Author's Note: Okay, I just wanted to say that I had been planning on updating earlier but this chapter took me a lot longer to write than what I originally thought. I also wanted to address the Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter situation. I know that it isn't technically incest or anything but it would be really creepy for that to happen in my story because in this story Steve actually had a kid with Peggy, Sharon's great aunt, and it would be weird if he pursued something with her especially since she's related to Emma. I don't mind a Steve/Sharon pairing but I just don't think it will work for this story. I'll probably make it a Steve/OC pairing but it's not going to be a main focus of the story. Probably just a side note for some scenes that might require Steve to have a romantic interest. I was thinking about doing a Steve/Darcy pairing for the story but I'm not that interested in that. Maybe a Bucky/Darcy pairing later but it'll never be a main focus of the story since this a Peter/OC pairing story.

I also want to talk about Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan roasting Tom Holland. Whenever I feel sad I just watch all those videos because they make me laugh so hard that I cry. You gotta love Anthony Mackie. Seriously him and Sebastian Stan are hilarious. I really want to see those two do a comedy together some day.

Sam Wilson tried to maintain his breathing as he ran laps around the city. It might've been a little too long since he last ran but to be fair his running partner had been pretty busy with life lately. Finding your long lost granddaughter tended to do that to a person. Sam was just glad that his friend had found some connection to his past life. Steve had been so troubled before Emma came into the picture so when they found Emma, Sam was just happy that Steve had found someone who was connected to both his past and future. It would prove to be very healthy for the super soldier.

"On your left." Sam heard from his left side as he jogged. He glared as he watched the figure of Steve Rogers pass him with little effort. It was only about ten seconds later when he heard someone else come up from behind him. He huffed and puffed as he struggled to keep up and not let this person pass him but he wasn't really a match.

"Don't you dare say it, kid." Sam managed to say as he tried to maintain his breathing.

"On your left!" Emma Rogers sang as she gracefully passed Sam, following her grandfather. Sam let out a growl of frustration as the young girl managed to easily keep with Steve. He pretended to be frustrated with the two but he really couldn't act that mad. It wasn't that long ago when no one could keep with Steve but that seemed to change when Emma came into the picture. It would be good for him, Sam determined. Emma would be good for all of them actually.

"Shhhh… don't scream, princess. Everything will be fine." Emma could feel warm hands grabbing her, the hands sweaty and hot against her skin.

"Stop… stop it, please. Please don't… please… don't." Her voice pleaded with the person. The desperation in her voice was humiliating.

"Just shut up and do as I say. If anything happens to me your Winter Soldier will pay the price." Emma could feel warm tears stream down her face as she began to give up.

"You're so beautiful… just like your mother." The voice whispered directly into her ear.

Emma woke up screaming from her nightmare. It was a much different reaction to her nightmares than she was used to having. Usually Emma was able to keep herself under control but the nightmare she had that night was too vivid and terrifying for Emma to keep calm. It was like she was back in that Hydra base all over again. It almost felt like he was in the room with her and she struggled to search for him in the darkness of the room. Her eyes wildly scanned the room from wall to wall but she couldn't spot anything. Emma struggled to keep her breathing under control as she tried to calm herself down but it wasn't working. Her bedroom door suddenly opened and Emma immediately grabbed one of her sketching pencils from her nightstand, holding it up defensively as she looked at the intruder. The lights suddenly turned on, revealing the intruder to actually be Steve.

Steve had been woken up from his sleep by a loud screaming. He was a bit of a light sleeper given his enhanced hearing so it didn't take much to wake him up. The first thought that entered his mind when he woke up was Emma. It didn't take long for Steve get out of bed, grabbing his shield along the way as he ran to Emma's bedroom. That was what caused him to be standing in her doorway as he scanned her room for any intruders whilst holding his shield out in front of him defensively. It's why he was taken by surprise when he didn't see any signs of any sort of threat but instead a terrified looking Emma who was holding a pencil in her hand like it was a weapon. If he was being honest then he was sure that Emma could probably make that pencil into a weapon if the occasion called for it. Steve, however, was more concerned with the wild look in her eyes as well as her breathing which sounded labored.

"Emma?" Steve said in concern. The scared look in Emma's eyes began to fade as she slowly began to put the pencil in her hand down. Steve was surprised to see tears streaming down her face as she struggled to maintain her breathing. He was so surprised because he didn't think he had ever seen Emma in such an emotional state before. She was usually just so calm and collected that seeing her in this state was slightly shocking.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Steve asked again when she didn't respond. Emma looked down at her hands, avoiding any eye contact with Steve.

"It's nothing. I was just being stupid." She said shortly and Steve gave her a pointed look as he sat his shield down on the floor before making his way over to her bed.

"I heard screaming. There must be something that happened." Emma just shrugged as she looked back at him. Steve sat on the edge of her bed as he gave her a concerned look.

"It was just a nightmare… nothing to worry about." She finally told him, knowing that he wasn't going to give up. Steve analyzed the look on her face, looking as if he was searching for something.

"And have you been having these nightmares often?" Steve asked and Emma only shrugged again, causing Steve to give her another pointed look. "Emma?" He pressed and Emma sighed.

"Fine, yes. I've been having nightmares a lot but it's not a big deal." She told him with a calm expression but Steve could tell it was all for show. "I'm handling it." Steve groaned in frustration as he looked at her. It became very obvious that Emma had been having these nightmares for quite a while. He was willing to bet that she had been having them ever since she arrived at the tower.

"Emma, I told you that you could talk to me… you could talk to anyone if you needed to." Steve told her.

"I don't need help. I'm fine." She snapped and Steve's expression softened at the defensiveness of her tone. "I've been taking care of myself for a long time now. I think I can manage."

"Don't you see, Emma?" Steve said as he responded to her retort. "You don't have to do this all by yourself anymore. You have me… you have all of us and we all care about you." He continued when she didn't say anything. "What are the dreams about? It's okay, you can tell me."

"I don't really remember them all that well. I think they're mostly about the Hydra base… the experiments and the missions." Emma lied. From the soft expression of Steve's face she could tell that he bought it too.

"You really need to talk to Sam, Emma." Emma's frowned as Steve talked to her about Sam. He had brought up the Sam thing a while ago. Apparently Sam had a lot of experience dealing with PTSD since he worked in the VA but Emma didn't think there was much he could help her with. She was a lot different than the former military individuals that he worked with on a daily basis.

"I don't think he can help me." Emma told him.

"Sam may surprise you." Steve could tell by the look on Emma's face that the conversation was over. He wanted to be able to get more out of her but it didn't really seem like she was going to sit down and spill all her secrets. Steve knew that she kept things from him and he did his best to try and understand why but it was still hard for him. Steve, deciding to gamble a bit with his own life, took a chance and reached forward, wrapping his arms around Emma in a comforting hug. Emma immediately stiffened in his arms as he hugged her but she didn't push him away or punch him in the face so that had to mean something. She just sat there awkwardly as Steve gave her the hug and she knew he meant well but it was will weird to her. The last person who had ever hugged her was her mother and that had been a long time ago. Steve let go of her eventually and Emma felt a bit relieved by the space she was given. Steve gave Emma a comforting smile, telling her that he understood that she wanted to be left alone, before getting up from the bed. It was only when Emma saw that Steve was leaving that she started feeling scared again. Emma hated that feeling but she couldn't stop herself as the words began to fall out of her mouth.

"Wait!" She called suddenly, almost immediately regretting it when she saw Steve turn back around with a curious look on his face. She gritted her teeth as she prepared herself to ask for something she didn't really want to ask for because of her pride. "Could you maybe… stay here with me?" She asked hesitantly. To say that Steve looked surprised was an understatement... he looked shocked. "I mean… just until I fall asleep. It might make everything easier."

"Sure, I can do that." Steve finally said after he got over his shock. He seated himself in the chair by her bed and Emma already hated herself for stooping so low that she asked him for help. She settled back into her bed, starting to pull the sheets over herself. Emma could feel Steve's eyes on her and she wanted to glare at him but she was so focused on trying to fall back asleep she didn't bother to open her eyes again.

"If you tell anyone about this you'll regret it." Emma told him through the silence. The lights had since been turned off by Jarvis once the AI system assessed that there wasn't any threat in the environment.

"Is that a threat?" Steve asked but Emma could hear the smile in his voice.

"A promise actually." She replied.

"Good night, Emma." He said through the darkness.

"Night, Steve." Emma mumbled as she began to feel herself fall back asleep. She didn't know if he said anything else because she was already fading into a hopefully dreamless sleep. Emma wasn't sure if she was going to take Steve up on his suggestion of talking to Sam. She had already been such a burden on everyone and not to mention it was way out of her comfort zone. Asking Steve to stay with her there was already asking way too much. No, she would just have to find a way to deal with her nightmares on her own. Emma would get over her fears. Not because she needed to but because she had to. She wasn't going to be weak or the sniveling child that every adult expected her to be. Emma was stronger than this… she was stronger than the nightmares and she was going to prove it.

Emma walked out of her bedroom with her sketchbook tucked under her arm. It had been a three weeks since Steve discovered Emma in a state of horror after her nightmare. It had been just over two and a half months since Emma arrived at the tower. Everything had been going as well as it could be thus far but Emma still had her problems. Her nightmares seemed to be the main problem that Emma was still struggling with much to Steve's dismay. She knew how much he wanted her to get help from Sam but Emma couldn't find it in herself to let anyone help her with her own problems. She talked to the others at the tower although she mainly just chatted with Darcy and Natasha but it was never about her personal issues. She talked about music with Darcy and she spoke in Russian with Natasha. Darcy was never going to push her to talk about anything unless Emma wanted to and Natasha knew better than to even expect Emma to tell her anything.

Emma headed towards the kitchen of her and Steve's apartment. God, it still felt odd to refer to the place as "theirs" but Steve insisted. What was his was hers apparently. He said it had to do with her being his family but Emma honestly didn't care about what he gave her. Steve being overly concerned for her was more than anyone had ever done for her except for her father. Emma felt a bit saddened by the thought of her father. She missed him immensely and had no idea where he could be. She was grateful that he had finally escaped Hydra but she was still a little hurt that he hadn't come back for her himself. Steve and Sam were still trying to find him but they were having no such luck. Emma knew that they would never find him because her father wouldn't be found unless he wanted to be found. She didn't even think that she stood a chance at tracking him down. Emma had only supplied Steve and Sam with a couple of details to aid them in their search but she doubted those details were really that helpful.

Emma had one ear bud in her ear and one out as she walked down the hall to the kitchen, trying to force her father out of her thoughts. It would continue to bum her out the more she thought about him. She glanced down at the iPod in her hand, gently rubbing her thumb against the aged dent in the small device. The iPod was a bit outdated but she loved it almost as much as her sketchbook and appreciated the gift that Darcy had given to her. The brunette told her that the device was a prized possession that she was willing to give to her because Emma needed it way more than she did. Something about Emma finally catching up on all the good music that she had missed out on. At first Emma hadn't really cared that much about music since she wasn't really allowed to listen to any music at the Hydra base but once she listened to the first song on one of Darcy's many playlists… well, she fell in love to say the least. Darcy's iPod was filled with hundreds of different musicians, both old and new, of various different music genres. Artists like The Doors, Florece+The Machine, Fleetwood Mac, Lana Del Rey, Jefferson Airplane, Haim, David Bowie, The Head and the Heart, Alice Cooper, Alt-J, and Eagles were just a small fraction of the artists that filled Darcy's old iPod. At the moment Emma was listening to "Falling" by Haim as she walked into the kitchen, gently bobbing her head along to the music.

"That was the fifth one this week." Steve said suddenly, causing Emma to pause in her task. She was currently pouring herself a glass of orange juice. Emma glanced at Steve who was giving her a very stern look.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Emma replied even though she somewhat had an idea about what he was talking about.

"I'm talking about the nightmares, Emma." Emma just looked back at her glass of orange juice as she tried to focus on literally anything else. She found it difficult to ignore Steve when he was leaning against the kitchen counter, giving her a stern look.

"I'm fine, Steve." Emma told him but Steve didn't look convinced. No, Steve actually looked a little bit annoyed with her.

"I've given you time, Emma. I know that opening up to us is hard for you but I can't just let you bottle this up inside." Steve told her honestly. "It isn't healthy."

"It's my choice whether or not I want share my life story with you guys." Emma told him with a glare.

"It's not your choice if you're thirteen and it's severely effecting your health." Steve retorted. Emma opened her mouth to reply but stopped when she didn't know how to respond to that. "Do you know how frustrating it is for me to hear you waking up from nightmares every night? I feel so helpless because there's nothing I can do that will help." Steve said and Emma immediately felt guilty for putting him through that. "So if there's some way that might help you get through this I want you to try it."

"I know you feel concerned, Steve, but I can get over this." Emma told him quietly and Steve looked angry at her statement.

"No, you can't. You can't get over this on your own and I think you know that… you're just too stubborn to admit it." Steve told her, his voice more stern than usual. "You're going to talk to Sam. You're going to have to go to the VA with him or something because this can't go on anymore. I won't have you suffering if there's anything I can do about it." Emma glared at Steve again.

"What about what I want? What if I don't want to go to some self help group and tell everyone my problems." Emma challenged. She thought that Steve might give into her if he saw how uncomfortable she looked but she hadn't even anticipated the serious, stern look that came over his face.

"You're going to go to the VA with Sam because I'm the adult and you're the child. I know what's best for you… you don't. You'll listen to me because I'm your parent." Emma stared up at him, her eyes filled with anger. She could feel tears flooding her eyes as she held the gaze of her frustrated and angry looking grandfather. This was an odd concept for Emma to deal with since it was the first time anyone had ever been so upfront and stern with her since she arrived at the tower. Everyone else had seemingly walked on eggshells around her, fearing that they would upset her but it became evident that Steve had already had enough.

"You're not my father." Emma told him in anger. "You'll never be my father because I already have a father and he understands me more than you could ever hope to." Emma was breathing heavily as she glared at Steve whose angry look began to fade and a hurt look reached his eyes. Emma immediately regretted what she said but was too proud to say so. Steve exhaled as he looked at the angry looking blonde girl.

"Bucky's not here though." Steve told her calmly, trying to force away any hurt feelings he felt from Emma's statement. "He told me where you were because he knew that you needed me."

"I don't need anyone." Emma said defensively and Steve wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and never let go. He had long realized that his granddaughter was a tormented and cynical soul. He wished more than anything that he could erase everything that had happened to her in the past but he knew better than anyone that you couldn't go back in time.

"You didn't let me finish. Bucky also must've known that I needed you too… that we needed each other." Steve admitted as he gazed at Emma whose expression began to soften slightly. "When he told me where you were you became my responsibility but I'm not doing this just because of that. I'm doing this because I care about you… I'm doing this because I love you, Emma." Emma's eyes widened in surprise as she listened to Steve's confession.

"Truthfully, I've loved you since the day Shield gave me the file on your parents and you." He said, warmth in his blue eyes, as he recollected when Fury handed him the file on his family after he had been woken from the ice. "I saw the most beautiful little girl with cute little blonde pigtails and I just knew that I loved you even though it broke my heart I would never get to meet you or your parents. I loved your father from the moment I saw him as well and it kills me knowing that I never got to be there for him when he needed me the most."

"When Bucky sent me the flashdrive telling me that you were still alive I could hardly believe it. You see, for the past couple of years I thought I had lost a family that I would never know." His own blue eyes were also flooding with unshed tears as he looked at Emma. "When I learned that you were alive it was one of the happiest days of my life."

"You have to understand that we're family now. I know that I'll never be able to replace Bucky for you." Steve told her. "You two have a bond that I'll never understand but I'm still someone who loves you and cares about you. You can trust me." Emma struggled not to cry as she heard Steve's confession. She couldn't remember the last time someone told her that they loved her. A part of her knew deep down that her father might've loved her but he never spoke the words… she was never quite sure if he was even capable of love.

"Emma, I want you to tell me everything… to talk to me honestly but I know that's not going to happen. Not unless Sam helps you first." Steve continued. "So just let us help you. It's okay to ask for help… you're a kid and no one would ever hold it against you." Emma stared at Steve, trying to get a grasp on what he was saying. She knew that Steve had repeatedly tried to convince her to seek help but she had ignored him. It made sense that he would become more stern with her… more fatherly.

"I'll go with Sam." Emma said quietly, not being quite able to meet Steve's eyes as she talked. She was full of so much pride that it was difficult for her to give into Steve just like that but she knew that he was right despite her own fears.

"Really?" Steve questioned. He had honestly thought that Emma would've fought him a lot harder but maybe what he said really resonated with her. Emma nodded.

"Yes, you're right. I can't deal with all of this on my own." She bit her lip nervously. Part of her was speaking the truth because she knew that she couldn't keep putting this off. She needed help. Another part of Emma knew, however, that she was telling Steve exactly what he wanted to hear. She didn't really think that Sam would be able to help in any sort of way but if it made Steve feel better then so be it.

"Good. Sam's heading over to the VA in a couple of days so maybe you can go with him." Steve told her, a relieved expression on his face. "You'll be okay, Emma." She nodded at him.

"Of course, Steve." She then gave him a nervous look. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier… I didn't mean it." Steve just shook his head as he gave her a small smile.

"I know, Emma." She smiled back at him but still felt frightened at the prospect of what was to come in the next couple of days. This would be for good for her, Emma told herself, but deep down she knew that she was only doing this because of Steve. Steve deserved better and Emma was trying to to do right by him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Emma had been remarkably wrong. She sat there in the large open space, sunlight shining bright through the many glass windows, as a man spoke at a podium in the front of the room. Emma was seated in the back of the room while Sam was sitting up front, supplying the men and women with encouraging words. The room wasn't entirely crowded but it wasn't so empty either. Emma respectfully listened to the man speaking as he talked about how fireworks always seemed to set him on edge. The rest of the men and women in the room nodded their heads in agreement but Emma already knew that she was right. While she immensely respected these men and women for the sacrifices they had made, she didn't have anything in common with them. It was more than obvious to her now. These people had volunteered to serve their country… they wanted to fight for what they believed in. Emma didn't ask for any of it. She had been simply taken from her home and forced to fight… to kill. Emma was nothing more than a slave to Hydra.

"So what did you think?" Sam asked as he sat down in the empty seat next to her. Emma turned her head to look at him before she looked away. Her expression was blank so Sam couldn't analyze what her feelings about the subject might have been. Emma Rogers seemed to be an expert at masking her emotions. She hid her emotions so well that Sam sometimes forgot just how young she was.

"It was good." Emma finally said. "They've really been through a lot and it's nice to see people making progress with themselves." Sam nodded as he listened to her but it was obvious that he didn't buy it.

"Something tells me that there's more to it than that." Sam told her as he gave her a knowing look. "Tell me more, Emma, I promise my feelings won't get hurt." Emma looked unsure but she did as Sam asked of her anyways.

"Look, you've all been through a lot like I said before and I know that everyone's sacrificed a lot for their country." Sam raised an eyebrow as Emma paused.

"But?"

"But it's not like what I've been through." She finally told him. "We're completely different. You guys all volunteered for this and I didn't. I was stolen from my home and had a path set out in front of me by someone who treated me and my father like we were just pawns in their game. I was Hydra's slave… nothing more." She told him and for the first time Sam felt as though she was being honest with him… genuine almost.

"That's all true." He admitted and Emma gave him a confused look.

"Then why bring me here? Why did you think you could help me if you can't even begin to understand what I went through?" Sam gave her a serious look. It took her a bit by surprise since she didn't think she had ever seen him look so serious. Usually Sam seemed to be good humored and carefree, at least from what she had previously observed from his behavior.

"I know that I can't really understand what you went through but I happen to know someone who can." Sam told her, causing Emma's eyebrows to furrow in further confusion. What was he talking about? Sam didn't elaborate as he looked away from Emma and casted his gaze towards the other side of the room.

"Hey, Camila! Get over here!" Sam called out. Emma watched as one of the women, she had seen sitting a couple of rows in front of her, walked over to where she and Sam were sitting. The woman was very beautiful, Emma noticed, with her olive skin tone, honey brown eyes, and thick dark hair. She wasn't very tall, a couple of inches shorter than what Emma was now. Emma guessed that the woman was probably in her late twenties as she observed the youthfulness in her face.

"You don't need to yell like that, Sam. I'm not deaf." Camila told Sam and Emma noticed that the woman had a very distinct accent. Emma determined that the accent couldn't be Mexican…No, it was definitely South American. Venezuelan? Ecuadorian? No… she was most likely from Columbia. Yes, Columbian. That had to be it. Emma's attention was brought back to the situation when Sam glanced back at her.

"Emma, I would like you to meet my very good friend Camila Sanchez." He told her as he introduced her to the Latina. The woman gave her a small smile, her eyes looking very warm and kind. "Camila, this is my friend Emma… the one I told you about."

"It's nice to meet you, Emma." Camila told her in her thick accent.

"You too." Emma said, her tone confused as to why Sam was introducing her to a random person.

"I thought that you two might have a lot to talk about." Sam said as he looked between them, his expression soft and hopeful. "You see, Camila's from Columbia where she was a child soldier for rebel forces within her country. She was taken from her home when she was very young." Emma's eyes widened in surprise as quickly glanced back to Camila. Camila didn't seem disturbed at all by the information that Sam just said about her. The woman actually looked alarmingly calm by the situation, a small smile on her face as her eyes rested on Emma. Sam gave the two a quick nod.

"I guess I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything I'll be over there." Sam told them as he began to walk over to a group of laughing men at the other side of the room. Emma and Camila were both silent for a moment as they stared at each other. Emma stared at her in curiosity while Camila just simply looked at her.

"Sam didn't tell me much about you in case you were wondering." Camila told her softly, breaking the silence between them. "I thought you might like to know that. You seemed very worried earlier when he mentioned that he had told me about you."

"What did he tell you?" Emma asked as she narrowed her eyes at the raven haired woman. Camila just shrugged, not seeming at all bothered by the calculated look in Emma's eyes.

"Just that you were a sister of his friend. He said that you were like me and that your brother finally managed to get you back. Everyone had thought you'd been dead for some time apparently." Camila told her honestly and Emma gave her a suspicious look.

"And you didn't question that? That was enough information for you?" Camila just smiled at Emma, not looking put off by the young blonde's tone.

"Well, that's probably all the information I need to know." She paused before smirking. "That and I figured that it was probably top secret seeing as how Sam's running with the super crowd now. I'm not permitted to know much more than that probably." Emma nodded and decided that she certainly couldn't trust this woman after only knowing her for a few minutes but Emma knew that she liked her.

"Sam said that you were a child soldier… that you're like me?" Emma asked, changing the subject. The smile faded from Camila's face as she nodded solemnly.

"I am. I was taken from my home when I was seven after my home was torched." Camila told her honestly and Emma listened intently to her, curious about just how similar her and this stranger could be. "They killed my family… my mother, father, and little brother. They kept me because I survived I suppose."

"Were you scared?" Emma asked in an emotionless tone but inside she was feeling various emotions and all at the same time.

"Of course I was. My family was dead, my home was gone, and I was thrown into a strange place with strange people… people who had murdered my family." Camila explained and Emma swallowed nervously. That sounded almost exactly like her own life story which was terrifying to Emma. Emma had continously complained that there was no one she could relate to… no one who could understand her pain but could she have been wrong? "They started teaching me battle tactics, survival, weapons, explosives… how to kill. All education lessons we were given circled around communism and it wasn't long before I was brainwashed. It wasn't hard for them to do. I was so young and communism began to be all that I knew but it wasn't the same kind of communism that it was for some other people. I understand that now. This sort of communism that they were teaching us about involved taking children from their homes and placing weapons in their hands. Turning children into weapons." Tears flooded Camila's eyes as she recalled her past and the same feeling came over Emma as she listened to Camila because it was almost like she was listening to her own story. Hydra had never brainwashed her with communism but they had brainwashed her to see things their way… to ensure that she would never leave.

"There were some really terrible things I did… things I don't know that God will ever forgive me for. I've killed people… politicans sometimes but others as well. I learned very quickly that you have no friends in the jungle." Camila said, her voice slightly faltering as she struggled to not cry. Emma wondered why she was telling her all of this? She understood that the woman was probably doing this for Sam but was that really a good enough reason to put herself through all this pain? Emma didn't know if she would ever be able to talk about what happened at the Hydra base let alone to a stranger of all people.

"I had friends that wanted to defect… to run away. They made me kill them all. They made me shoot them point blank." Camila confessed, a tear streaming down her face as she sniffled. "I did it too because I wanted to survive… I know how selfish that sounds but I didn't want to die. Sometimes I can still see their faces when I close my eyes… I can still hear them crying and begging for mercy." Camila then stopped as she tried to keep her emotions in check. Emma stared at her with an unreadable expression on her face but inside she felt conflicted. She felt conflicted because she kept finding herself relating to this woman in more than one way. Emma had thought her situation was entirely unrelatable but it seemed like she had been wrong. While there were some parts of her life that no one could probably ever relate to like the experiments and the serum, it still seemed like Emma wasn't completely alone in this kind of situation.

"So are you saying that it never gets easier?" Emma asked. It was something that she had asked Natasha but Natasha wasn't a normal person. No, the Russian woman simply switched one agency for another. There was no part of Natasha Romanoff that even tried to be normal or settle down for a life as a regular civilian. Emma wanted to hear this from someone who had moved on from their life as a weapon and tried to be normal.

"That's not what I'm saying at all." Camila responded once she finally got her emotions under control. "I'm saying that it's possible to move on from that sort of life and have something that's normal for yourself. Nothing's going to be perfect for you and don't expect it all to be smooth sailing. You'll have rough patches, that's something that I can guarantee, but you can still move on with your life." Emma scoffed at that.

"Yeah and how's that working out for you?" She asked, thinking that Camila was just trying to be encouraging and postive. Emma didn't really think that Camila might've have actually listened to her own advice. Camila only smiled at her.

"It's working out pretty well actually." Camila lifted up her hand and Emma saw a big, glimmering diamond ring on her finger. She then glanced back up at the happy, lovesick expression on Camila's face. "We got married last year. His name's Daniel."

"He knows everything about you?" Emma questioned, not completely buying it but Camila nodded her head.

"Yes, he's here actually." Camila gestured to one of the men chatting with Sam on the other side of the room. The man was handsome enough with blue eyes, light brown hair, and a kind smile. "He served a couple of tours in Afghanistan." Emma looked away from Camila's husband and rested her eyes on Camila once more.

"How long did it take you to tell him everything?" Camila sighed at Emma's question.

"It took a while… I'm not going to lie. Probably somewhere around a year before he knew everything about me and it was difficult but Daniel was so patient. I was terrified at first because I thought he might hate me if he knew everything but he surprised me." Camila continued as Emma listened to her patiently. "The wait was worth it though. He accepted it all and he accepted me too."

"So what? Is that my answer? Going out there and finding some guy to fall in love with?" Emma asked bitterly. "I'm only thirteen but I doubt that I could ever be capable of that anyways." Camila gave her a sad look as she looked up at her.

"I thought the same thing. I was seventeen, older than you when I finally got out of it." Camila told her. "I was cynical, bitter, and self loathing. Most of all, I didn't think that I deserved to be saved or for anyone to care about me. The idea of falling in love and creating a somewhat normal life for myself was completely laughable but I managed to prove myself wrong."

"My point wasn't about finding a man to fall in love with." Camila added as she steered the conversation back to Emma. "I only meant that having someone who cares about you and loves you was a huge step for me. You need to surround yourself with people that want to help you. It doesn't necessarily have to be a lover but it can be anyone." Camila's eyes locked onto hers in that moment. "Your brother perhaps?"

"That sounds all fine and dandy but this domestic lifestyle? How could you possibly live in it?" Emma asked, trying to push her thoughts away from Steve. "Having children can't be easy. Wouldn't it be terrifying?" Emma didn't ignore the way that Camila's fingers gently traced her stomach in a caressing fashion. The gesture immediately surprised Emma.

"I'm about five months along now… barely even showing." Camila told her softly, a smile reaching her face she glanced down at her stomach. "I was scared at first but now I just can't wait to meet him."

"It's a boy?" Emma asked, an eyebrow raised.

"We don't technically know for sure but I have a feeling." Camila responded, her eyes never leaving her stomach. "It's going to be hard but we'll get through it. Daniel and I are a family now… partners. We'll get through it and make sure that our son will have a much better life than I did." Emma nodded and watched the motherly expression on Camila's face in curiosity. She wondered if maybe she could have that some day. Emma knew that she was way too young to think about those things but the possibility of it was curious to her. It seemed impossible to her before because of what she had been through but Emma still wondered. Would she even want something like that or would she want to be like Natasha? Stick to what she knew instead of pursuing something that seemed like a pipe dream. As Emma focused on Camila's small bump, she failed to recognize the serious expression that suddenly came over the older woman's face. The thought of her unborn son seemed to vanish from Camila's mind as she looked back at the curious looking blonde, something bothering the Columbian woman.

"Emma?" Emma looked away from Camila's stomach and returned her gaze to Camila's face. She was a bit taken back by the seriousness of Camila's expression but remained calm anyways.

"Yes?" Camila bit her lip nervously before asking the question that she had been dreading to ask.

"There was other things that happened to me in the jungle… things that were done to break a girl's spirit." Camila said, feeling her throat grow dry. Emma looked down at her hands, already anticipating the question she predicted was coming her way.

"Did they… I mean did any of them do something like that to you?" Camila finally finished asking. Emma immediately looked up from her hands and locked eyes with Camila.

Emma returned back to the tower later that evening with Sam. She felt a bit better after spending the afternoon talking with Camila. She even felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Emma knew that she wasn't completely cured of everything that had been haunting her but she was off to a good start. It turned out that Sam had been right about Camila and she even told him so as Happy drove them back to the tower. Emma was just amazed at how she walked into that building feeling as if nothing Sam said or did would help her but she walked out feeling a lot better. Camila tried telling her that it would be best if she started opening up to the people around her but Emma knew that it would be a long road before she would be able to do that. Maybe she could reveal some of what happened to Steve but she wasn't ready to tell him everything. Not yet. Some of it made her scared of what Steve might think of her if he knew. When she was ready then she was ready but until then… she would just have to work her way up to that kind of courage.

"Hey, Mini Cap! How was the VA?" Tony called out. Sam had brought her to the main floor of Avengers tower. Everyone was seated in the living room including Steve. The only person that was missing was Clint who seemed to be making himself pretty scarce these days for some odd reason. Steve smiled at her from his place on one of the large couches in the center of the room.

"It was good." Emma replied shortly. Tony looked like he wanted to say more but Pepper nudged him in the side. The red head flashed a bright smile in Emma's direction.

"We're glad you're back, Emma." Pepper told her as an excited look made it's way onto her face. "We were actually just about to start movie night." Emma raised her eyebrows at Pepper's statement.

"Movie night?" Emma questioned and Pepper nodded.

"It's a new thing we've decided to start up. It makes sense since you, Steve, and Thor aren't as caught with movies as the rest of us." Pepper explained. "We thought it might be fun." The room fell silent as everyone anticipated Emma's reaction to this bit of news. Sometimes it was difficult to predict just how Emma might react to certain things. Even Sam looked nervous as he looked at her but Steve didn't look worried at all. No, the super soldier just gave Emma a reassuring smile. It was a smile she that was beginning to grow accustomed to.

"Sure, that sounds fun." Emma replied honestly and most of the room sighed in relief. Pepper seemed relieved at Emma's reaction to the news.

"Great, I was thinking that maybe you could pick out the movie since you're the newest addition to the family." Emma froze as she took in those words. Family? Before she could give it anymore thought a bunch of movie titles and cover art began to flood the screen as Jarvis flipped through the various options of movies that Tony had available in his movie library. Emma hadn't seen a movie in so long that she thought she wouldn't really be any help in picking something out. Emma was about to voice her thoughts when a movie in particular caught her attention.

"Wait… is that Brooklyn?" Emma asked as stared at the cover art for the film. She briefly glanced back at Steve who looked just as surprised. Emma had recently just finished reading the book Brooklyn after Steve had recommended it to her. While the book was mostly a love story which Emma couldn't really understand, she did relate to the main character. The main character was an Irish woman who immigrated to America and the story centered around the Irish woman who tried to find her place in a world that was completely different her home back in Ireland. The character felt lost and scared in this new world known as America and suffered from homesickness from time to time. Emma felt the same way about trying to adjust to this new life outside of Hydra. She had left everything she ever knew behind and although Hydra was never home to her… her father definitely was home. She missed him all the time and one of the few things that had given her comfort was that book. "Like the book Brooklyn?" Emma asked.

"Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan, is a film based off the 2009 novel of the same name by Colm Toibin." Jarvis informed them and Emma looked at Pepper with a slightly excited look on her face. The others were taken back by the sudden show of emotion.

"Would you mind if we saw that?" She inquired and Pepper smiled.

"Of course we can watch the movie. Jarvis, play Brooklyn." Pepper told the AI system and the lights began to dim as the movie began to start. Sam went to sit by Rhodey on one side of the room while Emma immediately crossed the room to where Steve was sitting and sat between him and Darcy.

"Do we have to see this?" She could hear Tony whining. "It's a chick flick." Whatever complaints that Tony may have had were quickly dismissed as she heard a groan of pain and Emma knew that Pepper had most likely given him another sharp nudge in the ribs. Emma tried to hide her smirk but knew that she failed.

"How was the VA?" Steve asked her quietly as she settled into the couch. Emma spared him a quick glance, flashing him a small smile.

"It was good." She told him which caused Steve to give her another look of surprise. "I'll tell you all about it later." Emma promised and Steve nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. They both turned their attention to the flat screen as the opening scene played on the screen.

"This is the same chick that was in Hanna." Darcy commented with a mouthful of popcorn in her mouth. "That's the bad ass teenage spy I told you about. The movie you." Emma tried not to laugh at Darcy and focused on the movie. She would probably never understand Darcy but Emma knew that she really liked the brunette woman.

When the ending of the movie started to near, she glanced away from the screen and began to look around the room at the group of people who managed to all have places within this new life of hers. She wanted to laugh at the sight of Tony and Sam who had been fallen asleep about thirty minutes into the movie. Some soft snoring could be heard but Emma wasn't offended by their reaction to a movie she knew that she was going to love for a long time. Pepper's attention seemed glued to the screen as tears flooded her eyes from an emotional scene. Emma could also spot a similar expression on Thor's face as the God of Thunder got teary eyed from a scene of the main character reuniting with her husband back in America. Jane seemed positively focused on the soft expression on her boyfriend's face, a small smile on her face as she admired that her boyfriend could be the senstive type. Rhodey watched the movie with a bored expression on his face as his attention went from the movie to something on his phone. Natasha and Bruce stared at the screen, not looking calm but not looking exactly emotional at the film either… they seemed indifferent to it. Lastly, Emma watched Steve and Darcy who looked to be transfixed with the movie. A soft smile would make it's way onto Steve's face every once in a while and Darcy would munch on her popcorn quietly whenever a scene became a little too intense.

It was then that Emma realized something. She already had a family. Sure, it was very dysfunctional and weird but it was still a family to her. Emma was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her and Camila told her that it was just what she needed. She understood what Camila had been trying to tell her. She wasn't telling her that she needed to fall in love. No, Camila had been trying to tell her that she needed a family. A small smile reached her face as she glanced back at all of them.

This was her family.