"Hey," Bucky greeted cheerfully as he strode into the kitchen. Natasha looked up from where she was eating waffles with Denver, studying Bucky for a moment before turning her attention back to the child. Tony was there too, pouring coffee into a to-go cup, meaning maybe he was about to leave. The less Avengers who were around, the better chance Bucky had of sneaking Denny up to Steve. "What's everyone's plan for the day?"

"Pep and I have a meeting. Banner is still looking over Steve's blood samples and Romanoff is on babysitting duty with Sam." Tony explained dully, but he raised his brow questioningly when he saw how skittish Barnes looked, "What about you?"

"I was gonna see if I could hang out with Denny." He said slowly, fiddling his hands behind his back, "I thought maybe we could do something nice for her aunt. Dallas seems to be having a hard time."

"Becoming an assassin really messed her up." Natasha murmured as Denver shoved a strawberry into her mouth, "We talked briefly yesterday morning. She's never even held a gun before, and she's been on the opposite end of one too many times. It really freaked her out."

"How's Cap? Did he eat?" Tony interrupted, "Any change we should be aware of?"

He's showing signs of regaining his personality?

If Bucky told them that Steve was making progress though, they'd haul him back down to the lab to run more tests. Steve wanted to see his daughter, and Bucky wasn't sure if he was himself enough to let them work with him before he got his way, "No. Not really. He ate it up, but I got outa dodge before I could study him further."

Tony nodded, letting out a loud sigh before setting his coffee down and picking up one of his Stark phones, "Miss Potts is waiting. I gotta go, keep me posted if anything of interest happens!"

After Tony left, Natasha stood and strode over to Barnes, getting close and whispering, "What actually happened?"

Bucky didn't say anything, instead just stared at her until she asked again, "Tell me the truth. I watched the feed. You didn't get out of dodge, you stayed, and he was gentle with you. What did you find out?"

"He's aware of himself. He knew exactly who I was. He wants Denver." Bucky leaned around Natasha to see the little blonde playing with her plastic utensils as if they were people. Natasha shot Bucky a warning glare, but he gestured to Denver, "He's not gonna hurt her. He didn't before and he definitely won't now. We can go together, and if he starts acting funny, we can intervene."

"And what about when Dallas finds out?"

"She won't have to. She's busy. This tower is full of superheroes, we should be able to watch a toddler."

Natasha considered this, then looked over to Denver with pursed lips, "Hey Denny," the child looked up, "you wanna go see Daddy?"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Denver shrieked and slid off her chair to run over to Natasha, raising her arms to be picked up, "I want Daddy!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have brought up seeing her father, considering she isn't going to recognize him."

Natasha turned to Bucky in horror, realizing her error. She turned to Denver, who was bouncing excitedly at the prospect of seeing Steve, "What do we do?"

"We have two options." Bucky said slowly, "We can lie, or we can tell her the truth."

Natasha scoffed at the idea, "You've got to be kidding…"

"She's smart. She can handle it. It'll make things easier if she understands why her Dad is gone." Bucky said slowly as Denver looked to him with a fat lower lip, "Denny, we need to talk to you."

"Daddy first."

"No, talk first, then Daddy." Bucky said. Natasha looked impressed, setting the girl down as Bucky settled onto the ground, crossing his legs and holding out his hand for Denver to take, "Denny, you know in your storybooks sometimes the prince or the princess gets turned into something they're not?"

"Like Princess and the Fog?"

"Yeah, like Princess and the Frog!" Bucky said, looking up to Natasha for encouragement and she gestured for him to continue. "So, this bad lady cast a spell on Daddy. He doesn't look like Daddy anymore, but he still loves you very much, okay?"

"Is he a fog?" Denver asked, alarm written clear across her face as she twisted her small hands together. "I don't like fogs."

Natasha giggled and scooped her up, "No, he's not a frog. He's like a big, fluffy dog."

"Like a puppy?" Denver gasped excitedly, looking to Bucky, "Daddy is a puppy?"

"Yes, Daddy is a big puppy." Bucky said, catching Natasha's nod of approval before gesturing to the elevator, "You wanna see?"

"Yes! Yes! Puppy!" Denver sprinted into the elevator, jumping up and down excitedly at the chance of seeing a puppy. Whether she actually understood the puppy would be her dad was yet to be seen, but either way, she was happy.

When the doors slid open, Steve raised his head to see if Bucky had succeeded in getting his daughter. When Denny saw him, she gasped and started squealing at a pitch that made Steve's ears hurt.

"Puppy!" She shrieked as she dove at him, grabbing him around the neck and squeezing, "I love him so much!"

Natasha ran forward, but Bucky just sauntered in, locking down the apartment and falling to his knees, "Denny, do you know who this is?"

She paused, looking at the wolf for a second before she murmured, "Daddy?"

"Yeah, this is Daddy." Natasha confirmed, earning a look from the wolf, "You need to be careful with him though. You can't pull on him and squeeze him, okay?"

"But Daddy always let me roof house." She pouted as she clenched his neck a little tighter.

Bucky stroked Steve's back, and he eased up instinctively, leaning against Denver until she fell over onto her back, "Daddy you're squishin me!" She laughed as he laid his neck over her body and stretched out his legs.

"I still can't believe this is happening." Natasha murmured and Bucky looked up at her with a gentle smile. "I can't believe that's Steve."

"I can." Bucky answered gently, smoothing down the thick grey fur as Denver wiggled out from under him and grabbed a handful of fur at his neck and pulled harshly, "Sweetie, be gentle."

"He might bite." Natasha warned as she sat on the other side of Bucky, clearly not comfortable enough to get close to Steve. "Denny, are you listening?"

Denver just sat on Steve's shoulder, bobbing up and down like she was riding a pony as he laid on his side, not moving a muscle. Finally, he shifted onto his stomach and Denver clung to his neck as he carefully stood, taking her with him.

Natasha clenched Bucky's left arm, but if she was bothered by the metal, she didn't say anything, "Is she okay?"

"She's like, three feet off the ground. She's fine." Bucky said as Steve walked slowly, giving his daughter a ride as she continued to pull on the nape of his neck.

"Woo! Lookie! I'm a cowboy!"

Nat pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of photos before setting it down beside her, sighing as she slumped against the bedframe, "This was a good idea."

Bucky just nodded, watching Steve and Denver like a hawk. He trusted Steve with his daughter, but if some deep-seeded instincts took over, Bucky was not above pummeling the animal into the ground if he hurt Denny.

"Agent Romanoff, Sergeant Barnes," JARVIS addressed them from above, "Miss Wells is looking for her niece."

They shared a nervous look, but Steve growled deeply, warning them that he wasn't about to have his daughter taken away from him. Bucky rolled his eyes, "That's not going to fly with Dallas and you know it."

"Shhh, it's okay Daddy. Shhh." Denver petted his side soothingly as she shushed him, laying down across his back, "Seep time."

"Sleep time might work." Natasha suggested, scrambling to her feet, "You have her down for a nap because I had to get some work done."

"She'll want to see her."

"I'll distract her." Natasha assured him, looking down at Steve, "You sure she's okay up here?"

Bucky scratched Steve under the chin, fully leaning into having his best friend as a pet, "He's fine. He won't bite. You should pet him."

"I'd rather not."

"Why?" Bucky challenged, causing Natasha to stop in her tracks. When she turned back to him, he just gestured to Steve, who was looking up at Natasha, "You think he's gonna hurt you?"

She swallowed down her fear and strode forward, dropping her hand to Steve's head to give him a quick pat. Bucky snorted, "Come on, Romanoff. Don't be chicken. It's Captain America."

Natasha eyed Steve for a minute, hearing a low whimper come from his throat, as if he were begging her to trust him. "I have to go deal with Dallas…" Another whimper and Steve nuzzled his face against Nat's muscular thigh. She smiled and bent down, rubbing his snout for a moment before moving to his neck, giving long, hard scratches through his fur, "We miss you, Rogers." She muttered before standing and leaving quickly to go distract Dallas.

Steve lowered his head, causing Denver to tumble to the ground and he licked her face, making her giggle and swat at him until he collapsed onto his stomach beside her and lowered his head to give the child easy access while he rested.

It took about twenty minutes for JARVIS to address them again, "Sergeant Barnes, Miss Wells has discovered you and the child are not in your room. Agent Romanoff requested that I inform you of her impending arrival."

"Here goes nothing." Bucky said with a smirk, knowing there was no use stopping Dallas. "I don't suppose you can lock down the apartment?"

"Only Captain Rogers has the ability to do that. Seeing as he's indisposed at the moment, I am unable to perform your request."

Bucky stood and walked to the elevator, so he was there when the doors slid open. When they did, Dallas didn't make it very far because she turned to Bucky and snapped, "What the hell are you thinking?"

Instead of answering, he just gestured to Steve and Denver, showing them both sleeping on the floor with the girl cuddled against Steve's side. Dallas watched them for a moment, then glared at Bucky, "I don't like this."

He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Bucky could see how exhausted Dallas was. Her hair was greasy and flat, and she had dark bags under her eyes. She'd been gone for almost forty hours and needed to sleep. She didn't want to worry about her niece, she needed to rest.

"You got three options." Bucky muttered gruffly, "You can go down to your room and rest, and I'll stay here with them. Or, if you'd prefer, you can sleep here, and I'll watch them while you rest."

"And the third option is I take Denver somewhere safe."

"No, the third option is, if you're uncomfortable with me hanging around, I'll leave you alone with them. There is no option where you take her away from him." Bucky warned, nodding towards Steve for Dallas to look. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Steve looking up at her. He bared his teeth but didn't growl, not wanting to disturb Denver's slumber.

Dallas glared at Bucky, "I'm not leaving her."

"Then the question is whether or not you want me to stay or go." He challenged. He couldn't help how his stomach clenched when she scowled back at him defiantly, because he secretly hoped she'd ask him to stay.

"You can go. If he's as safe as you think he is, then there's nothing to worry about." Dallas finally answered, much to Bucky's dismay. She looked back at Steve, finding his eyes closed again, "He seems tired."

"While he was still out, Banner ran a few more tests. His body is trying to right itself. He thinks it'll be painful and exhausting. Magic forced the change, but the serum is trying to correct it."

"He was okay with you here?"

"He's aware of himself. He knows who he is, and who we are." Bucky explained. "You should get some rest. Steve won't bother you, and he'll let you know if Denny needs something."

Dallas took a few steps towards Steve and Denver, then carefully climbed over then to sit on the bed. She crossed her legs and sighed, looking back at Bucky, "I'll be okay."

"Get some sleep." He ordered before leaving, and once he was gone, Dallas considered it.

Dallas curled up on Steve's bed and laid on the edge, looking down at Steve and Denver sleeping. She would have much preferred to be here under different pretenses, but Steve's bed was more comfortable than her own, and she was tired… too tired to think about anything…

Denver's naptime came and went too quickly for Steve, and before he knew it, she was up and wanting to play again. She grabbed his face and lifted it up to stare at, shifting it side to side before patting him on the head, "Good Daddy."

He licked her cheek and she giggled before scrambling to her feet and running away. He stood and stretched his back, feeling a dull ache in his bones. Steve didn't know how he'd ever get back to normal, but Bucky told him it would take time. As long as he had his family, and his little girl was okay, Steve could be patient.

Until the Avengers needed him. If something happened, he'd be sidelined… but he was Captain America. He couldn't just sit back and let bad things happen. They could take him. He was big and powerful and could do some damage with his mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. Steve could be helpful, but how would he ever get them to understand…

"Daddy! Daddy play with me!" Denver yelled from across the room and Steve quickly stood and trotted after her as she scurried away, wanting to play chase with him. He could catch her, but she was having more fun believing he couldn't. "Daddy, you're too slow!" She whined and slowed down, allowing him to catch up and grab the back of her jeans and pick her up.

She screamed angrily, "Put me down!"

"Put. Her. Down."

Steve quickly lowered Denver to the ground and put his tail between his legs, feeling terrible for upsetting Denver and scaring Dallas. He could see the woman's face held more panic than anger, but she was shaking as she stood at the base of his bed in her scrubs. He'd seen her earlier, but he saw her clearer now after their short nap.

After a moment though, her expression softened and she fell to her knees and held her hand out to him, "Steve?" She gasped, and he blew air out his mouth in a kind of snort. Did she not believe he was Steve before? What had changed? Despite not understanding, Steve came to her and pressed his nose to her hand. She shifted it to hold his mouth, looking down at him, "Your eyes weren't blue before." She murmured, and Steve realized that's why everything was clearer.

"Aunt Dallas! Can we brush Daddy's hair?" Denver asked as she appeared from the bathroom with Steve's fine-tooth comb.

Dallas laughed and carefully stroked Steve's head, "Do you mind if your daughter brushes you like a dog?"

Not giving a damn what his child did, as long as she was there, Steve laid down on his stomach again, resting his snout over Dallas's leg as Denver sat on his back and began to rip the comb through his thick fur, causing him to wince in pain. The things he was willing to do for his child.

The next several days went by similarly. Denver didn't leave Steve's side, and Dallas refused to leave her niece. Steve started carrying his daughter to his bed to leave her with Dallas, knowing she couldn't sleep on the floor with him every night. As the days went on though, Steve's bones began to ache more and more, and he snuck up onto the bed with the girls after they'd fallen asleep.

Brooklyn would be rolling in her grave if she knew he was sleeping beside her little sister, but Steve was hurting. He needed a comfortable bed, and Dallas was doing what Brooklyn had asked of her: protecting Denver at any cost.

Little by little, Steve began to feel a little more human. His fur was thinning, his arms and legs were growing thicker. He was almost at the point of asking Dallas and Denver to leave, because he didn't enjoy watching himself slowly morph back into a human, but his daughter was having too much fun with him sitting at home all day with her.

He'd joined the Avengers on a few clean up jobs from April to October, but he refused to join them for anything longer than a day or two. It was a balancing act. Steve needed to be there for Denver, but he was restless, and there was work to do. Hydra was still thriving, and Loki's scepter had come up missing. Once he was back to normal, they would need to hit the ground running.

But first, Steve needed more sleep. The more he slept, the less it hurt; at least that's what he told himself. He'd often wake up the moment Denver or Dallas began to stir, but that day, he didn't.

He was woken up by a finger to the face. Steve blinked rapidly, seeing Denver hovering over him, poking him on the nose, "You look funny."

"I look funny?" Steve yawned as he stretched out his back and legs. It took him a moment to register that he'd responded to his daughter. "Denver?" He croaked out, feeling how dry and hoarse his throat was, "I can talk."

"Daddy!" Denver cried back and dropped herself against Steve's side so her head was by his back and her legs were kicking his chest, "Aunt Dallas! Wake up! Daddy looks funny!"

Dallas groaned at the child's yelling, opening her eyes slowly before shrieking and falling off the bed.

Steve quickly turned over, causing Denver to tumble face first into the mattress. Steve realized his arms felt weird, and looked down to find he had hands, "Am I… Am I back?"

"Nope, not totally, but a little bit." Dallas grumbled as she quickly righted herself and looked down at the half-man in her bed… his bed… that she'd been sleeping in with him. She tentatively reached out and ran her hand over his back, finding his grey fur had finally turned peachy blonde, almost back to the color of his skin. His shoulders had grown broad again, and his waist was almost as small as it had once been, but he still had a thick tail shaking back and forth, "I wouldn't get too excited. I also wouldn't let Tony visit you today."

"Why?" Steve asked worriedly, and Dallas shook her head rapidly, realizing he was talking to her. She grabbed his snout, now the same color as the blonde fur that covered the rest of him. Even his nose had changed to cream instead of black, but his face was still very clearly wolf despite how the rest of him had changed. He swallowed, trying to ease his raspy voice back into existence, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You're fine. You just look funny. Like Denny said." Dallas said with a smile, stroking Steve's small cheeks with her thumbs as she studied him, "Are you okay? Are you sore?"

"Terribly." He admitted, laying back down on his stomach. Despite how much he'd changed, this still felt most comfortable, "Do I even want to look in the mirror?"

"Probably not." Dallas admitted with a knowing smile as she ran her fingers over his head. The only place his fur had stayed thick was his head, and she realized it was his hair coming back. "Everyone's gonna be really happy you can talk. Then you can tell us what's going on."

"I don't want to see anybody." He grunted, laying his long snout on the pillow and sweeping his tail over the soft sheets, "It's embarrassing."

Denver, who had been sitting patiently on the bed while her dad and aunt talked, began to scratch his back excitedly, "Do you still like scratchies, Daddy?"

Steve looked at his daughter with an expression that looked an awful lot like a smile on his canine face, "I do! I love them!"

"Let me scratch your tummy!" She demanded, and Steve rolled over onto his back so she could scratch his stomach.

Dallas watched with a smile as Steve obliged his daughter's request, scratching fiercely and causing Steve to stretch out his legs happily. It was the movement that caused Dallas's gaze to drift downward and she yelped, "Okay! That's enough scratchies for today!" She quickly stood and picked Denver up from beneath the armpits and set her on the ground, "Why don't you go get Uncle Bucky! He's gonna wanna see Daddy now that Daddy can talk again!"

"And take pictures because Daddy looks funny?"

"Yup. Probably. Skedaddle Kid, there's not a moment to lose!" Dallas ushered the girl to the elevator and requested that JARVIS take her to Barnes. When the doors closed, she whipped around to see Steve lying on his elbow with a baffled expression on his face. She swallowed and looked at the ceiling, "Don't give me that face, and for the love of God, put the sheet over yourself."

Steve looked down and realized what had caused so much alarm. He quickly pulled the sheet over his lower half, turning deep red beneath what little blonde fur remained, "I'm so sorry."

"Good to know you're getting back to normal." Dallas hummed as she finally looked down at Steve with a dopey grin that she tried really hard to hide, "I'm- you, uh, yeah. I'll give you some space. That way, you can deal with that… if you need to." She blinked as he stared up at her with a horrified expression that matched how she felt at suggested he jerk himself off, "I'm gonna stop talking and leave."

Dallas quickly ran to the elevator, pounding the touch pad relentlessly in an attempt to make it come faster. When the doors opened, Bucky was in them and she practically thrust her body against him and closed the door.

Bucky cocked his head to the side and smirked, "Denny said Steve's talking. And that he looks funny."

"Yeah, he's… he's making great progress getting back to himself." She stammered as the elevator dropped, "He wants a little privacy."

"Denny said I should come see him?"

"Yeah, maybe not. He's… dealing with some shit." She settled on, smiling up at Bucky with the least childish smile she could muster. "Maybe give him an hour or so to settle in."

Bucky snorted, "Okay. Whatever. It's almost eleven, you want brunch? I can whip something up for you and Denny and then take leftovers up to Steve."

"Yeah." Dallas sighed, "That sounds good. Could you watch Denver while I change? I've been wearing the same thing since I got home from work yesterday morning. I'd like to get cleaned up before I head in at five."

"Whatever you need. I got Denny." Bucky said as he hopped off the elevator at the common level. He gave her a short wave before turning and catching Denver as she ran into his arms, "How about some pancakes, Princess?"

The doors slid closed and Dallas leaned against the wall and let out the breath she didn't realized she'd been holding. She looked up as the elevator rose to her floor, "Brooklyn, please forgive me and don't smite me from above, but I must ride that-"

"Is there something I can help you with Miss Wells?"

She looked up in horror at the disembodied voice of JARVIS, feeling her cheeks burn from embarrassment, "No, JARVIS, I'm fine. Thank you."

Dallas had never been so thankful to get away from the damn AI and lock herself in her room until she died of humiliation.