A/N: Hi all, thanks for the reviews! To Witchcraft12, glad you like my OC, always stressful introducing someone new, so happy for the positive feedback. I don't want to spoil anything, Madeline does have a part in this story but I won't get into it right now, you will just have to keep reading ;) however if you do want to know more about her motives and her side of the interactions with Steve check out my other story All Pieced Together. But for the record I will say that my ultimate OTP is Romanogers super hard core, no matter what may stand in their way. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and keep reading!

Chapter Seven

Steve

I smile at her, "Thanks, I will." I swallow glancing around the room. I see Natasha, of course, my eyes seem to constantly zero in on her location in a room, whether I want them to or not. She is talking to Fury by the bar, and seems to be absorbed in their conversation. I swallow and turn my attention back to Madeline. "So, I guess you are used to all this…." I wave around the room. I glance back at her, "Being a Stark and all."

She shrugged, "Honestly, this isn't usually my kind of thing. Work takes up pretty much all of my time."

I can't help but laugh, "Huh, a Stark who likes to work?" She laughs good naturally, but I watch her intrigued at her genuineness, "Never met one who wasn't a fan of a party though."

She seemed to be a bit uncomfortable by my statement, then her expression cleared and she looked at me smiling brightly, "Of course, you knew my grandfather."

And that is when it hits me, she looks startlingly like Maria Stark. I can't help but smile back at Madeline brightly, a seemingly ancient memory goes through my mind, "Yes, yes I did."

I made my way back into the main foyer. Madeline had gotten a text from her lab and had to rush out. She was nice. Very different from Tony. Maybe a bit odd, but nice all the same. She was very… detached. But sweet.

I wander over to the bar and nod at the bartender. Leaning against the bar, I let my mind wander back to seeing Madeline in the old Captain America exhibit. I feel... shaken from it somehow. I had been called away from her to give and obligatory hello and when I returned she was gone, and the old exhibit was where I eventually found her again. I found myself more intrigued by her than most of the party. She had been standing in front of the etched glass memorial for Bucky.

"Here you are," I hadn't been trying to startle her but still she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh god," Madeline turned to look at me with a surprised yet genuinely open expression. I stop, putting my hands up as much as I can while holding the champagne glasses I had grabbed off a waiter in the main room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to spook you," I said sending her an apologetic half smile.

"No, no it's fine, I have just been on edge all day. Stress with... work." She smiles up at me as she speaks, "I just needed a break from the people."

I am caught off guard by her honest answer. Something I find I get less and less from people in my life. I hand her a glass of champagne even though I want something stronger. "Tell me about it." I look up at my old friends face and feel like I am seeing right through it.

I see her look back at the display, "Do you miss him?" She asked quietly. Considering I was just thinking about how he was out there somewhere, this person I didn't know anymore...

I look down at my shoes feeling slightly numb, "Uh, heh, yeah. Yeah I do." I feel her eyes on me, watching me, waiting. "He was my best friend," I look at her, "Had him when I had no one else."

Her eyes look shockingly pained at my words. Like she wants to cry at what I said or something. She is the exact opposite of Tony. Sure she might be just as smart as him, but she was really nothing like him. I blink, realizing she was studying my face like a puzzle she wants to crack, "Madeline? Are you alright?" I asked stepping towards her, I let my hand rest lightly on her arm.

Madeline had blinked shaking her head, "Oh yes, I'm fine, I just-" She looked upset but like she was trying to hide it. Suddenly her phone started to beep in her purse and instantly she was completely distracted, her face wiped clear as if at the touch of a button, "I'm sorry, it might be work."

I smiled. Well, she had the same attention span as Tony, "By all means,"

She had let out this deep breath that apparently she had been holding since she reached for her phone,"I'm so sorry, but it's my lab. One of our formula's we are developing is literally degrading as we speak, I have to get back to the hotel, and link in with them."

It was odd, I knew she is lying. Mainly because she wasn't very good at it. The relief on her face is contradictory to the idea there is some work disaster but at least she wasn't ditching me to simply go back to the party, "No problem. You are trying to save the world's brains, who knows when I am gonna need your help." I joke, she had giggled in this breathy slightly awkward way. She really was an anomaly, this girl who was so unusual, "Do you want me to go get Tony for you?" I asked.

"No!" I feel my eyebrow raise at her vehemence, "No, thanks, but he will honestly just get in the way. Biomechanics was never his strong suit, but somehow when it comes to me, he seems to assume he knows all."

"Yeah, that isn't just with you." We both laughed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Madeline," I offer to shake her hand but she just looks at it like she doesn't quite know what to do. Like she is having this internal struggle about something and just as I am about to ask if she really is ok (because it looked like she was going to burst out crying) but before I get the chance, she stepped forward into me and wrapped her arms tightly around me in a shockingly strong hug.

"No, it was my pleasure," I had blinked, slowly hugging her back, but then I heard it, quietly like she hadn't meant for me to hear it. "I'm sorry,"

She stepped back out of my arms so I ask, "Sorry about what?"

Madeline hadn't even hesitiated, "Your friend," She looked at Bucky portrayed in glass.

"Yeah, me too." I am still confused by her sentiment, but then again it was something people just say, "Can you get back to the hotel safely?" I had asked looking down at her petit frame.

Madeline smiled up at me, instantly changing gears again into blatant over confidence, "Oh yeah, I got that covered."

I shake my head, what is it with the people in my life? Can nothing be normal, or expected? Or simply genuine?

"Hey there stranger," Someone nudges me with their shoulder as they sidle up to me.

I turn smiling at the voice to see Natasha smiling up at me, leaning on the bar beside me. "Hey, yourself." The bartender drops off the scotch in front of me.

Natasha looks at my drink and raises her eyebrows, "Ooooh, I'll have one of those." She smiles. I realize just how opposite anything with her is from the interaction I just had with Madeline. More complicated. I feel more engaged, which in turn I don't know if I like. It's different from what I thought I would want.

I can't help but smile down at her and that maybe is the biggest difference between her and Madeline. With Madeline I was constantly trying to figure her out understand what she wanted, with Natasha it is always...effortless. Even if I didn't have control, I never had to try when I was with Natasha. I turn and nod at the bartender pointing at my drink, then signalling I wanted another, "Long night?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "Fury keeps pestering me. And the photographers are..." She takes a deep breath before sighing her final word, "Everywhere."

I smile at Nat, but she can't see me because she is staring intently down as she tears up a cocktail napkin with her painted red nails, "I am sure they are tracking you down." She glances up at me from the corner of her eye, shaking her head.

"So it would seem." She raises her eyebrows as her drink appears. "Double, very nice, Cap'n." She nods at me taking a sip. Her brows clench together for the merest of seconds before subtly biting her lower lip, she looks up at me, "You've been busy this evening." My brow furrows and I look at her not knowing what she means, was she talking about me speaking to Madeline? But she shifts tracks, "No Nurse Sharon, I see," She looks around the ballroom. Her eyes fall on Sam still chatting to the Vice-President, "See you managed to find a hot date though," She smiles up at me.

I realize how much I missed her, it's startling. "Yeah, I'm a lucky guy." I roll my eyes, and she is still beaming up at me. Just being around her makes me feel better but at the same time I feel like I am under a thousand pounds. But somehow I don't care, it's a weight I can bare. Besides if I could keep it off her shoulders, I would bare the world on mine.

"Seriously though, no dice with Sharon?" She asks raising an eyebrow, looking at me intently her eyes slightly narrowed.

I shake my head "Too busy," I say, she chuckles and I wonder if she was thinking back to a conversation on the helicopter before the Lumerian Star. I look across the room at Barton and Tony joking together, "How's Clint?" I ask.

Natasha shakes her head, "Oh, he's fine," She raised her eyebrows keeping it vague. I try not to over analyze their relationship. They were friends, best friends. Colleagues. Still I can't quite figure it out... And it irritates me how much that bothers me. Not understanding her ties to him.

I watch her, "How's the new cover coming?"

She shrugs, "Oh, as good as can be expected."

I decide to go out on a limb, "Ya know, if you were ever getting tired of finding yourself, there is always a room at the Tower."

She looks up at me coyly from under her lashes, "You starting to miss me, Cap?"

I chuckle, hoping my blush is hidden by the low lighting over the bar, "You are irreplaceable." I can't help it, it slips out before I can stop it.

Natasha looks up at me suddenly, her eyes huge. I am surprised to see she looks caught off guard. Nat is never speechless. She opens her mouth to say something, when suddenly Tony swoops down on us, slamming his hands down on our shoulders. "Was a little birdie right in telling me my niece gave you the slip, Cap?"

I jump, so does Natasha, both of us distracted by our little moment. I look at Tony, "Yeah, I think it was a work thing?" I say vaguely remembering Madeline's face when I suggested telling Tony for her.

Tony shakes his head, "All work and no play with that girl, honestly. It's like I didn't have a hand in raising her." He sighs, and looks up at me, "Sooooo, what did you think?" Tony wags his eyebrows at me.

"Uhh," I tug on my collar which feels like it is shrinking. Suddenly, I become very aware of Natasha's eyes on me. She is still smiling, but it has definitely faded on her face, more like a benign, auto-pilot resting face. "She was nice," I answer lamely.

Tony shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, I tried. He's impossible." Tony shakes his head at Natasha who instantly smiles brighter at him, chuckling. "Oh and you, Miss Widow. Just got a call from Maria, we are all needed at the Avengers Tower tomorrow, bright and early, so no sneaking off in the middle of the evening."

Natasha shakes her head, "Tony, we have told you, group brunch is never gonna happen,"

"Honestly Natasha, please, a little professionalism." Tony cleared his throat and looked around us to make sure no one is eavesdropping. "It's about the staff." We both become serious at the implications of his words. "So, we are gonna finish off the night in style, I am gonna see my niece safely back to Gotham in the morning, then we can all have mimosa's on my plane." He pats us both on the shoulders, smiles, and walks away.

I swallow and look at Natasha. She is watching Tony walk away from us with her brow furrowed. I glance around the room. Hawkeye and Rhodes are joking about something, Fury is deep in talks with the vice president and impressively Sam is having what looks like a rather intimate chat with the vice president's grad student daughter. Eventually, my eyes fall back on Natasha. She is looking at the ground.

"I don't think I can do any more polite banter with these people," I say as a way of getting her attention. She looks up at me and I distinctly see what looks like hope in her eyes and possibly surprise? I lean down on my forearms on the bar, and she leans in conspiratorially, turning to face me, a small smile pulling on her lips. "I don't think I can be in this room while we wait to head out. You wanna get out of here?"

Her smile grows, and I am startled once again by just how shockingly beautiful she is. Usually people only see how hard she is, tough, cause she does have a very hard outer shell. But she really is dazzling. "Really Cap? Play hooky? I didn't think you had it in you."

I raise my eyebrows, shaking my head, "Oh, you have no idea."