Sorry to be late, but I think it's ready. As often seems to happen with this story, the chapter ended up being longer than I had anticipated. Maybe that will make up for it taking a while?

As always, thanks so very much for the reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed the MASH reference. I wasn't sure how many of my readers would be either a) old enough or b) classic television fan enough to pick up on it. I know the timing won't exactly work (Korea was 60 years ago, after all) but the names just popped into my head and I decided to go with it.

All For Jesus: No choking. You have your own stories to write! :)

The Red Fedora: Thanks!

Qweb: Figured it was time for a little angst in this story. Glad you liked it.

nightmoon1024: Thank you. MASH was certainly one of the all time greats. They don't make them like that anymore.

Loki'sArmy0602: Glad you enjoyed. Here's your update.

kali rogers: Happy to have given you a giggle, even with the angst.

MBrabs1996: Thank you.

You are all wonderful and I so appreciate the feedback. Hopefully, you're ready for some more story, so, here it is!

Stroll 13

"I'd really like to keep you for a few more days," the doctor told Maria, looking at her chart. "I'm still not entirely comfortable with the way your breathing sounds."

"And I'd really like to already be out of here," she replied irritably.

"As would most of the staff," the doctor muttered back.

She had the grace to look slightly embarrassed as he continued.

"But, since Dr. Adair and Dr. Banner have assured me that you will be monitored around the clock and will have almost immediate access to medical care, including antibiotics and breathing treatments, I just might be willing to let you out of here later today."

"About time," she said, starting to sit up and throw the blanket back.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back onto the bed. "I said 'I might' and 'later today'," he repeated.

"Later when?"

"When I make my afternoon rounds," he told her. "If you've behaved yourself and haven't developed any signs of infection or any other difficulties, I'll release you." He gave her a stern look. "For now, you need to let the nurse replace the bandages. I have other patients to check on."

Handing her chart to the nurse, he nodded and left. She opened the dressing tray and pulled on sterile gloves as Maria laid back on the bed, smiling apologetically up at the nurse.

She glanced at the woman's name tag. "I know I've been a really bad patient, Dana. Please pass my apologies along to the rest of the staff."

The nurse looked at her with an answering smile. "Thanks. I will. We do understand. We're generally a pretty forgiving bunch around here. Between Mr. Stark's sizable donation to our trauma center and the meals he's been catering in the staff lounge ever since you've been here, we haven't minded putting up with you too much, Ms. Hill."

"Stark?"

"Yup. Besides, there's a big difference between patients who are being difficult just because they like being difficult and making other people miserable and patients who are difficult because they're independent and really hate having to let other people take care of them. It's not hard to tell which one you are."

"Yeah," the agent acknowledged, "When you've been taking care of yourself as long as you can remember, it's hard to accept help. Steve and I have had more than a few conversations about that very fact."

"I can imagine," the woman laughed. "He's very much the old school gentleman, your Steve."

"You have no idea," Maria muttered.

"I suspect he's actually the main reason that no one has complained too much about checking in on you. In fact, I think you may have been one of the most checked up on patients we've had in here in quite a while. Except, of course, when the big, scary guy with the eye patch kicked him out and he sat with you. People weren't so anxious to come in here when he was here."

"Nick?"

"How many big scary guys with eye patches do you know?"

"Just the one," she admitted.

"And you're going to tell me that his bark is worse than his bite?" the nurse asked with a raised eyebrow.

Maria considered a moment. "No. His bite is actually much worse than his bark. But his glare isn't quite as bad as his bark."

"His glare is bad enough, thank you."

"You get used to it," Maria told her with a shrug. "Sort of."

"No, thank you. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, would be very easy to get used to. Besides being very nice to look at, he's so kind and helpful. Always stands when someone enters the room, always asking what he can do to help. And the way he looks at you..."

"I'm very lucky," the brunette agreed with a soft smile.

"You both are. You've got something pretty special," the other woman told her, placing the last piece of tape and gathering her trash just as Steve reentered the room.

He crossed over and kissed Maria lightly, nodding a greeting at the nurse. "What did the doctor have to say?" he asked.

"He said I can go home later today," Maria told him with a smile.

"He said maybe you can, if you don't have any setbacks," Dana corrected.

Steve nodded seriously. "Anything special we need to know or watch out for?"

"The doctor will go over all that before he releases her. Usually, this is when I give a tutorial on taking care of your wounds, but I have a feeling you've heard that all before," she commented, glancing at the scars on her patient's legs.

"Keep it clean, watch closely for any signs of infection. Swelling, redness, tenderness, heat, drainage or pus should be checked immediately."

"Exactly," the nurse nodded. "Now, get some rest. I'm sure someone will be in to check on you later," she smiled, glancing at Steve.

After she left, Steve pulled a chair over to sit next to Maria. "The nursing staff here does seem to be very attentive," he mused.

He looked a bit confused when she laughed.

Later that afternoon, when all the paperwork was signed and discharge instructions given, he pushed her wheelchair down the hallway to the front door. Maria wasn't at all happy about the wheelchair, but the doctor had been clear and concise.

"Leave in the wheelchair or stay here."

She settled into the chair, grumbling under her breath. When Steve rolled her out the front door of the hospital, she looked at him in puzzlement. Happy was standing next to the door of a waiting limousine, ready to open the door.

"Stark offered," Steve told her. "He suggested that the ride would probably be much smoother than my car or a taxi."

Inside, she settled back into the plush interior, not wanting to admit just how much the simple act of getting dressed and from the room to the car had tired her out. She noticed Steve watching her closely.

"I'm okay," she assured him, squeezing his hand.

"Do you think you'll be alright for Pepper's dinner party?" he asked. "Because I'm sure she'll understand if you need to bow out."

When Maria had told him that they were planning to release her later that day, he had gone back to the tower to make sure that her apartment was ready and to pick up some clothes for her to wear home. While there, he had run into the Stark Industries CEO and had given her the good news. When she offered to put together a small 'welcome home' dinner, he had called Maria to check with her. Upon being assured that it would be small and casual, she had agreed that it would be nice, since they had decided to keep visitors at the hospital strictly limited.

"No. I'll have some time to rest before. Besides, it's just the team, right?"

"Stark and Pepper, of course," he started naming off. "Clint and Natasha. Bruce. Betty may be there." Bruce had completely cut off contact with Dr Betty Ross in order to protect her. After much encouragement from his teammates, he had finally reached out to her to discover that she was interested in becoming reacquainted. "Thor is taking care of some things in Asgard but thinks he should be back. Dr. Foster and Ms Lewis are working on a project in Norway and won't be there. Phil is planning to be there with Jen and her kids. Pepper also invited Director Fury and told him he could bring someone."

She looked at him in surprise. "Nick and Charlotte? Are they coming?"

Steve shrugged. "Pepper can be very convincing." He thought for a few more moments. "Oh, and Dr. and Mrs. Pierce."

"That's nice. Who are Dr. and Mrs. Pierce?" she asked.

He smiled. "That's right. You didn't exactly have a proper introduction. They were the older couple sitting at the table near us."

"The one that the guy threatened to cut her finger off?"

"That's the one," he confirmed. "Turns out he is a retired doctor and his wife is a retired nurse. They stabilized you until the paramedics arrived and were able to give them an assessment of your condition. They also kept me from completely losing it."

"So the people I was trying to help ended up saving my life," she summarized.

"Yes," he agreed, "but you probably saved everyone there." At her questioning look, he continued. "During interrogation, one of the guys admitted that the plan was to take all the valuables, then kill everyone in the room. They wanted the headlines."

She shook her head in disbelief, leaning back to relax in his arms for the remainder of the ride to the tower.

After a long nap and a shower, Steve escorted her up to the main level where most of the team was already gathered. Pepper rushed over to wrap her in a careful hug.

"So glad to see you up and about," the other woman told her, stepping back to examine her. "You're sure you're up for this? I probably should have waited a day or two."

"I'm fine," Maria assured her. "I really appreciate you putting this together. It'll be nice to see everyone again."

Bruce crossed the room, reaching out to shake Steve's hand. "The hospital forwarded your medical records to me, Agent Hill. Looks like you're making a remarkable recovery."

"That's because she was in such excellent physical condition to start with," Natasha interjected, crossing the room to join them, Clint close behind her. He reached over and patted Maria gently on the shoulder, offering a welcoming smile.

"Are you going to be available to work out with me tomorrow?" Maria asked the other woman.

"Sure. Just give me a call when you're ready."

Bruce cleared his throat and studied them both with a raised eyebrow.

"Give me some credit, Doc. Believe it or not, we've both been injured before and know the danger of trying to do too much too soon," Maria assured him. "If I try to push myself too hard, Nat will reign me in."

"We'll stick with yoga, stretching, and breathing exercises to start with. Believe me, I have a vested interest in getting her healthy again. There's entirely too much testosterone around her," Natasha added.

As if to support her statement, Thor's voice boomed across the room. "I have returned to celebrate the health of my teammate, the Lady Maria." He crossed towards her, his arm raised to offer a hearty warrior's greeting. When he arrived at her side, though, his touch to her shoulder was surprisingly gentle for the brawny god.

"Lady Jane and Miss Darcy send their regrets that they are unable to celebrate with you, but asked that I express their wishes for a quick recovery."

"Thank you," she replied.

"And I know that no one is more pleased than our Captain," he added, clapping Steve firmly on the back.

Steve nodded as the other man excused himself, heading towards the kitchen in search of food. Behind them, the elevator doors opened and the room suddenly went silent as Nick Fury stepped out, Charlotte by his side.

Maria broke the silence, stepping over to welcome them. "Nick. Charlotte. Glad you could come."

Nick shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "I told her that I had been invited to come celebrate your release and to bring a date."

"And since it's been so long since he's taken me anywhere," Charlotte said, giving him an exasperated look, "I guilted him into coming."

"Good for you," Natasha called from across the room. Nick shot her a glare, then turned to Bruce.

"When do you think she'll be ready to return to duty?" he asked.

"I would say several weeks until she's ready for full duty," the doctor started.

"Weeks?!" she protested.

"But she's already doing much better than I would expect at this time, so we're just going to have to assess as we go along."

"Can I at least work on paperwork or something?" she pleaded. "I can't handle just sitting around doing nothing for much longer." She turned to Nick. "You do have paperwork for me, don't you?"

"With SHIELD, there's always plenty of paperwork," he told her.

"I suppose that would be alright," Bruce pondered, looking to Charlotte for confirmation. "As long as she limits herself."

"And doesn't sit still for too long at a time," the other doctor agreed. "Probably work from here for a few days until Dr. Banner thinks you're okay to return to the base."

"But right now, you need to sit," Nick told her sternly.

She started to argue, then looked at the faces around her. "You're probably right," she said, threading her arm through Steve's and allowing him to lead her over to the sofa. When he started fussing, arranging pillows around her, she stilled his hands. "Just sit with me," she told him.

Taking a seat in a chair next to her, Nick grinned. Natasha and Clint crossed over to greet the new arrivals, then led Charlotte off in search of drinks.

The elevator dinged again, opening to disgorge Phil, Jen, and her kids. Max bounded over to where Maria sat, a huge grin on his face. He reached to shake Steve's hand, then Maria's. Phil, Jen, and Mia followed more slowly. After they had all exchanged greetings, Mia looked expectantly at Maria. She studied the girl for a moment, trying to figure out what she was supposed to notice. Finally, it hit her. '

"I like the haircut, Mia. It really flatters your face."

"Thanks," she answered with a confident smile. "I finally realized that not only was I hiding behind the hair, I was also missing half of what was going on. If people have problems with the scars, those are their problems."

"Amen," a deep voice rumbled from a nearby chair. Everyone looked over at Nick.

"What happened to you?" Max asked.

"Max!" his mother and sister both hissed, horrified at his forwardness.

Nick stared at the boy for a moment. "Land mine," he finally said. "You?"

"Car wreck and explosion," the boy answered.

As Nick nodded, Charlotte came over, handing him a drink. She greeted Phil with a hug, then settled on the arm of her husband's chair.

"I guess you work with Phil and Maria?" Max asked, looking to the director.

"He's actually our boss, Director Nick Fury," Phil admitted, completing the introductions. As the group made small talk, Bucky wandered over, gently placing his head in Maria's lap and gazing up at her. With a smile, she put her hand on his head, scratching him firmly between the ears.

"I missed you, too, Bucky," she told him.

"Cool dog," Max commented. "Is he yours? Is it okay if I pet him?"

"Bucky belongs to Steve," she told him, looking to the man sitting next to her.

"And it's fine if you pet him," he added. "Thank you for asking."

The boy dropped to his knees, grinning as he stroked the dog. Soon, Calista, noticing the attention Bucky was getting, bounded over to join them.

"Is it okay to pet her, too?"

Tony was close behind her. "Sit, Calista," he told the dog. Her training was firmly taking root, so she immediately complied, though even still, the pup still radiated energy. "Yes, she's very friendly and loves to be petted." He looked around, spying Pepper with Brody in her arms. "Either one of these or the brown dachshund over there are fine to play with. Nat has a big brown and black dog." he pointed to where Katya stood, away from the crowd, but closely watching everyone. "She's not dangerous, unless you try to hurt Nat, but it's best not to approach her until she approaches you." The kids nodded their understanding. "Oh, and if you see a big, black cat, stay very far away. It's almost as mean as it is ugly, though it usually keeps it's distance."

"You mean this black cat?" Nick's voice rumbled. They all turned, shocked to see the cat curled up in his lap, his strong fingers gently massaging the scarred face. "You know, Stark, he really doesn't seem that furry to me," he commented, stroking another scarred, furless spot.

Noticing Stark, Cat looked at him and hissed, jumping down from Nick's lap and slowly strolling from the room.

"Hey," Phil said commented into the silence, "how about I show you the park area and you can throw the ball for the dogs?" he asked the kids.

"Sounds good," Charlotte commented, pulling Nick to his feet to follow.

Maria grabbed Tony's arm, her expression asking him to stay. He squatted in front of her. "You need something?"

"Just wanted to say thanks," she told him.

"For what?" he asked looking sincerely puzzled.

"For the ride home."

"That was Happy, not me," he replied.

"And for the donation to the hospital and for feeding the staff." He shrugged. "And for coming to the hospital to bring Bucky and our stuff and to check on Steve."

He waved her off. "It was nothing."

She studied him, coming to a realization. He made a lot of grand gestures for publicity, but he really wasn't aware of his own natural generosity to those in his circle. "It wasn't nothing, Stark. It means a lot to me."

Shrugging again, he seemed to search for words. "You're a part of our team, Hill," he said simply.

"Because of my relationship with Steve?" she asked, looking over to him.

"In part, but also because of your position with SHIELD. I know that you and Agent and Patch have stood up to the council on our behalf. What we do is hard, but it's not quite as hard as it would be without the resources you give us access to. Like it or not, Ice Princess, you're an Avenger, and that means that we're all going to be looking out for you."

She smiled slightly as Steve wrapped and arm around her. "You have my thanks as well," he told the other man.

"Besides," he admitted, leaning forward conspiratorially. "This finally pushed Pepper and I to setting a date."

At their surprised look, he continued. "We've been discussing marriage in a general way for quite a while now, but this reminded us just how precious and fragile life is. Seeing how terrified Steve was at the thought of losing you brought it home. Even when we've not rushing into danger, it can be waiting for us in the most unexpected places."

He squeezed her hand as he stood. "Glad to have you back," he told her, going back to where Pepper stood and wrapping his arm around her waist.

When the elevator opened again, an older couple walked out, accompanied by a middle aged man. "Those are the Pierces," Steve told her, rising to greet them. After speaking with them a few moments, he led them over.

"Maria, this is Dr. Hawkeye Pierce, his wife Margaret, and their son Dr. Sherman Pierce."

"Keep your seat," Hawkeye told her when she started to stand. Steve pulled over more chairs and the new arrivals took their seats. Pepper and Tony came over to welcome them as well.

"We appreciate your invitation, but we won't be able to stay. We're ready to head back to Maine, but wanted to stop by and thank this young lady for her help," the older gentleman continued.

"My understanding is that I should be thanking the two of you," Maria replied. "Steve said that you saved my life after I got shot."

"All we really did was help your Steve get the bleeding under control and keep an eye on you until the paramedics arrived. Since you had just saved my life, it was the very least we could do."

"I don't know that I saved your life," Maria started.

"I do," the other woman interrupted. "I'm older than dirt, have heart problems, and take blood thinners. If he had cut my finger off, I would have died." He husband rested a hand on her shoulder, reassuring himself that she was still there. He looked over at Steve and an understanding passed between the two men. Both had faced losing so much that night.

"You've got a good woman there, Steve. Brave, beautiful, and a wicked hook. That's one you definitely want to hold on to," he said, squeezing his wife's hand.

The agent looked down at her hand. "I see you finally managed to get that ring off."

"Went to a jeweler the next day and got the thing cut off," the senior Dr. Pierce told her. "As much sentimental value as it may have, it's not worth anyone's life."

"Dad bought it for her for their 50th wedding anniversary," their son said.

"We decided to have the stone reset as a necklace. That way, I won't have to worry about being able to get it off," Margaret told them.

"Probably a good idea."

As they made small talk, other guests made their way over, singly or in small groups, to introduce themselves to the family and to offer thanks for helping their teammates. Everyone was particularly amused it was Clint's turn.

"Hawkeye, this is Hawkeye."

Finally, younger doctor leaned over his parent's shoulders. "We're going to have to leave so that I can get you to the airport on time," he told them. The two nodded, rising to their feet. Maria rose as well, Steve standing next to her.

"I'm not supposed to sit for too long at a time, either," she told them before they could protest. "Doctor's orders." The group made it's way towards the elevator, stopping at the door.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Maria asked. "I'm sure we could managed to get you home."

"We appreciate that, but it's time to get home," Margaret told her. "After living in a small town for so long, the city is a bit overwhelming. We can only put up with it for so long, but we really wanted to make sure that you and Steve were doing okay and thank you for standing up for us."

"Glad I could help," Maria replied, "and I'm glad I got the chance to thank you."

"Me, too," Steve added. "Please give us a call if there's ever anything we can do for you. Next time you're in New York, we'd love to take you to dinner."

"Maybe a nice little fast food place," Margaret added with a smile.

"Or better yet, you can come visit us in Crabapple Cove," Hawkeye suggested. "We'd love to show you around."

"And that would take all of 15 minutes," their son supplied.

"Maybe 20, now that they've remodeled the bowling alley," his dad corrected.

Calling out their farewells, the family took their leave. Steve wrapped his arms around Maria, pulling her close.

"You doing okay? This isn't overtiring you?"

She returned his embrace, looking around at the people gathered in the room. "I'm fine." She reached up to kiss him. "Thanks for looking out for me."

"Hey!" Tony called from across the room. "You two need to either take that someplace private or join us for dinner."

Maria appeared to consider for a moment. "How hungry are you?" she asked Steve.

He blushed slightly. "Pretty hungry, actually."

"Yeah, me, too," she admitted. He slipped an arm around her waist and led her over to the dinner table, holding her chair as she slipped into it. He took a seat next to her, threading his fingers through hers under the table.

Nick took the chair on the other side of her, everyone else finding places around the large, well appointed table. Several staff members made their way around the table, making sure that everyone had drinks.

Tony cleared his throat and stood, raising his glass. "Agent Hill, I know we don't always see eye to eye on everything...actually on much of anything...but I'm glad you're okay and glad to have you back in the tower. Especially since that means you can feed your own cat." Laughter sounded from around the table. "Welcome back, Hill."

Everyone murmured agreement.

Slightly embarrassed at the attention, she nodded her thanks. "Don't you have news of your own, Stark?"

He looked at Pepper, who shrugged and looked at the dark haired agent. "You don't mind?"

Maria shook her head, and the other woman stood, threading her arm through Tony's. He kissed her, then turned back to the table.

"This lovely woman has finally agreed to make an honest man of me," he told the assembly. "We're still working out the details, but it's going to be soon, before she has a chance to change her mind. We'd like for everyone of you to join us."

He raised his glass. "To Pepper."

"To the future," she added.

"To finding the one," Bruce added, looking to Betty who had slipped in to join the party.

"To survival," Natasha toasted.

"To life," from Clint.

"To Friends," Thor boomed.

"Old and new," Phil threw in, glancing around the table.

Maria quietly studied those in the room. People who had fought together, supported each other, and looked out for each other. She looked towards the sliding doors where the pets, 'Bucky's brigade' as Tony had started calling them, had settled, resting in the rays of the setting sun. They were content in each other's presence, even Cat at ease on the edge of their dog pile. Calista batted half-heartedly at his flicking tail. Katya glanced at the interaction, prepared to intervene, but relaxing at Cat's snort. Very different personalities, but they had settled into their own pack.

Much like the group around the table.

Her pack.

Her team.

Her mind drifted back to one of those semi-conscious moments in the hospital with Steve, Phil, Nick, and Charlotte. A word had come to mind then.

"To family," she said.

"Family," everyone echoed.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm hoping it was okay. It fought me. I know where it's going, but some of the spots along the road are a little foggy, and this is one of those spots. Sorry if it's awkward. As always, I really appreciate any and all feedback. You are my sunshine!