A Spark of Life Chapter 10, an avengers fanfic

Author's note! I own nothing of Marvel-verse except my OC character, everything else belongs to the amazing Stan Lee, may his wonderful self Rest in Peace, Jack Kirby and all the other amazing men and women who helped bring about the Marvel-Verse in Comic AND live-actions well as cartoon and animations. All my work and creativity put in here is purely fictional and fanfiction based on the MCU-verse. All my work here and creativity put into this storyline is purely fictional AND fanfiction based on the MCU-verse. Thank you, and have a wonderful adventure! also have a great Day/Afternoon/Night.

Chapter 10

April 9th, 2016

Bianca smiled as she walked into Peggy's room with flowers, balloons, and a few presents, "Hey Pegs," she said to the smiling woman in the bed. She looked tired. Walking in with Steve behind her Bianca set the flowers and balloons on the nightstand, letting her have a moment to look at them, to feel them, and admire the lovely floral arrangement. When Peggy smiled up at her so heartwarming and reached out for her, Bianca leaned down to the woman and let her old hands take her face in hands like she always did and run her thumbs over her face.

"Oh, sweet Sarah, you must stop growing, and your hair, it is so lovely, but I wish you wouldn't have dyed it, your blonde was so lovely-" she stopped when she saw Steve, her brown eyes watered as she looked at him and her heart filled with love and heartache, "Steve?" she gasped out with shock.

There it was, the heartbreak, the relief, the love, all of it. Bianca moved off away from the bedside to let her uncle come to her.

Taking her hand in his, Steve kissed her hand with a big smile to cover his sadness. Peggy had adorably introduced Bianca to Steve as Sarah, Stephanie's daughter, they had played along letting Peggy tell them stories they had heard hundreds of times, but still loved hearing them nonetheless. They talked for a while and laughed, letting Peggy have her gifts, and taking pictures for the occasion, her family had come that morning to see her. When Peggy's eyes drifted over to Bianca's smiling face, Peggy grew confused for a moment, then her lovely brown eyes watered in sudden realization. "Bumble-Bee?" Peggy whispered tears spilled from her eyes as she looked from Bianca to Steve, her hand gripping Steve's hand tightly as she held her hand out for Bianca. When the shocked girl approached her, Peggy gripped ahold of her hand, "Oh my goodness, I can't- Is that really you? My little Bumblebee?"

Feeling her tears roll down her cheeks as she nodded with a big smile, "Yeah Pegs, it's your Bumblebee," she whispered. She was in total shock. Peggy had hardly ever remembered her as Bianca, or her Bumblebee. It had been what Peggy had called her since she was born. Her heart was filling with excitement and breaking at the same time.

Smiling, Peggy wiped away what tears she could, "Oh my girl, you're… you're so big." Peggy told her, looking her over, but she was focusing on her face, Peggy knew she had seconds before she forgot, and it scared her. 'Please, just let me die before I forget this precious girl,' honestly, she was tired now, and she didn't know why. But she wanted to ask before she forgot. "How's Dugan?" she asked.

Feeling that choke her, Bianca swallowed back her internal wail as she forced a smile and to not cry, "Fine, he-he's doing just fine, can't wait to see you. He misses you, Pegs." She told the woman. It was something Dugan had always told her when he'd spoken to her on the phone or been able to see her in persona.

Smiling, Peggy nodded, closed her eyes for a moment from exhaustion, and blinked a few times at the two in her room, her heart broke all over again, filled with love at seeing the man there, the man she had spent years searching for. "Steve?" she asked, blinking back her tears, Peggy looked at the girl and smiled. She knew her, but she couldn't remember her name, but for some reason, bumblebee kept buzzing in her memories of a little girl crying and being lifted up onto her lap as she looked at her tiny foot and pulled out a bee's stinger, "There, there, all better," Peggy heard her voice softly speaking to the crying child.

"Hurts," the child continued to cry.

Smiling, Peggy watched through her mind's eye at the memory as she kissed the toddler's little foot. "No more tears my little bee, come on,"

She had a few more moments of forgetfulness before they had left her to rest. Steve looked over to Bianca as they left the hospital sadly. Peggy had always remembered him but had hardly ever remembered Bianca. And the nickname, he thought he'd been the first person to call her that. "She called you bumblebee," he said, recounting the moment. When Bianca smiled Steve wanted to ask further, but he chose not to.

Taking a deep and grounding breath, Bianca cleared her throat and nodded, "Yeah, she did. And she remembered. That's all that matters. She remembered me, even if it was just for a few moments, Pegs remembered." Bianca said softly, the memory of that hot summer July day in the backyard running around when she was about three years old. She had just stepped on a growing thistle that had snuck up in the yard randomly, then the bumblebee, not even a handful of minutes later on her other foot. When she had screamed like the Devil was after her, Peggy had come rushing to her and picked her up into her lap as she sat in a lawn chair and tried to deduce what had happened. When she had only gotten a pointed figure to the foot, Peggy had looked at Bianca's tiny foot and found a bumblebee stinger in her foot, and it hadn't been a little one either. Nope, of course not, it had been huge. Peggy had softly giggled at Bianca as she removed the stinger and shushed her for a moment and cleaned her feet from the yard with a cold cloth to soothe the sting. But her foot still hurt as the woman had shushed her and she had cried until Peggy had taken Bianca's barefoot and kissed all over Bianca's little toes and her now clean barefoot causing Bianca to giggle with a cheerful squeal. It was one of Bianca's best memories of Peggy.

June 18th, 2016

Her training was harder, much harder over the several months to the next year, especially when she was against her uncle. But Natasha was helping her overcome those difficulties by letting her sit in on sparring sessions with her and Steve while they trained the Avengers in the new compound, and sadly she had been forced to move schools, but she still got to see Peter and Ned, even MJ Today she was hanging out with MJ

"So, why'd you leave school?" MJ asked her broadly. She always had the persona with people, but it was just her way of being slightly defensive.

Smiling at the girl as she sipped on her coffee in the little black and red cup from the dine-in coffee and bakery they meet up in, "I'm not leaving you M, at least not entirely. I'm still here, in New York. With my family's work and all the trouble, I tend to get into because of their work, staying in the apartment-"

"What happened there, by the way?" MJ asked her, quickly cutting her off from the previous explanation, "Who the heck are you, Lou? Like really? I can't explain why, but I know you're hiding something,"

Staring at her for a moment, unknowingly holding her breath before she sighed it out and looked down at her cup, "My Uncle and my godfather was an Agent with S.H.I.E.L.D. after my grandfather died. They, unfortunately, have enemies. So, they figured, let's use the kid," she slightly explained. First, she figured she should explain the apartment issue, why she was no longer as previously close to their school.

Rising her brows at the girl, MJ hm'ed, "Dang, that's messed up,"

"Trust me, I know. Not to mention that it's really annoying."

"Are… are you… you know… Parker may be…" MJ stumbled over her words for a moment as she shuffled in her seat for a moment, she felt like she was in a hot seat.

Her brow frowning at the girl curiously, Bianca stirred her cappuccino with the little metal spoon, watching as MJ shuffled in her tall seat, "Everything okay?" she asked her friend, her only female friend actually. When MJ sighed out heavily and shook her head, the drop of her shoulders and the way she squared her shoulders back up to cover her dropping defenses.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," MJ told Bianca, taking a big drink of her ice tea.

Not believing a single word of that, Bianca smiled, "Does this have something to do with a certain classmate you may like?" she lightly teased the girl. Seeing MJ's head snapping up to look at her and the instant blush she gave before looking back into her teacup, Bianca smiled.

Shaking her head, MJ looked down into her tea then back to her book, "No," she whispered. "You're the only friend I have Lou," MJ told her.

"I wouldn't be if you just talked to him," Bianca told the girl.

"No… He likes someone else anyways, it's not worth being let down," MJ told her sadly, turning the page of her book.

Sighing sadly, Bianca dropped her head, "MJ, come on, Peter is not going to just leave you hanging like that-"

"How would you know? Have you ever been left behind? Abandoned? No, I don't think you have Bee? No one's ever left you!" MJ snapped, closed her book roughly, and slipped out of the chair, "I gotta go,"

Closing her eyes tightly, trying to force herself to let MJ stay mad at her. But she just couldn't. Releasing her breath, she hung her head, "My mother died before she could give birth, my father died about six months before I was born, my aunt was killed in an accident and my grandfather died two years later. So no, I've not been willingly left behind, M. But I have been alone, even if I do have people in my life, it doesn't mean I'm not lonely. Like a piece of me is missing that I wasn't born with. The people who took me in and watched over me handed me over to a stranger when I was ten years old, and the woman I admire so much like a mother had every intention of leaving me to run away with a guy she was in love with. But I never once blamed her for it. Banner treated her good. He just lacks the confidence. Natasha saw the best in him, and when their toughest moment happened for them, Bruce ran off, likely thinking he wasn't strong enough to protect her." Bianca told her, looking into her lap of the dark blue chiffon layered mini skirt and her and the hem of her thin, long-sleeved creamy pink knitted sweater and messed with the small piece of loss thread she happened to find at the worst possible moment.

MJ stopped in her steps to leave, listening to Bianca tell her something she had honestly never known. "Wait, hang on, I knew your parents were dead, but I just assumed you were automatically grabbed by your uncle. I never knew about your aunt or your grandfather." She admitted, walking back to the table, Bianca's head hanging low. "Hey, come on strawberry, I told you about my crap. Why won't you tell me about yours?"

Sighing, Bianca rested her elbow against the table and dropped her chin in her palm, "My Uncle is not really my uncle, MJ. He's my grand-uncle,"

Kind of laughing at that, MJ. Took her seat, "That's not possible, he'd have to be older than dirt by now," she joked, slightly laughing at the impossibility of that, "And the pictures I've seen of him- no, there's no freaking way. The guy is like thirty years old."

Standing from her seat, Bianca grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her towards the bathroom where pulling them into the largest stall and locked the door. "His name is Steven Rogers, he was my grandmothers' brother. He's who a lot of people call 'Captain America', Natasha Romanoff is the woman who's been there, like the others, as I've grown up. They are my family. And when I say S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't mean an insurance company, I mean THE Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division that was taken down a few years ago by Captain America and Natasha Romanoff including the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents who defected from Agency when they found out HYDRA was running the department." She informed the girl quietly. "When I was out for those months, MJ, I'd been taken by HYRDA, tortured, and then recovering in the hospital. I was shot," she told MJ, lifting her shirt over her ribs to show the shocked girl the scar between her 5th and 6th rib. "Blew a hole through me, it was the Strike Team who worked internally for HYRDA in S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve took down those air carriers because HYRDA's insides were planning a strike attack against the world citizens, they were going to kill millions of people that posed a threat to them, to HYRDA. S.H.I.E.L.D. was compromised, so my uncle and the others took S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA out. Take one out you have to dismantle the other. No one would have trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. afterward anyway, so there was no point in letting S.H.I.E.L.D. remain standing. But that is also why I stay out of all the conversations about it all in school because I know part of what happened considering I was unconscious for the majority of it."

Completely in shock, MJ closed her eyes and shook her head just a little, "O-okay-whoa, oh my God… Um, so-so, wait a second… Are-are you saying that… Did you die?" MJ asked suddenly realizing this was no lie, no joke.

Thinking for a moment, Bianca thought about that for a second. "You know, I actually don't know," she answered honestly. "I do know that the Doctors told them to be careful otherwise I could go into cardiac arrest from all the shock and damage. Unfortunately, my eyes are still sensitive to light-"

"That's why you started wearing sunglasses around a lot of places," MJ said with a shameful sigh as she looked down to her hands, pulling her sweater sleeves over her hands.

Smiling sadly to her knowing exactly why she felt that way, Bianca nodded, "Yeah, they left me out of all of the reports because they're trying to protect me from the media, the government, well, most of the government, and any possible enemies. I'm a big enough target as it is just being Steve's niece."

Completely taken aback, MJ shook her head just a little, "Okay, okay. Um, secret, I- I can do that. No one talks to me anyway. We're good-"

A slow smile curved her lips at MJ's shock, "People talk to you MJ you just don't find them interesting to speak to."

Hugging Bianca, MJ held her friend tightly, the thought that her friend could have been killed and she likely never would known about it. "I'm sorry Lou, about-"

"It's perfectly fine, no one knows this, and I never took it to heart MJ. I know how you are. You never mean any harm by anything. You're just terrified of being left, which is understandable after… You know, sorry, I know you don't like talking about it." She told her friend not wanting to remind the girl of her father walking out on them.

MJ watched Bianca curiously at realizing that Bianca had just told her something that Peter didn't even know yet. "Not even Peter knows this?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Bianca sighed, resting back against the stall, rubbing her face with exhaustion. She freaking hurt from the training. "No, not exactly. Peter only knows about my uncle and me being 'accidentally' shot, which was no real accident. I'll tell him eventually, but you are the first person that I've told pretty much in full about this. He and Ned snuck into my room a few days after I woke up and helped me catch up on weeks out of four months of homework. When Ned fell asleep Peter and I kind of got to know each other since the night I got kidnapped was the first time he and I actually spoke to one another." She admitted. Hearing her phone beeping, she sighed when she read the message, "I'm sorry M, I have to go. One of my uncle's teammates are here to pick me up, they came early." She told her with a sigh. She was caught off guard when MJ pulled her into a hug, a very tight hug.

Feeling worried for her friend, MJ held her friend tightly, "Bee, you're the only friend I have… Please… Please be careful? And call, and text me," MJ told her with a whimpering voice, trying to fight back her tears. She felt like she was being abandoned all over again. When Bianca's arms wrapped around her and held her back just as tightly, MJ felt a little bit relieved.

"I will call, I will text, I will video-call, and I will try my best to always answer your call. Promise. As long as there isn't a problem that keeps me from answering I will answer." Bianca promised her.

Sniffing back her tears, MJ pulled away from their hug with a small laugh, "You do realize you just made a promise that sounded support couple-ish in a bathroom." She joked.

Laughing at her friend, Bianca nodded, "Point taken,"

Walking out to Tony's car with her backpack over her shoulder, she rested back into the comfortable seats, "Hey Uncle Tony,"

"Hey Munchkin," he said with a slight grumble.

Looking at him from the corner of her eye at his tone, Bianca watched him as he drove off, "Tony, are you okay?" she asked him curiously.

"No, actually I'm-I'm not okay. We have someone meeting us at the Compound kiddo. I'd like you to stay in your room, please?" Tony asked her, looking at her once they got a red light, "Please?" he asked her again.

Swallowing back her worry, Bianca nodded, "Okay?" she answered weakly.

Forcing a smile, Tony patted her hand then took a moment to squeeze her hand just a little bit at what he was about to bring to his team. When they reached the compound Bianca saw a grey-haired well-dressed man with a cocky grin on his face approach them and shake Tony's hand.

"Mr. Stark," the man said.

"Secretary Ross," Tony said shaking the man's hand.

Bianca blinked at the man as she got out of the car, sliding her backpack over her right shoulder as she closed Tony's car door. She'd gone out with MJ to the coffee and Bakery because it had been her last day at Midtown School of Science and Technology and because Ned went home without a word and Peter mysteriously vanished yet again as he had been for the last six months. She had, sadly, been unable to go on the trip, Peter had been texting her during that time about a spider biting him, and he had unfortunately not told anyone about it out of understandable fears that he'd be taken and studied if it happened to be a radioactive spider. Bianca had definitely scolded him. However, the bite had been gone a few days later. She was relieved that it had healed and gone away after a while because she was terrified it was a radiated exposed spider, but then he'd started acting weird. Avoiding questions, avoiding her.

When the Secretary looked her way and smiled, she couldn't force herself to smile, so instead, she nodded to the man. When he approached her and took her hand without her offering it and shook her small hand, "And you must be Bianca Dugan," he said as if he knew her.

Looking at him with an expression of 'you have to be kidding me', "Uh, Rogers-Dugan. My name is legally Rogers, however, the agency and I hyphenate my last name to Rogers-Dugan even if it isn't legally hyphenated. But I am still a Rogers, as well as a Dugan, Secretary." Bianca said to the man coldly, slipping her hand from his as she turned a cold look to Tony, "Have a good day, gentlemen." And walked inside. She didn't like that man Tony had met at the Compound.

Sighing, Tony tucked his hands in his pockets as he watched her walk inside from over the rims of his glasses knowing that had definitely been a little intense.

Turning a slightly chuckled laugh to Stark, Ross nodded, "I take it she has a bit of a bite, huh Mr. Stark?" he questioned curiously.

Slightly laughing, Tony held his hand out to the doors, "Shall we?" he said, opening the door for the man. He had chosen to not answer the man, wanting to keep the kid out of this, he was already forced to involve Wanda because of her status with being an Avenger Team Member, Bianca was simply associated by family and the Team. And if he could, he would keep her out of this as much as possible. Fearing she wouldn't listen to him even if she promised him, Tony slid his finger over the side of his glasses, "Friday, make sure the kid stays in her room," he requested.

"Yes Boss," Friday responded. "Shall I activate the Baby-Monitor system?" she asked.

"No, that won't be necessary, she's a good kid," Tony said walking up the steps with Secretary Ross.

"Considering she hacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database when she was ten years old over Pizza, I'd say she's-"

"Friday," Tony stopped the woman carefully, with an easy tone, pleading her to stop. But it seemed too late, Ross had turned on his heels and looked at Tony with a grinning smile.

Smirking at the man, Ross nodded as he stared at the frozen man in the middle of walking up the next step. "Really now?" Ross asked curiously, looking up the rest of the steps then back to Mr. Stark. "Her file said she was under the care of the Avengers, but I can't find anything else in her files. Everything seems to be… Classified. Even to me. Anything to say about that, Mr. Stark?" he questioned.

Tony's vitals spiked with panic.

Linking herself to Tony's glasses, Friday continued to monitor Bianca out of safety precautions. "I am so sorry Boss," Friday whispered.

"Not your fault Friday," Tony softly answered back to the woman, just like J.A.R.V.A.I.S. Tony looked at Friday like an individual, she was a part of him, his family, like the kid, the Avengers, Pepper, and Happy. Taking a deep breath Tony sighed, "She's a smart kid, and no, I don't think I will elaborate on that."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to re-house her then, can't have a child growing up in a facility like this-"

"Let me just stop you there, Secretary Ross-"

"We can discuss this inside, Stark." He said with a grin moving up the rest of the stairs.

That had been exactly what he was afraid of.

Lowering her volume, Friday carefully spoke to Mr. Stark, "Boss, if he tries to do that to Bianca, the team will destroy him, non-physically of course… Maybe."

"I know," Tony answered carefully, watching the Secretary's back. "Baby-monitor mode, keep her in her room, locked. Please." Tony whispered walking the Secretary into the briefing room.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me. Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives…" Ross said, pacing the floors, "But while a great many people see you as heroes there are some who would prefer the word "vigilantes." He said regrettably to them, however, he understood they needed maintenance, and clearly, someone else needed to put them on leashes, if they could subdue them, control them, then they had understandings.

Irritated with this man already, Natasha took in a deep but calming breath, well, as calm as she possibly could be at the moment. "What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" she asked, doing rather well at not letting her irritation not to be heard.

"How about "dangerous"?" Ross said coldly to the Captain. He would not let this man try to intimidate him, just because he was the Captain America.

"What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" Ross demanded, nodding to have someone pull up the video feed, "New York." Ross said, looking to the screen as the feed began to play, people screaming, crying, the rumbling, and the crashing of buildings. Pressing a button, he almost smirked at the attention he had from them, "Washington, D.C." It wasn't that he was enjoying this, the screams of those who had suffered torn at him, his own daughter had been involved in some of these situations because of himself even as well as being involved in a relationship with Banner. But that had also been his responsibility. He simply wanted their attention, he wanted them maintained, on an understanding that they would have consequences. "Sokovia," Ross said, pressing the button again, his eyes drifting to Wanda as she looked down painfully. She had lost her brother there, he knew that much, but again, the next was to prove a point. "Lagos."

"Okay. That's enough." Steve said coldly. Watching for the screen to shut off, glancing over to Wanda who looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution. The Sokovia Accords has been approved by 117 countries." Ross said, setting a large paper printed Book for them all to read and sign. Letting it all sink in, Ross moved for another issue, "And it doesn't help none of you that you have a child in this facility. She will be re-housed, until further notice she will be moved to a foster home." He informed them.

Tony closed his eyes as soon as Ross had said that. 'Oh shit,'

"What!" Everyone snapped.

"Excuses me? Secretary Ross, you have no authority to remove Bianca from this facility!" Sam snapped standing from his chair, he could see Steve's heart jumping with panic in his throat, and the anger burning in Natasha's eyes.

"Actually, I do, she was adopted by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, currently your team, Mr. Wilson."

Friday binged to Tony's glasses, "We have a problem, Boss." She said pulling up a video of Bianca's quick pace heading towards them with files in hand, "Oh no," Tony sighed, sinking in his chair.

"No, you don't!" Bianca's voice shouted as she marched into the briefing room, her face red with anger. "Please, to ensure your ego remains intact when I am finished, Secretary, allow me to elaborate. You have no authority when regarding me nor my guardianship under the Avengers nor my Uncle's or Natasha Romanoff's because I was legally adopted by each and every team member, allowed by our government, better yet, it was signed and approved by the President, his Vice President, and those sworn under oath in that briefing room to keep said files as secured as possible, regarding a child's safety of course which I am assuming you attempted to access several times before arriving here, Secretary. This was done by the very people you work for. Not the other way around. I'd also remind you that my stability here, in this facility nor my guardianship is anywhere remotely associated under your jurisdiction."

Sighing, Ross turned to the girl, he admired her fiery spirit, but she was child nonetheless, and if he wished it, to get the Avengers to understand the amount of authority he and the United Nations had over them, he would remove the girl and never give her back to the Avengers or Steven Rogers. "Their activities have endangered you, a child, and while I understand you want to remain with something that is constant-"

"I was legally adopted in several secondary notions in case something like this ever tried to accrue and someone was dumb enough to try this," Bianca snapped throwing three different files onto the table before Ross. Glaring at the man who seemed just a little bit amused as well as slightly annoyed and aggravated, Bianca took a moment to try to control her own anger. However, she couldn't help it, the bastard was ripping her family apart. "Your attempts to pretend as if you are anywhere remotely concerned about my well-being is falling very short of being believable. Especially to me, considering that while I was locked in my room for the last twenty minutes due to my Uncle Tony's pure intentions of keeping me safe, likely from your arrogant Political bull-crap, I took a moment to research you. And considering the facts I found and have personally come to a roundabout conclusion regarding you personally, a conclusion that you will hear because I'm an enraged teenager attempting to put an over arrogant adult back in his place where he should not have tried stepping on in the first place, coming to an ending attempt at the removal of a child who has had a previously rocky instability due to having several family members dying or killed in accidents, which I don't believe was ever an accident, then bounced around like any other orphan in the system. I will gladly point out the facts that you, Thaddeus Ross, helped cause Doctor Banner's current problems. I use the word 'help' loosely because you did not effectively cause his Gamma radiation, no, in fact, what you actually did was fifty times worse than that. You withheld information regarding what Banner was supposedly creating, exposing him to Gamma radiation when he was under the impression he'd be testing Vita radiation on himself because he was not going to force someone else nor an animal to be exposed to something. While that man did have a temper before his exposure what you effectively created was a thousand times more, in which case become your downfall. Yes, I hacked your files, including your military records, as well as your daughter's. Very interesting actually. She's a very bright woman. Not much to say about you though. However," She elevated the word when he took a breath to likely interject on her, "I am not finished, so bite it. You, Secretary, your actions otherwise after the fact caused more trouble, especially when it came to Emil Blonsky was even less American hero nor what the Government would expect from one of their best Leaders. Like by attempting to put all those events caused by Emil Blonksy's unauthorized self-exposer after being injected with a super-Soldier Serum and pinning it all on Banner and Hulk when they had nothing to do with the events that involved Emil. I think you should have been demoted and refused your position in the Government as Secretary of State personally. But hey, what does a fifteen-year-old snot-nosed brat know about political corruption and Governments?" Bianca coldly said with a childish shrug. "I don't know, but, either way, how am I doing so far?" She asked him sarcastically with an air of anger they could all feel and likely cut with a butcher knife.

Not hearing him say anything for a moment or two Bianca looked at him with irritated shock, "Whoa, nothing to say? How surprising? According to your daughter, you always have something to say and apparently, nothing is ever your fault. Interesting turnaround." She insulted the man, "Now, as I was saying, even if you did let Doctor Banner escape in the end with good intentions, was otherwise blown back in your face as well, in which case you not only ran like a coward with his tail tucked between his legs and retired because your ego was hurt, you also, previously to everything, did your best to kill, capture, as well as destroy Doctor Banner, simply because he turned into what he did. Now, that's a bit over-dramatic don't you think? Concluding that your judgment will be seen as inappropriate in my case of safety. My mother is Natasha Alianova Romanoff, A.K.A. Black Widow, my father is Steven Grant Rogers, A.K.A. Captain America- yes, I am fully aware of your knowledge of them as well as the lack of biological relation unless you count Captain Rogers being my granduncle." She interrupted him before he could say anything, she was not going to let him get a word in inch wise if she could. She was pissed off. "Oh, yes, and just about every Avengers member in here was legally given permission to be an aunt or uncle with guardianship permission, also agreed to and signed by said President and Vice President to ensure my safety and stability. However, if anything ever happened, I'd simply go right back to my original caretaker. So, please, if you wish to be removed from your current station as Secretary of State, try to take me away from them, I can damn well say you will get more than just a little bit when dealing with a handful of certain people. Especially, when it comes to my actual Godfather, Nick Fury, and my Godmothers, they are not exactly subtle when it comes to their baby cub. That, I think I would definitely pay to see. Have I missed anything?"

Wanting to almost laugh, Ross looked over to Tony who was sunk into his seat with his hand over his face in a likely attempt to hide, "A little bite, Tony? You couldn't have warned me?" he asked.

"I tried, you silenced me, this is you eating the consequences of the repercussions I attempted to stop," Tony clarified coldly to the man with a sigh as he sat up and gave Steve an apologetic nod. "And to clarify, Secretary, I never said she had a little bite in the least, I simply chose to not respond." He clarified.

Taking a deep controlled breath, Bianca released her angry and pissed off breath to let it all go, "I will add, Secretary-"

"Oh Christ," Ross groaned. Raising his hands he sighed, "I yield, Jesus, someone please, press the mute button," he grumbled.

Chuckling, Steve opened his arms for the girl, "Come here Bee," Steve told her, wrapping his arms around the kid and hugging her tightly when she hugged him. Patting her back he tapped her arm and nodded over to Tony, "Go sit with Tony," he told her. Though, they all raised their brows when she moved for the files and swept them up into her arms with a nasty glare to Ross.

"These are mine, find your own copies, Secretary. If you can." She told him.

"You know, I will only put up with so much from you, young lady," Ross naturally warned the girl.

Looking at him as if he was only an annoying fly to her ear, Bianca gave him a look that told him she didn't give a shit and that he could eat that shit, "Really? Whoa, that is a heck of a lot more than what I'm able to deal with from you. Whoever on this God-forsaken planet could possibly think you had any patience?" she said back to him. She really didn't like him, and she was determined to make him know it. Walking over to a seat beside Tony, Bianca plopped down with an annoyed huff, when she saw the look on Tony's face she blinked at him so innocently it was almost funny. "What? I was just going to wish him luck, he is, after all ruining my family." She said loudly.

"I can hear you, Mss. Dugan," Secretary Ross said plainly annoyed.

Looking at the man, she blinked at him as she had Tony, "It's Rogers-Dugan, Mr. Ross. And I thought that was the point?" she asked him innocently.

Many of them in the room had to cough or look down and away to cover their smirking grin.

Sighing, Ross looked between Steve and Natasha, "Adopted?" he questioned them.

"She's related to my sister, therefore, she's bound to have some of my family's behavior in her, have you not met Corporal Dugan, Secretary?" Steve asked the man.

"No, I never had the pleasure," Ross admitted.

Shrugging, Steve looked over to Bianca and his heart hurt for her that she had to go through this, "Good because frankly, you're lucky Sam and she stepped in before I could have moved."

"Is that a threat, Captain?"

"No, sir, I don't make idle threats. However, I'd like to simply say something in regard to your previous statement," Steven clarified. "Bianca is my daughter, she is Natasha's daughter, the files are very well guarded that even you wouldn't have access to them because that is the level we went to in order to adopt her and make sure she was well guarded and kept safe. Thereby, every single Avenger in and not currently in this Compound took hours to discuss this and we all adopted her. She is ours. And not even your booklet can take that much away from us. Don't ever threaten to take my child away from me." Steven warned the man. However, he felt that they were just about to feel the tip of this man's fire. There was something in his eyes that told him he'd accepted this challenge and was damn well determined to get Bianca ripped out of their home and arms forever if he had his way.

Rolling his tongue around his mouth with aggravation, Ross sighed as he looked at every single one of them. "I now see where she gets it from," Ross grumbled. "Look those over, sign them, those who do not we will take as though you have chosen retirement. If you ever step out of line or break those codes of laws in place on that booklet, you will be prosecuted to the fullest. And Captain, my own little warning, if you wish to retain your guardianship of Mss. Dugan, I'd suggest you either sign that or retire." He clarified. Looking over to Bianca's cold stairs, Ross couldn't help but envy the dedication she had to stay with them. He'd have to find a way to get those files to have and get a good look at them because he'd no idea about her adoption being that secured. He had access to almost everything. Almost was the keyword though.

But nothing had continued as anyone planned or wanted to.

Tony had excused himself to find Steven when he'd been gone for a while, he was worried, the guy had left so randomly and with an expression that was... Heart-wrenching. "Rogers?"

"Not now Stark," Steve said through his hidden tears, his hand covered his face as he leaned against the back stairs' railings. He was trying to breathe through the pain. But the silence Stark gave him made him curious. Tony was never quiet, even when you asked him to be. Sighing with a painful breath, Steve sniffed and looked away from Tony staring a hole into the wall as he sat on the stairs in front of him just waiting in painful silence. "Peggy's dead." He said out of the blue.

He felt the pain himself, Tony's own chest felt as if someone had reached through his chest, wrapped around his heart, his Pepper, and ripped it to shreds. He had no words for the man. All he could think of doing was giving the man a hug. So he did. After a moment and the hug getting a little bit awkward, Tony patted the man's arm and stepped back from him. "Okay, get yourself settled, get your girl settled, take care of business, and we can... Postpone your decision. Just... Focus on your family." He told him.

"But Ross, Bianca's custody. He has something Tony, I can feel it. He has something-"

"Don't worry about Ross, don't worry about Bee's custody, I'll run interference and we can get it squash as soon as you guys are back, after Peggy's Funeral. Come on, family time right now buddy... There's just one hard thing you have to do right now." Tony told the man, he was trying to make a joke, but now that he thought of it, and now that he was trying to say it, it wasn't funny.

"Really, and what hard thing could that possibly be right now?" Steve asked Stark with dry sarcasm.

"You gotta tell the kid," Tony whispered sadly. Patting Rogers's arm again in comfort.

Five hours later

Bianca had been slightly scolded by Tony, understandably Steve and Natasha had taken Stark's side and sent to her room. She had waited there for what felt like hours until her door was unlocked, and Steve had walked in looking sad, heck, he looked as if he had just finished crying after being ripped apart and someone put him back together and painted him to mask the obvious cracks. Sudden fear flooded her, thinking that Ross had managed to get through or around the entire red tap they'd secured around her files. Had it really only taken that long for Ross to find those files and get an injunction to her already agreed to adoption to the Team? To him? To Natasha? Had she just made herself an orphan? "Uncle Steve?" she almost cried, "Did I- is this my fault? Did he really take me away from you? It-it's only been five hours-"

Wrapping her up in his arms, Steve breathed in a painful breath, as she clung to him. However, he would admit that he wished she hadn't said anything, because Ross would have found the hard way, the very hard way. Shushing her as he rocked them side to side, Steve sniffed back his heartbroken tears at what he had to tell her anyway. "No, no Monkey. Calm down, you're not being taken away from me. You're not being taken away from any of us. But I do have some bad news." Steve told her. Easing from their hug, Steve held her face in his hands as he looked at the tears rolling down her face. "Peggy's gone."

Wrapping her up in his arms, Steve almost smiled sadly at the wall behind her as she clung to him, however, he would admit he wish she hadn't said anything because he would have found out the hard way, the very hard way. Shushing her as he rocked them side to side, Steve sniffed back his heartbroken tears at what he had to tell her anyway. "No, no Bia, calm down, you're not being taken away from me. You're not being taken away from any of us. But I do have some really sad news." Steve told her. Easing from their hug, Steve held her face in his hands as he looked at the tears rolling down her face. "Peggy's gone."