"Can we go get breakfast now?" Brianna asked, glancing at Steve and Bucky both. "I'm hungry."
"Yeah, sure..." Bucky said hesitantly. He exchanged still bewildered glances with Steve whose eyes were still wide. They had seen monsters that had attacked Manhattan, weird globby things that had attacked the financial district in Washington, D.C. but talking birds that weren't suppose to exist and daughters that say they're a witch? It was still screwing with their minds. Though... "Hey, little bug?"
"Yeah, papa?" Brianna stopped midway to the door.
"Can you explain that sentence?" Steve asked, finally standing up and moving to kneel before Brianna. Bucky stood up, scooping up his knife and putting it back on the bedside table before heading over to stand over them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fawkes light up, flames racing over the bird, before it disappeared.
"Which sentence? I don't know how my body works," Brianna replied then narrowed her eyes. "Except the magic. I know how that works."
"How do you know you have magic?" Bucky asked.
Brianna wrinkled her nose. "I was born with it. My knee... Magic caused that. Bad magic. Can we go now?"
Steve looked at her then stood up, scooping Brianna up as he went. She stiffened a little in his arms and he started to rub circles on her back. "Brianna, you're safe with us. You know that, right?"
"I know," Brianna whispered, wrapping her little arms around Steve's neck.
"Were you... not safe before?" Bucky asked, staring into her eyes.
She glanced at him, tilted her head a little in confusion.
"In England?" Steve added.
She burrowed her head into Steve's neck, mumbled a little.
"What was that?" Bucky enquired.
"I wasn't," Brianna replied, lifting her head to look at Bucky.
Steve was about to say something when Brianna's stomach growled, loudly.
She giggled. "Breakfast now?"
"Brianna?"
Brianna peered up at her new parent, holding up a hand. Steve immediately gently grasped her hand, squeezing gently. They had finished dressing a few minutes ago and gotten in the elevator. Brianna was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants that both had Steve's shield on them. The shields were instead of stripes or dots. Steve suspected that Tony had bought them as a joke but they were good clothes for breakfast. Brianna looked pretty adorable in them too. "Yeah, dad?"
"Can we talk about the magic thing after breakfast?" Steve asked as the elevator in the tower brought them up to the communal floor.
"I'm not... You're not going to beat me for it, are you?" Brianna asked quietly, peering down to the floor of the elevator. She heard sharp inhales from both Steve and Bucky as the elevator stopped at their chosen floor. The door opened and Brianna could hear voices, some she had heard last night when she had met some of the Avengers and some she hadn't heard before.
"Did your previous family... beat you for this?" Bucky asked, narrowing his eyes.
"... yeah."
"They... tried to beat it out of me," Brianna whispered.
Bucky exchanged a look with Steve and he suspected Steve's expression was mirrored on his own face. Nine parts anger and one part disbelief. His eyes were wide and Bucky's metal hand was flexing as if aching to throw a punch. They had heard a little from Loki on magic and if someone tried to do something like what Brianna had said, they would die. Suppressing someone's magic would kill that person.
"We aren't going to hurt you," Bucky reassured.
"The Avengers won't hurt you either," Steve added. "We'll protect you. You're safe."
Bucky scooped up Brianna and wrapped his arms around her, jostling her a little. Brianna laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. They walked out of the elevator that way. Bucky and Steve side by side with Bucky carrying their daughter.
"Hey, so I finally get to meet your kid?"
Brianna turned in Bucky's arms to see a man coming up to them. He had short black hair and a glowing whatever in his chest.
"Who are you?" Brianna asked then turned to look at Steve. "Who is that?"
Steve smiled. "He is Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man."
"Iron Man?" Brianna repeated.
"Yeah, the guy who wears the suit and fixes my arm from time to time," Bucky answered then smirked at Tony. "She has a bucky bear."
"You mean, you don't know who I am?" Tony asked, putting his hand to his heart like he was heart broken. "I am wounded. Barnes, just because she had one of your bears, doesn't mean that she won't have an Iron Man teddy bear. I'll make sure of it."
Bucky snorted.
Brianna giggled. "I think I've seen your suit before. Red and gold?"
"That's the one," Tony answered, nodding and smiling a little. "You're adorable."
Brianna blushed, not really used to having compliments said to her.
"Breakfast's ready!"
"Ah, thanks Sam," Steve said as the other man came over. "Brianna, this is Sam Wilson. The Falcon."
"You're the Falcon?" Brianna asked, watching as Sam stopped in front of Bucky.
Sam nodded. "Yep. The best Avenger there is and I'm it."
Brianna giggled.
"Wilson, you really think you're the best?" Tony called over as the four of them walked over to the kitchen.
"I know I'm the best," Sam returned, walking over to the stove and flipping a few pancakes out of a pan and onto a plate. "Here, I made these for you."
"Pancakes? For me?" Brianna asked, peering at Sam as Bucky lowered her slowly.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, of course for you."
"Sam! Please tell me you made more!"
"Nope," Sam said, grinning as the archer walked into the kitchen. "They're all for her."
Clint pouted.
"Fine. I did make some for you guys too," Sam said.
Clint smiled and went over to grab a mug for coffee.
Brianna shuffled over to the table and glanced at the multiple chairs around it and went over to one of them. She climbed onto it and sat down, watching as Steve brought the plate of two pancakes over to her. Bucky brought over a fork and a jar of syrup for her.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Bucky asked, sitting down next to her.
"Milk," Brianna answered, looking down at the pancakes. They had brown... "There are chocolate chips in here!"
Bucky grinned at her joyous expression. "Do you have a sweet tooth by any chance?"
"Nooooo?" Brianna said, smiling and started to dig in.
Steve laughed, bringing over a plastic cup of milk for her.
"Steve, is there coffee in the kitchen?" Bucky asked, glancing over Brianna as she ate.
"Buck, Tony's up," Steve remarked, grinning. "There is definitely coffee in the kitchen."
Bucky ran a hand through his hair, drew Steve into a brief kiss then strode off into the kitchen. Brianna glanced at them, giggled a little then went back to eating. Sam moved over to sit across from them and smiled.
"How do you like the pancakes?" Sam asked.
"They're delicious!"
"Thor and Jane are back," Clint remarked, taking a bite of cereal and sitting down at the table.
"Maybe Thor could get in touch with his brother," Steve commented then glanced over at Tony, who was fiddling with a tablet. "Hey, Tony?"
"Yeah, Steve?"
"You still haven't heard anything from Loki?"
"Nope," Tony answered, frowning. "Not a peep from him since a few months ago. He's only a consultant. Why do you want to know?"
Steve frowned and glanced over at Bucky as he came back from the kitchen. Bucky held out one of the two mugs he was carrying over to Steve, who grinned and took it.
"Our daughter is..." Steve trailed off, noticing Brianna's look. "She says she's a witch."
"Witch?"
The Avengers turned around to see Thor and Jane come into the kitchen and dining room.
Thor walked over, eyes widening as he saw Brianna at the table. "Captain?"
Steve smiled. "Thor, this is our daughter. Brianna Evans, soon to be Rogers-Barnes, if she wants."
Brianna's eyes widened and she peered over to Steve then looked at Thor who had come to kneel before her.
Thor stared at her then looked at her scar. "Brianna Evans."
Brianna stared at him, tilted her head a little.
"It is good that you are here," Thor remarked, smiling. "We were worried about you."
"Thor?" Steve asked, coming over to stand by Brianna. Bucky stood too, striding over to stand next to Steve. "What are you talking about?"
Thor stood up and clasped Steve's shoulder. "I am glad to see you two have found her. I will attempt to find my brother."
Steve and Bucky both peered down at Brianna.
Thor glanced down at Brianna again. "You have found good parents."
"What exactly are you talking about?" Bucky asked, peering down at Brianna then moving to go back to the elevator.
"She'll tell you in her own time," Thor replied. "When she's older, she will tell you."
"Is she really a witch?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She did say that bad magic caused her scar," Steve said, looking at Brianna and noting her wince. "Do you need more cream for your scar?"
"Yeah," Brianna said. "It's hurting again."
Steve nodded and was about to walk to the elevator when Bucky came out of it. "Bucky?"
Bucky came up to them and pulled out the bottle of paste, going over to sit next to Brianna. "I noticed you wincing earlier. Little bug, would you mind me putting this on your scar?"
Brianna shook her head and climbed onto Bucky's lap. "You put some on yesterday."
"Sirs."
"Yes, Jarvis?" Steve asked, glancing around the room. Natasha had migrated into the kitchen, in soft sleep clothes. He could see that there was a bulge for a gun though.
"Doctor Banner is transforming as we speak."
Everyone stopped what they were doing. Steve and Bucky both inched closer to Brianna who looked at everyone, a little bewildered.
"Papa, what does that mean?" Brianna asked as Tony called for his suit.
Bucky scooped up Brianna. "I'll have to put your cream on later, okay?"
Brianna nodded. "But what does Jarvis mean?"
"Jarvis means that Bruce has transformed," Bucky explained as Brianna burrowed into him.
"Transformed?" Brianna repeated, looking back at him.
"Into the hulk," Clint replied.
"Oh."
"Jarvis, what was Bruce doing before he changed?" Steve asked.
"Checking his email," Jarvis answered.
Clint moved over to the couch and picked up his bow and quiver, having dressed in a set of work out clothes earlier. Natasha picked up a knife.
Steve and Bucky glanced at each other then peered down at Brianna. "Bria, I need you to stay with Bucky, okay?"
Brianna nodded hesitantly and Bucky moved past everyone to the lift as a roar was heard throughout the tower.