Steve POV

Steve walked into the common kitchen and was immediately struck with the quiet. No Stark spouting off about whatever technology he was creating or newest purchase. No Barton with razor edge one liners. No Holly chatting with Natasha.

Instead, it was Banner and Pepper, sitting quietly with cups of tea. Decaf for Banner though Steve was pretty sure a bit of caffeine wouldn't make much more difference for him as it would for himself. One thing the two men had in common thanks to the different serums was that they had very high metabolisms.

"Good morning?" He greeted with hesitancy. The mood was very subdued between the two who normally would be enjoying being able to chat without Stark constantly interrupting. "Was there a early morning mission that I wasn't apart of?"

"Morning Steve. No, there's no mission." Banner explained softly.

"Where is everyone then?"

"With Holly, in her quarters." Pepper explained. "I was about to go down myself."

Now Steve was more confused. Why was everyone in Holly's apartment and why was the mood in the room so morose? Was she sick? If she was, then Banner would be there too. Then he stopped short. "Jarvis," he addressed the AI, "what is today's date please?"

"Today is September 11th, Captain."

His heart went to his feet. "Oh. Thank you." It was the anniversary of one of the worst days not just in American history but in Holly's life. Even with all the progress she had made, finally being able to go out into the city, that particular date would always be a source of pain for her. Just like January 26th, the anniversary of when Bucky fell from the train was for him.

"Would either of you mind if I went along? I'd like to support Holly too."

Banner shook his head. "I'm not going, I'll probably head up to the lab." At Steve's confused look, he continued. "The Other Guy might not react well to seeing his Tiny Jedi upset. He's rather protective of her. And I'm a New Yorker too, I don't need to think about that day and risk The Other Guy coming out by accident."

Steve nodded. "Understandable."

"I'll make sure Holly knows you are thinking about her, Bruce. Hulk too." Pepper said as she stood up, giving the scientist a grateful weak smile as he waved away her attempt to take care of her cup.

Steve walked quietly with Pepper to the correct elevator and waited till the door closed before he asked, "How does Holly deal with today?"

"She watches the recording of the live footage to the point of the towers falling."

Steve was startled. He'd seen the horrific footage and would think that would be the last thing Holly would want to see. "My God, why?"

Pepper sighed sadly. "To remember them and exactly what happened. To punish herself for not being there. She doesn't exactly talk about it."

The doors opened and they walked toward Holly's open apartment door. "How does Stark deal?" He knew the billionaire had cared deeply for the two lost Dugans. And of course there was Barton who'd been recruited by her brother and Natasha who'd been taken under Liam Dugan's wing after she avenged his wife's murder.

"He tries just to be there for Holly if he can. Or locks himself in his lab. Usually drinking was heavily involved."

They stood at the door and looked upon a sad sight. Holly Sat with her knees up to her chin, still in her pajamas. She looked drawn and her eyes told Steve that tears had been shed. To her left was Stark, very composed, his expression closed, his hand holding hers. It reminded Steve of his immediate reaction to news of Coulson's death. Sitting on the floor, facing right was Barton, a single hand wrapped around Holly's ankle. To her right was Natasha, the former spy holding Holly's other hand, fingers intertwined.

They entered silently, no greeting seeming appropriate. Steve moved to sit on Natasha's other side, receiving a nod from both her and Barton. Pepper had moved to Stark's side, the man immediately moving so his head rested on her shoulder.

Before them were multiple screens, showing the footage from that terrible day, both professional and amateur. They had arrived in time to watch the second plane hit and the news anchor reacting in shock. From there it was a painful witnessing of the panic as people either ran or tried to help.

Steve silently hoped as he viewed the various screens, that none of the footage showed Liam or Edward with the other members of SHIELD who had gone under false orders to help. He couldn't help but notice one of the screens was just the false order sent to all agents.

A tiny whimper escaped from Holly as the first tower fell, the anchor reacting in horror, exclaiming how the tower was a place where thousands of people worked. He turned his head to see both Stark and Pepper had closed their eyes to the sight while Barton and Natasha were focused on Holly.

Her eyes were wide and wet, but no tears fell. He knew that would happen soon enough.

And it did, when the second tower collapsed in on itself, the news anchor in shock saying "Oh god, there goes the other one."

Beyond the stereo sound of the video, Steve heard Holly's voice quietly say "And then there was one." He looked to her and the tears had indeed escaped, coursing twin paths down her cheeks. But her eyes remained on the screens, watching the tower that as far as anyone could tell the Dugans had been in, come down. Steve hoped they didn't suffer and had died quickly and together.

Stark moved to rest his forehead against the side of Holly's head, his jaw tight while his arm wrapped around her from behind. Pepper rested against Stark's back, her eyes closed as she wiped away an errant tear with one hand. Natasha rested her free hand on Holly's knee while Barton silently rested his head against her legs, one hand still wrapped around her ankle, the other resting on top of Natasha's.

Steve felt almost like a voyeur to the makeshift family moment, but at the same time was glad to be there to lend his support which he did with a gentle hand on Natasha's shoulder. He wondered how Peggy dealt with the anniversary of the loss of the Dugans and too many other SHIELD agents. He didn't even know where she was living then. Was she already at her nursing home in DC or was she in NY? Who even told her about the Dugans?

Pepper turned off the footage from the screens, Jarvis replacing them with calming scenes of a mountain lake, kittens and a beach. The CEO of Stark Industries stood up and leaning over both Stark and Barton placed a sisterly kiss to Holly's crown, running her hand over her black hair before stepping out of the room. Steve couldn't help but hear a soft sniffle. He wasn't sure if Pepper had known the Dugans but anything that caused someone close to her pain was as bad as causing her pain. She had a huge heart.

Next to go was Stark, who silently tugged Holly into standing and gave her a long bear hug, murmuring quietly in her ear, but loud enough for someone with Super Soldier hearing "I love you, Sparky."

Thanks to his hearing, Steve hear her murmur the same, using her childhood mispronouncation of his name, Ony.

Stark looked stricken as he pulled away, giving Steve a nod before taking a deep breath as he left the apartment. In the last few weeks, he'd seen a different side to the billionaire and hoped he had a better understanding of why Stark was the way he was. Between Howard not being the best father in the world, to losing the man who had stepped up to be the father he needed and the brother he wanted on the same day, to say Stark had issues was to say the very least.

Then Barton, who'd moved to the couch during the hug stood as did Natasha. Steve was surprised as he watched the pair both hug Holly together for a long minute before they each kissed her cheeks and walked out, hand in hand. He was still amazed to see Natasha so affectionate with someone but wondered if it was because Holly hadn't allowed her to be distant with her? The three had a bond and it was good to see Holly had that kind of support from her old partners.

Holly stood there a moment before turning her head and seeing Steve, probably for the first time. "Oh. hi. I didn't know you were here." She wiped at her face. Her voice was small and strained, her eyes not making contact with his. She went through this every year?

"I came in with Pepper." He said softly as she sat back down. He couldn't help but think of how tiny she looked, how alone. This wasn't Holly, the agent of SHIELD or even Lady Skywalker. This was a little girl who lost her family in a single instant.

She nodded, looking at the scenes Jarvis had put up. "Thank you. They would have appreciated it. I appreciate it."

"Of course." He said moving so his arms rested against his legs. "Is there anything I can do for you today? Anything? Just name it."

She let out a shaky breath. "Not really, but thank you." She paused. "Actually, this will sound weird but, could you stay while I go shower and stuff?" Her cheeks flushed. "I don't like being alone today if I can help it."

"I won't go anywhere. You are officially stuck with me. Do you want something to eat? I can make something while you shower." He wanted to do something, anything to help her, another step after going out into the city itself.

She shook her head. "I'm alright. Thanks. I'll be right out."

Holly POV

When Holly came out of the bathroom, no longer in her pajamas but in a pair of old comfortable jeans and a well worn Property of SHIELD t-shirt, she stopped short. There was Steve, setting down two plates of what looked like grilled cheese sandwiches and filling two bowls with what she guessed was tomato soup, a dishcloth over one shoulder. It was a bit shocking not just how domestic it looked but by how comfortable he was with her to just rifle her kitchen and cook despite that she said she wasn't hungry.

He looked up and gave her a soft caring smile. "Hey. Have a nice shower? The pressure here is much better than my apartment in Washington."

She shrugged. "Tony's likes to spoil himself and pretty much everyone else. I'm sure having the best water pressure was one of the first things on his list when he built the Tower. Or at least Pepper's list."

Steve nodded and waved her over. "I know you said you weren't hungry, but you should try to eat something. Your metabolism isn't quite as enhanced as mine, but I bet you can put away a fair bit. Just the same, you need to eat. Try a little, for me?" He paused. "It's Grilled Cheese Ala Rogers. My mom's recipe."

That almost made her say Aww right out loud. He was sharing something of his childhood with her? "They had grilled cheese way back then?"

He pursed his lips and tried to look stern but it didn't work. "Haha. We'd just discovered it, along with the wheel, I'll have you know."

She pulled herself up onto one of the barstools and felt her stomach growl a little at the sight of the food. Maybe she was a litte hungry. "Sorry, it was right there, couldn't pass it up."

He rolled his eyes, taking his own seat. "Yeah I know."

"So what's the secret to Momma Rogers' grilled cheese?"

"More than one kind of cheese, tomato and a touch of garlic." Steve said with pride. "She made this for me a lot, usually after I lost the latest fight I'd gotten myself into. And back then, it wasn't as easy to get fresh cheese or tomatoes. You would have liked her. She was funny and tough as nails. Stubborn too."

"I would say so, to stick with working in TB ward and raise a boy on her own." What little she'd been able to learn of his mother when she was researching her book on Captain America led her to the conclusion that much of Steve's personality was inspired by the hard working nurse. She picked up the sandwich and took a bite and instantly saw exactly how soothing the food must have been to little Stevie Rogers, who got a black eye for telling a boy to leave a girl alone after pushing her in the mud. Or something similar. "Oh I think I love your mom."

Steve chuckled, tucking into his own sandwich.

They ate quietly for a while and Holly was amazed when she realized she'd finished both the soup and the sandwich and was pleasantly full and a little sleepy from the meal. "Thank you, Steve, for that. How'd you know that's what I needed?"

"It's the universal comfort food next to ice cream and chocolate."

"That's the truth."

They made their way back to the couch where Steve didn't even flinch when Holly put a pillow in his lap and laid down. He might have been one of the world's mightest heroes, but right now, he was the one person making this horrible day better. She appreciated everyone else sitting with her for her little ritual, but Steve had stayed and that meant a lot.

"Did you know I was due to come back to New York that day? We'd gotten our guy in San Diego in the early morning. He was just some low level government guy trying to sell secrets to the Chinese. One of our assets had heard about him from a girl he'd bragged to about being a spy. Dumbass" She looked straight ahead, remembering how the little weasel had literally pissed himself in fear after Clint had shot a series of arrows pinning him by his clothing to the side of a building without even scratching him.

"I didn't know that. I knew you were in California." Steve said softly.

"I was asleep in my hotel room when the first plane hit. Clint was in the room next to mine and he came right in and woke me up. He had this look on his face." She paused, remembering never seeing him look that scared since Uganda at least. "I knew it was bad from that look. He showed me the command to all SHIELD agents to help in NY and turned on the TV, showing the footage."

Steve began to gently stroke her hair and she wondered if this was another one of Momma Roger's remedies or if he even realized he was doing it.

"When the second plane hit and we knew it wasn't an accident, we started trying to make calls back to NY, to the Triskilon. Then the Pentagon was hit. It was just one thing after another. And then...when the first tower fell, we were just in shock. The phone rang and it was Tony. The one time I've ever really heard him panicking. He was relieved to find out where I was. I think my cover story had been something about taking a few days with friends. Then he said that he hadn't been able to get through to Dad and Eddie."

"Is that when you realized they'd gone to help?"

She nodded. "I think I knew from the start. They would have gone even without the order, without SHIELD. It's who they were. Hell, Dum Dum would have gone at 90 to try and help."

Steve's hand paused on it's continual stroking of her hair. "Yeah, he would have."

"It was a really long day. It was late that night when we got the call from Natasha that she was alright. She'd been working undercover at the Pentagon but hadn't had to go in that day and had been at the Triskelon. I swear Clint and I nearly collapsed in joy to hear her voice. That was the only bright spot to that whole time, knowing she was alright along with Trip who'd been out of country."

"I can imagine."

"I can't remember how many times we both kept trying Dad and Eddie and the Sandbox. Over and over. The normal phonelines were overwhelmed that day and what was really scary was that so were the SHIELD ones. I couldn't exactly ask Tony for help because he didn't know about SHIELD then or why they would have gone to help."

"What did you end up telling him?"

"What I told you, they went to try and help because that's who they were. Dad was 76, but that didn't matter."

"When did...did you know for sure?"

"The next morning." She paused, closing her eyes tight and letting out a deep breath. "Clint had fallen asleep in my room and I had pretty much passed out while repeat calling NY when both Coulson and Fury showed up."

"And that's when you knew?"

"They were two of the toughest men I'd ever known. Still are. Nick I'd known since I was a baby. And...he couldn't even get the words out. Coulson had a tough time too. I just remember him saying that 32 agents had gone in, following the order. Only two were accounted for and being treated at a local hospital. They'd managed to get a bead on Daddy and Eddie's transponders, something every SHIELD agent wore when going into a disaster zone. They monitor vitals and the strain on the agent." Her voice choked and she took a minute, blinking away the tears that threatened to make her already sore eyes hurt more. "And they...they both...died when the second tower fell."

There was really nothing Steve could say and she knew that. His hand slid down her arm and took her hand, giving it a squeeze which she returned. After long minutes, he turned on the TV and found Looney Tunes, one where Bugs Bunny encountered Christopher Columbus. She gave in to the feelings of sleepiness and vaguely felt him let go of her hand to resume stroking her hair.

Steve POV

Steve watched the antics of Bugs Bunny on the screen, the sound lowered when a familiar face appeared in the doorway of Holly's apartment.

"Hello Director." He looked down to where Holly had placed a pillow and then her head in his lap. He hadn't even realized he'd been stroking her long hair until an hour ago but lack of protest had led him to continue doing so. Anything to try and comfort her on the toughest day. He remembered how his mother's gentle touch had always helped him when he was feeling ill or depressed that he couldn't play like the other boys. "Is she asleep?"

Coulson nodded with a tight smile, his eyes on Holly. Steve wasn't very surprised to see the man, knowing his close connection not just to Holly but to her family. He'd told Steve how her father had once praised him and predicted that one day he would be director. He'd also told Coulson that he expected that he would help Holly if something were to happen to either himself or his son. That had ironically been less than 2 months before September 11th. And from what Holly had told him about how difficult it was for the former agent to give her the news of her family's fate, he'd almost been expecting to see the man. He was sure Agent May and Maria Hill would be around at some point as well. "How bad was it?"

Steve shook his head. "Bad. But she wasn't alone. Everyone was down here with her."

"You've formed a family, as much as you all might deny it. It's good, I'm glad. She's been alone too long."

Holly stirred, her legs stretching out, the sound of a yawn. "Coulson?" She sat up, yawning again. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. Hello Director."

Coulson shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "No, I'm just Phil right now." He moved to stand near her, his hand reaching out and running over her hair, affection in his eyes. As stiff as he tried to portray himself, deep down Coulson was full of heart. It made sense that his apparent death would be the kind of trigger they needed to work together as the Avengers. "I understand you had friends with you today."

The look of gratitude and affection that she gave Steve made him feel bigger than he ever had when he was performing to sell warbonds to sold out crowds. "Yes. I did. It's good to see you too."

The man, in his ever present suit smiled softly at her. "I brought someone to see you. Thought it might do you some good."

He turned and there, dressed in jeans and a cable knit black sweater and a new eyepatch, was former Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury. Someone even Steve hadn't seen since his publicized "death" a year earlier.

"Uncle Nick!" Holly sprung off the couch and threw herself at the imposing man, who for his credit easily took the slight woman in his arms, hugging her tight.

Steve couldn't help but look at Coulson with confusion. "Uncle?"

"The former director is her godfather." Was the simple explanation. They turned to where Fury was now holding Holly's face in his hands, his own face the most relaxed and calm Steve had ever seen it. He'd never seen Fury with children and though he knew the man was married, he just thought he was focused more on SHIELD than family. It would make sense that Liam Dugan would make his successor as director someone he would trust with the care of his only daughter. She probably knew before he did that Fury was alive.

"I'm sorry I haven't stayed in contact, kid. It was safer to stay under the radar. I didn't want to risk endangering you." He nudged her so she looked up. "How are we doing today, Agent?"

Her chin trembled, but she kept her composure. Steve wasn't sure if she could have any more tears in her. "We're managing, sir. I miss them. All of them." One could only wonder if she meant just her family or the other 28 agents lost that day. If they had been based out of Manhattan, she'd probably known most of them.

"I know. I do too." He hugged her to him again with one arm and led the way back into the room. "Cap, you keeping an eye on my goddaughter or is it the other way around?"

Steve stood. "A little bit of both sir. Looks like retirement suits you."

Nick gave him a flash of a smile, shaking his hand. "Finally get to work on my golf game. Phil tells me you've been quite the force in bringing Holly out of retirement."

"I wasn't alone sir. She's an asset to the team and a good friend." He gave her a smile that she returned shyly.

"I think on behalf of her father, I can say thank you for looking after our girl." He dropped a kiss to her temple. "What do you say we go see if I can't get Stark to crap himself by sneaking up on him?"

A small giggle came from Holly and it was the best sound to Steve's ears. "Oh that's an ongoing sport between Nat and Clint. I think he's winning so far. He staked out the top of the fridge in the lab lounge one night. Tony went in at 3am to get a snack and Clint said he'd never heard a grown man scream so loud. Even Jarvis congratulated him on it."

Fury grinned. "Always did like Barton's sense of humor. Reminds me of your brother." He looked down at Holly. "Now come on, no more sadness today. Let's remember them happy. I hear you went up against that jackass Doom not too long ago."

The pair led the way out with Coulson and Steve bringing up the rear as Holly answered Fury's questions about what had happened in Bavaria.