"Mrs. Ellis, Mrs. Rogers, right this way."

Kayla walked alongside her mother through the German Task Force headquarters in Berlin. The former First Lady kept her head held high, unfazed by the events that had happened, but her daughter wasn't nearly as good at hiding her emotions anymore. She looked around as they approached the control room, finally seeing Steve in a glass office by himself. She passed the woman and pushed open the door, running towards Steve and throwing her arms around his stomach, "I was so worried about you."

"Not as worried as I was about you." He murmured into her hair, kissing the crown of her head before tilting back her chin, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. You?"

"Apparently I'm being prosecuted. They took my shield. Sam's wings. And Bucky."

She shifted to hug him again, sighing into his leather jacket, "We can still fix this. It's not too late."

"I kinda think it is, Kay." Steve pulled away and swallowed, looking up as Tony entered the room, holding a slim box out and smiling weakly.

"I, uh, pulled something from Dad's achieves. Felt timely." Tony gestured for Steve and Kayla to sit, before popping open the box and setting the pair of pens in front of them, "FDR used these to sign the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."

Steve smirked and tilted his head up to Tony, "Some say it brought our country closer to war." Kayla smacked his chest with the back of her hand, shooting Steve a warning glare before Tony continued. "See, if not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm to... what's the word for it?"

"It's an olive branch." Kayla finished evenly, pursing her lips to stare at the pens thoughtfully, "A sign of a truce. Trying to figure something out."

"Didn't need the Webster's definition, but okay," Tony mumbled, "What I'm trying to say is that I'm trying to fix this. I'm trying to get to a place where we can figure something out where everyone's happy, don't you want that? Mrs. Rogers, don't you want that? I know you can't be happy seeing Romanoff on the opposite side, you two are close. And Wanda, we can get her reinstated, too-"

"What's happening with Wanda?" Kayla snapped, and Tony raised his hands in defense, backing away for a moment, "Tony, where's Wanda? Is she getting arrested?"

"God no, absolutely not. She's currently confined to the compound, Vision's keeping her company." Tony explained and Kayla leaned back in her seat, chewing the side of her mouth as he rambled on, "Despite what you clearly think about me, I care about you people. I care about you, and Wilson, and Cap- we need you Cap. Nothing has happened that can't be undone, we can make the last twenty-four hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center instead of a Wakandan prison. You, Captain, will be reinstated as leader of the Avengers and you can continue making the world a better place for all of us, isn't that right?" Tony turned to Kayla, and Steve grabbed one of the pens and stood, pacing as Tony watched.

"I'm not saying it's impossible." Steve mumbled, looking to Kayla for her opinion, "There need to be safeguards."

"I think it's a good idea, Honey." Kayla watched his expression fall just a little and she added lightly, "Unless you want to retire? You've given enough. Let somebody else do the fighting for once." Steve stared at her blankly, as if she'd suggested he sever his right arm, so she sighed, "You can't ignore the Accords, Steve. They're real and whether you like it or not, you are governed by them. If you want to be Captain America, you have to play by the rules. I wish it wasn't like this, but it is. I've talked at length with my mother and her lawyer, and these are your only options. Sign, or retire."

Steve's jaw tightened, but Tony quickly shook his head, "You don't have to retire, Rogers, once we put this PR fire out, those documents could be amended. I'll admit, there were a few items I wasn't a fan of, but I can't amend things if I don't sign. I already put my foot down with Ross about the bloodline clause."

Kayla and Steve turned to Tony in synch, but it was Steve who asked, "What's the bloodline clause?"

Tony massaged his left arm and leaned against the table, "Ross wanted a clause that stated the Accords would apply to not only all current enhanced individuals, but any in the future."

"So, like, more super soldiers?" Kayla questioned, then it hit her and she gasped, "Or, like, these would apply to our kids? So that, despite what they choose to do with their lives, if they have his blood in their veins, they are bound by the Sokovia Accords? They can't travel overseas without permission from the UN because of who their father is?"

"I told you, I shot that down, gimme a break!" Tony yelled back, but Steve slammed down the pen on the table and stormed out of the room, "Rogers! I-" Tony turned and glared at Kayla, "I'm just doing what has to be done to stave off something worse. He's making this worse, you see that right? He's going to end up in prison right alongside Barnes, and then what will happen to you?"

Kayla grabbed the pen and threw it towards Tony, piercing the black leather chair inches from his face with deadly accuracy, "After everything I've been through, it would be best to remember that I don't need anyone protecting me. I can take care of myself." She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, finding her mother and Tiffany standing nearby. "What?"

"You okay there, Buddy?" Tiffany asked with a hint of a smile and her dark brows raised, "Having a little bit of a mood swing?"

"I'm not in the mood." Kayla answered darkly, pushing past them to run to the bathroom. She needed to throw up again.

When Kayla emerged from the bathroom, her mother was waiting, "You have something you wanna tell me, Pumpkin?"

"I said, I'm not in the mood." Kayla threw her head back and whined, acting like a child under her mother's patient gaze, "It's just one disaster after another, okay? I'm not dealing with it well. I was off my meds the entire time I was in Sokovia, and- and-"

"And your doctor told me that you're off your meds again because you and Steve are trying to get pregnant." Sandra said evenly, leaning against the wall and gazing ahead, "Tiffany's all weird and smiley, which makes me think you're expecting."

Kayla shoved her fingers through her messy hair, pushing the blonde strands back as she blew through her lips, "I haven't found the right time to tell him. Because, one disaster after another." She eyed her mother, "You won't say anything, right?"

Sandra shrugged, "It's not my place. I get it. Things are hard right now, but I wonder, if you told him what you know, maybe it wouldn't be so difficult for him. Maybe the decision about whether to sign the Accords or not would become simple. Either he wants to keep his job and have parameters that allow him to be a good father, or he retires to spend time with his wife and kid. Either way, not telling him is just prolonging the inevitable."

"Which is what?"

"That he's going to get his ass in trouble." Sandra warned, looking down at her smart watch, "Your husband is a wonderful man, but he isn't one for taking orders. Surprising, really, because he was a soldier, but I guess that's why he's a Captain. He only listens to orders when he gives them. You said it yourself, he's going to get himself arrested, and then you'll really wish you'd have told him. Right now, there's no good time, but it's good news. It's something he wants and something that'll make all of these horrible things seem a little less terrible. Just get out with it, and go from there." Sandra squeezed her daughter's hand, "The evaluation is starting. Steve and Sam aren't allowed to hear it, but Stark invited us. They think maybe you could give some insight since he took you."

With a heavy sigh, Kayla nodded, following Sandra as she led the way to the command center. Kayla saw Steve and Sam in the soundproof glass office again, and cringed when she realized he was already incarcerated. If he got in anymore trouble, his cell would be made of bars instead of glass.

Seeing Kayla, Natasha nodded in greeting and Kayla stood beside her friend, looking at the screens, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Likewise, seeing as you were in Bucharest when the fight went down." Natasha answered back simply before meeting Kayla's green eyes, "You shouldn't have led him there. Now Steve's in a lot of trouble. Wilson, too."

"I'm not gonna let Barnes take the fall for something he didn't do." Kayla bit back, noticing Everett Ross staring at her, "He's my friend. You know he's not the Winter Soldier anymore."

"I know he saved us in Prague, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of blowing up the UN." Natasha replied easily, looking past Kayla to Sandra, "Talk to him, Kay. If Steve signs the Accords, we can fix this mess. We all know how much Barnes means to Steve... and you."

Kayla looked up at the screen, narrowing her eyes as the evaluator spoke to him, "You fear that, if you open your mouth, the horrors may never stop. Don't worry, we only have to talk about one."

"Who the hell is this guy?" Kayla muttered moments before the lights in the command center. She turned to Natasha as Ross began yelling and Tony asked FRIDAY to find the source of the outage. Kayla turned in time to see Steve and Sam bolt from the office, and she grabbed her mother's arm, "Something's wrong."

"No shit, Sherlock, somebody knocked out the power." Tiffany grabbed Kayla's arm to hold her back before she could follow the men. "Let them go. Or you'll end up in jail, too."

Kayla whipped around to face Tiffany, shaking her head in disbelief, "You're just gonna let him go? Hope for the best?"

"What else am I supposed to do? This is Avengers business, we're just the wives, Kay."

"I'm a hell of a lot more than that." She grunted as she grabbed a gun from one of Ross's men while the shorter man was yelling orders. Sandra placed her head in her hand when Tiffany looked to her for help, but it was Tony who grabbed Kayla's arm and pulled her back.

"Don't do this. If you run into this, the Accords will apply to you, too. If you stay out of it, you can try to get Cap out of this mess."

She shoved the gun into the back of her jeans and looked to her mother as Ross demanded they evacuate all civilians. "Listen to Stark. Don't get yourself killed... or arrested."

"Alright, let's go." Kayla mumbled, leading Tiffany and her mother out of the control room as Sharon ran past her with Tony and Natasha on her tail. Kayla was pushed through the crowd of agents leaving the control room, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't manage a good look at what was happening around her. She felt dizzy as the people pushed her forward, and for a moment, she thought she could pass out until her mother's familiar grip tugged her forward. Before she knew it, they were outside the building, and she looked around in panic until she ran into a man standing in the crowd.

"Sam?"

"I'm looking for the doctor. The doctor did something to Barnes."

"Where's Steve?"

"I don't know." Sam admitted, grabbing onto Tiffany as she clutched him, "I'm gonna go find him. I ran from custody. Might as well keep runnin."

Tiffany grabbed his face, leaning up to give Sam a firm kiss, "I love you. Be safe and call me, okay?"

He nodded before bolting, and Kayla wanted to follow him, but the world around her began to spin. She was vaguely aware of screaming from the civilians around her, and she looked up to see what everyone was looking at, but before she could make out what was happening overhead, she passed out.

The steady beep of the hospital monitors weren't unfamiliar to Kayla Rogers, but they weren't a comfort. Especially when she didn't know where she was or why she was in the hospital. Her eyelids fluttered opened to look at the ceiling, groaning as she tilted her head to the side, wondering who would be at her beside today.

"You're alright." Sandra said softly, grabbing Kayla's hand and giving her a soft squeeze. "Looks like your secrets out of the bag though."

"Shit." Kayla slurred, placing her free hand on her stomach, causing the tubes connected to her skin to pull, "What happened?"

"You passed out. Doctors aren't too alarmed, your stomach was pretty empty. Stress. Lack of sleep. Lots of physical activity and travel."

"They know I'm pregnant?"

Sandra chuckled, "Yeah, they noticed. They won't say anything though. Tiffany wrote up strict NDAs. Besides, doctor patient confidentiality is still a thing in Germany."

Kayla nodded a little and sighed, "Where's Steve?" Sandra didn't answer right away, and Kayla felt her stomach drop, "We don't know?"

"He went down with the helicopter. They haven't found him in the wreckage though, so he's most likely still alive. The Winter Soldier is gone, too."

"He's probably with Steve." Kayla moaned, pulling her hand from her mother to massage the bridge of her nose, "What are people saying?"

"You don't wanna know."

"Yeah, I probably don't."

Sandra leaned back in her chair, checking her phone, "You have another visitor. I'll go bring them up."

Kayla fiddled with her wedding ring, twisting the sapphire around her slim finger as she waited. How many nights would she lay alone, wondering where her husband had gone? Where would Steve be when she gave birth to their child? Would he be by her side, in a prison cell somewhere, or six feet under? All Kayla wanted was for Steve to stop fighting for five damn minutes to notice that there was more to life than being Captain America.

She looked up when Natasha appeared in the doorway, looking more concerned than Kayla had ever seen her, "Hey."

"What happened?"

"I passed out. Long week." Kayla said truthfully, leaning on the pillows, "Ya'll going after Steve?"

Natasha nodded, taking a few steps forward but not getting comfortable. She held her hands in front of herself, looking professional and uncomfortable in Kayla's gaze, "Stark told Ross we'd have them in custody in thirty-six hours. If not, they'll be shot on sight."

Kayla nodded, pursing her lips and leaning her head back to look at the ceiling, "Great. Awesome. Fuck."

"I know, that's why I'm here. We need your help." Natasha sat on the edge of the hospital bed, giving Kayla a look that said she was working an asset, not asking a friend for a favor, "I know I'm asking you to betray his trust, but the other options aren't nearly as pretty. Help us find him, and we can save him, Kay. Wouldn't you rather he be in prison than dead?"

The blonde cried softly into her hand, wheezing a little as the tears began to fall, "When did those become my only two options?" She sniffled and Natasha grabbed her hand, smoothing her thumb over Kayla's pale skin, "What do you need me to do?"

"Come with us. We're going to try to talk, if you can talk some sense into him, we can still fix this. He's dragged Wanda into it. Vision says Clint broke her out of the compound. Clearly they think it's a team effort, so we are treating it the same."

"And you want me on the wrong team?" Kayla asked weakly, then huffed, "I married an idiot." Natasha smiled and Kayla added, "I can't help you from this hospital bed. If you find him, let me know, and we'll go from there."

Nat stood and looked over her shoulder as she started to leave, raising her brow, "You sure you're feeling okay?"

Kayla nodded, forcing a sweet smile, "I promise. Just a long week." Natasha nodded before leaving her to rest, and Kayla glared after her. Just because she was going to help them save Steve's life didn't mean she was going to trust any of them with her secret.

When Natasha's call for help came, Kayla was reluctant to answer, but with every move Steve made, he came closer to crossing a bridge he could never come back from. The deal Stark made was simple: Kayla was to wait at the quinjet unless they failed to apprehend Steve and the others. She was the last line of defense, and when the fighting started, she watched as all the hopes and dreams they'd made together died with every punch thrown and shot fired.

She watched in confusion as a man she'd never seen before grew to fifty feet tall, and hid behind the hangar door as Steve and Bucky sprinted towards her. She peeked around the corner to see Vision slice through a control tower, causing it to tumble towards Steve and Bucky until Wanda held it up. Kayla looked to her side when she realized Natasha had appeared beside her with a worried expression, "What? Was this not the plan? To crush them?" Kayla snapped bitterly, but Natasha's lips pulled into a thin line, "I thought we were a family?"

Natasha looked to Kayla as the tower finally collapsed, forcing Steve to roll through the debris before sprinting to his feet. Both men came to a stop when Natasha and Kayla stood between them and the jet.

"Kay?" Steve asked weakly, his whole body slumping when he realized what Stark's side had done, "Please don't do this."

"I'm trying to save your life, Steve. I'm trying to save the life we wanted, why are you trying to throw it all away?" Kayla took a step forward as her gaze drew up behind him, "If you take the jet, everything we've worked for is all over."

"Kayla, there's another five super soldiers just like Buck, if I don't stop them, who will? You have to let me go. This is bigger than us." Steve turned, seeing T'Challa stalking towards them, as if giving Kayla a minute to diffuse the situation. He turned back to his wife, seeing a tear fall from her eye, "Kay, I love you more than anybody. I need you to trust me, I'll be back. I'm gonna give you everything you've ever dreamed of, I just have to fix this. I promise."

The blonde opened her mouth to answer, but Natasha shot one of her widow's bites at T'Challa, causing him to stumble, "I'm gonna regret this." She grumbled, shooting him again as he fought his way forward. Steve grabbed Kayla's shoulder and kissed her deeply while Bucky ran into the jet, starting it to life as Steve bid his wife goodbye, "I love you."

"I love you, too." She whispered back as he pulled away. Kayla fell to her knees, sobbing as she doubled over, a roadblock for the Black Panther to clear in an attempt to stop the landing gear of the jet from disappearing, but Steve flew away, leaving the woman behind.

T'Challa turned to Natasha and she shrugged, "I said I'd help you find him, not catch him. There's a difference."

"And her?" The King gestured to the blonde on the tarmac floor, "I thought she was going to help?"

"She tried." Natasha defended, kneeling down to throw her arms around Kayla, "I let them go."

"Why?" Kayla croaked, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Why did you drag me here, make me watch my friends beat the shit out of each other, and then let my husband abandon me anyway?"

Natasha looked from T'Challa to Kayla, then stood slowly as she looked down at the woman. Kayla held her stomach tightly, feeling hungry, tired, and broken hearted.