Steve liked a routine. He credited that to his time in the military. He liked to wake up at the same time, go for his run, go back and make his coffee, read the paper. He kept a lot of his old school habits - including his habit of being alone. He didn't plan on being alone, but like most of his plans, what he thought would happen ended up blowing up in his face.

He found Peggy after he returned the stones. He finally met her for that dance he promised all those years ago. They dated for almost two years, until one day Peggy sat him down and told him he needed to go back to his time. It was the biggest gut punch he ever experienced. She told him it wasn't working any longer, that as much as the historians rooted for them in the textbooks, they didn't make sense as a couple in reality. She told him he'd always have a special place in her heart, but as a friend. Steve didn't beg her to give them more of a chance, he just nodded and began to pack up some of his stuff. She handed him the shield and told him she was proud of all his accomplishments from the future, and that he deserved to live out his life somewhere other than the past. Peggy went on to marry Daniel Sousa, her husband in the timeline that Steve woke up in when he only knew about one time line. It further cemented for him they weren't meant to be. Didn't ease the blow, though.

Sam and Bruce were stunned to see Steve return two hours later. He was standing on the platform with the shield he retrieved and a duffle bag of whatever he felt was important enough to bring with him. He handed Sam the shield, told him it was his now, and then left. Steve didn't have it in him for any further conversation. He was once again distorted by time. Seventy years passed while he was in a coma, five years passed for him while it was minutes for his friends who disappeared, and two years passed for him when only two hours passed for everyone else here. It had finally become too much for him to handle. He found a little house out on Long Island and decided to stay in hiding. He didn't owe the world a thing anymore, and he didn't have anything left to give if he did.

He watched from his tiny living room everything that played out with Wanda and Vision, and Sam and Bucky. He couldn't bear to take phone calls from his two friends, knowing they'd ask for his help and he didn't want to say yes, and he didn't want to say no. It was better to ignore it. If he stayed in the past with Peggy like he planned, he'd probably be an old man by now who no one would need. While his body didn't look like that, his mind certainly felt it.

It was a normal Tuesday when his routine was disturbed. He was just finishing up his shower after his run when he heard someone banging on his door. He occasionally got a friendly neighbor or two who would stop by to try to coax him out of the house, but other than that he was left alone. He never brought girls back here, when the loneliness really got to him, and he also made sure they never knew who he actually was. He was pretty sure the town's children were telling scary stories based on him and his house in the fields.

"Rogers, open up! I can't knock the door down but I'll keep knocking until you open," he heard the person yell. He felt his guard go up as he approached the door and looked through the peephole, shocked to see Happy Hogan on the other side.

"Come in, please stop yelling," Steve said as he opened the door and ushered Happy in. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Happy?"

"You need to come with me," he said, grabbing Steve by the arm and pulling him out of the house. "I'll explain on the way."

Happy didn't explain anything as they drove into the city to the newly rebuilt Stark Towers. Steve was pissed he was pulled into whatever was happening without being asked. He was out, he wasn't an Avenger anymore. He wasn't Captain America anymore. They reached the executive level and exited the elevators. Steve followed Happy into his office and noticed Morgan was playing with an Iron Man mask, wiping at her eyes and she sniffled.

"No, honey, don't cry it's okay," Happy said as he scooped her up. "Do you want a cheeseburger? I'll order you a cheeseburger. How many do you want?"

"No, I want Mommy," she said quietly as she snuggled into his arms.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

"Where's Pepper?" Steve asked and Happy looked grim. "Where's Tony? Happy?"

"Pepper's in a coma. The Extremis came back with a vengeance and it's the only way to keep her body temperature regulated so she doesn't explode. Tony's inconsolable. He's disappeared to try to figure out what's going on."

"He has a daughter."

"I'm aware," Happy said. "That's where you come in, Cap."

"Me?"

"Tony and Pepper named you and Sharon Carter as Morgan's godparents," Happy said and smiled at Steve's shock. "Yeah, I thought I was a shoe-in for that. Guess I can't compete with Captain America though."

"What about Rhodes?"

"It's you and Sharon Carter," he said, showing him the paperwork.

"I haven't spoken to Sharon in a long time," Steve said, starting to pace. "I don't even know where she is."

"She's in Madripoor. Pretty sure she's running some shady business over there. She might be the Powerbroker, but that's just a hunch," Bucky said as he approached with Natasha. "Glad to see you out of hiding."

"Well, I had no choice," he sighed before turning back to Happy. "Do you have any idea where Tony went or how to get in contact with him?"

"If I did, I'd be there dragging his ass back. I got no clue, he just left these documents and I'm telling you what's in them."

"Sharon's probably not going to come back," Steve grumbled.

"She will for Tony," Natasha said with such certainty that Steve looked at her curiously. "He was in the middle of working on getting her a pardon, and then the whole John Walker thing happened. Would have been helpful to have Steve Rogers make an appearance. You owed her at least that."

"No one would have accepted Sam if they knew I was still around."

"No one accepted Sam with you not around," Bucky said, glaring at his friend as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You sat out from the action when the two of us were getting our asses kicked by super soldiers because you were moody that Peggy sent you back after a few months."

"That's not true," he said defensively. "And we were together for two years."

"This isn't something that should be hashed out now, but we're tabling this conversation because Bucky is right," Natasha said. "I can get Sharon to come back. Sam got her the pardon for her help with the Flag Smashers. She was reinstated at the CIA if she wants that job back, but she had loose ends to tie up in Madripoor. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave there just yet."

"Because she's the Powerbroker," Bucky sang and Natasha elbowed him in the ribs. "What? Good for her."

"One thing at a time, James. We're going to break Steve's brain," Natasha said and Steve startled at hearing her call Bucky 'James.' "You've been gone for a while, buddy."

"I-," he started but felt his train of thought explode. "What do I do now?"

"What you do now is take Morgan and head back to Stark's cabin. That's her home, we're not uprooting her from there," Happy said and Steve nodded. "We get Carter here and the two of you play house until Tony comes back, Pepper wakes up, or Morgan goes off to college."

"Oh my god," Steve said as he ran his hand over his face. "Okay. We can do this, right?"

"We?" Bucky said and Steve frowned at him. "Someone's gotta watch Sam's back, obviously. He's as dumb as you."

"Alright White Wolf," Steve rolled his eyes. "Nat? Happy?"

"I'll be checking in, but I gotta run the company," Happy said, clearly disappointed by his role in this.

"I'm on Thirteen retrieval, can't promise how well that'll go even though I do think she'll come back for this. Her set up in Madripoor is amazing," Natasha said and Bucky nodded in agreement. "You think Morgan will like Madripoor?"

"Strict instructions from Tony she is to live in the cabin," Happy said firmly.

"We'll help you get settled in," Bucky said and Happy nodded.

"I'll see you boys soon, hopefully," Natasha said, kissing Bucky on the cheek before leaving.

"Are you ready," Bucky asked when he walked up behind Steve, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, but that doesn't matter," he said with a shrug. "I went from being back in the 1940s, dating the girl of my dreams, to living alone like a recluse, to taking care of my friend's daughter with the girl I loved, who is the grand-niece of my ex-girlfriend. Seems like a normal day."

"There's a lot to unpack in what you just said," Bucky said, patting Steve on the shoulder. "I know a great therapist, she's big on making amends."

hi everyone! back quicker with a new story than i expected. hope you all enjoy this one as well.