"
"It would've ended different?" Steve asked, but unable to actually wrap his head around the situation.
"It would have ended with a baby without a father. And without a mother," Bethany replied. "Steve, you would have made the same decisions. Even if we got married and I had already given birth, I know you would have."
"Without a mother?" Steve repeated curiously.
Bethany looked down for a moment while she built up her courage. "I was a different person then. I can't make promises about something I may or may not have done. I don't know what would have happened. I would have had that baby right around the same time you crashed that plane though. I wouldn't have been in the right frame of mind to even think about taking care of a baby."
"What do you want? In the long run," Steve asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear her words.
"You," Bethany said simply with a shrug. "A life with you. And if this is how we get it, then this is how we get it. Like I said, it's not normal or ideal, but… it's our life, and I love it. I can't ask for more than the people I love being healthy and happy and safe."
"I thought you'd leave," he said suddenly, thinking back to everything that happened after Wanda had her fun with their minds. "I thought you'd take a look at our life and where it was going and just pick up and leave."
"Steve," she began after a long sigh. "I thought my biggest fear was reverting back to my old self. Seeing myself killing everyone I love. But instead, I saw that my biggest fear it's living forever while watching everyone else on this planet disappear. Jamie being in my vision… Wanda told me that it was a truth I've known for a long time, and no amount of brain play would have taken that truth away from me. Because her visions were meant to show us the truth of our fears. And he told me that you left. And you will. And you'll come back. Until the day you don't. But why would I spend that time without you? Why waste what time I have with you?"
"So, I can take comfort in you not leaving because I'll die?" Steve teased her lightly.
"Steve, I'd rather be mad at you and be with you than not at all. Oh, and… I love you. That's, you know, a huge selling factor," Bethany replied with a smile.
Pulling his family in for a tight hug, he just soaked in the moment. The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze to keep the heat from affecting anyone. He could hear the sounds of people training outside and soft babbles from Jamie. "Okay," he finally said, Bethany looking up to him. "Your plan. It's good. It's well thought out, and I've already told you. I want more kids. It's just not the time. But what you have all worked out? A year."
Steve didn't think he had ever seen Bethany so happy before.
**A/N: Yay, finally at the end of the Age of Ultron plot. I'm currently working on the Ant-Man incorporation and obviously getting geared up for Civil War. All the new clips I've seen has inspired lots of ideas :) I'm seeing the movie May 5th, so I still have some time to go before then.
anonymouscsifan: Something Chris Evans said in an interview about Bucky choosing his old family (aka Bucky) over his new family got me really thinking about the plot in a new way. It'll be good though, I promise. No matter what I choose, I feel like it'll continually keep people on edge.
Jo: I had FULL intentions on finishing that smut (which I assume is what you're talking about with the teasing) but weeks went by and I wasn't feeling it. It was either I just ended it or it wouldn't be published until a few weeks from now :P
Kat: A big enough number that Bethany (nor I) know for sure. But she can count on one hand how many men have made the experience something special, and that's really all that matters to her :)
