Despite her best efforts to determine where things had gone awry between UNIT and S.H.I.E.L.D., Martha was met with resistance at every turn. The most she was able to glean was that the dissolution had been Kate's idea. The key to the success of their joint venture had been transparency, or at least as much openness that two international intelligence agencies could afford one another.

Apparently Nick Fury was onto something. It was something big and something to which Kate and UNIT were not privy. She may not have been military minded like her father before her, but Kate knew how to pick her battles and she also knew when to retreat. Whatever was going on with S.H.I.E.L.D. was best left for World Security Council to sort. UNIT had their own concerns.

Since her arrival in Washington D.C., Martha had only passing knowledge of the day to day operations at UNIT so she was a bit surprised to learn that the Doctor had made contact on more than one occasion since then and with more than one face.

"Three of them?" Steve asked, halting his task of helping Martha pack up her flat in preparation for her move back to New York.

Martha nodded while arranging a stack of books into one of the many boxes littering the apartment. "That's what I was told."

"Three versions of the Doctor," Steve marveled, while passing her more books. "All together though?" he questioned a moment later. "Is that…safe?"

"It's one step away from creating a paradox," Martha answered. "But it is something that has happened before."

"Really?"

"Yes. Although usually only when the circumstances are dire and from the sound of it that definitely was the case."

"Are you sorry you missed it?"

"You mean the action?" Martha retorted with a ghost of a smile. "I get plenty of that working with S.H.I.E.L.D."

The corner of Steve's mouth turned upward. "True, but it's different."

"It is different, but it's similar in a way. At any rate, it's not really the work that I miss," Martha began with a quiet sigh. "I reckon I'm just a bit sad that I didn't get to see him. The Doctor I mean. My Doctor."

"You miss him," Steve guessed.

Martha nodded slowly. "It's been a long time since I saw him and the last time...he looked so sad. Like he knew it was the end for him."

"And you just wish you would have had a chance to say goodbye," Steve replied with a wistful sigh.

"Oh my God," Martha said suddenly. "I'm an idiot."

Steve quirked a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Here I am harping on about the Doctor when I've had plenty of chance to see his other faces, but you don't have that luxury with Bucky." Martha frowned at her own foolishness. "I'm so sorry, love. That was selfish of me and rude."

Steve gave her a smile that she didn't feel like she deserved. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he assured her and moved to pull her into his arms for good measure. "If I could have had a chance to see Bucky again and didn't find out until after the fact, I'd be upset too. It doesn't make you selfish, Martha, it makes you human."

Martha wrapped her arms around him. "As much as I miss the Doctor, it doesn't even come close to what I feel about not being able to see you." She heaved a sigh and leaned her head against his chest. "It wouldn't be easy, you know?"

"Yea, but we both knew that going in," Steve reminded her with a nod.

"Knowing something and living it are two completely different things," Martha pointed out. She paused thoughtfully before lifting her head slowly to meet his eyes. "If you want an out…"

Steve shook his head. "I'm not giving up on us."

Martha let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

Steve slipped his hand behind her neck and kissed her deeply then pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?"

"You? No, you're far too stubborn for that." They shared a laugh as Martha lifted a hand to stroke his cheek lovingly. "So much for living together, eh?"

"Yea." Steve frowned and leaned his cheek into the palm of her hand. "I guess the decision was made for us in the end."

"I reckon so," Martha agreed quietly. "You could always come to New York," she suggested after a brief lull in conversation. "Tony and some of the others are based there. You could even find a place in Brooklyn. Maybe one with room for two?"

"Sounds tempting," Steve told her with a hint of a smile. "Unfortunately, there's still work left to be done here in D.C."

Martha nodded and sighed in defeat. "Will you at least come visit me?"

"Every chance I get," Steve promised with a gentle kiss.

Martha moaned quietly against his lips. "What's your stance on phone sex?"

Steve pulled back to look at her with a surprised, albeit amused, expression. "I honestly haven't thought about it."

"You should start," Martha replied quickly before going in for another more passionate kiss.

"Regular conversations or FaceTime?" Steve questioned breathlessly when they finally broke for air a short while later.

"What do you mean or?" Martha teased. "I'm going to expect both plus texting and some hardcore Skyping."

"You're insatiable," Steve said before giving her a quick kiss.

"Me?" Martha scoffed playfully. "I never said all of that time was going to be devoted to sex, Captain Dirty Thoughts."

Steve loosened his grip on her and chuckled. "Touché."

"Besides, five minutes with my sister Tish and you'll realize how tame I actually am," Martha joked. "She'd probably try take to take a selfie with your bum or something daft like that. It has quite a devoted following online."

Steve shook his head dismissively but laughed all the same. "I'll keep that in mind for when I finally get to meet her and the rest of your family."

Martha stared at him with wide eyes. "You want to meet my family?"

"Does that surprise you?" Steve asked seriously.

"A bit," she confessed sheepishly.

"Martha, I felt serious enough about our relationship to ask you to move in with me. Wanting to meet your family should go without saying."

"I suppose but not everyone is big on the whole meeting the family thing," she pointed out. "And my mum can be a bit…intense," Martha added, though she made a conscious decision not to mention Francine's tendency to slap the men her daughters introduced to her. She was fairly certain that her mum would have a hard time finding fault with Steve, but she figured it would be better to cross that bridge if and when they came to it.

"Your family is important to you and you're important to me, so that means they are too," Steve insisted. "And it's not like I have one of my own anymore, outside of my team."

Martha bit back a smile at the thought of Steve joining her family. "Does that mean you're campaigning to be a part of mine?"

Steve smirked. "It's definitely worth consideration."

"Big words there, Cap," Martha said as she glanced at the ground. "Here's hoping that absence really does make the heart grow fonder."

Steve lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "It's because we're going to be apart that I want you to know exactly how I feel about you, Martha. I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind about where we stand."

Martha smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Martha placed her hands on his shoulders and rose up on her toes to give him a kiss. "Now how about we forget standing and settle into a different position?" she suggested with a slight smirk.

"See? Insatiable," Steve teased while wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close again.

"I just want to get in some quality time while we still can," Martha insisted innocently as she tugged him towards the sofa by the shoulders. "Make a few memories."

"I guess I should just be grateful you're not trying to talk me into documenting those memories," Steve retorted as they tumbled backwards onto the couch.

"What? You mean like a sex tape?" Martha laughed. "Captain Dirty Thoughts strikes again!" She cupped his face in her hands and brought his lips down to her level. "Although…"

"Don't even think about it," Steve told her seriously between kisses before shifting his attention to her neck.

"Relax. I'm just having a laugh." Martha arched her neck to give him better access. "Do you think I'd actually put either of us out there knowing the lot you hang out with and their privacy invading ways?" She scoffed playfully. "I'm not sure that the world is ready for a Captain America sex scandal."

Steve lifted his head with a smirk. "I guess your sister will just have to use her imagination then," he joked then resuming kissing her neck.

"Oi!" Martha laughed and gave him a gentle shot to the ribs with her knee. "If you're trying to kill the mood, you're doing a bang up job."

"No, but you are cute when you're annoyed," Steve teased.

"Oh you cheeky bastard," Martha retorted with another nudge from her knee.

Steve placed a hand on her knee and gave her a soft kiss. "I'm gonna miss this," he said, barely masking the sadness in his voice as he rose up a bit to get a good look at her. His eyes swept over her like he was trying to commit all the details to memory.

Martha nodded slowly and tried to keep her own sadness in check. "Me too," she whispered.

"So let's make the most of the time we have left."

Martha slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him close again. "Best plan ever, Cap."