Author's Notes:

zikashigaku: Things are about to get complicated, but I wouldn't get too excited about Kayla kicking ass. In the end, she's going to be the one who needs saving...

Kayla managed to sneak back out through the back door of the hospital, discarding her lab coat before looking around. She noticed Steve sitting on a bench across the street, and darted in front of traffic to get to him. When Steve saw his wife, he stood quickly and embraced her, but she just buried her face in his shirt, "They're gone Steve. Somebody took them."

"Who?" He breathed, his mind beginning to turn as he considered their next course of action, "What did you learn?"

"Tessa is in quarantine. They believe she's been infected with a bio-weapon. The Medranos have her. Apparently she had a visitor earlier in the day and they think the visitor took the kids." Kayla rambled, looking around the city street in the darkness. Her lip quivered as she shivered, "The name they used was Tiffany Jones."

Steve raised his chin, eyeing the hospital suspiciously, "Whoever took them knows who they are."

Kayla nodded, fighting back tears, "Should have implanted trackers in them."

"Kay." Steve chuckled and she snarled at him in response. Steve just rubbed her upper arms comfortingly, but he was anything but comfortable in their situation, "We'll find them. And we'll help Tessa."

"The Medranos poisoned her, she's the one they were talking about at the lab. They are after our kids. Who's to say they don't have them?" Kayla argued and Steve sighed, turning his body when a man stared at him a moment too long.

"We have to get somewhere safe. We can't help James and Sarah if we can't help ourselves. I got a message from Buck, he's found another hotel, somewhere cheap that we can hide in. Regroup. Come up with a plan. We'll divide and conquer if we have to. We'll save Tessa and take the kids home." Steve told Kayla confidently as he pulled out his battered cell phone and called Bucky, getting directions to their new roach motel for the night.

Sandra led James and Sarah into her hotel suite, and James let out a loud whistle as they entered. Matthew Ellis lifted his head at the noise and was startled when he saw the two children with his wife. "Sandra! What-"

"Aunt Tessa isn't doing well. I think she's dying." Sarah informed quietly, looking between her brother and the woman who'd brought them back, "Aunt Tessa said we should go with her."

"Sandra-"

"It's late. You two should get some sleep. There's a second room down the hall on the left. You two can use that bathroom if you want. If you need anything, we'll leave the bedroom door open." Sandra explained, ushering the kids down the hallway. Matthew stood from the desk, trying to get his wife's attention, but her focus was on James and Sarah, "Sleep well. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Thank you." James said confidently, but Sarah squished her face uncomfortably, knowing her parents wouldn't be happy about them going to a strange hotel with strangers.

James closed the door behind them and turned to his sister, who was pulling down the satin comforter of the full bed, "James, I don't feel good about this."

"Sarah... I know her. I can't explain it, but I remember her, somehow." James explained quietly, leaning his ear against the door to listen. He offered Sarah a weak smile, "I'll protect you. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

"You keep saying that. I'm not made of glass." Sarah grumbled with a roll of her eyes, falling back into the comfortable bed with a huff. "I hope Mom and Dad are okay. I'm surprised Aunt Tessa didn't hear from them while we were there. What if... what if they're dead?"

"Sarah!" James hissed, walking around to sit on the side of her bed. He gently pulled up the blanket over his little sister before smoothing back her hair, "They aren't dead. They are fine. Maybe their phones died. And then our hotel caught on fire. If they couldn't charge their phones, they couldn't call. See? I'm sure they are worried sick about us though. I wish there was some way we could get a hold of them."

"If I had a phone, I could call, I have Mom's number memorized." Sarah admitted, closing her eyes slowly before mumbling out the numbers. James listened carefully, then replayed the numbers in his head as Sarah drifted off into sleep. "Night James."

"Night Sarah. Love you."

"I love you too."

James smiled and shut off the light so his sister could sleep soundly. The hotel clock read eleven-fifteen, far past their bedtime. James didn't crawl into bed though, he studied the hotel phone in the darkness before dialing the number his sister had rattled off. After three rings, a cautious voice answered on the other end, "Hello?"

"Mom?" James breathed quietly, careful not to wake his sister. He heard a sob erupt from the other end as his mom cried into the phone. "Mom, it's me, James. I just wanted to let you know Sarah and I are okay. Aunt Tessa is really, really sick though, you gotta go help her."

"I already went to check on her honey." Kayla explained, clenching her chest as she listened to her son's voice. "She's in bad shape but she'll be okay. Where are you? I want to come get you."

"I don't know. Somebody you know came and took us to their hotel. She's somebody I remember. Vaguely. Aunt Tessa said we should go with her. I don't know the name of the hotel, but I can tell you in the morning?"

"No," Kayla breathed, motioning violently for Steve to come over when the bathroom door opened, "No, honey, we need to come get you now. Can you find anything around that has the name of the hotel on it?"

James looked around, "No. But we're safe, I promise. I'll ask tomorrow and then call you back when I know, okay?"

"James... listen to your mother-" Steve started as Kayla held the phone between them, the speakerphone barely louder than the pounding in their ears. But James had already begun to drift off, his mind chasing sleep after the long day.

"Goodnight Mom. Love you guys."

"James! James, don't-" But the line clicked dead and Kayla glared at Steve, ready to take her frustrations with her son out on the child's father. "Where did we go wrong with him?"

Steve smirked, working hard not to release the snort that threatened to escape. "He's got guts. And instincts. They'll be fine."

"Somebody has them. Somebody who knows who they are, Steve, we have to find them, now." Kayla snarled, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as the muscles in her thighs flexed. She clenched her fists and focused her mind, preparing to go find her kids.

Their attention was drawn to the door and Kayla sprung into a fighting stance in preparation as the door began to open. Steve stood behind her, not bothering to prepare to fight. He wasn't as wound up as his wife. Bucky pushed open the door and Kayla deflated a little, almost disappointed someone hadn't burst through that she could beat to a pulp.

"We have a bit of a situation." Bucky said evenly, placing his hands up defensively as he approached Kayla and Steve, "I know who has your kids. Sam just called."

Kayla blinked at him, taking the half-second to compute the information before barking back, "Sam knows where my children are?"

Bucky took a deep breath, twisting this real hand against his metal one, "Yeah. Your father called him... to let him know that he and your mother have James and Sarah. They are in town for the convention at United Nations. They saw what happened with Tessa. Your mother recognized James and collected them from the hospital."

"More like stole them from the hospital from what it sounds like..." Kayla grumbled, rubbing her temples. She felt a headache coming on from the spot where Contini had bashed her. "At least they are somewhere safe."

"Honestly, it might be best to leave them there for a few days. While we sort out this mess with Tess and the Medranos." Bucky said quietly, but Steve shot him a dirty look. Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall by the window, looking out over Geneva, "Listen, you said it yourself, the lady scientist knows who your children are, I'm sure they poisoned Tess to get to them. They are probably in the most secure place in Geneva."

Kayla turned to Steve and her husband shrugged, waiting to see what her reaction would be. Kayla sighed and Steve looked to Bucky, "Can you have Sam get a message back to them? Tell them to keep the children the next two days. I'll be by to collect them when it's safe. Under no circumstance are they to realize Kayla is alive, do you understand?"

"Yeah." Bucky grumbled, pulling his phone back out and walking to the far corner of the room to make the call. Steve turned to Kayla and opened his arms, creating a safe place for her to fall into.

She accepted his offer and wrapped her arms around his torso, smelling the dirt and caked sweat from the long day. She rubbed her thumb along the thin fabric that was left of his shirt before pulling away to lean up and kiss Steve gently, "We're going to fix all this. Then go home."

Steve pressed his forehead to hers gently and reached up to stroke her cheeks, "I know we will. We're almost done. This is the last mission."

Kayla smirked up at her husband, puffing air out through her nose, "That's not the first time I've heard that."

When morning arrived, Sandra Ellis's alarm began to blare at nine o'clock, but after she shut it off, she realized she could hear voices coming from the sitting room outside her bedroom door. She swung her legs over the mattress and slowly crept toward the door, but she smiled when she reached the doorframe. Little Sarah had found the hotel notepad and a couple of pens and was doodling away while James sat on the couch with Matthew Ellis, chatting happily.

"I like pancakes, do you think there's pancakes here?" James asked, frowning deeply as his stomach growled fiercely.

Matt laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I think I can get you some pancakes. Sarah? What are you hungry for?"

"I'm not hungry." She droned simply and James just shrugged, explaining that was normal for his sister.

"I'll call down for some room service." Sandra said, catching the three's attention. James beamed at her, and her heart melted, wishing her grandchildren could know who she was. "I'll be right back." As Sandra wandered back into the master suite, she picked up her phone and noticed a missed call from Sam Wilson. She looked over her shoulder, then dialed back the Avenger. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Ellis, how are you doing this morning?" Sam's voice cut back professionally, but Sandra wasn't in the mood for politics and games.

"I'm doing well. How are you? What can I help you with?" She asked tersely, knowing the Avengers would quickly come to take the kids away. She knew it was the right thing, because they could safely get the kids back to their father, but she didn't want them to leave yet. She barely even knew them.

Sam cleared his throat before he continued, "I was actually hoping you could do something for... would you and your husband be able to watch the kids for a few days? Their father is taking care of some business in Geneva with Sergeant Barnes and he feels that the safest place for them is with you. If it isn't too much trouble."

"Yes. We'll definitely watch them. My husband has to go to the convention this afternoon, but I'll stay behind with the kids. Give him my number please? He can contact me when he's ready, but I'll take care of them as long as he needs." Sandra answered, her smile breaking through her voice. After a moment, a thought crossed her mind and her smile dropped, "They said something about their mother... is he remarried?"

Sam didn't answer for a moment, staying silent on the other line, "I don't think it's my place to talk about his personal life ma'am. I'm sorry. I'd expect Barnes to collect the children the day after tomorrow."

Sandra nodded, taking what little information she'd been given in stride, "Thank you Captain. Good luck and thank you for your hard work in finishing off this threat of Hydra."

"It's the home stretch. Soon it'll be easy retirement for all of us." Sam chuckled on the other end before bidding Sandra goodbye and hanging up.

Several minutes later, Sandra emerged from the room and sat down on the ottoman across from her husband and grandson, "So, I just got off the phone with someone who knows your dad. Your dad has asked that you stay with us for a few days. Is that okay?"

James looked from Matt to Sandra and shrugged, "Yeah. Sure. Works for me."

"Umm, no, we don't know you." Sarah piped up from the desk where she drew. She sat down her pen and stared down the blonde woman, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but the person in charge of taking care of us was poisoned and suddenly you show up and whisk us away? It just doesn't seem right. I'm sorry, but what are we to you?"

Matthew gave Sandra a look that very clearly said, "I told you so" but the woman stammered to answer truthfully without giving away the secret of his parentage. Sandra wasn't sure the kids knew who their father really was, and she didn't want to be the one to explain that to them. After a moment, she grabbed for her iPad and began scrolling, finally pulling up a picture and handing it to Sarah, "We are old family friends of your father. We've known him a very long time. I used to watch your brother before you were born."

Sarah stared at the woman, then studied the photo, seeing the two people in front of her posing on either side of her father. He was beaming a smile so bright Sarah couldn't help but grin. The older man, who'd introduced himself as Matthew, clamped his hand on Steve's shoulder fondly while his wife leaned into the tall, blonde man. Steve, the gentleman Sarah's mother always hoped James would be, held the blonde woman by the shoulder gently. Sarah hadn't seen her father that happy often. Usually it was when Uncle Bucky came to visit or when he was having a drink with Uncle Tony out by the lake, watching her, Morgan, and James play. If these people could pull such a beaming grin from her father, then they must be telling the truth.

Sarah nodded hesitantly, "I believe you."

Before Sandra could answer, there was a knock on the door and Matthew rose to answer it, "I think it's time for breakfast."