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

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Captain America: The Winter Soldier only my character/s

WORD COUNT: 2, 018

Chapter 18

Danger

"Look who it is, the running man." Sam greeted, making Steve chuckle as he watched the retired soldier fix the pamphlets on the little desk.

"Caught the last few minutes, it's pretty intense. It's the same for Seph when she talks to the survivors of the invasion." Steve commented, having remembered how compassionate yet professional Seph was when she was conducting a meeting with the group in the program.

"Yeah, brother," Sam agreed, "we all got the same problems." Sam continued to fix the pamphlets and leaflets, "guilt, regret." Sam looked up, the familiar look of sorrow that Steve had seen many times, in himself and in Seph.

"You lose someone?" Steve asked.

"My wingman, Riley." Sam nodded stiffly, "flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue Op." His voice was bleak but the pain was clear in his eyes, "nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before," Sam shrugged, "until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky." Sam sighed and Steve could see the faint shake in the other man's hands, "nothing I could do." Sam shook his head, "it's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry." Steve offered his condolences. It was so much like Seph, her pain and suffering was also in this poor man who watched his partner die; just like Steve had.

"After that," Sam continued, "I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, y'know?"

Steve nodded, trying to find the happy line in all of this tragedy, "but you're happy now, back in the world?" He asked softly, needing advice about civilian life.

"The number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell yeah!" Sam joked, sharing a chuckle with Steve, "are you thinking about getting out?"

"No," Steve sighed before changing his answer, "I don't know." Steve scoffed at himself, "To be honest, I don't know what I'd do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam joked, "just a great idea off the top of my head," Sam sobered, "but seriously, you could do whatever you want to do, what makes you happy?"

"Persephone." Steve answered straight away, "she never fails to put a smile on my face." Steve smiles, thinking back to their moments together.

A quick grin lined Sam's lips before he continued, "Well, for starters. If I were you, I'd think about tying down that gorgeous Miss. America and no I do not mean the model. If she is what makes you happy, talk it over with Seph, I'm sure she'll listen to whatever you'd want to say to her."

"I'm sure you're right."

(..)

Seph knew that Steve was back, but he hadn't been to visit, nor had he called.

Just a few texts here and there.

It was getting weird.

He had told her about his problems with Nick Fury but after that, all he did was check up on her.

Hell, it was normally her that was doing the checking up these days. Before, he used to be so attentive toward her and, yeah, Seph knew that there are times in relationships when you can't afford to be together 100%. She knew that very well, but even when he started to work for SHIELD as a field agent and went on missions and visiting Peggy, (which she had no problem with) she found that he had no time for her. The only time they really were together was before his latest mission a week ago.

She knew he was Captain America and he had a duty to his country, hence the title. But he was also Steven Grant Rogers, a born and bred Brooklyn man who just wanted to do what was right and sometimes, Seph thinks he forgets that.

She can't fault him.

He was in an entirely different world with technology that he would never have been able to dream up in a thousand years and he felt out of place, like he was old relic amongst the new advancements.

But she just wished that he could take some time off from being Captain America, national hero and celebrity; and be her Steve. Her dorky, sweet Steve that would burn dinner but she'd eat it to spare his feelings. Her Steve that would keep her still in a certain pose while he drew her perfectly and then would close his third sketchbook that was nearing the end of its time. Her Steve that would watch as she put on his old movies on YouTube and tease him relentlessly as he groaned, trying to reach the PS4 controller and somehow that would turn into a makeout session. Her Steve that was like a father figure that her nephew sorely needed, and helped the young boy with his homework and gave him tips on drawing and even played ball with him and went to his games with her.

She missed all that stuff.

But tonight, she wasn't going to dwell on it, it was going to be a good night.

Seph was enjoying a nice lunch with her beautiful nephew, who with the money he had saved up from doing odd jobs with the neighbours, he paid for their wonderful meal at Poppy's Diner, her old waitressing job.

"So? I did good, didn't I?" Joey looked at the spread, making Seph giggle.

"You did awesome, Joey. Good job, honey." Seph praised her nephew as Jason served them, setting their plates down on the table.

"Treating your aunt to a nice lunch, huh, Joey?" The ginger asked, his wedding ring shining brightly in the light.

Seph was at the wedding with Steve and the captain who fought in WWII, witnessed two men promise themselves to each other and exchanging rings. For Steve, it was a piece of beautiful history for him, to witness a man and a man marry for love, despite all the obstacles that had been in the way of LGBT community.

"Mm-hm! Aunt Seph works hard so I thought I'd treat her to lunch and we agreed, no phones." Joey grinned as he dug into his meal as Seph chuckled at her nephew.

"And you, missy? How's your new job?" Jason asked, gently patting her shoulder.

"Really good. It's as much freeing for me as it is for them to talk about the invasion openly and discuss their feelings." Seph explained.

"It's all part of Tony Stark's 'Help the Helpless' program, isn't it?" Jason asked and Seph nodded, chewing on the forkful of food.

"Yeah, my team and I are helping a lot of people come to terms with the battle, with the loss of family members and friends and the physical and mental toll it's had on them as individuals."

"Wow, that sounds. . pretty amazing. Just like you, sweetheart." Jason grinned, "I mean, you gotta be extraordinary to bag someone like Captain friggin' America."

"Shut up." Seph mumbled, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink and Jason laughed, winking at Joey teasingly and the twelve-year-old giggled.

"Seph, have you seen the news?" Vincent called, running out from the back, holding the remote.

"No, why?" Her brows creased as Vince turned the T.V on and there was Steve and Nat's face on the screen with the presenter speaking urgently.

"This just in: Steven Rogers and Natasha Romanov, also known by their code-names as Captain America and Black Widow are under suspicion of withholding information from SHIELD following the unfortunate death of Colonel Nicholas. J. Fury. The government has made their capture top priority with both Miss. Romanov and Mr. Rogers and public enemies one and two." Seph shot up from her seat, her heart pounding as she watched the anchor deliver the hard news, "We have also been asked that if you, the public, have seen this woman," a picture of Seph's smiling face lit the screen and everyone turned to her, "please contact the police, she is to be brought in for questioning immediately."

"Get out of here, now!" Jason ordered, stepping away as he yelled at his customers, "put your damn phones down, now!" With Jason's roar, phones clattered on the tables as Seph and Joseph quickly packed up their things before running out of the diner, only to be stopped by a bunch of agents in black with guns and an unidentifiable man with a metal arm. Persephone quickly pushed Joseph behind her, shielding him. "Persephone Lucille and Joseph Michael Brandt, you will come quietly without resistance or we will fire upon you." One of the closer agents spoke loud enough to be heard.

"I'm not going anywhere until everything is explained and you aren't taking my nephew." Seph snarled, livid.

"I'm afraid you're not in any position to be negotiating."

"And you're not in a position to give me orders." Her eyes slowly turned orange.

"Fire at will!" The agents lifted their guns and started firing but Seph was quicker, pushing back Joseph, her flames erupted and she protected her family, friends and people in the diner. Undercover in the flames, she moved, taking out multiple agents a time. Her movements were quick and precise, just how Steve taught her, but what she wasn't counting on was a cold metal arm clamping around her throat tightly.

Seph gasped and her fire died out as she was lifted off the ground by the man holding her. "Aunt Persephone!" Joseph called, watching as his aunt was being choked. "Soldier, do not kill her." One of the wounded agents ordered. The Soldier seemed to take that order as his hand loosened slightly before lifting his arm higher and threw her down against the concrete in an aggressive chokeslam. Seph grunted in pain as the cement cracked from the force, stunned as she looked up at the Soldier.

She'd heard something similar like that. Nat had told her something about some Soldier. 'Summer Soldier? No, that wasn't right. Storm Soldier? Nope. Hmm, what was it exactly?' Seph couldn't hear her nephew calling for her, 'Winter Soldier? Yeah, I think it was the Winter Soldier.' Persephone's senses slowly started to bleed back and she saw the Winter Soldier's cybernetic hand turning into a fist. She couldn't even move a muscle.

"NO!" Joseph roared, charging toward the Soldier, who had barely looked up before he was flying back into the streetlight and from the impact, the streetlight bent at an odd shape with a muffled grunt coming from the Soldier. "Don't you ever lay a hand on my Aunt again." Joseph snarled, his eyes turning purple as he slightly levitated off the ground, panting hard as Seph watched him with wide eyes.

"J-Joey. . ?" Seph's voice was rough and cracked, eyes wide with tears.

Before anything could be said between the relatives, the Winter Soldier whipped out his gun, aiming at Joseph, but once more, Seph was too quick. She snapped her fingers and he dropped the gun, the metal red-hot.

"Aunt Seph!" Joseph's feet touched the ground as he ran toward Seph and he grabbed her hand and in the same span of time they were in Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, in front of Logan and the Professor. "Professor Xavier? Professor Logan?" Joseph asked, his eyes slowly turning back to their sapphire blue.

"Joseph, how did you get here?" Charles asked as Logan launched forward, helping up Seph as the bruises around her neck disappeared.

"You okay, kid?" Logan asked, helping her to her feet.

"Charles, we teleported." Seph answered, pulling Joseph to her chest and he hugged her tight, "Joey's a mutant."