Chris and Steve stood on the cliff faces with Gabriel in her hands. Today was challenge day. This was the first time that people not of Wakanda were invited to watch this process. All of the tribes refused to challenge T'Challa, but out through the tunnels came those of the Jabari tribe. Their king M'Baku stood in the center of the pond and preached how Wakanda was being led by incompetent children and challenged T'Challa for the throne. The masks of their gods were placed upon their head and then surrounded by their warriors to shrink the battle field.
It was clear that M'Baku was powerful and a match to T'Challa in strength, but in intelligence and perseverance T'Challa had M'Baku beat. M'Baku yielded after T'Challa begged him to for his people's sake. As M'Baku tapped out the people cheered.
"Gabriel, you just witnessed history. This will be a day we will remember for a long time." Chris whispered to Gabriel before they followed the others to the city where they were able to put Gabriel down for a nap.
"You should rest, love." Steve said to Chris as she yawned over Gabriel's crib.
"Come with me. You've gotten less sleep than I have the last few days." Chris smiled at him.
"You know I don't need as much sleep."
"Well, then come hold your wife while she sleeps."
"Yes, ma'am." Steve smiled and followed Chris to her bed where she was able to lay down and rest.
"Do you believe that we will ever return home?" Chris asked.
"I have to. This place is amazing, and we have made a home here, but it is not our home." Steve said.
"I want to see our friends again."
"I know. We will. Things will settle down and we will contact our friends."
"I know, but how long will that be?"
"I don't know. We are together. All three of us and that is what matters."
"Okoye." Chris greeted on her Kimoko beads.
"Chris, there is a meeting going on that the King wishes you attend."
"I shall be there as soon as I can." Chris nodded and lowered her arm.
"I'll watch Gabriel." Steve said as he sat on the couch with Gabriel resting on his chest.
"Good, because I'd hate for you to move and wake him." Chris smiled and kissed Steve before running out the door.
"Mrs. Rogers, thank you for joining us on such short notice." Queen Ramonda said and nodded towards the brunette.
"Queen Ramonda." Chris greeted in return before taking a seat in the circle.
"We picked up information that a misidentified Wakandan artifact was stolen from a British museum yesterday by Ulysses Klaue. He has set up a buy in South Korea tomorrow night." Okoye explained.
"Klaue has been evading the Wakandans for thirty years. I can capture him and bring him back here to stand trial." T'Challa offered.
"We do not need a warrior, we need a king." One of the tribal leaders said.
"This is too great of an opportunity to pass." Okoye said.
"Chris, you know more about this black market than anyone. What do you think?" T'Challa asked.
"You say Klaue has been one step ahead of you for thirty years now. If that is the case then someone like Klaue knows just who to go to to make sure that word of his sales does not reach you. If you know of this, then there is a good chance that Klaue wants you there. This could very well be a trap, your majesty." Chris offered her insight.
"Okoye is right. But if this is a trap then we need to walk in knowing it could be." T'Challa said.
"Let me go with you, brother." W'Kabi asked his king.
"I need you here, protecting our borders." T'Challa said knowing how badly W'Kabi wanted justice for his parents.
"Then I need your word that you either kill him where he stands, or bring him back for trial."
"I promise, my friend. We will proceed with this mission." T'Challa said and people began filing out of the room.
"Chris, I was wondering if you would be willing to join me on this mission. Your insights into this world would be greatly appreciated."
"There is too much risk going out in public like that. There are CIA in South Korea, and if I am noticed I could be taken back to the UN and away from my family."
"I understand. I would like to have you and Steve on call with Shuri."
"Yes, your majesty." Chris smiled and left.
Steve and Chris stood in Shuri's lab awaiting instruction.
There was banter going back and forth and Okoye told Nakia and T'Challa to focus on the mission instead of each other.
"Were we always this distracted?" Chris asked Steve as she sipped on her tea.
"I was." Steve smiled at her.
"Oh, shush." Chris smiled and nudged him with her shoulder.
"You are as bad as my brother and Nakia." Shuri said with a smile.
"Agent Ross of the CIA is here." T'Challa said over their communications.
"Well, good thing we didn't go with." Chris smiled at Steve.
"Yeah, that would've been a nightmare." Steve smiled at Chris.
"Klaue is here." Okoye said, and all joking ceased.
"The vibranium?" T'Challa asked.
"I don't see it. I thought weapons were not allowed in here?"
"They aren't." Nakia said.
"Well, someone missed the memo."
"It's a set up. They knew you guys were coming. Get out of there." Chris said.
"Not without Klaue." T'Challa said.
"They are going to get themselves killed."
"We need to move on Klaue." Nakia whispered.
"We can't afford a shoot out with all of these people here." T'Challa reasoned.
"I've been made." Okoye said and suddenly there was grunting coming from their side.
"Get ready, Shuri. I think they're going to need us." Steve said and Shuri smiled.
"So much for not making a scene." Chris sighed and shook her head.
"Since when do avengers do anything quietly."
Suddenly a car appeared in the sand.
"Shuri, let me handle this." Chris smiled and got in the seat.
"Go!" T'Challa said as he hopped on top of the car.
"Tight turn." Chris said and T'Challa helped.
There was a bump in the road and Chris narrowed her eyes.
"I just ran someone over, didn't I?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Brother, look at your suit. You've been taking bullets and charging it up."
"Go around the truck."
Chris swerved and pulled around. T'Challa jumped off the car and landed on their car destroying it with its kinetic energy.
"Impressive."
"Faster, Chris."
"I can't go any faster."
Klaue's arm turned into a sonic canon that destroyed the entire car. The sand dropped out from under her.
"Brother!" Shuri yelled.
"He is okay." Nakia said and they got Kalue back to the CIA hideout.
"Thank you for your help Mrs. Rogers." Shuri said and smiled at her.
"Shuri, how many times must I tell you to call me Chris."
"Sorry, Chris."
"Come, Steve, we should probably get home and make dinner so Gabriel can go to bed."
"Good idea." Steve smiled and walked out with Chris.
"We're home." Chris smiled as she walked the house.
"He was just crying. I'm guessing it is because he was hungry." Their nanny Tenne said.
"Oh yeah, well good, because Mommy is ready to feed you." Chris smiled and took Gabriel.
"I'll get dinner started." Steve smiled.
"Thank you, Tenne." Chris smiled.
"Anytime." Tenne smiled and left.
"What do you want for dinner?"
"We should have some leftovers."
"I'll reheat them and bring them to you."
"I can meet you at the dinner table after I feed him."
"Whatever you want." Steve smiled at her.
Chris took Gabriel back to his room and sat in a chair where she fed him. After she was done Gabriel was sound asleep in his crib.
Steve was waiting out at the dinner table where the reheated spaghetti was waiting for her along with some candles and wine.
"Steve?"
"We haven't had a romantic dinner in a long time. I figured it was time." Steve shrugged.
"And you used the reheated spaghetti too." Chris smiled.
They sat at the table across from each other and enjoyed the food and each other's company.
"Remember when we used to do things like this in our apartment in New York?" Steve smiled.
"Yes, and afterwards we would sit in the living room and listen to the Yankees on the radio, or watch a movie if it wasn't baseball season."
"And in the winter we would sit by the window with our tea and watch as the snow fell down over the city."
"I miss the snow."
"I miss all of it."
"If you could go back and sign the accords, would you?" Chris asked dropping her smile.
"Somedays I think about it. Think about turning my back on Bucky and focusing on us and the life we should have given our son. But I also know that I did the right thing. Saving my best friend."
"Sometimes I wish we had. So our son could see the snow. He could be around our friends."
"I know, I'm sorry I forced us into this." Steve said and stared down at his face.
"Steve," Chris said and grabbed his hand to get him to look at her, "I would follow you anywhere. I trust in your decisions, and I trust that you will always do what is best for our family."
"I love you so much." Steve said and kissed the back of her hand.
"I love you too."
"Why don't you go start a bath and I'll clean up dinner. I'll join you after."
"Okay." Chris smiled and got up.
Chris changed out of her robe and went into the bathroom and started a bath. She decided to spoil herself tonight, used the incents and the bubbles. Chris climbed into the bathtub and leaned back.
"Got room for one more?" Steve asked and walked into the bathroom.
Chris smiled as Steve got into the bathtub and leaned his back against her. Chris smoothed back his hair and kissed the top of his head.
"Your hair is getting long do you want me to cut it sometime this week?"
"Nah, I kinda like it."
"Okay, does that go for the beard too?"
"What, do you not like it?" Steve laughed.
"It's all scratchy right now."
"Like this!" Steve said and started rubbing his face against her arm.
"Stop it! Steve!" Chris laughed as she tried to pull her arm away and splashed water over the side of the tub.
Their laughs settled, and Steve leaned into her once more.
"Can we do this more often?" Steve asked.
"Take baths? Of course."
"Not just that. But have a night to ourselves."
"We can work on that." Chris said and wrapped her arms around Steve a little tighter.