**A/N: I meant to post this last night, but I got distracted by Heroes Reborn. In case you haven't connected the pieces with Hayden Panettiere being Bethany's face claim, and Bethany's regenerative power... I'm a HUGE Heroes fan. Like, if you think I'm a big Marvel fan, it doesn't even compare. Sure, my love calmed down within the last few years, but I still know almost EVERYTHING about Heroes. Fun fact: Hayden's character on Heroes, Claire Bennet, was actually one of my least favorite characters. Give me psychotic Elle Bishop any day, thank you!

Chapter 17- Are You Broken?

"Are bleeding?/ Are you waiting? Are you wishing? Are you wanting all that she can't give?/ Are you bruised? Are you broken?/ Are you hurting? Are you healing? Are you hoping for life to live?/ Does it help you to know/ Well, so am I."

~I Am The One, J. Robert Spencer & Aaron Tveit


Normal wasn't exactly a word that existed in Steve and Bethany's lives, but somehow, they had achieved their own brand of normal. The morning was dedicated to chores and making sure that both Theo and Jamie had time to bond with them. Afternoons were dedicated to training and time in the lab while Theo was at school and Jamie was napping. In the evenings, they cooked dinner together, sitting around the kitchen table like a real family, and then it was homework, bath and bed. After both boys were asleep, Steve and Bethany finished any loose ends from the day as well as made Theo's lunch, and if they were lucky, had some time alone. While that didn't always mean sex, it always meant a good make out session.

Bethany had yet to be called out on a mission and wasn't complaining about it. When Steve would leave with certain members of the group, she and Bruce would typically hang around together, either talking about Jen or science. Bruce had finally made his way into Jen's confinement and Bethany had watched behind the double sided mirror as Bruce approached her. She had marveled at the way he had moved towards her, slowly but not like Jen was a wild animal. His voice was soothing for her and she sat and listened to him. He sat and listened to her. Bruce knew what to say and what to do and just how to assure her that everything would be okay. Her memory hadn't returned yet, but she understood what was happening.

He got her to agree to let him run some tests to understand the changes she was going through, and ensured her that the high security was more for her safety than everyone else's. Bethany was worried that her mental health would deteriorate, but Tony kept assuring her that JARVIS was monitoring her 24/7. If she ever became a risk to herself, JARVIS would make sure that the sleeping gas was administered and that they could help her immediately.

But the most critical thing that Bruce did was getting her to agree to master her newfound abilities. It wasn't so they could use her as a weapon, but so that if she chose to live a normal life, this wouldn't hinder her everyday life. He made her no promises of taking them away from her, but helping her master them as he taught himself to control the Hulk.

"Sounds like you don't even need our help," Bethany pointed out when Bruce came to report his findings and conversations of the day with Jen to them. It was close to nine, but both Steve and Bethany were in their pajamas, ready for the day to be over. Both Theo and Jamie threw fits at bath time and while Bethany joked that having kids was harder than any mission they ever ran, it wasn't exactly untrue.

"I'm trying to show her that we trust her," Bruce continued. "I know from experience that in order to show someone that they aren't a feral creature, someone needs to trust them. In order to do that, I have to let her out of that room. If we trust her, she'll start to trust herself. Her walls will break down, and she'll probably start to remember."

"I don't necessarily disagree," Steve began. "But we can't have her running around here on her own free will. Especially with Jamie, not to mention Theo being here."

"Well, how much time were you considering letting her roam?" Bethany asked confused. "A few hours with Theo at school, and us being with Jamie… Is that not enough?"

Bruce hesitated for a moment before collecting the right words. "I don't want her to think we have limited trust. For us to give her a deadline. While we'll keep a close eye on her, she needs to return to that room on her own terms."

"I mean, that makes sense, but-" Steve began, running his hand through his hair.

"We could go away," Bethany suggested. "Before… well, everything happened, we had talked about going to Disney World for Christmas. Just because it isn't Christmas anymore doesn't mean it's a bad idea."

"We can't take Theo out of school anymore," Steve whispered. "He's already behind as it is."

"Honestly, I don't think Theo will benefit being rushed to finish this year," Bethany replied, turning her attention solely to Steve. "Babe, his teachers keep calling. He's distracted in class, distant during recess. And he has reason to be that way. We're trying to catch him up, but he won't be caught up by the end of the year."

"So what? We just pull him out and hope that next year will be better?" Steve asked, clearly not agreeing. "Let all his friends move forward while he stays back?"

"No, that's not what I'm suggesting," Bethany promised. "Steve, I know how important school is. You know that I do. But there are options we should consider. Pulling him out of school this year, but not letting him slip behind. Hire a homeschool teacher, and let him learn at his own pace. With one-on-one time, he'll catch up by the end of the school year, and if not then, he can keep going through the summer. At the rate he's going now, he won't move forward next year. I'm not going to have him be held back because of our mistakes."

Steve sighed, one of his hands scratching his stubble, which he was reluctantly not shaving at Bethany's insistence. Every time he tried, he didn't last longer than a few days, but he was willing to wait a few more days since Bethany had some not safe for work ideas that involved a beard in a certain area.

"It's not a horrible idea," Steve agreed. "He'd need to agree with it."

"Steve, he's protesting going to school every day," Bethany reminded him softly. "Dr. F keeps saying that Theo hates going to school, and he never did before the explosion. It's our responsibility to make sure that Theo is happy."

"We'll need to find a teacher we trust," Steve said as his way of agreeing.

"And we'll find one," Bethany promised. "Not everyone in this world is HYDRA in disguise. And who knows? Maybe a week at the Happiest Place on Earth will be good for him. For everyone. But you need to promise to be fully there. I can't have you running off and leaving me at an amusement park with two boys. For one week, you're not Captain America. You're just Steve Rogers."

Steve let out a long breath of air but nodded. "Can she wait a week or two?" Steve asked to Bruce.

"Yeah," he replied. "She's being patient for now. I still have some tests I'd like to run, and with her permission, I'll feel a lot better about doing them. I'll need Bethany's input, however."

"Yeah, whatever you need," Bethany assured. "Has she said anything about keeping the powers or not?"

"She's afraid that she'll hurt someone," Bruce explained. "But once we get her in control of them… Personally, if she can control them, I feel like she should keep them. She'll be safer this way, from HYDRA, from anyone, really. Theo will be safer too."

"Assuming he goes home with her," Bethany mumbled before clarifying her thoughts. "Look, as much as Theo misses her, there's a lot that needs to be remedied before I'll feel comfortable with it. While he's safe with us now, we can't always promise that safety. It could change in the hour."

"It'll be a decision the four of us will make," Steve promised, taking Bethany's hand in his own. "Until then, we should probably look into seeing if we can nullify her and Jacob's marriage. Any claim he has to Theo…"

"He's safe with the CIA for now," Bethany replied tiredly. "Jacob is my last concern right now, to be honest. We still need to find the rest of them. I don't like the files we've been getting from the intel missions you've been running. Jen isn't the first person HYDRA has been experimenting on. And it's not even the same experiments."

"Jen's experiment may have been forced, but that doesn't mean everyone else's is," Steve reminded her. "All three of us have agreed to experimentation for something we believed in, whether it was for science or warfare. It's not so crazy for other people to do the same."

"No, do we trust HYDRA to be ethical with their experimentations?" Bethany asked. "Bruce and I tested on ourselves. If Dr. Erskine didn't have absolute faith that the serum wasn't ready, you wouldn't have gone in that pod to begin with. And yeah, it wasn't exactly the most comforting thing to experience, but would you say it was unethical?"

"No," Steve said immediately.

"I don't think HYDRA knows when enough is enough. They've never known. And yes, they seem to be making amazing advancements in science and weaponry. They've always been a step ahead-"

"Because they aren't afraid of being unethical," Bruce summarized.

"SHIELD did the same things," Steve reminded them both sternly. "They experimented."

"Yeah but not to the same degree," Bethany protested. "Look, my little day trip last week? I visited a group of SHIELD agents I worked very closely with," she explained to Bruce. "They had information to give as well as take. I trust them. But they only confirmed what we know. This one doctor thought nothing of kidnapping a woman and dissecting her until she was dead so that he could gain the immortality that she possessed."

"Wait, what?" Steve asked, raising his voice. "Why didn't you say anything! Beth-"

"One, it wasn't relevant until now and two, keep your voice down, the boys are sleeping," She snapped. "They were willing to kill, that's my point. For their own benefit."

"How is it any different than SHIELD's conducting the Project Paracelsus experimentation?" Bruce asked cautiously.

"Because we didn't kidnap these people," Bethany explained. "People volunteered. What a lot of outsiders don't understand about SHIELD is that it is your life. People give up the options of having a family because of the passion and loyalty they had for the organization."

"Right, which is how HYDRA festered within," Bruce stated, earning a hard glare from Bethany.

"The point is, these were agents that went through the training, and understood what they were doing. And when asked why they were doing this, they all just wanted to make the world a better place. The way a lot of agents saw it was that even if they died, they died trying to solve the crimes of the world. Steve agreed to give his body and mind up to the SSR, and we hadn't successfully executed the Super Soldier program yet."

"Okay, I see your point," Bruce promised. "But we drifted from why I was here."

"Jen," Bethany stated. "Getting her to trust you."

"We'll start working on our plans tomorrow," Steve promised.

Bruce nodded. "That's all I require," he promised before getting up. "She needs to start trusting someone else too. It can't just be me."

"Well, we'll be away," Bethany reminded him. "Ask Tasha or Clint. Not that I don't trust Tony or Thor, but they can be a little… overbearing."

Bruce chuckled in agreement before excusing himself for the night. The apartment was quiet before Bethany got off the couch and moved to the kitchen. "You want some hot chocolate?"

Steve followed her, narrowing his eyes. "You're not tired anymore?"

"No, I am," She assured, moving to boil some water. "But there's something I need to tell you, and I don't think you'll necessarily be happy with what I have to say."

Steve cautiously sat at the island and trained his eyes to her. "And hot chocolate will make the situation better?"
"Probably not," Bethany admitted, taking out two mugs, the hot chocolate mix and some milk. "But I have to tell you anyways."

"Okay," Steve nodded, leaning forward.

"I told you about Coulson," She began. "How he died and we brought him back."

"Experimentation," Steve nodded. "You didn't have permission."

"Well, I mean… he was dead," Bethany reminded him. "Coulson had been the one… in charge of the experiment that we implemented. He had advised for the experiment to be stopped because it was too dangerous. Like Paracelsus, the changes in the DNA were so harmful to the mind that all sanity was lost in the volunteers."

"And you did it anyways?" Steve asked, the tone in his voice incredulous. "Bethany, that puts you on the same level as HYDRA!"

"Shhh," She reminded him, her eyes wide. "Look, I didn't know all of that when it was happening. Nick did, obviously. The transformation was so… severe, that Coulson…"

"What?" Steve asked, not willing to wait. His disgust was clear. "Coulson what?"
"He wanted to die," Bethany said carefully. "So we… adjusted his memories. It was the only way-"

"Beth-"

"No," She interrupted. "We might have done wrong then, but Coulson is grateful to be alive. I didn't ask if he would have it any differently, but… Steve, that project was made as a precaution-"

"Death is a natural thing," Steve reminded her. "You can't resurrect everyone-"

"Death isn't natural when you're turned to stone and crumble into pieces!" Bethany cried, thinking about Trip. "That's not natural Steve. Car accidents, those aren't natural. Falling from buildings, fires, being victim of murders… None of that is natural! And we weren't planning on doing any of that anyways, it was for a fallen Avenger, okay Steve? It was for you and Tony and everyone else!"

Steve was silent at that, not even bothering to tell Bethany to keep her voice down, but she lowered it as she continued. "If you had died in that battle, the battle of New York? Steve, I would have done anything to bring you back. I had you in my life for a few weeks, and we were just making things right. I couldn't…" She swallowed hard, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I couldn't lose you again."

"So you would've…" Steve began, but trailed off.

"I don't know," Bethany said with a heavy sigh. "Yes? Probably? Does that make me a bad person? To just have one good thing in my life? I'm terrified of losing you again, Steve. I lost myself last time."

"It'd be different this time," Steve whispered. "You'd have Jamie."

"And that's just magically going to make it all okay?" Bethany asked. "Steve… I'd have a piece of you and a constant reminder that you were once again robbed of your life. Every time you put that suit on and pick up that shield, it physically hurts, but I let you go anyways. You can't know that it wouldn't be different."

"But Beth… you wouldn't have to be so miserable," Steve whispered. "I'd want you to move on. I'd want you to be happy, that's all I have ever wanted."

She quickly wiped away a tear before it fell. "There are a lot of reasons why I didn't move on before. But the biggest reason is because I love you. I might not have said it then, and hell, I know I didn't show it. But the idea of moving on felt wrong. And no one really pushed me. Not at first anyways. They all believed that you'd come back. And even just a little bit of that faith was enough. And I know they all thought the chances of you wanting to try again with me were slim. But that small chance? That was enough."

"It was almost seventy years Bethany," Steve reminded her, getting up and walking over to her, placing a hand on her face and wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Moving on… it's natural. I couldn't hold it against you, living your life."

"It's not that simple, Steve," Bethany breathed. "I couldn't even admit to you, let alone myself that I loved you. You, of all people. It wasn't some horrible human being who I would have been ashamed of loving. It was you. How do you replace the perfect man?"

"I'm not perfect," Steve whispered, pulling her into a hug.

"You're perfect to me," she sniffed. "Every day… I wait for all of this to disappear. For you to walk out the door. For all this to be a really long, and very detailed dream."

"This is real," He promised her, kissing her forehead softly. "And I'm not leaving."

"Every day, you do," She said, holding back her sobs. "You put that suit on and-"

"It's my job," He reminded her. "Just as it was yours."

"You can't lose me and I can't lose you," Bethany said, looking up to him. "Would I have put you through hell if it meant bringing you back to life? Probably. Even if it meant you being furious with me. At least you'd be alive. That's always what's been important to me. If you woke up and wanted nothing to do with me… At least you'd be alive."

"No more tears," Steve ordered, cupping her jaw. "I'm not going anywhere. And while I don't necessarily agree with what happened to Coulson… I understand where you're coming from."

"We're not HYDRA Steve," She whispered. "We wanted to recreate life for second chances. To keep the world safe. Not to destroy peace, like HYDRA."

"I know," He promised with a sigh.

"Do you?" She asked.

He was silent for a moment before nodding. "Reluctantly."


Natasha and Bethany had been working on reading and organizing some intel for over an hour. While their conversation strayed at some parts, they were mainly focused on making sure all the information they had was sound and up-to-date.

So when Natasha asked Bethany what it was like to be in love, Bethany chocked on her spit. Not only was the question foreign in their conversation, but it was such an innocent and truly curious question, and coming from Natasha, Bethany knew that she had thought long and hard before asking it.

"Are-are you asking out of curiosity, or because you think that… that you may be in love?" Bethany asked after taking a hefty sip of her water.

Natasha refused to meet Bethany's eyes, but her walls were down. She was about to be open and honest with Bethany, something that didn't happen often. Typically, it was Bethany being open with Natasha, not the other way around. "I don't think I'm in love. I think that I could be. In the future. And I just… I want to know what it's like. So I'll know."

"I don't think it's uniform," Bethany replied honestly. "It's not the same for everyone, and I think that's what makes it so special."

"But the generalization of it," Natasha continued. "I've never really… I've never really had anything like it. Or at least that I know of. Lust and love are two different things."

"Yes, that's true," Bethany agreed. "I don't know… It's the best and the worst thing that can happen to you. While you have it, it's amazing. It feels like… As cheesy as it sounds, that you've found the missing piece. You feel relaxed and at ease, and… whole."

"No sweaty palms or restless nights?" Natasha asked, a hint of humor in her voice at how love was always shown.

"It depends on the person," Bethany agreed. "I think that's more for crushes though. Loving someone… it's different. Just trust me on that. A crush can turn into love, yes. But the length it takes to go from point A to point B is an uphill battle. And when you finally get to the top, sweaty palms isn't the trouble."

"How did you know that you loved Steve?"

Bethany smiled to herself, looking at her wedding ring for a moment. "My entire life, all I wanted to do was what I wanted to do. As a child, for a brief while, I wanted my parents' approval, but not for long. And I always wanted Howard's approval, but I always got it, no matter what. Steve was the first person that I felt I needed to earn approval from, and I wanted it so much. I may not have told him then, that I loved him, but I knew what I felt for him was enough to give him the power to destroy me."

"But you did that to him instead," Natasha added softly, no judgement in her voice.

Bethany sighed, looking back up to her friend. "What people seem to forget is that the reason I didn't tell Steve is because I didn't want to be a mother, but at the same time, I still wanted to be with him. I don't think that guilt would have eaten away at me for a long time, I was so… relieved. And when he found out, I was just so… I wasn't heartbroken like I should have been. But then again, there was a lot wrong with me back then."

"But… how will I know?" Natasha pressed on.

"You'll just know," Bethany promised. "But love… isn't always at first sight. It needs time to grow. You may not love them today, or tomorrow, or a year from now. But that can all change in a blink of an eye."

"Mrs. Rogers, Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner would like to see you in Mr. Stark's lab when you have a moment," JARVIS' voice spoke rhythmically.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Tony didn't say in a moment," Bethany teased, knowing her nephew all too well. "You'll be good here?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll get Clint to come up and help me," she assured. "Oh and… this is just between the two of us, right?"

"Your secret is safe with me," Bethany promised before leaving Natasha's floor and making her way up to Tony's lab. Along the way, she checked the camera in Jamie's room. When she had left, he had been sleeping, Jackson keeping an ear out for him as Steve spent some time in the training facility. Now, however, Steve was in the rocking chair, Jamie on his lap, as he read the baby a story. When she walked into Tony's lab, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Uh oh, she's happy," Bruce teased.

"And that's worse than me being angry?" Bethany threw back with a laugh.

"We hate to ruin a perfectly good mood," Bruce explained.

Bethany's smile fell and her brows drew together. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing… yet," Tony began, playing around with the screens in front of him. "But the team has been going out and about lately, nothing too crazy, but we did all go out last week to bust some serious HYDRA ass."

Bethany looked to Bruce. The two of them had been hesitant about joining the rest of the team, but they weren't entirely sure what they would be up against and having the entire team there seemed like a good idea. Bethany hadn't dreaded it in the slightest, but Bruce had and for very obvious reasons.

"Okay," Bethany spoke slowly, waiting for Tony to continue.

Instead, Bruce picked up the conversation. "A fear of mine is… Look, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"We can't control the Hulk," Tony continued. "While he's on our side, and hasn't turned on us yet, or have done anything to hurt civilians, it's always a possibility."

"You know how long I've been working to reverse the effects of the gamma radiation," Bruce added. "And while it's hopeful for me to see options, for you finding a solution may not come in time. We need a back-up plan."

"A worst case measure," Tony clarified. "Something, someone to calm the Hulk down long enough for him to shrink down."

Bethany nodded. "No, that sounds legit. We need to lower the heart rate enough for Bruce to return to normal. Wha-What were you thinking?"

"Well, we already have some design options ready," Tony replied, flipping a screen around for Bethany to see. "We've run all the variables, and have agreed that this one, right here, is our best option."

"Hulkbuster," Bethany read. "Subtle."

"That's not its name," Bruce insisted. "It's just… we need time to think of a better one."

Bethany looked over the plans before shaking her head. "No. No. Tony, no."

"Beth-"

"You are not getting into a metal suit, no matter how big, and fighting something animalistic. No offense, Bruce."

"None taken," Bruce replied sheepishly.

"Someone has to do it," Tony reminded her. "And no one knows the operations of the suit better than I do."

"And no one knows how to irritate someone like you do," Bethany pointed out. "This metal is strong, yes. But not strong enough."

"The suit is big enough that he won't be able to destroy the whole thing with one go," Tony reported, pacing around the room slowly before quietly adding "theoretically".

"Your mother is rolling around in her grave right now," Bethany sighed.

"Look, this is the strongest metal I can get. If you happen to have vibranium lying around, I'd use that, but I know you don't," Tony explained. "I'm not putting anyone else in that suit. Including you. The Hulkbuster suit will attach straight onto the already existing Iron Man suit."

"Okay, but that will take time," Bethany noted. "By then, you could already-"

"That's why we've made sure to implement precautions," Tony promised. "Using the same metal, we'll use a cage to trap the Hulk. Now, it probably won't keep him in there for long, but long enough for me to get ready. And hopefully get civilians out of the way."

"Why did you call me?" Bethany asked softly, knowing that Tony had done his research and that she wouldn't be able to argue against his work. She knew why this was important, she just wished it wasn't her nephew in the suit.

"I don't know," Tony said with a shrug. "We don't really need you to do anything. But I guess running it by another mind, seeing if there were any flaws…"

"It's connected to the satellite station?" Bethany asked curiously.

"Yes," Bruce answered.

She nodded to herself before looking to the boys and giving them a small shrug. "No. It's a good plan. And it's all sound. I may not like you being in the suit, kid, but… I don't have any say in that. Just one last question; how much of that metal do you have?"

"A lot," Tony promised. "Why?"

"I want you to insulate one of the rooms on the bottom floor with the material. A safe room, if you will. Old school technology with a modern flare, but enough so that next time New York is in peril, Jamie can be there and be safe. At the end of the day, having the Iron Legion protecting the Tower won't change it being in rubble from destruction by forces they can't prevent."

"Will this help you focus more on missions?" Tony asked seriously.

"I was focused! I didn't get shot once, nor cut," Bethany protested. "Was my mind in the gutter at the more boring parts? Of course. But I was focused on what was happening. Will you do it, or not?"
"There's more than enough empty floors in this Tower," Tony said as his way of agreeing.

"Thanks kid," Bethany breathed, bringing him in for a hug. "The last thing I want to worry about during a world-saving mission is Jamie's safety, you know that. Listen, if there's anything you need help with, you know where I am."

"Will do," Tony promised. "But I'll remember to knock."

"Yes please," Bethany breathed before leaving the lab, thinking back to about a week ago when Tony walked in on what was a few clothing pieces away from being kitchen countertop sex. While Steve had been embarrassed, Bethany had been mortified. It was an unspoken agreement that sex would now only take place in the bedroom or bathroom.

On her way back to her floor, Maria brought her to a stop. "Something wrong?" Bethany asked with a frown as Maria led her to one of the smaller rooms of the Tower.

"Not wrong, per se," Maria began, sitting down. "I just thought that it would be a good time to discuss the grant you want to sponsor for female scientists."

"What about it?" Bethany asked, taking her own seat. "I mean, I haven't changed my mind. It's a good idea. Most scientists fighting for grants are in a pool of males and females. And males are chosen more than females. Encouraged more than females."

"No, I agree," Maria assured. "However, it would be a good idea to use the good publicity you have right now and get the message out."

"Well, I counted on Kiley to do all that, to be honest. I don't have the time nor the energy to do-"

"Pepper has already agreed to sponsor the grant," Maria interrupted. "Stark Industries will do all the advertisement and help you in any way that they can, and if it's a success, Pepper wants to make this an annual grant, under your name, of course. All they need to know is what you're looking for."

"Bright young minds, with sound ideas," Bethany admitted with a shrug. "Everyone has a different idea on making the future a better place. I say put the word out, and have the deadline be in six months. After that, I'll spend some time looking into their work with some other scientists from Stark Industries and slowly narrow it down. In about a year and a half from now, let's say, we'll have a winner. That's not too long right?"

"It's long, but this way you'll have the opportunity to do this right," Maria allowed. "Would you give your input and assist the finalists?"

"As many people as I can," Bethany said. "Look, what we're sorely missing in this world is opportunities for women advancement. Yes, things are better than when I was trying to make a difference in this world, but why not give another opportunity? Even if I don't choose someone, that's no reason to not help them in any way I can."

"Well said," Maria nodded. "Okay, I'll get a team ready to start this. I'm assuming thorough security clearance checks?"

"Please and thank you," Bethany nodded before getting up again and making her way to see her family.

As soon as she walked in the door, she could hear Steve's voice speaking rhythmically. "I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam-I-Am."

Bethany laughed under her breath and quickly made her way to Jamie's room, leaning against the doorframe. Jamie wasn't exactly listening to the story, his stubby little fingers pointing to the pages and babbling, occasionally looking up to Steve, as if waiting for him to respond.

Steve looked up at her and smile. "Get over here, beautiful."

"There's nowhere for me to sit," Bethany replied looking at Jamie and putting on the light and playful voice she used with him, but walked over to them nonetheless. "Is Daddy reading you a story? Huh, Munchkin? Is Daddy reading you a story."

Jamie's arms moved up, gesturing for her to take him in her arms, and she followed his instructions. Bethany placed a kiss on Jamie's cheek before sitting down on Steve's lap, holding Jamie so that he could safely stand on her thighs. He hadn't yet mastered how to stand on his own two feet, but with enough support, he understood what he was supposed to do.

"Crawling before walking," Bethany told him sternly before bringing him closer so that she could place a dozen kisses on his face. "Don't grow up too quickly. I need my baby boy."

"When the time is right, we'll have another one," Steve mumbled against her neck before pressing his lips firmly against the column.

"And when will that be?" Bethany asked calmly. "With everything… I don't know when that'll be. Everything seems to be getting more hectic opposed to calm."

"Thor wants to keep running more missions," Steve said with a sigh. "I keep trying to tell him that we can't leave Jamie and Theo for too long but-"

"He doesn't understand," Bethany finished. "It's okay. You can go out more, if you want. We're okay. Trust me Steve, if I think you're not home enough, I'll be vocal about it."

"But that's the point, Beth. I don't want you to have to be vocal about it. I don't want it to be a problem."

"Well, I'm giving you permission to go out more," Bethany said with a sigh. "The sooner we do everything, the sooner we can move onto the next step of our lives. I really want another baby Steve."

She could feel his smile against her neck. "I love hearing that," he whispered. "We'll be ready this time."

Bethany hummed in approval, giving Jamie a grin when he began to babble animatedly. "I'm happy until then," Bethany promised Steve.


One of Bucky's fingers craned around the edge of the curtains, pulling it open slightly again. At first, he thought it was a coincidence. But it had been a solid week now and they had moved through twenty-nine cities. They were being followed.

He didn't know who it was. Undercover cops looking for the people who murdered those men in the alleyway, possibly. HYDRA agents looking to take him back to their base, more likely. It didn't matter who it was though. Bucky could escape them. He could slip out the back and run, run, keep running until he was free from them. There was only one issue; Kiley.

Those pills she found had quickly ran out. Bucky then learned that the skills it took to be an assassin were similar to the skills it took to steal. He had broken into a pharmacy and raided their shelves until he took bottles similar to the one Kiley had found. He didn't know if it was the right stuff, but she had been appreciative. She stopped shaking all the time, but there were new issues at hand. She could barely go a few hours before popping a pill, using alcohol to wash it down.

It was impossible to hold a conversation with her. He would leave the car or the hotel room to wander the city, to do what they had come to do, but would fail in remembering anything and end up returning to her, worse off than when he left. And now with someone following them, Bucky knew that Kiley wasn't safe with him.

He couldn't send her back to America. She wouldn't be able to get there. He had one idea, and while he didn't feel good doing it, it was one hundred percent for the best. He had even gone to a local library and done his research. There was no other option.

So that night, he packed their belongings and together, they drove for about an hour until Bucky arrived at the destination of his desire. He got lost along the way multiple times, but when he pulled up into their parking lot, he knew they were in the right place.

Kiley was fast asleep. Bucky took her bag out of the trunk and made sure that Kiley's passport was right on top, with a note in it for them to call Stark Industries. Picking it up, and then moving to pick up the sleeping Kiley, he brought her into the building. It was the middle of the night, and no one saw him come in, so he gently placed Kiley on a couch and placed her passport on her lap. Looking down at her, his heart clenched.

Her long and dark eyelashes were casting shadows against her porcelain skin. Her pale blond hair fell in wild ringlets around her, the length reaching her hips. Kiley's chest rose and fell lightly, but other than that, she looked like she was forever asleep, never to wake up.

Bowing his head down, he placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered "I'm sorry" before he quickly left the building. As he got back into the car, he drove away from the Paracelsus Recovery Center hoping that Kiley would get the help she needed.

And that Bucky could get the help he needed.


**A/N: When I googled Recovery Centers in Switzerland, the Paracelsus was the first one to appear and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It's not related to Project Paracelsus, but will definitely make Steve and Bethany question a lot.

Also, could everyone do me a huge favor? A negative review was left on Sorry Ever After that has REALLY hurt me. My anger, frustration and heartbreak have been making me shake uncontrollably for almost half an hour. What really upsets me is that it's the first review when you click the review button, and that bothers me. A LOT. I know I said I would never beg for reviews, but if you could take a couple of minutes to leave something positive on Sorry Ever After (yes, Sorry Ever After, not this story), I would be so grateful. I hate that the first thing I see when I look back on something I was so proud of is negative. A sea of fantastic reviews doesn't drown out a negative one, but it helps me feel like this wasn't a waste of time. I love writing this story, and knowing people are still reading, but I literally feel like someone has insulted my child.

newyorklghts: Appreciate your words :) I don't have any plans to write a Bucky/Kiley story any time soon, but if I did, I'd name it Beauty and the Beast. The main song from that movie is my favorite song of all time and I think the song describes them well :)

Jo: I am so behind on AoS that I only watched Trip's death when I was writing that chapter, so I decided to throw it in.

ACBD: Haha, well then, that's reassuring!

sarahmichellegellarfan1: Oh, I'm glad you think so :)

FeliciaFelicis: I had only JUST watched that episode when I was writing that chapter, so I figured it would make sense that Bethany would be there for Trip's mother considering who she is. I like to think that the Howling Commandos took care of Bethany in little ways throughout the years, after Peggy told the men how Steve spent his last moments and how he wouldn't want them to hate on her, but watch after her for him.

Guest: Well, here it is! :D
BerMH: I have written in, and it's along the same lines. Not exactly the same, a little tamer I think, but the circumstances they're in, it makes sense. But your words have given me confidence to continue to explore this new sexual relationship in the future!