The bright morning sun filtered through the crack in the thick curtains of the Jefferson hotel room, illuminating the bed and pulling Steve Rogers from his slumber. He stiffened, forgetting for a moment where he was and why he was so comfortable, until he opened his eyes and saw his sleeping wife beside him.

Kayla's short blonde hair was splayed across her face, blocking her pale cheeks from Steve's view. She looked so peaceful, and slept so soundly, Steve didn't dare move a muscle. His eyes swept over her weak frame, noting how little her chest moved when she breathed. The once vibrant Kayla Ellis was skin and bones, and there was no denying it was his fault. He didn't want her to take her own serum, but seeing her now, barely able to sleep, let alone live, Steve knew there really was no other choice.

He'd seen the interview as they prepared to land at Avengers compound. He didn't know what was wrong when he decided to come home, but when he saw the state of his wife, Steve realized why Tony has tried to call him two dozen times. Sam changed their course to D.C and somehow Steve wondered if the whole ordeal was a plea for him to come home. Of all the hotels Kayla could have chosen, she stayed where she and Steve had their first date, and slept beside each other for the first time.

Noticing how deeply Kayla slept, Steve carefully pulled back the covers blocking her baby bump, and shifted lower on the bed to address the baby. Even with his knees bent, his feet hung off the edge, but the large soldier didn't care. Something smaller, weaker, and far more fascinating had his attention. "Hey," his strained voice, barely even a whisper, eeked out, "I'm sorry we haven't really met. I didn't know-" Steve paused, looking up when Kayla shifted to get more comfortable against the plush down pillow. Once she settled, Steve cautiously placed his palm on their baby, "That's really no excuse, is it? I should have come home. I've been working really hard. I've been trying to clean up the messes I've helped make. The work isn't done... but, maybe I am."

He stiffened when he felt something in his long hair, only to relax as he realized it was Kayla's fingers raking through his strands. Steve tilted his head to look up at her, seeing her smiling sadly. Her hand was shaky as she combed back his hair, and he almost wanted her to stop. It was too hard. "You'll never be done, darling. I know you better than that."

Steve pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed, staring angrily at the hotel wall as he considered her words. "I should have never left."

"You should have come back sooner." Kayla corrected, sitting up and leaning against Steve's bare back. "The world needs you."

"The world needs Captain America, not Steve Rogers."

"They are one in the same."

"I'm not Cap anymore." Steve grunted, rubbing his beard before scratching at his neck, "I'm done."

He felt Kayla's shaky arms wrap around his shoulders, and he hated how weak they felt. Last he'd seen his wife, she'd been lean, but strong. Steve would have never guessed the single cause of her ailments was their child, a child he'd wanted so desperately and then promptly given up on to save Bucky. A child he'd told Bucky how badly he wanted, despite seeing how completely enamored his best friend was with his wife. Steve thought Kayla would wait for him, fight for him, maybe even look for him. Assuming that was the most selfish thing Steve Rogers had ever done, and no amount of good deeds he performed while on the run could atone for that.

"I'm done fighting." Steve repeated, grabbing Kayla's weak hands with his. He fiddled with her wedding ring, too loose now on her slim finger. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just knew I had to run. I thought we'd figure something out. God, I was so stupid."

Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek and he felt his stomach drop, knowing that she'd tell him to go. "I need a blood sample. Maybe a little help. But then you need to go again."

He finally turned to meet her gaze, shaking his head, "Not without you. If I go, you're coming with me."

"Okay." Kayla answered quietly, nodding rapidly as Steve shifted to face her, "Get me fixed up, and I'll follow you anywhere."

A little smile appeared beneath Steve's beard as he ducked his head. He looked at her from under his thick lashes, his whole body relaxing knowing they were going to be together, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"Okay." Kayla agreed, lunging forward to kiss Steve. He cradled her jaw as her hands ran over his chest to his abs, tracing him, remembering him. With a shaky breath she finally pulled away, "Steve, we're going to be parents."

He practically crushed the blonde with a too-tight hug, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, Kayla just sighed into his collarbone, running her fingers up and down his spine as he kept her in his iron grip.

Unwelcome as always, the knock on the hotel door still arrived, undoubtedly someone coming to check on Kayla. Steve loosened his grip and she carefully crawled out of bed, grabbing the big fluffy robe from the closet before tying it around herself. She fluffed out her hair and looked back, noting that Steve was hiding behind the wall until he knew it was safe.

Kayla looked through the peep hole as another soft knock came, then opened the door to reveal her mother on the other side with a bag from McDonald's. "How are you feeling?"

"How did you get McDonald's?" Kayla answered back, grabbing the bag and leading her mother deeper into the hotel room. She sat the bag on the small table, then turned, realizing Sandra was frozen by the door while Steve still hid behind the wall, looking at her nervously. "Right." Kayla's gaze followed her mother's stunned gaze to the dirty uniform strewn across the bedroom floor. She nodded with her head for Steve to come out from hiding, and he slowly did, turning to Sandra to give a small wave as he stood there in just his underwear.

"Hi Mrs. Ellis."

"Hi Steven." Sandra bit back, looking him up and down slowly just to make his skin crawl, "I see you've made yourself comfortable with my daughter again."

Steve scratched the back of his neck, looking back at Kayla as she unfurled her breakfast sandwich from its wrapping, munching away happily while ignoring her mother's interrogation of Steve. He probably deserved it. Steve looked back to Sandra, clasping his hands in front of himself and clearing his throat, "I mean, she is my wife."

"I'm aware, I was at the wedding, but I've also been around the past six months while you were off being a war criminal. And now, here you are, after she called you out on national television for abandoning her, naked in her hotel room."

"It's not like that." Steve threw his hands up, backing a way a little as Sandra smacked her purse down on the dresser next to Kayla's things. "I was already on my way back when she did the interview. I didn't know she was pregnant, and I didn't know she was dying. I'm here now to make things right."

Sandra crossed her arms and looked around Steve to her only daughter, "Kay?" The young woman looked up, her big green eyes full of surprise, as if she hadn't witnessed the exchange between her mother and husband. "What do you want?"

"To not die." Kayla mumbled through the hot cakes she was devouring. She swallowed and leaned back in her chair, tilting her head back to watch Steve squirm, "Also he's the love of my life, so I have to forgive him. It's not his fault he acts first and thinks later. Literally, the serum enhances the recklessness he was born with." Kayla sipped her frappe, then rubbed her stomach as the baby kicked, "Wonder what qualities it'll enhance in me."

Sandra and Steve shared a glance and Steve's skin paled, "If there was any other way-"

"There isn't."

"We don't know that for sure," Sandra argued, gesturing to Steve as he nodded enthusiastically, "Now that Steve's back, we can pool our resources, maybe figure something else out."

Kayla sat her drink down and stared at Sandra and Steve for a moment, then shrugged, "Naw, I think the serum is the way to go. I'll be able to bring them to full term, then deliver them safely, and overall it'll be easier for me to be their mother if I'm able to keep up with them."

"Gimme a minute." Steve scooped up his pants and undershirt and scooted past Sandra to change, needing to be wearing clothes to have this conversation. The tension was thick, and he knew his welcome was wearing thin.

Sandra did her best to hide her smirk as she sat on the bed, watching as Kayla cleaned up her trash, "You're really set on this serum, thing aren't you?"

"Don't have much of a choice."

"It's more than that... If you can pull this off, you'll be the first person since Erskine to get that formula right. But what if you don't?"

"I will." Kayla stood and tossed her garbage in the bin. Suddenly, she grabbed her stomach and leaned against the desk, hissing, "I'm so damn close, Mom. If I can figure out what I'm missing, it'll be perfect. I have the journal. I thought I had the formula years ago, but luckily I didn't, because I gave it to Hydra. Anti-serum, too."

Sandra pulled her long blonde hair over her shoulder, looking towards the bathroom as the water ran, "How do you know he's not going to run?"

"We aren't talking about him right now."

"Is that why you want the serum? So you can raise your child alone?" Sandra asked bluntly, and Kayla looked up in time to see Steve emerge from the bathroom. Sandra didn't look to Steve, instead prodded her daughter, "Kay, what you want to do is going to change your life forever. You don't know how it'll effect you physically and mentally, but once you take it, there's no going back. I just want you to be sure there's no other options."

Kayla and Steve stared at each other for a moment before Kayla felt the baby again, crying out in pain as she leaned her tailbone on the edge of the table. Steve was by her side in an instant, kneeling down and holding her hips to keep her steady as she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. "Kay-"

"I know, I know..." Kayla shifted one hand to Steve's neck, scratching beneath his shaggy hair before looking to her mother, "I've thought about this for six months. I've thought of everything that could go wrong, and I think it's worth the risk. They need me, and I need to do this for them. I'm running out of time to figure out other options, I can figure this out today."

Steve stood slowly and pulled Kayla to his chest, looking over his shoulder at his mother-in-law, "I'm not going anywhere. I swear, I'm home, I'm here to stay. I'm not going to disappear again."

Sandra sighed, pulling out her phone to read a message before turning her attention back to her daughter, "And what happens when the government comes for you? You're a wanted man."

"I'll deal with it when it happens. First things first, we save Kay. Nothing else matters."

Kayla cleared her throat, gesturing down to her stomach and Steve corrected, "And the baby."

"That's better." Kayla teased, reaching up and kissing Steve, "Let's go home."

"I'll meet you there. I don't want to be taken into custody before I step foot in the door." Steve grumbled, "I'll be there by nightfall, I promise. Don't give up on me."

"I won't." Kayla whispered. He kissed her hand, clenching his eyes closed as she added, "I love you, Steve. I'm glad you're home."

He released his grip on the woman and grabbed the outer layer of his uniform and his boots, nodding firmly as he lingered by the bathroom door, "I love you, too. I will do whatever I have to do to make this right. I swear on my life."

Tony Stark was surprised to see Kayla without her miniature shadow. Around noon, Kayla appeared outside his hotel door in her wheelchair, raring to go home as her mother pushed her from behind. Tiffany, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Wilson?"

"She's getting lunch with an old friend. She'll fly out tonight. Tiff doesn't need a private jet to avoid the press." Kayla droned on, then shrugged, "She invited me, but I'm not up to socializing. I did enough of that yesterday."

The man nodded, noticing the way Sandra casually looked over her shoulder, then down to her phone. "Everything okay?"

"Fine." Sandra answered, meeting Tony's gaze, "I'm just ready to go back to New York. I have some news for you two once we get to the jet. Not something I want to speak about in public."

Kayla's brows drew at her mother's confession, a clear sign she didn't know what Sandra was referring to. Tony cleared his throat and opened the door a little wider, "Should we talk here?"

"I believe we should." Kayla answered, rolling her way into the suite as her mother swept in behind her. Once Tony closed the door, Kayla snapped over her shoulder, "What is it? What do you know?"

"One of my CIA contacts reached out after your interview yesterday. They have somebody who can help you with the serum, if that's what you're sure you want to do."

Kayla narrowed her green eyes at her mother, then looked to Tony quickly before muttering under her breath, "I don't need help. I can do it on my own."

"Kay," Tony groaned, "Hear her out. We've been trying for months with no luck, maybe a new set of eyes can figure out what you're missing."

She raised her chin defiantly, almost afraid to ask, "What makes them think they can do it when I can't?"

"They worked for Hydra." Sandra answered quickly, unlocking her phone and handing it over to Kayla, "His name is Wilfred Nagel. Ring any bells?"

"No." Kayla paused, wracking her brain, "Nagel... maybe." She looked over to Tony nervously, "When I was with Strucker and List, they knew about my work. They had me try to recreate the serum, but without Erskine's journal, I was off. That said, there were people around. I had assistants, helpers. I didn't know their names. I tried not to look at their faces." She read the text from Sandra's old friend, scanning the brief biography of the scientist, "The CIA recruited him after Hydra fell?"

"Took a plea deal to save his skin. You probably taught him what he knows, but he had access to samples with the CIA."

"Whose samples?"

"I don't know, I don't have the answer to that. It's classified. Could be Steve. Hell, could be Barnes. All I know is they say he's good, and he's close. Might be worth speaking with him."

Kayla picked up the old flip phone Steve had sent to Tony, tossing it and catching it casually, "If I know this man, you don't want me anywhere near him."

"If he can help you with your formula, it might be worth it." Sandra warned, but when Kayla started to interject, she added, "Listen to what he has to say, and if you don't like it, don't use it. But what if he has the missing piece of the formula."

"What if he doesn't? I can do this on my own." Kayla answered, not understanding why her mother wanted to bring in a ghost of her past, "I don't want his help."

"Kayla, if you don't have help, Ross is gonna be on your doorstep asking how you figured out. You just told the whole damn world that the only thing that'll save you is Steve Rogers, so if you figure it out alone, guess who's gonna think Steve Rogers is back?" Sandra gestured to the window to the outside world as Kayla began to understand what was going to happen. "The answer is everyone. It's bad enough that he's gone, you want people asking you how you got his blood sample? Talk to Nagel. Ask about his samples, and if nothing else, you'll know if the government has a viable super soldier serum."

Tony stood between the blondes and pointed at Sandra before looking at Kayla, "Is he back?"

With a quivering lip, Kayla repeated the two letters she needed to say over and over in her mind, but lying to Tony wasn't going to save her life. They needed him to succeed. "He showed up in my room last night. He's already gone."

"Ross won't think twice about arresting him. Or worse." Tony warned, beginning to pace the room.

"I know, but I need his help. I'm asking you to not say anything. At least not until tomorrow. Give me this." She turned to her mother, "If I can figure out the formula tomorrow morning, then I'll call Nagel in the afternoon and see what he's got. Nothing but a smokescreen to give everybody someone to credit, and I can make sure he isn't close-"

"That's a different issue." Sandra warned, but Kayla quickly explained, "You think with the Sokovia Accords they want more super soldiers? That shit is dangerous. Knowing even a rough idea of how to make it is dangerous, remember Extremis? I'm not going to risk this guy making more super soldiers. I'll listen to him and steer him the wrong way, then take my own. They'll have no reason to believe Steve's back, unless somebody says something to Ross." Kayla turned to Tony, silently asking what the man was going to do.

Tony scratched the place between his brows and collapsed into a chair, "You're on the UN panel, not me. As far as I know, there's nothing in those Accords that says I have to report harboring a war criminal. Besides, these are complicated circumstances." Tony chuckled to himself, dropping his face into his hand and shaking his head, "After everything that bastard did, I'm going to help him." He looked up and pointed at Kayla accusingly, yet still smiled, "I'm doing it for you, and for that kid. Your mom's right though, if Ross gets wind of them being back, there's not a lot I can do."

"I only need two days. That's it." Kayla promised, deciding not to tell them she was planning on running away with Steve, "By Monday morning, we'll have this all sorted out."

After being dropped off at the Avengers Compound, Kayla's mom drove them back to her house a few miles away. She watched the bare trees go by, watching the January snow fall to the ground to create massive heaps of white. She rubbed her stomach through her winter coat, humming quietly to the baby as they drove.

When they reached the driveway, Kayla sat up a little straighter in her seat, studying her home for some sign of company. The front light was on, and Tiffany's car was still in the driveway where they'd left it the day prior. The sun was setting beyond the field, but Kayla couldn't help but think nobody was home.

"Looks quiet." Sandra said aloud, and Kayla sighed before shoving the door open and carefully shuffling across the icy driveway to the front door. She pulled out her keys and tried to put it in the hole, but her hand was shaking too hard, a constant reminder that her body was giving everything it had to the child she was creating, and leaving nothing for herself. Sandra appeared behind her daughter and grabbed her hand to steady it, but the door popped open on its own, and Natasha Romanoff stood on the other side.

Kayla's lip began to wobble, and she gasped, "Nat?" She practically collapsed into the Black Widow's arms, holding her as tightly as possible as the woman stroked her back. After a moment, Kayla sniffled and pulled away, studying Natasha's bleached bob and army green vest that strapped across her Black Widow uniform, "You look so different."

"So do you." Nat replied slowly, taking a step to the side just in time to avoid being tackled by Wanda, who broke down crying when she had Kayla in her arms.

"Kay." She croaked, holding Kayla's head with one hand and her lower back with the other. Kayla could hear Wanda gasping a little, as if preparing to say something but the words were taken from her. Instead, Wanda just swayed a little, holding Kayla until the blonde needed a little air. When she pulled away, Wanda's eyes dropped to Kayla's stomach and glowed red. She dropped into a crouch, placing her hand on Kayla's stomach as red wisps splayed across her bump, "They are perfect."

Tilting her head curiously, Kayla whispered, "How do you know?"

"I can read their mind. As blank as it may be, but they seem to know you are home." Wanda stood with a grim smile as her eyes flickered red for just a moment, but she shook her thoughts away before Sandra pulled her into a firm hug.

Tiffany and Sam walked up arm in arm, but the man looked devastated by the woman in front of them. Kayla sighed and shook her head, pointing at Sam as she swallowed her fear, "Don't look at me like that."

"I saw the interview. I knew it was bad, but in person-"

"I'll be fine... now." Kayla pulled Sam into a hug, trying not to shake as he held her like she was made of glass, much gentler than Wanda had. Kayla leaned up and whispered in his ear, "Is he okay?"

Sam nodded, holding Kayla close with one arm, "He will be now. He's upstairs. He wanted a little time alone."

Unable to wait any longer, Kayla pulled away from Sam and looked up the stairs, practically able to feel Steve's presence in their home after spending half their marriage in his absence. "I'm gonna head to bed. Ya'll know your way around, make yourselves at home."

"Nat and Wanda are gonna take the pull out couch, Sam and I set up the blow up mattress, so Mom can have the spare bedroom." Tiffany explained, shooting Sandra a warning smirk before she could argue, "No need to thank us, you deserve the bed. Also, with you next door, maybe the rest of us will have a peaceful night."

"Ha. Very funny." Kayla barked as she started up the stairs, "Goodnight."

Kayla climbed the stairs slowly, breathing through pursed lips as she struggled. Every step was like agony. Her legs felt like they could snap beneath her at any moment. A small part of her wondered if she would have never come back down had Steve not arrived at her hotel room.

The second floor of her home was eerily quiet, except for Kayla's heavy breathing. She finally made her way to her bedroom, peeking in to find it empty. She drew her brows as she pouted, wondering where Steve was hiding. She wasn't in the mood for games, "Steve?"

"I'm in here."

She turned at the sound of his broken voice, waddling over to the nursery and finding Steve sitting cross legged on the floor with a baby blanket in his hand. Kayla leaned on the door frame, noticing how he'd showered again and changed into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that looked too tight. He turned and looked up at Kayla with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen, and it took everything in Kayla not to fling herself on the ground to hold him. He swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing as he raked his hand through his hair to get it away from his face, "I almost missed this." He chewed on his bottom lip and looked out the window as the sun dipped below the horizon, "I needed to stop the super soldiers. That's why I left. But then I found out Bucky killed Stark's parents, and I had to save Bucky. Then I had to save Sam and Wanda and the others from the Raft. And we had to lay low." He twisted his wedding ring around his finger and sighed, "I can't sit still. So we started tracking down black market dealers moving Chitauri weapons. I figured if we had to lay low, we might as well do something good, and suddenly six months had gone by and I got call after call from Tony Stark this week. He never left a message... Nat was scared he was trying to track us, but I wanted to check on you. Then I saw you on the news and I realized what I'd done."

"The leaving or the knocking me up?" Kayla grunted, sitting down in the rocking chair she knew she couldn't get up out of without Steve's help. When Steve didn't smile, Kayla chuckled, "Honey, it's gonna be okay. You're here now."

"What if you had died?" Steve growled, and Kayla shivered at how feral the man formerly known as Captain America looked. He was unkept and unhinged and if he wasn't her husband, Kayla would fear for her life. Her terror must have been apparent because Steve lowered his head and stroked the corner of the white blanket, "I would have never forgiven myself."

"Well, I'm not dead yet. So stop dwelling on what could have been and be here with us now. Your family."

He stood and crossed the room to Kayla, still clutching the baby blanket in his left hand, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Kayla murmured, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, "That's what I told everybody but really I didn't want to find out without you."

Steve folded the blanket and set it on the dresser, then offered his hands to Kayla, "Let's go to bed, Darling. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Kayla allowed him to help her to her feet, then leaned her stomach against him, "I mean, if you want to have loud, passionate sex to make everyone uncomfortable, I wouldn't say no."

"Maybe tomorrow," Steve replied with a grin, "Pump a little super soldier serum in you first. I don't wanna break you in half." Kayla snorted in response and Steve spanked her ass, guiding her into their bedroom and locking the door behind them.