A slightly smaller chapter for everyone. Some warning about characters having panic attacks and doctors being rude/inconsiderate.

Tony was the first to wake up from their nap. Slipping quietly out of bed he headed down to the common floor. Jarvis had ordered a large fruit platter along with a meat and cheese tray for them to snack on before dinner. His son had even turned on the coffee pot and kettle. Tony brought down a few mugs and got the tea bags and hot chocolate mix before pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Phil was the next person to join him, and Tony was glad to see the other man. He waited until Phil had gotten himself a cup of coffee before gesturing for the other alpha to join him. "Phil," Tony said quietly instantly getting his attention. After all, it wasn't often Tony used their first names. "I think we need to talk."

Nodding, Phil followed Tony to the small breakfast nook. "I think you're right," Phil slumped into the chair. "I've messed up."

Tony looked the other alpha over, trying to decide how to do this. "I think I'm going to be harsh and straight to the point," Tony paused and waited for Phil to nod. "You fucked up. You need to find the right balance with Clint, and you haven't. You're being an over-controlling alpha when you need to back off and you haven't been there when your omega needs you."

Phil looked a little confused and took a sip of his coffee to think. "What do you mean?"

"The thing with the soda. You removed all his pop from the fridge and ordered him to drink more water. Not cool. The only time you need to step in regarding your omega's diet is when the doctor asks you to, and I know Clint is fine."

"That was always the hardest part of looking after Stevie," Bucky said as he entered the kitchen and helped himself to the coffee. Heading over he gestured to the open seat and waited for Tony to nod his approval before sitting. "Now, it was a hell of a lot harder when we were kids than it is now. We couldn't let anyone find out Steve was an omega 'cause they'd come and take him away to a brothel, or worse. I had to balance looking after my omega without looking like I was looking out for an omega. I had to work nearly eighteen hours a day to afford rent, turn on the gas in winter, Stevie's medication, putting money away for emergencies, and food. If we were lucky, we got meat twice a week."

"That must have been hard on you," Tony knew that growing up in during the Great Depression would have been hard, but it seemed different hearing about it.

"I guess," Bucky just shrugged. "The hard part was keeping Steve alive. It was hard letting my omega go out and start fights we both knew he was going to lose. The balance came with him knowing that no matter how big a fight he started I would always be there to end it and pick him up. I made sure that the fight was finished, Steve taken home and bandaged, fed, and cuddled before letting him have it for fighting again."

Phil nodded slowly. "Okay, so I need to back off when it comes to day-to-day things."

"Yes," Tony got up and poured himself more coffee then brought the carafe back over and poured more for the other two before returning it so Jarvis could make another pot. "Do you ever stand up for him at SHIELD when Rumlow opens his mouth?"

"No," Phil hung his head. "I've never heard Rumlow, or any others speak poorly of Clint."

"Has Clint ever told you about it?" Tony asked.

Phil thought about it for a few moments. "I'm not sure. He may have mentioned a few incidents, but that was ages ago."

"He probably stopped mentioning anything when you never did anything about it," Bucky said. "Your omega doesn't think he can rely on you to back him up."

"Oh, God." Phil let his head bang against the table. "I've really fucked up."

"Has Clint asked for anything else?" Tony shared a concerned look with Bucky over Phil's head.

Phil moaned and shook his head against the table. "Yes. He's been asking for children for a while. I've always said that it was too dangerous for us to have kids." Phil raised his head and looked at Bucky. "What would you do if Steve wants kids?"

Bucky smiled and looked at Phil. "When Steve gets pregnant, he will be taking a two-year break from being Captain America, from the moment I smell the change. Afterwards, I'm sure that we can manage to find someone to stay behind to watch the children, even if that has to be me."

"Two years!" Phil exclaimed looking at Bucky in horror. "You would bench Captain America for two years."

"Every time."

"That's disgusting," Clint exclaimed from the doorway. "You have no right to force Steve from the field!"

"Actually, I do," Bucky said quietly. "Steve is my omega and as his alpha, it is my responsibility to protect and care for him. Even if he doesn't like it."

"Typical alpha behaviour," Clint scoffed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "They always think they know best and can order us omegas around whenever they want."

Bucky looked to Phil, fully expecting the other alpha to take control of his omega. Only Phil didn't look like he was going to do anything. Sharing a look with Tony, Bucky waited for the pack alpha to give his permission for the other alpha to step in. It was considered improper for another alpha to discipline another's omega unless their pack alpha gave permission. Tony considered for a moment, Bucky had experience dealing with impulsive omegas and Phil clearly wasn't up to the task. Looking over at Clint, Tony glanced back and nodded at Bucky.

Standing, Bucky quickly made his way over to Clint and reached up with his flesh hand to pinch the back of the omega's neck causing the omega to go limp. Not many people knew about that point these days. Scruffing omegas went out of style in the seventies, but it had been common practice when Bucky and Steve were kids. "That's enough omega. It is an alpha's place to look after their omega. It's unfortunate that your alpha hasn't been looking after you properly but that doesn't give you the right to act like an errant pup." Giving Clint's neck one more gentle shake Bucky let go and headed back to his coffee.

"So," Tony decided to ignore Clint for now. "Two years?"

Bucky picked up his coffee and took a sip, "two years will keep them both safe through the pregnancy then give Steve and the pup enough time to properly bond and give Steve plenty of recovery time." He put his coffee down and looked to the kitchen door where Steve was standing with Ștefana in his arms. "Maybe, if everything is going alright then I may let him off after a year and a half."

"That sounds fair," Steve made his way over and forced himself into Bucky's lap, stealing the alpha's coffee while Ștefana cuddled into her parents.

Tony nodded, "I agree. This is a good plan, especially if Bucky decides to join the team. We can also look into bringing more people onto the team. Like Steve's friend Sam. He would make a good Avenger."

"There's that Spider-Man over in Queens," Steve suggested. "I've watched a few videos of his rescues online and he seems alright. Needs some training and a proper outfit, but he could be a good addition to the team."

"I'll look into that," Tony got up with his cup and held out his hand for Buckys. Taking the empty cup, he headed for the kitchen. "Jarvis, can you find all the videos on this spider-man for me?"

"Of course, Sir. Also, the food has arrived and is on its way up. I have already notified Doctor Banner and Prince Thor and they are on their way up."

"Thanks, Jarvis." Tony quickly poured two cups of coffee, a bottle of water, and a juice box. Balancing it all carefully he made his way back to the others. Bucky took the juice and water, passing them to Ștefana and Steve before gratefully taking the coffee for himself. "Food's here."

Steve got up and pulled Bucky along with him while Ștefana slipped to the floor. The omega led the way to the large dining room table. Steve settled Ștefana on the special chair Pepper had bought for her and took the seat to her left while Bucky took the seat to her right.

Tony and Pepper sat beside Steve and when they arrived Bruce and Thor sat beside Bucky, both couples wanting to protect the small family from the rest of the pack. Dinner was thankfully quiet; everyone was too tired to talk. As soon as the food was gone, the others scattered back to their personal floors, leaving the small family with Steve's parents.

"Jarvis and I have a couple of quick questions before you head up," Tony told them once they were alone. "We're working on the paperwork for Ștefana so that once we're ready to go public there will be no questions or issues."

Bucky and Steve nodded, understanding the need to have as much done beforehand as possible. "What did you need to know," Bucky asked.

"What is her full name?"

"Ștefana Rebecca Barnes."

Steve looked up at his alpha smiling. "Barnes huh?"

"Of course," he smirked. "What else would I name our child?" Steve just rolled his eyes and went back to playing with Ștefana and his mom.

Tony chuckled, "do you know when she was born?"

"No. I think she may have been around seven months when I was given her, but I know the docs said she was aging faster than normal. I think she may be around two but seems closer to five."

"Okay," Tony thought for a moment. "I think we may want to wait and see what the docs find. If she is aging faster, we'll want to see if they can either slow it down or stop it completely. Do either of you have an idea for what date you want to use as her birthday?"

Bucky thought about it for a moment then smiled. "What's today?"

Tony nodded with a smile of his own, "May fifteenth."

"That sounds like a good birthday. What do you think Stevie?" Bucky turned to look at his omega who smiled back at him.

"I think today is a wonderful day for her birthday. Though, if you don't need anything else, dad, we'll head back to our floor and get some more rest."

"Good idea kiddo. I think I have everything I need for now. Anything else can wait until tomorrow." Tony hugged Steve and offered Bucky a handshake. "Good night."

Steve took Bucky and Ștefana back down to his floor, though now that he considered it, it was their floor now. Cuddling up on the couch Steve asked Jarvis if he could put on a movie for them. Jarvis put on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, making Steve snicker. The omega remembered when the movie had come out. He had been so very excited to see what Mr. Disney had done so Bucky had taken Steve to see it, multiple times. The alpha had gotten so sick of the movie he had sworn never to watch it again.

Bucky watched the first twenty minutes of the movie feeling a tingle in the back of his mind. He had felt this before when encountering something from his past. He must have seen this movie before. It took until Snow White was cleaning the cottage for the memories to come back to him. Stevie had been so excited to see a full-length animated feature, so Bucky had taken him. And then again, and again, and again. Turning his head, Bucky glared at Steve for making him watch this movie yet again.

Feeling his alpha's glare Steve turned and shrugged. 'I didn't choose this,' he muttered. 'I'm sorry.'

"You can make it up to me later."

"Shh Tate," Ștefana poked Bucky in the side. "I'm watching. It's pretty."

Bucky laughed and pulled her close. "You know your Ma can draw like that?"

Ștefana perked up and twisted to look up at her Ma. "Really?" Steve just nodded. "Can you teach me?"

"I would love to Mo Réalta." (My Star)

After breakfast, the next morning Tony guided his son's family down to the med bay. He wanted to make sure both Bucky and Ștefana were physically healthy before subjecting them to the shrinks. Dr. Cho and her people were waiting for them. Seeing the group of people in lab coats made Ștefana and Bucky freeze up. While Bucky knew that they were only regular doctors, people in white lab coats made him squirrely. Beside him, Ștefana was panicking.

Grateful to have something to focus on besides his own panic, Bucky knelt and gathered his daughter up into his arms, holding her close. Seeing the panic, they were both going through, Steve stood in front of his family and glared at the doctors. "Please take off the lab coats."

"Captain Rogers, there is no need for that," one of the doctors scoffed.

"Get out," Steve told him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said. Get. Out. As for the rest of you, I am asking politely for you to remove your lab coats as they are causing the panic attacks."

"Of course, Captain," Dr. Cho quickly reassured him while removing her coat. Gesturing for the others to follow suit, she took the lab coats and put them into a closet, closing the door firmly behind her. "I do apologize. I should have thought of that. Is there anything else we should avoid?"

"Dental chairs, or anything that looks like one," Steve supplied. "Also know that we'll do the exams one at a time, but all three of us will be present for the entire time." Dr. Cho looked like she was about to protest, but Steve glared at her and let out a low growl. "I will not be leaving them."

"Very well," Dr. Cho sighed and gestured for them to follow her. "Let me know if anything else needs to be removed. I will tell you everything that I am doing before I do so. Who would like to go first?"

Bucky passed Ștefana over to Steve and squared his shoulders. "I will."

"If you would sit on the bed here Sergeant. I will begin with taking your blood pressure, could you roll up your sleeve please?" She waited for Barnes to roll up his right sleeve the gestured to the cuff. "I am going to wrap this around your upper arm, and it will inflate. It may cause some slight discomfort but let me know if it hurts."

Bucky sat stoically, not wanting to scare Ștefana. Thankfully, Dr. Cho was careful and slow with her exam. The doctor checked his eyes, ears, lungs, and heartbeat. The only issue came when she suggested a blood sample. Instantly his mind went back to being the Winter Soldier and dealing with the HYDRA doctors and began panicking.

The second Dr. Cho mentioned blood tests, Steve knew it would be an issue. Shifting Ștefana to one arm the omega walked over to the bed and wrapped the other around his alpha, pressing himself against Bucky's back. Purring softly, he pressed his nose against Bucky's neck hoping to calm the alpha without getting in Dr. Cho's way. "Tá sé ceart go leor. Ní ligfidh mé d'aon duine tú a ghortú." (It's all right. I won't let anyone hurt you.)

Leaning into his omega Bucky held out his arm for the doctor from which to take blood. It was only due to Steve's presence that he wasn't killing everyone before taking his daughter and running. Reaching back with his metal arm, Bucky held onto Steve's hip needing to anchor himself. The moment his flesh arm was free Bucky was up off the bed, pulling his omega and pup into his arms.

Throughout the entire checkup, Tony remained standing quietly in the corner. He didn't want to leave them, just in case but he also wanted to give the small family a chance to stand on their own feet. Seeing Steve stand up for his alpha and kick the rude doctor out made Tony feel extremely proud. The pack alpha didn't feel the need to step in until Dr. Cho finished drawing blood from Bucky. "Okay," clapping his hands Tony pushed himself off the wall. "That's enough of that for now. Thank you, Helen. Why don't we leave it for now and continue this after lunch, say one?"

"Of course. I'll see you all then." Helen Cho was grateful for the break. She understood that both Sergeant Barnes and the child had been tortured by HYDRA doctors and were reluctant to be near her. They all could use some time apart. Hopefully doing the check-up for the child would be much easier.

Steve nodded at his dad, grateful he thought about ending this early. Using his bulk Steve pushed Bucky towards the elevators as he had both his hands full. Jarvis took them up to his floor instead of the penthouse, knowing that Bucky and Ștefana would be uncomfortable there. Tony also stayed on the elevator not wanting to push his presence on the family. "We'll have lunch ready for you up in the kitchen in a couple of hours," Tony said softly.

"Thanks, athair," Steve said with a smile. "Have Jarvis remind us just in case. We might have a nap or at very least a lie-down." Tony just nodded while Jarvis closed the elevator leaving the small family alone. Steve wanted nothing more than to find a corner to hide in and have himself a good cry, only he had his alpha and their daughter to take care of. Pushing down his own panic from the morning, Steve guided Bucky into their room and gently pushed his alpha onto their bed.

When he was sure Bucky was stable, Steve adjusted Ștefana in his arms allowing him to remove her shoes before setting her down on the bed as well. Kneeling, he pulled Bucky's shoes off and then guided the alpha to lay down properly. Ștefana needed no encouragement to join her Tate in laying down, she cuddled in close to his bulk holding his metal arm as if it were a teddy. Smiling at the sight Steve gestured for Jarvis to take a picture before quickly heading for the bathroom. He needed a moment to himself behind a closed door to have a minor breakdown.

Squeezing himself between the shower and the counter Steve brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Choking back a sob, Steve lowered his face and pressed his eyes to his knees. How am I going to deal with this? I'm not ready to be a Ma, never mind dealing with an alpha suffering from PTSD. I'm still dealing with my own PTSD. How are we going to keep Bucky safe? The second Ross finds out about him the asshole will want to lock Bucky up.

A knock at the door startled him badly enough that he slammed his head against the wall. "Cac!" (Shit!)

"Stevie?" Bucky's voice barely reached him it was so quiet.

"I'll be right there," he called back while keeping quiet figuring that Ștefana had fallen asleep.

"Okay, if you're sure," Bucky headed back to bed.

Standing up Steve headed for the sink, needing to wash his face before facing Bucky. The last thing he wanted was to worry his alpha unnecessarily. When he was sure there was no evidence of tears on his face Steve finally left the bathroom. Slipping off his shoes he climbed onto the other side of the bed. Ștefana had sprawled out but cuddled into Steve's warmth when he was settled. Across from him Bucky gave him a sleepy smile and reached out with his flesh arm to grip Steve's hip.

Despite the comfort and warmth of having his alpha and daughter cuddled close, Steve was unable to sleep. His brain was going a mile a minute turning thoughts over and over. While he and Jen had mostly dealt with his PTSD, she had told him that it wasn't something that would just go away, he would be dealing with parts of it for the rest of his life. Now he was having panic attacks all over again. Taking a few deep breaths, Steve tried to focus on things he could see, hear, and touch in the room without moving.

Coming back to himself he was startled to find Bucky staring at him. Seeing the worry in his alpha's eyes, Steve gave him a watery smile. It apparently didn't work as well as he was hoping as Bucky scowled at him before rolling off the bed. Walking around Bucky grabbed Steve's arm and gently pulled him off the bed and out of the room.

"Jarvis," Bucky said quietly. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Ștefana while we talk?"

"Of course, Sergeant."

Bucky pulled Steve into the living room and settled on the couch, pulling Steve to sit next to him. "Okay Punk, what's wrong?"

"There's nothing-"

"Don't!" Bucky held up a finger to stop Steve. "Don't lie to me Dragostea mea. (My love [Romanian]) I know you were crying in the bathroom. Please don't hide from me."

Steve sighed and leaned into Bucky. "It's a lot. I knew that you weren't going to be exactly like…before," Steve struggled with telling his alpha what he was thinking without putting his foot in his mouth too much. "I'm honestly surprised by how similar you are to how I remember you. I know that you never will be the same, neither of us will, but it's nice to know that the person I remember isn't completely lost. I'm not making any sense."

Bucky smiled and nuzzled Steve, "don't worry. I still speak a little Steve. What else?"

"You know I've always wanted to have kids, but I'm not sure that I'm…" Steve couldn't continue until Bucky urged him to. "I thought that we would be mated and have a place of our own before we talked about having kids. We would have the time to prepare for them. I mean, I love Ștefana already and would do everything in my power to look after her and help her heal, but..."

"I know," Bucky pulled Steve onto his lap and ran his metal hand up and down the omega's back. "Trust me I know. I also know that's not everything. Out with it punk."

Steve grumbled and poked Bucky in the side, right where he knew the alpha to be ticklish. "My issues aren't completely gone. I still have panic attacks and flashbacks. They're not as often as they were, but I still get them."

"So, we work on it together. All of us have issues, we just gotta work around them. Your parents will be there to help, as will Jarvis and maybe some other members of your team. That Bruce and Thor seemed alright."

"How do you always know exactly what to say?"

"Practice."

"You're such a jerk." Steve leaned up and pressed his lips against Buckys. The pair enjoyed a small make-out session before Jarvis alerted them to Ștefana waking up. Breaking apart they shared a sweet smile and one more gentle kiss before they were tacked by an energetic pup.

"Hello, Mo Réalta, did you have a good nap?"

"Tá. Tá ocras orm an féidir bia a bheith againn anois?" (Yes. I'm hungry can we have food now? [Irish])

Bucky laughed as he picked his daughter up in one arm and pulled his omega up with the other. "Yes, meyn zinsheyn. I'm sure your grandparents are eager to see you again." Together they made their way to the elevator Jarvis had waiting to take them to the common floor.

The rest of the Avengers had taken the morning off to rest and regroup. Phil had spoken with Clint and Natasha a bit and had plans to take Clint aside after lunch and have a good long talk with his omega. He had much to make up for and was hoping that Clint would be willing to work with him.

Arriving on the common floor, Ștefana buried her face in her Tate's shoulder, feeling nervous. Steve moved to Bucky's other side and rubbed his hand along her back. "Tá sé ceart go leor mo réalta. Tá mise agus do Tate anseo in éineacht leat." (It's alright my star. Your Tate and I are right here with you.)

"Hello Ștefana," Pepper said quietly while standing a bit away from the family. She could see how scared both Ștefana and Bucky were and didn't want to cause them further distress. "Your Nonno and I got you a present," Pepper said with a small snicker. It was highly amusing to her that Tony was now a grandfather. She absolutely refused to think too hard about the fact that it also made her a grandmother.

Ștefana pulled her face away from her Tate and looked at her Mhamó confused. "What's a present?"

"A present is a special thing, given to you for free by people that love and care for you." Pepper reached behind her and grabbed the two bears. One was a blond Captain America bear, and the other was a chestnut brown Bucky Bear. "These are for you." Holding them out Pepper waited to see what the little girl would do.

Ștefana looked at the bears with wide eyes. Looking over at her Ma who smiled at her, Ștefana wiggled to be put down. When her feet were on the floor she cautiously reached out and took both bears. "Tate! Mama!" Smiling, she showed her parents the bears that looked just like them. Holding them close, Ștefana scented them then frowned. Putting the Cap bear down she took the Bucky bear and rubbed it against Bucky's scent glands. Switching the bears out she did the same with Steve and the Cap bear. Holding the Cap bear, Ștefana cautiously held the bear out to Pepper.

"Did you want a bit of my scent on the bear Sweetie?" Ștefana just nodded. Smiling, Pepper took the bear with one hand while taking one of her scent blockers off. Gently, she rubbed the bear over her scent gland, just enough to add a bit of her scent to the bear without overtaking Steve's scent.

"Thank you," Ștefana whispered taking the bear back. Passing the bear to her mother, the little girl picked up the Bucky Bear and wandered over to where Tony was talking with Phil. "Nonno?"

Seeing the little girl with her bear Tony knelt beside her, not wanting to loom over her or just pick her up. "What can I do for you, Microbino Mio (my little microbe)?"

Ștefana held out the bear to her new grandfather, "smell?"

Taking the bear, Tony took a quick sniff, making the girl laugh. "Is that not, right?"

"I think she wants you to add a small bit of your scent to the bear," Steve told him.

"Ah, I can do that." Lifting the bear, Tony gently rubbed it over his scent gland before passing it back. Hugging the bear close Ștefana stared at Tony for a few moments, thinking. Holding the bear tightly in one hand she threw her arms around Tony's waist giving him a quick squeeze before running back to her Ma.

Smiling, Steve picked her up and headed for the table where Bucky was waiting for them. When he went to put her down, Ștefana clung to him like a monkey. "I stay with you?"

"Just this once," Steve told her firmly. "Pass Tate your bears so they don't get dirty." Once the bears were safely out of the way, Steve began serving up the soup and grilled cheese. It was a little challenging trying to eat without dripping soup all over his daughter, but Steve managed it. Then came the challenge of cleaning Ștefana who only wanted to cuddle her bears. "The faster we get you clean the faster you get back to your bears Mo Réalta," Steve told her with a laugh. "Tate is looking after them. You don't want to get gooey cheese all over them, do you?"

Ștefana glared at him and Steve had to bite his lip. He recognized the look from when he was her age. "Not fair Ma."

"I know. It sucks, but this way we keep your bears clean." Once they were both clean Steve carried Ștefana to the elevator where Bucky and Tony were waiting for them. "You ready to see the doctor?" he asked quietly once Bucky had passed the bears back over.

"Sunt speriat." (I'm scared [Romanian])

"Este în regulă să fii speriat," (It's okay to be scared.) Bucky said as he rubbed her back. "Eu și mama ta vom fi cu tine tot timpul." (Your Ma and I will be with you the whole time.)

"Promisiune?" (Promise?) Ștefana looked between her parents.

Steve leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Geall." (Promise. [Irish])

Bucky pulled them both into a hug. "Tsuzog. Ir vet zeyn oukey." (Promise. You'll be alright. [Yiddish])

Together they made their way to the medical bay where Dr. Cho was waiting for them, alone without a lab coat. Steve instantly felt relieved. She had even changed the sheet on the bed to one covered with animals.

"Good afternoon," Dr. Cho smiled at the small family. "How are we doing?"

"We're going good," Steve told her. "Thank you. I hope your lunch was alright."

"It was fine Captain. I see that we have a couple of new faces with us," she gestured to the two bears Ștefana was holding. "Your bears are cute. Where did you get them?"

Ștefana gave the doctor a small smile while holding out her Cap bear. "Mhamó, she said they were presents."

"That's wonderful! It's always nice getting presents. Do you want to sit on the bed so I can check the three of you over?"

Steve watched the emotions flash across his daughter's face. Fear, apprehension, curiosity, and stubbornness. He had to sigh at the last one. Beside him, Bucky was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. It amused him how much Ștefana was like her Ma.

"Ma? Down?" Ștefana asked quietly.

"Okay, Mo Réalta. Do you want me or your Tate to sit with you?"

"Tate," Ștefana reached out for the alpha. Bucky accepted his daughter from Steve and sat down on the medical bed. Steve stood behind them putting a hand on his alpha's shoulder. When he was sure they were all settled, Steve gave Dr. Cho a nod.

"Alright, first I need to check heartbeats. I'm going to use my stethoscope to listen to your heart." Dr. Cho held out the stethoscope for Ștefana. "If you put those parts in your ears and hold the round part to your Tate's chest you should be able to hear his heart. Then I'll do the same to you."

Smiling, Ștefana followed the directions and was listening to Bucky's heartbeat. "Tate! I can hear your heart!"

"That's wonderful meyn zinsheyn. Why don't you let the doctor listen to yours now?"

Reluctantly she passed the stethoscope back and allowed Dr. Cho to listen to her heart. "I need to listen to your lungs now Ștefana. Can you take a deep breath and hold it for me? Excellent. Let it out…and again. Perfect. You are an excellent patient. Now, I'm going to shine this light in your eyes, like this," Dr. Cho demonstrated on herself.

"Can I try?" Ștefana asked quietly. She was still uncertain about being around all these new people, but she trusted her parents.

"Of course, sweetie. Here you go," Helen passed over the small flashlight and watched as the pup shined the light into her father's eyes. Bucky just grunted and allowed the discomfort. After another moment, Ștefana passed the flashlight back.

"Say thank you," Steve told her quietly. He had every intention of making sure his daughter had the same manners his mother had instilled in him.

"Thank you," Ștefana copied dutifully.

"You're welcome. May I check your eyes now?" Helen continued the examination, allowing Ștefana to handle the tools and use them on Bucky. It kept everyone calm and even pulled a small laugh out of Bucky and Ștefana. Then came the hard part. "I know you probably don't like needles, but I need a sample of your blood sweetie. If you want, you can sit in your Tate's lap and hold your bears. It will be over soon, and I'll try to make it as painless as I can. Okay?"

Instantly, Ștefana was in Bucky's lap, hiding her face in his chest. She hated when the HYDRA doctors took blood as they always made sure to hurt her. Though this doctor seemed alright, and her Ma seemed to trust her. Steve could smell the fear coming off both his daughter and his alpha so he did the only thing he could and wrapped his arms around them both and began purring. Taking comfort in her Ma's presence and feeling safe in her Tate's lap, Ștefana decided to be brave and thrust out her arm for the doctor to take blood.

Helen gave them all some space knowing how difficult this was going to be for all of them. during her lunch she had gone over some of the files Jarvis had shared with her regarding the treatment Barnes and the pup had gone through. It truly was terrifying to think anyone could treat another human being that way.

The moment Ștefana's arm came into view Helen began moving. She moved as quickly as she could without making any mistakes or causing the child any harm. "There we go," Dr. Cho said a few moments later. "All done. I even have a special Captain America band-aid for you. There, all done."

Ștefana had to look at the doctor, not quite believing it was over. She hadn't felt anything other than a small pinch. Looking down at her arm she had to smile, there was a small round covering on her arm with red, white, and blue circles with a white star in the middle, just like her Ma's shield.

"Seeing as how you were such a wonderful and brave patient, I have a treat for you," Helen smiled as she moved her tray away from the bed. Turning back to the pup Dr. Cho held out a sucker. "Here you go, sweetie."

Cautiously Ștefana reached out to take the candy. "Thank you," she whispered.

Steve gently takes the sucker and pulls off the wrapper before handing it back. "It's sweet. You put it in your mouth and suck on it. Thank you, Dr. Cho." Ștefana has buried herself into Bucky's chest so Steve helps his alpha stand. Together the pair makes their way to the elevator Jarvis has waiting to take them back to their floor.

The rest of the afternoon is spent watching Disney, playing with the few toys Pepper had bought, then working together to make a simple dinner. After Ștefana is in bed for the night, Bucky and Steve settle on the couch, just enjoying the quiet. Neither one wants to watch anything on the TV and the stereo just seems too far away to be bothered with.

The peace does not last. "I'm sorry Steve," Jarvis interrupts. "Father has asked if he may come and speak with you both. I believe it is regarding the blood work done earlier."

Steve sighs and buried his head into Bucky's chest. "Yeah, okay Jarvis. Tell him to come up."

"Hey Caramellino," Tony called out quietly as he exited the elevator. "I promise I won't stay for long, I just wanted to let you know what Helen has found so far."

"It's alright Tony," Bucky said. "Come and have a seat." As the alpha, it was his place to welcome the other alpha into his territory.

"Thank you," Tony took the offered seat and held out a folder. "Helen and Bruce are still going over some of the results and comparing them to the data we've recovered from the base we found you in. What they have found is the alteration to Ștefana's gens to make her age faster have disappeared."

"What does that mean?" Steve asked.

"It means that while she was aging faster, she no longer is. They agree with Bucky's assessment of Ștefana being around five. The docs have also found traces of the serum in her, though it is dormant. Bruce thinks that it may become active later in her life, and both agree that she can pass the serum onto any children."

"Did they find any issues with our serums being combined?"

"No," Tony quickly reassured them. "As far as they can tell, the serums have combined perfectly. Helen is confident there will be no issues for her with the serum. She is concerned about the plethora of other issues Ștefana is suffering from." Tony began searching through a second folder he has brought.

Steve chuckled darkly. "Let me guess, arrhythmia, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anemia, ulcers, and asthma."

"Got it in one," Tony nodded. "I had Jarvis scan the prescription bottles and give the information to Helen. While she says that she is no expert and suggests we find one, she agrees the medicine will work for now. Jarvis is looking for a good pediatrician that specializes in these areas that can be trusted." Tony paused and looked down at his hands before looking back at his son and son-in-law. "Jarvis has also found a doctor that works with children who have grown up in a cult and have been abused, which is the closest thing we could think of to explain HYDRA without giving everything away. We've also found another team of doctors and lawyers that specializes in prisoners of war who have been brainwashed."

Bucky froze and looked at Tony not quite able to believe what he had heard. "What?"

Tony smiled at his son-in-law. "It turns out that you are not the only soldier that has been captured and forced to fight for the enemy before being saved and brought home. None of those soldiers were ever held accountable for any actions done while under the control of the enemy. If you agree, then Jarvis and I will get in contact with them and share some of your information. I want to be clear though, that you are the one in charge of this."

Closing his eyes, Bucky turned and wrapped himself around Steve. It was a lot to take in. Two days ago, he was in a HYDRA base thinking of killing himself and his daughter. Now he was sitting on a couch safe with his omega in his arms. He wanted to keep this feeling. Pulling his face away from Steve's neck Bucky looked at the other alpha and nodded.

Tony nodded back. Silently he got up put the folders on the table and left. Nothing else needed to be said that night. In the morning he would get in touch with the team Jarvis had found for Bucky. Hopefully, these people will be able to do something for the other alpha. But that was for tomorrow, for tonight, Tony was going to curl up in his bed and hold his omega close. Tomorrow was a new day.