"Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story no one on earth has ever read, which goes on forever, in which every chapter is better than the one before." - CS Lewis

PART VII: Chapter One

Pregnancy, Steve found, in and of itself actually wasn't that scary. Sure he used the bathroom more than should be humanly possible and sure he cried at the drop of a hat but he also had a child, a person growing inside of him that was half him and half Sam and he'd take any amount of bathroom breaks for that. He was so looking forward to meeting his daughter. When he was young he dreamed of having kids but didn't think it a possibility with his laundry list of illnesses, of course getting pregnant himself wasn't ever something he thought was in the cards but he wouldn't trade this. Expect to have his son back too but he couldn't get stuck on that and miss out on what he did have, besides his mothers were taking care of him.

He was in his final month of pregnancy and his stomach was only now really protruding to the point of disruption. He had to sleep on his side with a pillow under his stomach to feel comfortable, he didn't like leaving his room because he didn't want to be stared at (granted most of the kids simply accepted him at this point, it was the new comers that stared), he felt huge but Sam just said he looked cute and Jean said she was twice as big so he counted his blessings. Clint had no trouble teasing him and there were no shortage of nicknames from him, so much so Steve wanted to chuck something at his head every time he opened his mouth to speak to him. However, Steve was mostly just looking forward to meeting his daughter. The surgery was only two weeks away. He could feel anticipation welling up in him and he felt like a child looking forward to Christmas and he was getting the best gift of all.

Sam was as attentive as ever. If he were honest, the closer they got to the surgery date the more Sam hovered around him and it half drove him mad and half warmed his heart. But as Steve was getting ready to go to bed, pregnancy exhausting him, he kind of wanted to thump Sam as he flitted around Steve fluffing pillows and sticking them behind his head and under his legs and under his stomach. Steve reached for his iPOD to play his sleep playlist (sleep was getting a little harder to get to lately), Sam's hands whipped out and did before he could. Steve switched his hands' direction towards his water bottle and prenatal pills but Sam picked those up and shook the pills out into his hands before holding them out for Steve.

"Oh, you're not going to put them in my mouth for me? Maybe bottle feed me the water too?" He asked sarcastically, annoyance clear in his voice. Sam looked at him a bit sheepishly.

"I was just-"

"Trying to help, I know. Could you please save the fussing for Saralise? When she gets here you can fuss to your heart's desire." Sam nodded and looked a bit like a chastised child. Steve sighed before wiggling his toes.

"Could use a foot rub if you don't mind." Sam smiled before going to the bathroom to retrieve the baby oil he bought some time ago. Steve shook his head as he watched Sam go. He loved that man but he could be so infuriating sometimes (in a completely adorable).

He came back and worked Steve's feet, massaging the bottom of his feet with strong hands. Steve was practically a puddle 15 minutes later and was lingering on the edge of sleep.

"We gotta tell Peggy." Steve mumbled.

"Yeah, we do. Before or after?"

"Hmm. After. I want to tell her in person. I just hope she isn't uncomfortable."

"Margaret 'Peggy' Carter? Uncomfortable?" Sam asked incredulously. Steve chuckled. His hero worship of Peggy rivaled Howard and Steve's combined honestly.

"It's just... there was a time where I was so sure this would be me and Peggy, you know. Fighting the good fight side by side, engaged, having kids together and then everything just... disappeared. I'm happy she moved on. I'm glad she fell in love with that Daniel fella and got married and had kids and kept trying to make the world a safer place. I'm glad I met you, that I could have this with you."

"But?"

"But a part of me will always wonder I guess."

"Nothing wrong with that. We will tell Peggy, we'll tell her together and she'll be happy and unbothered because she is infinitely smarter than us lesser beings." Steve chuckled and shook his head.

"Anyone would think you're the one who was with her."

"Only in my dreams and preteen fantasies unfortunately. Now get some sleep." Sam said before leaning over and kissing Steve's forehead. He was konked out barely a second later.

He was loath to wake up but something was happening something was...

Steve felt a prickling in his neck that immediately made him snap awake. His eyesight was blurry and he felt dizzy despite the fact he was laying down but something told him it wasn't natural. He tried to turn his head and he did so sluggishly. Sam wasn't in the bed but there was someone in the room. It was a woman with him, a blonde with a black catsuit on and some kind of metal helmet on. He felt something on his own head as well, heavy, it felt like metal. She was taking a needle out of her belt. He felt distressed, he couldn't move his body. The covers were covering his stomach but he didn't want to chance anything. He tried to move his body again but found he could move minutely better than a few seconds prior. His metabolism was usually slower but it was burning through whatever she gave him fairly fast.

"Don't bother thinking. We've made sure no one could hear. I just need a few samples captain from you and whatever that is in your stomach. Tumor maybe? Oh well, we'll figure it out." He tried to move his toes and thankfully they did move but he still had a minute before he felt he could do anything useful. He felt her stab a needle into his neck and start drawing blood from him. She took a few vials before she pulled back the covers but before she could place the needle into his stomach he kicked at her abdomen pushing her away from him. He stood up and fell immediately, the drugs making him unsteady. He scrambled up and started wobbling to the door. He opened his mouth to yell but nothing but a moan came out. He tried to take the helmet off as he stumbled but it wouldn't budge even with his strength. He felt her jump on his back and his knees wobbled but he didn't fall. He rammed himself back first into a wall, hoping the sound would alert someone and the action would dislodge her. It did and he turned to hopefully knock her out but as soon as he turned she kicked him in the stomach. He staggered back in shock.

She kicked me in... my baby!

He immediately turned and started for the door but something hit his leg and he fell, stunned. He tried to crawl but she kicked him in his head with something like steel toed boots, disorienting him. She turned him over and smiled maliciously down at him.

"Hmm, I wonder would happen if I did this." She kicked him in his stomach again. The wind was knocked out of him but that was nothing compared to the sheer panic he felt. She was hurting his baby. She was hurting Saralise. He tried to move his hands to shield his stomach but he wasn't strong enough. The woman kept kicking and she wouldn't stop and he couldn't scream. He heard someone shouting his name but the woman was still kicking and he couldn't stop her, he couldn't protect his own baby. Everything around him was starting to blur and go black and he briefly thought he might be dying and he forced his eyes open because he couldn't do that but when he did he was met with a completely different scene.

He was in his and Sam's bed at the school. He could hear Sam breathing behind him but otherwise the night was still and quiet. The clock next to him indicated it was only 3:15 am so he knew everyone that could sleep was sleeping. He sighed rubbing his face. That dream was new territory that he wasn't sure he wanted to explore. He looked over at Sam who was sleeping peacefully and kissed his cheek before slipping out of the bed. He stopped off at the bathroom before leaving the room to go to the common area. He figured he'd spend the rest of the night with the kids who didn't sleep anyway. He walked out to the common room, rubbing at his face but stopped when he saw Clint in the room with the kids playing 'mother, may I?'. He, Becca and Bucky used to play with their mothers all the time. He leaned against the doorjam and watched them asking Clint, who was playing the role of 'Mother', questions.

"Mother, may I take two bunny hops?"

"No but you may take five baby steps."

"He's fit right in, doesn't he." Natasha said, rather than questioned while shaking her head fondly at her partner.

"Yeah." He agreed regardless. She tapped his arm and motioned for him to follow her. He walked behind her into the kitchen and watched her grab a mug and a tea bag from the cabinet.

"So, bad dream huh?" She said, pouring hot water into the mug and topping it off with milk and cinnamon like he liked before placing the tea before him. He didn't ask how she knew. She was kind of an expert in nightmares.

"Yeah. It was... yeah." She rose an eyebrow wordlessly and he sighed before telling her about the dream.

"Do you think it... means something?"

"You thinking it's prophetic?" She asked.

"I mean, it's possible right?"

"Anything's possible nowadays but I don't think that's what it was. I think it was more about your fears and anxiety. You want to protect her, you don't know if you'll be able to. You're afraid of failing it's logical after everything that's happened but that kid's got the world best nuclear deterrent protecting her. Between the Avengers, the X-men and SHIELD that kid might as well be walking around with a force field around her." Natasha said casually but he still felt comforted by her words. He smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks, Nat."

"You aren't going back to sleep any time soon and you probably worked yourself up. Wanna hit the mats? Do some yoga?" She asked. Lately she had been making him join her in her yoga routine. The professor even got her to do a class on the weekends.

"Yeah, that'd be good." She held her fist out to him and he bumped his against hers with a smile. He was glad to have friends like her.

Steve doesn't tell Sam of the nightmare, largely because he forgets about it. He figured Natasha was right, it was probably his own anxiety getting to him. Wouldn't be the first time, probably wouldn't be the last. However another night finds him having the dream again. The blonde, instead of kicking him in the stomach, cuts him open and pulls his baby out of his body. The pain was so visceral that he ended up jolting awake. He sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. He rubbed a hand over his face and found his forehead sweaty, probably from shaking. His skin felt clammy too though. He looked over to Sam's side of the bed but he wasn't there. He glanced towards the bathroom door and saw the light on under the door. He sighed before swinging his feet over the side of the bed and stood up only to falter immediately.

"Ah, Jesus Christ." He held his back with one hand and braced against the bed with the other hand as a stab of pain shot through his lower back and abdomen. He looked over to bed with dread hoping he wouldn't find blood like he had last time. There was a spot where he had been laying, it wasn't as large as last time but it was there and it wasn't small.

Oh god, please not again. I can't do this again. I can't lose her please.

He felt himself breathing faster and his heart pounded loud in his ears. He opened his mouth to call for Sam but found he couldn't speak, panic taking the ability away as another stab of pain hit him. He felt hot blood running down his leg. He opened his mouth again but still no words came. Tears welled up in his eyes at his own weakness and inability to help his own child.

Stop it! You can do this, it's for her. It's for your daughter. Panicking isn't going to help her, it'll only make it worse. Steve told himself.

He remembered his mom coaching his breathing after bad asthma attacks. The seizing he felt in his lungs now wasn't that different.

'Come on sunshine boy. Close your eyes. Deep breath in. Short breaths out. You know this. I'm right here.' He let the phantom of his mother calm him down and when he opened his mouth and called for Sam words actually came though they were low and raspy from sleep. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Sam!" The bathroom door cracked open and Sam peaked out at him curiously before realization flooded his face.

"Shit." He cursed. He popped back into the bathroom for ten seconds before he came out with a cup of water in his hands. He passed it to Steve before feeling his forehead and face.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. But I'm bleeding." Sam cursed again before he helped Steve to stand up and started leading him from the room. Sam led him down the hall towards Jean and Scott's room.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let me fall."

"When have I ever?" Steve nodded, feeling reassured as Sam's arms tightened around him. He knew he wouldn't let him go.

"Braxton-Hicks contractions." Storm announced. Steve had spent the last two hours being poked and prodded and examined by Storm, Jean and the Professor. Sam hadn't left him for more than a minute the whole time but the hovering didn't annoy him now, he sorely needed it.

"Seriously?" Sam asked.

"In a form." Jean clarified before looking to Storm to clarify.

"Well, Braxton-Hicks contractions are the body's way of trying get ready to give but seeing as how you don't have a viable birth canal it's a little more complicated. Blood spotting isn't uncommon in pregnancy but your body is trying to ready muscles that you don't have so it ended up hurting more than helping but don't worry, Saralise is perfectly fine but we may need to move the date of the surgery up. Pre labor doesn't usually cause this much pain or spotting. We'll monitor you over the next two days and if this happens again we need to seriously consider moving up the C-Section." Steve squeezed Sam's hand trying to