A/N: Hey all! I am so sorry that I didn't get this up on Sunday. It's been a crazy week. Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Disney, ABC or the Avengers.


I couldn't stop crying the next morning. I cried as I made waffles, I cried as I took Joey out to do his morning business. I cried on the way to work and during our scheduled breaks. T'Challa wanted to take me home early but the kids insisted I needed to be at work. I was a mess.

"Mom, stop. You're going home to us, Dad and Daddy."

"I'm sorry. We just had so much time together, and I am going to miss talking to you like this."

"We will soon. It won't be years away." Elijah said, hugging me tightly.

"Just… promise me you'll come back if something isn't right."

"Mom-" Elijah started.

"Promise me. Even if I'm back at the base, we can figure it out."

"We promise," Callie said, enveloping me in a hug as Elijah released me partially. I didn't say anything else, but held each of them tightly.

"We can't leave until you let us go," Elijah chuckled, before swallowing loudly.

"Okay."

As I released them, Callie held out her hand to the open air above my apartment. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a portal, widening it with her other hand.

"I love you two," I whispered as they backed up.

"And we love you. Time will fly by. Just enjoy everyday, and spend time with everyone," Callie said, a distant look in her eyes.

"Love you too Mom," Elijah smiled before he and Callie turned their backs on me. Taking each other's hand, they leapt through the portal.

And as it closed, I felt a peace, knowing that the future wasn't so bad that they had to turn around. Joey and I waited on the roof until I was sure that they wouldn't return. Logically, I knew that they would return to the moment or a few moments after they left, to ensure the flow of the space-time continuum. But when an hour passed, I decided I needed to move.

As I got up, I heard my cell phone ringing from inside. Walking quickly and nimbly down the stairs, Joey on my tail, I scooped it up in time from the kitchen table.

"Hello?" I answered, forgetting I hadn't looked at the caller ID.

"Hey Angel," Steve's smooth voice spoke.

"Hey stranger. I expected your call yesterday," I teased, picking up the kettle to pour myself a cup of herbal tea.

"I got side tracked. Can you forgive me?" He asked sweetly.

"Always. Now, how can I help you?"

"Bucky mentioned that you would be coming home in two weeks. Is that true?" He asked hopeful.

"Yes. And I was hoping that I could ask my big strong men to come help me pack."

"We can be there tomorrow," He said, his eagerness seeping into his voice.

"Wow there cowboy. Hold your horses," I laughed.

"Actually they are your horses," He quipped.

"Ha ha. I still have my spa weekend this weekend, and a dinner on Friday night with T'Challa and T'Chaka. So unless you find a sitter for Friday night, you should think about coming Saturday or even next Monday."

"We can stay home with the kids while you go out. That's fine. But we really miss you and want to be with you right now if we could."

"Speaking of 'we', have you and Bucky sat down to talk yet?" I asked, redirecting the conversation.

"…No."

"Steve, I think you should. Give the kids to Nat or Wanda. Better yet, May. Give her my blessing to start some martial arts. They are certainly not getting any younger, so it's about time we started it."

"I don't know what to say. It's been hell on us without you here. We fight, a lot more than usual. I can't… tell him things like I used to. We don't talk anymore unless it's about the kids."

"Okay. So, how about, you guys get here as soon as you can and I'll be your mediator. But I refuse to be intimate with you two until you can be intimate with only each other. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Steve said, and I could hear the inaudible sigh in his voice.

"I mean it Steve. I'm not going to be used as a buffer for your fights and angry sex. I can't be right now, for obvious reasons."

"That's just it Sera. We haven't…"

"I know. I asked Bucky," I said, sitting down in the living room, in my big chair. Joey jumped up and laid himself across my lap, as I rolled ym eyes.

"Oh."

"Hey, like I said. We don't have to talk about this now. If you get the kids packed quickly enough, and requisition a Quinjet, you can land on the helicopter pad at my Dad's place."

"I'll get packing right now. We'll leave as soon as possible," He said, understanding we'd be having a hard conversation when they got here.

"Okay. Don't tell the kids. I'll meet you at Dad's, and it might be easier if we just crash there instead of trying to move them in the middle of the night."

"Sounds perfect. We can be wheels up in an hour," He said, as if this was a mission.

"Don't rush. Vienna isn't going anywhere," I laughed.

After cleaning up the future Twin's things from their rom, I drove to my Dad's place to wait. Joey and I waited patiently all evening for Steve, Bucky and the kids. I fell asleep on the couch on the covered patio, cuddled under a blanket, with my cup of herbal tea. Not very long after that, I heard the approaching of a Quinjet. Gathering myself and Joey, I ushered him inside, where I waited for the wheels to touchdown, and the engines to turn off. Checking my watch I noticed it was only after 10pm. They had made it in good time.

"Hey," I smiled, noticing the guys coming out of the hatch, each with a kiddo in their arms. For my only one-year-old kids, they sure looked like they were approaching 10 years old.

"Apparently they needed to nap," Bucky smiled, kissing my cheek as Callie was draped over his shoulder.

"You can't carry them everywhere," I teased, kissing him sweetly, and turning to Steve to greet him with a soft kiss.

"Go put them in the guest bedroom down the hall. I left the door open, so you'll figure it out quickly. Do you want me to grab a bag or two?"

"No need," Steve said as he held up the suitcase he was rolling behind him.

"Okay, put them down and we can then talk. This shouldn't wait any longer."

They nodded, going in the open patio door, and walking slowly down the hall. None of us could put this off anymore.

I sat down on the armchair, Joey curled up at my feet, and waited for the guys to come back. I was worried that there might be shouting, so I chose the room with the best soundproofing. Meaning I chose the one that was furthest away.

"Angel?" Steve said as the guys approached me.

"Sit, please," I said motioning to the couch in front of me. They both exchanged a look, before sitting down, about a foot of space between them.

"First, the ground rules. No yelling, no name-calling, no interrupting. We need complete honesty."

"Okay," Bucky said, in a small voice.

"Since I brought this topic up, I am picking Bucky to go first. Tell us both how you have been feeling since I left for Vienna at the end of December."

"To be honest, I feel like a teenage girl. Moody, feel like the rest of our family has it together and I'm hanging on by a thread. I realize how much Sera does and it scares me. Not only am I acting as the mother for our little family, but I feel like I'm being ignored by my husband. Steve is working with the rest of the team and I'm teaching the kids everyday. I don't feel like I can do anything fun, because I have to take care of the kids."

"My biggest grievence is that I don't feel desired anymore. I feel like all the passion is gone. But like I said before, I feel like a teenage girl. Because once upon a time, Steve and I couldn't get enough of each other. Now, there isn't a spark unless Sera is there. And I hate that. I want to be able to be with just you Steve, or just Sera, without feeling guilty. But even when I've tried, you say you are too tired, or you're busy. I feel like a housewife with a husband that is always working. Not to say you are a housewife Sera. You are the furthest thing from it," He gave a teasing smile.

"Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Bucky. I know it wasn't easy."

"Steve. How have you been feeling since I left for Vienna at the end of December?"

"I've noticed how much paperwork you did for us without complaint. I've been struggling to keep myself on top of it, as well as train the team, keep a positive attitude… and despite the… nightmares that plague me, sleep enough to function. I took on an aspect of your job I didn't expect. Maintaining a good public image means making sure we are flawless when we do have missions, and being a leader that takes responsibility for everything. Coulson has been my confidante about my stress, and assures me that it will get easier. It isn't."

"And I know I'm meant to help more with the kids, but I felt like I couldn't look away for more than a second without another mountain of paperwork being dropped in my lap. And when I said I was too tired, I truly was. Even when Bucky would fall asleep, I would lay awake for hours, worry and doubt clouding my mind. And when I could fall asleep, I did it on the couch, so I didn't wake you up Buck. The nightmares were getting worse. And when Sera came home for the Twin's birthday, I felt a huge relief. I was able to sleep through the night, but it came at the cost of putting her between us. Subconsciously, I knew that I was pushing you away, but you already had so much on your plate, you didn't need my problems," Steve sighed, letting his shoulders sag.

I was silent as I watched Bucky's eyes water, looking at Steve with a confused expression.

"What made you think I couldn't handle it Punk? You didn't even ask me!" Bucky said, making Steve look up at him.

"Name-calling," I warned teasingly, and Bucky gave me a sideways look.

"After hearing your side, I might have been partially right to keep it to myself. I didn't want you to think it was your responsibility. I felt that it was better to deal with it on my own."

"And look where that's got us," Bucky said, gesturing to the three of us. This had happened before, but I was the guilty party then. Now I got to be the voice of reason, at the right time.

"I wish you told me too. Instead of talking, you'd just walk out and go somewhere else. We lost connection somewhere," Steve sighed.

"I'm sorry that it took this to tell you how I was feeling," Bucky said softly.

"I am too. It was easier when we were teenagers," Steve gave a humorless chuckle, before looking up at me horrified.

"I'm not offended, if that's what you are thinking. I just know you won't talk unless someone else is in the room. Keep going."

"But Angel, you haven't shared. How have you been since leaving?"

"Honestly. I was depressed for awhile. I had nothing to keep my attention. I missed you two and the kids every minute I was gone. But I eventually found a task that required me to think, and it kept me preoccupied. I missed the paperwork from base, because this was worse. T'Challa made it bearable. Even though he has only been here two days, Joey was the best therapy dog. I would text Natasha in the afternoon to keep my sanity."

"I was worried about what this might do to our relationship, before I even left. I know how both of you operate, and I was aware it was going to be an uphill battle. The visits helped, but they put a bandaid on how we were all feeling. I was worried that I was just a buffer. It's not news to me that you two fight. But the way you do it is unhealthy. I didn't want to be the 'saving grace' of our marriage. That's a lot of pressure for one person."

"I'm gonna be honest, I had a thought yesterday. I never can, and never will choose between the two of you. I love you both so much, so if there was ever a split, I would choose the kids. I can't have one of you and not have the other. It physically hurts to think of leaving either of you, but seeing that hurt in one of your eyes would be worse," I said, as Steve sat up a bit. I could see he was thinking about what I said. I didn't mean it to be harsh, but truthful.

"I don't think it would come to that aнгел," Bucky said.

"I know, but I need you both to know that now. There won't be favorites, just my children."

They both seemed to realize I was serious, because they looked at one another again.

"Can you forgive me?" Steve asked, with wet eyes.

"Only if you can forgive me for not realizing sooner," Bucky smiled. Steve leaned in to kiss him sweetly, thumb rubbing over Bucky's five o'clock shadowed jaw before tangling itself in his locks.

"Angel," Steve said, after he released Bucky.

"Can you forgive us, for not talking to you sooner?"

"Always," I smiled, before Steve beckoned me over. I gently got up and stepped over a sleeping Joey, making my way over to my guys. They sat me down between them, wrapping me up in their arms. I felt their bodies shake, and started crying myself.

"I love you both. I know that you love each other two. People who love each other don't keep things from each other," I said, with a shaky breath.

"So, I need to get something off my chest," I said, knowing I was going to pay for this somehow.

"After I had been here two weeks, I was working at my desk when I saw a blinding light. Ducking behind the couch with my gun, I realized it was a portal of sorts. Not knowing who was coming through, I stayed hidden. A girl and a boy jumped through, both about nineteen in age, looking for me. They spotted me, but repeated that they weren't here to harm me."

"Sera, why didn't you-"

"I'm not done yet. Save all questions for the end, when you'll be too confused," I joked half-heartedly.

"They told me that I had to start ARSENAL's Defense Net that moment, or it wouldn't be ready in time. They gave me the date of the final battle, they told me how I died before we could get it up, because Thanos attacked the White House where I was speaking with the President. And how both of you died trying to defend our children, so they could escape with my Dad and Pepper to get to safety with all the other children."

"I watched you die, in footage that body cameras had taken of the battle. And I couldn't let that happen, so I fast-tracked the timeline for the Defense Net so that it wouldn't happen, and moved it to another planet so we could protect Earth."

"Those teenagers, were our twins, from the future where nothing went right. So they broke a time travel rule so that we would have a better chance. And they left right before you called Steve, to go back to us in the future we changed. One where they are safer and we have a better shot at winning."

"Time travel?" Bucky asked, a little confused.

"It's Callie's InHuman powers. She will have the power to create portals, time and space kind of portals."

"And Elijah?" Steve asked.

"Bulletproof, which I'm entirely thankful for. Has your serum infused with it to, so he's much stronger than he looks," I sighed.

"Okay," Steve said, nodding.

"Anyone else we should know about?" Bucky asked, still looking confused.

"No one else at this time. It could change the future if I told you anything that happens between then and now," I explained.

"Alright. Now that your secret is out, let's just rest. Since Steve has better dreams when you are here, let's all just go to bed."

"I'm surprised that was your first thought, and not getting her naked," Steve teased, leaning across me to kiss Bucky sweetly.

"Okay, I love you both, but I actually am tired. I had the long, emotionally exhausting day."

"Okay Angel, we'll let you sleep," Steve said, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me swiftly down the hall. I was placed on a large bed and immediately felt my exhaustion kick in.

"Goodnight," I smiled, pulling the blankets up to my chin and snuggling in. Steve kissed my temple, smiling softly at me.

"See you in the morning Angel," Steve whispered as I closed my eyes. My mind was telling me that I was gonna be in trouble tomorrow with them, but at least they would be too preoccupied with their own talk.