A/N: Hey everyone! So here's the next chapter, and there will be one or two more chapters after this one! If you have any ideas of what can happen in those chapters, i'm all ears. Just leave a review or a PM with ideas!
Surprisingly, it wasn't much of an issue getting Maria to bed. She had already passed out in the car after lecturing Steve about the importance of honesty in a relationship, much to everyones amusement, and Steve wanted to tell her that she wasn't completely honest in their relationship either. He decided to leave that conversation for the morning when she was sober. He quickly got her changed into her pajamas before lying down next to her and falling into a deep sleep.
He was going to have to do a lot of damage control in the morning because Maria would, without a doubt, feel absolutely awful.
When Maria awoke several hours later, she had a pounding headache and felt sick to her stomach and she looked like the literal definition of hell.
"Merry Christmas." Steve said, which made Maria painfully sit up and look to where he stood by the window. That was when some pieces from the night before came back to her. Seeing Steve talking to Melanie, going to the bar...hitting Steve...
"Oh shit! Steve , I hit you! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have...I just was so...that's no excuse...I feel awful!" She was about to cry. Would have too, if she didn't already feel like shit, so she just covered her mouth instead, "You probably hate me now."
The last time Maria had lost her temper and lashed out at someone like that was over the summer. Emily had overstepped her boundaries, and Maria had hit Emily so hard that a bruise had formed. Needless to say, Maria still hasn't fully forgiven herself, even if Emily has already forgiven her. She had run off and no one could find her for the whole day, until sunrise the next morning. Surprisingly, Emily had been the one to find her.
One thing that stuck out to Maria about hitting Steve was that Steve didn't hit her back.
"Why didn't you hit me back?"
Steve shrugged, "Well, many people think that hitting a woman back because she hit them first is justified. It's not. Besides, you were drunk and pissed at me for keeping your father's illness from you."
"That's still no excuse," She said solemnly, "And I swear that I will never hit you again, or throw things at you...sorry about that, by the way, and i'm not going to turn into_"
"Maria, don't," He started, knowing exactly how she was going to end that sentence. Whenever she lashed out like that, she became fearful that she would be an abuser like her father was, "I don't care if you over do it sometimes. You rarely drink and the last time I saw you this drunk was last March. Know how long ago that was? Almost a year ago. But we have more things to discuss...like the fact that you thought I was cheating on you with your cousin?"
Maria sighed, "Honestly, I barely remember that night, but I do think that came up, yes."
"Well, why did you think I was cheating on you?"
Maria shrugged, "Well, you were lying to me about my dad's illness and I saw you laughing with Melanie, it made me wonder what else you lied to me about."
"Maria, you know I love you. I wanted to tell you, believe me, I did."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because at the time he was diagnosed, you were stressed, you were in the hospital, you were stressed to the point that you weren't eating. I didn't want to make things worse and seeing you like that, Maria? It terrified me!" Steve explained. It seemed that was everyones reason for not telling her things. It was Emily's reason, Daniel's reason, Anna's reason...everyones.
This time though, Maria knew he was telling the truth.
"Okay. I guess that would make sense, and I believe you, it's just...let me tell you why Melanie and I don't get along. When I was twenty, almost twenty-one, I had this boyfriend. He didn't treat me right but he didn't treat me badly, either. One day, he tells me that he was going to ge out of work late. Weeks before that, he would tell me that he was going to "hang with the guys" or "see his friend", go into work earlier than normal, leave later than normal, et cetra. I went to surprise him at his place. I found him. In bed. With Melanie. Melanie was sixteen," She explained, sighing, "We had never gotten along very well, but I had never thought she would stoop that low.
"Well, I can guarantee that I won't cheat on you. I'm here to stay. Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but girls that do drugs and rely on others really aren't my thing. I prefer strong, drug free women." He said, sitting down beside her and putting an arm around her shoulder. Maria just smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which probably would have gone to his lips if the door hadn't opened to reveal Alexa standing there.
"Let me guess. Someone sent you up here to get us so we can open presents?" He asked, picking Alexa up as she nodded.
"Should we tell her?"
Steve nodded, and looked at Alexa, who was looking at him inquisitively.
"Lexy, how would you like to come home with me and Maria?" Steve asked, making the child's eyes light up like a christmas tree, signing something in sign language that Steve couldn't quite understand.
Maria chuckled, "Yes, forever."
Alexa just held up her arms for Maria, who took her from Steve, and the three went down stairs.
When they got downstairs, they were greeted by everyone else sitting around the Christmas tree. Everyone was still in their pajamas, including Emily, who also looked like hell. Her hair was unkempt and her eyes had bags under them, indicating that she hadn't slept very well.
"Finally! Now we can open presents!" Erin exclaimed as five-year-old Elsa ran up to them, making Maria put Alexa down.
"Present time?" Elsa asked, looking at all the adults, who nodded.
Alexa surprisingly got a good amount of presents, mainly new toys and some clothes, which was also what the other children and Emily got. Most of the adults got things like work clothes, jewelry, gift cards, et cetra. Emily also got a camera from John, which actually made her smile despite how she felt.
"Maria, Steve, and Alexa. Look at me." Emily said, aiming the camera in the direction of the two adults and the two-year-old that was sitting between them before going to take a picture of Danny and Anna with Ryder. Shawna was even decent that morning, and so was Melanie...sometimes. It was beginning to be a good Christmas, until Jacqueline, who knew a bit more about Maria's job than anyone else, opened her mouth.
"Maria, have you ever broken your hand?" Jacqueline asked, earning a warning look from Maria.
"No, but I have broken my arm, dislocated my shoulder,twice, broke my ankle, ribs, had a concussion, and broke my pelvis."
Everyone looked at them, shocked.
"At the same time?" Mark asked stupidly, earning a sigh from his wife.
"Hon, I think she broke them at different times." Kelly said, giving Maria a knowing look.
"Yes. Back in 2010 I was in a near fatal car accident in Los Angeles. Not really my fault...I just...you know...drove off a cliff...into a ravine...rolled over multiple times...and then I crashed through my windshield and hit a tree full force."
"I remember that! I was with you when that happened!" Emily exclaimed, "Well, not with her, but I saw it happen...so did Natasha and Clint and everyone else that was with us. She wasn't breathing for more than forty-five minutes. We gave her CPR for the whole forty-five, but when we stopped, we were trying to decide what to do, and then all of a sudden we hear someone coughing and gasping for air! She tried getting up, but then she was on the verge of tears and said, 'yeah. i'm not going anywhere for a while, guys.' it was kind of amusing...well, once we knew that she wasn't going to die."
"You must have been driving really fast to sustain those type of injuries. Were you in a high speed chase?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow at Maria.
"Something like that..."
"Oh and Director Fury got an ear full_" Emily added, about to continue when Maria sent a dirty look her way.
"I told her she should have worn her seat belt."
"Well, Danny, the ironic part is that I was wearing my seat belt...so, Jacqueline, why do you ask if I broke my hand?"
Jacqueline sighed, "Because I did something to my hand and I don't know if it's broken or not...Yes, I know, i'm a critical care nurse and I can't tell if my hand is broken or not." She said, rolling her eyes at the look that Maria was giving her.
Maria sighed, about to say something when Mike started talking, "Well, let's go eat breakfast, shall we? We can take a look at Jacqueline's hand while were at it."
Everyone got up to leave except for Maria and Steve, who stayed behind and Melanie gave them a look.
"I have a present for you now." Maria told him, reaching under the tree and taking out a rectangular present with green wrapping paper.
Steve hesitantly took it and opened it to reveal a digital photo frame. The first picture was the picture that Stark took of them after their first date when he caught them kissing, and then it faded to a picture of them on labor day, which faded to another picture, and another.
"Maria, where did you find this? It must have cost a lot."
Maria shrugged, "It was worth it."
Steve gave her a kiss on the cheek before he reached back under the tree and took out his present for her.
"Steve, I told you not to get me anything."
"Well, if you get me something then i'm getting you something."
Maria mockingly rolled her eyes and carefully unwrapped the present to reveal a square shaped box, which she opened to reveal a sterling silver heart pendant with a diamond stud in the middle of it.
"Steve, it's beautiful."
"I knew that you would want something simple, but not too simple. Pepper helped me pick it out."
Maria said nothing, only hugged him and gave him a kiss before handing it to Steve so he could put it on her.
"Maria! Steve! Hurry!" Melanie called from the kitchen, making Maria roll her eyes.
"Is it too late to pull the pregnancy card? Because apparently they think i'm pregnant, so why not have fun with it?"
"Well, as fun as that sounds, I don't think that would help."
Maria groaned, "Fuck."
A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)