A.N – Welcome to the sequel to Doctor, Doctor. If you haven't read that before this, you're going to be a bit confused. I would appreciate any feedback, thoughts or opinions on this story so please leave a review!

Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel.

Chapter One

Nadia sat at the dining table with dozens of papers strewn out before her and her laptop open. Her glasses sat perched on her nose as she sorted through hers and Steve's finances. She was trying to pay their bills, which was hard to do since they were broke. She had lost her job at the zoo after taking down SHIELD, and since the top-secret organisation didn't exist anymore, Steve was out of a job too. There were few people who were willing to hire the two of them since they usually disappeared for long periods of times for missions and they tended to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Nadia sighed, throwing down the papers and rubbing her temples. Her savings had been depleted a long time ago, and Steve's backpay from the army had helped them through the last few weeks, but it was running low. It was times like this she wished she had her medical license, so that she could do casual work through house calls, but that wasn't a possibility anymore.

To top it all off, Nadia was still working through her emotions from the battle. She had glimpsed what kind of monster she could be, what she was capable of, and for the first time she had needed to consider life without Steve. It had terrified her.

Keys jangled in the door and Steve entered the apartment, a grocery bag in one hand and a garment bag in the other. She smiled when she saw his hair sticking up everywhere from the wind and leaned back in her chair. He tossed the garment bag on the back of the couch and settled the grocery bag on the kitchen counter.

'Hello there,' he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. 'What are you doing?'

'Trying to pay the bills.' Nadia sighed again. She took her glasses off and set them on the table with the paperwork.

'Not going well?' Steve guessed, walking into the kitchen.

'We're broke, Steve. We need jobs. We have two weeks before we're going to get evicted. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be homeless.'

Steve began to unpack to groceries, mostly cheap, unhealthy meals that would last them a while. Nadia watched him, eyeing him critically for any sign that his injuries hadn't fully healed.

'Tony called.' Steve said suddenly.

Nadia raised an eyebrow. 'Random change of subject, but okay. What did he want?'

'He wants to talk. He's calling the whole team in.'

'Must be serious then.' Nadia got up from her chair and crossed her arms. 'What else did he say?'

'Not much. You know Tony. He likes to be dramatic.'

Nadia smirked in amusement. Steve turned towards her and put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. Enjoying this small moment of intimacy, Nadia wound her arms around his neck, curling the hair at the base of his skull around her fingers.

'Don't do that.' Steve murmured, his forehead coming down to rest against hers.

'Do what?' She replied with a cheeky smile. Steve closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. She enjoyed teasing him. He is usually so in control and serious, so she loved shaking him up.

'Anyway, he asked us to be at the tower tonight.' Steve continued after a moment.

'What time?'

'He said around seven.'

'Well,' Nadia dropped her arms from around his neck, glancing at the time. 'I'd better hop in the shower then.'

'You know, we're on a budget.' Steve began, tightening his hold on her waist. 'We should probably shower together. To save water.'

'That would be the responsible thing to do.' She agreed with a grin. Steve leaned down and their lips met. She hummed in contentment, pulling him closer.

Steve's kiss intensified, his tongue brushing against hers and Nadia moaned, pushing her hands into his hair to pull him closer. They were making out like teenagers in the kitchen, and Nadia was loving the simplicity of the moment. They didn't often get times like this to just be a couple, and they had been so busy the past few weeks that they hadn't been together like this in far, far too long.

A knock at the door made them pull apart, and Nadia frowned. She could sense a single person outside the door, but they weren't expecting anyone which made her instantly suspicious.

'Stay here,' Steve said, his playful demeanour gone. His tone, however, contrasted his messy hair and swollen lips and Nadia had to fight off a snicker.

He stalked towards the door, snatching one of Nadia's knives up as he went. He looked through the peephole and shot his girlfriend a confused look over his shoulder as he opened the door. Agent 13 – Sharon – stood on the other side, blonde and pretty and smiling.

'Captain.' She greeted with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. Nadia watched as the obviously besotted woman bat her eyelashes at Steve and she was torn between amusement and jealousy. She couldn't blame Sharon – her boyfriend was a handsome man, but he was very much taken and she didn't much like this tall, leggy blonde coming in a trying to flirt with him.

'Sharon. What are you doing here?' Steve asked, tucking the knife he'd taken into his back pocket. Nadia noticed that he didn't dispose of the knife and frowned. She knew that his experience with the fall of SHIELD, the secrets and the lies had made him more cautious around people, but it still disturbed her that her boyfriend was unsure of where to place his trust.

Nadia edged out of the kitchen, keeping to the shadows with her arms crossed and watching the conversation with sharp eyes.

'Well, we fished this out of the Potomac.' She said, reaching to the side and pulling out a large canvas bag. 'Thought you might want it back.'

Steve took the bag and unzipped the top. He smiled as he pulled out his shield, newly polished and repaired from battle. Nadia knew how much the shield meant to Steve. It was a gift from Howard Stark, who helped him during the war, who was his friend and who was gone now. It was a reminder of a friendship that was absent.

'Thank you.' Steve said, shooting Sharon a grateful smile. She shifted on her feet and tucked her hands into her jacket. 'Would you like to come in?'

'I don't want to intrude.' Sharon said, but Nadia didn't miss the hopeful expression that flashed across her face.

'It's not an intrusion.' Steve said, stepping aside so that Sharon could enter the apartment. He closed the door behind her. Steve walked into the living room, settling the shield onto the dining table and Nadia stepped quietly into view. Sharon was blatantly checking Steve out and Nadia felt anger flare up in her chest.

'So, I heard you got a job at the CIA.' Steve began, turning back to Sharon, who quickly drew her attention back to his face.

'Yes, well, with SHIELD gone, it seemed like the logical solution.'

'They're lucky to have you.' Steve said and Sharon's smile widened. Nadia stepped closer into the living room and Steve spotted her. 'There you are. Doll, you remember Sharon?'

Sharon whipped around and stepped back immediately, as Nadia had been standing right behind her. Nadia couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at seeing the guilty look cross the woman's face. She'd obviously thought Steve was alone.

'Nice to see you again, agent.' Nadia said serenely. 'Very kind of you to return Steve's shield to him.'

'I volunteered. I wanted to apologise, again, for the deception. Fury ordered me to keep an eye on the two of you, and living next door was the best way. It wasn't anything personal.'

'You were just following orders.' Steve said. Nadia couldn't recall ever getting a first apology, let alone a second for being spied upon, but decided to let that go.

'Yes, well…I'd better be going. I don't want to hold the two of you up.' Sharon said, turning towards the door.

'Oh, well, good luck with your new job.' Steve replied, opening the door for their former neighbour. She bade them goodbye and left as quickly as she could. Nadia waited for the door to close before she burst into hysterical giggles. Steve frowned at her.

'What is so funny?' He asked, following her into the bedroom.

'It's not really funny…' she replied, changing out of her yoga pants and pulling off her shirt. 'It's just, she's so obviously into you.'

'Sharon?' Steve asked, watching as his girlfriend pretty much gave him a strip show in their bedroom. He was having a hard time concentrating on their conversation.

'Yes, Sharon. She came here, hoping to get you alone, which she thought you were by the look on her face.'

'She came to give me my shield.'

Nadia rolled her eyes, picking a shirt and jeans from the closet. 'Please, Steve, don't be naïve. She volunteered to return your shield so she could see you again.'

'You think she likes me?' Steve asked incredulously.

'She's definitely attracted to you, by the way she was staring at your ass.' Nadia zipped up her jeans roughly as she spoke.

'Nadia, I am not interested in Sharon.'

'I know you're not, but it would help if you noticed when women were trying to flirt with you in the middle of our living room.'

'I don't really notice other women when you're around, doll.'

Nadia shot him a look, but her cheeks went pink as she pulled a shirt on. 'All I'm saying is be mindful when she's around. I don't trust her around you.'

Steve smirked. 'Noted. Now, how about that shower?'

'No time. Stark said he wanted us at the tower at seven. We have to go, or we'll be late.' Nadia said, but she still stepped closer to Steve. She put her hands on his chest and looked up at him through her eyelashes. His arms settled around her waist immediately, the curve of her body familiar to his hands.

'But we have time for this?' Steve retorted cheekily, not minding the situation at all.

'Shut up, Rogers.' She snapped before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him quickly, but passionately. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to leave Steve breathless and wanting more. He was sometimes awed by the love and passion of the woman in his arms.

Nadia pulled away a moment later, breathing hard but with a very satisfied smile on her face. She took his hand and grabbed her jacket with the other.

'Come on. We have to go.'

Steve only smiled, following her out of the apartment and down to the street. Steve drove them to a private airfield, where they boarded a Stark Industries helicopter. The couple spoke quietly along the way, pondering what Tony wanted to talk to the whole team about. As the Avengers tower came into view, Steve turned to Nadia.

'I was thinking…' Steve began.

'That's always dangerous.' Nadia teased. Steve threw her an irritated look at the interruption.

'I was thinking, have you thought about the possibility of us moving back to New York? There isn't really anything keeping us in DC.'

'The thought did cross my mind.' Nadia admitted. 'It wouldn't necessarily be cheaper, though.'

'We would be closer to the team, and I grew up here.'

'I understand. But we would also have to leave Peggy behind. Could you handle not going to see her every Sunday for your scrabble games?'

Steve was silent and they both sat, contemplating their next move.

The pilot indicated that they would be landing soon and that they should strap in. The helicopter manoeuvred gracefully through the air to land on the landing pad. Nadia and Steve thanked the pilot before undoing their seatbelts and opening the door. Steve helped Nadia down and they both hurried inside and out of the harsh wind that the helicopters blades stirred up. The others were already waiting. Natasha stood with Clint, both in deep discussion. Thor stood staring out the window, his hammer resting on the coffee table. Tony was on the phone while Rhodey spoke with Maria Hill. Bruce stood in the middle of the room, looking nervous as always.

'We're not late, are we?' Steve called, as he and Nadia made their way down the stairs and into the spacious living area. Everyone turned towards them and called greetings. Thor was the first to reach them.

'It is good to see you again my friends.' He said, shaking Steve's hand and giving Nadia a bone crushing hug. Over his shoulder Nadia saw Hill give her a nod in greeting.

Natasha was close behind, giving Nadia and Steve a hug each. She hadn't seen them in weeks as she worked to find another cover after she blew all of hers. It seemed she was on more stable ground with the US government though, as she had been in the country for a few days.

'You changed your hair.' Nadia noticed, referring to Natasha's curly red locks. The spy had taken to straightening her hair as of late, but perhaps she didn't have time to iron out her natural waves anymore.

'I like this jacket.' Natasha replied, eyeing it critically.

'Thanks. It's yours.' Nadia said and the two friends grinned at each other.

'Hey Cap,' Clint said, coming over to shake Steve's hand and give Nadia a hug. He smiled at her warmly, and Nadia's chest filled with emotion. It felt good to be back with her family and friends again.

'Alright, my turn to hug the golden couple.' Tony pushed his way in and took Nadia into his arms in a rare show of affection. He'd called her after he'd seen what had happened at the Triskelion, demanding to know if she was alright and if she or Steve needed anything. He pretended he was aloof and didn't care, but Nadia knew he had a big heart.

'Good to see you, Cap. You're looking good for a man who died for nothing.' Tony shook Steve's hand, adding in a snarky comment just for good measure. Steve merely pursed his lips, unimpressed.

'Not for nothing.' He replied seriously, and Tony took a step back.

'Well, pizza is on the way. I already ordered, so if you guys don't like it, you can suck it up because it's free food.' Tony gestured to the plush couches. 'Please make yourselves at home.'

They all moved as one to the living area, taking their seats and chatting as they went. It felt good to connect with her old team again, and for the first time in a long time, Nadia felt she could relax, joke around and have fun. These people knew her, trusted her, and she enjoyed their company. Thor told them about how he had been adapting to life on earth, how his girlfriend Jane was teaching him to use things like the internet and the microwave. Rhodey spoke about how the governments of the world were scrambling to regain some kind of control and order after the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA. Once the pizza arrived, Steve told the entire story of what went down the day SHIELD fell, including the fact that the Winter Soldier was Bucky.

'Damn,' Rhodey shook his head, 'That is all kinds of messed up man.'

'Do you have any leads?' Bruce asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs, pizza in hand.

'Just what Natasha gave us. We haven't been able to find much.' Nadia replied with a sigh, throwing a pizza crust back into the box. 'We've only just started looking though. We're not giving up.'

'Just be careful. A guy like Barnes has survived this long by being smart. He won't be easy to catch.' Tony cautioned.

'Neither will all those HYDRA agents that got away. It's going to take months for the agents SHIELD has left to track everyone down.' Hill said, trying to scoop the melted cheese into her mouth.

'Which is why I called you all here.' Tony said, throwing his napkin down and getting to his feet. He tapped a small, glass tablet on the palm of his hand as he spoke.

'Here we go.' Clint muttered.

'When our dear Black Widow here dumped all of HYDRA's secrets onto the internet, JARVIS alerted me to some information that I thought might interest you all.'

Tony flicked his wrist and a hologram of a sceptre appeared, the glow of the stone casting a blue light over the people gathered. Thor leaned forward with a deep frown.

'Loki's sceptre.' He said, his deep voice troubled.

'SHIELD is in pieces and nobody is going to be able to handle the kinds of threats that HYDRA will undoubtedly produce. Especially if they have that sceptre.' Tony said, eyes solemn.

'Not just the sceptre, all kinds of alien tech they gathered from the invasion.' Natasha added.

'So, what's the plan, Stark?' Nadia asked, trying to get to the point.

'We get the band back together, take down HYDRA, put the bad guys away.' Tony surmised.

'Just like that?' Bruce asked, looking around the room for some support.

Thor immediately got to his feet. 'The power of Loki's sceptre cannot remain in the hands of mortals.'

Natasha stood up slowly and turned her head towards Tony. 'I'm in too.'

'I suppose someone needs to watch your back.' Clint joked, standing up beside Natasha and nudging her shoulder jokingly. She shoved him back and he fell over the couch with a muffled grunt.

Nadia glanced at Steve and she saw a determined glint in his eye, one that she knew well. He had made up his mind and he would not be deterred. He raised his eyebrows at her, asking a silent question. Nadia knew that they had to do this, that this was part of the fallout from the mess they created. They had to do their part to make it right. She nodded at him and they rose to their feet together.

'We're in too.'

'Oh goody. The golden couple is joining us.' Tony groaned.

'You asked us here, remember?' Steve snapped and Tony just rolled his eyes. All eyes turned to Bruce, who sat nervously wringing his hands.

'I don't know guys. Having the Hulk in an active battle zone isn't the best idea.'

'You were in a battle in New York not that long ago, Bruce.' Natasha reminded him.

'We were fighting aliens, not humans. The Hulk didn't have to restrain himself. When you're fighting humans it's different.'

'We can work on your control, Bruce,' Nadia offered, going to sit with him and putting a hand on his shoulder. 'We can do it together, as a team. We'll figure it out. We won't let you hurt anyone.'

'We promise.' Steve added for good measure.

Bruce still seemed unsure, but after he looked around at the faces in the room, he sighed, giving in. 'Okay, okay. I'm in too.'

Tony clapped his hands together, rubbing them in excitement. 'Excellent. Your apartments are all ready to go. You can all move in tomorrow.'

'MOVE IN?!'