"You sure you wanna do this?"

"What kind of wife will I look like if I don't?"

Kayla lulled her head towards Tiffany, eyeing her from beneath the black lace that veiled her face beneath her fascinator. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, effectively hiding most of her defining features beneath the small hat to keep the attention at bay. It didn't stop the other mourners from snapping photos of Kayla when they thought she wouldn't notice.

With a shrug, Tiffany gestured into the massive church, "I just wanted to make sure. It's awkward, I'm sure."

"I'm fine, really. Just feeling a little anxious, that's all." Kayla mumbled as she clasped her hands in front of her stomach, walking into the funeral with Sam and Tiffany right behind her. She bowed her head respectfully as she passed by people who actually knew Peggy Carter, but she couldn't ignore the whispers that followed her and her friends to the front of the church. When she reached the front pew, Kayla turned to Tiffany and gestured for her best friend and Sam to sit first while she looked around in an effort to find Steve.

"Take a seat, Kay. Give him his time." Tiffany said evenly, and Kayla looked at Sam to see if he agreed. He gave a subtle nod, agreeing with his own wife as he patted the seat beside him, leaving the edge for Steve.

She sat down, smoothing her dress and raising her chin bravely as she looked at the black and white photo of a young Margaret Carter during her time in the military. Kayla twisted her lips, trying to remain neutral but feeling terribly uncomfortable as people stared at her, as if it were somehow her fault that the legendary Peggy Carter had passed away at ninety-five. Without realizing, she absent-mindedly rubbed her lower stomach with her thumb, wishing the timing of everything had been different. She wished she'd gotten a chance to tell Steve they were expecting before the Lagos incident, and she wished Peggy's funeral wasn't the same day that the Accords were being ratified on the other end of Europe. Steve had been adamant about not signing. Sam had followed his lead, and Tiffany had reluctantly supported her husband. Kayla had stayed tight lipped, knowing Steve had more pressing things to worry about than her opinion.

When the choir began to sing, the packed congregation stood, and Kayla jolted alive as Sam held her wrist lightly. She smiled weakly at Sam before turning to see Steve at the front of the casket, his eyes red from crying. Kayla's heart plummeted, and she lowered her head as they approached. Sam's grip on her tightened a little, and Kayla wondered how she got so lucky finding such amazing, supportive friends. Since returning from Sokovia, Sam Wilson had been a kind, patient friend for Kayla, and a loyal teammate for Captain America. Kayla couldn't have picked a better man for her best friend.

Steve's gaze flittered to the right, and Kayla met his eyes for a brief moment, only long enough to smile weakly, telling him she was there. The corner of his mouth pulled, almost a smile, and Kayla nodded and turned to the front of the church as they sat down the casket. When Steve returned to her, she grabbed his hand tightly to lift it to her lips, kissing his knuckles as he gazed ahead sadly.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to say a few words."

Tiffany clamped down so hard on Sam's thigh that he grunted, and a quiet curse left her lips, causing Sam to stare at her and Kayla to shush her, "Shh! What's wrong?"

"I forgot about her."

Kayla blinked for a few seconds before her attention was caught by the blonde standing at the podium. Her eyes widened and her jaw slacked and she inadvertently kicked Steve's calf when she shifted quickly. He glared at her, then looked up to the podium with the same level of surprise that Kayla was experiencing.

Agent 13 looked at Steve, then addressed the congregation slowly, "Margaret Carter was known to most as the founder of SHIELD, but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy."

Kayla clenched Steve's hand with enough force to leave a bruise, and he responded by shifting her left hand into his so he could drape his right arm over her shoulders and pull her tight, whispering in her ear, "I didn't know."

She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until then, releasing all her air through her nose as she raised her head proudly, fighting through the feelings of frustration she was having about the situation. Peggy's niece was spying on them from across the hall. It was bad enough that SHIELD was watching them, it was worse that it was Steve's old love's own family doing the dirty work.

After the funeral, Kayla lingered in the pew, even after Sam and Tiffany wandered off for refreshments to give her some time alone. Steve approached slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he gazed at Peggy's photo, "Thank you for coming with me today."

She shrugged, shaking her head before reaching up to unclip her fascinator, "I didn't want you to be alone." Her green eyes lifted to see him watching her as she ran the pad of her thumb along the lace, grounding her for the conversation they were about to have, "Why do you think Peggy's niece was watching you?"

"I don't know, Kay. It's in the past, we have to move on."

"I know, I'm just wondering..." She trailed off, standing and grabbing Steve's cheek. He turned his face to kiss her palm and she relented, "It's in the past."

Steve turned, and Kayla followed his gaze, seeing Natasha approaching. When she reached them, she clamped her hands together and looked from Kayla to Steve, "How you holding up?"

He puffed out his chest, pulling against his suit as he took a deep breath, "When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out she was alive, and I was just happy to have her."

"She had you back, too." Natasha said quietly, nodding to herself.

Steve watched Nat for a moment, then asked, "Who else signed?"

"Tony. Rhodey. Vision."

"Clint?"

"Says he's retired."

"Wanda?" Kayla prodded, but Natasha just shook her head and shrugged, "TBD." Nat studied Steve before treading carefully into a subject Kayla knew was taboo between them, "I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet. Staying together is more important than how we stay together. We're a family, Rogers."

"What are we giving up? If we're really a family, we'll still be a family on opposite sides of the Accords." Steve answered and Natasha sighed heavily, looking to Kayla for help, but the blonde just stared past her at the stained glass window as her husband admitted, "I'm sorry, Nat, I can't sign."

"I know." Natasha admitted, grabbing Kayla's hand to give it a comforting squeeze, "But I know how much she meant to you. I wanted to check on you. It's like you said, we'll still be a family on opposite sides, right?"

Steve pulled Natasha in for a tight hug and she rubbed his back as she placed her chin on his shoulder, leaning up on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before settling back down, "If you change your mind, you can always sign later. Think about it." Nat shot Kayla a look that told her to talk to her husband, but Kayla knew nothing she could say would change his mind, and part of her didn't want to. Worst case, Steve wasn't able to be Captain America anymore, but that didn't mean his life was over. He didn't know it yet, but soon he'd have something else to love and protect aside from the entire world.

"Cheers to an honorable discharge." Sam clinked his glass against Steve's as Tiffany held out a glass of red wine to Kayla. She paused, looking at it for a moment in panic before placing the glass to her lips, pretending to drink so she wouldn't cause a scene.

Steve looked down into his drink, then asked, "You're okay with this?"

"I'm not worried about me. I make a great civilian." Sam explained before taking another drink and pulling Tiffany close to his side, "Besides, there's worst things than having a little downtime with my wife. I'm sure you can agree." Sam winked at Kayla, and she raised her glass, widening her eyes as she pretended to sip again, but her glass mysteriously didn't drain.

Kayla looked over her shoulder, seeing Sharon Carter speaking with one of her distant relatives near the kitchen. Kayla cleared her throat and motioned towards the other blonde, "Maybe you should clear the air with our old neighbor. I mean, she's Peggy's niece. I'm sure she'd love to talk to you."

Tiffany's brows furrowed as Steve stammered, but eventually followed his wife's lead and went to speak with Sharon. Once he was gone, Tiffany grabbed Kayla's wrist and spun her around, noting that her glass was still full, "You okay?"

"I'm just feeling a little dizzy. It's been a long week. I haven't been sleeping." Kayla answered truthfully, shooting Sam a pleading look before handing him her glass, "I'm going to use the restroom, I'll be right back."

Kayla carefully pushed her way through the crowded reception towards the bathroom, closing the door to the stall before falling to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet until she heard Tiffany call, "Kay?"

"Shit." Kayla mumbled, wiping the corner of her mouth and flushing the toilet as she rocked back to her feet. She opened the door, she realized her best friend was desperately trying not to grin. Kayla rolled her eyes and washed her hands before scooping up a handful of water to rinse her mouth. When she spit out the water, she noticed Tiffany still smirking at her, "You got something to say, Tiff?"

The small brunette shrugged, pushing a loose chunk of hair behind her ear as she looked around innocently, "No. Nothing at all."

"You sure?" Kayla pressed, narrowing her eyes at her friend, "Because you have that look."

"What look?"

"The look that you get when you know a secret. You're really good at finding out secrets, and I just want to make sure you aren't spilling any secrets that you shouldn't be."

"Unlike you, Mrs. Rogers, I'm great at keeping secrets." Tiffany pointed up at Kayla before booping her on the nose, "Besides, I don't have any secrets about you."

Kayla crossed her arms and scoffed, "That's a lie, but I'll bite. Whatever you think you know, you're probably..." Kayla bobbed her head back and forth before deflating, "right. You're probably right, but don't say anything. I haven't had a chance to talk to Steve."

"Wait, are you pregnant? Like for suresies? That's why you aren't drinking and why you're vomiting and pale and have gained weight."

"I have not gained weight!" Kayla yelped, turning to look at her profile in the bathroom mirror before scowling at Tiffany, "I just found out. The day the whole Lagos thing went down."

Tiffany's excited grin fell and she grimaced, "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. It's been one disaster after another, and I haven't found the right time to tell Steve. So keep your steel trap shut, so he doesn't realize you knew before him." Kayla hissed, looking at the door as it opened and an elderly woman came in. The two women nodded and smiled, but once the stall door shut, Kayla pointed threateningly at Tiffany, then crossed her finger across her neck, before slamming her fingers together in a motion to stay quiet. Tiffany responded by miming locking her mouth and throwing away the key.

"Glad we had this talk."

"Me too." Tiffany responded, gesturing for Kayla to lead the way back to the reception. When they reached Sam, Kayla leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder as he sipped his drink, watching Steve and Sharon warily.

"There a reason you want your husband to talk to her?"

"Get it out of his system." Kayla answered gently, "If he gets out his questions now, he won't dwell on them later. Perhaps it'll bring him some closure to her tenure as our neighbor, and if anything, he'll be able to ask about Peggy."

"Guys." Tiffany stared down at her phone with wide eyes before looking up to Kayla in fear, "Something's happened."

Kayla grabbed the phone from Tiffany's hand, reading the headline before darting through the crowded room towards Steve, "Excuse me! Sorry- I just have to sneak by- Steve!"

He looked up expectantly, but when he saw his wife's worried expression he closed the space between them, grabbing her upper arms tightly, "What's wrong?"

"Somebody bombed the UN in Vienna." Kayla breathed out, thrusting the cell forward so Steve could see. Sharon's cell began to ring and Steve grabbed Kayla's hand to follow behind the CIA agent. Tiffany and Sam followed close behind, with Tiffany grabbing her phone back to begin making frantic phone calls to Natasha.

"She's not answering!"

"Shit." Sam mumbled as Sharon led them out of the reception to the street, but Tiffany stopped and grabbed Sam's arm, shoving the phone at him to show him what she'd seen. He groaned and called, "Steve!" When Steve turned around, Sam sighed, "You're not gonna like this."

Kayla and Steve exchanged a glance before Sam handed the phone over, allowing the pair to see the latest news report. "Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations."

Steve looked down at Kayla and she just shook her head firmly, "No. It wasn't him. I know it."

"They have video of him."

"His head was clearing two years ago, and when I saw him before the wedding... he knew who he was, he would never-"

"Kay, there's proof. How are you gonna argue this?" Tiffany asked coldly, turning to see Sharon fidgeting behind them, "You got something to say?"

"I'm getting called into work. I'm heading to Vienna."

"So are we." Kayla called, shooting Steve a warning glare, "Right?"

Steve loosened his tie before rubbing his face, looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching them, "Yeah. We need to find Romanoff."

Sharon nodded a little, concern written across her face, "I'll see you guys there, then."

It took seven calls to finally get through to Natasha Romanoff, and when she finally answered, it was Steve she answered for.

"You alright?" Steve asked quietly as they stood in the ticket line at the Heathrow airport. Kayla spoke to the woman in hushed tones, eventually handing over her credit card to buy them tickets.

"Yeah, I got lucky." Natasha answered as Kayla turned with four tickets in her hands. "I know how much Barnes means to you, I really do. Take your family home, Steve, and stay out of this. You'll only make things worse for all of us. Please."

His head dropped at her words, knowing she was right, but when Kayla passed him a boarding pass to Bucharest, Steve knew they were going down a path they couldn't return from. "You saying you'll arrest me?"

"No." Natasha's reply was desperate, as if the idea broke her heart, but she added quietly, "Someone will. If you interfere, that's how this works now."

"After everything that's happened, and the progress he's made, if he's this far gone again, I should be the one to bring him in."

"Why? He doesn't want to see you, he made that abundantly clear when Kayla spoke with him before your wedding."

Steve met his wife's eyes, seeing the determination in them that mirrored his own, "I'm the one least likely to die trying." He hung up and turned off his phone before addressing Kayla, "Bucharest?"

"That's where he was. Maybe he's moved but it's a place to start. He made a home there." Kayla explained, turning slightly to see Tiffany with Sam, "She doesn't know she's being sent to Vienna with Sharon. Where we're going is no place for her."

"Or you." Steve argued, snatching Kayla's own ticket to confirm his suspicion, "You don't need to join Sam and I. If Bucky really did cause that accident, I don't' want him anywhere near you."

Kayla cocked her hip to the side and pushed back her messy curls from her forehead, "Last time I saw him, he told me he loved me. Sure, you can fight him and survive, but I can talk to him. Wouldn't you rather talk to him than arrest him?"

"You really don't think he did it?"

"You really think he did?" Kayla answered coldly, tilting her head, "I've told you, he was getting his memories back, we worked hard. I don't think he did this. The video footage is fuzzy, it could be anyone. We have to try or else they'll kill him." Kayla looked over to see Sharon waving them over to join the security line before dropping her voice, "I overheard her phone call with Task Force, they have orders to shoot on sight." Steve looked down at his wife as she flung her carry-on bag onto the conveyer belt to get checked.

The security officer looked from Kayla to Steve, then narrowed their eyes, but didn't say anything. When they got through security, Sam whispered to Steve, "We gonna have any gear?"

"Sandra's taking care of it." Steve answered under his breath, handing Sam a ticket to Bucharest. The man stared at it for a moment, then looked to Steve as the blonde questioned, "You coming?"

"Yeah." Sam answered quietly, leaning over to press a kiss to Tiffany's head as the announcer stated they were boarding the plane for Vienna. "I'm gonna use the restroom, why don't you get settled. I think Kayla managed to snag us some seats near Sharon."

Tiffany looked from her husband to best friend suspiciously, then to the other blonde nearby, "Okay. Don't miss our flight."

"I'm gonna grab something quick to eat, we'll be right back, okay?" Kayla said after Sam had entered the restroom. It was clear that Tiffany saw what was happening based on the displeasure on her round face, but she sighed and shrugged, "Bring me a pretzel."

Kayla nodded and grabbed Steve's wrist, tugging him towards the food court. She stood in line for a moment until she heard the announcement play for last call to Bucharest. Sam passed by casually and Steve followed behind, allowing Kayla another moment in line before joining, boarding the plane and taking off before Tiffany even reached her seat.

The little brunette collapsed into the vinyl, running her finger along the material of the coach seat before turning to Sharon, "They aren't coming with us."

Sharon raised her brow in surprise, but didn't seem to alarmed, "No?"

"Naw. The whole bathroom snack thing was too convenient. Besides, there aren't enough open seats for us on this plane anyway."

"Where are they going?" Sharon asked, shifting to get a better look at Tiffany, but the small woman just shrugged, "Who knows?"

When the plane landed in Bucharest, Kayla moved first, keeping her baseball cap low on her head as she drug her carry-on through the airport. Once she got to the baggage claim, she saw a gentleman with a sign reading Malani. She approached cautiously, looking over her shoulder for a moment to see Sam heading her way until the man asked, "Katiana?"

"That's me." She answered quietly, pushing her hat up and giving the man a smile, "Katiana Malini. Did you receive our luggage already? It should have arrived on an earlier flight."

"I did, Miss Malani, it's already in the trunk." The driver said as Sam sidled up beside her and placed his arm around her waist, "Right this way." They followed the man to a small black car, and Sam opened the back door for Kayla before pulling open the passenger door. Before the driver could move around to the the driver's seat, though, Steve quickly slid in and threw the car into drive, leaving the confused driver yelling about his clients being kidnapped.

"Smooth." Kayla groaned as she pulled off the baseball cap and unbuckled to pull down the barrier between the backseat and the trunk, shuffling around the massive bags of gear, "Looks like Mom got us hooked up. It's all here."

"Where is she now?" Steve asked as he drove towards the address Kayla had given him.

"Berlin. That's where Sharon is stationed, so it's where Tiffany will end up eventually, unless she tags along with Nat. Either way, Moms on standby if we need her." Kayla replied as she looked at the old buildings they passed, "I remember this area. We're close. Park over there. You can change in the little cafe."

Sam looked over his shoulder at the blonde, eyeing her curiously, "What will you do?"

"I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Not without us." Steve argued as he parked and turned off the car, leaving the keys in the ignition. "You wait until we're ready."

"Or I go ahead and talk to him before you get there so it isn't awkward." Kayla suggested, but Steve wasn't having it, staring at her from the driver's seat with a cold expression. Kayla matched his determination with her own, not about to give in, "You better change quick. He might kidnap me again."

"That's not funny."

"Wasn't a joke. Although, now I know enough ways to maim and kill him to get away."

Steve smiled a little and Kayla scoffed, knowing only Steve Rogers would find it cute that his wife knew how to murder people. "Alright, we'll meet you soon."

The woman casually exited the car, looking both ways before shoving her hands in the pocket of her sweater and crossing the street towards Bucky's run down apartment. She trotted up the stairs a few at a time, waving sweetly at a few neighbors who eyed her warily. When she reached the top, she knocked, and unsurprisingly, nobody answered. She pulled a couple hairpins from her curls and picked at the lock, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while until the lock clicked. She opened the door, preparing to close it before a hand stopped her, startling her and she grabbed a knife from the counter to hold to Steve's neck, "Don't scare me like that." She hissed, setting the weapon down and looking around the apartment. "This is it."

"Doesn't look like he's home."

"Well, he'll come home eventually." Kayla answered as she reached up and grabbed a black notebook off the top of the fridge, flipping through the pages sadly, "I helped him with this. He kept it."

Steve nodded, placing his hand on the small of Kayla's back before taking a closer look around, hearing that German Special Forces had set up a perimeter. "Understood." He turned, seeing Bucky behind them as Kayla turned slowly to the man. Bucky's hair had grown longer beneath the baseball cap he wore that matched her own. He stared at Steve, not daring to glance at Kayla, even as she approached him, "Bucky-"

"You shouldn't be here." He finally said, looking at the woman and smiling weakly, "I didn't kill those people in Vienna. I don't do that anymore."

"I know, and that's why we're here." Kayla reached forward to grab Bucky's arm, but he pulled it back, staying just out of her reach as she looked up at him worriedly, "The people who think you did are coming though, and they aren't planning on taking you alive."

"That's smart. Good strategy." Bucky told them, and Kayla turned to Steve, seeing she wasn't getting through to him, until he finally asked, "Did you get my gift?"

She turned and sighed, "We did. But we would have rather had you." The sound of footsteps above them alerted the trio that the Special Forces had arrived. "Bucky, please- we can fix this. It isn't too late, but you can't fight this. If you fight, and if you run, they'll find you and kill you. None of us want that."

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve told the man, striding forward past Kayla, but Bucky kept his eyes on Steve's wife. Steve clenched his jaw, then growled, "Do you want her to get hurt? Cuz I sure as hell don't."

"Then she shouldn't have come." Bucky said and Kayla's heart sunk. "You know I won't let them hurt you."

"Breach!" Sam yelled through the comm and Kayla ducked as a grenade flew through the window. Steve smashed it away with his shield before another one followed, landing at Bucky's feet until he kicked it to Steve so he could smother it with his shield.

Steve turned to Kayla as she stared at the shield in terror, but it was Bucky who hissed, "Hide in the bathtub, nobody needs to know you were ever here. I'll lead them away." Her eyes widened, but Steve shoved her farther into the apartment moments before several agents crashed through the windows and started shooting at the two super soldiers.

For once in her life, Kayla followed directions, hiding in the bathtub as her husband and friend fought off the attacking agents. Part of her wanted to help, but she knew Bucky was right- nobody needed to know she was there. If Kayla Ellis showed up at an assassin's apartment, it made her look reckless, or worse, made her husband look like a maniac for bringing his wife to a gunfight.

Suddenly, one of the agents was thrown through the bathroom door, and Kayla ducked lower, holding her hand over her mouth to stay quiet until she heard the sound of gunfire leave the apartment. She cautiously peeked over the side of the tub, seeing the man knocked out, before scrambling out and peeking around the shattered bathroom door to find the apartment empty except for several agents who may or may not have been dead. "Shit." Kayla rubbed the side of her head, feeling a headache coming on from the noise in the stairwell. She felt weak, and she felt nauseous. Steve was assisting a known criminal escape custody. Accords or no Accords, Kayla's husband was going to prison.

Kayla snuck out through the apartment door, looking down the stairwell to see Bucky freefalling before grabbing onto the railing to catch himself. He let out a pained yell and Kayla's heart broke, but she pushed away her feelings for the Winter Soldier. He'd kidnapped her, let her be kidnapped, told her he loved her, and now was going to get her husband killed. She didn't need to care for him, but she couldn't' help it. He loved her, and perhaps a little part of her loved him, too.

When the soldier behind her began to groan, Kayla pulled her hat lower over her head and quietly crept out to the balcony, watching the skirmish on the rooftop below. She dialed her mother and panted, "Mom, I'm gonna need a ride. I think Steve's going to jail."