An idea I've had since a conversation with Aragorn II Elessar, but the recent Power Broker twist (which I refuse to accept as canon) is what made me get down to writing this.
Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar and Bl4ckHunter for their help with this.
Steve Rogers stood staring out the window of the Avengers Compound. It had been a week since Thanos had wiped out half of all life in the universe, five days since he and the remaining Avengers had returned home. Five days of searching for Thanos, of wondering if Tony was still alive. And they were still no closer to finding answers to either of those problems.
Steve was broken out of his thoughts as he saw something enter his line of vision. A car had rolled up to the Compound's driveway. It wasn't one he recognized, and it certainly didn't belong to Pepper or Happy.
Steve made his way to the front of the Compound, walking out the front door as the car pulled up in front. The driver's side door opened up and Steve was taken back by who got out.
"Sharon," he said in surprise and she looked over at him blankly.
"Cap," she said in a matching tone.
"It's good to see you," Steve said after a moment. "It's been a while."
"Since I helped you and went on the run," Sharon said blankly.
Steve fought back a wince. Sharon had taken a huge risk to help him, payed for it, and he'd never been able to repay her. He'd been haunted by that for the past two years.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you," Steve said awkwardly.
"When half the world's population turns to dust, you know something's wrong. Figured you'd know happened if you were still alive. So I asked some of my contacts for help, they got me transport back to the United States and I've spent the last few days on the road. Wanna tell me what's going on?" Sharon asked point blank.
"It's a long story. We should head inside, you'll want to sit down for this," Steve said grimly.
And so Steve took her inside and they sat in the sitting room as Steve told her everything about Thanos and the Stones. They sat in silence for a while before Sharon finally spoke.
"Sounds like I missed a lot," Sharon noted and Steve let out a humorless laugh.
"I think that's an understatement," Steve said wryly.
"Nice beard," Sharon said after a moment of silent.
"Captain America is less recognizable with a beard," Steve noted and she nodded. "…I'm sorry. You helped me and I left you to fend for yourself. I should have tried to help you."
"Nothing much you could have done Steve. Besides, it's not completely your fault. I knew what I was doing. I'm a grown woman, I made my own choices," Sharon pointed out. "The last few years were pretty hard, but if I could go back, I'd make the same choice. So, where are we on Thanos?"
Sharon worked with Steve and the others for the next two weeks, reuniting with her old friend Natasha as they tried to locate Thanos. And then Carol Danvers had appeared, bringing Tony Stark back to earth with Nebula. Sharon was witness to Tony's rant against Steve before he collapsed.
Afterwards, she found Steve brooding in the briefing room.
"He was wrong you know. Stark's rant was just a bunch of bullshit," Sharon said immediately.
"Maybe. But I shouldn't have pushed him," Steve said guiltily.
"You didn't put those thoughts in his head. After SHIELD fell, the CIA spent two years trying to track down Hydra. And Stark's rant was basically a compilation of the ramblings of every Hydra operative we ever caught. And that is on no one but him. If Stark honestly thinks the world would be safer under his form of protection, then he's no different that Pierce or Ross," Sharon said firmly.
Sharon then joined Steve, Nat, Rhodey, Thor, Banner and Carol as they joined Nebula and Rocket in heading to New Titan. There, they all learned the horrifying truth that Thanos had destroyed the Infinity Stones, leaving the trillions of lives he'd wiped out dead.
After Thor killed Thanos, they all returned to earth, each of them feeling defeated. Steve retreated to his room and, after some time alone, Sharon joined him there.
"We really did fail," Steve said brokenly as he thought of all those who they had let down.
"I'm sorry," Sharon said, not quite sure what to say.
"Tony was right, we couldn't stop him," Steve said with a shaky breath. "Bucky, Sam, Wanda…We failed them all."
Sharon didn't say anything, not sure what she could say to that. So instead, she just held him as Steve finally allowed himself to breakdown after trying to hold everything together for the last few weeks.
In the year that followed Thanos' victory, they all tried to move on. While Steve set up a support group for the survivors of the Decimation, Sharon had joined Natasha's Avengers as they tried to protect what was left of humanity. And in the meantime, Steve and Sharon were finally allowed to have the relationship that Hydra, The Accords and Zemo had denied them for so long.
Two months after Thanos, Steve had bought an apartment in Brooklyn and Sharon had moved in a month later. And about eight months later, almost a year to the day they had been reunited, Steve had popped the question and Sharon had happily accepted.
Which led Steve to a trip to the hospital. Steve walked through the halls, finally finding who he was looking for. Tony was in the maternity ward, staring at his new born daughter through the glass.
"Cap," Tony said as he saw Steve.
"Tony," Steve said in greeting, smiling slightly as he looked in on Morgan. "She's beautiful."
"Thanks. But somehow, I don't think you came here just to say hi," Tony noted.
"You're right, I didn't," Steve admitted as he looked back at Tony. "There's another reason I'm here. I wanted to ask you something. I just want you to know, there is no wrong answer to this."
"Steve, out with it," Tony interrupted, sounding torn between amusement and curiosity.
"Sharon and I are getting married in a week," Steve said, taking Tony back.
"Wow. That's…wow. Congratulations Cap. I'm happy for you," Tony said, really meaning it.
"Thanks Tony. I wanted to personally invite you and ask if you would be willing to be my best man," Steve said and Tony was taken back. "There is no wrong answer, like I said. You don't have to decide now. Wedding is in a week in the Catholic Church on Lee Avenue at noon. If I'm asking too much, I understand. Thor will step in if you decide not to. I even understand if you don't want to come. But we'd be happy to have you."
I will think about it," Tony said after a moment, not giving an answer one way or the other.
It was a small wedding, the only witnesses being the remainder of Sharon's family, Thor, Bruce and Nat, who was the maid of honor. Steve had been half sure Tony wasn't going to show up, but an hour before the ceremony started, Tony had walked into the church in a suit.
"Resentment is corrosive, I hate it," Tony told him as they stood at the front of the aisle.
"Me to," Steve agreed with a smile.
As Sharon walked down the aisle, Steve's heart skipped a beat. She was a vision in her white wedding dress. As they stood up in front of their friends and family and said their vows, Steve only wished Sam, Bucky and Wanda could be there to make this moment perfect.
"Do you, Steven Grant Rogers, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, until death do you part?"
"I do."
"And do you, Sharon Maria Carter, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, until death do you part?"
"I do."
"Then, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
As Steve and Sharon shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the witnesses all clapped, happy for them.
Not long after the wedding, Sharon had discovered she was pregnant. Natasha had insisted Sharon take a break from active duty, which Steve had enforced, not that Sharon was complaining. In order to make room for this new addition to their family, Steve and Sharon had looked for a house, as their apartment wasn't big enough to accommodate a child. After two months of looking, they had found a three bedroom house at a reasonable price, ironically only a fifteen minute drive from Tony and Pepper's cabin.
Four and a half months later, Sharon had given birth to a daughter, who Steve and Sharon named Sarah Wanda Rogers, in honor of Steve's mother and the fallen Wanda. She had her father's eyes and her mother's blond hair. And, as she grew, it was obvious she was her father's daughter.
As she held her new born daughter, a sense of contentment washed over Sharon. She decided that it was enough, she wanted out. When she told Natasha that she wasn't coming back to the Avengers, Natasha understood, having expected that Sharon would want to focus on her family.
"Family is the one thing that matters more than the mission. Don't waste one second Sharon," Natasha had told her during their conversation.
After Sarah was about six months old, Sharon began to look for work, eventually finding a job at a gym teaching self-defense to young women. And life went on for the Rogers-Carter family. Steve continued to run his support group as Sharon worked at the gym. And it wasn't uncommon for them to venture over to the Stark Cabin, Morgan and Sarah having become fast friends. Steve finally had almost everything he ever wanted. It was a happy life, a simple life as Steve had once told Tony. And yet the shadow of the lives lost, the ghosts of Buck, Sam, Wanda and everyone else he had not been able to save still haunted him. He would occasionally wake up from a nightmare where Bucky, Sam, Wanda and T'Challa were there, asking why he hadn't saved them.
And then, five years after Thanos had succeeded in his plan, Scott Lang returned from the Quantum Realm. When Scott had told him of plan for a Time Heist, Steve saw it as his way to make amends for failing to stop Thanos five years ago. As they started planning it, Steve had gone home and told Sharon about it. She was a little hesitant; worried about Sarah until Bruce had assured her that anything they changed in the past would not affect their current timeline and so Sarah would be fine. However, one thing Sharon had most certainly not been happy about was Steve's insistence she stay behind.
"No. I am your wife. That means we face this together or not at all. I'm not going to just stay home while you risk your life like this," Sharon said angrily.
"Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have a problem with you coming on this mission. But we have Sarah to think about. If something goes wrong, if we don't make it back…she should still have one parent," Steve said firmly.
Sharon, ever logical, was silent, thinking on his argument. As much as she hated it, she couldn't fault his logic. She didn't want Sarah growing up alone either. And she knew she couldn't talk Steve out of going, this was more his mission than hers, his team more than hers. Besides, the Avengers needed their leader.
"I don't like the thought of you going on this mission without me," Sharon said grumpily and Steve knew this was one argument he had won.
"Me either," Steve agreed as he took her in his arms and kissed her.
And so Steve rejoined the Avengers for the Time Heist. He retrieved Loki's scepter from New York before he and Tony were forced to head to Camp Lehigh to get the Tesseract and more Pym Particles. During this detour, he saw Peggy through a two way mirror. He hadn't been expecting it, nor what he felt when he saw her. He felt absolutely nothing. It had taken him back for a moment, as Peggy had been such an important part of his life once. But he realized he had moved on a long time ago. Peggy was his first love, but she had never been the love of his life.
After they returned home to the present, they were all crushed to learn that Natasha hadn't made it. His resolve to make sure this was all worth it even more determined, Steve had urged his team on. After a new Infinity Gauntlet was assembled, Thor undid Thanos' snap with one of his own, and then the Thanos from 2014 arrived with his army. Steve, Tony and Thor fought him but, eventually, they were all overpowered. Even with Mjolnir, Steve was no match for Thanos.
Then, the unsnapped heroes arrived just when all hope seemed lost. Steve led them against Thanos and his army as Sharon fought with Okoye against Proxima Midnight. Eventually, Tony used the stones to snap Thanos and his army out of existence at the cost of his own life.
After it was all over, Steve and Sharon with Sarah attended Tony's funeral before later attending Natasha's more private funeral along with Clint, Sam, Wanda, Bucky, Thor and Bruce.
Afterwards, Steve, Sharon, Sam, Bucky and Wanda had retreated to Steve and Sharon's house. As Sharon and Sarah were showing Wanda the garden, Steve was having an important conversation with Sam and Bucky.
"So you're retiring then," Sam said, having trouble wrapping his head around the idea.
"I've lived most of my adult life as Captain America. While I don't regret that, it's time for me to just be Steve Rogers," Steve said, smiling as he looked out at the garden at Sharon and Sarah. "I hope you guys can understand that."
"We understand Steve. You got a family now, you have to think of them," Bucky said in understanding.
"I'm happy for you, truly," Sam said genuinely. "I'm just bummed that now I have to live in a world without Captain America."
"That reminds me," Steve said as he grabbed his shield, which Shuri, under orders from T'Challa, had repaired for him off the wall and walked over to Sam, offering it to him. "Try it on."
Sam, in a state of disbelief, looked over at Bucky, who merely nodded. After a moment, Sam accepted the shield from Steve.
"How does it feel?" Steve asked as Sam got a feel for it.
"Like it's someone else's," Sam said honestly.
"It isn't," Steve said simply and Sam straightened, the full weight of what Steve was asking him hitting him.
"Thank you," Sam said humbled. "I'll do my best."
"I know," Steve said, holding out his hand to Sam, who took it in a handshake. "That's why it's yours."
As they dropped hands, a small voice squealed.
"Daddy!" the three men looked towards the door as Sarah ran in, Sharon and Wanda entering behind her. "Mommy's making grilled cheese for lunch!"
"Is she now?" Steve asked, quirking an eyebrow at his wife, who only shrugged.
"It's her favorite," Sharon said simply as she moved to the kitchen. "Are you guys staying for lunch?"
As Sam and Bucky gave their immediate yes, Steve looked back at Wanda, who was hesitating by the doorway. Steve ushered his daughter towards the kitchen before making his way towards Wanda.
"I know we haven't had much of a chance to talk since you came back. How are you doing?" Steve asked in concern.
"I honestly don't know," Wanda said after a moment, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm trying but…it's really hard without him."
"I know," Steve said compassionately as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be hard for a while. The important thing is to let yourself grieve. It's okay to fall apart a little Wanda. You're only human."
"I just…I miss him," Wanda said emotionally.
"I know," Steve said kindly as he wrapped an arm around her. "Vision may be gone, but you still have us. If you ever need me, just call and I'll be there."
After returning the infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their proper places in history, Steve had officially retired as Captain America to live the life of a civilian with Sharon and Sarah. Sam, Bucky and Wanda would drop by for a visit every now and then, occasionally Sam would ask for Steve's advice on a situation. But all things considered, Steve was content with his life.
First, thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for use of some scenes from his story 'I am Spider-Man'.
Now, down to business. Is MCU Sharon my favorite love interest for Steve? Honestly, no. Honestly, I would have preferred Steve end up with Natasha.
But the fact remains that, aside from Wanda, Sharon is the MCU character who gets crapped on the most. And that's been clear since her first appearance in the MCU.
She had some good interactions with Steve, yes. But that's really the only good thing you can say about her first appearance. Due to the fact that Sharon's role in the Winter Soldier comic was given to Nat in the film, Sharon had very limited screen time in Winter Soldier.
And Civil War was not much better, but that was not completely the fault of the writers. Under different circumstances, I think Sharon could have gotten a lot more screen time and depth in the film. But since RDJ's ego would not let him simply do a cameo like was originally intended, the writers were forced to turn Civil War into Iron Man 4 (RDJ's words, not mine). So a lot of the screen time that would have otherwise gone to developing other things like Sharon and her relationship with Steve was instead spent on Tony.
And now we have the reveal of her being the Power Broker. They could have taken Sharon's character to some interesting directions, but instead they chose to take the most predictable and safe route ever, something that is sadly becoming typical of the MCU. And considering how much the writers seem to have this near worship of Peggy, it's hard not to feel like this was done just to spit on Sharon and prop up Peggy.
Which is heavily ironic, since MCU Peggy isn't actually Peggy Carter. She's basically just an OC that is a mashup of several Marvel comics characters including Sharon.
Anyway, Sharon Carter, from my limited knowledge of her in the comics, is a much more interesting and compelling character than Peggy in the MCU and its honestly sad to see how the MCU seems to have gone out of its way to treat her like shit in order to prop up Peggy. And that's not even going into all the problems with Peggy's relationship with Steve, which honestly, is a pretty good example of 'strangled by the red string'.