It was a tense couple of days for the next week.

Sharon stayed and worked on reversing the genetic damage the machine had done, Steve got sick again because of course they were starting to get into the heart of flu season.

Beth and Sharon were staying away from each other, weather on purpose or just because they didn't like each other Steve didn't know, he knew that Beth did apologize for punching her in the face; Sharon had barely nodded but said nothing even though the scratches were still bright on Beth's cheek.

When Steve asked she said she hadn't expected one.

Before he could go ask Sharon himself what the deal was he got sick, which put Beth into what could only be described as nanny mode, not that he minded it reminded him of when Bucky use to take care of him when he was younger.

Of course she got a lot cuddlier as well so maybe it was more mother Henning than nannying.

When she slid up behind him again after he ate he just glanced at her and gave her a strange look "you're gonna get sick" he said and she snorted before nuzzling the back of his neck "babe I don't get sick" he huffed even as his face heated up with more than just fever.

True to form she didn't get sick and he was on the mend a day later, just in time for Sharon to make a break through.

"So we should have our Steve back in about" tony looked at his watch "24 to 48 hours" Steve glanced at Beth to see her reaction to the way tony said that but she just stood arms crossed and smirking.

Maybe it was just Sharon she had a problem with.

She left in the middle of an examination after they injected some strange green serum into his arm and it was 20 minutes before he could go looking for her, this time he went straight for the gym.

He found her there doing pushups but she didn't have her music on so she wasn't upset about anything.

"Hey" he greeted she paused for half a second to glance at him but didn't stop he had noticed she didn't have a set workout routine, she just seemed to push herself until she couldn't move "hey" she huffed in return "what are you doing down here?"

He made a face at how she spoke between pushups "came looking for you, what are you doing down here?" he asked "got bored. Figured. Get a few. Rounds. In"

Beth huffed a breath when there was a sudden weight on her back and looked Steve was sitting on her "you mind?" he smiled at her "not at all, I prefer knowing what you're saying when we talk"

She rolled her eyes huffing slightly then crossed her arms to rest her head on them "I was saying I got bored just standing around so I figured I might as well get a few reps in" he shook his head crossing his legs on her back.

He looked down when she let out a long huff "I'm not too heavy am I?" she turned her head and he could see the grin in her lips then she moved and he graved her shoulder so he didn't fall off.

"I use to do this with my brother, before he discovered crispy creams go extremely well with coffee" she pushed herself up and then she stopped and glanced back again.

Steve shifted up further so he sat comfortably just below her shoulders, sitting mostly on her shoulder blades and kept one hand on her shoulder for balance then she lifted one of her arms and tucked it behind her back before she started again.

She didn't go as fast as she was when he walked in and he wondered if it was because of his weight or because she didn't want to jar him, he decided it was because of his weight when she swapped hands by shoving herself up with enough force she could stay up long enough to swap hands.

Though when she bright her arm up she swatted him on the ass by 'accident'

"so how you feeling?" she asked glancing back at him as she continued he looked down at her and saw the way she wasn't even out of breath, did he really weight that little to her? He shook his head to focus "I'm breathing easier so Bruce and Sharon might have got it right"

She snorted but kept when she wanted to say to herself "so now we just wait and in what 2 days you'll revert back to your after serum form? I got to say I'm gonna miss it, you're a cute little shit"

He rolled his eyes "language, what you'll miss it being the big spoon and no that's not really all"

The sudden stop of her movement made him look back at her she had her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed "what else has to happen?" he glanced away and rubbed his neck "well..."

Suddenly she rolled over back hitting the floor and she had done some intricate move to keep him sitting on her, this time on her chest where he promptly slid to her stomach so she could sit up on her elbows and look at him.

"Steve" he looked at her, he knew that tone of voice "tell me" her eyes promised retaliation and punishment if he didn't so he sighed "I have to be hit by the machine again" he covered her mouth with a hand before she could start yelling.

"before you say it I know it's a bad idea but if I don't it won't reactivate the serum in my blood, the formula Sharon gave me reactivated it but the damage wont reverse without another hit" they stared at each other then she tapped his hand making him remove it from her mouth but she snagged it before it got too far.

She pulled his hand back and pressed his knuckles against her lips eyes closed she took a breath then let it out and looked back at him "ok" he looked surprised "okay?" he asked dumbly and she smiled holding his hand against her breast bone "okay, it's your choice and you know I'll support you, is my brother putting the machine back together?"

He glanced away and bit his cheek "Steve," she complained knowing he wasn't telling her something "when it was removed from the base the data was corrupted, some kind of fail safe from what tony found, I have to be hit by one still in their facility"

She stared at him "you didn't tell me that" she said dully and he sighed heavily "I know but the serum Sharon gave me reactivated what little of the original is still in my genes, I think they left a few of the really technical things out but basically, we have 48 hours to find a machine before its irreversible"

"then why don't we make another serum like shield did for me?" he sighed again "they said my genetic code is unstable and deteriorating, apparently what's left of the serum is all that's keeping it stable"

Her eyes had gone wide not that he noticed it "so if we don't get you to a hydra base in 48 hours, you're going to die" he nodded slowly "fast enough we won't be able to recreate the serum even if I got the file from shield" he nodded again "and currently were looking for a hydra base with another machine?"

With one more nod she went silent then she sat up the rest of the way and when he looked at her he expected her to look serious, or angry, or sad.

He didn't expect her to be smirking.

"I think I know just where to find one"