Thank you so much to the recent reviews and follows! Enjoy! I have seen all the movies...and we'll deal with the ending when we get there...or not at all lol

Chapter 32

CAP'S POV

He should have been paying closer attention. She had been uncomfortable earlier, but as usual, Kayden had ignored it. Steve shouldn't have, he knew that. Just as he got to the labs, the woman in his arms convulsed and spit blood all over the front of her shirt. His heart just about stopped. No, not her. Not after everything that had gone on.

"Help!" he cried, running into the labs.

The doctors swarmed him immediately, and she was taken out of his arms and onto a bed. He had no idea if she was going to transform or not, even though she was unconscious, and that worried him. He had never seen it before, but her body had never been in such danger. Just as he went to follow them, he was stopped.

Steve was forced to wait out in the hall, where he knew she had waited several times before. He had landed himself in the hospital more than once during their time together. So this was how it felt, however, his life had never been in danger. He had no idea if Kayden was going to be okay.

As the hour went on, the others came to join him. Clint was the first to arrive, and he saw the worry in his eyes. Steve didn't know what look he had on his face, but it had Clint lying his hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be fine," he rumbled.

"Is it that easy to see?" Steve asked.

"A little," Clint replied, and he sighed.

"And here I thought I was good at hiding everything," Steve muttered, and Clint gave him a smile.

"Maybe I just know you that well," his friend replied. "There is nothing wrong with the way you feel."

"Thanks, Clint," Steve murmured, looking at him for a moment.

Wanda and Sam joined them just a few moments later, and Scott as well. Even though Scott didn't know Kayden, he wasn't about to leave them. It gave Steve one more reason to like the man.

They were out in the hallway for at least four more hours before someone walked out. Steve had leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and zoning out. The moment the door opened, he jerked himself out of his thoughts. The small woman who walked toward him, gave him a gentle smile.

"The poison in her body has been flushed out," she said slowly. "Her...true body had an easier time handling it. Being as large, and being what she is in that form...it was battling the poison easily. I believe that is why she didn't react to it right away. But, she should be fine."

"Can I see her?" Steve asked, his shoulders wanting to drop.

"You can. She is very weak right now. When I left, she was not awake. But she is stable, and should recover," the doctor replied.

Without waiting for anything else, Steve was moving into where she directed him. When he arrived in Kayden's room, seeing her in a hospital bed disturbed him. She was gifted with healing abilities that never allowed her to land in a hospital bed. He stood in the doorway, watching her sleep. Her skin had lost some of its color so quickly, and it made him tense.

Quietly walking into the room, he pulled up a chair and sat next to her. Reaching forward, he laid his fingers over hers, and kept himself under control. He wasn't sure when she was going to wake up, and all he could do was wait.

After two more hours, he was ready to lose his mind. He could only imagine what it had been like for her after Washington. They had not been together then, but he remembered seeing the look on her face when she had seen him. She had only been with living with him for a year, but the danger she had put herself in, just to help make sure he was safe had surprised him. All the times she had been able to get to them, to help, she had not had to do. But she had done it anyway. He lost count of how much she had saved his butt.

It reminded him of something Peggy had said. She had been having a good day, and when she had asked, he had spilled everything. Determined to know that she knew, but it had not changed how he had felt for her. The woman had laughed at him, and told him she was glad he was able to finally start over.

"Don't be afraid to fall in love again, just because of what happened to us," she had said. "She sounds special. Make sure she knows that. You deserve happiness too, you know."

Her encouragement had helped him take take that leap. It had been before he had taken Kayden on their first date. Now, he was sitting here going through every single memory. Even though the doctor said Kayden would be fine, he was over thinking. It was bringing up memories, and emotions that he had locked away.

Sokovia flooded his mind, how they had almost lost Clint, and then her. It had been the closest he had ever seen her to death, but she had assured him that she'd be fine. Now, here they were again, but this time it was something that could have killed her, and there might not have been anything they could have done. Bullets, she had been shot dozens of times. Just like him, she had always healed. Kayden was invincible, or at least it was a way he viewed her. She probably viewed him the same way.

Letting out a soft breath, he barely registered the others when they peeked in for a little while. He ignored them all, even though he knew that was wrong. None of them said anything though. Wanda had laid her hand on his shoulder, before they were left again. How long had he been sitting here for? Glancing at the clock, he had seen that the day was past and they were well into the night.

Flashback

She had caught him totally off guard. He had still been reeling from coming out of the ice, and getting used to things, and then she showed up. A year had passed since the attack on New York and as he ran, Steve found himself thinking of that day again. Kayden had shown up in her true form, a monster turned savior. Grasping what she was had been easy, and after what had happened, he felt duty bound to keep her safe. She had lost everything coming to their aid that day.

To complete it all, SHIELD was compromised, and the Winter Soldier was his friend Bucky. His dear friend, who had been brainwashed and made into something he wasn't. From New York to what they had done with the hellicarriers, all the memories flashed in his head as he ran. During the whole thing, Kayden had stuck by his side and shown him the kind of loyalty that he didn't think existed anymore. He hated to admit it, but part of him relied on her for it.

When he had woken in the hospital, and Sam had told him what had happened, he had felt worry for a woman he didn't think he'd ever have to worry about. She had been injured so bad that Sam had found her in human form not far from them. They couldn't take her to the hospital, so Natasha had taken them to their apartment. Their initial thought was that she had died. A piece of steel had pierced her scales, but she had managed to yank it out before losing consciousness.

He was refusing to admit that this woman was becoming something more than just a loyal friend. From the moment he had laid eyes on her, Steve had thought she was beautiful. It was a good thing he was good at hiding his emotions.

Finishing up his evening run, Steve immediately went up to shower. Kayden greeted him in her usual manner, giving him her attention for a brief moment, before going back to what she was doing. When he walked out, dressed and clean, she was rising to her feet.

"Leaving?" he asked, surprised.

"Flying," she replied, and he blinked.

"What is it like?" he found himself asking.

Kayden smiled at him, and if he wasn't the soldier he was, he would have turned into a teenager. She gestured for him to follow her.

"Grab something warm," she advised.

He pulled on his sweater, and his jacket and they walked out of the apartment. She took him to where she knew it was safe, and he watched her human form disappear. In its place was a two hundred foot fire breathing beast. Kayden's dragon form had always been amazing. When she laid to the ground, she gestured to her back, right at the base of her neck, by her shoulders.

"Really?" he asked.

"Come fly with me, Cap," she rumbled, baring her teeth in a smile.

He easily jumped onto her back, and settled in comfortably. She spread her wings and lifted into the air, and he discovered just why she loved to fly.

A new memory, as quick as the other took its place, as he got lost in thought over all that had happened.

He had watched in absolute horror as Kayden had taken the bullets meant for them. She had not been her true size, having controlled it since the battle had started. They had almost everyone on the life boats, except for one kid. Clint had gone to rescue the boy, while they had all kept watch. She had sensed it about the same time he had, swinging her body around to see what that sound was.

Ultron had taken the Quinjet and had begun to fire on them. No human would be able to survive those. She had instantly lifted up and shot fire at the jet, but it was easily evaded. Bullets rained down on her back, tearing through her wings, making her scream. Steve had never heard a dragon scream before, and it was something he never wanted to hear again. Throwing his shield up as the jet moved on, he cried out her name. She had spun and thrown herself forward, protecting Thor and himself.

Her goal had been to reach Clint, but she wasn't fast enough. Pietro was however. He had managed to throw a car in front of them, giving his own life to protect them. Steve watched Kayden crash to the ground, her head smacking into something. Thor had left them, having felt the surge of power coming from the core. Putting his shield on his back, Steve ran forward, as Kayden struggled to her feet, gasping Clint's name.

Her eyes landed on Pietro, and he saw several emotions cross through her expression. He couldn't read them all, but he laid his hand on part of her muzzle that wasn't marked.

"Ah hell..." Clint whispered, coming over.

She rumbled, keeping her jaws tightly shut. Steve tensed as she turned away and spit blood out of her mouth as best she could. He had never seen so much blood on her.

"Get to the boat," she hissed, glancing at them.

"What about you!?" he demanded, and she gave a soft whine.

"I can't...I can't turn human," she replied hoarsely. "Go, I'll be fine."

"But.."

"GO!"

She had shoved him hard, putting him off balance a little. No one had done that to him before. He cursed loudly, something he never thought he'd do aloud. Turning, he grabbed Pietro and got them all onto the ship. His heart seized in his chest as he turned around and saw Kayden struggling. She couldn't even get up. Everything inside him screamed to go back and help her.

"Don't…don't you dare die on me," he whispered, and she tilted her head toward him.

One second they were staring at each other, and the next, he was leaping onto the lifeboat. The city dropped, and he yelled her name. She had gone with it, and before he knew it, there was a huge explosion. They had done it...but at what cost.

Making sure everyone was safe, he had taken Clint straight to the medics to get his wound treated. He felt numb, having no idea if Kayden had survived the explosion. Tony had shouted Thor's name over the line, and he had tensed. It took more than this to kill the god of thunder. He hurried onto the deck, meeting Nat as she slowly walked over.

"Bruce?" he asked.

"Took the Quinjet, I'm going to try and get him to come back," she murmured. "Where is Kayden? Clint?"

"Clint is seeing the medics. Kayden….I'm not sure," he murmured, aware that this voice shook.

"What..." Natasha's voice trailed off, and he saw several things cross her expression.

He was irritated with himself. He had let this little woman come into his life, and without his permission, he had begun to feel things he had not felt since Peggy. Tightening his jaw, he looked at Natasha for a moment, and her eyes shined with understanding. Something caught his attention, and he lifted his gaze to see Thor carrying Kayden, who was still in dragon form. Tony landed by Steve, and his shoulders dropped.

As Thor touched down, Steve found his feet moving. Thor was holding Kayden up, and the moment he stepped back, she had sank to the ground. She looked dead, but she wasn't. Her eyes opened, and found his. He hurried forward, and came along side her head. She had slightly tilted toward him.

"I'll be fine," she whispered.

"You gave me a scare," he whispered back, crouching beside her.

"Sorry..."

He could have snorted at her, because part of her wasn't really sorry. She had done what she had felt was right. He couldn't be angry at that.

"Are you all right?" he found himself asking, and it irritated her.

"If I hear that question..." she grumbled, making him smile.

"Can you turn human?"

"No," she snapped, and he leaned back.

She promptly closed her mouth, and Steve looked up at Thor. His shoulders sagged a little, glad that his friend was all right. Thor gave him a slight smile, nodding his head before they looked at Tony. His helmet came off, and they all shared a silent moment. Kayden had curled her head toward her chest, a soft wheezing coming from her. All of them exchanged looks, and they settled down with her.

It took her over an hour, drifting in and out of consciousness. Her body had a remarkable ability to heal, and he was able to slowly watched the wounds close. It worried him that she kept passing out, but then again it shouldn't surprise him. When her eyes finally opened, they were a little clearer than before. Steve immediately moved back as she shifted, and pushed her transformation.

Seeing her reach out made his heart squeeze in his chest. Tony had been the closest, so he had reached out to steady her. Thor shifted as well, and they all sighed in exhaustion.

"Can you walk?" he asked, and Kayden glanced at him.

"I'll make myself," she grunted.

They made their way slowly into where the others were, going to the large living quarters that had been made on the carrier. He had parted from her only after he knew she was all right. He was still irritated. He was caring more than he should, but then again was it really so bad? Grunting in irritation, he went to clean up a little, before coming out and wiping his face off.

Kayden was staring at the window, visibly shaking. She had checked on Clint before moving away from them all. It wasn't a violent shake, but it was enough to notice. Thor had noticed it too.

"Kayden," Thor rumbled, coming over to her.

She had instantly bristled when he had gestured to the couch. He knew she hated feeling weak, so he stepped forward to aid Thor.

"You're shaking," he pointed out, and she clenched her fists when she noticed.

Thor had managed to get her on the couch, and Steve sighed as the god sent her to sleep. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. It eased him not to see her in anymore pain. The rest would do her good, as it always did.

"Thank you," Steve murmured, as Thor came to stand next to him.

"Of course," Thor nodded. "It's the least I could do..."

They left her there, knowing she was fine. He was able to shower, and find something to eat all before they had to get on the jet and leave...again.

END