Chapter Nine:

Steve's POV:

When I was sure that Sophie was in a deep sleep I got up and left the room. I needed some air. I was in shock. Bucky and Thor were outside still. Everyone else that had stayed for the party had left for the night.

"Captain! How are you?" Thor asked me.

I didn't answer at first.

"What's wrong, Steve?" Bucky asked me, as both he and Thor got more serious suddenly.

"She spoke with you already, hasn't she?" Thor asked.

I nodded at him, fresh tears coming to my eyes, my knees getting weak, anger being the main thing keeping me standing upright. All the pain Sophie went through and I couldn't help her with any of it. What kind of husband was I?

"Would one of you tell me what's going on here?" Bucky demanded.

Thor looked at me.

"Sophie was pregnant when she was sent to 42, Bucky. She miscarried not long after she escaped. It was the only way her body could start healing to save her life," I finally said, a few silent tears escaping my eyes.

Bucky looked at me in shock. Then he looked at Thor as if for an explanation.

"We tried to help her, but we realized that she was with child. Her body could no longer sustain life for both the child and the Captain's wife, and she lost the child. The enhanced healing began not long after. She awoke a day or so later, and I tried to be as gentle as I could, Old Friend, as I gave her such grievous news," Thor explained.

"Was she okay when you told her?" I asked.

"She put on a brave face and told be though she was not sure she was, she had to be, therefore she would be, Captain."

"Where is she?" Bucky asked, finally finding his voice.

"She cried herself to sleep. I needed air. I didn't want to risk waking her up. We're the only ones other than Sophie who knows, Bucky. We can't tell anyone. That's her story to tell."

"What about her parents?"

"Let her tell them when she's ready. She must've gotten pregnant right around the time her mother miscarried. I don't know how she's going to want to break this to them."

"Her mother lost a child as well?" asked Thor.

"She was so busy taking care of all of us, she wouldn't take care of herself. That night Sophie finally got control of her powers of electricity with you, Thor, that is why she was so upset and why Barton left the team. Her mother was very sick and asked Sophie to take care of her, which included surgery. Sophie's many things, but she's not a doctor, let alone a surgeon. She was able to save her mother's life, but not the life of her unborn brother or sister."

"The Eye of Hawk's family seems to have fallen on very difficult times," Thor replied.

"That is only in the last year. Laura's death, the two miscarriages, Sophie's two arrests, the kidnappings; it's all in the last year, Thor," Bucky told him.

"And yet they stand strong. They are a family of warriors. In mind and spirit," Thor said.

"We should get inside, in case Sophie wakes up with nightmares, Steve. Thor, you can sleep in my room. I assume you'd like to see Sophie before you're off to Asgard again?" Bucky asked.

"I would. Thank you for the hospitality Soldier of Winter."

"Steve, do you mind if I just hang out in your room for the night, keeping watch over the two of you?"

"What about sleeping, Bucky?"

"I have a lot on my mind right now and I'd rather know my two best friends are safe," Bucky said.

I nodded at him and we all went inside. Thor went to Bucky's room and Bucky made himself comfortable watching out our window. Everything was fine until Sophie started screaming an hour later. It took both me and Bucky to calm her. She fell asleep with both of us holding her as she cried and we stayed like that for the rest of the night.

Sophie's POV:

I didn't remember what happened, but I woke up with Bucky and Steve on either side of me. I somehow got out of bed without waking either of them and into the shower, but when I got out, they were up and sitting on the bed. Just looking at Bucky, I knew he knew what Steve did. Relief that I didn't have to tell him washed over me.

"Are you okay, Soph?" Bucky asked me as Steve got up to hold me from behind.

"I don't really have time not to be. I can't change it. We have a war to win and Stark has a hard-on for getting me back into his custody. We can't dwell on this," I replied.

"Sophie, we can't just ignore this," Steve said gently, his lips close to my ear.

"I know," I said, feeling defeated. "I just don't know how to deal with this, guys. I can't break right now. Maybe… for the time being… this should stay between the three of us and Thor."

"What about your parents?" Steve asked.

"Your mother could help you deal with this Sophie. She understands," Bucky agreed.

I thought about it. Me not telling my parents meant that me and Steve would have to face this alone in the privacy of our room when nobody was looking. Was that fair to him? If I did tell my parents, even if I wasn't ready to talk, maybe Steve and Dad could help each other.

"Can you give me a few days to think about it? They just got me back. I don't want to break this to them just yet," I replied, buying myself time to think about it more.

"That's fair," Steve said.

"We should get downstairs. Your family is already here and Thor is getting ready to head back to Asgard, but he says he needs to speak to you first," Bucky said.

We went downstairs and after I told my family I was just going to see Thor off first, I walked outside with my Asgardian friend, Steve and Bucky at my sides. We were standing where the bifrost had been opened multiple times before.

"I have gifts for you, Sophie, from Asgard," Thor said to me.

"What?"

"Gifts, from the Realm Eternal," he repeated, handing me a shortsword and a new bow and quiver of arrows. "These are from the All-Father. He says a warrior like yourself needs weapons worthy of them. This shortsword will help channel your electric powers, much like I can use Mjolnir to channel lightning. Also like Mjolnir, only you may wield it. It is yours and yours alone, unless my father deems someone else is worthy to carry on your legacy. The bow and quiver of arrows may be wielded by another if you so choose. Their aim is true, and as long as the person wielding it is focused, it will never miss their target. The arrows are also made of materials you will not find here in Midgard."

He grabbed a pouch, handing it to me. I opened it and found a necklace with a pendant. The pendant looked a bit like the bifrost on Asgard, where Heimdall watched from.

"This is from Heimdall," Thor explained. "As you have permission to enter Asgard whenever you choose now, he says if you ever need to get there in a hurry, put your hand on this, and just think of the Realm Eternal. He will hear your thoughts and return you to Asgard."

"Thank you, Thor. And please thank Heimdall and the All-Father when you return. I am astonished at the generosity and am grateful for all they have both done. Perhaps I will take the All-Father up on his offer to come train with you for a bit at some point," I said to Thor as I hugged him. "After all, you've already proven to be such an excellent teacher."

"I would relish the opportunity to teach you the ways of the Asgardian warriors, Sophie Rogers," Thor said. "Until then, remember that you have a place on Asgard to call home if you need to."

"But a warrior never abandons a fight," I told him.

"Very true! You are indeed a warrior through and through!" Thor said laughing. "Stay safe, Sophie. Captain, Soldier of Winter, take care of yourselves. Hopefully we will all see each other soon."

"Thank you for taking care of her again, Thor," Steve said.

"And thanks for not letting your father keep her in jail in Asgard. The fight was fun. We'll have to do it again," Bucky said with a smirk.

"Yes it was, Soldier of Winter! We must do that again!" Thor said, stepping back. "But in the meantime… Heimdall! The bifrost!"

The rainbow portal opened over Thor and he waved to us once more before he was no longer with us. We returned to my family and it was a mushy morning of my mother fawning over me, my brother and sister double-checking that I really was okay after I saved them, and re-telling the tale of what happened in Asgard with Thor and Bucky that led to me having new weapons. Looking at Dad, he knew I was hiding something. At the end of the morning, while Mom insisted on making lunch, he cornered me.

"What aren't you telling us, Sophie?"

"Honestly? A lot. Steve said you guys have some idea what happened to me in the prison this time because of Peter?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, there's more to it, and I might tell you this soon, but I need to think about it for a few days. I just can't tell you yet. I'm not ready, Dad. You know how I am about being in custody and talking."

"I know, which makes me wonder more why you would say anything now, Sophie."

"You'll understand if I break the silence, Dad."

Barton's POV:

I didn't like this. Bucky, Steve, and Sophie came over to our house and then Bucky took my kids back to their house so it was only me and Anya with Steve and Sophie. It had been nearly a month since Sophie had returned from Asgard. Her nineteenth birthday was in two days. And I had a feeling she was going to make sure we didn't try to celebrate it.

"Mom, Dad," she said, sitting down with Steve in the living room, motioning for us to do the same. "Me and Steve wanted to talk to you about something that happened in my time at 42."

My stomach dropped. I had heard Parker's interview since she came back. I knew she'd been tortured, even though I didn't know specifics. And because of her advanced healing, Sophie never scarred.

"You can tell us anything, Baby," Anya told our daughter.

Sophie started talking, explaining what she found out when she got to Asgard, what she'd really lost, other than the last of her childhood. I hid my rage, though in the back of my head, I was already plotting how to find Barney like I promised him I would.

Instead, I looked at Steve and Sophie, who had only been married a few months and endured so much together. They looked so vulnerable and lost. Anya and I had recently gone through the same loss as well, and I knew this was bringing up some hard memories for both Anya and Sophie. Sophie blamed herself for the miscarriage, but I was just grateful that she had been able to save her mother's life. I grieved the child that we lost, but I didn't know what I would have done if I lost Anya too.

I understood why they were talking to us about this ordeal as opposed to the last arrest. They didn't know how to deal with it and needed help. Even though Steve was technically almost 99, this was a new experience for him, one he shouldn't have to experience. Nobody should. But here we were, in the same boat. Both of us in love with Holden women (which was so hard for me to say about my daughter), both of us grieving the loss of our unborn child as casualties of this stupid war. They needed us. Or more likely, Sophie was doing this so Steve would have the option to speak to me if he needed someone who understood. Sophie was the type to push this all down until it had to be dealt with. But she wouldn't force that on Steve.

"They couldn't have known," Anya said. "They wouldn't have tortured you knowing you were pregnant!"

I looked at Sophie, who wouldn't look at her mother.

"They fucking knew, didn't they?" I asked, my anger getting closer to the surface.

"My bloodwork showed that I was pregnant within two weeks of my arrest, according to their files, Dad," Sophie said. "I hacked their computers to see if they figured it out before I broke out and they did. So I sent J.A.R.V.I.S. a virus. Stark has been vulnerable for the last twelve hours. It's going to take him at least twenty four to get the system back up."

"What about the Vision and S.H.I.E.L.D.?" I asked her.

"Vision seems to have left the pro-registration side, when I placed it in his memory that I was pregnant as Stark had me tortured for information. I don't know what he's going to do, but I placed a trace into his programming and he hasn't been responding to Stark since. S.H.I.E.L.D. is down for the count too. They upgraded all their tech to Stark tech, which is upgraded through J.A.R.V.I.S. so with J.A.R.V.I.S. being out, their systems are fucked. We're all free to move as we need to for the next 16 hours, I'd say safely."

"Why now?"

"I need to take a trip, Dad. Alone. And it means that I will be out in the open in a few places."

"Why aren't you going with her, Steve?"

"She won't tell me where she's going, but she's made it clear that at least one stop involves people that may not be the best for me to be seen with right now."

"I'll go with you, Sophie," I volunteered.

"No, Dad. I'll be fine. Besides, something tells me that while Steve and Bucky are going to take advantage of this window, you've got your own plans. I should be home by tomorrow."

"Sophie, you can't act like nothing happened to you, Baby," Anya spoke up.

"Mom, it's not that. I want this over. Maybe then I can deal with what happened. Right now… I don't have the luxury of disappearing and dealing with this. This war, me, Steve, and Bucky are at the center of it. It would be selfish if I just vanished, especially if I took Steve with me. So we're going to stay together and work through this. At the end, we'll step out of the spotlight, so to speak, and deal with this on our own. And I'm not taking a shot at you guys. This isn't really your fight. You stay in it for me, I'm not stupid. I love you guys, but I know that's the truth. I'm not mad you needed time away after it happened to you."

"Stay in touch when you get back, Baby. I want to know you made it back safely," Anya said.

"I will, Mom."

With that, Sophie and Steve stepped through a portal and left. I looked at Anya, who looked crushed, and held her in my arms as she cried, for both of her children who were casualties of this war; the one we'd lost and the one who was still fighting.

A few hours later, after Bucky brought the kids home and Anya was calmer, I started looking into where Barney was. Without Stark's tech to hide him, it was really easy to find him. I gave Anya a kiss good-bye and I used the teleporter to go to where he was.

When I got outside the building I tracked him, I cased it, looking for security, anyone else who might be with him, anything I should be wary of. Certain I could get in unseen, I went it. I found Barney passed out drunk in bed. I shot a sonic arrow above his head, waking him.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" he yelled out.

"I warned you, Trickshot, that if anything happened to her, what I did to you last time would be nothing compared to what I did to you when I came back to get you."

"Clint!" he said with a nervous laugh. "Come on little brother, you're not really gonna hurt me, are you?"

I released the arrow I had at the ready, which hit him right in the family jewels.

"Son of a bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you, Clint?!"

"I warned you! I fucking told you if anything happened to her, you'd pay for it. Well guess what, Big Brother? Something happened!" I yelled at him as I went on the attack.

I shot an ice arrow at Barney's dominant arm, freezing it, to sub-zero temperatures. I jumped on him and started beating him down, like a street kid. I knew Barney could fight, but I'd already messed him up really badly. By the time I left him, I'd broken his eye sockets, broken every bone in one arm and hand, left the other frost-bitten, damaged his family jewels beyond repair, and beaten him nearly to death in general.

"Just know this, if you do somehow survive this, you're dead to me, Barney. You're not my brother anymore; you're nothing to me. If you come near me or any of my family again, I'll kill you next time."

I pressed the teleporter and went back home, going down to the barn first so I could wash the blood off of me before I went into the house. When I went inside, I could tell Anya knew I'd done something. After dinner, while the kids watched a little tv, she asked.

"Where did you go, Clint?"

"To find Barney again."

"What did you do?"

"Beat him nearly to death."

"Clint!"

"I warned him if anything happened to our daughter because he helped Natasha and the others, I'd be back for him. And look what happened to her, Anya. How much more pain can we be expected to just sit back and watch our daughter go through while she pushes it aside for everyone else's sake?"

"Will he live?"

"Don't know. But if he does, I warned him to stay away from my family because I will kill him if he comes near them again. What I do know is he'll never shoot a bow and arrow again."

Sophie's POV:

I felt bad, leaving Steve and Bucky after we told my parents about the miscarriage. But we needed to get things done. I needed supplies, they had ops they wanted to run to try to help rogues they hadn't been able to get to yet, and we had a limited window. As it stood, I had told them what I hadn't told Dad… There was no way I'd be back home before Stark would get his systems up. But I knew I wouldn't get captured this time. I had the power of Asgard behind me this time.

Six years ago: (New York City)

I had to stay hidden. I knew the labs had people looking for me again. It was close to my birthday, the one time of year they had extra people looking for me, the one time of year I wasn't allowed to go see Mom for the entire month, because she was afraid they'd find me. It was a lonely time of year every year and I hated it.

It was just after the time that most school kids got out of school, so I was hiding in a public library, trying to blend in, reading up on various things. Suddenly, I felt as if I were in danger. Looking up, I saw some of the security I'd known in the lab. They'd somehow tracked me. Panicked, I started packing the few things I owned and looking around for an escape route.

Not seeing one, I called fire, and set a fire in the carpet right by the guards. I was upstairs. They were by the entrance. As the library started getting evacuated, I snuck out the fire exit on the side street and ran into two people who grabbed me and rushed me away from the scene. Something about them told me to trust them, which was the only reason I didn't attack them.

We didn't get far from the library when they put me into a car and introduced themselves as Scott Summers and Ororo Monroe. They told me they knew my name was Sophie Holden and they had been sent to save me from those guards and get me somewhere safe. I was a little suspicious, but knowing I could open the portals, I figured I'd at least hear them out before I tried to run again.

"Okay, fine, you know my name, but will you please tell me how you knew where I'd be and where you're taking me?"

"We're taking you someplace safe, Sophie, somewhere you may gain help with your powers," Ororo told me.

Okay, they knew a lot more about me than I thought. I stayed silent for the rest of the ride. When we finally got where we were going, we were in upstate New York. The plaque said something about a school for gifted youngsters.

"Come on, Sophie, we want you to meet someone," Scott said.

I hesitated.

"Come, child. It's safe here. I understand your hesitance. I, too, grew up on the streets at a young age, until Professor Xavier found me. He helped me. And now, he sent us to get you so he can try to help you as well," Ororo said to me, making me feel a little more comfortable.

I followed Ororo and she introduced me to Professor Charles Xavier. I spent a few months at the school before I told them I needed to go. Professor Xavier didn't seem happy about it, but he understood, he saw what was in my mind, why I was running again. In the end, he promised if I ever needed anything, I could always return.

Present:

"And now I'm back here and you're not here, Professor," I said to myself as I waited to be let into the school.

"What are you doing here? You're on the most wanted list and the X-Men are mutual in this civil war," Emma Frost said, coming to the gate. "We can't be seen with you, Sophie."

"Emma, I'm not here to stay and you don't have to worry about me being seen here. Stark's tech is all done right now. I just need to speak to Scott. Five minutes is all I need and I'll leave. I promise. Please. I'm not asking for you to involve yourselves on either side. I'm just looking for someone, Emma."

"Why aren't you with your husband?"

I tried not to think about why I was throwing myself into this task, but I felt her get it from my mind. She softened slightly.

"I'm sorry, Sophie. Nobody should suffer that."

"Please don't tell anyone, Emma. We're keeping that under wraps. I don't want anyone thinking I'm acting irrationally or pitying me. I just want to work on ways to project my husband and our team," I said as she nodded to me. "Will you please let me talk to Cyclops?"

She opened the gate.

"I will give you your five minutes, Sophie, but seeing as we need to protect everyone here…"

"I understand, Emma. Thank you."

Emma led me to Scott Summers, one of the two first X-Men I'd ever met years ago. We sat down in one of the offices after he got over his shock of seeing me.

"How are you, Sophie?"

"I'm focused, Scott. I need to gather supplies to work on some projects for my husband and our team, and because I respect the position this place has taken in the war, I need to cut the niceties and ask for a favor. I can't be here for long and risk all of you seeming as though you are choosing our side over Stark's."

"I understand. What can I do for you?"

"I need to find Ororo. Where is Storm?"

After I left Scott, promising when the war was over I'd bring my husband to the school to meet him, I opened a portal to find Storm. Scott had shown me some pictures, making the portals easier, but I knew it was still dangerous. This was a delicate situation and one wrong word or move could lead to a disaster. Stepping out of the portal, it wasn't long before I was approached by armed guards.

"Drop your weapons and state your weapons here!" The leader demanded of me.

Keeping one hand in the air, I carefully started disarming myself, removing my Asgardian sword and bow and quiver. They were the only weapons I had on me.

"My name is Sophie Rogers. Queen Ororo knows me as Sophie Holden, and I was looking for her help. I am now unarmed and not looking for any trouble," I said in response.

They picked up my bow and quiver of arrows. When they went to pick up the sword, they couldn't.

"Why can't we move that weapon?" the leader asked.

"It is a special gift, given to me as a gift by the All-Father, Odin, of Asgard. Only I may lift it," I responded.

"Are you an Asgardian, like Thor?"

"No; enhanced, like Queen Ororo. I earned the All-Father's respect, and he gave me these weapons as a gift. That sword will remain there unless I pick it up again, which I will not do without permission until I leave."

They didn't seem happy, but they led me away. I was locked in a room where I was left to wonder if I had made a mistake. A few hours later, Storm and who I could only guess was the Black Panther, King of Wakanda and her husband, walked into the room. Behind them, someone brought food and drinks.

"Sophie. You have grown, Child," Ororo said to me.

"Well, that happens when someone becomes an adult, Ororo," I said to her as I smiled and gave her a hug.

"This is my husband, T'Challa, King of Wakanda, the Black Panther," Ororo said to me.

I bowed to her husband.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," I said to T'Challa.

"What can we do for you here in Wakanda?" Ororo asked me. "I assume this isn't just a social visit considering the political climate of the United States?"

"I'm sorry, but it's not. I wish it were, because I have actually missed you," I replied. "I've come to ask for a favor. In return, I'm willing to negotiate to help you in any way within my powers."

"And what would your powers consist of?" T'Challa asked me.

"Powers over electricity, fire, fire portals, expert marksmanship, expert combatant, enhanced healing, agility, speed, and strength, and proven genius-level intellect; I have been able to out-maneuver Tony Stark's technology to keep the rebels one step ahead of him for most of this war, Sir," I replied.

"What would you want?" He asked.

"If you were willing to give me access to vibranium…"

"Sophie, that is a sacred material here in Wakanda," Ororo cut me off.

"I understand. I was just hoping that if I could work with it, work it into some of my armor tech for the guys, it would keep them safer."

T'Challa looked at Ororo and I wasn't sure what was transpiring between them. Finally, he looked at me.

"I have a counter-proposal for you. If you complete this task, you will prove that you are trust-worthy and willing to give before you ask for anything in return."

"I understand. What is the task?"

"You said you can open portals?" T'Challa asked me.

I nodded.

"I'm sure you are aware of Bill Foster's untimely death, are you not?"

"I heard about it when I broke out of Stark's prison, yes."

"We want to give him a Wakandan state funeral, but with Ororo being American-born, it is complicated for us to return to the United States. We are not sure if Mr. Stark will try to force the registration on her. So we would like you to open a portal, retrieve Mr. Foster's body, and open another portal to bring it to us here," T'Challa explained. "In twelve hours, without anyone knowing."

Bill Foster was in his Goliath form when he died. That would be the biggest mass I'd ever portaled by myself. I didn't know how that would affect me. I looked at my watch, which was still on my home timezone. It was late. I called my sword to me. When it was in my hand, I nodded to the rulers of Wakanda and opened the portal, disappearing.

Standing over Bill's grave, it hit me that he was gone. He was a brilliant man, one of Hank's protégé's, like I was to Tony, only Hank never turned on him. I found a bulldozer and a crane, hotwiring them to dig up the grave and pull his body out. Once his body was out and I replaced the dirt, which gave me a little time to regenerate my energy I put the construction equipment back where I'd taken it from. I went back to Bill's body and put all my focus into opening the largest fire portal I had ever opened in my life. When the portal closed, I briefly saw the look of worry on Ororo's face. Putting my hand to my nose, I saw the blood and then everything went black.

Ororo was holding a cool washcloth to my head that had an herby scent to it when I woke up. I tried to sit up, but she didn't let me. Instead, I put my hand to my nose and was relieved there was no blood.

"You should have told T'Challa that as Goliath that mass was more than you've ever tried to move at once, Sophie. You could have hurt yourself severely," Ororo said to me.

"He asked me for one thing in exchange for me getting what I need to upgrade the tech for my guys. I couldn't say no."

"What about the risk to your health?"

"I heal really quick," I said smirking at her.

"Now you sound like Wolverine," she said back to me with a slight smile. "What if you did not just have to worry about your health."

"I know that's not a problem, Ororo," I said quietly.

She looked at me and her instincts kicked in. She was a descendant of witch-priestesses.

"You are so young to have to go through something so terrible, Child."

"You are one of only a handful of people outside of my people who know. Steve and I decided to keep it that way."

"That's right, you married Captain America. I forget that being so far away from America sometimes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry both of you are dealing with this."

"It was because of Stark's torture tactics while he held me in the prison 42, in the negative zone. He called it 'interrogations,' but he tortured me every day, Ororo. He is the reason I have power of electricity now. The amount of electricity I've had pumped into my body intentionally and unintentionally by him has been astronomical. It's bad enough that I was able to absorb a blow of lightning from Thor with Mjolnir on Asgard," I said with some anger in my voice.

"Sophie, you must not let the anger consume you. Last time, I know what happened."

"I know, Ororo. I'm trying. I'm focusing on the lab, my tech; I'm only going into the field if it's necessary right now. I'm training our team, gearing them up, preparing them for the battle, and doing what me and Bucky were supposed to do when this war started, be support."

"You are friends with the Winter Soldier?" T'Challa said coming into the room. "He is a wanted war criminal."

"He is a different person than he was when he committed most of his crimes. I found a way to give his memories back a little more than a year ago and he's been a different person since. I give you my word, Your Majesty, The Winter Soldier is no longer the threat that he once was."

"Why should I believe that coming from his friend?"

"Because he is more than my friend. He is my family. There is a blood-tie between the Winter Soldier and I. I swear on my own life, that he is no threat to you or your country as long as you do not pose a threat to him," I replied.

"Are you threatening me and my kingdom?"

"No; never!" I exclaimed. "I'm only saying, Your Majesty, that like you, the Winter Soldier is now a man like any other. He values his friends and family, neither of which is many in numbers. But also like any other man with power, if he feels those he cares about are threatened, he will fight back. All I'm saying is that he has no reason to come after you. He has no issue with your kingdom. I'd stake my life on this."

"T'Challa, do not misunderstand her words, she is only saying that as long as we stay clear of the Winter Soldier's business he will stay clear of ours, a reasonable warning, my love. Sophie is young and does not understand our culture or ways. Forgive her any missteps she may have. She does not mean anything by them. After all, she took on your request without question or complaint at great risk to herself," Ororo said, pacifying the situation, which I gave a grateful smile for.

"This is true. And for this reason, I will give you the vibranium. But you did not specify an amount," T'Challa said.

"Because I did not want to be pushy or demanding. I know you are a country that tends to stay to yourselves. I figured if I was going to ask, I would accept whatever, if any, vibranium you were willing to offer me. And now, learning it is sacred to you, I will be even more grateful for anything you give to me," I replied to him.

"Fine. Get some rest. We will bring you something to eat and your other weapons when you wake, along with the vibranium," T'Challa said.

"Thank you," I said, bowing my head to him, as he left the room.

"Before you go back to sleep, you might want to check your phone. It's been going off quite often," Ororo said before following her husband out the door.

Bucky's POV:

It had been two days since we'd seen Sophie. We knew she hadn't been arrested again, but we had no idea where she was. She wasn't answering calls or texts. Suddenly, my phone went off.

Happy 100th Birthday, Bucky! I'll be home later or tomorrow. I need to rest before I can open another portal. I burned myself out. Will explain when home.

"Brat," I said with a small laugh looking at my phone.

"I take it that was Sophie?" Steve asked, coming down to the lab, where I was looking through some files.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"She's pretty much the only one you call a brat, Buck. What'd she say?"

I gave him the phone.

"She disappears, but she still remembers to rub in it's your 100th birthday? Should I be afraid next year?" He asked with a smile.

"Very, Steve. Be very afraid," I said, laughing. "I checked all the cell towers in the States. Wherever she is right now, she's not Stateside. That's why she needs the rest. She's probably been portal-hopping around too much. Wore herself out. At least she's not in this country where Stark can find her."

"Thank God for small favors, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Bucky said. "So how are you holding up?"

"We've still got work to do, but knowing that we made some headway when Sophie took Stark's tech down helped. I'd just like to see her. I hate going this long without seeing her. After what's happened to her…"

"I know, Steve. I don't like her going off like this either, but she needs to know we trust her. And she can defend herself in a fair fight. The two times she was arrested were extenuating circumstances. She's okay. We heard from her. Now, I would suggest clearing the house for the next day or so. We don't need anyone remembering it's her birthday. Given what happened, she's not gonna want to feel obligated to celebrate like last year."

"And you don't want them knowing it's your birthday, either, do ya, Buck?"

"That may be an added perk," I said, smirking at him. "But you know she doesn't need to feel the pressure of having to celebrate right now."

"You're right."

"Besides, I have something I want to show you."

"What is it?"

"Come with me."

I led Steve through the teleporter, to a new destination on the menu, one that until this point, only I'd known about. I brought Steve upstairs and showed him the house and property. He seemed to like it.

"What is this, Buck?"

I tossed him the keys.

"Consider it a late wedding present," I said to him.

"Where are we?"

"Part of the Appalachians in Massachusetts. Ten acres of land, off the grid, nearest neighbor is a few miles away."

"How did you do this?"

"I've actually owned this for quite a few years. Apparently, I used this as one of my safehouses for decades. Nobody ever found me here. I just had studied Sophie's tech and added it in while she was in 42. It was a distraction while we were waiting to make a move. Now, I'm giving it to the two of you," I said to my best friend. "Our place in New York will always be ours, Steve, but you and Sophie are married now. You need a place of your own. Even if you don't fully move in right now, this place is just for you. I'm the only other person who knows it's connected to the teleporter. It's a place you and your wife can come to be alone if you need to be."

Steve looked at me, speechless.

"I don't know what to say, Buck."

"Thank you is good enough, Steve."

"Thanks, Buddy."

"Just take care of her," I said as I hugged him and took him back to New York.

Steve's POV:

It was almost eleven thirty at night when Sophie appeared in the yard, with a large crate in tow. Bucky and I ran down to her to help her, she looked a little pale. After we settled her on the couch, we opened the crate, and I recognized what it contained.

"Sophie, how did you get this?"

"What is this, Steve?"

"Buck, this crate, it's full of vibranium," I said in awe.

Bucky looked at Sophie in awe like I was.

"Sophie, tell me you didn't do anything to cause this civil war to turn into a world war?" Bucky asked her.

She drank some water and I noticed her nose was bleeding. I handed her a tissue, but I was worried about that.

"No, I didn't. But I'm probably going to sleep for a day or so after everything I've done in the last two days," she said. "I was given the vibranium by the King and Queen of Wakanda."

"How'd you pull that off? They're not exactly an open-trade country, Sophie," I said to my wife.

"I know the Queen of Wakanda. At least I knew her when she was part of the X-Men. It was why I needed to do all of this on my own. Storm and Cyclops helped me escape the guys from the lab during a close call in the city. They brought me to Professor Xavier and I stayed at the school for a few months, until I felt like I was becoming a threat to everyone there. I felt like, if the guys from the lab found me, they would have a field day with all the mutants in the school. I left. But I never forgot them."

"So Storm just agreed to this?" Bucky asked.

"No, I had to complete a task for the King, T'Challa."

"What was it?" I asked her.

"I can't tell anyone. That was part of the deal. I had twelve hours to complete the task, without telling anyone, and he would grant me the vibranium. It just wore me out a lot worse than moving the vibranium, so I needed more time to rest, which is why I took so long to come home. I'm sorry, guys." Sophie said, the nosebleed finally stopping.

"We're just glad you're home safe," Bucky said.

"So what did you want with the vibranium?" I asked.

Sophie gave me a mischievous look.

"Well, it is the most versatile material on the planet…"