A/N: Half of you will be in a state of shock that, for once, I got home early and posted something before 1 AM. lol

Steve awoke before dawn as he normally did, thinking about going running today. He didn't think there was much a chance that Buck would go with him but maybe.

They'd been on Thanksgiving break for the last four days. Chris lay sprawled on her stomach between them and that made him smile. She'd slept curled up in a ball for weeks after they'd gotten her back. To see her reverting back to how she always slept before the kidnapping had him smiling.

Bucky, however, wasn't curled around her as usual. He was on his side facing the other way. That was new.

Then Steve saw the light from his phone.

"Buck? You awake?"

"Yeah."

Turning onto his back, he grinned at Steve. "Going running?"

Steve nodded. "You in?"

"We can't both go running."

Steve quirked a brow at him. "We can't?"

Bucky shook his head. "One of us has to stay and take care of our girl. You would know that if you hadn't been sleeping in like a punk for the last three days."

That had Steve grinning. They'd eaten, watched football, played video games, had lots of sex. And Steve had slept in like he rarely allowed himself, waking up late morning.

But both of them were always there with him and everything had seemed fine…

Steve was confused but then Chris began to stir between them.

When she scrambled to the edge of the bed and ran like hell for the bathroom, he looked to Bucky in question. Bucky was already up, following her into the bathroom.

Steve's heart dropped to see her throwing up over the toilet, Bucky holding back her hair with his metal hand while his other hand smoothed up and down her back, trying to comfort her.

When it finally stopped, Bucky had a washcloth ready to clean her face, he had a glass of ice water there. Steve shook his head even as his heart beat just a little harder. Taking care of others had always came naturally to James Buchanan Barnes. He'd taken care of Steve for so many years.

There on her knees, Chris glanced over her shoulder and spotted him leaning in the doorway. Then she shook her head. "Great. Now both of you are going to watch me barf every morning?" she huffed out.

Steve dropped into the floor next to her, wrapping his arms around her shaking form.

"Not that I know a lot about pregnancy stuff but, isn't it early for morning sickness?" he had to ask.

Chris nodded. "I thought so. We'll see what Helen says. She'll be here tomorrow."

"Good," Steve pressed a kiss into her hair. The idea of a run out of his head, he gently helped her up from the floor. "You done?"

Chris nodded, her face washed of all color.

"How about you get a shower and I'll make you some breakfast?"

Bucky shook his head behind her as she stared at him incredulously. "No," she said simply. "I can't."

"Would you try?" Steve use what she called his "sad puppy" expression on her. "For me?"

"I won't be able to keep it down," she warned him.

"But you'll try?"

"Fine, stop with the face already," she grumbled while Bucky laughed behind her.

Leaving them to shower, Steve headed into the kitchen and got started. By the time Chris and Bucky wandered out, showered and dressed, he mostly had everything ready.

"Oh my God, Rogers," Bucky started laughing. "You're making her Dum Dum's hangover breakfast?"

"What?" Chris looked about both of them in question.

Steve had to laugh along with him. "Worked for him, didn't it?"

"He was fucking hungover not knocked up," Bucky pointed out and Chris swatted him on the back of the head.

"And who knocked me up?" she wanted to know.

"Jury's out on that right now, doll," Bucky taunted her, this time dodging when she tried to slug him. "Hey, I'm sorry. It's just… Really?"

It was a huge breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheddar cheese, and a ton of bacon. Chris had pointed out more than once how they had a tendency to always make food in portions for super soldiers, even for her, but as she eyed it, her humor started to fade.

"So you remember some of that?" Steve asked, thinking that he and Bucky hadn't talked a lot about the Howling Commando days, mostly because Bucky didn't remember a lot of it. Was it coming back to him now?

Chris reached across the counter to grab the sandwich while Bucky seemed to consider that for a moment. "You know, I think I am. I was thinking the other day in the armory about Dernier and the crazy shit he used to do. How the hell did he never blow himself up?"

Steve was listening to Bucky as he remembered the one time Dernier almost did blow himself up because he was drunk and thought it would be a good idea to brag about his explosives prowess while he was. Steve had barely gotten the grenade out of the tent on time.

Steve was also keeping an eye on Chris who was doing actual damage to the breakfast he'd made her, putting it away as if she hadn't eaten in a couple of days. He felt bad that he'd made her sandwich as big as he had but she wasn't letting it stop her.

"Did I have that right?" Bucky's eyes were wide on him and Steve couldn't help but smile.

"Every bit of it, Pal."

Steve was convinced that Bucky was flourishing now that they all lived together. Bucky had a home, was part of a family of people who loved him, accepted him. He seemed a little more like the Bucky he grew up with – and fell in love with – every day. "Seems like you're remembering more and more from the old days."

Bucky looked pleased, searching his mind for other memories.

Steve tried hard not to laugh. Chris had gotten halfway through the sandwich before she'd pulled It apart and was happily picking out the bacon and eating that.

"I remembered something from before the war the other day," Bucky told him, growing more serious. "Something about a neighbor we had in the old apartment. A little old lady. Ugh. What was her name?"

"Mrs. Townsend," Steve told him. "We used to carry her groceries upstairs for her. Remember?"

Bucky nodded. "She had that nasty cat. God, he hated me."

Steve nodded. The enormous brown tabby had hated Bucky but only because he never stopped to pet it while they were up there. Steve always had, and it had liked him just fine.

Steve got back to work to make breakfast for himself and Bucky while they were reminiscing, happier than he could say that Chris was maybe about two-thirds of the way through her sandwich.

"Doll, Jesus," Bucky laughed behind him. "Where did that go?"

She'd grabbed a fork and was finishing off the egg and cheese now. She didn't even look up at them. "This is so good."

"Huh," Bucky looked from her to Steve and back. "Maybe she was so sick because she was hungry? Or the little guy was? Think you'll be able to keep it down, doll?"

"Hope so."

They had a nice breakfast, relaxing and entertaining Chris with stories from their younger years. She'd laughed so much there was color back in her face.

Steve couldn't help but think in that moment that he was happy in a way he hadn't been since they'd pulled him from the ice.

Having Bucky back, and being free to love him, was a gift. Now there was Chris and miraculously she loved them both. She was having their baby.

Slowly he realized, all the things he thought were out of reach were coming to him. Before Bucky had been lost, he'd been in love with him, but he'd known there was no way he could be with Buck, not openly. And giving up marriage, children? He'd been perfectly willing to do that if he could have the man he loved. When Peggy came along, it had changed his thinking, made him want everything.

Now here he was again. Why couldn't he have everything?

Chris filled in the gaps they couldn't fill in for each other and soon their family would expand. The only thing that left was marriage and it wasn't a huge issue to the world now. Not as it had been in the '40s.

Steve had given some thought to that. He had a couple of ideas, but he wanted to wait until Chris was feeling better and maybe once they'd dealt with the issue of Ross.

Then he wanted them to make some sort of promise, all three of them. He wanted it acknowledged even if it was just the three of them, that they were his. Maybe he was old-fashioned but…

Steve went back to get a shower since Bucky offered to clean up the kitchen. He checked his phone first and the text message he had stopped him cold. It had been received only ten minutes ago.

Tony: Ross is here.

Steve's jaw locked as he sent a message back.

SR: Where?

Tony: A meeting at 10. Be there.

SR: I'll be there.

Steve took the phone with him. Not that either Chris or Bucky even thought about his phone, but he decided then and there not to say anything. They'd had the best several days since Thanksgiving. Ross had done enough to his best guy and girl, he wasn't going to let him hurt them further.

Which wasn't to say he wasn't going to deal with him.

He most definitely was.

Steve threw on some slacks, a dress shirt. He was pulling on his watch as he walked into the living room to see Chris cuddled up on the couch, her head in Bucky's lap.

"Stomach still okay?" he asked her with a smile.

"Yeah," Chris sounded surprised. "I haven't eaten that much in a while but honestly, I feel fine."

"That's good, Sweetheart," Steven bent down to kiss her. Then he kissed Bucky.

"Where you going, Pal?" Bucky asked, his gaze sweeping over him.

"Meeting with Tony." It wasn't a lie. "I shouldn't be too long. What do you want to do when I get back?"

"We could try playing video games again," Bucky offered, grinning.

"You just want to play goat simulator again," Chris said chuckling, making their guy blush.

Bucky had played the damn game for two hours the day before.

"Maybe." Bucky shrugged.

If Bucky picked up anything wrong with Steve leaving for his meeting with Tony, it didn't show. He told them he'd be back and headed out.

The moment the door was shut, Steve was marching towards the elevator.

Secretary of State or not, the man had sold their girl to a monster in South America who'd beaten her like an animal and had caused her to lose a child. Their child.

Thaddeus Ross was going to pay for that.

Fury, Tony, and Ross were already in the conference room when Steve walked in. Fury and Tony watched him as he took a seat across the table from them. Ross had claimed the seat at the table's head, but his back was to them and he appeared to be typing something out on his phone.

When he turned around, Ross's gaze immediately found Steve. His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Rogers. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."

Steve wasn't going to take the bait.

"What can we do for you Mr. Secretary?" Fury was barely polite.

"Project Insight? Ring any bells?"

That got Steve's attention.

What had started out as a S.H.I.E.L.D. program, and an ill-advised one at that had been taken over by HYDRA and made ten times worse back in 2014. With the help of Natasha, Fury, Hill, and Sam, they'd been able to stop it before twenty million people were eliminated.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had crumbled from the inside. Fury had nearly been killed. Steve had the hell beaten out of him by Bucky who'd eventually pulled him out of the Potomac and saved his life.

It had set Bucky free from HYDRA. That was the only good thing about it.

"It does," Fury replied.

"Are you aware of what happened to all the data from that project in the aftermath?" Ross asked them, the smirk on his face giving Steve a bad feeling. "No? As you know, there are many HYDRA operatives still out there, still functioning. The loss of Pierce was great, but it didn't stop them for long."

Steve hadn't expected that it had.

"It's not an incredible surprise that there were other copies of Zola's algorithm," Ross continued. "We have intel that suggests that the project has been resumed since that failure in 2014."

Fury snorted. "We had the backing of the US in building those helicarriers in 2014. Who's backing this attempt?"

"A small private group, some of the surviving financial backers of HYDRA," Ross explained. "We knew they had the intel from the project. What we didn't know, was that they were able to resume and accelerate the program so quickly."

"How far along are they?" Tony asked.

"Their new and improved versions of the helicarriers are in production," Ross said gravely.

"So we take out their operation," Fury reasoned. "Is this an official assignment?"

Ross shrugged before cutting his gaze at Steve. "Our military could take out their helicarrier operation but that would draw attention. There's also the problem of the algorithm and the plans. That's where your plan fell through in 2014, isn't it? You stopped them. You plucked out the weed, but you didn't pull it out root and stem. And like all the strongest weeds, it's grown back."

Steve's fists clenched under the table. Not only was the bastard disregarding the operation that saved twenty million people that day, but he was also moving in a direction that Steve didn't want to go.

Tony's gaze met his and he just knew his friend had reached the same conclusion. "So you want us to track the algorithm, any and all copies of it, and eliminate it, right?"

"That's the only way the issue will be resolved, isn't it?" Ross replied. "It must all be destroyed along with any and all plans whether from 2014 or since for how to deploy it."

"I'll take it," Tony offered tightly. "I kind of have to, right? I'm the only one with the money and know-how to pull that sort of cyber infiltration off without having to go to congressional committees for funding."

Ross chuckled. "I'm not just handing this over to the Avengers, Stark. I will be managing it. And yes, your resources will be useful but on tracking down Zola's algorithm, I'm not sure you're the best qualified to handle cyber infiltration on that level. But you have Danforth and I think she has the skill set to pull it off."

Tony's gaze flew to Steve.

Steve was done. Rising from the chair, he had the satisfaction of watching Ross step back. "No."

Ross smirked at him. "She's part of the Avengers Initiative and as such, she's mine to put on this assignment if I choose to."

"Actually, she works for Stark Industries," Tony rose from his chair, color rising in his face. "Her contract clearly states that she's not part of the Initiative as per the wishes of Director Fury and Director Crenshaw of the FBI."

And Steve. It had been his idea to legally keep her out of the initiative when she'd been compromised and had been given over to the Avengers for safekeeping.

"I'll want a copy of that contract," Ross told him.

"And you'll need a court order to do that," Fury said grinning. "She's a private citizen."

Ross's face darkened. "Here's what's going to happen. We're going to track down every copy of that fucking algorithm and destroy them along with any plans there have ever been to implement them. We will also be going to Siberia to stop and destroy any and all progress they've made on new helicarriers and any weaponry curated for the purpose of execution. And we will use whoever we need to in order to get it done. Your girlfriend, Rogers, is a cyber terrorist whether you want to admit it or not who has familiarity with this type of operation. Your boyfriend has intimate knowledge of Siberia and how operations like this would be put together there. Am I in any way unclear?"

Steve was so furious he nearly choked on it. Particularly the ugly emphasis he'd placed on the word boyfriend.

"And they are the only ones with such knowledge? Because I find that a little hard to believe," Steve told him coldly, barely keeping himself in check.

Ross shrugged. "No, but they are available to us, aren't they?"

Steve shook his head, his amazement at the lengths Ross was going to in his quest to get back at him growing by the minute.

"Guess it's a good thing that Bucky wasn't committed as you wanted when we pulled him out of Romania," Steve spat. "And it's a really good thing you didn't succeed in killing Chris."

Fury and Tony stared at him with wide eyes, looking unable to believe he'd addressed the 400-pound gorilla in the room.

"Truth be told, Barnes would probably be better off in an institution," Ross said. "As long as he is of some use, he can remain. As for Danforth…"

Steve couldn't wait to hear this.

"I think it's pathetic that you're making such baseless allegations because of what some trafficker allegedly told her." Ross shook his head but didn't get too close to Steve. "I think you're getting paranoid in your senior years, Rogers."

Steve wanted to put his fist through the man's face. A muscle at Tony's jaw twitched.

"I will be back on Monday and by then, I expect you'll have a plan put together here. There will be a cyber strike and there will be a ground strike. You will take down the resurrection of Project Insight and I will be kept up to date on every bit of progress. Any questions?"

They had no choice but to assist him considering his position in the government.

Ross grabbed up his files and headed for the conference room door.

"We choose the strike team members and the plan, Ross," Steve said flatly.

"I know you will." Ross stopped and turned around, smirking at them. "I'm sure you knew a few names on the algorithm list from last time. Stark was on there along with Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, and yourself, Captain Rogers. All still on there. But there are some new names on the list according to our intel. Peter Parker did very well on his SATs. Another one of the new names is one Agent Christine Danforth. Somewhere along the way, the algorithm reached the same conclusion that I did. That she's a threat. I know you'll do an excellent job."

Ross slammed out of the conference room.

Steve fought to keep his anger under control. "Tony? Can you track down the algorithm and the plans as the bastard wants?"

Tony scrubbed a hand down his face. "I could. Would I be able to do it in a 72-hour window? I doubt it."

"And Chris could?" Steve wanted to know.

Tony blew out a frustrated exhale. And then he nodded.

Fuck.

"Is there anything we can do to stop it? To keep her out of it?"

Neither Tony nor Fury said anything. Their silence was all the answer he needed.

To make matters worse, Bucky did know Siberia. There would be no keeping him out of the ground strike. Ross had them right where he wanted them. And on top of that, he'd flat out lied about selling Chris to one of her former enemies.

All of this to strike at Steve for making him look bad?

"Sorry, Cap. If there's anything I can think of or figure out to keep at least Chris out of it, you know I will."

Steve did know. "If she does end up in this, I don't want Ross to lay eyes on her. I mean it."

"I completely agree, Steve."

Fury shook his head. "The holiday is over. We'll meet back here in the morning at 9 to go start planning. You might as well bring Danforth with you."

Steve nodded before leaving the conference room.

Once outside, he leaned against the wall and tried to steady himself. Chris was going to realize he was upset if he wasn't careful. Bucky could read him better than her sometimes without any special ability. He wanted one more day with them. One more day before the world broke back in and threatened their happiness.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he wouldn't allow anyone or anything to touch either of them. Nor their child.

Steve didn't care what he had to do.

Chris read an ebook on her phone while Bucky played Assassin's Creed next to her on the couch, having a complete blast. Okay, she was mostly pretending the read. One of the first things she'd done when she returned to the compound was to set up some private surveillance for herself around the compound.

When Steve had headed out for his meeting with Tony, she'd felt something off. It hadn't taken her long to figure out what it was. The feed she'd siphoned off from the conference room showed her that Steve had indeed met with Tony. And Fury.

And Ross.

She knew the bastard would turn up eventually and from their guy's body language, whatever the meeting had been about, it had him furious. She'd go back and listen to the audio later.

Chris knew it had to do with her. Or Bucky. Or her and Bucky.

No matter. It might provide her with the opportunity she needed to strike back at Ross and punish him for costing her the life of her child. If not, there would be another. Chris could be incredibly patient.

For the moment, she would keep her discovery to herself.

Putting her phone down, she snuggled up to Bucky as much as she could with him wielding the game controller.

Steve strolled in just a couple of minutes later and oh, she could feel all that anger below the surface, seething.

It lessened greatly as he took in the scene. It was hard not to be amused by watching the Winter Soldier play a video game where he was an assassin.

"He been playing that the entire time?" Steve bent down to kiss the top of her head.

Chris had to laugh. "Mostly."

"Now that you're back, we could race cars again," Bucky told him without taking his attention away from his game.

Steve's smile didn't reach his eyes, but he shrugged. "Let me get changed."

Steve didn't want to say anything, not right now, even though she could feel his emotions, a blend of anger, frustration and a myriad of other feelings he was trying so hard to hold in.

He sat on the edge of their bed with his head in his hands when she walked in and he had to have heard her but he didn't move.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked, stopping before him and sinking her hands into his hair.

"Yeah," he said without looking up. "Just give me a few minutes."

When Chris wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she really meant to hold him for a moment and let it go. He'd talk to them when he was ready and by then she would have already watched the feed.

Steve's head lifted, his blue eyes filled with love, desire, dread, fear and for a moment he looked… lost. There wasn't any other word for it.

Carefully, Steve grabbed her around the hips and pressed her onto her back on the bed, kissing the breath out of her as he continued to undress.

"You tell me to stop if you need to, okay?" he ordered breathlessly.

"I will," she got out in between kisses.

"God, I just… I need you right now," Steve told her. "Need both of you…"

Steve had undressed and was yanking off Chris's shirt, working on her bra when Bucky wandered back there.

"You got naked without me?" he asked, chuckling.

Steve rose, stalking over to Bucky and kissing him deeply until Bucky was as breathless as she was. Then he yanked him over the bed as well.

It was a frenzy as Steve went from kissing one to the other, working on their clothes as he went along.

Finally, Bucky stopped him, pressing his flesh hand to Steve's face.

"What do you need, Stevie?" he asked gently, realizing now something had gotten into him. "Tell me. Anything at all. Right, doll?"

Chris nodded eagerly.

"Just need you… both," Steve got out. "Want you both."

Bucky nodded, heading for Steve's bedside table and pulling out lube before heading back to where Steve had Chris caged to the bed and she was holding on for dear life.

"Is our girl where you want her?" Bucky asked.

Steve nodded as he lowered himself down her body, throwing her legs over his shoulders and diving in. He'd gotten her worked up fast, the heat pooling in her belly making her a little crazy as he worked her over with his mouth and fingers.

Bucky planted himself behind Steve and from the small whines and groans he made, muffled between her thighs, she just knew Bucky was working him open.

"We've got you, Stevie," Bucky soothed him. "You'll be inside doll baby and I'll be inside you. We'll make this so good for you."

Chris cried out when Steve made it so good for her and he didn't let up or give her a minute to catch her breath. He pulled her beneath him, lining himself up at her entrance and pushing in with an urgency that had her insides clenching in desire. Chris hung on to him, moaning as she felt herself stretch around him.

Steve's eyes were closed. "Yes… God, yes. Your pussy feels so good… like nothing else."

Chris opened her eyes when he bottomed out to see Bucky painting the back of his neck and shoulders with wet kisses.

"She feels like heaven," Bucky told him before winking at Chris. "So do you."

And with that, he began pushing into Steve.

Steve kept his weight off Chris but lingered just above her on his forearms, stealing kisses from her lips as Bucky began to thrust for both of them. Steve groaned into her mouth, shuddered against her as they worked together to find a rhythm that Bucky was driving.

"How you feeling, Stevie?" Bucky rasped out above them.

"Want to stay here…" Steve huffed out. "Want you both… always…"

"You're always going to have us," Chris told him, her heart clenching as she realized she meant it. "Always."

It wasn't long until Steve's thrusts within her grew erratic and finally he shouted out as he came between them, struggling to breathe. Bucky's thrusts grew in intensity until he joined came too, pushing them with Steve still inside her. He came hard, falling off to their side and taking Steve with him when he was done, lying on his back and coming down.

Chris smiled thinking it wasn't a bad way to spend the afternoon. She was still worked up, so she quietly slid her hand over her body, finding her clit and stroking it the way she liked. She wouldn't need much.

"We suck, Rogers," Bucky grumbled. "Neither of us took care of our girl. Look."

"Sorry, Sweetheart," Steve whispered as he moved Chris as he wanted and buried his face between her thighs again as Bucky reached over with this metal hand to stroke her clit because he knew how much she liked that.

Steve worked her with his mouth and kissed Bucky too as Chris quickly unraveled, writhing beneath them and having to push them both away when they kept teasing her.

All them laid together for long minutes and Chris felt content. Apparently, Steve had let whatever was coming go too and that was good. They'd enjoy the night together and tomorrow they'd face whatever storm was coming.

Chris smiled, placed her hand over her tummy.

She planned to be the worst storm Ross ever faced.