Hello wonderful readers! Here's the exciting chapter 3 where things really start rolling. It's so much fun writing this story and I hope you guys are enjoying it! THANKS to everyone who's followed/favorited and to those of you simply reading! Just so everything's clear, Max and Fury haven't let anyone except those who they trust, know about him being her stepfather. I kind of get into it in the chapter but just want to make sure everyone's on the same page.

On we go...

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel's stuff.


The Violinist

Chapter 3:

January 2014

It had been just shy of five weeks since her…encounter with Captain America and it had been easy to avoid him since he had been away on a mission the entire time. Fury returned a few days after departing to meet the Super Soldier in Bogota, Colombia with mixed news. They had spent the following weeks doing damage control to try and ensure that nothing happened to their ships and the agents on board.

Today was a busy as any other for Max. Not only did she have to keep up with anything and everything her stepfather threw at her, she also had to make sure that the New Year kicked off with full medical checkups for all the agents present at the Triskelion. Unfortunately, that included her. Even though she wasn't technically an agent, she had been trained like one after her mother's death, and Fury insisted she be cleared of any health problems. He always said, "You never know what these people bring back with them after a mission".

So, after completing her scheduled events in the morning, Max found herself sitting in the lab with Dr. Schaffer as she poked and prodded her. The doctor took a blood and urine sample, checked her eyes and reflexes, and did a blood pressure test. She was sent her on her way after asking a variety of questions for extra-good measure. Max was nervous that Dr. Schaffer would ask her something that might lead back to her night with Captain Rogers, but she got away scotch free.

With all of her tasks completed for the day, she decided to call up her best friend who happened to be in town for the next couple of days.

It rang twice before the person on the other end answered, "Hey! I was getting ready to call you. Does this mean you're done working?"

"Yes it does. Want to grab some food? I'm starving," Max asked.

"Me too. Fury had me running training exercises with some of the newbies. If this is what I have to endure when I come home, I'd rather be on a mission."

"That bad, huh?" Max laughed. "Fury probably just wanted the best person teaching the kiddies, Nat."

The redhead sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's it. So what do you want to eat?"

"Everything. I'm kind of feeling a big burger and fries," she replied.

"That's fine with me. Meet at Pat's Bar in twenty?" Natasha suggested.

Max agreed and hung up. She ran back to her room and grabbed her purse before rushing to meet Nat.

They met up perfectly outside the bar and went inside, choosing their usual booth and ordering. It felt like ages since Max had seen Natasha, but that was how it worked as a field agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. The assassin had been a part of her life since she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in October of 2001 and Max often thought of her as more of a sister than just a best friend.

"The best part of being back after a mission is the food. I seriously lived off of granola bars and powdered milk while I was in Ecuador," Nat told her.

Their drinks arrived and Max took a sip of her Sex on the Beach. "So where is Fury sending you next?"

"We're playing it by ear now. There's a ship that we've been tracking, one of ours, and we think someone's going to try and commandeer it. As soon as someone makes a move for it, I'm getting sent in," she explained.

"Just you? Isn't there usually a lot of manpower to take control of something that big?" Max wondered.

The redhead nodded and responded, "I'm going in with a small group of agents…and I think Fury said something about calling in Steve Rogers. He's been following the case from Colombia."

Max's eye widened and her cheeks reddened for a moment before she remembered to conceal her feelings. It seemed like she had heard mention of Captain America a lot more since her night of drunken passion and it was making it difficult to forget. Sure she didn't remember sleeping with him but she still had the awkward memory of waking up in his apartment alone and naked to remind her.

"I-I'm sure working with him is fun," Max mumbled.

"It's alright. I was with him when the shit hit the fan in New York last year. He's just a little too old-fashioned for my taste," Natasha remarked.

"I've never—," she started and was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone off. Max pulled it from the pocket of her blazer. Fury's picture was staring back at her as the phone continued to buzz in her hand. She accepted the call with a feeling of dread building in her gut.


The hot Colombian climate made running more of a challenge for Steve. By the time he was on his sixth lap around a small neighborhood on the outskirts of Bogota, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe. He'd been running a lot lately, more than usual, since his crazy night at the Triskelion with Max. And when he ran, he thought of her and their magical night together. They hardly knew each other but Steve was certain he wanted to see her again.

He returned to his hotel in the city and showered quickly before searching for some food. Steve hung up the phone when he had finished ordering room service and had just taken a seat on the couch when his phone started beeping.

He sighed and stood, crossing the room and answering it, "Hello?"

"Rogers, I need you to come home," the director informed him.

"But, sir, I thought-," he began.

Fury interrupted sternly, "You didn't think apparently, which is why I need you to get on the next flight and get your sorry ass back here, Captain."

Before he could respond, Fury hung up. He wondered if something had gone wrong with the mission, maybe one of the ships had already been hijacked, and that was why Fury was so angry? But from what Steve got from their brief conversation, it sounded like he had been the one to screw up. What could he have possibly done? He didn't know.

He shook his head and went to schedule his flight back to D.C. with a smile on his face. Maybe if things went well, he could see Max again while he's there.


It was late when Max was called to Fury's office. She didn't bother changing out of her pajamas—he'd seen her in them a million times. To her surprise, Max entered and froze when she locked eyes with Captain America. The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile as she took the seat next to him. Her mind was racing, memories of their night together going off like fireworks in her head; every explosion a new recollection. It was making it hard to hide her blushing cheeks from the blond man and her stepfather.

Fury stood at the window staring out into the night with his hands clasped behind his back. Steve and Max sat there in the deafening silence waiting for him to explain why they were there.

Tired of waiting, Max said, "Director, why did you call us in?"

She had grown used to hiding her personal connection to Fury when she first arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. He knew that she could be used against him if more than a handful of trusted people knew their secret. To everyone, Max was simply the daughter of Fury's dead best friend.

"I have a billion things I worry about and I didn't need anything else added to the list," he told them.

"I don't understand, sir. Did we do something wrong? The mission—," Max began.

"The mission is not the problem. I received results from a blood sample the lab ran earlier today," he clarified.

Max's stomach dropped and her hands grew sweaty. "What did the results say?"

"They said," he paused and picked up a thin manila folder, handing it to her. "That my assistant is pregnant."

She understood by the way he said 'assistant' that he secretly meant daughter. Nausea bubbled up into her throat and she tried hard to fight the urge to throw up.

Steve coughed and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Director Fury, but why did you call me in for this?"

Fury's eye narrowed and Max was shocked that the captain didn't catch fire with the intensity of the glare he was getting. After a few long seconds, her stepfather gave a dry chuckle and wagged his finger towards Steve.

"You, Rogers, are here because of the security footage from the roof the night before you left. Seems Ms. Stirling found her way up there not too long after you and you all shared some pretty potent alcohol before leaving together. Want to tell me where you ended up going?" They stayed quiet. "No? Well I can tell you. The cameras on the fourteenth floor show both of you entering Captain Rogers's apartment and not leaving until the morning."

"Sir, we—,"

"I'm not quite finished yet, Maxine," he snapped. She flinched at the use of her full name, knowing he only used it when he was really pissed. "Since you both got yourselves into this mess, I'm going to make sure you ride it out together. I hope both of you enjoy your last night in your rooms here because, as of tomorrow, you will be living together in an apartment a few minutes away."

Max gaped at her stepfather, too taken aback by everything to argue, while Steve spoke up, "Sir, I understand the gravity of the situation but making us live together is crazy. We barely know each other!"

"You knew each other well enough to create another life. And, no, I don't think you understand the gravity of this." Fury turned to Max and continued, "I expect you to fill him in on the part his unaware of. Then, maybe, he'll understand. You're both dismissed."

Steve stormed out of the office without another word. She watched him go with sad eyes, half-hoping he would have walked out with her and tried to comprehend the news they had just received. Fury stood at the window again and Max couldn't think of a single thing to say to him.

She turned to leave when he muttered, "I expected better from you, Maxi."

Tears fell down her face as she exited the office and made her way to the elevator. She clicked the button and sniffled, whipping her cheeks. The elevator dinged and opened. Max lifted her head to see where she was going and her eyes landed on Captain America sitting on the floor of the elevator with his knees bent and his face hidden behind his large hands.

She didn't move. His hands slid off his face and he sighed, opening his eyes to see Max standing before him crying. He stretched his hand out to her and she took it immediately, crumpling next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and continued to let the tears fall.

They rode the elevator up and down, neither one wanting to get off and move forward with things just yet.

It was around two in the morning when Steve broke the silence with a sigh, "We're going to be parents."


Yay! I hope you all liked it. Sorry for spelling errors and stuff. Thanks for reading! You guys are wonderful! Until next time. -KAITi