Kayla drove her minivan to a steakhouse at the edge of town with Tessa sitting shotgun, Steve and Bucky sitting together in the second row, and her kids sitting in the very back. "We're here!" Kayla called over Steve and Bucky's loud chatter, hitting a button on her door to open up the sliding door to Bucky's right. As everyone scrambled out of the back, Kayla smoothed down her blue blouse and looked up at Tessa under her lashes. "Every time your boyfriend comes around I suddenly have four children instead of two."

"Oh, he's... not my boyfriend." Tessa stuttered as she crossed in front of the hood to stand beside her friend. "I mean, we haven't really talked about being exclusive since he's been back. When I saw him before Christmas he told me I shouldn't wait for him."

"Mmm?" Kayla hummed thoughtfully, but the knowing look in her eyes told Tessa she wasn't surprised by this turn of events. "And did you? Move on?"

"I tried. Haven't found anyone." Tessa admitted, even though Kayla knew full well that Tessa had been on several dates since Christmas. "Let's not talk about this now. Tonight's about the kids and having everyone together."

Kayla nodded, hearing Sarah slam the van's door closed. "You're right. Let's not ruin it. It's a rare thing to have all the family together."

Tessa's lip quirked up at the side from Kayla's words, "Family?"

"Obviously. You're Aunt Tess, aren't you?" Kayla winked as she walked backward toward the restaurant behind her children, leaving the brunette to smile to herself by the van. It had been a long time since she'd had a family.

Steve looked to Kayla as the restaurant manager led them to a private room, "Here's your room Mrs. Carter. We understand that Miss Potts requires her own security, so Mr. Hogan will be taking care of you this evening." The woman nodded and gestured toward the doors where Happy stood, offering Kayla a hug when she approached.

"I didn't realize Pepper and Morgan were coming," Steve said evenly, nodding to Happy as he opened the door to the private room.

Kayla smiled to their friends and hissed through clenched teeth, "If I'd told you he was coming, then Bucky wouldn't have come and you would have been in a mood."

As Tessa entered the restaurant, she found Bucky standing in the doorway of a private room, finding the man rigid as he stared ahead at their table. "You okay?" She asked cautiously, looking around the assassin to see the man sitting at the head of their table, "Oh."

"What's wrong, Bucket? The gang's all here!" Tony called as he leaned against the table with Pepper and Morgan on either side. He gave Bucky and Tessa a perfect smile, gesturing toward the seats across from him. "Miss Davis, always a pleasure."

"Nice to see you again," Tessa answered quietly, refraining from calling him by his name because she still wasn't completely caught up on who Kayla's kids thought "Uncle Tony" was. She was also surprised he'd come out in public. Leaning over to Kayla she whispered, "Shouldn't he be hiding or something?"

"We rented the back room. Happy's going to be taking care of the serving," Kayla mumbled under her breath. She smiled at the billionaire's wife as she sat stoically, looking around as she waite for something to go wrong and someone to recognize her husband. Tessa nodded and didn't press it any longer, hearing the door to the private room close behind her.

Sarah somehow managed to beat her brother to the spot beside Morgan, earning a glare from James as he pulled out the chair next to his sister so he could join in the conversation with the twelve-year-old Stark. "Are you so excited for summer Morgan? Maybe we can come to visit you guys out at the lake! Or you could come to our house! You've never been to our house, but yours is more fun," James rambled as he leaned over his sister. Sarah rolled her eyes and leaned back, allowing her brother his moment with the older girl.

Morgan smirked, pushing her straight brown hair behind her ear before answering carefully, "Perhaps. Dad wants to take Mom and I traveling. Maybe we can travel to your house."

"That wasn't what I meant," Tony interrupted, causing his daughter to chuckle knowingly and looked over her shoulder at her father. "I want to show you the world beyond the lake. I'm just not sure it's safe right now."

"Yeah, with all the attacks from Hydra, Dad's been even more paranoid than usual," Morgan droned, turning back to the younger children who just stared at her with intrigued eyes. She nodded a little, realizing she was a little more advanced than her friends, "Maybe next year."

"Listen, the Avengers are on this. They are going to eliminate the threat and we'll check out every corner of the world. Anywhere you want to go, Squirt." Tony assured his daughter as Pepper smiled down at the menu. Kayla sat beside the strawberry blonde, noticing she was awfully quiet compared to her husband and daughter, but knowing Tony and Morgan, Kayla was sure this was the norm at their household.

Bucky grabbed Tessa's hand and caressed it gently, causing the brunette to smile over at him kindly. He was engrossed in the menu, but his drawn brows told Tessa he wasn't worried about what kind of steak to order. "You okay?" Tessa prodded, squeezing his hand a little as she tilted her head to get a better look at his face. He looked up and nodded silently, his nervous eyes telling her he wasn't ready for what he'd come to do. Tessa sighed, leaning back into her seat but holding his hand to soothe his nerves.

After a few minutes, Bucky cleared his throat, catching the attention of the blonde man next to him, "So, Steve, I, uh, I have a proposition for you."

Steve's eyes widened in panic, shaking his head to warn Bucky to stop, "Not here Buck."

"No, no it's okay. I have this business venture that I was hoping you'd consider."

Tessa tilted her head curiously as Steve narrowed his blue eyes, piercing into his best friend as he waited for the truth to come out, "I have a job. A good job."

"You could own your own business," Bucky informed his best friend as Kayla's back stiffened, knowing eventually this would end up with Bucky asking Steve to come away with him. "I'd like to go into business with you. See there's a conference happening. For construction." Bucky clarified, looking past Steve to Kayla, who glared at him wickedly. Bucky lowered his chin submissively, scratching his scruff as he continued, "It's a summer abroad, moving from city to city meeting with some of the most distinguished builders in the world. I think you and I could do really well together. As a team."

"I'm not going to leave my family all summer, Buck. Even if it sounds like a very exciting opportunity." Steve choked out, and Kayla sighed a little at the longing in his voice. He was determined to stay away from the Avengers. But they were having all the fun without him.

"That's the best part!" Bucky exclaimed, causing Tony to raise his brow curiously as he held back a chuckle at the Winter Soldier's nervousness. Bucky smiled grandly at Kayla beyond Steve, "It's not just an opportunity for you and me, it's a great opportunity for Katie, too."

This time Kayla raised her chin defiantly, curious to see where this proposal was going, even if she'd already made up her mind that her husband was going to say no. "I'm listening."

Bucky nodded, feeling the pressure of having the former First Avenger and his wife on the line, "I think you could run the business side of things. The three of us, we could really go far. Think about it. It would be a wonderful opportunity, and you could set your own hours as the kids grow up. And after the conference, I'd settle down here." Bucky turned to Tessa, still holding his hand, "I'd come home for good to make sure everything runs smoothly."

Steve turned to Kayla, who gnawed her molars behind pursed lips, mulling over the proposal. James and Sarah looked between their parents, then to Morgan, "Maybe we can live with you for the summer?"

"Oh, no, that wouldn't be necessary!" Bucky exclaimed again, causing Steve to turn back to his friend, "Tessa's offered to come with to watch the kids while we are at the conference. That way you guys won't be apart, but they'll sightsee. You know, culture and stuff."

Kayla looked toward Tessa and the brunette just shrugged nervously as she smiled through clenched teeth. She didn't want to endure the wrath of the famous Kayla Ellis for dragging her family into this. But then again, Steve almost seemed happy with the arrangement. "I've taken on a lot more help at the Brewhouse lately, including an in-house manager. I could take a few months off and take care of business from anywhere."

Bucky could cut the tension at the table with his knife as Happy brought their drinks and took their food orders, looking less than thrilled that he'd been reduced to a waiter, even if only for an evening. Kayla's eyes bore into Bucky, and he was sure he'd explode the moment she opened her mouth to address him. Once Happy was gone, he smiled meekly and offered more deals, "Tony, you could always join in too. You have a little business experience don't you?"

Tony scoffed and Morgan swallowed down her laugh with a chug of water, knowing full well that Bucky Barnes was baiting her billionaire father, "Yeah, little bit. I'm not interested though. I'm retired. Staying home. Staying away from all the fighting. Europe is a hotbed for Hydra activity right now. I don't want my wife and daughter anywhere near that." Tony looked toward Steve, daring the soldier to follow his best friend's lead.

"I'm sure Tessa can make sure the kids are safe. Worst case scenario they get a summer of swimming in the hotel and working on their summer reading list. Maybe even some online studies. It would be a wonderful opportunity for them to see the world at such a young age. I would have loved it." Steve defended to his wife, who's jaw broke open in amazement. As quickly as it came unhinged, Kayla slammed her jaw shut, turning on her husband.

"Steven. A word."

She pushed away from her seat and led her husband toward the doors to talk in private while Bucky drained all his water under the smug gaze of Tony Stark.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Steve, we said no fighting. You said no more fighting. If you had asked me eight months ago, I would have jumped on the chance, but things have been really really good. We've gotten into a routine. We've both been there fully for the kids. I want to help them too, I really do, but Tony's right, we have no business dragging our children into a warzone." Kayla hissed, looking over her shoulder as Sarah coughed a little on her water, telling everyone she was fine.

Steve looked over his wife's head as Morgan rubbed Sarah's back, smiling down at the girl. He rocked back and forth a little, mulling over their options. "But lots of people have kids, Kay. And their parents are being recruited by Hydra. The mind-melding drug is on the rise. Those who resist are being killed. How can we sit back and let that happen?"

"Our kids don't deserve to be orphans either." Kayla growled, grabbing Steve's face and pulling it to look at her, "Steve... what if something happens to us?"

"If anything happens to us, they have so many people who love them and will take care of them. They have a family to look after them. But that's beside the point because nothing is going to happen to us. I swear on my life, if we do this, we get out alive."

"That... seems contradictory." Kayla droned, crossing her arms over her blue shirt, "Bucky. Get over here."

"Ooooohhhh." The kids teased in unison as Bucky was summoned by their mother. "Uncle Bucky's in trouble." James sing-songed as Tessa released the man's hand, allowing him to face down the fuming Kayla.

When Bucky was standing in front of her, Kayla lifted her chin to look up at the soldier, "So we'd be joining the Avengers?"

"No. We'd be a stealth team. The three of us. Sam and the others would draw away The Enchantress's attention while we take out her sources behind her back. Quiet work. We'll leave the big guns to the team." Bucky explained candidly, looking from Kayla to her husband, "Then you can keep your cover intact. Only Sam will know for sure who I'm working with. I'll tell the others you are comrades from my time within Hydra. We put a lot of thought into this. It's as safe as it can be."

Kayla looked to her husband, seeing the excitement in his blue eyes. He wanted to go. She gave him a firm nod, saying more in that action than any words ever could. Steve beamed at her, then turned to his best friend. "We're in."