New chapter ready to go. I intended to have this up on July 4th, but didn't manage to do so, but it's ready now. My thanks to all those who took the time to post a review.

Qweb: Thanks. I'm glad you like.

GabycatStark13: Thank you. That chapter was a bit of a potpourri, little bits and pieces to advance the story. I'm currently putting some thought into the weddings and hope to include some along those lines in upcoming chapters. I'll have to see what the muse feeds me.

jdho2: So happy you're enjoying. I hope you continue to do so.

sunshineforever13: Continued. Hope you like.

ArmyDT42: Thank you so much for your kind comments. I love this pairing, too and am glad that shows. As for the Winter Soldier storyline, I'm not sure. I started this long ago and have had a general idea of what happens, it's not really written ye. I just work with the ideas as they hit me.

Sandy-wmd: Thank you again. You delight me with your lovely reviews. I always smile when I see your name come up as a reviewer.

I'm utterly thrilled by the feedback I receive: favorites, follows, and especially, reviews. Read on, dear readers.


Stroll 23

Everyone looked up from their breakfast when Tony clapped his hands.

"Official reminder. This Saturday is July 4th and we'll be celebrating here. We'll have the normal stuff. Burgers. Dogs. Ribs. Plenty of beer. Birthday cake for Cap. Just kick back and relax. Swimming. Hot tub. All that jazz. Then, we can watch the fireworks from the rooftop. Everyone is invited. Phil, Jen and the kids are welcome, too."

Phil looked up at him. "'I'll let Jen know, but I'm actually working."

"Me, too," Maria added, "But thanks for the invite."

"Working? On your boyfriend's birthday?" Stark asked.

"Actually, I'm also working," Steve told him.

"Ditto," Natasha added. Clint, his mouth full, pointed at himself and nodded.

Tony snorted in disgust. "I can't believe One-Eye is making you all work on a national holiday."

"He's not 'making' me do anything," the redheaded assassin told him. "I volunteered."

"Me, too," the others echoed one by one.

The billionaire looked around the table in disbelief, "Why? I guess I can understand Romanoff. She's not American, so it doesn't mean anything to her, but the rest of you? This is the ultimate American holiday. Where's your patriotism?"

Nat shrugged and stood up. She snagged her coffee and an apple from a fruit bowl and left the room without another word,

Maria leaned forward, catching his attention. "It is an important American holiday. Unfortunately, that also makes it a prime target date for American enemies. There are a lot of whispers and rumors about terrorists attacks on sites here in the states as well as embassies, American owned businesses, and areas catering to Americans all around the world. That's why we all volunteered. And why Fury is working as well. We have so many possible targets that we need as many people as possible to keep their eyes on things."

"Our love for this country is the very reason we've volunteered for this," Steve added. "We want to make sure it's a safe celebration for everyone."

"Oh, and about Natasha? She IS an American. This holiday is probably a bigger deal for her than it is for any of us."

"She wasn't born here," Clint reminded him. "She was born and grew up in an oppressive regime under a controlling dictator. All the rights and freedoms that we took for granted were completely foreign to her. When she came here, free speech, voting, religious freedom and all that were new concepts for her. I think the most nervous I've ever seen her was when she was going to take her citizenship exam."

"And the most excited was the day she was sworn in as an American citizen," Phil added with a smile.

"Red? Excited?"

"I believe 'Giddy as a schoolgirl,' was the phrase Nick used," Maria added.

Tony thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. Can't picture it."

"You'll just have to take our word on it," Clint told him.

"So, we'll have a July 5th celebration instead," Tony told them. "Will that work for everyone?"

The others looked to Maria.

"As long as everything goes well, I think we should be available. Hopefully, we'll finally be able to relax. It's going to be even busier than usual the next few days, getting everyone and everything in place to get the coverage we need."

"Anything we can do to help?" Pepper asked.

"Just make sure your SI people are aware of the situation, especially those in other countries. Eyes open and all that," Maria told her. "Maybe we can coordinate things so JARVIS can alert us to any suspicious activities in the area of your facilities."

"We can do that," the other woman agreed. "Anything else?"

Maria bit her lip, looking over towards the pile of furry bodies by the door.

"I know you're great about keeping an eye on the animals while we're out, but maybe you could watch a little closer even this time? I've heard that a lot of times, the fireworks can really stress out pets. They probably won't be able to hear too much here, but...just in case."

"Of course."

"Noises don't seem to bother Bucky too much, but Cat doesn't like loud, sudden noises too much," she told them.

"Katya doesn't either," Clint added. "She's too well trained to really react, but, if you know her very well, you can tell she gets really uneasy."

"We figure they've both had their share of bad treatment," Steve said.

"Probably so," Pepper agreed.

The group finished their breakfast, then took the animals out for some play time. Clint, Steve, and Tony played with the dogs while Cat climbed up in Maria's lap, shoving his head under her hand. Pepper laughed, sitting down next to her.

"I think someone is wanting a little attention."

"No, someone is demanding my full attention," Maria countered, her fingers rubbing at the spot between his ears. His eye closed and he started to purr.

"He's turning into such a softy," the other woman said, reaching over to stroke his side.

In response, he raised his head and hissed at her, his tail lashing.

"We don't say such things about his royal highness," Maria told her archly.

"My apologies, Sir Cat," Pepper replied.

He gave her a hard glare for a few moments, then nosed at Maria's hand, demanding that she resume her ministrations. "You know, Cat," she told the animal, "You need to be nicer to the woman who's going to be watching out for you the next few days."

"He doesn't seem too worried."

"No. He figures it's his due," his guardian answered. "Besides, he knows you're a good person." After checking to make sure that the guys were still involved in their play, she leaned towards her friend. "I'm sure you know that the animals aren't the only ones who might get stressed by the noises and flashes from the fireworks."

Pepper followed her gaze to where Tony wrestled with Calista.

"Sometimes, people who have been through difficult situations do as well."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll keep that in mind. He does pretty well most of the time, but there are things that set him off."

"And Banner will be here, too," the brunette reminded her.

"Bruce is usually pretty good about taking himself out of a situation when he starts to to get overwhelmed, but I appreciate the reminder. I'll look out for them, too."

Eventually, the SHIELD agents gathered their things together and climbed aboard a helicopter to head back to headquarters. Once there, things kicked into high gear.

Possible targets were identified and evaluated and given priority ratings. They worked to coordinate with friendly law enforcement where they could, staging personnel in central areas for quick deployment to areas of possible interest to enemy agents.

Maria was sitting at her desk, rubbing her aching head when she received a text from Steve.

'Coffee?'

She looked over at her coffee pot, trying to remember how many cups she had already had.

Or how many pots.

'If I can get that cute delivery guy,' she texted back.

Moments later, there was a tap at her door. She glanced at the monitor, finding herself smiling at the figure standing there. When he knocked again, she realized that she had been so distracted by the man that she had failed to invite him in.

She quickly remedied that, and he entered the office. Though he looked tired, his eyes lit up when he caught sight of her. He held up a bag.

"Brought some sandwiches and chips, too. Just in case you have a couple of minutes to eat," he told her, a hopeful smile on his face.

Actually, her assistant had brought her something just about an hour ago, and she was really busy, but she found herself really wanting to spend time with him.

"Sure," she agreed. "I probably need a break anyway." That was true. She couldn't even remember what she had eaten earlier, having basically inhaled it while studying reports.

She grabbed the blanket off the back of her couch and spread it on the floor while he started pulling the food out of the bag. In addition to the sandwiches and chips, he had brought bottled water and two large, rich looking brownies.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, sitting cross-legged across from her.

"Okay," she told him. "Every once in a while, I let myself think about what we're trying to do here and I feel a little overwhelmed by the scope. It's frustrating to realize that we won't be able to cover everything that we need to."

"We'll do the best we can and leave the rest in God's hands," she told her, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "And I don't mean Thor."

She laughed, wincing slightly as she did so. His expression immediately changed to one of concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The 'Nothing' on her tongue stalled out. "Little bit of a headache," she admitted.

He knew it was more that a little bit of a headache for her to admit it. He moved behind her, putting his legs on either side of her body. He put his hands on her shoulders and started working the tense muscles there and in her neck.

She moaned softly, allowing her head fall forward and her eyes to drift closed.

"That feels so good," she told him.

"Good. I like making you feel good," he told her.

"What have you been up to?" she asked, relaxing under his touch.

"Evaluations," he told here. "With the need for so many boots on the ground, the training agents are looking at the recruits we're working with. Try to figure out who might be ready to get out there."

Sighing again, she leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her. They sat that way for several minutes, simply enjoying each other. Finally, she sat up, pulling away.

"Time to get back to work," Steve commented.

"Almost," she corrected. She turned around, straddling his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck and lowered her head to claim his lips. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her up close. Her lips opened in invitation and he accepted, his tongue slipping in to stroke hers.

They kept at it until she had to break to catch her breath. "Now it's time to get back to work," she said, smoothly rising to her feet. She offered a hand to help him up.

"That's okay," he told her. "I'll just sit here for a minute. Pick up our trash."

She glanced down at him with a smirk, noting the prominent bulge in his trousers.

"You do that," she retorted, bending over to pick up her water bottle before heading back to her desk, making sure to put a little extra sway in her hips.

"Not helping, dear," he called.

"Just a little something for you to think about, dear."

He laughed, watching her work for a few minutes before gathering the remnants from their meal. He discarded the trash, kissed her again, then headed back to his own work.

Ready or not, the day finally arrived. Everyone was in place and on high alert. Nick on the hellicarrier, patrolling the skies with a warning to watch out for high-flying fireworks. Maria at headquarters, monitoring the surveillance coming in from around the globe. Natasha in DC. Phil in Philadelphia. Clint in Boston. Other top people at other important locations.

Steve was staying in New York. He had been asked to serve as grand marshal of the city parade and Nick had strongly encouraged him to do so.

"People need Captain America," he told him.

In the situation room, the parade was being live streamed on one screen. The staff there kept close watch on their monitors while following the parade's progress. Maria glanced over when she heard a perky young reporter say, "We're here with Captain America himself, Steve Rogers." She had spoken with him briefly, calling him precisely at midnight to wish him a happy birthday.

The soldier smiled pleasantly, nodding at the camera.

"Happy Independence Day, Captain," she said, resting a hand on his arm. "We're so glad you could join us."

"Happy to be able to be here," he told her.

"How do you plan to celebrate the rest of your day?" she asked with a flirtatious smile. "Picnic and fireworks with someone special?"

"I'm actually working," he told her. "Part of the price of our freedom is eternal vigilance to maintain that freedom. There are a whole lot of people keeping eyes and ears open so that Americans around the world can relax and enjoy themselves."

"But if you weren't working, would you be with someone special?" she pushed.

"I have a number of good friends. We enjoy spending time together, celebrating together."

The blonde poked out her lip in a pout.. "You're being deliberately difficult, Captain."

"I'm being deliberately private," he corrected, "And I appreciate you respecting that." His smile remained in place, but there was a warning in his eyes not to push any further.

She finally got the hint and backed off, thanking him for his service before sending the feed back to the anchor desk.

"Poor Cap," a young agent at one of the monitors whispered to the woman next to her. "I'd be more than happy to show him some fireworks later."

The woman next to her cleared her throat, throwing the other woman a warning glare, then glancing in Maria's direction with a small shake of her head.

She turned to find the Deputy Director looking at her coldly. Her mouth went dry and her palms sweaty. "I apologize, ma'am. I realize that was a completely inappropriate comment to make about a superior officer."

Maria stared at her for several more moments, then pointed at her monitor. She returned her attention to the equipment, hoping the matter might be over and done with.

Until her friend leaned over. "Especially inappropriate to make in the presence of his girlfriend."

Gulp.

"Who's an even more superior officer," Commander Hill whispered in her other ear.

Double gulp.

"How are things looking in Africa, ladies?"

"Looks quiet, ma'am," they assured her.

"Quiet is good, isn't it?" Maria hissed.

The hours passed, and slowly, around the globe, the calendar changed from one day to the next. Alert levels were lowered slightly, reports sent and sorted, and tired agents were sent off duty. Nick had returned to base, meeting up with Maria in the command center. Together, they walked to his office as she gave him a rundown of the day.

"No major incidents. Several detentions were made, interrogations followed. We were able to get some intel to follow up on. Weapons caches. New cells. Some leads to follow up on in the days ahead. No deaths or major injuries. At least, none of our people," she told him.

He nodded approval, scrolling through the reports she had compiled. They reached his office and Steve Rogers straightened from where he had been leaning against the corridor wall.

"Sir. Ma'am," he greeted them, the smile on his face belying the formality of his words. Maria flashed him a quick answering smile. "You wanted to see me?" he asked the Director.

Nick nodded his own greeting. "Good work out there today, Captain Rogers," he told him, leading the duo into his office.

"Just walking around, keeping eyes and ears opened, Sir. Hopefully, everyone elses day was as uneventful as mine," he commented.

"Pretty much," Maria told him. She turned back to Nick. "I'll set up the follow up investigations on the new info we received from out detainees."

"I'll take care of that," her boss told her.

When she looked at him curiously, he held her gaze. "You've been going for several days straight, Hill. Time to take a break." He took her by the wrist and led her over to Steve, placing her hand in that of the super soldier. "Happy belated birthday, Cap. Unwrap it in private."

When they didn't move, he glared at them and pointed towards the door.

"Go. Now."

After looking at each other, they finally started towards the office door.

"And not in her office," Nick told him. "I sit on that couch sometimes."

"Yes, sir," Steve finally said with a grin as he pulled her along behind him. Hand in hand, they walked down the corridor, heading towards the living areas.

"Your place or mine?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She looked around, considering. "Yours is closer," she finally answered, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into him.

He stared in disbelief and she pulled away.

"Oh. You were kidding," she said.

"No," he hurried to assure her. "I'm just a little surprised." While they had spent many nights together at the tower, she had made it clear that she preferred to keep the relationship on a more professional footing at headquarters. He respected that, knowing how hard she had fought to be taken seriously.

She shrugged. "I'm tired, I'm relieved, I love you and I want to be with you."

She laughed as he took her hand again, quickly pulling her down the hallway.

"I'm anxious to open my present," he told her.

"Even though it's not exactly new? You've seen it before,after all," she asked as he pulled her through the door and into his quarters.

He pushed her against the wall, kissing her soundly. "Yeah, but it's one of my favorite gifts," he told her, pressing himself against her.

"One of your favorites?" she asked in mock indignation.

Shrugging, he kissed her again, pulling her towards the bedroom. "When I was about 6 or so, a friend gave me a little metal toy car. It was a pretty great present."

She studied him through narrowed eye. "Hmm. I don't know if I can compete with that."

"Let's see that you've got," he challenged, sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her swiftly into the other room.

Later, they relaxed on the bed, arms wrapped around each other. She traced patterns on his bare chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"By the way," she told him, reaching over to pick up her phone. "I got a text from Pepper. She said that everyone came through the fireworks just fine." She showed him the picture she had gotten of the animal group piled on the common area sofa. Katya and Cat were in the middle of the pile, Bucky and Calista pressed close to either side, Brody curled up at the Rottweiler's head.

"Everyone?"

"Animal and human," she confirmed. "She also said that the fireworks were really great and she's sorry that we missed them."

He took the phone from her and put it back on the bedside table, then pulled propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her.

"To the contrary," he said, brushing a strand of dark hair off of her forehead. "I just saw the most amazing fireworks of my life," he told her, lowering his head for a kiss.

"Better than the toy car?" she asked.

"Definitely," he confirmed, then paused. "I think. Pretty sure anyway."

"Maybe we should do a repeat of those fireworks," she commented. "Refresh your memory?"

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close again.

"Good idea."


And that's another chapter done. Thank you so much for taking the time to read. As always, I'd love to know what you thought. I've been a little down and reviews cheer me up. I hope my readers had a safe and happy July 4th, whether it was a holiday of not for you. I adore you all. You're the grand finale of a fireworks spectacular (actual fireworks, not the ones Steve and Maria enjoyed)