Dallas had spent the last four days calling Steve, but to nobody's surprise, he didn't answer. Sam was certain he and Nat had gone to get Bucky out of Wakanda, but Dallas hoped he'd decided to take a scenic tour of Germany or something. She didn't want to believe Steve had recruited Natasha into going against the Sokovia Accords she just signed, and that he'd lead her into Africa to get arrested or worse. He wouldn't have abandoned his daughter. Steve would never.
Stark rolled up to the Avengers Compound in a black Audi, wearing dark sunglasses and a suit jacket over his graffic t-shirt. He didn't greet anybody as he made a beeline towards the kitchen, not stopping until Denver caught his attention. "Uncle Tony!"
"Hey Pumpkin! How you doing?" He asked the child, pulling off his sunglasses and putting them in his suit pocket. "You heard from Daddy yet?"
"No, not yet. Aunt Dallas says he is doing bad things." Denver chattered and Dallas shot her a dirty look when Tony looked to her questioningly.
"I told Aunt Jenna that he was doing bad things." She muttered under her breath, scratching her nose and looking away, "You heard from him?"
Tony pulled up a chair across from Dallas and sat on it backward, resting against the chair back as he looked out the massive windows to the lake beyond, "How are the twins? They reconsider signing?"
"Tony." Dallas narrowed her eyes, then addressed Denver, "Hey, go tell Sam that Tony's here."
"Why?"
"I don't know, it's something for you to do." Dallas told the child honestly, and Denver scampered off anyway so the woman could speak to Stark in private, "What do you know?"
He sighed, massaging his temples as he ducked his head, "Got a call from Secretary Ross this morning. Apparently, he got word from the king of Wakanda that he has Captain America and the Black Widow in his custody. They were trying to break out Barnes."
"Makes sense." Dallas hummed, picking up her coffee and sipping it slowly, "So now what?"
Tony furrowed his brows, and Dallas just shrugged in response, unsure why he was confused. "Now Steve and Nat rot away in a Wakandan prison."
Dallas laughed and Tony stood in response, "You're kidding, right? That's ridiculous. I know they shouldn't have done it, but James didn't do it on purpose. He was being controlled." Her expression dropped when she realized Stark intended on leaving them there to die, "Tony, I was in the building, I heard the announcement. Somebody triggered him."
"Yeah, you know that, and I know that, but what do you want me to do about it? We could have tried to get him back if Cap hadn't gone and tried to do it himself, like he does everything." Tony grumbled, looking back at Dallas, "I'm not saying Barnes got what he deserved, but Cap had no business going after him. Things were rocky enough between our country and theirs, and now Captain America is locked in a foreign prison. Do you have any idea how terrible that makes the Avengers look?"
"I'm not his keeper." Dallas groaned. She looked up when Denver came running back into the room, climbing onto her lap, "Uncle Sam says he doesn't care."
Tony nodded to himself, muttering, "Very nice, Wilson." Dallas held Denver a little tighter and rested her chin on her niece's head. She wasn't sure what to tell Denver about her father's whereabouts. He'd worked hard to create a team that could succeed without him so he could give Denny his full attention, and now that was all thrown away. She looked up when Stark placed his hand on her shoulder, "I'm working with Ross to have Cap transferred to the Raft. At least then she can visit."
"Hmm, great. Brooklyn is rolling in her grave. This kind of shi-atzu is why she wasn't going to tell him about Denver. He really can't stop, can he?"
The man shrugged, mussing up Denver's hair as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes, "In his defense, he was trying to save your boyfriend."
"Doesn't make it any better." Dallas grumbled, watching the hot summer wind blow through the trees outside, "Let me know what happens. We'll deal with whatever, I guess."
She watched Stark leave, knowing in her heart it wasn't Bucky's fault. She'd seen the emptiness in his eyes. He wasn't there. But she almost died by his hand. She couldn't get past the memory of him trying to rip her apart, and it appeared in her mind every time she tried to remember all the moments with him that she loved. There had been so many perfect ones, but Dallas just couldn't get passed the bad one.
The same thing happened when she thought of Brooklyn. Despite all the great memories she had with her sister, especially after Denver was born, Dallas could only remember Brooklyn in that bank vault in D.C. She'd seen how broken the Winter Soldier was there, Dallas shouldn't have been surprised that he was so easily broken again.
In the darkness of the Wakandan prison, time had no meaning to the three former Avengers. The Dora Milaje had allowed Natasha free rein of her cell to Steve's right, but Steve was shackled to the wall like his best friend locked to the left. He sat on his ass for hours on end, staring at the wall, wondering how he'd ever see his daughter again.
King T'Challa hadn't personally visited Steve and Natasha, but he did summon Barnes for his trial. Much to Steve's relief, the Wakandans took pity on Bucky, allowing him to live his days in prison instead of putting him to death. The king had sent word with his general that he was speaking with the American government to figure out a plan for Captain America and the Black Widow, so for the time being, they were stuck waiting for their fates to be decided.
Bucky lulled his head back against the rock wall behind him, rolling his shoulders to get some relief after what must have been days of being locked up, "So, are we gonna address the elephant in the room or sit in silence for all time?"
"What are you getting at, Buck?" Steve tossed his head to the side in an effort to get his hair out of his eyes. Bucky looked at Steve, then past Steve to Natasha sitting with her feet pressed together as she leaned forward to stretch her back. Steve furrowed his brows, not understanding what his friend was getting at, so Bucky sighed, "You two."
"What about us?" Steve asked sincerely, sparing a look at Natasha as she sat up straight, pulling one arm across her chest to ease her arm muscles. She looked at Steve with a blank expression, only frustrating the soldier more, "What?"
A low chuckle came from Bucky's cell and he shook his head back and forth, "You're such an idiot."
"There's nothing going on between Steve and I." Natasha informed Bucky and Steve's cheeks turned scarlet as he finally realized what Bucky was asking about. He gaped at his friend, beginning to stammer until Natasha softly asked, "Do you want there to be? Something between us?"
Steve shifted to look at Natasha, but she didn't look happy. She looked resigned, and Steve wasn't sure what answer she wanted. "You're my best friend."
"I thought I was your best friend?"
"I'm allowed to have more than one." Steve kept his eyes locked on Nat, "I don't want to mess up what we have. We're close."
"Exactly." Natasha gave a firm nod and Steve felt disappointed that she agreed with him. He blinked rapidly, reminding himself he didn't want to be with Natasha. The only woman he needed in his life was Denver, and he was currently letting her down.
He relaxed against the wall, rubbing his molars together as he stared into the darkness ahead. "Can I be honest though?" When nobody answered, Steve took a deep breath and admitted, "I'm lonely, but I can't get past Brooklyn. She's Denver's mom, but she's not coming back. I can't replace her, but I'm only human."
"You need to get laid."
"I really do." Steve told Bucky and his friend smirked, his mind clearly drifting away to his own girlfriend back home. He could have had Dallas. A part of Steve had wanted Dallas, but his conscience would never let him pursue a real relationship with Brooklyn's little sister. Plus, explaining that to Denver would have been too awkward. He'd liked Madison. He'd wanted things to work out with her, but Steve panicked. That was over a year ago. He hadn't gone on a date since. It had been two years since Steve had sex, and it had been the night before he found out Brooklyn was Hydra.
"How bout this," Natasha stood and leaned against the bars between them, "if we get out of here, I'll have sex with you. Get you out of your funk so you don't have a mental breakdown every time you go on a date."
The idea of fucking Natasha had, in fact, crossed Steve's mind before, but hearing her offer made it much more real, and the vivid memory of her pressed against him when he was under the influence of the sex pollen brought back the brief feelings he'd had that night years ago. That was the night Denver was conceived.
Denver.
Steve's daughter.
He shook his head rapidly, dropping his daydreams in favor of the cold reality they faced, "If by some miracle we get out of here, I doubt I'll be going on too many dates. In case you somehow forgot, we aren't going home with our freedom."
"You two are idiots." Bucky mumbled, and Steve shot him a dirty look that he ignored, but before Bucky could say any more, the sound of rushed footsteps came tapping down the stairs.
Steve rocked to his feet, shifting from side to side as two women appeared, but neither of them were Dora Milaje. The younger one stopped and stared at Steve with wide eyes, "Captain America?"
"Yes?" Steve answered, looking past the girl to the woman watching the stairs with her shoulders hunched and knees bent, ready to run at a moment's notice. "What are you doing here?"
"Shuri, we don't have much time. We have to go." The older of the two hissed, and the girl raised her bracelet to the bars and they phased away from all three cells. She strode forward and pressed her bracelet against Steve's shackles, and they popped open to release him before taking a step towards Bucky and pausing. The other woman groaned, "We don't have time for this, release him."
The young woman glared up at Bucky, clenching her fist as she narrowed her eyes, "You killed Baba."
"If we leave them here, they'll be used as a weapon against us later."
Shuri tapped her bracelet against Bucky's shackles to release him, and he choked out, "I'm so sorry."
"Who are you?" Steve pressed as he hovered over the two women, "Tell us why we shouldn't just run?"
"This is Princess Shuri of Wakanda, and I am Nakia." The woman explained quickly, grabbing Steve's wrist to tug him deeper into the royal family's personal prison, "King T'Challa is dead, and an outsider has taken over Wakanda."
"Lead the way." Bucky told the princess and Steve turned to him and shook his head, but Bucky murmured, "I owe them a debt. If this is how I repay it, so be it."
Steve grunted and turned to see Natasha smirking up at him, "What are you smiling about?"
"We're getting out of prison." She winked and Steve's face flushed, so she laughed loudly and led him behind Nakia as she pushed aside a chunk of wall to reveal a secret passageway. She looked over her shoulder and motioned them forward, allowing Bucky to take the lead as she watched to make sure they weren't being followed.
The young princess raised her wrist, allowing her bracelet to shine a light forward. She stayed just behind Bucky, allowing him to be the first in the line of fire should they run into any trouble. Nakia hissed and Shuri turned around, shining her light at Steve, Nat, and Nakia as the latter whispered, "Take them to the Queen Mother. I need to go back for Ross."
"I don't trust them."
"You need to. We need all the help we can get. I'll meet you at the edge of the city with Ross and Okoye." Nakia turned left and disappeared behind a pile of boulders, heading back into the palace.
"Ross?" Natasha questioned and Shuri rolled her eyes before turning and leading them deeper into the tunnels.
"Everett Ross. He's an American."
"We know him." Steve looked at Natasha, finding her just as confused as he was, "Why is he here?"
"He was shot, and my brother wouldn't allow him to die. I saved his life, but now it's in danger again. All of our lives are. Nakia hopes you'll help us overthrow the man who sits on my father's throne, considering you are the reason he is no longer around to protect it."
Bucky lowered his head, and Steve patted him on the back, urging him to move forward. "Our jet is on the edge of the Kenyan border. We have an arsenal stored. We'll fight."
Shuri looked over her shoulder at Steve, then eyed Bucky wearily before coming to a sudden stop and throwing her arm up to halt the others. "Keep your voices down! You Americans are so loud."
Natasha chuckled, "Tell me about it."
With direction from Shuri, Steve and Bucky worked together to push away the rock blocking the tunnels, then allowed Shuri to lead them towards the woods at the edge of the city. They appeared into a clearing where an older woman sat on a fallen tree, jumping to her feet when she saw Shuri. She immediately stopped and glared at Barnes, but Shuri groaned, "Nakia said they'd help us."
"And we will." Bucky assured her, bowing his head, "Your Majesty." Natasha quickly bowed her head and whacked Steve in the stomach before he had a chance to do the same. He bent over and glared at her, but she kept her gaze on the Queen. "We'll do whatever we can."
"You've done enough." The Queen muttered, then looked to her young daughter, "But Nakia is right. We need all the help we can get." Suddenly, Nakia and Ross appeared from the trees, and the Queen snapped, "Who is this man?"
"He's a friend of T'Challa's. He saved my life." Nakia explained, but Ross pointed at Steve questioningly, then looked to Nakia and asked, "Why is Captain America here?"
"Where is Okoye?" Shuri asked, but Nakia just shook her head and looked to the Queen, "She and the Dora will serve the new king. He has burned all the heart-shaped herbs. I took the last of it." She produced a glowing purple plant, then hid it back in her bag, "We cannot take on Kilmonger alone. We need help. Perhaps if we seek out M'Baku and offer him the herb, he will lead us with his army against the new king."
Steve and Bucky exchanged a weary glance, knowing they were about to walk back into war. Bucky tried to smile, but it fell quickly, and he said so quietly only Steve could hear, "I caused this. I need to fix it. But you and Nat need to get back to Denny. Don't leave her without a father for me."
"If we help you," Steve turned to the Queen, earning the woman's attention, "Will you give us our freedom?"
"Yes." The Queen said instantly, without a second thought. "What's done is done. I've lost my husband and my son, but if I can save my country, I'm willing to let you three go."
"We'd help even if you didn't." Bucky assured her, looking back at Steve, "But knowing its guaranteed makes it worth the fight, right?"
Steve nodded, blowing air through his nose as he looked behind them at the city skyline. "We'll be free from here, but we still can't go home."
"One problem at a time, Rogers." Natasha hissed, nodding towards Nakia as the woman began to lead them away from their home. "Time to go."
Dallas watched as Denver carefully brushed out Wanda's hair, pulling gently after being scolded several times for yanking too hard, even though the young woman didn't complain. The toddler handed the paddle brush to Pietro and ordered, "You brush, I get makeup."
He held back a snort as Wanda watched the little girl scamper away, but Dallas waved her hand flippantly, "I let her use my blush. She won't go too crazy, and she knows not to put anything near the eyes."
The three turned towards the door when somebody knocked, seeing Secretary Ross in the doorway. Denver darted around his legs, ignoring him as she carried a compact and brush to do Wanda's face. The Secretary of State wasn't impressed. "Are there any actual Avengers in the Avengers Compound?"
"Rhodey is downstairs doing paperwork. Vision is looking into the security footage from the Vienna incident." Dallas drawled, looking back to her book to tell the man she didn't care about his snide remarks. "Tony Stark is in Manhattan, because he's retired. Apparently he's doing work stuff, but considering he and Miss Potts aren't together anymore, I think he's just avoiding all of us." Dallas finally looked up and smiled at Ross, scrunching her eyes to show it wasn't sincere, "I believe that's all the Avengers you have left, Mr. Secretary."
Wanda looked over her shoulder nervously as Denver swept the brush across her jaw, painting her face a light peach before moving her way to the Sokovian's forehead. Pietro watched Ross warily, seeing the man's patience begin to wear thin, but Dallas wasn't afraid to sass the man. She raised her brows expectantly, but when Ross didn't answer right away, she went back to reading her book.
"Communications with the Wakandan government have stalled. We haven't heard anything from them in a couple days, and all our attempts at reaching them have been ignored. I just thought I'd warn you." His gaze drifted from Dallas, and she froze, staring at the page of her book as her vision began to blur. Ross looked at Denver, who babbled to Wanda absentmindedly, unaware of what the adults in the room were insinuating. "Perhaps I'd get her affairs in order. Unless we hear something in the next forty-eight hours, I wouldn't expect to hear from Captain Rogers again."
Denver looked up at that, knowing her daddy was Captain America and her last name was Rogers. She watched the grey-haired man leave before thrusting the blush brush into Pietro's hand and slipping off the couch to speak to her aunt, "Auntie Dallas?"
"Yes, Denny?"
"When is Daddy coming home?" The little girl asked, her voice laden with sadness. Dallas sighed and closed her book, setting it on the end table and patting her lap to get Denver to crawl up. Once the child was situated on her thighs, Dallas brushed back her long blonde hair, "Daddy went to help Uncle Bucky, because Uncle Bucky got in big trouble."
"Is Daddy fighting bad guys?"
Dallas bopped her head from side to side, letting out a high-pitched hum, "Not exactly. He's kinda breaking Uncle Bucky out of jail."
The child scrunched her brows and pursed her lips, giving the most disapproving glare she could muster, and it took everything in Dallas not to break out into laughter. "What's with the long face?"
"Daddy is a bad guy now."
"Never." Pietro scooped up the child from her aunt's lap before she could answer, bobbing her up and down as she squirmed, "He's Captain America. Captain America always does the right thing. He'll be home soon." Pietro met his sister's gaze, ignoring the way she shook her head to tell him to stop, "How about we take Cupcake for a run? Bet he can catch us?"
"No!" Denver giggled as he sat her down, and she ran over to her dog and threw her arms around his neck, "C'mon Cupcake! Let's go!"
As Pietro led the child and dog away, Wanda finally spoke, "We signed the Accords."
Dallas shifted in her chair to face the woman, noting how uncomfortable she looked, "I'm surprised."
"It was that or be deported." Wanda deadpanned. She raised her hand and red danced between her fingers, "Vision and I had a long talk about it after Stark spoke with Pietro and I the other day. We didn't want to sign away our rights, but if we didn't, we were told we'd be labeled as rogue weapons of mass destruction."
"I hate that." Dallas muttered under her breath, pressing her fist to her lips, "I'm so sorry."
"The Accords forced our hand. We didn't join the Avengers because we wanted to fight, we joined because we had nowhere else to go. We still don't, our home is in shambles. It's better to give up our freedom and have a home than be cast out and feared. At least now we have one hand on the wheel."
Natasha had said that. And then she abandoned everything she'd signed to follow Steve anyway. Maybe she didn't really believe it. "Sam warned me that they plan to approach me to sign on behalf of Denver." Dallas admitted, dropping her hand into her lap and looking at the far wall in a daze, "When she turns eighteen she can make the decision to retract her signature, but as of now, as her legal guardian, I can sign on her behalf."
Wanda shook her head, pulling her tangled hair over her shoulder as she placed the fallen compact onto the coffee table in front of her knees, "How do you feel about that?"
"I feel like the United States government shouldn't be able to casually take away Captain America's legal guardianship of his own daughter without him knowing it." Dallas whispered, knowing there were ears everywhere. She sniffled, wiping at the bottom of her lash line to banish the tears beginning to form. "Shit, what if he's actually dead, Wanda? What do I tell Denny? Where do I go with a super-child? I don't know how to help her when she gets strong and fast and too smart for me… and God forbid, what if somebody realizes who she is?"
Wanda grabbed Dallas's forearm and pulled her up so she could wrap her arms around the tall brunette, holding her tightly as Dallas collapsed into her shoulder. "I didn't want Denver to grow up like Brooklyn and I did. What if I mess her up?"
As Dallas straightened up and sniffled, Wanda reached up to wipe away her tears, "You won't mess her up, because you won't be alone."
January 2014
Brooklyn was resting against her bed pillows with Denver in her lap, reading her daughter a children's book about the Avengers. Denver gazed at the paperboard pages, staring at the pictures as Brooklyn slowly read the story, "And then Iron Man flew through the sky-" When she flipped the page, Denver poked the photo and yelped, "Daddy!"
Her mother nodded excitedly, holding Denver a little tighter as she smiled at the cartoonish drawing of Captain America, "Yeah, Denny. That's Daddy." Brooklyn pressed a kiss to Denver's temple and the child ripped the book from her hands, holding it close to her eyes to look closer, "What'cha doin?"
"See Daddy."
"I do see Daddy." Brooklyn answered, pushing the wispy blonde curls away from her daughter's face. The mother studied her baby's reaction to her superhero father, wondering how she'd react to meeting him in person. Brooklyn didn't think Denver understood who Steve was to her, because he was somebody in pictures and storybooks. As far as little Denny was concerned, the Avengers were characters in her storybooks, not real people fighting real threats. Perhaps, if Steve survived Insight, Denver could meet whoever was left someday.
As Denver flipped through the tough pages on her own, more distracted by the colorful pictures than the story it told, Brooklyn leaned against the headboard and sighed, feeling at peace for a brief moment. She knew it wouldn't last.
The faint sound of ringing emanated from Brooklyn's closet, and she froze, eyeing the open door wearily. Denver looked up over her shoulder and babbled something unintelligible at her mother, and Brooklyn carefully crawled around Denver to creep towards the closet, unsure where the ringing was coming from. She pushed aside the small wardrobe she'd amassed over the past year before finding the source of the noise from her old duffle bag.
Her breath caught in her throat and she slowly knelt down, unzipping a side compartment of the bag and pulling out the old burner phone. She looked back at Denver, seeing the girl still entranced by her book and not the slightest bit curious about her mom's nervous demeanor. Brooklyn raised the cell to her ear and whispered, "Hello?"
"You ready to come home?"
Brooklyn whipped around, looking at Denver with a quivering lip. "Yes, Sir. I'm ready."
There was a pause before Fury quietly asked, "They healthy?"
"She's doing well, Sir." Brooklyn murmured, tip toeing over to Denver and sitting behind the child as she threw the book across the room. "Denny, shh, Mommy's on the phone."
To Brooklyn's surprise, Nick Fury laughed, "Little girl?"
"Yes." Brooklyn whispered, knowing she shouldn't be telling Fury all of this, but he knew she'd been pregnant, and he knew she'd run off to have her baby. If she gave him breadcrumbs, perhaps he'd be more willing to keep her secret. "Her name is Denver."
"Hmm," Fury hummed and Brooklyn knew the conversation was coming to an end. "I'll need to send you to Belarus for extraction. I'll drop off a veil, but you'll need to go blonde so the General believes you're Jasmine. Can you get there by Sunday?"
"Yes, Sir." Brooklyn's voice broke as she closed her eyes to stop herself from crying. "Thank you for everything."
"Good luck. I'll see you soon."
The line clicked and Brooklyn allowed herself to break down sobbing. Denver looked up at her in horror, then started crying alongside her mother until Brooklyn brushed away her tears and shushed the child, "It's okay, Baby. Mommy just has to go to work. Auntie Dallas will take good care of you, I promise. I'll be home soon." Denver cuddled against her mom's chest and Brooklyn sighed, considering for the first time that she'd have to leave her daughter to go back to the fight. To go back to Hydra and all its dangers.
If Pierce found out she and Steve had a child, they'd have her killed. Brooklyn had to make sure nobody could hurt her Denver, but even with her vast resources and skills, Brooklyn couldn't always be there for her. If she died, there would be nobody to protect Denver, aside from Dallas, but what could the OBGYN do against the likes of Hydra?
Or, if they really wanted to torture Brooklyn, they'd send the Winter Soldier.
Brooklyn pulled Denver away and wiped her tears, steeling her expression to show how serious she needed the baby to be, "Denny, I need you to listen very closely, okay? Mommy needs you to remember something very important."
"Mommy."
"Yes, Mommy needs you to remember, okay?" Brooklyn repeated, wondering if she should leave instructions with Dallas… but if she told Dallas how to disarm the Asset, she'd need to tell Dallas why her older sister worked with an assassin. And if Dallas ever realized who the assassin really was, she'd kill Brooklyn herself.
Clearing her throat, Brooklyn raised her chin, looking down her nose at Denver, "If a bad man ever tries to hurt you, you have to say the special word, okay Denny?"
"Seshal word?" Denver asked, cocking her head to the side, "Bad?"
"If a bad man ever tries to hurt you, say the special word." Brooklyn stroked Denver's chubby little cheeks and smiled, "Sputnick."
"Sputick."
Brooklyn giggled, shaking her head and smiling down at her baby girl, "Sputnick. Sputnick with an N."
Denver scrunched her face, "Mommy."
"Sputnick." Brooklyn repeated again, and Denver let out a yell, but Brooklyn didn't stop pushing the child, "Sputnick."
"Sputick!"
"Sputnnnick." Brooklyn emphasized the N, and Denver smacked her hands against her mother's knees in annoyance, causing the woman to cry, "Denny!"
"Sputnick!" Denver finally yelped and Brooklyn sighed, pulling her close to her chest.
"There ya go. That's the special word. If you're ever in trouble, use that to stop the bad man, okay?"
Denver didn't answer, instead she shimmied down onto the comforter between Brooklyn's crossed legs, curling up into a ball and falling fast asleep. Brooklyn traced the curve of her daughter's jaw, hoping it would never come to that, but Hydra would stop at nothing to get order. She wouldn't put it past them to stoop so low that they'd use Steve's best friend to kill his own daughter.