*Author's Note*

Thank you for the faves, follows, and reviews.

And finally, here's a new update for this story. I know, it's been a while since I last updated.

Saturday Secret Spill

Gem POV:

Like every Saturday afternoon, I pulled into Brock's driveway. I usually visited him on Saturdays to hangout since we didn't really have any friends nearby, except for Sam, but he was usually busy mentoring somebody from his VA PTSD group or trying to help Steve track down Bucky. Lately it's been the latter. Come to think of it, Sam talked more about the progress with tracking down Bucky Barnes with me then Steve did. Seems that my boyfriend didn't think I needed to know too much about that personal mission of his.

This Saturday was different tho since we had a dog now. We wouldn't just be hanging out on the couch while he vented about how he was on thin ice with SHIELD (cause of my boyfriend not trusting him), but we'd be training a puppy instead. I couldn't help, but to smile at the thought of Al Puppaccino as I exited my car. God that floppy-eared puppy was so cute.

I heard chuckling echoing from the within the large white fence that enclosed the backyard and I just knew the Brock was back there with the puppy. Without giving it much thought, I walked over to the fence's gate. "Brock, I'm here." I announced my presence, coming to a stop at the gate and lightly knocking on it.

"Give me a minute, baby, and I'll let you in." He told me before shouting at Al Puppaccino, "Stop running around, Al! I gotta pick ya up, mama's here." A couple of minutes later, I heard boots crunching against grass before the gate opened. Brock was standing in one of his signature Henley's (he bgan wearing them all the time after his work accident) with our puppy tucked under one arm. The puppy squirmed excitedly, trying to jump at me, as Brock smiled. "Come in, Gem." His scars twisted with the stretch of his smile, but I didn't mind. I was so used to his scars by now. I guess that's why working in the VA burn unit doesn't bother me either, since burns don't make me jittery like they do some people.

"How's our Puppaccino doing?" I asked Brock, walking over to the back patio furniture as Brock shut and locked the gate.

"He's doing good." Brock told me right as I took a seat on one of the Adirondack chairs. "Go see mama." Brock told the puppy, setting him down on the ground so he wouldn't fall since he was squirming and yipping excitedly. "Ready for dinner with the Wilsons tonight?" Brock asked, making his way over to the patio as our puppy ran over and jumped on my lap.

"Yea." I nodded, trying not to giggle as Al Puppaccino licked at my face while wagging his tail excitedly. "Are you?" I asked, a tiny giggle slipping out, as I pulled away from the puppy and placed him on the ground.

"Go play, Al." Brock told our pup pointing at the little rope toy that was a few feet away, causing the puppy to just run off. Looking at me, he sighed, "Yea, I just don't want to leave the little guy here alone tho."

"You're telling me that we're bringing him to dinner, aren't you?"

"Yea, suppose so." Brock nodded.

Before I could say another word, my phone started to ring. I took it out o my handbag, only to look at the caller ID before telling Brock, "Sorry, it's Steve…"

"Answer it, Gem." He told me before standing up. "I'll go play with the dog; give you privacy." Brock added in before quickly jogging off to where Al Puppaccino was at, lying in the crunchy dying grass; gnawing on his rope toy.

"Hi, Steve." I answered my phone as happily as I could even tho I felt a bit melancholy. I hated it when I was hanging out with Brock and needed to take a call from Steve (since his calls were sporadic and rare given his unknown whereabouts most of the time) since it always put a weird damper in the rest of the day. I knew that Brock tolerated my boyfriend, but when he heard my talking to him it just made our hangout time feel awkward, or as Darcy would say 'awkward turtle…'.

"Doll, I'm on my way home." He told me as I heard the many stereotypical telltale background noises of an airport. "I need to debrief Tony about something, but I'll be by to see you in a few days." He told me, making sure that I knew that he had some 'important' Avengers thing to deal with first.

"Oh, okay." I replied while watching Brock play tug-o-war with our puppy. "Did you find anything on Bucky?"

"Gem, doll, I can't talk to you about that." Steve sighed. Of course, he can't… "You know that, it's just not something I can burden you with." Of course, it isn't…

"Yea…I understand." I sighed out tightly, maybe a bit too tightly since Brock gave me a funny look from over his shoulder. I just waved him off and gestured to Al Puppaccino with my hand, causing him to resume his game of tug-o-war with the hyper floppy-eared pup.

"Heard you're helping Rumlow with his new dog."

"You did?" I asked, a bit confused cause I had no idea who would've told him about that. I mean Darcy and Billy didn't like him, so…

"Sam called me up about it after seeing some pictures you posted last night on the Instagram."

"Oh…" Okay, that makes sense. Sam was friends with all of us, so I could definitely see him telling Steve about the puppy. I mean he called last night about it. "You know, we're having dinner with Sam and his MeMaw tonight."

"Who's we? You and Rumlow's dog?" My boyfriend asked, a confused undertone in his silvery voice.

"The dog's named Al Puppaccino; me and Brock's bringing him to dinner." I explained, hoping that would clear things for Steve. I liked him a lot and he was a good boyfriend, but sometimes things just went right over his head. It's not his fault, he was raised in a different time and atmosphere then I was.

"Gem, you and Sam's too nice to Rumlow. He's a HYDRA mole and somebody like that can't be trusted to be a good; loyal friend."

"Steve, he's not a damn mole. He never was; he was deep undercover within HYDRA in SHIELD. Him and Rollins called it SHIELDRA, Steve." I hissed as low as I could since I didn't want Brock overhearing.

"I know you and Rollins, who helped you stay safe from Pierce during the failed HYDRA Uprising, always try to vouch for Rumlow, but I just can't believe that he's not a mole. His personality's too hard for him to be true SHIELD." Steve informed me in his classic 'I know best' tone that I was quickly beginning to hate. I know he's a hero and he's seen quite a bit (the man did 'stop' HYDRA and end WWII or at least that's what everyone made us believe) but his 'I know best' tone and way he had got under my skin sometimes.

"You don't even know his 'personality', Steve. Maybe if you did, you'd know that he's always been loyal in his service to his country." I lowly snapped, praying that Brock didn't overhear me.

Brock POV:

I was playing with Al Puppaccino in order to give Gem some privacy during her phone call with Cap. Fuck, he would call during our routine Saturday hangout time. Every Saturday she came over and we just bullshitted, but of course he had to call. I hated it when he called. Made me wonder if she'd prefer being with him instead of stuck watching some stupid tv show or movie with me. When he did call while we were together, it usually made things feel tense and weird between us. I don't blame her for wanting him, he's the handsome All-American hero and I'm just the dumbass federal agent that gave my entire life to the cause, let the job take-take-take from me til nothing else could be given, and had a building fall on my fucking head. Fuck, if I was her I wouldn't want me either.

I couldn't hear what she was saying after the sentence of, "The dog's named Al Puppaccino; me and Brock's bringing him to dinner." I think she told him about dinner and the dog since he's friends with Sam and he most likely saw the pictures she posted of the dog on her Insta. I didn't know what he replied to her with, but whatever it was got her whispering. God, I bet she's whispering cute things to him. I remember when we used to whisper things to each other during the HYDRA get togethers we were forced to go to by Pierce. Some of those whispers got heated too.

"Shit…" I groaned as Al Puppaccino dropped his end of the rope I was holding and just ran right towards Gem.

Quickly, I got up and ran to get him. I didn't need him interrupting her call with Cap. Right before Al could reach Gem's chair, I scooped him up. Sadly, I was pretty close to her chair (even tho her body was twisted and she was staring at my rose garden, which she actually planted for me while I was healing) so I was able to hear Cap's voice echo out of the phone with, "I got to go, my flight's boarding. I love you, doll."

"I know. Me too, Steve." I heard her reply, making me feel as if I'd just had my heart ripped out of my chest. I know, I fucking know, I'm being stupid since she's been with him for like 6-months or so, but knowing she loves him and hearing her tell him she loves him are two very different things; it hurts to hear that come out of her mouth since I wish, I wish so badly too, that I'd hear her tell me that. Sadly, that was impossible.

I scurried over to where the rope was at, sat down, and resumed playing with Al Puppaccino. I was half-heartedly playing with the puppy, but I doubt that Gem'll be able to tell.

"I'm done with my call. You can let him be a free-range chicken pup now, honey." Gem told me in a tone that was a bit off-key and funny.

Yep, she's stuck with me today after talking to Cap. Poor her, she's regretting her life choice. Fuck, we're stuck going to dinner at the Wilsons' later too.

I stood up, dusted off any dirt from my jeans, and made my way over to the patio. "Have a nice call with Cap?" I asked as civilly as I could while taking a seat in the open chair next to Gem's.

"Yea, it was nice." Gem nodded.

"Good."

Looking at the rose bushes, Gem changed the subject with the simple sentence of, "The roses will bloom nice come spring."

"Yea." I nodded, not really knowing how to respond since I wasn't a gardener. Hell, she seemed to do the gardening for me even tho she didn't have to. I think she did it out of pity. I mean she fixed up my garden when I was hurt; now she just upkeeps it.

Sam POV:

It was right before seven whenever a knock sounded at the front door. "I'll get it, MeMaw!" I shouted towards the kitchen, where MeMaw was at putting the finishing touches on dinner, before rising from my chair and going over to the door. "Hey, Brock my man, Gem girl, what's up?" I greeted my friends after answering the door. They were standing side by side, looking like a couple to me. He was holding their puppy as if it was their firstborn child instead of their joint pet. He gave off the proud papa vibe too (over a dog…).

"Nothing, just here for dinner." Gem smiled, crossing over the threshold.

"Cap called her this afternoon." Brock told me, walking in right behind Gem while the puppy under his arm wiggled around excitedly.

"Ah…" I shut the door. "You can put him down; he can't get into any trouble." I told Brock, earning me a nod before the scared man did as I suggested.

"He's on his way to New York to debrief Tony; then he'll be coming to DC." Gem informed us while Brock unhooked the puppy's leash; causing the thing to run over to me and paw at my legs.

"Calm down, my man. I'll pet you." I chuckled at the excited puppy before bending down and petting him on the head.

"Oh, my my, Sammy, why didn't you tell me our guests were here, boy?" MeMaw asked in a very exaggerated tone while stepping out of the kitchen with her apron still tied around her waist.

"I told you I was getting the door, MeMaw. Who'd you think was here, Pop-Pop from the other side?" I quipped as my elder quickly untied and removed her apron.

"Hush you." She snapped, tossing her apron at my head before passing me and hurrying over to our guests. "You must be Gem, sugar." MeMaw greeted the petite brunette with a smile and a warm hug. Pulling away, she looked Brock up and down and smirked, "And you, handsome thing you, must be Brock."

"MeMaw…" I groaned, making my way over to her with a dog at my heels.

MeMaw pursed her lips in fake innocence, only to teasingly ask, "What? Can't I compliment the fine young man?"

"Aw, MeMaw, I'm flattered, but as it turns out I've already caught the eye of Gem's spicy Nonna so I'm afraid you'll have to fight for my honor." Brock smirked, nudging Gem with his elbow to emphasis the fact that her Nonna was competition for MeMaw.

"Oh, sugar, you must get your good taste in fellers from your Nonna." MeMaw winked at Gem, causing her cheeks to flush in embarrassment.

"Um, we're just best friends. I'm seeing Cap." Gem quickly rambled in defense while Brock just stood by her with a poker face on. It was a good one too since I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Well, I can just imagine what he's thinking.

"Sure, Gem, and I'm the next in line for the royal throne of Wakanda." MeMaw cackled before making her way back into the kitchen.

"MeMaw does have a point…" I told my friends with a slight smirk on my lips.

"We're good friends, just like she said, brother." Brock told me as Gem shook her head; giving me a 'not you too' look.

"What, I didn't say anything. I just meant-" I began only to be cut off by my MeMaw loudly shouting, "Dinner's ready, get on in here so we can et!"

To my surprise, Brock and Gem were playing off their closeness every time MeMaw made an illusion to their relationship. It was clear as day that they were hiding something. It didn't take a genius inventor billionaire like Tony Stark to figure it out either. Nope…

"Oh, you know I'm gonna be a Great-MeMaw in a few months." Rolled off of MeMaw's tongue as she plopped another helping of greens onto Brock's plate, since the man was woofing 'em down.

"Oh, congratulations." Gem smiled as her brown eyes darted between me and MeMaw.

"Who's the lucky girl, brother?" Brock asked, causing MeMaaw to let out an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"I'm not having a kid. My little sister, Sarah, and her husband down in Louisiana are expecting." I informed my friends while MeMaw continued to giggle. Pointing my fork at the old lady having a hysterical breakdown, I barked with a half-smirk, "And you stop giggling, MeMaw. It ain't funny."

"Oh, it's very funny, boy." MeMaw cackled, causing Brock and Gem to just nod in agreement. "Wasn't the look on his face when ya'll thought he was gonna be a proud papa funny?"

"Yea, it was." Brock struggled to hold back his chuckle while feeding the dog some chicken from the table.

Gem gave Brock a tilted look and half-sighed out the order of, "Stop feeding Al Puppaccino from the table. It's not good for him."

Brock gave Gem an innocent look while smoothly claiming, "I'm not doing anything, baby. A crumb fell and he just happened to be by my feet; ate it."

"Honey, stop feeding him." Gem lightly smacked Brock's arm with her fork. What gave her a 'what?' look as she stated, "He needs puppy food or he'll end up fat and lazy."

Brock's hazel eyes widened as he barked out in an offended tone, "How dare you say that about our boy, Al? With me he'll have all the protein and exercise he could ever need."

Oh my god, they're bickering about raising a puppy as if it were a child. Holy shit…Damn…They're definitely together. I looked between them and over at MeMaw, only for her to nod her head and give me an 'mhm…' look.

"You know, they say if you can raise a pet together you can raise a baby." MeMaw told our dinner guests before taking a large bite out of her butter drenched biscuit.

"We're not having a baby." Gem quickly responded while Brock's brows furrowed as he asked, "What's raising a puppy have to do with having kids?"

"Old saying is that if you want keep a pet alive together then the relationship will last; you'll be able to parent together without mucking up the kid and making everything go to shit." MeMaw explained while eating her chicken dinner.

"What? Really?" Brock asked, his nose crunched up and making his scars crinkle around his cheeks and forehead.

"Well, that explains why Jane won't get a dog with Thor." Gem mused, a tiny smirk on her lips. "She's terrified of 'settling down' since her science career's taking off." She explained, as if everyone at the table didn't understand what she meant. We did, but maybe she's so used to 'explaining' things to Cap these days that she just does it a lot now?

"Doesn't she get a noble peace prize in a couple of weeks?" Brock asked Gem, even tho I'm pretty sure he knew the answer since his tone hinted that.

"Yea." Gem nodded. Turning to the man next to her, she asked, "You remembered me mentioning that a couple months back?"

"Of course, I did. Why wouldn't I?" My man asked, his brows deeply furrowed, as she scooped up some greens with his fork and stuffed them into his mouth. I don't know if he loves MeMaws greens so much cause he's originally from Little Italy in Brooklyn and never had them that much or cause he's on that strict paleo diet. Hmm…that's one hell of a question, isn't it?

"Cause what she tells that good looking Cap goes in one ear and out the other." MeMaw remarked with the wisdom of an old woman that's seen things and lived a full life.

"MeMaw's right, Cap can miss out on details sometimes." I told Brock around a forkful of food. "I think it's cause he got thawed out a few years back and is old enough to be a Pop-Pop even tho he doesn't look like it."

Gem cut her rich brown eye at me. "Don't talk about Steve like that, Sam. You're supposed to be his friend."

I held my hands up in mock surrender, fork glinting from the light the ceiling light was casting on it. "What? I am his friend, but I'm just telling it how I see it."

"What my grandson means, sugar, is that you and Cap are from two very different worlds. Even tho he's here, his mind and mannerisms aren't." MeMaw explained to Gem in only a way that a grandmother could pull off. Looking between the brunette and the scared triple agent next to her, MeMaw added in the sage advice of, "Opposites don't always attract. Sometimes someone who knows us like the back of their hand might be the best bet."

"What MeMaw's saying is that you-" I gestured between my friends, "got something going on."

"No, we don't." My friends snapped in unison.

I cocked my head knowingly at my friends. "Or maybe had something, but something's up."

"Sam, don't embarrase them. She's with Cap and the handsome commander's the 'best' friend. If that's the way they say it is, then it is." MeMaw lightly scolded me. Subtly, she gave me a wink and I knew she had something up her sleeve. Turning to Gem, she sweetly asked, "You wouldn't mind helping me clean up while the boys sit on the porch; have their men talk would you, sugar?"

"No, I don't mind." Gem politely smiled.

Brock POV:

Gem was in the kitchen, helping Sam's MewMaw clean up the dishes, while I was sitting on the porch with Sam as he held Al Puppaccino. "Man, you and Gem got one cute fur-baby." He smiled, scratching Al under his chin.

"Don't call my pup a fur-baby. No, he's never going to be dressed in clothes or smuggled in some dumb blonde's oversized handbag." I sternly told Sam, who just chuckled at me.

Scratching a spot behind Al's floppy ears, Sam shrugged, "Fine, brother, I'll call him your fur-child instead." I shook my head, causing him to ramble on with, "You know, MeMaw's right about the dog thing. Lots of couples raise dogs before kids; some even just have dogs and don't worry about the kids."

"Sam, me and Gem are good friends and she's helping me out with a new puppy. There's nothing to read into here."

"You know, Cap's not going to like that you're raising a pup out of wedlock with his 'best' girl."

"I know and I don't give a shit." I snapped, my voice edgy and rumbling.

"I try to put a good word in for you with him whenever I can, but my man just won't listen." Of course he won't listen. Cap's view on the world is black and white, no grays and in betweens. Making a goofy face at my puppy, Sam went on to say, "You were a little too good with all that HYDRA triple agent shit and he's still subscribing to it."

"But he trusts Rollins, who was real HYDRA and defected. He trusts Gem too; is dating her." Stumbled out in a deep, aggravated rumble, before I could think better of it.

Sam's brows rose into his hairline as he blurted out, "Whoa, whoa, whoa-wait a minute-you saying the Gem wasn't just Pierce's secretary?"

"No, she was my partner while I was undercover."

"What? She was an agent?"

"Not exactly, but since she had access to Pierce's files, she was undercover with me."

"So, can she kick ass like Nat or?..." Sam asked, his words hanging heavily in the air, as a curious, high-brow look appeared on his face.

"Yea, she can kick ass." I nodded, a proud smile on my face. I trained her, taught her a few things to keep herself safe. Guess that was the gym owner's son in me, huh?

"And nobody knows?" Sam asked, his face pulled up in disbelief.

"No, nobody but our handlers know." I answered, before quickly adding in the small, but important fact of, "Oh, and Darcy. Darcy and Billy know too."

"Cap don't know, cause if he did, he'd be ranting about it." Sam stated knowingly. He had a smirk that was trying to break out on his face, cause he was probably picturing Cap's rhetorical rant.

"If he knew, he'd be flashing his signature 'I'm disappointed in you' face and using his 'PSA' tone to get her to kick me to the curb." I half-scoffed as Al Puppaccino jumped down from Sam's lap, only to bounce over to me and paw at my legs.

As I picked up my pup and set him on my lap, I listened to Sam's words of, "Brock, my man, she'll never kick you to the curb. Gem, whether you two want to admit you have or had a thing, would probably kick my boy Cap to the curb before you."

"No, Sam," I shook my head, "she loves him. He outranks me any day."

"Look, I know our bullshit fight turned you into some of the Colonial's Extra Crispy Fried Chicken, but I can read people's moods; you and Gem got that Marvin Gaye soundtrack vibe going on."

"Sam-" I began only for him to cut me off with, "Brock, she flipped her shit when she saw that building fall on you. She attacked Fury and tried to take over the chopper. Rollins had to hold her back; she was hysterical."

I was taken aback by Sam's interruption. "She never told me that she saw the building fall on my face."

Sam nodded. A heavy silence loomed in the air, only to be broken by Sam's cutting words of, "She sat in my PTSD group a few times while you were in a coma. She popped in here and there too whenever she was taking care of you for some moral support."

"What?!" I exclaimed, stunned by what I heard.

"Yea…" Sam trailed off in a heavy sigh before informing me, "She told me not to tell you about going to my group, but I think maybe it's time you know 'bout that. Cause, you know, brother, it proves that you two need to communicate and fix whatever got broken when that building fell on you."

"You do know she's dating your boy, Cap? Shouldn't you be playing couple's counseling with them, not me?" I sarcastically quipped.

"Listen, brother, I'm being serious when I say this," Sam told me, pausing dramatically for a few seconds before continuing on with, "I told Cap not to pursue Gem romantically, but to just keep it in the friend zone cause you and her needed to work out some things, but he didn't listen and went after her while you were in a bad spot." Giving me a sympathetic look and patting me on the shoulder, Sam sighed, "You, Gem, and Cap are my friends; I'd hate to be torn between your romance drama, but I support you and Gem over Cap.

"Why?" I curiously asked as he went back to lounging in the chair next to mine.

Before he could answer me, the backdoor swung open and Gem stepped on outside while saying, "MeMaw says it's time for her cherry-bourbon pie."

Well, looks like pie just ended the weird moment of truth I was having with Sam. Talk about pie, upon hearing the words cherry-bourbon pie, Sam bolted out of his chair and rushed over to the door. He nearly knocked Gem over to get to the door too.

"Baby, can I ask you something real quick before we go inside?" I asked Gem, causing her to nod her head. Quietly, she walked over to the chair that Sam had just been in less than a minute ago. As soon as she sat down in the seat next to me, Al Puppaccino jumped down from my lap and ran over to her. "Gem, why didn't you tell me that you saw a building fall on my face; that it gave you PTSD and you had to go to Sam's group for a while?", I asked Gem as she picked up the puppy and placed him on her lap.

"What the fuck? Sam told you that?" She asked, shaking her head incredulously.

"He told me cause he thinks we have some shit we need to work out." I tentatively told her, hoping that I didn't get her pissed at Sam since he was supposed to keep that secret for her.

"We don't have anything we need to work out, Brock. Don't flatter yourself, I didn't get PTSD from our undercover work. I just needed to be around people when you were in a coma or were being a bastard during your healing."

"Gem, baby, you should've told me-" I softly told her, trying to reason with her, only to be cut off with a loud screeching, "Why, Brock? It's not like you could've done anything about what I saw. Shit, it was me that saw the person I was sleeping with the night before have a 100-story building fall on them, not you. You were in a coma or was too busy locking yourself in your room and hiding behind mirrored aviators to even talk to, Brock. You had your own problems; you didn't need me adding to them."

Damn…I never thought she was having that hard of a time back then. I was too angry, depressed, and wallowing in self-hatred that I missed the signs she must've been showing of distress or anxiety. As if she could read my mind, my baby girl told me, "You didn't miss anything, Brock. I just pushed everything down and kept pressing on as if I was fine, cause I had to be fine."

"Is that why you started seeing Cap? He helped you be 'fine' again." I bitterly asked, feeling a bit jealous that Cap was able to help her when I couldn't, even tho I should've been able to.

"I started seeing Steve cause he's sweet, plus he makes me laugh." Gem revealed, causing my chest to tighten.

"There was a time when I made you laugh…" I muttered out under my breath. I don't know if she heard me or not, cause she didn't comment on it. "So, you're happy with Cap?"

"As happy as I can be." My best friend answered, tiny half-smile on her lips. Looking at me, she asked in a curious tone, "Why?"

"Eh, if he makes you happy then that's all that matters." I shrugged my shoulders.

Gem chewed on her bottom lip before letting out a long sigh. Standing up with our puppy in her arms, she told me, "We better go inside and have some pie."

Standing and following Gem over to the door, I told her, "Don't hesitate to talk to me about shit anymore, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded as we reached the door. I stepped around her and held the door open, earning me a smile before she went inside of the house with our puppy still in her arms.

"I thought you love birds ran away; forgot all about my pie." I heard MeMaw tease in a dramatic tone as I followed Gem into the house.

"No, we didn't run away. The pie kept us here, even tho it's not in Brock's diet." Gem quipped right back as we entered the kitchen, where MewMaw and Sam were sitting at the table eating their pie. Two plates of pie were set on the table for us, just waiting to be eaten.

MeMaw waved off Gem's remark with a little huff in her voice. "That's nonsense. Pie's in everybody's diet." Gem set Al Puppaccino down and I took a set at the table while MeMaw said matter-of-factly, "Everybody, whether they're on a diet or not, eats my cherry bourbon pie."

Taking her seat next to me, Gem looked at the pie I was starting to eat and stated, "Considering what happened when you ate those bourbon brownies Clint's granny makes, I'm driving."

"Hey, Clint's granny makes bourbon brownies and I don't know this?" Sam asked around a mouthful of pie.

She dug into her pie, all the while answering Sam's question with, "She sent them to him the Christmas before the failed HYDRA Uprising; he popped out of the vents delivering them to the people he deemed cool and guess who got knocked on their ass from all the sugar and booze in the brownies?"

"You can't handle your booze brownies, brother?" Sam teased me as I ate the cheery bourbon pie filling. It was a good pie filling too. Just the right amount of bourbon, not the whole goddamn bottle like Granny Barton uses in her brownies.

"Hey, Clint's mid-west carnie granny but at least a whole bottle of Wild Turkey into pure cocoa powder, pecans, salted caramel, flour, and white cane sugar." I defended my lack of being able to handle those brownies.

"It was bad." Gem told the Wilsons. Breaking off a piece of pie with her fork, she went on to say, "He was as sick as a dog and I had to carter to him cause he was dead to the world. Worse, the next day he was half-sick and had to go on a mission."

"Mission was still a success." I smirked at Gem, causing her to roll her eyes. The Wilsons just laughed at us while finishing up their pie.

It felt, in a weird way, as if this dinner was some kind of 'couple' practice run for what we'd be dealing with in a few weeks back in Bensonhurst. I mean if we can joke and talk about things that happened at work, then maybe we can pull off staying with Pops and coming off as a believable couple. I mean Sam seems to think we're doing something. I just hope he doesn't voice his suspicions to Cap; I'd hate for him to accuse Gem of something that's not true.

AN:

I know, it got a little tiny bit angsty in the last scene, but I can't help it. I have to put some angst in here and there. Next up Cap tells Tony about something he found while in Sokovia, Cap visits Gem at work, and Brock has a new work buddy. I hope you guys liked this chapter.