uA/N: If you don't like the character's, plot or pairings, then don't read.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Captain America, only my character/s

WORD COUNT: 2, 360

Chapter 12:

Worries

Seph lay in the bed that Tony had lent to her in the Tower and she sighed loudly, resting her arms underneath her head as she looked up at the ceiling, unable to sleep as she blinked slowly up at the tall roof, the moonlight shining over certain parts, separating the rest of it from the darkness.

Among the darkness, she could only see sharp indigo eyes framed by dark long lashes. All she could see, was Barbara's eyes, staring back at her, 'am I doing a good job, Barbara? Raising Joey in such a dangerous environment? Did you know this would happen and trusted me to keep him protected?' she thought as she stared unblinkingly in those eyes, 'how can I look after an eleven-year-old boy when I can't even take care of myself right now? I've probably lost my jobs and his teachers are more than likely worried about him. How can I support him or even keep him safe? How?!' Seph was ripped from her worries as there was a soft knock on the door. Barbara's eyes receded into the recesses of her subconscious once again.

"Uh, yeah?" Seph asked, digging the heels of her palms into her eye sockets until she saw patterns before she let her hands fall away as the door opened and Joey's head popped from the ajar door and he sniffled. "Joey? What's the matter, honey?"

Joey slid into the room and closed the door before he ran and jumped on the bed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly, shocking his aunt as she wrapped her arms around his small body and she heard him whimper.

"Mum hates me, doesn't she?" Joey asked, his head nestled in her the crook of her neck.

Seph's heart stopped as she tightened her arms, tears springing to her eyes, "no." Her voice was firm. "Your mother could never hate you. Do you understand me, Joseph Michael Brandt? Never."

Joey's head lifted from his place and he looked into her eyes, watery indigo blue staring into swimming hazel, "after what I've done to you? The video Mum made-"

"I forgive you, Joseph. If I can do that, you shouldn't worry about your mum, alright. If I can forgive you, then she definitely would. I'm her twin sister, remember?" Seph smiled gently, tapping at her chest, right over her heart. "Babs may be gone, but I can still feel her and I can tell you right now, she could never hate you, sweetheart." Seph held her nephew close as his shoulders shook and she pulled the covers over him and lay down, still cuddling him close to her chest. "It's okay, Joey. It's alright."

"I'm so sorry, Aunt Seph!" Joseph sobbed, tightening his hold around her neck as she let him, rubbing his back and soothing him with soft words. She took a few tissues and wiped at his eyes, catching his tears. "I'm so sorry!"

Rocking him gently, Joseph's sobs started to quieten down as he listened to her steady heartbeat, his eyes starting to get heavier and heavier until he was asleep and Seph kissed his brown hair.

"I forgive you."

(..)

Seph panted, gripping at her knees as her ribs expanded with her lungs.

Steve was off to one corner of the ring, wiping his brow with a towel that he draped back over the guard and came toward Seph with a large bottle of water, unscrewing the cap for her before handing it to her gently as she breathlessly thanked him before she attacked the refreshing liquid.

"Easy," he guided her, "small sips, I don't want you to get a stitch or make yourself feel sick. We still have a lot of ground to cover." Seph slowed her pace and took small sips of the offered beverage before handing it back to Steve.

"Jesus!" She whined gently, "how long have we been training?"

"Five minutes." Steve answered, chuckling as she groaned in exhaustion. "You need to build up stamina. We did go for that run this morning. You're doing very well for only being at it for a couple of days. Stance." Steve ordered and Seph put up her hands, her feet shoulder-width apart and she jabbed at Steve who dodged and blocked easily.

"Anything new from our guests?" Seph asked, dodging a right hook from Steve and she responded with a quick jab to his ribs.

"Good," he praised her, "and Natasha is getting quite a bit of information from them, she's very persuasive. Tony's gotten some information from their facial scans and from just generally searching for Hellfire. It'll take a while to weed out the theories based on speculation and rumor. It's bad enough there's lots of that, considering it's supposed to be a myth." Steve dropped and swept his leg under hers, but Seph was ready and jumped.

As Steve got up, she kicked her leg up high and with perfect form and precision, she flicked her leg toward his face, speeding quickly, but she didn't get her hopes up. Steve was quicker than her and could see her move coming from a mile away, he protected his face with his arm and with his free hand, grabbed her ankle and pulled her forward sharply. Seph lost her footing and fell to the floor of the ring, flat on her back as she looked up at him. "You know it's next to impossible for me to land a legitimate blow on you unless you want me to for moral support."

Steve sighed, slowly pulling her up, "you caught me." He chuckled, "though, I am very proud of you. Not one outbreak so far."

"I'm worried." Seph answered, making Steve's smile slip, "I'm not holding anything back. It's not like I feel as if my power is going to burst through my control if I don't get a handle on it . . . it's almost like it's . . . waiting for something." Seph looked at her hands, which were normal, if a little red and blistered, "and what worries me is that. . I don't know what it is."

(..)

Seph let the boiling water of the shower rain down on her naked back, loosening the tight knots and washed away the sweat that stuck to her skin as she continued to stare at her hands.

Why wasn't her mutation uncontrollable as they all first thought?! Why was it lying in wait after eleven years of confinement?

It was scaring her.

Seph had observed everyone when her and Steve came back to the Avengers Tower. Nobody treated her different, no one walked on eggshells around her. She knew Tony had already fitted his suits with counter measures and revamped the entire Tower so it was mutation-friendly and updated JARVIS' protocols for any and all Persephone related situations. Joey didn't treat her any different, just as she had asked of him and his eyes were even more unguarded around her now more than ever.

Natasha and the rest of the Avengers didn't treat her any differently than before. They understood her and knew that her power wasn't something she necessarily wanted.

Seph growled, frustrated. "Damn it!" She hit the tile wall, pain lancing through her knuckles but she refused to acknowledge it, breathing hard as the water pelted down on her, plastering her hair flat against her scalp.

"Persephone? Are you alright?" Steve's muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door. She could feel his worry.

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry to worry you, Steve." Seph called out to him.

"Okay. ." Steve spoke through the door, before she heard his steps receding deeper into her bedroom, but she didn't hear the door close, though. He was waiting for her.

Seph sighed, quickly washing her body and hair before she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and she towel dried her hair until it was damp enough to be air dried quickly, she changed into her underwear, bed shorts and tank top before walking out, seeing Steve sitting on the small armchair, looking up at her. "Hey," he murmured, standing respectfully in the presence of a lady.

Seph smiled gently at his old-fashioned mannerisms that she highly respected, sitting on the bed, her legs folding underneath her as she centered herself against the headboard, her smile slipping from her lips, "I'm worried. My abilities flared up when I was in extreme pain or in extreme anger." She lifted her hand upward to her face, inspecting it. "I was so angry when Cameron hurt Barbara and the absolute pain I felt when I remembered it all. . I calmed down when I was at their graves." Seph took in a deep, shaky breath. "Whatever's happening to me. . .it's crazy. I can feel emotions all around me."

"Wait, what do you mean, emotions?"

"It's so weird. . I've always been able to sort of figure out a person's emotions, like if they were happy, I could feel the depth of their happiness, and if they were trying to hide their pain through a smile. . I always knew how badly hurt they were emotionally. But now, with the awakening of my abilities, I can feel every single emotion and I can pinpoint all the times that a memory called for that emotion." Seph looked up to see Steve settling himself next to her, staring into her eyes intently.

"What am I feeling, Persephone?" Steve whispered, leaning closer to her and she sighed.

Seph raised her hands and framed his face with them, closing her eyes and allowing his emotions to flood her senses. She could feel them when the individual was near, but it was as if she knew that skin to skin contact gave her the clearest reading.

"Worry." She murmured quietly, "that's the profound emotion I can sense." Her eyes glazed over slowly, "worry over me. . worry that the Professor's procedure won't work," Steve's eyes widened slightly, "worry. . that you won't be able to stop the invasion. . .worry that you'll never see Peggy again."Steve's heart jolted in his chest. She was seeing his past worries. Seph's brows furrowed slightly, "worry over Bucky as he lies on the stretcher. . . you don't know what they did to him," her body started to warm, her hair slowly becoming redder from the roots and spread throughout and her eyes slowly brightened into orange, "worry. . . over her." Steve pulled back instinctively, not wanting to hear anymore as he shook softly, running a trembling hand over his face. "I'm sorry if I unsettled you. . .you asked me to!" Seph said, her hair having returned to its chestnut red, her eyes hazel and her skin having returned to its natural temperature.

The glow from her hands faded and she lowered them slowly. Steve took deep breaths to calm himself down before responding to her, "it's okay. I was just-"

"-thrown off." Seph finished, having picked up on his feelings.

Steve nodded, "yeah." Seph gazed at Steve, his expression sad and conflicted. Seph sighed, leaning up and she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer into a gentle hug. Steve's arms came around her small waist and he rested his head underneath her chin. It felt like she was cradling a large, muscular baby, apart from the fact that it was Captain America. Her long time hero/historical crush that had supposedly died while putting the Red Skull's plane, full of nuclear warheads that would take out the country in the ocean, sacrificing himself. Only to be found over seventy years later, perfectly preserved and alive.

Never say dreams don't come true.

Seph and Steve sighed at the same moment as she pressed her lips to his blonde hair, which was parted just like the old 1940's style. She liked it on him, no matter that it was outdated.

At least nobody tricked him into getting half of his hair shaved off, like most of the kids were these days.

Steve breathed in her perfume, which he had committed to memory, it was a gentle scent, not overpowering like many women he had met since he returned from his long rest. It was calming and well, he was shy to admit this part, but also arousing to him. She smelt like a warm spring day. The soft scent of rain in the air, mixing with the sweet aroma of blossoming flowers. The weird part about it, was that she wasn't wearing any perfume, this was just her natural odour and he loved it. If Steve had met her during his formative years, he probably would have had an asthma attack because he'd be taking too many deep breaths to take in her scent completely. That had he'd be thanking God because he had found a gorgeous woman who loved him, despite all of his health issues and small form.

Steve sighed, tapping his hipbone before he pulled away from her embrace, kissing her forehead. "I'll let you rest. Big day tomorrow." He stood up from the bed as Seph frowned.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Seph asked, flopping back on the bed as she crossed her legs underneath her bottom.

"Tomorrow, we'll be taking over Tony's gym for the day. We'll be testing your powers." Steve winked over to her before he left her room, the door shutting gently.

"Is that. . .such a good idea?" Seph mused to herself in the empty room, looking down at her hands once again. 'Will I be able to keep my powers under control?'