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: 1, 489

Chapter 19

Kisses and Promises.

Seph watched Joseph sleep, sitting opposite her nephew on the couch as he took up all of the loveseat. Her hands shook slightly as she wondered about his abilities, he had stretched himself thin with using super strength and then teleporting right after, he was exhausted.

She had witnessed his impressive strength as he had pushed the Winter Soldier meters back and the blow still had enough momentum to bend the streetlight, he could levitate and he could travel within spaces in flash. Charles thinks Joey had untapped potential to be a very powerful spacial manipulator and could possibly travel within dimensions of time and space and quite possibly, his strength would quadruple if he was like Seph and drew power from emotion, but only time would tell.

Seph sighed, running her hands through her long hair, Steve still hadn't called and she didn't have her phone to call him herself, considering her phone was back home, and now that her house was compromised, she couldn't go back without getting caught.

When she finally got in touch with Steve, she would wring his neck.

Logan walked into the sitting room and handed Seph a steaming mug of straight, black coffee and she took it with a murmured 'thanks' before taking a searing sip. "I just don't understand, Logan. He wasn't showing any signs of having the gene at all. Barbara nor Cameron were mutants, as far as I'm aware. I never saw Cameron after that night and Babs died before we could ever figure it out, that and she was my sister, I'd know."

Logan sighed, his fingers rubbing against his lips in thought, "the gene is more likely to develop in early childhood and during adolescence, or so Charles tells me," he explains, "and it isn't necessarily passed down like eye-colour and crap like that, apparently it's mostly derived from the genetics of the father, a fact of a male's biology is the fact that he carries the dormant gene and passes it on to his children, sometimes, people of the same family can have the Mutant X gene and they can have the same properties, just different elements."

"Like Bobby and I." Seph murmured.

"Yeah, you both have elemental abilities and you're related through your mother's side but you got the gene from your father and Joseph got it through Cameron, it's more common than you think, it just takes a push." Seph sighed as she listened to Logan and she took another sip of her coffee before Bobby walked in the sitting room, his phone in his hand.

"Seph, it's Steve."

Her worry dissipated at that name and anger became the most prominent emotion as she took the phone from Bobby, her hair bleeding red and her eyes starting to glow as she hissed into the receiver, "where the hell have you been?"

"Seph, I can't-"

"Where. Have. You. Been?" She snarled, her voice distorting slightly, "Joey and I were attacked by SHIELD agents in broad daylight and where were you?"

"What?! Are you okay?!" Steve's voice as urgent, full of worry.

"We're both fine. Are you going to tell me where you've been?" Seph demanded, her hold tightening on the phone.

Steve's sigh reverberated down the line, "we've got a lead of what's going on. . .it's in New Jersey."

"New Jersey!?" Seph roared, quickly turning to see Joseph twitch a little before he nestled deeper into the covers.

"I'm so sorry, Persephone. I know. I should have come straight to you when I came back." Seph took a shuddering breath at Steve's heartbroken tone.

"You're damn right." Seph sighed, her anger starting to disappear and her worry became the forefront emotion once more, "are you alright?" Her voice was shaky.

"I'm fine. Nat's with me, we managed to evade them at the mall."

"What? How? That mustn't have been easy." She heard Steve flounder and her eyes pierced slightly, "how did you manage to get out of there, Steve?"

"I kissed him, Seph." Nat's voice filled her ear and Seph froze.

'Nat did what?' Seph asked herself, her fingers heating up slightly.

"Natasha," Seph started and she heard a faint gulp, everyone knew they were in trouble when Persephone called them by their full name, "you do realize that you locked lips with a taken man and that man happens to be mine." Her voice distorted once more, her exhales coming out in soft growls.

"Y-yeah." If there was one thing Natasha was somewhat afraid of, it was a raging Persephone Brandt, and a raging Persephone consisted of well-aimed fireballs to the face.

"The next time we spar, I will kick your ass. As of now, we don't have time for petty crap like this. If it got you out of there, good. What are you doing now?" Seph asked, willing her entire body to cool down and the red in her receded back into chestnut and her eyes returned to their beautiful hazel.

"Well, I thought you were going to jump through the phone." Nat teased.

"Shut up, I still might." Seph warned, but a hint of humor had found itself in her tone and Nat took that as she was forgiven. . .for now. "Steve, I need t-"

"I have to go, Seph. But I promise, as soon as I find out what's going on, I'll let you know." Steve cut her off, probably too preoccupied with his own problems to have heard her.

"Okay," she sighed, her heart aching at the thought of him rushing into danger, "I love you, Captain."

She heard his breath sharpen like it always does when she said she loved him, "I love you too, baby-doll. More than you know."

The line cut and Seph was left with the dial-tone. Sniffling, she ended her side of the call and handed the phone back to Bobby and she took another sip of her coffee, only to see Joseph stirring before he sat up, his hair messy and his eyes opened to reveal sleepy sapphire blue eyes. "Hey, handsome, you wore yourself out before." Seph knelt in front of him, gently fixing his unruly hair with a soft smile.

"Aunt Seph. . . was all that real?" His voice was croaky as he looked down at his aunt, her smile faltered slightly and she framed one side of his face with her hand comfortingly.

"Yeah, sweetheart, it was all real."

Joey's lips spread into an infectious grin and his eyes sparkled, "cool! I can't wait to tell my friends!"

"Whoa, slow down there, tiger." Seph said, holding his hands, "you may have saved the day but there are bigger problems much more out of our control, so, we lay low, okay?"

Joey sighed, holding her hand too, "so, what do we do?"

"Well, first things first, we assess your powers, see how far you can go and hopefully, help you control them." Logan answered, sipping at his own cup of coffee.

"There's no time like the present," Charles levitated in, looking at all four mutants, "shall we begin?"

(..)

"Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?" Nat questioned, looking up at the man in question with quizzical eyes.

"Nazi Germany," Steve answered, "and we're borrowing, take you feet off the dash." He ordered.

Nat did so, grinning at his old-man vibe. "Y'know, you didn't kiss me back at the mall. Most men would have jumped at the chance."

"I'm not most men." Steve grinned, thinking of Seph, "and she isn't most women. Most women, who know what you're capable of, wouldn't threaten to kick your butt."

"I think she'd be the only woman I'd let say that to me." Nat grinned.

"The only woman I'll ever kiss willingly, is Persephone, I promised that." Steve answers, his fingers gently drumming against the steering wheel.

"What promise is that?" Nat's eyes turned to Steve who sighed.

"I promised she'd be my only one." Steve answered, "and before you say anything, I know that sound cheesy."

Nat smiled gently, "did Seph say that too?"

"She doesn't know yet, I've been waiting for the right moment." Steve murmured.

Nat grinned, "she'll say the same thing."

Steve smiled, "I know."

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