**A/N: Ahhh! That trailer! OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. I liked that they made it purely about the Civil War plot and not the subplot. This trailer is helping me get a really good idea of what to write in the future.

I'm gonna be real here; before that trailer, I was putting Bethany on Team Iron Man. After that trailer? I DON'T KNOW OKAY. I can honestly seeing it going either way. I guess I'll have to watch the entire movie (a million times) before making a decision/post a poll because I seriously don't know.

I mean, as a Captain America fan, I'm Team Cap all the way. BUTTTT I do understand where Tony is coming from. That being said, I also get where Steve is coming from. The way I see it, despite Bethany wanting Steve to stop being Captain America (okay, and maybe not permanently but let's admit that she'd probably benefit from the Sokovia Accords since Steve would be home a LOT more), she also is like Steve in the way that if something is going South, she can't turn her back. She WANTS to. But she knows that people she loves and innocent civilians will get hurt. Bethany also isn't one to follow the rules all the time, in case you didn't notice.

But then there's the fact that Tony is her blood. They understand each other on a level no one else does.

But then there's the fact that she completely and totally in love with Steve. They also have a connection that is, in my opinion, pretty damn unbreakable.

Her future without Steve will most likely be with her past, which we know she hated.

If she picks Tony's side, there's a chance she'll never get the opportunity to have a future with Steve.

But Steve would most likely forgive Bethany more than Tony would.

My sister's solution: She's Switzerland.

But I feel like she really does need to pick a side. So the week the movie comes out, I'm going to post a poll and use the results to help me form an ACTUAL opinion.

Okay, I'm done. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 40- Time Mends a Broken Heart

"I'm living in another time, another place. I knew you then. It used to be a different world. And now I start to live again. A sight of heaven in a grain of sand. Leading me on, taking me by the hand. Time mends a broken heart, time mends a broken heart. Love tears it all apart, but time mends a broken heart."

~Time Mends a Broken Heart, Bonnie Tyler


Inside the old Stark Industries storage unit, there was lots of prototypes and blueprints, old film reels and data banks. But in one dusty area of the storage area were boxes with Bethany's name on them, as if they have been patiently waiting for her through all these years. The majority of the group was doing inventory, trying to figure out what everything was, but Bethany, Steve and Jamie took their place in a corner going through the boxes.

Bethany's entire past seemed to be locked away in those boxes. There were little dresses and ragdolls from her childhood and very old scrapbooks that Bethany didn't think existed anymore. She had burned most of her childhood photos one day when she was feeling particularly unhappy as a teenager and it wasn't until Bethany's fifth birthday that she realized how much she wished she had them to remind her of her past, especially if she was going to live for eternity. She never said anything to anyone, especially not Howard, but somehow he had kept everything for her.

Bethany touched the crumbling scrapbook carefully, looking over to Tony. Their eyes met for a moment before Tony turned away, picking up a small object and studying it. Bethany sighed, opening the book and looking at the first picture, a black and white shot of Howard and Bethany as very young children. Howard had kept all this stuff for her, gave her a hand, left her his company and fortune… And he had left Tony so little. If it wasn't for Bethany ensuring that the company was given to Tony, he'd have nothing.

She hated that Howard was such a horrible father, but he was the best brother she could have ever asked for. She knew that this was no excuse to how he treated his son and Bethany felt bad for Tony, but she still loved her big brother.

"Look at your hair," Steve mused, looking at the photos with her. "It looks just like Jamie's."

Steve wasn't wrong. While Bethany had curly blonde hair to this day, her hair as a young girl was wild and free. Her curls were tight and frizzy and had a life of their own. Bethany's mother had tried to brush it into conformability, using a lot of braids and ribbons through the years. Her mother would rake the wood comb through her knots until Bethany was crying from the pain, begging her mother to stop. Howard was always there for her afterwards, making sure to find some way to make the little girl laugh. It always made getting her hair done worth it.

"You were a beautiful little girl," Steve stated suddenly, very confused. "You said you were an ugly duckling. Bethany, you were adorable."

Bethany didn't know how to reply to that. She had grown up so uncomfortable with her entire appearance, mostly because of her mother's constant attempts to tear Bethany's self-confidence down. Farther into the scrapbook, however, Bethany found a picture that would show Steve just how much of an awkward girl she was.

Even in the black and white filter, it was evident how unhealthy her skin was as a young teenager. Her hair was still curly and frizzy, but lying limp by her face. Her arms seem to long and skin taut against her bone in a sickly way. More than anything, she looked sad, trying to smile for the photo, but not doing a very good job of it.

"I still would have had a crush on you," Steve promised her lightly.

Bethany smiled softly to him, taking Jamie from him when he called out to his mother. "About what Jen said this morning…"

"What about it?" Steve asked, taking the scrapbook from Bethany's lap, continuing to look at the photos as she bounced Jamie on her lap.

"Look, I'm not an idiot," Bethany began in a hurry. "She's part of the reason why Jamie is with us now and was in good hands while we were doing what we do for a living. But a few weeks ago, we were being super cautious. Just because she hasn't snapped yet doesn't mean she won't."

"And it doesn't mean that she will either," Steve reminded her.

"No, but the statistics are against her," Bethany explained.

Steve sighed, closing the scrapbook to give Bethany his full attention. "None of us in this room fit into the typical statistics. She's still apprehensive, not just about HYDRA, but herself. I know that. You know that. And she knows that. But we trusted her with our son's life. It seems silly not to trust her with her own son's life."

"Steve…" Bethany whispered, her face showing just how worried she was. It wasn't that she didn't trust Jen. She was still afraid of what Jen could possibly do in the future. But Bethany didn't want to fuck up Theo's life anymore than it already was. "We said we'd let Theo make the decision."

Steve's harsh worried frown softened up as he reached a hand out for hers. "We'll talk to Theo. Ask him what he wants. But then we need to respect his wishes. Doll Face, it's not like Jen is moving to another state. She may end up staying at the Tower or even here with us. He'll still be close and we'll still be able to interject if anything suspicious happens. Okay?"

Bethany looked down at their intertwined fingers, knowing that ultimately Steve was right, but that didn't make her feel any better. "I just like…"

"Control," Steve quickly finished, giving her an innocent smile. "Baby, I know that. Trust me, I know exactly what control means to you. But you can't control everything."

Bethany let out an exasperated chuckle, shaking her head. "Yeah, I know that all-too-well."

"It's okay to want control. It's normal. It's human nature." Steve promised her, giving her hand a squeeze.


Construction on the Avengers' Facility began the next day. Pepper and Maria were able to get an amazing team on site, all of which gave input towards what they should do with the building designs. The majority of the stuff in the storage unit was to stay there, including the big pile of things that were Bethany's.

It was clear that Steve and Bethany weren't going to stay at the Tower any longer, so bringing the boxes there seemed futile. While Bethany and Steve hadn't talked much about where they were going to live after the Facility was completed, they knew it would be somewhere on the property they just inherited. Bethany clearly wasn't thrilled with the idea, since it seemed like a massive step down in their living situation, but she hadn't complained about it. Steve could see the little gears working inside her head, however, trying to conjure up a plan. Little did she know that Steve also had one, and one he knew Bethany would like.

However, Steve's plans weren't anywhere close to being exposed since she decided that she had to visit Kiley. Steve took Jamie to the property to both supervise the starting of the construction and to spend some quality time with his son. They were far enough from the Facility that Steve could barely see it and what he could see was almost completely covered by trees.

He smiled, looking down at Jamie who was sitting in the grass, pulling a handful of weeds out and studying it like it was the most amazing thing. That's when it hit Steve. Jamie had never been exposed to grass like this before. He had lived such a sheltered life. In a little more than a month, Jamie would turn one and so much had been taken from him already. Steve sat down beside Jamie, catching Jamie's little fist before the baby put the grass and dirt into his mouth.

"No, you don't want to do that," Steve scolded. Jamie made a sound of displeasure as Steve uncurled Jamie's fingers, the baby clearly fighting him with all he had, but ultimately not being as strong as his father. "That tastes gross and is bad for you."

Jamie looked down at the grass, running his fingers through it and smiling at the sensation. Steve felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness and safety at seeing Jamie like this. The only way the moment could be better was if Bethany was there, but something made Steve glad that this moment was just for him and Jamie.

"We don't spend a lot of alone time together," Steve began slowly, knowing that Jamie wouldn't really understand anything that he was saying, but that it needed to be said anyways. "Your Momma is always the first one to do anything for you. Because she loves you. Not that I don't. I do. So much."

Steve sighed, trying to collect his thoughts. "You know, when your mother told me that we were having you, I was so happy. And when I found out that I was going to have a little boy? Nothing will ever be able to replace that kind of fulfillment and happiness. I know that me deciding to work and be away from you and your mother makes it seem like I regret this. That this family isn't what I want anymore… But it is. I'd be lost without your mom. Lost without you."

Jamie looked up at his dad, his big blue eyes filled with wonder before holding out a hand filled with grass towards his father. Steve accepted it graciously before pulling Jamie into his arms. "What scares me the most is that I'd be lost without the fight too," he admitted. "I don't know for sure, but it… it gives me control over something. I mean, when your mom wants control, she meddles. She lies. She does things she'll regret later. But me? I know that going out there and changing things, I'm controlling it. And I'm good at it. But I don't want you to ever think that you aren't enough for me. I love you so much. It hurts to even think about something out there that could hurt you. I just… I don't want you to ever think that I don't love you. I do. And I'm going to show you and your mom just how committed I am to our little family even if I'm not giving up the fight just yet. But I will. Okay, Munchkin? I will."

All he got in response was a string of babbles followed by an eruption of laughter from Jamie at something he said in his own language. All Steve could do was kiss the mop of blond curls and hold the most precious thing to him in the world closer to him.


Kiley picked up the remote and muted the television before looking at Bethany. "You guys really messed up this time, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Bethany nodded. "You know what's weird? May used to be my favorite month, but it seems like a lot of shitty things happen during May."

"Didn't you get married in May?" Kiley asked with a frown.

"May 18th," Bethany nodded. "But I mean, an alien invasion, bringing down SHIELD, destroying an entire city… Can that really compete with the anniversary of my marriage?"

"I'd think it would," Kiley said with a chuckle.

"Yeah…" Bethany finally agreed. "I guess you're right. I wonder what next May will bring."

"Well, the year you got married, May was a good month," Kiley theorized. "So just make sure something along those lines happen. And didn't the SHIELD thing happen in April?"

"Huh, I guess you have a point," Bethany replied with a chuckle. "Umm… so is there any update on when you're getting out of this place? I mean, there's some serious perks, but your freedom is a little non-existent. I think I'd go crazy in here… Okay, bad choice of words, but I think you get what I'm saying."

Kiley broke out into a fit of laughter at Bethany's words but collected herself quickly. "I'm just… I'm not ready."

"You've been in here for months," Bethany reminded her friend. "And you're so much better than you were when we first found you. If you're expecting to be one hundred percent better, I hate to tell you this, but things will never be like they were before. But things can be better. You just need to move past this. And I get that you're afraid of caving and making a mistake, but you know that I'll be there for you, right? Just like you've been here for me this last year. When I was going through pre-eclampsia, it was you that was there for me. It'll just get harder the longer you're here."

"It's… it's not exactly that," Kiley struggled to get out. "If I leave… I don't know. I guess I keep hoping that he'll come back. If I leave, I lose all hope of him coming back for me."

Bethany had a moment of shock rush over her before she could recover. "Kiley… I think we both know that he's not coming back here. He wouldn't risk it. He doesn't want anyone to find him."

"I know," Kiley whispered with a hint of a smile, but Bethany could tell she was still broken inside. But rehab couldn't fix a broken heart. "I was just hoping. I… I have feelings for him. And I don't know if we'd ever have a future, but I'd like to see him again. And I want him to see me as I am now, not remembering me being hopped up on drugs."

"Steve hasn't given up hope on finding Bucky. And not just him in general, but his best friend. There's no reason why you have to give up either. But you do need to start living again. Trust me, I know what it's like to stop living for a guy. It's not the solution to anything. And I've got two girls back in New York who are freshly mourning guys, and I need all the help I can get."

"I'll need more context towards that," Kiley said, her tone showing that it was a conversation they would have for later. "And the thing is… I don't think I'm ready for work right now. And as much as I love my parents, I cannot go and spend any more time with them. I need some serious space. My mom will just hover."

"Well, what if you just worked part time? I've told you all about the Avengers' Facility. I've already accepted that I'll be involved in a lot of the transformation, even though everyone doesn't expect me to. I'd love to have some help. Just… something to help you get back into the groove."

"You know, that doesn't sound all that terrible," Kiley agreed. "Is that really what you want to do? You just finished telling me how this entire experience made you realize what you really want."

"I want to be a mother, first and foremost," Bethany began to explain. "I'm not suiting up. I'm just… filing papers. Filling in the gaps from all the information that Ultron wiped. Making sure the entire staff is a good fit. But maybe twice a week, and with Jamie by my side. The other five days would be just for him."

"What about Steve?" Kiley asked. "How do you feel about him doing this?"

Bethany let out a deep huff, thinking this over quickly. "As much as I want him to stop, I would never actually ask him and expect him to. I love him too much to ask him to give something up that he clearly loves. And the thing is… I loved it once too. I didn't want to give it up. I did because of Jamie. But just because I'm giving it up, doesn't mean that he does. I'm just afraid of losing him again."

"Do you think he'll ever give it up?" Kiley asked.

Bethany didn't need long to respond. She immediately knew the answer. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. But I think what scares him the most is he doesn't know when. And I think Steve is more afraid of the answer than I am."


Little sticky hands grabbing at Bethany's face was what woke her up. "Oh, okay ow, Jamie," she mumbled as his fingers tangled into her hair. "Momma's up, Momma's up," she promised him, opening her eyes.

She let out a long yawn while taking a hold of Jamie's wrists and carefully moving them away from her so she could sit up. "How'd you get in here? I thought you slept in your own bed."

"Well, it is Mother's Day," Steve reminded her, pulling a gift bag from the closet. "I thought waking up to your son would be a good way to start the day."

"I thought we said no gifts," Bethany said, pointing to the red gift bag as Jamie crawled up into her lap, resting his head against her chest.

"We said no buying gifts," Steve corrected, putting the bag next to her while taking his spot on the bed. "But we didn't say anything about homemade gifts."

Bethany narrowed her eyes, pretending to be critical before eagerly digging into the bag. She pulled out a white frame, and a blue and white polka dotted piece of paper inside, the same size as Jamie's little hand. Bethany smiled at the present, knowing that a permanent reminder of how small his hand was during her first Mother's Day would be with her forever.

"Thank you," Bethany said, leaning over to kiss Steve before lifting Jamie up so she could collect a kiss from him too.

"I thought that I could do the same thing every year. So that eventually there'll be a line of photos on the wall, each handprint getting bigger and bigger."

"I love that," Bethany whispered. "Thank you. That's really thoughtful Steve."

"Listen, I don't want to pressure you into hurrying up, but I do have plans for us today so you can't stay in bed all morning," Steve began, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Bethany looked at the clock, seeing that Steve had allowed her to sleep in until nine. He was always an early riser but knew that Bethany was not. Nine was still, even after almost being an entire year into motherhood, considered early in her book. But Pepper had let it slip that Steve was taking her out for lunch. If he wanted her up now, clearly it wasn't just any normal place.

"You know, it's tradition for mothers to have breakfast in bed," Bethany teased, watching as Jamie put his little hand up against the glass of the frame, measuring his hand to the paper one.

"What I have planned is much better," Steve promised, getting off the bed. "I'm going to take a quick shower. There's some waffles on the island if you're hungry."

"Okay," Bethany replied as Steve made his way to the bathroom. "Is that your itty bitty hand, Munchkin?"

Jamie looked up at his mother, that amazing look of awe all over his face. Bethany loved when he looked like that. It was as if everything was magical to him. She never wanted this phase to wear off.

Pulling him closer to her, she got out of the bed, snatching the Hulk toy that was resting on Steve's pillow with her along the way and went into the kitchen. A pile of waffles sat on the island, but she really wasn't feeling up to it. Slipping Jamie into his high chair, she went to the fridge, pulling out a bunch of avocados and the freshly washed fruit they kept in a giant container since Jamie loved berries so much. Bethany tried to bite back a smile when she saw that inside the fridge, there was a bunch of sandwiches and a giant container with Bethany's favorite pasta salad.

"A picnic lunch, Bug-a-Boo?" Bethany asked Jamie as she brought fruits over to the island, taking the cutting board out from the island drawer, as well as a knife. Laying the two down, Bethany dug her hand into the bowl of berries, laying some on the food tray in front of Jamie. The baby's dimpled hand reached for a berry, squeezing it in his fist while laughing, earning an amused smile from his mother before he began to lick the remnants of the berry off his hand.

Almost the entire room was in brown boxes. They had spent yesterday afternoon packing what they could sooner rather than later. They still had to do the bedrooms, but they agreed that they'd have to do that later on when they were just about to move. But besides some food in the fridge and cupboards and enough plates and utensils for the essentials, everything else in their apartment was packed away and ready for their next adventure.

Bethany began to cut some avocado slices, knowing that eating avocado alone was a not-so-common habit, but that ultimately it was just another quirk of hers and as long as her cravings were settled, there was nothing anyone could say to her about it. "Do you know what Daddy is up to? Huh?"

Hearing a buzz from the door, Bethany ate another slice of the avocado before going to answer the door. "Pepper, good morning," Bethany replied, letting the woman in. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Firstly, Happy Mother's Day," Pepper said with a smile before handing Bethany a tablet. "And secondly, here's all the information you requested."

"How big are the rooms they're building?" Bethany asked as they walked back into the kitchen.

"Not as big as you'll like. Typically made for two roommates. Your room and Jamie's would be the same size," She explained as she slipped onto a barstool. "It'll be cozy, but is that really a bad thing?"
"I guess not," Bethany said with a sigh. "I just figured the next time we'd move it'd be to a real house or a penthouse suite or something. But I know it could be worse. Anyways, what's up? Anything interesting?"

"Flying out to Switzerland to see Kiley today," Pepper enlightened. "Get the rest of her things packed up, papers signed, all of that and then she's spending a week with her folks so that they can get the guarantee they need that she's better. And then she'll move into the Tower until the Facility is ready."

"Which will be when?" Bethany asked, eating some more.

"Just before the end of the month," Pepper replied.

"That's fast," Bethany mused.

Pepper shrugged, moving to play with Jamie's hair a little. "Having money helps. Good morning Steve," she greeted as Steve came into the room, fully dressed but his hair wet from his shower.

"Momma's turn," Bethany said, grabbing Jamie's foot, ready to take a shower.

As Bethany left the room, Pepper looked towards Steve with a giant smile. "She's going to love the surprise."


Steve could tell by the look on Bethany's face that she was less than thrilled to be where they were; a few miles out from where the Facility was, where he took Jamie a few days prior. Far enough that they could barely see the building but close enough that they were still in the safety proximity. Tony's team was installing the alarm systems that day and the reach was pretty far, which made Bethany very happy. However, Steve could see that the idea of being near the Facility during the last few weeks when they wouldn't be living there made her upset. She wanted to stay as far away as she could if she had a choice before it began their entire lives.

"Sit," Steve told her politely after he laid the giant blanket on the grass. Jamie had already taken his spot in the middle of the blanket, right next to the basket. Bethany did so unwillingly, immediately digging into the picnic basket. "Isn't this place beautiful? All the trees, the lake in the distance-"

"The loud sounds of the construction on the Facility? Oh yeah, so beautiful," Bethany mumbled before taking out a tuna sandwich and taking a huge bite. Steve could see the brief moment of pleasure light up her eyes when she realized that Steve mixed the tuna with guacamole opposed to mayo, but it disappeared quickly.

"They're not that loud," Steve told her quickly and it was true. They could barely hear anything. A soft echo, but that was all. "And that'll be over by the end of the month. Then think how nice this place could be. I was thinking that it would be our place. It's so peaceful."

He watched as Bethany looked around them, studying the area. "It is nice," Bethany offered after a long moment of silence.

A smile split Steve's face. "You know; I was really hoping you'd say that."

"And why's that?" Bethany asked as she finished off her sandwich, moving to take the small containers in the picnic basket that were specifically meant for Jamie.

"Well, because of this," Steve said, digging into the basket and pulling out his sketchbook. Bethany waited patiently as Steve flipped open to a page with a sticky note attached to it, flashing it to her. There was a moment when Bethany couldn't even move. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart stopped for a few long seconds before it started to hammer.

"W-What's this?" She asked, her voice dry as she took the sketchbook in her hand. In pencil, both grey and coloured, were lines that made up a design for a house. Balcony at the front, a beautiful porch with wicker chairs, a garden…

"It's up to you," Steve told her, his voice completely serious. "It's up to you whether or not we do this, but you're right. We shouldn't be okay with Jamie growing up in the Facility boarding rooms. It's time for us to have a home of our own. Not just a home, but a house. Some place that's just ours. It's close enough to the Facility that I could come home for lunch, but far enough that you don't need to see it."

Bethany finally tore her gaze from the sketching to look at her husband, tears welled up into her eyes. "Steve…"

"Look, after everything we just went through, I need to show you and Jamie that I'm committed to you both. To this family," Steve explained taking both of Bethany's hands in his own. "This is something I want for us. And I know you want it too, but I'm not making any final decisions without you. We're in this together."

Bethany pulled her hands from Steve's so she could throw her arms around him and hold him close to her. "You have no idea how much this means to me Steve," Bethany whispered, finally letting her tears fall.

"No, I think I do," Steve laughed, kissing her temple. "So is that a yes? Are we building a house?"

"We're building a house," Bethany sobbed, a laugh bubbling out of her as they fell backwards, Steve flat on his back and Bethany on top of him. "Oh, I love you so much Steve."

"I love you too," Steve promised her, the two of them kissing passionately. They only pulled away when they both felt Jamie crawl up next to them, putting his dimpled hand on Bethany's back and pulling himself to a standing position.

"Do you want in on some of this love, Baby Boy?" Bethany asked with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing his forehead. "We're going to get a house, Jamie! With a play structure in the backyard and a big play room and a huge bathtub. Oh, I'm so excited!"

Steve laughed as Bethany sat back up, Steve leaning up on his elbows. "Good surprise?"

"You'll never be able to top this one, Rogers," Bethany claimed, taking Jamie's hands and swinging them slowly. "I don't think today could get any better."

Only twenty minutes later, Jamie took his first steps on the ground that would soon become their home. Bethany had never felt so complete in her entire life.


**A/N: Typically, when I give the Rogers some goodness, I add some bad to even it all out. You'll be happy to know that I actually have no plans on having them fight until Civil War, since no matter what side Bethany picks, they'll still argue about the situation. There might be a disagreement at Thanksgiving or Christmas when Mr. Stark picks an argument with Captain Rogers, but that's not set in stone.

Jo: They'll be having a beach day soon enough ;) Keep an eye out- I may have casually mentioned Wade in a very clever and hilarious way... Or at least I think so :P

anonymouscsifan: No, he isn't the bad guy at all. They just want different things. Steve doesn't want to leave his family. That couldn't be farther than what he wants. He just wants to be able to have both in his life. Bethany has definitely done a 180. She's completely different from what we first saw of her, but it's been how many chapters, words and years in the making? It didn't happen overnight. It was gradual. She's going to start doing a little more changing, but accepting of Steve being Captain America. Not a complete acceptance, but she'll find herself happy in their life and know that she realistically couldn't ask for more. As soon as her entire family is happy, that's enough.