December 17th 1991. Long Island, New York

"Howard, we should really be getting home."

Howard turned to face his wife with his usual charming smile in place. It still made butterflies stir in her stomach, like a schoolgirl's crush. After almost 25 years of marriage, she'd figured out how to ignore it long enough to make him listen, though It usually involved gaining the help of the young blonde woman standing next to them, watching their interaction with an amused smile on her face.

"It's still early yet." He pouted, hating the thought of leaving before night had even fallen.

"Beth, a little help here?" Maria Stark asked over her shoulder.

Chuckling, Beth made her way to them, the hem of her dress sweeping along the floor. She'd been invited to the Stark annual Christmas ball and as he did very year, Howard had made sure she was there. As always, she'd initially refused, until Howard bought her a beautiful ball gown that she knew she'd never be able to afford and she would go purely so his money wasn't wasted. He didn't mind the expense, glad to see that at least one day a year, she could be selfishly indulgent. As she moved to stand next to him, he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Okay ladies, you've both made your point."

Giggling, Maria linked arms with Beth and as he watched them walk toward the exit, he couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have a wife as understanding as Maria and a friend as strong as Beth. Not a day went by that he regretted making her Tony's godmother. He didn't think anyone else would be able to handle the cocky twenty-one-year-old once he was no longer there to pull his son in line. it seemed every year, he became more and more argumentative and self-indulgent, and Howard was starting to run out of ideas to knock it on the head.

They exited the building and Howard immediately wrapped his arms round Maria, knowing that her Californian blood hated the cold of upstate New York. Beth stood beside them as they waited for their cars, allowing herself a rare moment of peace. She felt a smile tug at her lips as Maria laughed at something Howard whispered in her ear. If someone told her twenty years ago that the quiet, introverted Maria would still be married to the outgoing Howard she would have laughed, but here they were, and she'd never seen them so happy. She was aware they were having difficulties with Tony, but right there in that moment, they were the most content she'd ever seen them together.

The moment ended within minutes of arriving home. As Tony and Howard argued yet again, Beth sighed and rolled her eyes, barely refraining from swinging one of the heavy suitcases in her hand at the young man's head.

"And why are you leaving her in charge anyway?" Tony asked, pointing at Beth.

Beth wasted no time in turning to face the younger Stark, the look on her face one Tony knew would result in either a verbal or physical slap from the blonde woman.

"Because, Anthony, you have yet to show any type of behaviour other than the self-absorbed, manipulative immature behaviour you've previously shown and until you do, you will never be trusted to run things on your own. A good man once said to me that you can be the world's richest man and yet without showing any kindness or love, both you and that wealth would amount to nothing."

Tony scoffed, rolling his eyes as he folded his arms, his entire posture of someone who simply couldn't care less.

"Let me guess, that 'good man' was your brother? Oh wait, maybe that other guy, what was his name? Buddy? Bucky? Whatever. where did love and kindness get them, huh? Oh yeah, one is an icicle somewhere in the ocean and the other took a bungee jump into a ravine and forgot the cord. I'll stick with money thanks."

She was so stunned; she couldn't even open her mouth in shock. Even Tony seemed to realise he'd gone too far when it was Maria who reacted first, her small palm connecting with his cheek in a sharp, loud smack.

"How dare you. After everything she's done for us and for you, how dare you say something like that!"

She raised her hand to strike her son again when Beth's own hand reached out for her arm, a sad smile on her face.

"It's okay. he's angry and for some reason he's chosen me as his punch bag. He can think what he likes about Steve and Bucky. I know the truth and that's all that matters."

As Maria lowered her arm, Beth exited with the last two bags. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, she heard the sound of raised voices once more. her heart hurt so much at the venomous words Tony had spoken. All that time she'd defended him, only for him to finally turn on her. Her hand drifted to stroke Bucky's dog tags, the familiar clinking of metal a comfort to her as she sucked back the tears pooling in her eyes. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"I'm sorry about that."

Beth shrugged as she turned to face Howard. The older man looked drawn, as if he'd aged a decade since the night before and for the first time, she wanted to grasp Tony and beat some sense in to him; make him see what he was doing to his parents. shaking her head of the thought, she indicated to the small briefcase in Howard's hand. That was the real reason she was there. She wasn't aware exactly of the contents, but she knew the case contained something that Howard said had to be protected with his life. Tony thought his parents were going on holiday, but she knew the truth, that they were actually meeting with the president of the UN to present him with the contents of the case. He'd asked her to accompany them to the plane as their guard, and UN troops would greet them the other end.

Maria had joined them by the time Howard placed the case in the car, shaking her head when Howard asked if Tony would be coming to wave them off. With a sigh, the elderly man unlocked the car and slid in after checking Beth was ready.

"I'll be directly behind you. Pull over if you think there's anything wrong, okay?"

"I will. Be careful Beth."

Her lips were a grim line as she pulled out of the garage, following closely behind as they made their way through the back end of nowhere to the private hangar Howard had bought specifically for this one trip. Belatedly, she realised she was still wearing her outfit from the ball, but it was too late to change into anything more appropriate. She just hoped the feeling that something was going to happen was simply that.

In front of her, she could see Howard driving with one arm wrapped round his wife, her head resting on her shoulder. Beth ignored the pang in her heart at the sight, the feeling so familiar it was a part of her, and focused on driving, knowing there was probably ice on the road. As they drove further into nowhere, her stomach was clenching tighter with foreboding, and she was proven right when a motorbike pulled up beside her, forcing her car off the road a second later. Trusting her instincts, she managed to grab her handgun and fling herself out of the car before it soared over the edge, into a drop that nobody could survive. She didn't pause before she was up on her feet, running forwards as she heard a loud smash ahead. Cursing her clothing, she kicked off her heels and broke into a sprint, following the smoke that had begun bellowing into the air above. She was so focused on reaching Howard and Maria that she almost missed the unmistakable sound of gunfire, ducking at the last second behind a tree as her reflexes kicked in before her brain had a chance to. Blindly, she fired back, only leaving her hiding place when a moment passed with no further shots. Scooping the material of her dress in her arms, she continued on until she ground to a halt a short way from the burning and charred remains of what she only knew was a car because she'd been following it only moments earlier.

"Howard! Maria!" she called, not caring if their attacker was still around.

No response. Choking from the smoke and the effort not to sob, she stumbled closer, glass and metal slicing the skin of her feet to leave a bloody trail behind her. the same motorbike that had slammed into her was parked behind the car, telling her whoever was responsible was no doubt still around. Cold fingers clamped the gun in her hand tighter as she finally reached the vehicle.

"Oh god." She choked out at the sight of one of her closest friends laying against the steering wheel, unmoving.

She didn't have to look to know that Maria was also gone, but she did so anyway, having to fight not to vomit as Maria's eyes, glassy with death, stared blankly in front of her. Beth barely had time to take a breath when there was the sound of glass crunching behind her. She spun round, gun raised, only to find something cold and hard wrap round her throat, a hand pressing a knife against the skin. The gun dropped to the ground and she almost bit out a curse as she heard him kick it under the car.

"You really don't want to do that." She said as she tried to wriggle free.

The pressure on her neck tightened and she let out a choking sound. From the height and feel, she gaged her attacker was male with at least a 60-pound advantage over her, but she didn't let it phase her. reaching up, she took hold of the arm, intending to throw him off using her strength, but he didn't budge. Even as she threw her entire force behind the move, he only shifted to tighten even further on her throat. Through the fuzziness as the oxygen began to leave her, she realised that he must be another of Zola's test subjects. Clearly though, they'd had more success with this one than they had with her.

"You're…from HYDRA, aren't you?" she gasped.

The grip lessened and she gulped in air, attempting once more to overpower him. as quickly as he seemed to falter, he recovered, the crushing weight on her airways once more. this time, she felt her head start to spin, certain she was about to die. In the deep recess of her mind, she remembered a tip from Peggy Carter way back when she first began to train her. 'If you're in a headlock, let them think you've passed out, then strike.' Following her friend's advice, Beth let her body go slack and she found herself being dropped unceremoniously to the ground. It took everything not to make a noise as he crouched down to check her breathing. Only when he was close enough did she move, using all her strength to send her fist into his face. the glasses he wore made a satisfying crunch and he stumbled back, giving her enough time to race behind the car and look for her pistol, but not quite enough time to completely avoid the knife flying her way. The blade slid across her shoulder, peeling the skin apart as if it was melted butter and she bit back a gasp as pain bloomed from the wound. She attempted to crouch down for her weapon when her legs slipped on the material of her dress and caused her to stumble clumsily. Gun forgotten, she picked up a large piece of glass beside her and ignoring the jagged edge slicing into her hand, used it to rip the bottom off her dress. It was a clumsy job that did as much damage to her legs as her dress, but in five seconds, the skirt was now to mid-thigh and her legs were finally free to move. Beth grasped the glass more tightly as she heard his heavy footsteps approach once more.

Her eyes widened in shock as she took in his appearance, her whole body growing taut with alertness. He was wearing a completely black outfit; even his face was covered in a black mask. She realised the metal thing round her neck was actually his arm and that realisation almost floored her.

His weight on her, HYDRA agents leering and jeering as he forced her pants down. The agony as he forced himself inside her, unable to fight back as she was tied down. The cold, emotionless motions as she cried out with every thrust, begging him to stop.

The man in front of her cocked his head as she fought against her instincts that screamed at her to maim him in any way possible. That day, his face had been completely covered. Today, she had been sure he was wearing no mask as she caught the glimpse of his reflection in her mirror, yet now, he was wearing one. Only his eyes were visible, a pair of deep, rich blue orbs glaring darkly at her. In those eyes, she saw her death. She wasn't afraid though. She knew as their eyes collided that he too had seen his own death staring back at him.

"Stay back, or I will kill you" she threatened, moving to stand protectively in front of the trunk of the car where the briefcase her friends had died to protect lay.

His gaze fell to the glass in her hand, her blood trickling thickly down her arm as she grasped on to it. For a moment she thought she saw amusement flash in his expression, but it was quickly replaced with the cool stare of an assassin about to make his hit. She let out a gasp as he stepped towards her once more and raised her hand to stab him, but his metal arm shot out and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop the blade. She couldn't help the small whimper as his flesh hand grasped her throat, pulling her closer to him and her eyes closed as she accepted that for the first time in fifty years, the serum flowing through her veins had failed. She had failed, and she was about to die.

"Вы не моя цель, мышка *You are not the target, little mouse*" he spoke, his voice as flat and toneless as his expression.

He let her go and she dropped to the floor, coughing as she sucked air into her lungs. She looked up, expecting him to attack again, only to find she was alone and facing an open and very empty car trunk, a motorbike engine fading into the distance. Shivering as the cold began to seep into her skin, she stood and wrapped her arms round herself. Where had he gone so quickly? And what had he said to her? She knew whatever it was had been said in Russian, but her understanding was basic. All she'd understood were the words 'you' and 'target'. Considering she wasn't dead, she assumed it meant she wasn't his target, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Shivering so hard from the adrenaline her teeth were chattering, she moved once more to the car, desperately hoping to find some small miracle that had spared the lives of Howard and Maria Stark. She peered into the driver's side and choked back a sob as Howard's lifeless eyes stared directly at her. This time, she found herself unable to hold down the contents of her stomach, the heaving so violent, she was forced to the ground. Tears ran freely down her face as she broke openly for the first time in thirty years, the salty drops mixing with the blood and vomit on the gravelled road.

Her head snapped up as a noise sounded in the distance, but the trauma and shock had finally hit her and quickly overwhelmed her, rendering her unable to react. Seconds later, a car pulled to a halt beside her, a concerned voice calling out.

"What in the world happened here? Oh my…ma'am you're bleeding!"

She wanted to open her mouth and tell the man to keep driving to the nearest phone and call SHIELD director Nick Fury so that she could compose herself to start tracking their attacker. Instead, her mouth fell open and she fell to the ground as her body finally shut down. She woke the next day in hospital, a stone faced Nick Fury sat next to her bed. After relaying what had happened and being told the attacker had escaped without a trace, the director, in a rare act of kindness, reached out to squeeze her shoulder as she once more dissolved into deep, heart-wrenching sobs.

The funeral took place two days before Christmas and thousands flocked the streets to pay their respects to Howard and Maria Stark. Beth sat next to Tony through the whole ceremony and while he remained silent throughout it, his hand was clamped tightly on hers as if she was the only thing keeping him grounded. Only close friends were allowed to the cemetery and as the small group watched the coffins lower into the ground, Tony's hand finally released her own. She looked over at the young man and saw a steely resolve in him that she recognised all too well, having seen it in her own eyes many times. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his shoulder, only to have it shrugged off.

"One day, I'll find whoever did this and kill him."

"Tony, no. Revenge is not the way forward."

He turned his brown eyes to her and for a moment, it was Howard staring back at her.

"Well, I take it I can't rely on you for support then. Good to know you were only on my side while they were around to pay you for it."

The urge to slap him was almost overwhelming, but Beth clenched her fists and forced herself to relax, reminding herself that hurting others was how he coped with his own hurt. She turned a saddened gaze to him, disappointed that he clearly hadn't taken in anything she or his parents had taught him over the years.

"If that's how you feel, then I feel truly sorry for you. I didn't say I wasn't on your side, and I never will. I was only saying that it is better to get justice than revenge and I am more than happy to help you achieve that. I am and always will be your godmother and when you decide to grow up and accept my help, then you know where to find me. I always have, and always will love you Anthony."

Her words made him glare harder at her and without another word, he turned and walked away, not caring that fresh tears were rolling down her face or that her words had hit home in more ways than one. He was angry, and he needed to get away. Beth watched him go sadly, knowing that it would be a long time, if ever, that she saw him again. She turned her gaze back to the freshly filled graves of her two close friends.

"I'm sorry you guys, I tried. I promise, even if he hates me for the rest of his life, I will always watch over him."

It was her last vow to the person who'd found where she was being held captive and helped free her all those years ago, and the woman who'd reminded Beth that sometimes it was kindness that won the battle.

She would not fail them again.