Chapter 21
Ranger gave Ram and Valerie a few days off work to spend time with their family. I was surprised when Peter's grandparents suggested keeping him for a few days until all the kids return to school. Ram spoke to the principal to explain the circumstances. He immediately understood since Mary Alice's kidnapping made national news.
I sat in my suite with my head resting in my hands. If the kidnapping made national news, then everyone knows I have abilities. The world isn't supposed to discover my abilities until I maintain control. I single-handedly ruined all the progress the Avengers made in the last few years.
"Mrs. Rogers," JARVIS interrupted. "Mr. Rogers requests entry into your suite."
"Permit Steve to enter in precisely five minutes," I stated.
"As you wish," JARVIS replied as he set the clock to countdown the seconds. I didn't want to speak to anyone. There's a reason I locked myself into my room.
"I'm surprised nobody attempted to override the protocol," I mumble. I concentrated and reached my mind out to Steve. His tenor was easy to find. We have a strong soulmate bond which enhanced my connection to him on every plane. The clock only showed a few seconds left on the timer. Reaching my mind out to Steve, I thought, "Only you."
Steve was at my side within a second of entering the room. "She said only me, Nat," Steve said over his shoulder. He shouted orders to JARVIS to replace my protocols. "JARVIS, tell Ms. Romanoff to seize her attempts to override protocols," Steve stated. My husband lifted me onto his lap. I shifted my position until I was straddling his thighs.
"Sorry for locking you out. I needed the few minutes to myself," I say as I touched our foreheads together.
Using his thumbs, Steve gently lifted my face to look into my eyes. "Sweetheart, you fought like a warrior. Batroc can't hurt us anymore because of you. Bucky and I owe you our gratitude," Steve said.
"What if I missed and hurt one of the children?" I asked as a shudder rippled throughout my body. So many people could have died from my carelessness. There's a reason we should follow the rules and protocols. Earlier today, I followed neither. Ranger gave me temporary leave to keep me out of the field. In one split second, I proved why his restrictions are in place.
"You didn't miss. The children are fine, and I doubt you would've hurt them. Sam is talking to them about what they witnessed," Steve gently replied. "None of the children are traumatized. They seem impressed you blew up the bad guy."
"The media?" I asked. JARVIS turned on the TV to the current news feed. The caption at the bottom of the screen referred to me as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. "I thought I shook off that nickname," I groaned. We listened to the account of our activities in the park. They stopped the video just shy of the explosion. The anchorman kept referring to me as Bombshell.
"We needed an Avengers name for you," he stated. Anything but Bombshell or Bomber would have been ideal. Steve gently kissed my lips. His lips moved across mine a few times before he deepened the kiss.
It didn't take much for us to get carried away. I rocked into Steve, rubbing my sensitive core against his growing erection. "I need you, Steve," I moaned. He pushed into me as he captured my lips. Where did my clothes go? I have no recollection of Steve removing our clothes.
"Steph," Steve moaned as we climaxed together. Every time gets better. At some point, we'll hit the ceiling of satisfaction. I'm praying that never happens.
"Thank you, Steve," I whispered against his lips. My wonderful husband anticipated what I needed at that moment. "We need to meet with the team."
"I know. We need to discuss your training and your future with the Avengers," Steve added.
"Wanda needs to help me too," I stated. "She can teach me to control my powers."
"You're already in control of your powers. Perhaps Wanda could teach you how to manipulate your explosive energy into protective energy," Steve suggested. He gave me a lot to think about regarding my abilities. If I could convert the energy into a shield, I could protect my friends and family from potential harm. Steve and I took a shower together, where we made love again.
"Darling, we forgot to use condoms," I suddenly remembered. Until I could fully control and understand my powers, I didn't want to risk having a child.
"We're in this together. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen," Steve replied as he kissed me tenderly. "I love you, Stephanie Rogers. If for some reason you got pregnant today, we'll manage."
Speaking of babies, I wonder if Valerie heeded my advice. If Ram didn't use protection, Valerie would get pregnant soon. Only time will tell. I could smell the pheromones her body released on the day she married Ram. It wouldn't surprise me if Bucky, Steve and Bruce could smell them too.
"We can," Steve whispered as we left our suite.
"If we can smell the pheromones, could we also know when I'm fertile?" I wondered.
"I'm not sure. The super serum enhances everything," Steve replied. "I wouldn't be shocked if your pheromones are also enhanced. When did you receive the last birth control injection?"
"Um. Last month, but I can feel it starting to wear off. I'll have Bruce or Bobby give me another shot. I want to control my powers before having children," I reminded him.
"Okay. Let me know when you're ready for children," he stated.
Tony was waiting for us outside the door. "I gave you a training room," Tony said. "Bombproof. Everything within the room is replaceable. You are not."
"Awe, Tony. Thank you," I replied as I blinked back the tears threatening to fall. "I knew you loved me."
He gave me an awkward hug and said, "Let's not make it a thing."
"Sorry, Tony. It unquestionably is a thing," I joked. We entered a massive gym across the hall from the other one. I was impressed with the equipment Tony selected for me to use. Thor, Bucky and Bruce were inside the room using the machines.
"Hey, Doll," Bucky greeted. "Care to join me?" He pointed towards the sparring ring. I shrugged and followed him. Bucky lifted me into the ring before I could climb over the ropes.
"Let your anger roll throughout your body as you spar with Bucky," Bruce advised. "As you feel the anger build, embrace the emotion, then think happy thoughts about Steve and your family. It will help you control your innate reactions to anger."
Bucky used various methods to invoke my anger. I managed to control my irritation until Bucky mentioned how Helen revealed our location to Steven Sutton. "He used Mary Alice to get to you and Cap. His plan almost worked until you exploded the boss," Bucky kept cajoling me.
I recalled my exhilaration when I found Mary Alice hiding in the tree. The energy buildup in my body became malleable. It was easier to control the energy surging throughout my body. I heard Wanda speaking inside of my head, "You've got it, Steph. Now, let the energy become your protector instead of a weapon. Let it radiate from your skin to encase you and Bucky." I felt Wanda enter the room with someone else.
My mind concentrated on Wanda's instructions, temporarily blinding me from my surroundings. The energy was easy to manipulate as Wanda walked me through the process. I pushed the power from my body to protect Bucky and me. Various items hit the shield. Thor's hammer temporarily disrupted the guard, but I was able to strengthen the protection around us.
"We're done for the day, Steph. Well done," Wanda stated.
Practicing my shield energy was more exhausting than the physical training portion. "Do you ever get used to it?" I asked Wanda.
"Using your mental energy is always more exhausting than expelling physical energy," Wanda replied. "It eventually gets easier. Don't overdo your training. Push yourself a little farther each day, but not to the point where you feel your energy slipping." I wasn't quite sure what she was saying. "Let me show you," she said as I felt her memories go through my mind.
Wanda shared a painful part of her past. She was trying to protect too many people and lost control of her powers. "Do you feel where I slipped?" Wanda asked in my mind.
"Yes. You tried to save that mother and baby, but you didn't have enough energy to push them to safety. I felt you push the others into the path of destruction," I answered. "I'm sorry for your loss, Wanda."
"They weren't family," she said out loud.
"I know, but they lived in your city. You felt the loss all the same," I kindly said as I approached her. "It's okay to grieve their loss. You'll find crying to be quite cathartic."
"Thank you, Steph," Wanda whispered as she hugged me.
I finished the weight training portion of my exercise routine. Bucky and Bruce gave me exercises to strengthen my legs. At first, I felt my legs burn. After I stopped using the leg machine, I felt a strange sensation run through my legs. "Steve, Bucky, when you overexert your muscles, do you feel a strange sensation go through the muscles?" I asked.
"It was the case for me," Bucky answered. "I still feel that sensation after exercising."
"Me too," Steve added. "It helps to run as the lactic acid drains from the muscles."
Steve, Bucky and I competed to see who could run the farthest in 10 minutes. I wasn't surprised when Steve beat Bucky and me by a quarter of a mile. "I'll get you next time," I told Steve.
"Of that, I have no doubt," he replied.
We returned to our apartment to shower for the second time today. Once again, we got carried away and forgot to use protection. "Darling, we're playing with fire," I said as he wrapped a towel around me.
"Did you get the injection?" he asked, knowing I didn't.
I rolled my eyes before replying, "You know I haven't had the opportunity." It didn't take too long for us to dress and meet the guest I sensed in our suite.
Bruce saved me the trip to the medical floor. He was waiting in our living room with the syringe. "I'm sorry for invading your space. If the serum in your body works at the same speed as Steve's, your birth control injection should be wearing off by now. I need a blood sample to test for pregnancy before I can give you the next injection," he explained.
"How long will it take for the results?" I asked.
"Two minutes, Mrs. Rogers," JARVIS replied. I patiently waited for Bruce to collect the small sample. JARVIS started the timer as he processed the blood. "Not pregnant," he announced when the timer sounded.
"I need you to expose your hip," Bruce stated as he approached me with the needle.
After pulling down my pants a little, Bruce gave me the next dose. "Thank you, Bruce. I appreciate you coming here to handle this for us."
"I'm glad to help, Stephanie. We'll need to test your blood weekly to check the hormone levels. It would help to know how fast the serum metabolizes the birth control injection," Bruce stated. "If you and Cap are waiting to conceive, we need to keep on top of this."
Valerie was waiting in the cafeteria for us to arrive. She called my name when I entered to grab lunch. I walked towards her, but Val met me halfway. We weren't ones to hug, but I felt she needed the extra comfort. "Thank you for finding my baby," Valerie cried into my shoulder.
"I'm glad I sensed where Mary Alice was situated," I said. "She managed to engage her trackers to help us narrow down her location."
"Ranger said you knew where she was before her trackers came online," Valerie stated. "Mary Alice said her arm broke when she jumped from the back of Steven's motorbike." Valerie was experiencing difficulty organizing her thoughts. It's like she was trying to connect all the pieces, but she was missing some information.
"Come with me," I said as I pulled Valerie to the empty corner of the cafeteria. I sat beside Valerie and held her hands. "Val, I found Mary Alice in the same tree I hit when I had my first accident. Mary Alice told us she knew it was the site of my first accident. Something told her to jump off the bike at that exact spot. Instinct guided her to climb the tree with a broken arm. She knew Steven would be looking behind the brush along the road. As we viewed the maps of the roads leading to the upstate warehouses, I knew where to find her. When we assembled, her trackers confirmed the location I indicated. Your daughter has my spidey sense. If we train her, she could use the skills to help protect our family. Talk to Ram. We won't train her without your permission."
"Mary Alice will want training," Valerie stated. "But you're right. It's a decision both Jacob and I need to make together. Thank you for telling me everything, Steph."
"If our roles get reversed, I hope you would extend the same courtesy," I said.
"Of course. You're a great sister, Steph. I'm happy to be here with you," Val confessed before hugging me again. "I love you, Steph."
"I love you too, Val," I reciprocated. I watched Valerie return to her family. Mary Alice smiled at me and waved the fingers on her broken arm. Angie blew me a kiss as I walked past the table.
"I'm proud of you, Steph," Steve said as I took my seat next to him.