**A/N: How many of you were actually surprised I updated? Listen, life has been... rough lately. I've been fine, but my family has been sick, my bestie had to get emergency surgery and I've been home alone for two weeks while also working full time. BUT now I'm on vacation until school starts, and my bestie and I are going away next week for some R&R. They'll be no update THIS Thursday, but there may be one next weekend if I finish the next chapter on time. If not, it'll definitely be ready for NEXT Thursday. I have nothing else to do that week BUT write, so I have no excuse unless I'm on my death bed :P

As always, the last chapter of this story will immediately follow the first chapter of the next story. Guys, I actually have two more chapters to write and then I'll be starting Through the Storm. I'm so excited for that. I have so many ideas, and I can't wait to write the Civil War plot. I'm hoping it won't be too deep into the story (like chapter 30 or something) but I have some things I want to write before that happens since shits about to go down and I still have ideas!

Chapter 58- Your Dream Has Been Broken

"Your dream has been broken. Your heart is wide open. You wonder if you still believe. If you'll ever find some peace. You are never ruined, never too far gone. As long as you're still breathing, you can carry on. Hold onto God's promise, let hope become your song. The night is almost over, keep watching for the dawn."

~The Dawn, Julianna Zobrist


Steve began to make an effort not to wear his uniform at home. He would leave the top part at the Facility, only donning the pants which had no clear resemblance to the Captain America uniform except for the colour. Bethany hadn't said anything, but he could tell that she was glad with his effort despite her silence. There was this sense of approval when she would see him in his under-armour shirt opposed to the star and stripes. He understood now why she was so concerned before. He didn't want Jamie to purely see his father as just Captain America. Bethany wanted him to be Steve, first and foremost. A father, a friend and a husband. Even though Jamie had called him Daddy outside of is uniform, it didn't change Steve's immediate effort to not wear the uniform at home.

Theo's birthday party was the next day and Bethany had changed an entire section of the Compound into a birthday party heaven. He was slightly annoyed at the use of the Avenger's Facility as a place of celebration, but he was at least happy that Bethany understood why. It was a place of work, and not just a boring government office with beige cubicle walls but a multi-billion-dollar Facility with mass weaponry, technology and could enter red-alert at any moment. The Facility was equipped with a mini-food market, full cafeteria, movie theatre, swimming pool and games room on top of all the work related things they needed, but it was still firstly and foremost a place of serious work.

After Bethany told Steve about her flapper story and how she wanted to give the boys the same type of hope, Steve had relented a little. He remembered being a little boy and the future holding so many options. She continually promised that the boys would stay out of the way if anything serious struck and she'd immediately transport them to the house for the rest of the party. It wasn't just her looking after the children either. Jackson was coming up from the city to celebrate Theo's belated birthday, and of course Jen would be there, with Javan lending a helping hand. And above all, Theo was extremely excited about his party and that's what really mattered.

Walking home from the Compound that day, he could see both Bethany and Jamie from a distance. It looked like Bethany was trying to rake the fallen leaves from their front lawn, but Jamie just kept running around, distracting her. Steve couldn't help but smile to himself. Jamie was such a lively child. He loved to play and run, and Steve and Bethany both knew that one day, his crave for adrenaline and adventure would get him in trouble.

"Daa-dee!" Jamie called out excitedly when Steve got close enough to his family. Jamie's little legs rapidly began to move towards him, Steve pulling him into his arms and throwing him into the air when Jamie reached him. An excited squeal of laughter emerged from Jamie as he soared in the air before Steve caught him again, kissing his cheek.

"Hey Doll," Steve said as he began walking towards his wife. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good," She answered, accepting a soft kiss from him. "Got the last of Theo's party all set up and ready to go. Yours?"

"We were given some new technology today that records our fighting skills and shows what steps we can take to improve it," Steve explained. "We were playing around with that for most of the day."

"Sounds fun," Bethany said truthfully. "You want to help me collect these leaves, please?"

Putting Jamie down, he reached for Bethany's rake as she picked the second one up from the ground. The two talked as they began to rake a giant pile, the forest area around their house contributing to the large amount of leaves covering their lawn. Jamie went around the lawn, chasing some leaves blowing in the wind, collecting ones he liked and giving them to Bethany with a look of pride on his face. She would always give him a soft kiss, thanking him and smiling as he went off to find another. However, at one point, Jamie thought it would be fun to run into the pile of leaves they had raked up, laughing wholeheartedly each and every time. The couple tried to keep their pile growing so they could bag the leaves, but Jamie didn't stop running into the pile, occasionally trying to jump. Finally, they both gave up, watching as Jamie entertained himself.

Steve wrapped an arm around her waist and Bethany curled up into him. He kissed the top of her head lightly, unable to keep the contented smile off his face. This was his family, outside his home. He had a life outside of being Captain America, something that became more and more important to him every day. He never knew that it was possible to love someone as he did his wife and son. It was just this overwhelming feeling that scared him a little, terrified about what would happen if he lost it. But then there was also this feeling, this desire to expand the love. Because as much as it was impossible to believe that he could love anymore than he already did, he knew that it could and would happen. He was experiencing it every single day.

Jamie came out from the leaves, excitedly moving over to Bethany and taking her hand. "Mumma," Jamie began, pulling at her softly. Steve let his arm slip away from her so that Jamie could pull her into the leaf pile, his laughter increasing. Bethany joined in with his laughter to appease him, kissing his head softly. Steve looked at the way Bethany watched their son. He had never really noticed that deep sense of love and admiration Bethany showered Jamie with every time she looked at him. Yes, he knew that those feelings were there, but the tender gaze they shared was so deep and pure, it made his heart ache.

Jamie looked up at Steve, a goofy smile on his face before he called his father over. Steve couldn't contain his happiness in that moment. He wanted to cry. He was just completely overwhelmed at this little wonder that he and Bethany had created and how they could build a bond so strong out of a love that was decades in the making.

Wasting no time, Steve joined his family in the leaves, making memories he knew would last forever.


The Avengers had been called out on a mission, but they all agreed that it was minor enough that the party could go on as planned. All of Theo's friends were impressed with the Facility and all the cool gadgets Bethany showed them. Javan even let them participate in mild science experiments before they were sent to play in the training room. Bethany and Jen had set up a bunch of obstacles for them to use, and they were all enjoying them immensely, specifically because they felt like real superheroes in their costumes.

Bethany could tell that Jamie wanted to go out and play with the bigger boys. She held him close in her arms, but he would wiggle, whine and reach out towards the kids playing as often as he could. Each time, Bethany would smile at him softly and tell him 'no'. She knew that she would have to put him down for his nap soon if his whining kept up. She knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the older kids and would end up falling and getting in the way.

"How's Mommy and Me going?" Jackson asked, holding out his arms, offering to take Jamie.

Bethany graciously accepted his offer and smiled. "Pretty good, actually. I was nervous at first, but Jamie really enjoys playing with the other kids, and it's nice for me to get a couple hours of normalcy, talking about diapers and temper tantrums opposed to bombs and secret organizations."

"I'll bet," Jackson chuckled. "I knew this little one wouldn't have issues making friends."

"Friends is a step, but they all do like playing together, that's for sure. I wanted him to have social skills with children his own age, and that's what he's getting out of it. He smiles, he laughs. And none of the other children have an issue with him at all," Bethany reported proudly, fixing one of his curls. "What about you? How's your life holding up?"

"Pretty good actually," Jackson admitted. "I'm getting a lot of work done, meeting a lot of people and having an actual opportunity to live my life just as I want to and not worry about money."

"I'm glad," Bethany smiled. "Life sure is easier when you don't have to think about money, isn't it?"

"Immensely so," Jackson agreed. "But I do enjoy moments like these, with Theo and Jamie. Seriously, let me know if you ever need me to watch over him. I'd be glad to. I kinda look at him as a little brother."

"Thanks," Bethany replied honestly. "It's nice knowing you have someone you can count on when your entire life is uncertain."

"Bethany," Maria's voice called from behind. Bethany turned her head, frowning when she saw Maria's concerned face. Typically, the ex-agent wore a grim face at work, but something about her furrowed brow concerned Bethany.

"What's wrong?" Bethany asked, taking a few steps closer to her friend. "Is it Steve? Is he hurt?"

"He'll be fine, just a few scratches," Maria waved off. "It's Wanda. Apparently she had some kind of panic attack during the mission. They've been able to calm her down, but she hasn't said anything yet."

Bethany closed her eyes for a moment, wondering what could have set Wanda off. In reality, it could have been absolutely anything. It didn't take much to bring up a bad memory or set off a stringent of thoughts. That was something Bethany was quite familiar with. "Are they close?"

"About ten minutes away," Maria replied. "Steve thought maybe you'd be able to get through to her."

"Maybe," Bethany agreed with a sigh, looking back towards where Jackson was holding Jamie. "But I know someone you will for sure. I'll head up in a minute. You go ahead without me."

Maria gave her a curt nod before going to stand by Jen and Javan. "Do you mind if I step out for a few minutes? The team is about to come back, and I want to welcome them," she lied smoothly. There was no need to broadcast Wanda's troubles when they were supposed to be having a party.

"Yeah, of course," Jen nodded. "I think we have things under control, wouldn't you say?"

Bethany smiled, watching as Javan and Jen shared a smile. "Alright you two lovebirds," Bethany teased before moving over to Jackson. "Steve is coming back, so I thought I'd bring Jamie up to welcome him back."

"Oh, yeah sure," Jackson nodded, handing Bethany her son back. Casting one last look at the party, Bethany began her trek up to the landing platform. Jamie's eyes were starting to flutter as sleep was starting to overtake him, but Bethany needed her boy to be awake. She began bouncing him slightly, making random sounds to try and encourage him to stay awake. It was a complete opposite of her usual sounds and movements, since usually she was trying to get him to sleep.

Her efforts seemed to work a little, keeping him awake, but his eyelashes still fluttered, growing more and more heavy by the second. The quinjet could not have landed any sooner. The loud sound and wind perked Jamie up enough to raise his head off of Bethany's shoulder. Bethany watched as the door lowered and Steve came out first, Wanda in his arms like a frightened child.

Jamie's dimpled little hand reached out in her direction, a new word, 'Wann-a', slipping from his lips. The sound captured the girl's attention, her head turning towards Jamie. The smallest of smiles pulled at Wanda's lips, enough to pull her from her dark reprieve. Bethany kissed the top of Jamie's curls, holding him close to her. She still wasn't sure how she got so lucky with a son so perfect.

Jamie seemed to be picking up a new word every single day. The three of them would be sitting at the dinner table and he would randomly point to the food and declare its name. Bethany knew that before long, he would be putting sentences together on his own terms. When they would play with his miniature farm house, he would accurately connect the animals with the sounds they made. His intelligence was growing each and everyday and Bethany couldn't believe that her baby boy was getting so big.

She had been carving in little ticks of Jamie's height into the side of the kitchen wall, placed him on the scale every week and found that he needed her less and less all the time. He was starting to insist on dressing himself, and while it would take three times as long as when she dressed him, she would sit there patiently and watch as he figured out how to get his chubby little arms through his shirt. He was even beginning to discover how to turn on the television and use Netflix. It was baffling that he was just a little older than a year old and he was already making discoveries worthy of a five-year-old.


On Halloween, Bethany was anxious to take her baby out trick-o-treating. Jamie wasn't particularly fond of candy. Whenever she tried to treat him, he would take a piece or two, but didn't cry for more. He did love chocolate, however. She was curious towards how he would deal with the whole situation. But she couldn't deny that she wasn't excited to see him in his costume.

Just as she expected, Steve saw the costume she got for him and made a little hissy fit. He was all gung-ho for it before he saw it, but the aggressive yellow and red pinstriped suit was more than a little in-your-face. "I actually do look like I belong to a barbershop quartet and Nat won't let me forget it," he complained to her.

And while Bethany loved the Jolly Holiday Mary Poppins dress she found for herself, she went on a hunt for a new costume for them to wear to the Compound's Halloween party, so Steve wouldn't be taunted. She went for something a little stronger—a modern Hercules costume, with a Meg one for her so they could match. Steve was much happier, since Natasha wouldn't tease him… well, as much. Natasha seemed to get a real kick out of teasing Steve. He had never had a sister, but he knew that if he did, she would tease him just like Natasha did. While it used to bother him, now he knew that she did it out of love. But that still didn't mean he liked to give her reason to tease him.

"Quack, quack!" Jamie exclaimed, running around the house. Bethany couldn't help but smirk as she continued to prepare dinner. He had been in his costume for a little over an hour, convinced he was a duck, and wanting to play the part. In reality, he was a penguin. But he was close enough.

"Quack, qua-" Jamie's phrase was cut short as he tripped over his own legs, flying forward onto his face. Bethany patiently stood there, watching what he would do. The large padded penguin head stopped his head from hitting the hardwood, but Bethany wasn't sure whether he would pick himself up and continue his waddle-run or start bawling. It was always a toss up.

"You okay?" Bethany asked as Jamie pulled himself up into a sitting position. He looked up at his mom, water brimming his eyes and Bethany knew that it was probably because he was embarrassed. "Oh, did you hurt yourself?" Bethany continued, moving to swipe him into her arms, holding him close. "There's no need to cry, baby boy," she promised, kissing his forehead.

She could tell he was on the cusps of crying, but was determined not to. "You're fine," Bethany reassured him, kissing him one more time before placing him back down. She watched as he stood there for a few minutes before waddling over to the front window. Steve would be coming home any minute now, and Jamie was most likely excited to show his dad his costume.

Taking her phone out from her jean pocket, she snapped a quick photo, smiling at the snapshot. She could see Steve coming up the walkway, spotting Jamie in the window and waving towards him in an adorable manner. Jamie started jumping in his spot excitedly before tearing off towards the door. Steve, knowing that Jamie was behind the door, looked through the window beside the door, opening it carefully to avoid hurting him.

"Daa-dee!" Jamie celebrated when Steve walked in, picking him up into Steve's arms. Bethany couldn't help but chuckle, moving forward to collect a kiss from Steve.

"Good day?" She asked him, touching his arm softly, just wanting to be close to him.

"Even better now," Steve replied, pulling her into him. "Smells delicious, by the way."

"I had some fun with spice rack," Bethany admitted. "We need to eat soon though, since I don't want Jamie to be out too late."

"Are we wearing our costumes out trick-o-treating?" Steve asked as the three slowly made their way to the kitchen.

"I didn't think so," Bethany chuckled.

"Quack, quack!" Jamie exclaimed as Steve put him down.

Steve frowned, looking towards Bethany. "He thinks he's a duck," Bethany explained simply.

"Quack, quack!" Jamie said again, a giant smile on his face.

"And he's a very good duck," Steve replied, getting down on one knee so he could tap Jamie on his nose. "Now, let's eat. I'm starved."

"You're always starved," Bethany replied saucily, Steve giving her a flirtatious wink, Bethany feeling her face flush and core pulse at what he was insinuating with one quick movement.

"Uh-um- you two sit down," Bethany stumbled over her words before quickly turning to the pot on the stove, wanting to recover from her moment of weakness. Damn that man, she thought as she stirred the contents of the pot. He sure knows how to get me riled up.


Theo was excited, as anyone at that age ought to be on Halloween night, but he seemed to fulfill the role of a big brother. He took his hand and showed Jamie up the steps to a house, not rushing him at all. Bethany, Steve and Jackson watched from a close distance as Theo instructed Jamie on what to do. Bethany squeezed her husband's hand as the residence of the house open the door, smiling brightly and handing the children their candy. Bethany couldn't help but laugh when Jamie returned to his family with a bright smile on his face, reaching into his bag and showing his parents what he got.

"Did ya get some candy?" Bethany asked, leaning down to look at the treat. "Oooh, a Kit Kat. You love Kit Kats. Let's put it back in the bag and go to the next house, okay?"

Bethany took the candy from Jamie's dimpled hand and placed it back in his small candy bag. Jamie was visibly disappointed and reached back into his bag for the bar. When Bethany repeated her actions, placing the chocolate bar back into the bag. Steve could see the frustration building up on Jamie's face, looking exactly like the frustration he had seen over the years on Bethany's face. Theo, thankfully, intervened, taking Jamie's hand.

"Come on Jamie! Let's go to the next house," he suggested, giving the boy a small tug before the toddler began walking with Theo.

Steve looked at Bethany's face, not as pleased as she was a second ago. He knew it was because the little exchange between Jamie and Bethany was the closest thing they had ever had to a fight. Her baby had disobeyed her, and even it was just in a small way, it was a direct action of free will.

"Lighten up," Steve whispered to her as they followed the boys. "He's a little boy who likes chocolate bars."

"I know," she grumbled. "It still hurt a little bit."

Steve didn't laugh, knowing not to anger his wife, but it was a little hilarious. He didn't firmly believe that Bethany lived just to obey him. Not at all—he wanted her to exercise her free will. But there had been times when she had blatantly disobeyed him and now she was feeling exactly how he had in the past.

Jamie looked so much like Steve, even he could see it. Sure, he had very specific resemblances to Bethany, but overwhelmingly, he resembled the Rogers in him. But with his little display, he could tell that Jamie was starting to have a lot of Bethany's characteristics. It wasn't just his little show of disobedience, but the way he talked sometimes, or ate, or his reactions to certain things… they reminded Steve of his wife so much.

As the two boys continued to trick-o-treat, Bethany was visibly displeased every time Jamie reached into his bag and they had disagreed more than once, but Bethany wanted to look over every piece and make sure that it was okay for him to eat. Not only that, but make sure that it was cut up into pieces that he could safely eat. And then, for her pride, she wanted to assert that she was in charge.

By the time they were driving back up to the Compound, Jamie was undoubtedly angry with his mother. It was actually an amusing thing for Steve, watching as the two were butting heads. The couple had agreed that they would quickly change into their costumes, make a quick appearance at the Halloween party and leave as soon as Jamie showed signs of passing out due to exhaustion. So far, he was still wide awake, but Steve could tell that Bethany was not in the mood to party.

"How do I look?" Steve asked his wife after he changed into his costume. It was a little more revealing than he would have liked, but it was much better than the previous option.

"With your eyes," Bethany mumbled under her breath as she quickly lined her lashes with eyeliner.

"Funny," Steve replied, sitting next to her on her makeup bench. "Jamie is watching TV. I figured if we put him in his crib, he'd fall asleep."

"Maybe we should have then," Bethany said.

Steve sighed, shaking his head. "Why are you in such a bad mood? Because of Jamie?"

Bethany put her eyeliner down, sighing. "Yeah. Is that wrong?"

"Why are you letting this bother you so much?" Steve asked her quietly. "Doll Face, you're fighting with a sixteen-month toddler."

"Because he… I thought he was…"

"Perfect?" Steve offered with a chuckle.

"I mean, he still is, just… not?" Bethany tried to explain. "I don't know Steve. I guess his little act of disobedience just reminded me that he isn't completely perfect. That he'll start to have flaws and stop being such a sweet little boy. That one day, he'll probably go out of his way to make us miserable just because he'll be at that age."

"Maybe," Steve agreed. "The way I see it thought, Doll, is that he's growing up. Every day, he is learning something new, and today, he started to show us that he wants to start being independent. And that means, in return, we'll have to encourage him to do the right things. Be lead down the right paths. He's growing as a baby the same way we're growing as parents. It's exciting, really. You may not see it that way right now, but maybe you will one day."

"Yeah, maybe," Bethany agreed hesitantly before picking up her eyeliner and continuing with her makeup.


**A/N: Still considering ideas on the sneak peak! I'm not making any decisions about it until I sit down to right chapter 1 :)

Cleo9427: I don't want to reveal too much on who's side Bethany is on ;) That's going to be a good chink of the story!

Anonymouscsifan: Haha, no kidding. Eddie won't win. But guys are stupid, let's be real. Having my OC being a Stark AND a Rogers is perfect because it really does show the struggle Bethany will have. Bethany understands the WS/Bucky thing because she was briefly brainwashed by Loki. She remembers what that was like and can't hold it against him. There will be a lot of conversations about where Bucky fits into everyone's lives even before Civil War.

Jo: I will say one thing- Bethany's decision is what she believes is what's best for herself and Jamie. Ross and Bethany got off on the wrong foot simply because of where they fell on the serum being used post 9/11 and on the Hulk. Bethany didn't want them to try to develop the serum because she knew that out of all the attempts in history (to her knowledge), Steve was the only one to turn out right. There will be lots of flashbacks and everything to show proper development :)