Steve's POV.

I sighed and put my head in my hands. What. A. Day. Melanie had powers. Powers eerily similar to… It didn't matter. Melanie was her own person. Her powers were unique to her.

Glancing over my shoulder at where Tony was sound asleep with Rita curled up on his feet. he was still slightly under the effect of whatever AIM had drugged him with. Medbay analysis said that it'd been strong stuff and we'd barely avoided an overdose.

I ran a hand through my fiance's dark hair and gave the beagle a pat before getting up to do the night round.

Poking my head into Peter's room. I wasn't surprised to see him still awake. Working away at something on his laptop. The Phrase "Like Father, Like son" Had never been more true than it had for Tony and Peter.

"Hey, Come on, Spunky Spider, Bedtime." I said, stepping softly into the room

Peter looked up with a jolt and removed one of his earphones. "Huh?"

"It's almost midnight, Pete. Laptop down."

Peter yawned and closed his laptop, placing it in his nightstand drawer before settling down under the covers. "Steve?"

"Yeah, Kiddo?" I asked, pulling the blankets over him and picking his favourite plush, A worn, well-loved stuffed toy of Simba from the Lion King, up off the floor.

"How's Dad?"

"Sleeping off the last of whatever they gave him, He'll be fine in the morning, Pete. Don't you worry," I reassured, ruffling his hair. It didn't surprise me that he hadn't gone on Spider-Patrol tonight. He was rarely far away if something wasn't right with Tony.

"Okay… Night Steve…" Peter mumbled sleepily, pulling his beloved Stuffed lion close to his chest.

"Goodnight, Pete."

I softly closed Peter's bedroom door behind me as I left. Heading just down the hall to check on Melanie.
I pushed open Melanie's bedroom door and found her asleep on the floor beside her bed.

That… wasn't right. I hadn't found Melanie like that since the first nights she'd spent with us at Avengers Tower.

I moved closer to her, kneeling by her side and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Mellie, wake up..." I whispered.

She woke with a jolt, scrambling back against the side of the bed. Fear in her eyes and parts of her already shifting into her crystalline form.

"Woah, Woah, s'okay Melanie. It's just me, Just Steve." I said, trying to calm her.

"I... I... I'm sorry..." Melanie whimpered, "I... I... I didn't mean it..."

"Hey... It's ok, Melanie, you're not in trouble." I reassured. Knowing what to do. Tony got like this on occasion. It'd take him a few minutes after waking up to realise where he was and who he was with, especially after a nightmare. "It's okay, Mellie. I'm here. You're safe. you aren't there anymore." I sat down beside her on the floor. As soon as I did, she moved even further away from me.

It was evidently going to be one of those nights. Not that I minded, of course. Melanie had been through hell in her short life. And now she had powers and abilities she didn't understand.

"Mellie, I know you're scared. But we can get through this together." I said, "I promise."

Her entire body trembled as she curled into a small ball. Almost like she thought I would hurt her.

"Melanie, I'm not going to hurt you. nobody will ever hurt you again." I vowed.

She didn't respond. She just began to cry into her knees as shuddering sobs wracked her body. Her slight frame shook violently with each one. However, this time, she did allow me to get closer to her.

"S'alright Mellie, just let it out," I whispered, slowly and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but she didn't move away.

I was going to say something else, but Melanie lifted her head and looked at me. Her glassy, tear-filled eyes were wide.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mellie. You're not in trouble." I said, "It's okay."

To my surprise, Melanie scrambled towards me and clung to my shirt as a drowning man clings to a life preserver. She began sobbing again and didn't stop for the next ten minutes. Her tears were like a waterfall that never stopped. All I could do was hold her gently and hum an old Lullaby, one I didn't quite remember the words to.

"Come on, Kiddo, talk to me," I whispered as her tears finally stopped.

Melanie sniffled softly and looked up at me. Her face was stained and blotchy from all the tears she'd cried into my shirt. "I... I... I had a... I was having a... a nightmare... when..."

"I woke you up." I finished, A Pang of inescapable guilt clawing at my heart. I knew from personal experience that if there was one thing worse than a nightmare, it was an interrupted one. No wonder Melanie was so spooked. Her brain had been struggling to work out what was real and what was another dream.

"I'm sorry," Melanie said quietly.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Mellie," I assured, "Everybody has nightmares at times. Me, Tony, even Peter gets them on occasion. My Ma told me that it helps to talk about them. that way, they don't come back."

"I... my powers... I couldn't... couldn't control them. and... I... people got hurt. And then... I couldn't stay here anymore... you wouldn't let me... I had to leave the tower..."

"That's never going to happen, Melanie," I vowed.

"But... what if I can't control my powers? What if they come out when I'm at school. Ms Gaulstead already hates me and... if she found out... found out that I'm this much of a freak..."

"Melanie, listen to me," I said firmly but gently. "Your powers don't make you a monster. Or a freak. They're beautiful, unique. Just like you. You understand me?"

Melanie nodded. Her body still trembling from the shock of what she'd seen in her nightmare.

"Now, care to tell me why you were sleeping on the floor in the first place?" I asked.

"Couldn't get Comfy," Melanie replied, "Some nights, the bed's too soft."

"nights? you're saying you've slept on the floor before?"

Melanie nodded again, "usually later..."

"Why didn't you tell someone? We could have helped. gotten you a firmer mattress."

"didn't wanna be a bother."

"you're not a bother, Melanie. You never could be," I said.

Melanie smiled and hugged me tightly. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she rested her head against my shoulder. She was so small, so fragile... yet she had such strength inside of her... Such power to change things for the better in a world that can be very dark at times.

Melanie yawned, and I felt her body begin to relax.

"Come on, Kiddo, Let's see what I can do about that bed," I whispered.

Melanie nodded and stood up. I got to my feet and assessed the plushness situation of the mattress. I couldn't get a new one instantly, but I could do a few little things as a temporary measure.

Such as pulling the sheet down tight over the mattress, military-style. Thereby compressing the materials and making the bed slightly firmer. A fact that had been a downside during the war, but now might just help Melanie get some sleep without having to resort to the floor.

"There you go, Mellie," I said as I stepped back. "Try that."

Melanie sat gingerly on the edge of the bed as if she expected it to swallow her whole. Then, she looked up at me. Surprised.

"That's actually... better." she gave me a slight smile, "Thank you, Steve."

"no problem, Mel. anytime." I replied. "now, get some sleep."

Melanie crawled in under the covers, and I tucked her in.

"Steve? do you really think my powers are beautiful?" Melanie asked, yawning.

"Yes, I do. I really do."

I stayed by Melanie's side till she fell asleep again. Then, I left. Softly closing the door behind me before I leant heavily against it with a sigh.

Was I doing this right? Melanie wasn't an average child by any means. What if I was just making things worse for her? She deserved the world after what she'd been through. Maybe that was more than I could give.

pinching the bridge of my nose, I walked away and headed for bed. I was a firm believer in the fact that things were always clearer in the daylight.

"where you been?" Tony mumbled sleepily as I crawled into bed beside him.

"night round took a little longer than usual." I replied, wrapping an arm around him, "found Melanie asleep on the floor beside her bed."

Tony's brow furrowed, "why?"

"she said that she finds the bed too soft sometimes."

"yep, been there." Tony sighed, "after Afghanistan. couldn't sleep on a bed for weeks."

"and... she'd had a nightmare. so..."

Tony could only nod as he snuggled close and rested his head on my chest, "you're really good with her.." he mumbled.

"I try." I replied, kissing his head, "But I worry about her. She's so young and already been through so much."

"I know... but... she's got you to look after her now.. and me..." he said with a yawn, "she'll be alright.