Time moved by quickly for the three as Stark worked on creating an upload for the body while Bruce made sure it was complete. Dallas ran through the numbers over and over, chewing her lip until she felt it bleed against her tongue. "It's just not adding up. We don't have enough power to jump start this thing."

"If we don't try it's all for nothing." Tony said as Banner warned him to prepare his schematic for upload.

A loud footstep hit the lab's tile and Denver's head snapped up and she cried out happily, "Daddy!"

"I'm only gonna say this once." Steve warned as Denver wrapped herself around his calf. The Maximoff twins stood on either side of him as Bucky lingered behind with a curious expression.

"How about nonce?" Tony snapped back, putting himself between Dallas and Steve, "You gotta trust us."

"Shut it down." Steve said firmly, looking from Tony to Dallas, "That's an order."

"I don't take orders from you." She sneered, smashing her index finger on the button to start the upload when Steve looked away in frustration.

"Dallas, are you out of your mind?" Steve asked, looking over his shoulder at Bucky, but the assassin just stayed out of it, not wanting to get in the middle of the fight between his best friend and girlfriend. "You guys don't know what you're doing."

"And you do? She's not in your head?" Bruce directed at the woman who looked down at Denver curiously, "You were pretty messed up leaving South Africa, I'm surprised you let her within spitting distance of your daughter."

She stepped around Steve to face Bruce, but he pointed at her, warning her to stay back as Steve shifted back and forth, eventually nudging Denver away, "How about you and Aunt Dallas take Cupcake for a walk-"

"It's three in the morning!" Dallas snapped and Steve placed his hands on his hips, "Then why don't you put Denver to bed? Isn't it a little late for her to be up?"

"I'm not your nanny and I'm not her mother." Dallas looked to Tony and Banner, "We need to do this. You need to trust me, Steve. You know I wouldn't do anything if I thought there was a chance it could hurt you or Denny."

Suddenly, a blue and white blur sped around the room, ripping out all the tubes and wires securing the body to the computers. Cupcake barked at him loudly as Dallas looked at the young man in shock when he stopped and gestured around, "You were saying?"

A bullet flew through the floor and shattered it, causing the man to fall as the woman who accompanied Steve lunged forward, but Banner grabbed her as Steve threw his shield at Stark. Dallas leaned away from the disk and slipped off her stool onto the floor, letting out a pained cry when she landed on her broken leg. Steve scooped up Denver and rolled out of the way as Stark blasted at him, shielding his daughter as Bucky strode into the firefight, raising his left arm to block a bullet from Clint meant to strike the woman Banner was currently holding by the neck.

Steve sat up as Denver cried into his chest, looking around as Stark raised his gauntlet at Steve and stared him down. Was stopping them worth hurting his daughter?

Before Steve could call a truce, Thor slid into the room and leapt onto the cradle, pulling lightning from the ceiling and bringing it down on the cradle as Steve held his hand over Denver's eyes to shield her from the light. When Thor was done, he panted over the cradle until the body burst through and shoved him backward, sending the God of Thunder flying into the ceiling as the android crouched above them.

Dallas looked over to Steve, making sure he had Denver as the little girl whimpered against him, genuinely terrified after all the gunfire and glass shattering. Bucky held his arm out in front of Dallas to protect her as Tony looked to Bruce nervously. Finally, the android lunged towards Thor and the god grabbed it and thrust it through the glass window, sending it hurtling towards the outer wall of the party deck where it came to a sudden stop in midair.

"Denny." Steve panted into his daughter's hair, looking up at Stark as Thor and Bucky moved to see what had happened with the body. Tony sent his suit pieces away and shook his head at Steve, looking down in shock as he helped Dallas to her feet. Denver clung to Steve's suit, digging her little fingers into the material as he held one hand under her bum and the other against the back of her head, "Shhh, I'm here."

"I'm so sorry. I panicked." Tony apologized as he looked over at Steve, "I wasn't thinking, forgive me."

Steve looked up at Stark with watery eyes, nodding a little as he breathed out, "I'm sorry, too." He looked out the shattered glass to see the android approaching Thor, "Is it friendly?"

"Don't know yet."

"Go find out." Steve ordered, not moving from his place on the floor, "Tell me what you find out. I'm staying here with her."

Tony looked back to Dallas, seeing a small grin form despite the pain she was clearly in, "You sure, Cap?"

"I'm positive. This is more important." Steve murmured, holding his little girl tighter against his chest. "I'm here, Sweetheart. I've got you."

"Daddy, why that happen?" Denny sobbed into his neck, holding onto him as tightly as she could. He could feel her tiny nails digging into his skin, but it only reminded Steve that she was there in his arms and he could protect her.

"I know it was scary, but Uncle Tony and Uncle Bruce think the scary man is going to help us." Steve looked to Dallas, "A bad man has Auntie Nat and we gotta save her."

Denver pulled away a little to grab Steve's cheeks. He smiled beneath her grip and she leaned forward to kiss his lips, "Because you is Captain America?"

He nodded, "Yeah, because Daddy is Captain America." Steve took a long breath and stood carefully so he could take the few steps needed to reach Dallas, "You okay?"

She nodded, giving him a thumbs up despite her pained expression, "Just dandy."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too." She whispered, looking over her shoulder to see the android holding Mjolnir out to Thor, "Son of a biscuit! He can lift it."

Steve chuckled as Thor took his hammer, confusion written across his face even from this distance. He patted Stark on the back and Steve looked to Dallas, "So, should I start calling you Doctor Wells?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes, "You always should have."

He helped her wobble down to the party deck where the other Avengers were assembled, speaking over each other in a hurry once Cap entered the room.

"Ultron's got Nat in Sokovia."

"That's where he's gonna strike. We gotta go."

"Cap, what's our play?"

The Avengers all turned to look at Steve where he stood at the edge of the group with Denver in his arms. He looked to her, seeing how sleepy she was. He wanted to curl up in bed with her and make her feel safe and loved, but he needed to protect his family.

"He wants us." Steve said boldly, raising his chin proudly, "It's because he knows that nobody else can beat him. Suit up. We move out in five minutes."

Dallas's eyes grew into saucers as Bucky tightened his grip on her. He was scared. She looked up at him and he met her gaze, forcing his bravest smile, "Why the long face, Doll? Nothing we can't handle."

She tilted her head up to look into Bucky's eyes, seeing how nervous he was, "Then why are you so scared, James?"

"Because, for the first time in my life, I have somebody to come home to. I don't want to let you down. I've seen what we're dealing with, and there's a good chance we don't all come back from this." Bucky leaned his forehead against Dallas's and ran his hand through her hair, "I don't want to be the one who doesn't come home. Not again."

Dallas quickly reached for his lips to kiss him, holding him as long as she could before she heard Steve clear his throat, "I have faith in you."

"I love you."

"I…" Dallas stopped, unsure of what to say. She closed her mouth and smiled, so Bucky just nodded and turned, sulking towards the quinjet as Dallas called after him, "Wait!"

Steve cut her off by stopping in front of her with Denver in his arms, "I have to go."

She took a long breath and nodded, "I know. Brooklyn warned me about this."

"What do you mean she warned you?" Steve asked quietly, swaying back and forth as Denver napped against him.

The corner of Dallas's mouth pulled up into a sad smile, "You know how Denny always says she's gonna catch the moon?"

"Yeah."

"Brooklyn used to tell her that her Daddy would give her the moon if he'd only look past the star." Dallas tapped his shield on his arm and leaned forward to take Denver with her right arm so she could use the left crutch. Steve stared at her sadly and she just shrugged, "She was proud of you, but she said that you couldn't say no when they needed you. Even for her."

Steve watched as they started to walk away, feeling his heart crack as they disappeared into the elevator. He'd been so attentive to Brooklyn. He'd always tried to put her first, above everything. Yet, here he was, proving her right and letting his little girl down.

Dallas took Denver up to Steve's room and laid her down in her toddler bed. Cupcake laid across her chest, but she tossed and turned for a half hour while Dallas read the news on her phone, until the child eventually started sobbing. Dallas groaned, rolled off the bed, kneeling beside her niece, "What's wrong Denny?"

"I'm scared."

"Because Daddy is gone?"

"Those scary rots are gonna get me!" She cried out, clinging to Cupcake's neck nervously as the dog looked up at Dallas with pleading eyes.

Dallas cocked her head in confusion, "Rots?"

"Yeah! Scary rots that shoot Daddy! Like Uncle Tony!"

"Ohhhh, scary robots." Dallas picked up Denver and clicked her tongue so Cupcake would follow, "The scary robots won't get you. Daddy is fighting them right now."

"What if they make Daddy dead?" Denver asked sadly as Dallas tucked her in, "If the rots make Daddy dead, I'll be so sad."

"Yeah, me too." Dallas hummed as she stroked Denver's cheek, "I think he's gonna be fine. Daddy is really strong, and brave, and he'll do whatever he needs to do to make sure you're safe. He wouldn't have gone if he didn't need to."

"Are they gonna get us here?"

"No, there are no more robots here." Dallas said, then paused, "There are no more bad robots here. Only Uncle Tony's good robots."

"I don't want any rots!" Denver screamed, and Cupcake whimpered as he curled up into a ball at the foot of the bed. Dallas huffed and shushed Denver as she clenched the pillow like it was her lifeline, "I'm scared."

Dallas snuggled under the covers beside Denver and pulled her close so her head could rest over Denver's soft curls, "Don't be scared, Denny. Cupcake and I are here, and if we're lucky, your dad will be back by tomorrow night."

As it often did in Avengers Tower, morning came too quickly for Dallas Wells. It was Cupcake who felt the slight tremor in the Earth and woke up with a start, quickly climbing over Dallas to lick her face until she stirred, "What is it, dog?" He let out a deep bark followed by a nervous whimper, but to Dallas, nothing seemed wrong. She rolled a little to see Denver still clutching her pillow with tear streaks down her cheeks. Her legs were tucked up to her chest in the fetal position, trying to be as small as possible.

Cupcake barked again and Dallas groaned as she sat up, "What? What's wrong? What do you need?" He put his tail between his legs and laid back down, and Dallas looked around the room, noticing nothing out of place, "Whatever." She mumbled, grabbing her phone as she slammed her head back into the pillow. She unlocked her cell and found a dozen texts from her friends and four missed calls from Aunt Jenna.

She dialed her aunt back quickly, and she answered on the first ring, "Hey, it's like two in the morning there, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I'm guessing you aren't with Denver's father then, thank God."

"What are you talking about?" Dallas asked as she scratched the side of her head beneath her matted locks. "Steve's working."

Aunt Jenna snorted and Dallas pulled up her Facebook to see what all the fuss was about as the older woman rambled, "Yeah, I'm aware. The whole world is aware because there's a European city floating through the air!"

Dallas's phone slipped out of her hand when she saw the live feed of Sokovia rising as thousands of the Ultron robots swarmed the sides. The hot-rod red of Iron Man stood out among the dark metal and falling debris as pieces of building plummeted to work. "Oh my God. This isn't happening."

"What not happning?"

Dallas looked to Denver, seeing her draped across Cupcake's back as she waited for an answer. The woman picked up her phone and held it close to her chest, "Nothing Denny! Everything is fine."

"Did Daddy call yet?"

"No, not yet, Sweetie. Aunt Jenna is on the phone though, do you want to say hi?"

She turned on the speaker phone and set the phone on the bed, hoping her aunt would pick up on her lead and distract the child from what was happening overseas. "Hey Denny! How are you doing, Pumpkin?"

"The rots tried to make me dead!" Denver yelped and Dallas shushed her quickly as she grabbed the phone back and turned off the speakerphone, "Such a vivid imagination. She's doing great. We're just waiting for Daddy to come home."

Jenna's heavy sigh wasn't lost on Dallas as she murmured, "You really think he's gonna make it home?"

Dallas looked to Denver, then out the window, finding it too peaceful. Beautiful even. As if Manhattan didn't realize what danger it was in from a world away. She didn't want to say 'If Steve dies, there no way in hell the rest of the world won't die too' but the thought did cross her mind. Instead, she just answered, "I do. He'll be home soon. He told Denver he would."

Steve followed the last of the stragglers towards the lifeboats, feeling his lungs struggle to breathe as they continued to rise. They were almost ready to go. Nat was giving the Hulk a lullaby. Sam was helping Rhodey destroy any robots who tried to escape. Clint and Bucky were making sure everybody got on the boats. All they had to do was blow the rock and go home.

"You know," Stark said softly through the comm, "if this works, maybe we don't walk away."

Cap swallowed as he watched the dust roll by, "Maybe not, but it's gotta work." He looked to Thor, "Whatever it takes."

"Get on a boat Rogers, we'll take care of the rest." Tony said and Steve looked to Thor, the god nodding as he placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.

"If we don't make it back, tell little Denny that Tony and I went to Valhalla, won't you?"

"She won't know what that means, but I will." Steve said with a sad smile as he turned towards the lifeboats. He walked slowly, feeling each and every heavy step as he saw the end in sight.

When he reached the boats, he saw a blonde woman crying, "Costel! Costel!" Clint and Steve both turned to her and she said, "We were in the market."

Steve started to go, but Clint's shoulders slumped. He said, "I got him," before jogging towards the market.

Before Clint could get ten feet from the lifeboat, Bucky appeared and shouted, "Whose kid is this?" The assassin held up a young boy by the back of his black jacket.

The blonde scrambled to her feet and grabbed the boy, crying against him as she carried him back to her spot on the floor. Pietro sped over to them and fist pumped the air, "Costel! Hey! You ready to, as the Americans say, blow this popsicle stand?". The boy reached out and high fived Pietro. A tired Clint Barton lumbered back to the lifeboat. "That's not something Americas exactly say" he informed the speedster disdainfully. Pietro looked around the empty city, "Everyone's on the boats, I'm going back for Wanda-"

Suddenly, the quinjet flew towards them with guns blazing, and Steve ordered for them to close the shields on the people in the lifeboats. Pietro grabbed Clint by the arm and drug him into the ship as the top closed, shielding the people from Ultron's fire. The jet doubled back around as Sam and Rhodey flanked it, but they fell back when they came into the line of fire. The Hulk roared angrily as it charged towards the quinjet, springing into the air and landing inside the back.

Steve realized Natasha was nowhere to be found and sprinted towards the place the Hulk had been, "Nat!"

"Here!" She coughed as she pushed herself onto her elbow to look at him. He skidded to a stop and knelt down, sliding his hands under her arms to pull her to her feet, "Stark told you to get on a boat."

A boyish smile grew on his face, and he ducked his head to avoid her questioning gaze, "Not until I knew you were safe."

"Well," she huffed up at the soldier, "I'm fine, so let's go." The sound of clanking drew their attention to the sky as Ultron was thrown unceremoniously out the back of the quinjet, chased out by the Hulk's roar. Natasha strode forward a couple of steps, her voice breaking as she said, "Bruce."

Steve cleared his throat, remembering that Natasha had feelings for Bruce. He was more than a teammate, and maybe more than a friend, and he was more than Steve was to her and the quinjet was still flying away at top speed. "Let's go, Nat. We don't have any time to waste." He motioned for her to lead as they ran back to the lifeboats, arriving the same time that Pietro sat Wanda on the ground.

"We ready?" Pietro looked between the Avengers, then gestured to Natasha with a flirtatious grin, "Ladies first."

Natasha stepped up onto the boat, looking through the glass top at the retreating quinjet. Pietro followed her, trying to get her attention as his twin sister watched Captain America cautiously. Her eyes glowed red and she slurred, "You're afraid."

"Every time I pick up this shield, I put my life on the line. If I die…" Steve looked at Wanda over his shoulder, "That little girl back at the tower is my daughter. Her mother is already gone. If I die, what happens to her?"

Wanda shrugged a little and stepped up onto the platform, "Perhaps you should try not to get in so much trouble then." Steve noticed her smirk but was distracted by a stray dog that charged onto the gangplank to join the people. The distraction came at the same moment the ground beneath his feet began to free fall.

Steve leapt onto the platform at the same time Wanda slipped off of it, falling back towards the crashing city. "NO!" Pietro screamed as Steve leaned over in an attempt to catch her, but she was falling almost as fast as the city below her. He watched in terror as the Scarlet Witch plummeted downward, until blue-white holes appeared throughout the city.

"C'mon Stark." Steve prayed as he watched it shatter apart. For the first time he considered that he was safe in the air, and his daughter was on the ground, and if their plan didn't work, he would survive without her. "DO IT!"

Pietro clung to the end of the platform, cursing bitterly in Sokovian. He turned to Steve and pointed angrily, "This is your fault. You killed her."

"I tried to save her."

"You didn't catch her, and now she's dead!"

Steve looked back down to see the city explode in a flash of light, shattering into a million pieces as it pummeled the Earth below. From the explosion flew the Vision, carrying Wanda Maximoff in his arms past the lifeboat to the quinjet above.

The young man looked to Steve, then up at the Vision as he gasped happily, "She's alive?"

"We did it." Steve panted, leaning on his elbow as he caught his breath, "We did it."

Two days later, Denny was rolling around on the floor with Cupcake when the quinjet finally touched down on the landing pad. She shot to her feet and yelled, "Aunt Dallas! They back! Daddy's back!"

Dallas followed behind Denver, praying the child was right. She hadn't heard from Steve since he left, which was unlike him. He always made time to call Denver after missions, but perhaps saving the world from global extinction took a little more work than the everyday drug bust.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Denver chanted as she jumped up and down by the opening, waiting behind the glass doors for the Avengers to disembark. She looked over at Dallas with her bottom lip stuck out, wanting to run outside and greet her father.

"You know the rules. No Denvers or Cupcakes on the landing pad. You gotta stay inside."

"But- but-" Denver whined, not realizing that Captain America had snuck up behind her and was looming over her with his hands on his hips.

Steve's voice was deep and commanding as he asked, "No buts. You stay inside."

Denver turned around with smile so big it overtook her entire face. She began to gasp excitedly as she jumped up and grabbed Steve's leg, "Daddy!"

"Hey, Sweetheart. Did you miss me?"

"I missed you so much!"

Steve knelt down to throw his arms around his daughter, holding her close and kissing the top of her head, "I missed you so much. I'm not leaving for a while now."

Dallas raised her brow curiously, then looked up to see the rest of the team followed by the Vision and the Maximoff twins, "You're not?"

"Nope." Steve said, never taking his eyes off of Denny's, "I'm taking a step back to spend time with my daughter." He looked up at Dallas and swallowed hard as she smiled at Bucky, "We're moving upstate."

"You're what?" Dallas blurted, tightening her grip on Bucky as she looked up at him, "Are you?"

He nodded slightly, looking back at Steve before meeting Dallas's hazel eyes, "We're moving the base upstate. Getting away from the city. I was hoping you'd come with."

"We were hoping you'd come with. For Denver's sake." Steve added and Dallas crossed her arms and huffed, causing Steve to backtrack, "I know how much your job means to you-"

"I was fired." Dallas blurted before continuing on, "I have no reason to stay in Manhattan, it's just… I don't want to be your nanny."

"You wouldn't be." Stark argued as he massaged the back of his neck, looking over at Steve, then Natasha. It was then Dallas realized Banner was nowhere to be found. "We're a little short staffed in the lab. Banner's missing. We could really use your help. Finding him, taking his place, whatever. Either way, having you upstate would be a blessing, especially with me retiring."

"We want you to lead the Avengers' science division." Steve said slowly and Dallas turned to look at him with a beaming grin. He chuckled, "What do you say?"

"Yes! Of course, I'd love to!" Dallas yelped, clenching Bucky's arm, "I mean, yeah, I'm currently unemployed, so, it could be a good opportunity."

"Glad to hear it." Steve answered as he picked up his daughter. Just two days ago, he wasn't sure he'd ever see her again, and he wasn't going to let being Captain America come before her anymore. His smile was imperfect, maybe a little sad, because Steve knew he late, but he wasn't too late. "I'm gonna get you the moon, Denny."

She narrowed her eyes at Steve suspiciously and said, "I wanna catch it!"

"Then I'll help you reach it, so you can catch it yourself." Steve told her, looking over at Dallas and Bucky. She was wrapped up in his arms, whispering in his ear as he grinned. When Steve turned to the right again, he saw Natasha, noticing how forlorn she looked. When her gaze fell on him though, she smiled weakly, and Steve smiled back hopefully, knowing they'd need each other to train the next generation of Avengers. That way Steve could focus on his family for the first time in eighty years.