Author's Notes: I love to answer all your comments individually, but I don't want to give anything away (which I can't, this chapter is SO IMPORTANT!) Huge thanks to amberhardy, Tori, PeriAce, Siobhan, CurlyOne, and Dutchy for reviewing! I promise I'll answer all the reviews individually following this chapter! Thank you for reading, reviewing and favoriting. I love you all!

On the morning of Tuesday, March 5, 2024, every newspaper across the country had the same headline: Kayla Ellis Put to Death.

The sun shone beautifully bright over Manhattan as it rose that morning, greeting a sad and confused city. Had the jury really sentenced the beloved socialite to death? Had a modern day lynch mob burned a metaphorical witch at the stake to save their own souls? As the newspapers flew off the shelves, the city mourned Kayla Ellis, a woman who they thought they loved, but never really knew. And with her death came the knowledge of something far worse: the death of the Avengers.

With Tony Stark and Steve Rogers both confirmed dead, there was no reason to believe the team was still out there after reversing the decimation. Who would protect the world if another threat came? Sure, they'd eliminated one target to save themselves, but that didn't mean there weren't other targets. Who was to say that Kayla Ellis was the beginning and the end of Red Skull's terror?

Fear spread slower than sadness, but neither could keep up with the gossip as Kayla became a national martyr, a powerful woman who sacrificed wealth and stature for love. While the jury saw her as a criminal and a murderer, the world saw her as a hopeless romantic. Every crime she committed, every trigger she pulled was for the man she loved, a man who was also admired and loved by many. Kayla Dawn Ellis may have been sentenced to death by a mind-controlled jury, but the world saw her death as her last statement of devotion for Captain America, her husband. In life, Kayla Ellis and Captain Rogers were famous. In death, they became legends. Together.

Buddy barked loudly as Bucky opened the door to his Brooklyn apartment, having not come home the night prior. Sam was already awake, cooking breakfast on the stove as Barnes locked the door behind him. "Where were you last night?"

"I needed time to think," Bucky answered quickly, not missing a beat as he already anticipated the question. "I'm sorry for what I did at the prison. It was wrong and impulsive and I shouldn't have done it. I just didn't want to see her suffer anymore."

Sam looked over his shoulder, his back muscles stiff beneath his green running t-shirt, "I get that dude, but we are under a lot of scrutiny too. She didn't just air out her own dirty laundry, she aired out everybody's. I just don't want you to end up in a cell, because I'm not breaking your ass out."

Bucky smiled a little at that, grabbing a piece of sausage off of the plate of cooked food as Sam shot him a dirty look, "You worried about me, Wilson?"

"You're all I've got left, whether I like it or not. You and the dog and Wanda. So, yeah, I guess I'm worried about you."

Bucky opened his arms for a hug, and Sam scrunched his eyebrows and shook his head, "No."

"Bring it in, partner."

"No."

"Steve would have hugged me." Barnes bit back playfully, a real smile on his face as he thought of his friend, but his words only made Sam's face fall even more.

"I may have the shield now, but I'm not Steve. Nobody ever will be." Sam said sadly, flipping over his eggs in the pan. "I just can't believe they're both gone. And the baby girl too. It's just James, wherever he is."

Bucky hung his head, biting at the side of his mouth as he leaned against the counter, squeezing it with his metal and flesh hands, "We'll find James and Nat."

"I know we will. For Steve and Kay."

"For Steve and Kay."

"Finally, after all of this time. A super-soldier serum that works as designed." Johann Schmidt's heavy accent slurred as Amora the Enchantress handed him the envelope Kayla had meant for Doctor Banner. "Foolish girl. Left her work behind in hopes the green monster could so good with it, but he'd never think as big as we do. With this, I'll rebuild my army and Hydra with it. Take over the world today, and the universe tomorrow. And you'll rule as Empress over every corner of the galaxy."

"I would have settled for Asgard if it hadn't been destroyed in Ragnarok." Amora scoffed, staring at her green nails that matched her headband and dress. "And I doubt your little army will help much out there beyond Midgard, but its the thought that counts, darling." Amora cooed, looking up from her manicure to see the German man carefully opening up the envelope. "Even if nothing comes out of this, it's been fun watching you torment the Avengers."

"Oh, you have too little faith in the power of the Soul Stone, Amora. You see, Erskine's formula required a certain type of man to take the serum, which was always the downfall of Hydra. I can seek out the purest souls and once they've gotten the serum, then I'll blacken their hearts and bring them to Hydra." Red Skull explained, unfolding the piece of paper with the formula written on it sloppily.

Amora snorted, leaning against the wall as Schmidt began to measure out the chemicals in his lab that Kayla called for, "I could create an army for you, I don't know why you are so determined to get the formula from the girl. You don't need science when you have sorcery."

"On the contrary, your magic isn't permanent, where this serum is. Captain Rogers is over one hundred years old and I doubt that blonde whore would be married to an elderly man. This is the first step, I assure you."

The blonde Asgardian shrugged, looking back at her nails, "Alright, have your fun. My fun will begin when we lure Thor back to Earth. I've waited a long time to face him again."

"In due time. In due time..." Schmidt trailed as he poured a drop of the final ingredient into the vial, and it turned the vibrant blue he remembered from taking Erskine's serum a century ago, "We need a test subject. A human."

Amora opened the door to the laboratory they'd holed themselves up in at the New York Science Center, and waved her hand toward the first man she saw, pulling him toward them as she took over his mind, "Will he do?"

"Anyone will do." Schmidt mumbled, and Amora couldn't help but raise her perfect brow at his words. He needed a good man to be his perfect soldier. No wonder the Nazi had so little luck. Schmidt poured the vial into a syringe and plunged it into the man's arm roughly. He waited impatiently, but the man didn't cry out, he didn't quiver, he didn't shake.

Nothing happened.

Schmidt stabbed himself with the syringe next as Amora flinched, wondering what horrors awaited her if her companion had even more super-soldier serum. "It's not working."

"What? What do you mean it's not working. The girl left this for Doctor Banner, it's clearly the serum-"

"It's nothing but a placebo. It does... nothing." Schmidt growled, reaching toward the formula again. He picked it up and turned it over, seeing nothing on the back. No hints, no clues.

Kayla Ellis had tricked them. She hadn't left her work for Doctor Banner because she couldn't trust anybody. Not even her friends. Not even her heroes.

Amora bent down as Schmidt began to turn beet red from anger, clenching the metal table with his strong, bony finger. She picked up a small index card and handed it to the Red Skull, who was beginning to live up to his namesake once again, "She played us."

Schmidt looked at the card and snarled as he read the scrawling, cursive handwriting before letting the card fall back to the ground.

The dead must keep their secrets-

Kayla Dawn Rogers

Before leaving the lab, Schmidt lit a match and threw it onto the table, setting the formula, the note, and the whole room ablaze.

The sunlight broke through the tinted windows of the grey Chevy pickup as it cruised down the highway. The sound of the engine beneath the soft country music wafting from the radio put the driver at peace as he continued on his journey. As he turned the truck, the sunlight shifted and struck the face of the woman unconscious next to him. She scrunched her eyes closed, moaning softly as she turned her face to the window. She opened her eyes just a little, seeing strands of deep auburn hair against the glass. Her hand felt heavy as she lifted it, trying to touch the hair. After giving it a gentle tug, she realized it was connected to her scalp.

Is this Hell? There's no way it's Heaven because everything hurts so bad... have I been reincarnated?

Kayla moaned as she pushed her eyelids closed, curling into the pickup door to avoid whatever awaited her in consciousness- or, whatever this was she was experiencing. She felt like she was in a different body, in an unfamiliar place. She was sure she'd died, but if she wasn't dead, Kayla wished she was.

"Hey, baby." A soft, familiar voice cooed from the driver's seat, and Kayla turned slowly, fluttering her eyes back open to look at the clean-shaven man beside her. Perhaps she wasn't in Hell after all, because there's no way Steve Rogers would end up there. "You're awake." He added softly, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at his wife.

"Steve... no... I'm dead..." Kayla mumbled, closing her eyes again. She didn't want to be teased. Steve wasn't here. Or maybe he was. Maybe they were dead together. "You're dead."

"No, none of us are dead. We are all very much alive Kay." Steve corrected slowly, reaching his right hand over to rest it on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze so she could feel him. "I'm gonna pull over at the rest stop up ahead, I think you could use some air."

"Bucky shot me. I remember, he shot me right here." Kayla pointed to the spot below her collarbone, and looked down lazily, catching a glimpse of the dark bruise that was forming. At the sight she straightened up a little, looking closer at the round mark with three little prong marks inside of it. "Steve? Steve- he shot me. I had the lethal injection, there's no way I could survive that-"

Steve smiled a little as Kayla stared down at her chest, pulling the thin white tank top away from her. He signaled as he swerved easily onto the off-ramp, driving them to the rest stop half a mile away. "Look in the backseat Kay."

Kayla leaned over and came face to face with Zawadi, who pulled hard against his seat belt harness as he tried to reach his mom. She reached for the dog with her right hand, scratching his snout as he tried desperately to lick at her. Then Kayla looked to the right of the dog and saw her son buckled into a car seat behind his father. "James! Oh, my baby." She whimpered, stretching beyond the dog to stroke the child's face. He slept soundly, even at her touch, and she began to cry a little. "This can't be real. I can't be alive right now..."

"It's real, Kay." Steve assured the woman, parking the truck and popping open his car door to hop out, closing it quietly so as not to wake their son. Zawadi panted against Kayla's arm as she stroked James's face, willing herself to believe she was alive. That Steve was alive, that they were together again. She looked out the window to see Steve pass her door and open the passenger door in the backseat. Kayla twisted in her seat belt and struggled to look over the headrest, but when she did, her breath was snatched out of her chest. Steve began to unbuckle the very tiny, very alive baby girl in the car seat behind Kayla. As his large fingers went to work unstrapping the child, Kayla's jaw began to quiver, knowing now for sure she must be dead and buried. There was no Earthly reality in which she could be so fortunate. Steve looked up and met Kayla's confused eyes, smiling knowingly as the little girl grabbed onto his pinky finger. "You want to hold her?"

"The nurse said she was dead."

"I know. That's so she could steal her away and bring her back to me." Steve answered, carefully scooping up the tiny baby and cradling her in his arms as he closed the pickup door with his broad shoulder. Kayla pushed open her own door and unbuckled her seat belt to prepare to receive the infant.

"Is she... okay?" Kayla asked nervously as Steve placed the child into Kayla's arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at Kayla, and Kay could see she had her father's baby blues and his beaming smile. "She doesn't seem to have any cranial damage."

"Nat said the doctors found no cranial damage. She's very small and weak. But the doctors found no damage to her mind. Nat was able to fake the baby's death and steal her away so I could watch her." Steve looked at the child lovingly as Kayla held her daughter to her chest, feeling the little person cough a bit, "I wanted to wait for you to name her, but I felt bad not calling her anything all week. I- I started calling her Sarah. I hope that's okay."

Kayla beamed at the child, then looked over her shoulder to find James still fast asleep, "Sarah is perfect." She answered quietly as she turned her head back to look at the baby, "She's so small."

"I know. But she's perfect. They both are. He's been missing you though. He's going to be so excited when he wakes up and sees you are back." Steve told Kayla proudly as she rocked back and forth. Sarah's eyelids grew heavy and eventually dropped, and the soft sound of snoring came from her lungs.

"Steve, I was dead."

Steve placed his large hand against Kayla's cheek and she leaned into him, trying to understand where she was. Steve stroked her face lovingly as he studied her features, "It was a team effort."

"You saved my life?" Kayla asked, finally finding her chest winding down from the anxiety of the situation. She was finally accepting it wasn't all a dream. She prayed that she wasn't about to wake up.

"I told you, you aren't dead." Steve chuckled quietly, careful not to wake their sleeping children. "Let's buckle her back in, I'll explain on the way."

"Where are we going?" Kayla whispered, never taking her eyes off the little girl in her arms. Steve pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before taking his daughter, who fit easily in just one of his hands. Kayla propped herself up on her knees and watched as Steve put the little belts across Sarah, making sure she was safe and secure for their drive. "Where are we going?" Kayla repeated as Steve quietly closed the rear passenger door before going around the back of the truck and entering his side.

"You'll see when we get there. We've got some time still." He replied, turning down the music even more so they could talk. He threw the truck into reverse as Kayla fastened her seatbelt and backed out of the spot, taking his family back onto the highway.

Kayla studied her husband, alarmed by how calm he acted. It was his serenity that made her doubt her existence. At any moment she'd wake up. Or maybe she wouldn't. Maybe this was Heaven after all. Either way, she hoped it would never end. She leaned back into the seat, resting her head back as she closed her eyes. She pressed two fingers to the spot on her chest where the bullet-shaped bruise was forming, feeling a dull ache there as the rest of the pain began to subside. "So Bucky did shoot me."

"He did. He was the only person I trusted to hit the right spot." Steve answered, never taking his blue eyes off the road.

Kayla nodded, understanding that, "How did I survive the lethal injection?"

"It wasn't lethal injection. It was super-soldier serum. Natasha got Tony into the prison. He impersonated the doctor so he could switch out the poison with the serum."

Kayla turned her head to look at Steve with wide green eyes, stammering as she tried to catch her breath, "T-Tony? Tony Stark? Tony's alive?"

Steve smirked, holding back a scoff, "I know you shot him with the super-soldier serum during the battle with Thanos. Tony reached out to me a few months ago- looking for you. I asked if he'd help me pull this off, especially with you sending the formula to Pepper."

"How did you know I sent Pepper the formula instead of Bruce?" Kayla mumbled, turning back to face forward as she stared at the road ahead, trying to wrap her mind around what Steve had just told her.

Tony is alive. I saved him. I saved his life.

"I didn't. He called me when Pepper received the letter from Wanda. Nat said you left something for Banner, though. I'm assuming the formula you left for Bruce was fake?"

"Yeah. I knew there were outside forces at work at the trial. I didn't trust that Bruce would get it- but I left him a riddle to find out who did have it." Kayla's lips tugged up into a small smile.

"Good, because Bruce never got it. Bucky reached out to Bruce, and Banner never got your letter. Whoever intercepted it thinks the serum died with you, which is what we hoped." Steve said quietly, turning to see Kayla breathing deeply. "I'm sorry we didn't loop you in."

"Why didn't you?" Kayla grumbled, forcing her eyes closed just a little more. "You let me rot in jail for three months. You let me give birth to our daughter alone."

"You weren't alone. Nat was there. She managed to commandeer some of those SHIELD masks to infiltrate the prison hospital." Steve defended, trying to make his wife realize he hadn't completely abandoned her.

Kayla sighed deeply, getting used to breathing so easily again, "You still could have told me. I thought you were dead."

"That was the point, Kay," Steve explained darkly, turning to her again as she opened her eyes, "If you truly believed I was dead, Red Skull would too. I needed you to think I was really gone so you would sell it. It killed me to leave you for so long."

Kayla didn't answer at first. She wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive Steve for leaving her alone in a prison cell for all those months, just so he could play her and use her devastation to sell his own death. But the result was as desired, and now they were both ghosts on the run. "So Natasha delivered Sarah."

"Yeah. She took her, got her checked out, then kept her hidden away to convince the other doctors that the baby had passed away. She brought Sarah home to me, then doubled back a week later to prepare you for execution." Steve swallowed hard, imagining how scared Kayla must have been. When he saw Bucky after her "death", the Winter Soldier was visibly shaken by what he'd experienced, even if he knew she was going to survive. Steve continued his explanation as Kayla sat quietly, staring at the road as it passed by. The trees were bare, and the ground was cold. Winter was just fading into Spring, and the world wasn't quite awake just yet.

"Nat brought you the clothes. She contacted Shuri months earlier, requesting she make vibranium undershirts. She didn't elaborate on why or who they were for. We didn't want to loop in Shuri and T'Challa, because then they could be incriminated. We kept the circle small. Natasha made sure you had the vibranium undershirt. Tony installed a chip full of Tetrodotoxin B above the chest. When hit, it would inject the serum into your heart and slow your pulse to one beat per minute. That would be enough for them to make the call that you were dead."

"And you needed a way to hit the chip so it would release the toxins." Kayla supplied quietly, placing her fingers to the bruise.

Steve nodded, looking at a road sign as he continued driving, "That's where we needed Buck. It made sense, and I knew he wouldn't miss."

"Does Sam know?" Kayla asked, remembering the way Sam had accepted her death so easily.

Steve didn't look at her as he answered softly, "No."

So Sam really believed that Kayla was about to die, and accepted it as truth. Perhaps she deserved that. She'd taken everything from Sam Wilson, albeit inadvertently. "So the vibranium was to withstand the weight of the bullet to inject the Tetrodotoxin B. So there's just one question left."

Steve's eyebrow flew up, and he didn't voice his confusion. He just looked to her briefly before looking back at the road, moving swiftly around a slower little car.

"Why the super soldier serum?"

Steve smiled a little, lowering his jaw before he spoke, "We had faith that the vibranium would keep the bullet from going through you, but the impact would still cause a lot of damage. We didn't know if it would be too much. We also knew they would administer lethal injection, and if they did that, you'd be dead long before we could find a way to reverse the damage. Since Tony had your formula, it made sense. He offered to go in himself in disguise since Nat and I couldn't risk being in the room. He gave you the serum instead of the poison, keeping up appearances until the very end. Bucky said he called your time of death. We couldn't figure another way out Kay."

Kayla offered his husband a sad smile, "It's okay Steve. Thank you, for saving my life. But more importantly, thank you for still being alive."

"That's not more important." Steve chuckled, looking over to meet Kayla's sparkling green eyes, "You like the new ride?"

"I do, it suits you." Kayla answered with a sigh, leaning back into the plush leather car seat, "It's not very subtle though."

"It's subtle enough," Steve argued, settling his hand on Kayla's knee to give it a gentle squeeze. "We're starting over."

"You don't think people will recognize us?" Kayla scoffed, flipping down the mirror and quickly remembering the auburn color of her hair. "You dyed my hair?"

"Natasha dyed your hair, I supervised. I hope you don't mind. We needed to make you less recognizable to get you out of town. Tony made new passports and licenses. I figured if he could figure out time travel he could hack into the government systems and make sure we were legit. I didn't pick the names though." Steve gestured toward the glove compartment with his chin and Kayla opened it, pulling out two passports, one for Steve and one for her. She opened her's up and a license was paperclipped inside, a photoshopped version of her with the long auburn hair she now sported.

"Kathryn Maria Carter?"

"I said I didn't pick the names," Steve answered with a shrug. "I think he named you Kathryn so I could still call you Kay."

"It's better than Steven Howard Carter, that man has no imagination does he?" Kayla laughed loudly, then simmered as Steve shushed her, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder at the kids, "Sorry." She whispered loudly, putting the passports back into the glove compartment. "Where are we going?"

"Pepper helped me purchase a place in a small town near them. It's far enough away from the city and the compound site that people won't be looking for us. It's not so far away that people would think we have something to run from." Steve answered quietly, "Plus, I didn't want to be too many hours away from Nat and Bucky."

"So this is really happening?" Kayla asked, still in disbelief that she was alive, let alone that she was running off to enjoy a simple life with her husband and children, "We're going to be okay."

"Yeah Kay," Steve told her, grabbing her hand in his and stroking it lovingly with his thumb as he smiled ahead. He pressed the back of her hand to his lips before adding, "We're going to be okay."