"Morning."

Steve woke to see pair of matching pale blue orbs looking up at him. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked James.

""I've been waiting for you. It's 7 o'clock. You must've been tired because you never sleep past 7:30," he commented "Anyway, I got something for you." James bent down and picked up a stack of newspapers. "The Dodgers games you missed."

"You like the Dodgers?"

James' response was the team baseball cap he placed proudly on his head. "Rogers family team," he stated.

"Well then we should play some ball sometime," Steve suggested.

James gave way to a sly smirk that could only come from his mother. "I got a better idea. Get your shield."

"Do it again!" Steve smiled at James as he threw his shield and shattered a holographic target from behind, hitting the wall and bouncing back in one shot, causing James to cheer "Awesome! Watch this." James threw his frisbee with a grunt. It curved, turning away from the corner and hitting a target high in the middle of the air.

"Not bad," Steve praised. "Watch this." He hurled his shield in the air and took out a set of targets, ricocheting it off each other in another three-hit combo.

"Awesome!" James repeated with equal enthusiasm. "I wish I could do that."

"Who says you can't? Come here let me show you," Steve bent down to his son's level and gently guided his hand on the Frisbee. "When you throw it, you want a bit of curve, enough so it's just on the edge of the bullseye," he advised. "Try it."

James took a step back and curled his arm, aiming his sights on the middle target. He let the Frisbee loose, hitting the main target and bouncing off and into the one on the left before it returned to his hand. James gasped. "I did it!" James laughed and quickly wrapped his arms around his father.

Steve was taken back by the hug, but quickly found himself returning the gesture. "I'm proud of you, James," said Steve, the boy looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes. "Well, I think we've worked up a big enough appetite. What are you hungry for?"

When Natasha woke up that morning, she expected Steve to awake already. As a soldier he was trained to be an early riser and old habits die hard. She wasn't even surprised that James was up with him. The two had been talking for an hour before she dragged Steve out of there. It amazed how simple it was for Steve to adjust to having a son. But what she didn't expect was pancakes.

Natasha smelled them when she woke up, heading to the kitchen to find James and Steve making a bit of a mess. "What's going on?"

James hefted up a large bowl of eggs in his hands, a smug of flour on his cheek. "We're making breakfast."

"I can see that."

"James was getting hungry," Steve explained "thought I'd get started on breakfast. I hope that's alright."

Natasha was surprised by Steve's genuine concern for her opinion "It's fine. You know, there's pancake mix in the mix in the pantry.

"Dad always makes pancakes from scratch."

Steve shrugged. "Guess I'm just a little old fashioned."

"You're a 95 year-old man from the 40s," James stated "You're the definition of old fashioned."

Steve chuckled. "Is that bad?"

James shook his head "Sometimes to have old-fashioned things. Like these pancakes!" he said eagerly. James took Natasha by the hand led to the kitchen table. "You gotta to try them!"

Steve, ever the gentleman, pulled out the chair for Natasha and pushed it in for her as she sat down. Even after two years, Natasha was till surprised by his gentle and polite nature. "Thank you," she said as Steve set down a plate and a fresh cup of coffee in front of her.

Steve smiled "Enjoy."

Natasha took a bite and her eyes widened. "Oh my God."

"I told you!" James gloated as he tried to eat half a pancake in one bite.

"Whoa, slow down pal," Steve warned with a laugh "You keep eating like that you're going to choke."

James murmured a response, but it couldn't be understood through a mouth full of flapjacks. Finally he swallowed and took a breath. "Besides, I love your pancakes."

Steve shook his head with a smile, sitting down between James and Natasha. "Something tells me I shouldn't make these too often."

"Hey Cap." Sam walked into the kitchen half-asleep, groaning as he poured himself a much needed cup of coffee. "Man Stark's beds are too soft. Now that is a marshmallow." He nodded in acknowledge at the super spy sitting at the table "Hey Natasha. Been a while."

"Hey Sam. Any luck with Barnes?"

"None," Steve let out a heavy sigh "It's like he fell off the map."

"You'll find him," James said as he took a break from devouring his pancakes, his voice full of certainty.

Steve stared at his son quizzically. "How do you know?"

James put down his glass of milk and pulled his phone from the pocket and showed a photo to Steve: It was Bucky. He stood smiling by the Washington monument, a brotherly arm wrapped around Steve as two of them propped James up on their shoulders. "I've known Uncle Bucky my whole life. He's come back when he's ready," James reassured "and soon, it'll be like he never left."

"I'm guessing this is Cap Jr. from the future?"

"Hey Uncle Sam."

Sam laughed.

"What's so funny?" Steve asked.

"Dude, Captain America's son has an Uncle Sam. That's like the ultimate patriotic cliché right there."

"He's got a point," said Natasha.

"Well, all clichés aside, care to join us?" Steve asked.

"If those are Cap's famous flapjacks I see, then definitely," Sam stated eagerly as he quickly grabbed himself a plate "Got to admit," he said between bites "when I came in here and saw all three of you sitting together, you looked a little a family."

Natasha froze as she felt the gravity of that word sink in: family. She glanced at Steve who quickly looked away from her, a faint smile tugging at his lips while a soft redness grew within his cheeks.

"Hey, it's me again. Look, just call me when this alright? I just want to know you're okay." Clint angrily hung up his phone and wrung his face in his hands in frustration.

"Trouble with the ex-wife?" Natasha assumed.

"Trouble would imply that I could reach her," Clint gripped, pouring himself a cup of coffee as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Looks like the model American family is up," he teased, making Natasha clench her jaw.

"Morning Clint; meet Sam Wilson," Steve introduced "Sam, Clint Barton."

"Hey," Sam said with a smile while Clint simply hefted his mug in acknowledgement.

"Tony enough!" Pepper giggled as Tony he chased her into the kitchen "I have a flight to catch."

"Alright, too many witnesses in here anyway." The billionaire saw the soldier and spy sitting at the table and his disappointed scowl turned into a smug grin "Well if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Captain America!"

Natasha coughed as she chocked on her coffee. Steve quickly sprang into action, grabbing Natasha a glass of water and telling to take small sips as he gently rubbing small circles between her shoulders "You okay?" Natasha regained her breath and looked at Steve, his gentle pale blue eyes filled with care and concern. He was standing very close.

"I think I've had a little too much sugar and caffeine," Natasha quickly rose from her seat as she leveled her voice, taking a step back from Steve as she headed "Thanks for the breakfast," she said without looking back.

Tony ducked as James chucked an orange at his head. "What I'd do?"

"Nat, wait!"

Natasha stopped as she heard a familiar voice. "You need something Steve?"

"Not really. It's just that we haven't seen each other in a few months and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind catching up sometime," Steve shrugged "Maybe over a cup of coffee?"

Natasha lowered her head as she felt a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth "You're reading too much into this Steve."

"What do you mean?"

"You find out that we have a son in future and now you feel the need to ask me out?"

"It's just coffee Nat," Steve assured.

Your eyes tell a different story, Natasha thought. "Steve, just because we will have son doesn't mean anything," Natasha clarified "Maybe it did in the 40s, but not now."

"It can't not mean anything," Steve disputed "Nat, we're going to have a baby." His voice was like that of an excited husband, eager for the arrival of his coming child.

Natasha's tone remained cool and distant. "Doesn't mean we get a happily ever after. Chances are you and I get back from a tough mission and need a distraction. We hook up and nine months later, out comes James," Natasha rationalized "We wouldn't be the first people to do it and chances are, we won't be the last." And just like that she turned on her heels and walked off, leaving Steve in hall.

"You're not going to even consider the possibility of love?"

Natasha paused as Steve's question fell upon her ears. She glanced over her shoulder and gave her answer. "Love is for children Steve." And she walked off.

"Woman troubles Cap?"

Steve glanced at Clint sitting on the couch, flipping through TV channels as he drank his coffee. "Is it that obvious?" Steve asked.

"Only to somebody going through the same thing," Clint reassured.

"All I did was ask if she wanted to talk!"

"Over coffee."

"What is the big deal about coffee?"

"Steve," Clint's voice was like that of a parent catching a child in the cookie jar "are you sure it was just coffee?"

"Yes! No. I don't know," Steve sighed as he sat down on the couch with the archer. Truth be told, Steve had harbored feelings for the Black Widow for some time. But he had never told her. Clint was the only one who knew, and only because Steve had made the mistake of assuming that the archer and spy were together. Steve huffed "Guess I just don't understand modern women. Or any kind of woman for that matter."

"I hear that," Clint said in agreement "I've been trying to get back with my ex-wife for a while. Came pretty close too. 'Till you and Natasha took down SHIELD," he chuckled. "You know this would be a good time for a beer if it wasn't only 8 in the morning." The two Avengers laughed.

"You guys are pathetic."

Steve jumped in his seat as James appeared behind them leaning on the back of the couch. "Where'd you come from?"

"The kid does it all the time," Clint said casually "He's got so much of Natasha in him that he turned the air vents into his own personal tunnel system."

"So you just heard our whole conversation?" Steve asked embarrassed.

James nodded. "If this was Uncle Tony you'd be facing Iron ridicule. But I'm nice, which is why I'm going help you guys."

"Yeah sure," Clint laughed "The ten year-old's going to school two grown men on how to get the girl."

"Laugh all you want," said James "but right now there isn't a person on the planet who knows mom like I do. I can tell you anything you want to know about her. Plus something tells me that if I don't something to help Captain clueless here, I might not exist."

"I thought you said no ridicule," Steve commented.

"I had to get one in there," James extended his hand "So we got a deal?"

Steve sighed as he shook his son's hand "What have I got to lose?"

"Not to break up the father-son moment here," Clint interrupted "But how exactly are you supposed to help me? I don't even know where my ex-wife is."

James' face morphed into a sly smirk that could've only come from his mother. "Leave that to me."

"Bruce. Bruce! Come on green giant, up and at 'em!" Bruce blinked as he wiped away the sleep in his eyes. "Wake up," Tony tossed a stack of data sheets on the desk "Come on, I need you on metal analysis."

Bruce sighed. "Tony, this is getting us nowhere. We've been at this for almost for almost a month and we've barely scratched the surface. This thing," Bruce gestured to the orb sitting on the lab table "we don't have a clue how this works. We don't even know what it's made of."

"Which is why I need you on metal analysis," Tony repeated "The sooner we figure out what it's made of the sooner we can crack it open and get James home."

"Even if we can find an earth metal similar enough to the orb's composition, there's still problem of setting off the instruments inside," Bruce reminded "all it takes is one wrong move, one cut wire we could end up traveling decades, maybe centuries."

Tony slammed his fists against the table. "That ten year-old boy is counting on us to send him home!"

Bruce saw the pain in the billionaire's eyes. Since James had arrived, the two had shared a special bond. Joking around, playing games and pulling pranks. In many ways, Tony had come to care for the son of Captain America as if he were his own. He wasn't alone. Bruce couldn't count how many times James had left him something to eat or slipped him a blanket and a pillow after falling asleep in lab. Bruce's voice turned sympathetic "Tony, I want to help James just as much as you do. But we can't afford to take rash actions and risk hurting everyone here."

"We need to get him home."

"But we can't do this on our own. We need help."

What about SHIELD?" Bruce and Tony turned around to see James standing behind them.

"Hate to break it to you but SHIELD's gone kid," said Tony "your parents took it down after they found out it was a cover for HYDRA."

"SHIELD may have taken a beating but it's not gone," James disputed "After Mom and Dad proved it was a cover HYDRA, SHIELD started to protect the world in secret and by the time I was six, they didn't need to hide anymore." James looked at his awestruck uncles and shrugged "Maybe they can help."

Bruce blinked. "Oookay, assuming that you're right how do we even contact them? Like you said, SHIELD's underground."

James' hands fluttered across the holotable and pulled up the security feed from Stark Enterprises "Her."

Tony blinked. "Huh. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Got to admit, if anyone would know how find SHIELD, it's her," Bruce commented.

"Yeah no kidding. JARVIS, can you do me a favor and ask our newest human resource leader to meet us here in about an hour?"

"I will alert Miss Hill immediately Mr. Stark.

Maria entered the upper floor of the Tower with a sense of unease. She hadn't been to Avengers Tower since joining Stark Industries and since it was Stark who called and not Pepper, she knew it could be serious.

"Glad you could join us Hill," Tony greeted.

She sighed. "Well, considering that the owner of the company I'm employed at asked to see me, it wouldn't exactly be the smartest career move if I said no." Maria was surprised to see the entire Avengers team minus Thor and including Pepper. "What's going on?"

Steve and Natasha stepped aside and let a small child walk through. A red-haired, blue eyed boy wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans. Natasha placed a protective hand on his shoulder. "Maria, this is James."

"Our son," Steve added. The Avengers then told Maria everything. How James was from the future, how he got stuck in the past and staying at the Tower ever since.

Maria smiled at the boy as he sat down next to her. "I was wondering what all those children's toys and clothes were for. I thought they were for one Stark's kids."

"Not funny."

Maria rolled her eyes and tilted her head as she look at James. "James huh? Are you the one that helped Tony whip up that ice cream bomb I found on my desk on April Fool's Day marked 'from Tony and J'?"

James blushed as an embarrassed grin spread across his face. "Sorry Nana."

Tony snickered. "Nana?"

"Who else do you think watches my while you guys are out saving the world?"

"Don't worry," Maria reassured. "Working for the world's biggest man child, I've gotten used to acts of immaturity."

Tony laughed sarcastically.

"So what's this about? I don't think would be all this straight faced if you just wanted me to meet the boy form the future."

"We need your help," said Natasha.

"Tony and I are having a little trouble figuring out the device that brought James here," Bruce explained "We were wondering if you could reach out to one of your old contacts and see if they could give us a fresh set of eyes to look at it."

"Who?"

"SHIELD," Tony replied simply.

Maria paused. "SHIELD's gone," she said slowly "It doesn't exist anymore."

"Well according to the kid here," Clint jabbed a finger at James "SHIELD's down but not out. And if anyone could get in contact with them, it's you."

"SHIELD's spent decades studying this kind of stuff. Way back to Howard Stark and Peggy after the war. They have more experience with this than anybody. I know that I might not be their favorite person right now," Steve admitted "But if there are still true agents of SHIELD out there, I would consider it a personal favor if they help get my son home."

Maria glanced at the faces of the Avengers, all of them standing protectively over the boy. James had only been here for less than a month and already he had worked his way into their hearts. She sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

"One more thing," Natasha added as Maria stood up to leave "If we're going to work with the new SHIELD, we need to make sure that they can be trusted."

"What did you have in mind?"

"A meeting with the Director."

Maria's eyes widened slightly. "I don't know if that's a possibility."

"Then make it one," Natasha replied coolly.

"We don't have to meet the Director," James said quickly "Why not just have them send over an agent that you already know with them? Someone you trust."

"That sounds doable," Maria agreed.

"Great, so I went through some old SHILED files and I think I found someone," James hefted his tablet for Natasha, Clint and Maria to see "Well?"

Natasha shrugged. "She'll do."

Clint smirked. "Couldn't have picked it better myself."

"I'll make it happen," said Maria "I'll let you know when I have something."

"Bye Nana!" James said with a wave, simply to mess with her "Dad, can you show me some more of those trick shots?"

"Sure buddy."

"I'll join you," Clint chimed in "I could use some target practice."

"Got to hand it to you kid," Clint released the arrow between his fingers and the holographic target with a perfect bullseye "you are a genius."

James smiled as hit a target with his Frisbee as it whizzed past "I learned from the best."

"You guys mind filling me in on what you're talking about?" Steve asked as he caught his shield after a 4-hit combo.

"The agent James asked SHIELD to send over," Clint explained as he lined up a three hit shot "That's my ex."

"You're ex-wife's a SHIELD agent?"

"One of the best," Clint answered proudly "That woman is a lethal weapon Cap. Not to mention a perfect ten."

"So when SHIELD sends their scientists to take a look at the orb along with the former Mrs. Barton," Steve began.

Clint lined up a double and fired. "I get a shot to remake her the current Mrs. Barton."

"And I get to home," James finished "Win-Win."

"But how does that help me win over Natasha?" Steve asked.

James scoffed as he threw his Frisbee "Right now, me and Uncle Clint know Mom better than anyone on the planet. Getting you two together will be a piece of cake."

Steve watched as James' shot it a target in the far corner of the gym. "Nice arm!"

"Plus I got a smaller window," Clint added "You got nine months to the kid's birth in two years. I got until the brainiacs figure out how to send Jamie home."

Steve sighed. "Alright."

"Trust me Dad. Operation Parent Trap is a sure thing."

"Operation Parent Trap?" Steve repeated.

"Movie reference," Clint explained "A couple of twins try to get their parents-,"

"I know the movie," Steve interrupted.

"He hates it when you do that," James informed.

"Thank you. What I meant was what's with the code names?"

James shrugged. "I thought it sounded cool."

The two men laughed as JARVIS chimed in over the intercom "I have just received a notice from Miss Hill. The SHIELD agents will be here in one week Captain Rogers."

"Thank you JARVIS," Steve caught his shield and strapped it onto his arm and headed out with the others "Hey, Clint. What's her name?"

"My ex? Bobbi Morse, aka the Mockingbird."

Hey guys. So sorry I took so long with this update, but my WiFi went out so I couldn't post anything for awhile. Tried to make this chapter longer for you guys to make up for it ,hope you enjoy. Next week, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD come to Avengers Tower!