Author's Note: So here's another chapter about Emma's parents. I don't know whether or not I should put a warning for sexual situations because it's not like it's a rated M chapter but there's still more than what I've written in the past.

I also want to disclose that I don't own the song 'Today'. That amazing song belongs entirely to Jefferson Airplane. You guys should definitely check out 'Today' by Jefferson Airplane. It's one of my favorite songs of all time and quite possibly the most beautiful love song you'll ever hear.

I was also listening to the new album BORNS put out while writing this chapter. It's really good but it's not as good as Dopamine is to me. Dopamine is one of my favorite albums ever so it's a tough thing to beat but Blue Madonna is good too.

Angel Wings00: I know the dream sequence at the end of the last chapter was kind of cruel but I felt like it was necessary. The dream sequence displayed how difficult it is for Peter to control his feelings for Emma. It's just another thing that's going to push him to finally tell her how he feels.

Spawn Hades: I really love writing a jealous Emma which is why I thought it was important to write another female character trying to hit on Peter. She's definitely going to feel feelings like love more intensely than most people. Because Emma loves Peter her jealousy is probably going to be that much more intensified. She'll go to great lengths to make sure Betty stays away from Peter which is going to be something more comedic than scary to the readers.

Radioactive88: Honestly, I think Emma will probably throw that cologne in the trash which probably means giving it to Tony.

LovingBOBThePacific: I've been thinking of maybe one or two scenarios which involves Emma meeting Frank Castle. I feel like she'd really admire him in a lot of ways. I'm not sure about Daredevil though. Not yet at least.

HanzSolo: It'll still be a long while before everyone finds out about Rumlow but it's definitely something Emma's going to work up to talking about.

Mcduffie145: Emma and Peter will get together real soon. Just hang tight.

sleepingAsAsheep: Yay, a long review! Thanks for the enormous amount of feedback and I'm glad you gave the story another try. I know it was a long time in the story before Emma and Peter met but it was necessary for me to build up her character. I felt like it would mean that much more to the readers to watch a character, who they got to know so well, fall in love and even become a better person somewhat. I'm kind of sad that Emma isn't really in the movies either because I think it would be cool if she really was. Peter with someone like Emma is a really interesting concept. I actually hope that if he does get together with someone that it's Michelle. Michelle's pretty cool and I like her a lot better than Liz. I'm not planning to stop writing this fanfic anytime soon.

Kittyjune26: I haven't heard that song before but I'll be sure to check it out.

Thanks for all the reviews and be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter!

Juarez, Mexico

1998

Mexico was incredibly hot which was something that Margot always knew but never really considered until she arrived there. It's not like Margot was unused to the heat after attending college in Florida but it had been a while. The redheaded Shield agent and her new partner had been living in Juarez for the past two weeks as the all American couple Ethan and Julia Leigh. Spending time with such a notorious drug dealer like Salazar was enough to make Margot's skin crawl but she knew she'd do it if it meant finding out where Salazar was getting those weapons. Although, no one said it would ever be easy. Salazar wasn't someone who trusted easily so she had a strong feeling that it would be a while before he divulged any information to Steven.

Margot was slowly making progress with Salazar's wife Rosa but she found that she didn't like the Latina very much. Rosa Salazar was a former beauty queen and the very girl Margot had both envied and hated in high school. The only plus side in spending time with the former beauty queen was that it was very easy to manipulate information about Santiago out of her. However, most days Margot just stayed at the house they were renting while Steven did business with Salazar. In some ways it was almost like the two were actually married. Margot would tend to trophy wife duties while Steven would go to work. Undercover work was always a long and sometimes uneventful process…especially if you were a woman.

Margot wasn't entirely sure how to feel about her newly assigned partner. Most of the time she really missed the playful banter between her and Clint. Clint was just an easy person to talk to but she could tell Steven was a little more guarded. There was also the fact that she didn't really know how to talk to Steven. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her and Margot would flush red which was pretty embarrassing for a woman her age. It wasn't like she was in high school anymore but sometimes she just couldn't help it. For someone almost two decades older than her, Steven was definitely a sight to look at. Why did Fury have to pair her up with someone that annoyingly good looking? It didn't help that she was almost positive that Steven found her to be annoying either. Well, he wouldn't be the first one to find her annoying. Pretty much every agent found her to be fairly ditzy and talkative. The only one that didn't was probably Clint. Even Phil had remarked about how annoying he thought she was.

"Lucy, I'm home!" Margot suddenly called out as she stepped through the front door of the house. She had just returned from a long day of shopping with Rosa and she was feeling cheerful from some of the intel she had received from the air headed Latina. Steven Rogers raised an eyebrow as he eyed the peculiar redhead as she entered the living room with the most cheerful smile on her face. The smile faded from Margot's face and she suddenly felt stupid as she normally did whenever she was around Steven Rogers.

"Sorry…it was just a reference. You know, from I-" Margot started to say but was interrupted by Steven.

"I Love Lucy." He finished with an unreadable look on his face. "I know…I was around when the show was airing." Margot even more stupid now as she shyly looked down at the floor. Of course, he was old enough to remember the show. She was the one who wasn't born when the show started airing. God…she always said the wrong thing around him.

"Right." Margot said before awkwardly clearing her throat. The older man curiously glanced at the shopping bags she had around her arms.

"I take it today was a successful day in yours and Rosa's blossoming friendship?" Steven asked and that was the weird thing about him. Margot could never tell if he was being sarcastic or serious. He was hard to read which made him a little like a puzzle to her. The redhead sighed as she practically dumped the shopping bags on the floor before taking a seat on the couch across from Steven's armchair. Margot always felt exhausted after spending an entire day listening to Rosa's constant yapping. And people thought she talked too much? No way. Rosa was even worse than her.

"Don't remind me. That woman is the most fake and shallow person I've ever met." Margot complained as she rested her cheek in her hand, not looking anything like a calm and collected Shield agent. This was something that mystified Steven about the woman sitting before him. He had heard numerous great things about Margot Pierce in the past but none of things he had heard explained the odd behavior of the Shield agent. Margot seemed to act more like a grade school teacher with her cheerful and happy demeanor. She definitely talked way more than what he was used to and sometimes he didn't even understand her rambling. Steven wasn't going to lie and say that he hadn't been warned about the notorious ditziness and chattiness of Agent Pierce but trusted that Fury had assigned her to him for a reason.

The accomplished Shield agent then sat back and assessed the redhead's appearance. She was a lot younger than him but somehow Margot seemed even younger than what she was. He was sure it had something to do with her kind nature and ever present youthfulness whenever she laughed or smiled. The thirty five year old had an incredibly infectious and kind smile. Steven could definitely see why she was known as one of the most approachable and friendly Shield agents at Headquarters. Her skin was pale and creamy looking, making her look rather cute especially with the small smattering of freckles across her face. Margot's flaming red locks really seemed to pop against her emerald green eyes. Steven had to be an idiot not to find the short redhead attractive which in his mind made her even more dangerous to him. He didn't need to start feeling attracted to his partner because from past experience that never ended well and Agent Pierce was way too young for his liking.

Steven was a bachelor. He was fifty two years old and had never married…a fact that his mother never let him forget. The truth was that Steven had never really felt the need to settle down and start a family. His work kept him pretty busy and fatherhood actually terrified him a bit if he was being honest. The decorated Shield agent knew that his work was something he would never give up and having a family would only make them targets just like his father made Steven and his mother targets. Steven had decided early on to just be married to his work. Sure there had been women along the way but none of them stuck around too much. They wanted marriage and children which was something that Steven was never very interested in.

"Did she give anything up?" Steven asked Margot suddenly. He found that it was time that he stopped reminiscing over his failed relationships as well as how attractive he found his very young partner to be. Margot then smiled at him, feeling delighted to tell him the good news.

"Well, she actually did happen to mention that her lovely husband is considering letting you in on the big business deal he's got coming along." Margot informed him and Steven just stared at her. He had a feeling what that meant but he wanted to hear it from Margot.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Steven inquired and Margot just grinned at him.

"Rosa says that Santiago's going to be testing you next week so keep up the act. Earn his trust and hopefully we'll be able to find out who he's getting the weapons from soon." Margot told him and Steven nodded, feeling slightly relieved that they were finally getting somewhere in their undercover work.

"Great." Steven answered as he became lost in his thoughts again only this time he was mentally preparing himself for anything Salazar might ask him to do. Salazar was a ruthless and cruel drug dealer after all and there was no telling what kind of tests he would come up with. Steven had done some pretty nasty undercover work before but a part of him feared the length that Salazar would go. He wished that he could say that all the work he had done for his country had been done with a clean conscience but he'd be lying. Sometimes Steven wondered whether or not his father would be disappointed in him. Probably. Captain America probably wouldn't go to the lengths that Steven went to to serve his country. His father was famous for being the fine example of a moral and upstanding man.

"Are you alright?" Margot asked her partner softly. She started feeling concerned for him the moment she saw him start to stare off into space. Margot didn't know Steven that well but she could tell that something was troubling him. She could only assume it was about the mission. Steven blinked as he was snapped out his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine." Steven said shortly and he suddenly felt incredibly silly for letting his emotions get the best of him. He didn't know why he had thought of his father in a time like this. It had been a while since he'd last thought of his father. Sometimes several months would go by without Steven thinking about his father and that had never bothered him. Steven actually preferred not to give his father much thought but somehow he always remembered his father in the weirdest of times. He just didn't understand how someone he had never met before could have that much hold over him and his decisions in life.

"If it's about the mission than you shouldn't be worried." Margot said as she tried to reassure him. She never really had to reassure anyone on a mission before and she wasn't going to lie…it was scary to have to reassure someone and especially since he was her partner. Their lives kind of depended on each other. However, Margot knew it was the right thing to do. It was always like her to want to help people. "You're like a Shield legend…one of the best Shield agents ever."

Steven's eyes darted towards the redhead and analyzed the concerned look on her face. It was clear to him that she was trying to be the kind person she was and comfort him. A small smile graced her face as she attempted to make him feel better. However, Steven didn't feel like he deserved her kindness. Not with everything he had done in his life. He suddenly wondered who exactly Margot Pierce was. How could she smile at someone like that when she was in this line of work? Well, she hadn't been in Shield nearly as long as he had been which probably explained it. Steven knew if she spent enough time in Shield that smile would cease to exist. The thought of that made Steven feel miserable.

"I need to take a shower." Steven said gruffly before abruptly getting up from his chair and quickly leaving the room. Margot watched him leave in confusion, not understanding what was going on with him.

"What about dinner? I was going to make a casserole from that recipe I told you about!" Margot called out to him but her only answer was the opening and closing of the bathroom door. The redhead then frowned as she leaned back into her seat. She tried understanding Steven's actions but figured it was a lost cause anyways. Something told her trying to understand Steven Rogers would inevitably give her a headache. Margot sighed tiredly as she leaned her head back against the couch.

"I miss Clint."

It was week three of their mission in Mexico when Salazar invited him to his mansion of a house right outside Juarez. The mansion was incredibly lavish with fountains, Spanish tile, and beautiful gardens that Margot doubted Rosa even tended to. Salazar clearly seemed to be a lover of the arts as she spotted several paintings by famous painters. The mansion seemed to be like a museum in itself and Margot was sure that Salazar was even more rich than Pablo Escobar was. Probably because Pablo Escobar hadn't been dealing advanced weaponry given to him by unknown parties. This was why Margot and Steven were there...they had to find out who was supplying this idiot with the weapons.

"How are you liking our home?" Rosa asked Margot as the younger woman showed her around the large mansion. Margot faked a convincing smile as she portrayed the friendly gal pal she was told to be. The redhead was usually a very friendly person but not around people like Rosa and her husband. Salazar and his wife were exactly what was wrong with the world.

"It's wonderful, Rosa." Margot told her as she looked around the mansion in awe. It was true…the mansion was very beautiful. Margot hadn't exactly grown up poor or anything. With her father's job she had grown up quite wealthy but she knew better than anyone that wealth didn't ensure happiness. She had grown up having everything she ever wanted but she still had a very miserable childhood. Materialism meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

"I'm thinking of having a wine cellar put in but Santiago still needs convincing." Rosa informed her, an excited smile on her face. "He said he's more of a tequila man but I'll convince him somehow. It's what we wives have to do, right?" Margot gave the Latina a confused look.

"What?" She asked but Rosa just smirked at her.

"Wives…we have our husbands wrapped around our fingers so we can get them to do what we want." Rosa explained with a suggestive look on her face. "How do you think I got Santiago to marry me? Santiago was never the marrying sort but I managed to convince him that he couldn't live without me."

"How lovely." Margot's tone was slightly sarcastic but her sarcasm seemed to go over Rosa's head. The redhead decided right then that she really hated this woman. She was exactly the same as Melanie Bingley. Melanie Bingley was the head cheerleader at Margot's high school who made Margot's life, as well as many other girl's lives, a living hell. Melanie manipulated boys to do her bidding and Margot was fairly sure that she was the one who Rumlow cheated on her with. It was all in the past now but that didn't mean Margot wanted to be best friends with another Melanie Bingley.

"What about you? How did you get Ethan to marry you?" Rosa inquired and Margot wanted to snap at her that she didn't get anyone to marry her. That's not how proposals were supposed to be. You didn't manipulate your significant other to marry you. Instead, however, Margot just laughed the question off.

"Oh, I don't know. Ethan and I had been dating for a short time when he just popped the question out of the blue." Margot explained with a tone of nonchalance. "He said something along the lines of that he wasn't getting any younger."

Margot was sure that Steven wasn't going to like that answer. During their time together Margot had been teasing him about his age which she was almost positive that the legendary Shield agent didn't like. He never said anything but instead gave her a dark look before leaving the room. Steven kind of reminded her of Sam Elliot in that way. He was incredibly gruff and silent but not because he was shy… it was just because he was Steven Rogers she supposed.

"You're lucky. I bet Ethan would do anything for you." Rosa told her and Margot smiled. It was kind of nice pretending to be married and settled down. Sometimes Margot actually wished that she did have a family to go home to. A lot of Shield agents were like Margot…married to their work but she had to admit it would be nice to go home to something other than an empty apartment.

"Of course." Margot finally managed to say as Rosa and her walked towards the dining room of the mansion. It was an expansive dining room with a beautiful, colorful mural painted on the walls. The dining table was long and a little gaudy looking to Margot. Probably something Rosa had more than likely picked out. Steven and Salazar were standing off in one corner of the dining room while several of Salazar's bodyguards stood in front of every doorway, keeping guard over their employer. The men were chatting quite amicably amongst themselves and Steven even seemed to laugh at a joke Salazar had told him. Margot, however, knew it was all an act.

"Santiago!" Rosa said scoldingly as she eyed the cigar hanging out of her husband's mouth. "What have I told you about smoking your cigars in the dining room?!" Salazar just smiled at his beautiful wife before taking the cigar out of his mouth and exhaling a cloud of sweetly scented smoke.

"Mi amor, do you have to embarrass me in front of my friend?" Salazar said jokingly as he walked over to his wife. He kissed her on the cheek while Rosa grimaced from the smell of cigar smoke.

"Put that thing out! It's disgusting!" Rosa complained and Salazar chuckled.

"Of course. Anything for my beautiful wife." Salazar said before nodding at one his bodyguards who took the cigar away from him. Probably to dispose of it. The Latin man then grinned at Steven. "The things we do for our wives. Am I right, Ethan?"

"I know what you mean." Steven said as he feigned an amused smile before wrapping an arm around Margot. Margot smiled at Salazar and Rosa as she leaned into Steven's touch. It was important that they pretended to be the perfect couple in every way. Salazar then gave the couple a curious look.

"I don't think I've ever seen you kiss your wife. Isn't that strange?" Salazar questioned and Steven cleared his throat awkwardly. Margot tried to hide the blush on her face and somehow prayed to God that Salazar would let this one go.

"Really?" Steven replied and Salazar nodded.

"Come on, why don't you show your wife how much you adore her? You've barely seen her all day." Salazar practically ordered before giving his own wife an affectionate look. "I make sure to let Rosa know how much she means to me every day."

Margot wanted to snort at that line of bullshit. She knew for a fact that Salazar cheated on his wife almost every night. The man really seemed to love spending his evenings with the highest class prostitutes that Juarez had to offer. Steven just smiled at Salazar before leaning down and placing a chaste kiss against Margot's cheek. She blushed vibrantly from the feel of his lips against her cheek before mentally scolding herself for acting like a school girl with a crush on her teacher. Margot was thirty five for Christ's sake.

"Don't be such a prude, Ethan." Salazar said as both he and his wife laughed at them. "I know white people are weird about these things but you're amongst friends. Go on, kiss your wife just like you do at home. We don't mind."

Margot knew that this was another test Salazar had set out for them. Steven looked into her eyes, trying see if she was okay with this but it wasn't an case of whether or not she was alright with kissing Steven. No, this could be life or death for the both of them. Salazar was stilling testing them and besides…Margot wasn't unused to having to kiss her male counterparts on undercover missions. She had made out with Clint on occasion even though it probably the equivalent of making out with a little brother. Margot always felt the desire to wash her mouth out after kissing him.

With that Steven slowly leaned down towards Margot's face and her eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his lips to hers. Margot could feel her heart racing and it was like she was sixteen all over again kissing the boy she had a huge crush on. Steven kissed her with even more confidence than she was used to. Margot usually dated men who were roughly the same age as her but most of them were never as assertive or confident as Steven seemed to be. She could smell the faint smell of cigars and after shave on him. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but Margot wished it had lasted longer. Steven pulled away way too soon for her liking and Margot watched him, secretly remarking about how gorgeous looking he was. Great…this was why it wasn't good to kiss your very attractive and older partner, Margot thought to herself.

Steven stared at Margot Pierce for a long moment after the kiss and it was almost they were the only two people in the world. He never cared for chattiness but somehow Margot seemed to be the exception to that rule. She had a way of making him feel oddly comforted by all her talking of nonsense and trivial things. This actually seemed to be one of the rare occasions where she didn't immediately start rambling. Steven had done a lot of things while undercover which included sleeping with the wives of mob bosses and drug lords on occasion but he never quite felt troubled afterwards like he did right in that moment. His attraction to his much younger partner seemed to only be increasing. Steven immediately tore his gaze away from Margot and looked back at a grinning Santiago Salazar. God, he really hated that little bastard.

"See! That wasn't so difficult now, was it?" Salazar asked them teasingly. He waved them over to take a seat at the dining room table. "Take a seat while we wait for our Japanese friends to arrive. I'm sure they'll be hungry after their long plane ride."

Margot knew better than anyone that Salazar was of course referring to the two members from the Yakuza mob. Okada and Tanaka. Margot was confident that they wouldn't recognize her since they had never actually met face to face. That didn't stop the unease from coming over her but that was why Fury sent her there anyways…because of her familiarity with the Yakuza. Steven pulled out her seat for her and Margot sat down at the long table.

She took a good look at Salazar as her and Steven sat across from him. He was younger than she would've imagined him to be. Forty years old with a twenty three year old wife although Margot couldn't be one to judge. Her and Steven were posing as a married couple and they were seventeen years apart. Salazar was a short man, probably only standing at around 5'7, but was rather slender. Having such a young wife probably encouraged him to work out on a daily basis at the gym just so he could keep up. His hair was thick and dark but what was really disgusting was that weird goatee he had on his face. It was even worse than that stupid goatee Tony Stark had started grooming in the latest issue of GQ. The Latin man even had a style that was also grossly reminiscent of Tony Stark's weird sense of style. He wore bright colored button down shirts that threatened to blind Margot. From what she could tell Salazar was someone she would never associate with in real life. She internally winced at the smug smirk on his face as he glanced at both her and Steven.

"We'll discuss more business after dinner." Salazar promised as he winked at them. "It's no talk for beautiful women like our wives after all." Rosa didn't seem to mind her husband's words but Margot wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and slap the stupid goatee off his face. Margot instead smiled at him politely.

"Of course." Steven said he too smiled at the Latin man. One of Salazar's men soon came into the room to inform them that Okada and Tanaka were there. After a couple of weeks of trying to earn Salazar's trust it seemed like things were finally falling into place for them. Margot just wished she had a better idea as to whether or not this would work in their favor.

Margot and Steven didn't really talk about the kiss after that. There wasn't anything that needed to be said abut the kiss anyways… it was merely work to the two trained Shield agents. Three months into the mission and they were slowly making progress with Salazar, Okada, and Tanaka. So much progress that they were able to eliminate Okada and Tanaka as people who knew the identity behind Salazar's weapon suppliers. Okada and Tanaka were as clueless about the weapon supplier as Steven and Margot. It became clear to Margot that the two didn't care where the weapons came as long as they were able to buy the weapons off of Salazar.

Steven was actually quickly becoming a trusted business partner to Salazar although the Latin man still hadn't informed Steven who the weapon supplier was. Margot knew that information wasn't going to come easy. It was going to take some time and all the while Margot was also doing her own undercover work. Rosa Salazar didn't seem as oblivious to her husband's antics as Margot originally thought. She found that the woman was just uncaring about what went on behind closed doors as long as she got to live in her big mansion and go on her shopping sprees. However, Rosa seemed to have a big mouth and had given Margot a few pieces of key information.

"Anything from Rosa?" Steven asked Margot as they were eating dinner in the kitchen while Margot's music played in the background. It was almost like they were a real married couple, asking each other about their day at work. Margot had even made a home cooked meal to top it all off. Margot shrugged as she cut into the sweet potato glazed pork chop.

"She just mentioned that her husband's been visiting less brothels these days." Margot answered and Steven raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What did she mean by that?" He inquired and Margot looked back up at him.

"Rosa said that her husband's usually happy when he comes back from his little business trips which I took to mean that she's very aware of her husband's love for high class prostitutes." Margot elaborated before continuing. "However, she says that the last couple business trips he took he seemed very stressed out and quieter than usual. Rosa thinks that it's not the prostitutes that have him all stressed out." Steven processed that information as he analyzed what it could mean. There was several different meanings that could be taken from that but only one stood out to Steven.

"He's been meeting with a client…perhaps the one that's giving him the weapons." Steven said quietly as he tried to decide what the next step would be for them. "Do you think Rosa knows who it is?" Margot immediately shook her head.

"No. She mentioned earlier that he's been keeping a lot from her lately…I think this is one of the things he's been keeping from her." Margot informed him and Steven nodded solemnly. "I think there's a lot that Salazar's not telling her. Maybe to protect her." Steven gave Margot an odd look as he scoffed.

"You think he actually cares about her?" Steven asked in disbelief. "He cheats on her and beats her."

"Steven, I've seen a lot of couples like Salazar and his wife on the missions I've been assigned." Margot told him seriously and the older agent listened to her intently. "These men hurt their wives over and over again but at the end of the day they always come running home and the wives always take them back. It's fucked up but it's true. I've seen it time after time." Steven reached for his bottle of beer before taking a long sip from the bottle. He then set the beer bottle back on the table and sighed tiredly.

"The world's seriously a fucked up place." Steven finally said as he locked eyes with Margot. The redhead felt slightly bashful under the direct gaze of her very attractive partner that she may or may not have been developing a small crush on. Crush? Margot could hardly believe herself. She was too old to have crushes. "The older you get, the more fucked up it becomes. Trust me."

"It's not completely bad." Margot argued weakly.

"No, it's worse." Steven deadpanned. However, before Margot could respond to Steven's pessimistic remark a song, that Steven hated with a passion, could be heard from all the way in the living room. He had been listening to Margot's God awful music all night but he could no longer stand it. He wrinkled his nose in distaste, an action that Margot immediately found somewhat cute on the hardened Shield agent.

"God, what is this awful music?" Steven loudly complained and Margot blushed before glaring at him playfully.

"Hey, Bonnie Tyler is not awful! She's amazing!" Margot protested, defending one of her favorite singers. Steven raised his eyebrows at her.

"You think this is what good music sounds like?" Steven asked her.

"I had sex with my college boyfriend in his car to this song. Total Eclipse of the Heart is one of the best songs of all times." Margot said as if that bit of information would convince Steven otherwise. The serious Shield agent just shook his head at her in disbelief.

"How can anyone have sex with this song playing in the background?" Steven said and Margot didn't look troubled by his question.

"Well, we did and the sex was amazing." Margot told him seriously but in all honesty the sex wasn't that good. Her college boyfriend's name was Thomas Grant, a British exchange student and philosophy major, who finished in probably two minutes. Margot didn't even think she had orgasmed at all that night although she was sure Bonnie Tyler didn't have anything to do with that.

"I'm sure it was." Steven said in amusement. Margot was even surprised with his nonchalance over the turn their conversation had made. She thought someone as old as him would be offended by any suggestive remark in the least. Steven then abruptly got up from his seat and walked away from the kitchen table. Margot stared after him in confusion.

"Where are you going?" Margot asked, perplexed by his sudden absence. Sometimes she didn't think she'd ever understand Steven Rogers. He was a mystery to most but he was certainly a mystery to her above all things.

"Come here!" He called back to her. Margot could've just stayed in the kitchen and finished her dinner like a normal adult but her curiosity was too much for her to handle. The redhead got up from her seat and followed Steven into the living room. She saw him flipping through her CD wallet holder, looking through all her music. Margot was very bewildered by what he was doing.

"What's going on?" She asked him hesitantly. For the first time in a while she saw Steven give her genuine smile. He seemed to be excited about something as he pulled out a CD. She eyed the pink colored CD curiously.

"I managed to find one actual good piece of music in this heap of trash." Steven said and Margot wanted to glare at him but she couldn't. She laughed at Steven's wording and couldn't help but admire this new laid back side of him. Every day she seemed to learn something new about her partner.

"It's not trash." She mumbled but Steve only smirked at her before taking out the Bonnie Tyler CD from the CD player and replacing it with the one in his hand.

"Jefferson Airplane…Surrealistic Pillow. One of the best albums of all time." Steven explained as the first song came on. It sounded vaguely familiar to her but Margot wasn't sure. She probably heard it on the radio or something once upon a time.

"Jefferson Airplane? What, like Jefferson Starship?" Margot questioned and Steven had a look of distaste on his face.

"Jefferson Airplane was way better but yes…Jefferson Starship was evolved out of Jefferson Airplane." Steven told her and Margot smirked at him as a curious look came over her face.

"Wasn't Jefferson Airplane one of those Summer of Love bands? Wait…were you a hippie?" Margot asked in amusement and Steven glared at her.

"No, I wasn't." He denied weakly. However, Steven's denial only seemed to amuse Margot further as she laughed at him.

"So you were a hippie. Did you have the long hair? What about the flower crowns?" Margot teased. "I bet you smoked a ton of pot…Acid trips too?"

"I never took drugs." Steven told her, looking quite serious but Margot felt like he was probably lying. He wouldn't be so defensive if he wasn't lying.

"I wouldn't judge you if you did." She said nonchalantly. "I did go to college after all. I mean…I never took LSD but I may have smoked a joint or two which I never did again. I'm not sure if you can tell but I'm the kind of person who gets super paranoid while high." Steven scoffed.

"Really? I never would've guessed." Steven said sarcastically and Margot glared at him.

"Right…well, my point is that I tried pot in college and then never again." Margot said but before Steven could respond 'Today' started playing. Margot had to admit it was a pretty sounding song. The song reminded her of meadows and cute little doves flying through the sky on a bright and warm sunny day. She also didn't fail to notice the softened look that came over Steven's face when the song started playing.

"I love this song." He murmured so softly that Margot wasn't entirely sure whether or not she had heard him right. She smiled softly at him and she could tell this song held a lot of good memories for him.

"Why don't we dance?" She asked him suddenly and he gave her a surprised look.

"What?" He asked in disbelief but Margot just shook her head.

"We should dance." She repeated and Steven laughed, not believing what Margot had actually suggested.

"I'm too old to dance, Pierce." Steven told her and Margot rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't be silly. No one's too old to dance." Margot replied. "My grandpa used to dance all the time. Even when he was seventy five."

"Thanks for comparing me to your grandfather." Steven deadpanned but Margot just laughed at him.

"Come on, Steven, please…it could be like a present." She suggested and he raised an eyebrow.

"A present for what?"

"My birthday."

"It's your birthday?" Steven inquired curiously.

"Well, no…but it can be an early birthday present." Margot retorted and Steven couldn't believe how crazy this woman was. Steven was sure there was not another woman in the world that was quite like Margot Pierce.

"If I say yes will you stop pestering me?" Steven asked her and Margot smiled excitedly at him.

"Of course." Margot said and Steven reluctantly rested his hands on either side of her hips. There was quite a difference in height between the two of them so she opted for placing her hands as far up his arms as she could reach. Margot was surprised that she could actually almost reach his shoulders but she supposed she had her heels to thanks for that. The distance between them was quite close as they started to sway to the soft beat of the song. The lyrics were enchanting to Margot as she quietly listened to the song. She could see why Steven seemed to love this song so much.

'Today, you'll make me say'
'That I somehow have changed'
'Today, you'll look into my eyes'
'I'm just not the same'
'To be any more than all I am'
'Would be a lie'
'I'm so full of love'
'I could burst apart'
'And start to cry'

"You're not so bad at this, Steven." Margot told him honestly as she rested her face against his chest. Steven just smiled down at the redhead.

"Well, there's not much to it, is there?" Steven said and Margot smiled softly.

"Still..." She trailed off. Margot found that she was increasingly becoming more and more attracted to her partner. There was something about the mysterious Steven Rogers that seemed to draw her in. They hadn't known each other that long but Margot couldn't help but enjoy their fake marriage a little too much.

'Today, everything you want'
'I swear it all will come true'
'Today, I realize how much'
'I'm in love with you'
'With you standing here'
'I could tell the world'
'What it means to love'
'To go on from here'
'I can't use words'
'They don't say enough'

"I went to Woodstock, you know." Steve said suddenly and Margot looked up at him curiously.

"Really?" Margot inquired and he nodded, a small smile on his face as he remembered old times. He missed how simpler everything was back then…back when he was younger. There wasn't any Shield or missions. All Steven had been concerned with back then was girls and music. Steven had gone through a lengthy rebellious phase back in the sixties which may or may not have had something to do with his father. He held a lot of resentment towards his father during that time of his life... Captain America was an impossible person to ever live up to and Steven had taken his anger out on a lot of people around him. He had done a lot of things he wasn't proud of and that had a lot to do with the absence of his dead father. Everything in his life was linked back to his father in one way or another.

"Yeah…my girlfriend at the time went with me. We saw Jefferson Airplane perform live along with Hendrix, Joplin, and the Grateful Dead." Steven recollected and Margot listened to him intently. She was glad he was sharing this small piece of his life with her. Steven remained so guarded sometimes but she was happy that he trusted her enough to even tell her something as small as this.

"That must've been amazing." Margot told him. "Woodstock was pretty legendary after all."

"It was. I think it's one of the few times I've ever been truly happy." Steven said softly.

"I'm sure that's not true." Margot said as she tried to reassure him but Steven just smiled at her before returning his attention to the song. She then got the idea in her head to cheer him up. Something was obviously getting him down.

"Well, if you're so well versed in the sixties than why don't you show me how the kids did it back then." Margot said teasingly as she changed the subject. "Come on, grandpa, show me your moves." Steven didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused by the redhead's antics so he just opted to laugh at her. He knew what she was trying to do and he appreciated it. He could really use a distraction right about now.

"Who are you calling grandpa? I may be old but I'm not that old, sweetheart…I'm no one's grandpa." Steven retorted before he abruptly twirled her around much to the short woman's surprise. Margot giggled as she blushed, feeling something like a teenager. She hadn't felt this free or happy in years. It was almost like she was flying and Margot loved the feeling.

'Please'

'Please'

'Listen to me'
'It's taken so long to come true'

It was when Steven pulled her back to him that the smile slowly faded from her face. Things started to feel very serious as they locked eyes with each other. Green meeting blue although at this distance Margot was almost positive that she could see trace amounts of green in Steven's otherwise blue eyes. She always knew he had such pretty eyes but she had never seen his eyes this close before. Margot could feel her heart pounding against her chest, reminding her yet again of what it felt like to be a teenager. Her and Steven remained there, for what felt like minutes, just staring at each other.

'It's all for you'

'It's all for you…'

And just like that the song ended and they were left in complete silence. The two of them barely even noticed the song had ended as they tried to find the right words to say. Margot swallowed nervously as she felt Steven's intense gaze on her. He always seemed to make her nervous and even more scatter brained than usual. Steven had some kind of hold over her which was different from anyone she ever knew before. She had yet to discover why exactly that was although she may have had a slight suspicious.

"It was a really good song…really beautiful and everything." Margot finally managed to say although she immediately regretted speaking. She thought she sounded kind of stupid. Why couldn't she ever say the right thing?

"It is." Steven silently agreed but his mind really wasn't on the song as he stared down at the small redhead, a look akin to adoration on his face.

"So I think Jefferson Airplane's pretty good but I still stand by my previous words that Bonnie Tyler is one of the best-" Margot didn't get to finish her sentence as Steven's lips collided against Margot's lips abruptly, completely taking her by surprise.

Her eyes widened for a brief moment but it wasn't like Steven's actions were unwanted. Her eyes soon fluttered shut as she relaxed into the kiss and eagerly returned the kiss. The kiss wasn't sweet and innocent like it been before when Salazar made them kiss. No, it was more desperate than that…as if they couldn't get enough of each other. He kissed her like how no one had ever kiss her before and it was true. She had never been kissed that passionately before. It was like she could practically feel every emotion Steven was pouring into the kiss. She tangled her fingers in his hair and Steven reacted by slipping his tongue in her mouth. Margot moaned softly in response as she tried to pull him down closer to her.

In the back of Margot's mind she knew that she should've probably pulled away at some point. They were probably breaking about a dozen Shield regulations and the truth was that the both of them knew better. They were decorated Shield agents after all. It wasn't like they were rookie agents that didn't know any better. One of Shield's number one rules was that there was no fraternizing between coworkers in the workplace. Margot was pretty sure Steven's tongue down her throat classified as fraternizing. She told herself that she would pull away within the next couple seconds but she never did. It seemed like all the rules flew out of her head the moment Steven pressed his lips against hers.

Eventually, however, Steven did pull away but it was only so the both of them could come up for air. He pulled away with a satisfied smirk on his face that Margot was torn between slapping off his face or finding attractive. She desperately tried to catch her breath and she was pretty sure her lips were swollen at this point. The fact that Steven looked pretty cocky surprisingly didn't annoy her as much as she thought it would. Damn his pretty blue eyes and charming smile! Damn that mouth of his too, Margot thought to herself.

"You talk to much, you know that?" Steven asked rhetorically and Margot tried to act like none of what happened impacted her even slightly. Deep down she knew she was miserably failing. Clint always wondered how she managed to be a Shield agent given the fact that she was a terrible liar.

"Well, I think you don't talk enough." Margot argued weakly but Steven just smiled at her. She bit her lip nervously as she thought about the repercussions of their actions.

"We just broke a ton of rules." She stared but Steven didn't seem bothered as he casually reached over and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Margot blushed from the gesture.

"I know." Steven replied. He knew better than anyone else that this was a bad idea. Not only was Margot his partner but she was also seventeen years his junior. It wasn't like she was a teenager or anything. They were consenting adults after all but it still wasn't a good idea to get involved with her. If his mother was here she'd probably smack him upside the head and tell him to get out of there while he still could before he messed up the mission anymore than he already had.

"It probably shouldn't ever happen again." Margot told him softly and Steven knew that Margot was right but that didn't mean that Steven wanted to listen. Wasn't it funny how he was the older one in this scenario yet Margot was trying to be the voice of reason? The truth was that Steven wanted to be selfish in that instant and finally be with the woman he hadn't been able to get out of his head for the past couple months. It was true that he was Captain America's son but that didn't mean he was a saint by any means.

"Probably not." Steven said, sounding agreeable somewhat. Margot almost thought he was being serious until she saw his smirk. "Or…we could just play the part we were assigned to play." Margot raised her eyebrows. She knew where this was going and she should probably be angry with him but Margot couldn't help but feel amused.

"Really? And what part's that?" Margot inquired flirtatiously. The rational part of her brain was screaming at her not to flirt with him but Margot was currently paying no attention to that part of her brain.

"The part of a married couple." Steven told her and Margot smiled at him.

"Well…it's probably for the best that we try a little harder at this being married thing." Margot said as she continued to flirt. "We wouldn't want Salazar to suspect that there's anything amiss."

"Yes, it's completely for the mission." Steven said as he flirted back. Margot still couldn't tell if she found that smug look on his face annoying or attractive. Before Margot could give his smug smirk anymore thought he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers again. This time it seemed even more passionate and intense than before. Their lips moved hungrily against each other and Margot wondered what sex was like with him if kissing him was this good. Margot shivered when he slipped his hand under her shirt and caressed her skin with a surprising amount of tenderness.

They made out for a few minutes before Margot had to come up for air. She was sure with him being the son a super soldier that he didn't have as much of a need to catch his breath as she did. As Margot pulled back to look at him she noticed his pupils were dilated so much that his eyes were incredibly dark. Margot was fairly sure that her face was nearly as red as her hair at this point but she didn't have time to feel bashful or embarrassed. No…she already knew she wanted more. So mustering all the confidence that she could, Margot looked Steven directly in the eyes.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Margot asked him confidently. Steven swallowed hard as he looked down at the beautiful redhead.

"Are you sure?" He asked her hesitantly and Margot nodded, feeling very sure of her decision. Steven them suddenly picked her up off the ground and held her in his arms bridal style. Margot yelped from the surprising action before playfully glaring at the smirking older man. She swatted him on the arm but deep down felt enthralled by how easy he had picked her up…it was almost like she weighed nothing in his arms.

"What the hell, Rogers?!" She exclaimed but Steven only gave the redhead in his arms an amused look before he started walking up the stairs, carrying Margot all the way up. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at the absurdity of everything.

"I'm going to get you back for this." She told him and Steven waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"I'm sure you will, Pierce." They were probably about to make a huge mistake but for the first time in forever neither of them cared. This would probably come back to bite them in the ass someday but they were completely fine with that. Margot didn't think she was in love with Steven but tonight was surely not going to help her do away with her developing feelings for him. She wasn't that concerned. What was the worst that could happen?

"For an old man you aren't that bad." Margot told Steven teasingly. They laid there in bed under the sheets after their lovemaking. Despite being the younger one Margot actually felt pretty much exhausted after the surprisingly hot and passionate sex that her and Steven just had. She was fairly sure that Steven probably still could've gone for another couple rounds and she could only assume that it was because of the super soldier serum his father had passed down to him. Margot didn't think she'd ever be as grateful to Captain America as she was in that moment.

"Gee, thanks." Steven said sarcastically before smirking at her knowingly. "I wouldn't be talking, Pierce…from what I heard I'm pretty sure you enjoyed yourself." Margot immediately blushed and looked away from him.

"Shut up." She said childishly and Steven only shook his head in amusement. A part of Margot still couldn't believe she had actually just slept with her partner. That was something that certainly hadn't happened before. Margot loved Clint but she never dared cross that line with the archer. He was like a little brother to her after all. Margot wondered what she was supposed to do now that she had actually slept with her partner. There wasn't actually a rule book for situations like these. That and Margot was one hundred percent positive that they had broken a ton of rules tonight anyways. God, she couldn't imagine what Fury would do if he found out about this. He'd probably skin the both of them alive.

"You're okay with what happened, aren't you?" Steven then asked as his gaze suddenly softened, a more serious tone in his voice taking over. Margot was touched by his concern.

"I'm more than okay, Steven." Margot told him and he nodded. She remained there with her head resting on Steven's chest, feeling very content. In another world she could even imagine them in a relationship. "What should we do now?"

"I can think of something." Steven said jokingly and Margot just laughed at him.

"Stop it." Margot said before a more serious look came over her face as she pulled away to look back at him. "Tell me more about you." Steven raised an eyebrow.

"Like that?" He asked.

"Like your childhood…high school…stuff like that." Margot elaborated and Steven sighed. Usually he wouldn't discuss his past but Margot was different. She was perhaps one of the easiest people to talk to despite being very chatty and scatter brained. The truth was that she was actually a very kind and understanding person. Margot Pierce was a rare sort.

"I grew up with a single mother. There's not much to tell." Steven said and Margot felt the desire to know more about him.

"What is she like?" Margot asked him. Steven smiled as he thought about his mother who was strongest and bravest person he knew.

"Kind, strong, brave, intelligent…there's no one quite like her." Steven said before sighing as he remembered his early childhood memories. "It was tough on her. Raising me on her own and without my father. My father died before he even knew she was pregnant."

"She had some help from friends like Howard and Jarvis. They were sort of like uncles to me…well, Howard was actually something like a father to me." Steven explained as Margot listened intently to him. Margot could only assume that Steven was referring to Howard Stark, the late billionaire who was famously good friends with Peggy Carter. Those two founded Shield together after all. "We were pretty close actually. His son hates me though." Margot raised her eyebrows in surprise at that.

"Hates you? Why?" Margot questioned and Steven shrugged nonchalantly as if it didn't bother him but Margot knew that it did.

"He thought his father cared more for me than him. He's a good kid but I just wish he didn't feel that way sometimes. None of it's true…his father loved him more than anything. He was lucky to even have a father." Steven said softly before he started to change the subject from Howard and Tony Stark. "Anyways…my mother married a few years later and they had a couple kids. We moved around quite a bit when I was a kid. Mom always had to divide her work between Los Angeles, New York, and D.C."

"All that moving around must've been hard." Margot remarked, thinking about her own childhood. She had always remained in one place for the majority of her childhood. Margot had always wanted to go places and see things but her father was always too busy with work.

"What about you? How was your childhood?" Steven asked her abruptly. Margot smiled but shook her head.

"Probably really uninteresting compared to yours." Margot replied.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"It is true." Margot told him. "My dad was a workaholic. A politician's work always takes priority of everything else." Steven listened to her curiously as she started to talk about her own childhood. He remembered meeting Alexander Pierce maybe once or twice but he had never really liked the man. Steven was actually surprised when he discovered Alexander Pierce had a daughter working at Shield. Although after spending some time with Margot he didn't really see how the two were related.

"It was really just my mom and I but it was nice. We had a lot of fun." Margot said, a small smile on her face.

"I'm sure your dad wanted to spend time with you." Steven said reassuringly but Margot scoffed.

"You don't know my dad. He's a total asshole." Margot replied before realizing who she was talking to. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Steven…here I am complaining about my dad and-"

"No, it's fine. I understand." Steven said, interrupting her. "I'm a fifty two year old man. I've long since learned how to function without a father." Margot still didn't feel better about complaining about her father to someone who never had one.

"Go on." Steven encouraged as he smirked at her. "You were talking about how much of an asshole your father is." Margot just laughed before continuing her recollection of her childhood.

"Yes. For so long I tried to impress him but nothing I ever did warranted anything more than a fake smile. It was just never enough for him." Margot said, her tone becoming more somber. "It took me eighteen years to realize that I could never impress a man who always longed for a son but got a daughter instead."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Steven said, feeling sympathy for the redheaded woman. He could never understand how men could think so little of women sometimes. He was raised by a strong and powerful woman after all so he couldn't understand the point of view of some men.

"My mother was always the mediator between us. She always tried to bring us together but it was just a waste of time and effort." A sad look then came over Margot's face as she thought of her mother. "Then she passed away. It was like she was the only thing my dad and I had in common but after she died we became strangers. I hardly see him anymore."

"He doesn't know what he's missing out on." Steven told her comfortingly. He meant it too. During the past couple months he had spent with Margot he found that he really enjoyed her company. "If it's any consolation I think everyone has daddy issues. Look at me…I've spent my whole life trying to impress a father that never even knew I existed. Just try living up to the reputation of Captain America...It's a real chore."

Margot wasn't really sure what to say to him after that but she imagined that his childhood had been incredibly hard. Hearing all these stories about this legend of a man who you were directly related to? That couldn't have been easy or given Steven high self-esteem. Captain America's reputation had to be a lot to live up to but Margot felt like Steven had a reputation of his own. He was a highly accomplished Shield agent that had taken down the worst of the worst bad guys that posed a great threat not only to this country but to the world. Steven didn't need to live up to Captain America because he had already become something of a legend himself.

Margot and Steven fell into short bit of silence after that as they thought about what this could mean for the two of them. She couldn't help but get the feeling that this was going to come back to bite the both of them in the ass…especially if Fury found out. Margot didn't want to think of Fury now of all times. This wasn't going to end well. It was then that Margot turned to look at Steven, keeping the blankets wrapped tightly around her.

"You do know this is just a one time thing, right?" Margot asked Steven and the older man raised an eyebrow as he gave her an amused look.

"Oh, really?" He asked her and Margot nodded furiously.

"Yes. Once the mission's over and we go back to New York that's the end of it." Margot told him seriously. "This can never happen again."

"Okay." He said simply and Margot glared at him.

"Stop smirking at me like that! I'm being serious." Margot said, growing tired of the condescending smirk on Steven's face. "This is a really serious situation. No can can find out this happened and especially not Fury."

"I am taking you seriously, Pierce." Steven told her but she still didn't believe him.

"This is both of our jobs on the line. In case you didn't know I don't sleep with my coworkers often…well, I've never slept with a coworker before." Margot said as she tried not to panic over what her and Steven had done. Steven rubbed her shoulder soothingly so that he could try and make her understand that everything was going to be okay. He gave her a comforting smile and Margot practically melted at the sight of his smile. Stupid Rogers.

"It's going to be alright, Margot. I won't say anything…I promise." Steven said reassuringly.

"I am being serious though. What just happened can never happen again." Margot said with a serious look on her face. She was still annoyed to see the amusement gleaming in Steven's blue eyes.

"Of course."

Margot couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. It was almost like he was teasing her or something…like he didn't really believe her when she said this would never happen again. Margot was being serious. This couldn't happen again…not with their careers on the line. Even so, Margot wasn't so sure she wanted this to end anyways. For now, however, she was just going to have to try to ignore the pull she felt towards Steven Rogers. Maybe sleeping with him wasn't a good way to try to ignore that pull but Margot didn't regret it. She didn't think she ever would.