Maria sat at a table, scribbling things down that they needed for the new weapons they were working on. They had to compete with Hydra on this and they had a lot of new technology. They really had to step their game up. Maria looked over at Howard who was messing with what Steve had brought over from the Hydra camp. Steve at first thought it was some form of the super soldier serum, but when they actually began to study it, they found that it was a Hydra weapon and inside it was the key to all their technology. "Howard," Maria began while looking at him curiously from her desk. "What are you doing?"

"Science." She rolled her eyes at his simple answer and went back to her list. "Initial signature is unusual."

Maria looked back to him, noticing there wasn't even a cover between him and the energy. "That unusual initial signature is gonna get you killed." Maria told him in a bored voice.

"Alpha beta remain neutral." He spoke, ignoring her again. "But I doubt Rogers picked up on that." Howard looked over to the assistant who was helping him and the two shared a laugh."

Maria dropped her pen and looked to him, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "Fine," They both looked to her as her heels clacked and she moved to some workers nearby who were assembling new weapons. "I hope you die, bitches."

Howard looked to her for a moment and then looked back to the energy source he was studying. "Don't mind her." He spoke to the assistant who was still staring at Maria worriedly. He began to get an idea he knew Maria wouldn't approve of and now she wasn't watching him like a hawk, so he could do it. "Seems harmless enough." He began to move the other claw towards the energy source, wanting both of them to be holding it. "Hard to see what all the fuss is about."

The second it touched the other claw on the machine, it burst, sending Howard flying back and everyone else to take cover. "Howard!" Maria yelled out once she got up from the floor.

Howard sat up from his spot slightly and began to breathe heavily, amazed with what this thing could do. "Write that down."

Maria hurried to him and helped him stand up, checking him for any serious wounds. "Why do I put up with you?" She scolded as she began to try to get to the dust off of him.

Howard shrugged while looking at her. "You'd be bored without me." She looked up at him with a tight smile, knowing he was right, but also not wanting to admit it.

Maria sighed and looked over at a table nearby. "You want to work on the shields we had planned to show Steve? That way I can keep an eye on you."

He laughed and nodded. "I think that's a great idea." Maria smirked and put his arm around her shoulders, guiding him away as he began to limp from the blast.

Maria stood in front of Bucky, sighing, not really wanting to do this. "Why?" Maria finally asked.

"Because," He sighed out as he moved to her and put her fists up. "You're going to be going with us to dangerous countries in dangerous situations and I want you to know how to protect yourself."

"I'm issued a gun." She complained as she put her fists back down.

Bucky let out an angry sigh and moved to her again, putting her fists back up. "And if you can't get to your gun at that moment then you need to learn how to defend yourself without it." She sighed again and the two looked at each other with their fists up. "Hit me."

"No." She told him immediately while shaking her head.

"Come on, it's not that big of a deal. Just hit me."

Maria sighed and leaned forward, sending her fist in his direction, but he just grabbed it. "What the hell?" She mumbled as his grip became tighter on her hand.

"No one's going to take it easy on you just because you're a girl." Maria moved her other fist quickly, hitting him on the side of the head. Bucky had to blink a few times. "That one was actually really good."

She gave him another punch in the face and Bucky looked to her like she was kind of annoying him. "You're the one who said that no one was going to take it easy on me out there."

He moved forward and grabbed both of her hands, putting them behind her as she began to laugh. With a smile, he lifted her up and she continued to squeal with laughter. He threw her down on the bed and began to tickle her as she kicked and screamed for him to stop all while she kept laughing. When he finally stopped, he let her catch her breath and she then said, "I thought you were teaching me how to defend myself."

He shrugged and sighed. "I got distracted." He looked down at her yellow nightgown. Matching her golden hair. The nightgown was now slightly up, revealing her panties and her belly button. "Damn, you have the perfect body." She rolled her eyes at him with a smile and he looked to her face with a smile. "I mean it."

Maria had always been self-conscious growing up. The kids told her she was too tall, she didn't do her make up and she never did her hair. When she grew up a little, she began doing her make up and her hair because that had always stayed with her. Bucky, though, fell in love with her the most when she wasn't wearing make up and when her hair was wild from her sleep. "Thank you." She finally spoke.

He stroked her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead before rolling off of her and turning out the lamp light. "I know we said we would get married when I came back home, but I think we both knew it would be at the end of the war."

Maria turned to face him and laced her fingers through his, leaning to their enclosed hands and planting a kiss on the back of his hand. "We'll get married at the end of the war." She promised. He nodded and leaned in to kiss her one last time before they began to go off into their sleep.

It had been about a month and Howard and Maria were almost done coming up with all their new weapons. All they needed was for Steve to approve a shield and then get it painted. Maria was currently not feeling good at all. She had thrown up in the morning and even though Bucky tried to force her to stay, she went to work anyway. Howard noticed the way she was acting and just brushed it off, knowing she would only refuse at him trying to send her home.

Steve began to walk through their underground facility. After the call from Maria in the morning about the shield ideas, he knew he had to get their early or face her when she was angry and her moods had been all over the place lately causing the littlest things to set her off. He looked all around for his sister and Howard and when he couldn't find them, he decided to ask for help. He saw a young, beautiful Private reading a newspaper while sitting on a desk. She was the only person in the near vicinity so he decided to ask her. "Excuse me?" She didn't even take her eyes off the paper, but he decided to go ahead and ask her anyway. "I'm looking for Mr. Stark and Miss. Rogers."

"They're in with Colonel Phillips." Steve nodded and began to look around while continuing to keep his hands behind his back. When the Private looked up at him, she had to do a double take, immediately recognizing his face from the paper she was currently reading. He looked to her and a smile spread across her face, her voice beginning to turn seductive. "Of course, you're welcome to wait."

Steve nodded politely and moved over to a desk right across from where she was siting. The Private then moved the paper and fold it in half so he would see the headline. "I, uh, read about what you did."

"Oh," He spoke blandly while pointing to the paper as she put it down. "Yeah." He didn't really like all the attention he was getting. "I was just doing what needed to be done."

"Sounded like more than that." She spoke as she crossed her legs, keeping her seductive smile. "You save nearly 400 men."

He sighed, beginning to pick up when women were attracted to him and she wasn't keeping it subtle as she ogled him. "Really, it's no big deal."

She got up from where she sat and began to move towards him, making Steve nervous. "Tell that to their wives."

"Uh," He crossed his arms, looking everywhere but at her. "I don't think they were all married."

She shook her head while continuing to stare at him. As far as she knew, Captain America was single, but she didn't know that he was saving himself. "You're a hero."

"Well that…you know." He began to scratch his forehead, not really knowing what to do about the situation. "That depends on the definition of…"

She laced her red nail polished fingers through his tie, continuing to smile seductively. "And the women of America owe you their thanks." She began to pull him out of the open hallway and to the desk she saw sitting at before. "And seeing as they're not here." She pulled him in for a kiss which Steve was surprised by. He honestly had no idea what to do. He decided not to be rude and pull away from her so he put his hands on her waist.

Peggy rounded the corner of the hallway and once she saw Steve kissing the Private, she put her hands on her hips. She thought Steve would actually wait for her. She never in her wildest dreams expected to see Steve Rogers making out with some random girl. She was just getting angrier and angrier. "Captain!" They both pulled away from each other and once Steve saw Peggy, he felt so guilty and he knew he was in trouble. "We're ready for you, if you're not otherwise occupied."

She turned on her heels and Steve began hurrying after her. "Agent Carter, wait!"

"Looks like finding a partner wasn't that hard after all." She was trying to hurry so she wouldn't be by him anymore, but he was unfortunately keeping up with her.

"It's not what you think." He promised as he continued to wipe his mouth.

"I don't think anything, Captain. Not one thing." She didn't turn to him as he adjusted his tie, still wishing none of it had ever happened. "You always wanted to be a soldier and now you are. Just like all the rest."

Yes, Steve had kissed another woman, but she didn't give him a chance to explain himself and he still felt insecure at the thought of Peggy and Howard. "Well what about you and Stark?" She stopped walking with him about a foot behind her. She honestly had no idea what he was talking about. "How do I know you two haven't been…fondueing?"

Peggy turned around and looked at him like he was an idiot. She couldn't believe he didn't know what fondue was. After a few seconds of idiotic staring, she shook her head and turned away. "You still don't know a bloody thing about women."

Maria walked up to see Steve watching as Peggy walked away from him. "Hey." She called, not realizing anything was wrong with him from his back. "We're ready for you."

He turned around quickly and looked to her flustered. "What is fondue?!"

Maria stood there for a minute and then rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what this was referring to. "Howard!" Maria called before turning around.

"What?!" He yelled out, fearing that he was in trouble as she hurried to him with Steve behind her.

Maria walked into the room he was last in and couldn't see any sign of him anywhere, but she was certain this is where she had heard his voice. "Where are you?"

He moved out from under what he was working on which was right in front of Maria. She jumped back along with Steve and gave him an annoyed face. He looked up at her with a sarcastic smile and put his hands out dramatically. "Right here."

She rolled her eyes and leaned down to pick him up by the shirt. He whined and complained as he was forced to stand up and right when he was face to face with her, she put her hands on her hips. "You ruin everything."

"What did I do this time?" He asked her dramatically.

She turned to Steve and shook her head at him. "He thinks you and Peggy have a thing going on because you asked her to fondue."

Howard looked to Steve who nodded while crossing his arms, trying to show he meant business. Howard smiled a little bit and moved to him, putting his arm around his shoulder, walking him over to where he needed him. "Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend."

Steve uncrossed his arms with realization passing over his face. Maria began to smile as the two walked past her. "Really?" Steve asked like the truth blew his mind.

Maria moved past the two with her hands behind her back, practically galloping at her entertainment of the day. "Yup."

"I didn't think-"

"Why should you, pal?" Howard looked over at Maria who was getting the last bit of the new equipment checked. "The moment you think you know what's going on in a woman's head, is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked." A strand of blonde hair began to fall in front of her goggles as she looked down one of the weapons and Howard was mesmerized and he knew that she would never move that loose strand out of her face. He thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. "Me? I concentrate of work." Steve looked over to where he was staring, not understanding until he saw that Howard's eyes were on Maria. Howard blinked a couple of times and clapped his hand on Steve's shoulder, bringing Steve back to their conversation. "Which, at the moment, is about making sure you and your men do not get killed."

He moved over to something being covered and once he took off the sheet, Steve saw it was a version of his shield. "Ah," Maria spoke as she moved to them with a smile on her face. She picked up and held it so Steve could get a better look at it. "Carbon polymer." She turned it around so Steve could get a full look at it. "Should withstand your average German bayonet."

"Although, Hydra's not going to attack you with a pocket knife."

Maria turned to Howard and smiled as she began to walk backwards as he walked forwards, the two keeping in perfect step. Steve watched the two, realizing for the first time how much chemistry the two had. "You're gonna need something stronger." Maria told him as she picked up the costume shield he used for the shows. "I hear you've become quite attached."

She pushed the shield out forward and Howard took it, putting it back down without missing a beat. "It's handier than you might think." Steve told them while looking down at his shield kind of sadly.

"We took the liberty of coming up with some options." Howard told Steve as they moved to another table which was covered in shield prototypes.

Howard and Maria began to explain all of his options when something under the table caught Steve's eyes. "What about this one?"

"No, no." Howard told him quickly, but Steve had already picked it up.

"What's it made of?" He asked in shock of the lightness.

"Vibranium." Maria told him with a slight smile, knowing that Steve was going to find that one. "It's stronger than steel, and a third of the weight."

"It's completely vibration absorbent."

Steve looked down at the thing in wonderment as he put it through his arm. "How come it's not standard issue?"

"That's the rarest metal on earth." Maria told him while leaning on the table while smiling proudly at the shield.

"What you're holding there is all we've got."

"Are you quite finished?" They all turned to see Peggy walking into the room, still looking pissed. "I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

Steve looked to her, not picking up on how pissed she still was. He put the shield in front of him and gave her a small smile. "What do you think?"

Peggy looked at him while the wheels turned in her head. She picked up a gun from a nearby table and held it up to Steve. With a panicked face, Steve put the shield to his face and everyone got down as she shot the gun three times directly into the shield. A tense silence passed over them all as Steve brought the shield down and Peggy smiled as she put the gun back down. Howard and Maria peaked up from the table they were hiding behind, followed by slowly standing up. "Yes." She told him a cheery voice. "I think it works."

Howard and Maria walked up to Steve as Peggy walked away. All of their eyes were stuck on her, still not believing that Steve pissed her off that bad. "I had some ideas about the uniform." Steve told them as he handed Howard a small piece of paper."

Howard took it from him and slipped it in his pocket without even looking at it, eyes still on Peggy. "Whatever you want, pal."

Bucky and Maria held hands as they waited in the doctor's office. Women all around them had children sitting in their stomachs and Maria couldn't stop looking back and forth at all of them, knowing there was a very strong possibility that she would look like them in a few months. Bucky was tapping his feet while looking down at his hands and leaning forward. They had gotten Maria tested last week and they were waiting on the results. Bucky was nervous about being a father, but knew he wasn't going to leave Maria. He was going to marry her if she was pregnant and they were going to raise that baby together. "Maria?" The receptionist called.

They both looked up with a panicked expression and then looked to each other. With their hands still laced together, they stood up and walked into the patient room together. They were in there alone, waiting on the doctor to show up. The two still held hands as Maria sat in the patient chair and Bucky in the waiting chair. She looked to him, giving him a slight smile. "I'm nervous."

Bucky nodded, giving her hand a light squeeze before kissing the back of it. "I'm nervous too."

The door opened and their doctor came in. He was a very tall, older man with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They both gave the doctor a nervous smile as he sat down in his chair, sharing the usual 'hellos' and 'how are you doings'. "So," Their doctor began while beginning to open up the file. Their grip on each other's hands tightened. "Let's get to the results." There was an intense moment that passed as he found what was written on the file. He looked up to them, giving them a light smile. "You're pregnant."

Maria let out a breath and turned to Bucky who seemed to be frozen. "Bucky?" She questioned.

"Is this good news?" The doctor asked while looking back and forth at Maria and Bucky.

She turned to him with a reassuring smile and shook her head. "It's good news. It really is."

"He must just be shocked." He told her as she turned back to look at Bucky. "It's common with new fathers."

"Father." Bucky repeated slowly.

"Bucky?" Maria asked slowly. He let go of her hand and fell off the chair as he fainted and Maria stood up rapidly. "Bucky!"

Bucky woke up with an ice pack to his head and he groaned. As he fluttered his eyes open, he got a view of Maria standing over him. "Maria?" He groaned out as he tried to sit up.

"Take it easy." Maria told him as she tried to ease him back down.

He groaned again and closed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light all around him. "What happened?"

"You fainted." He jumped at the sound of the doctor's voice and turned to see him right next to him. "You hit your head pretty hard too."

Maria stifled a laugh and they all turned to her, giving her a serious face. She looked up at both of them and shrugged, her face getting serious. "Sorry. I just thought of it again."

They all looked back to Bucky who began to nod, letting it all come back to him. "We're gonna have a baby." He spoke as he looked to Maria. She nodded as a smile spread across his face. Bucky began to laugh with delight at the idea of the two being parents. "We're gonna have a baby." He spoke as he sat up. She nodded again, laughing happily as she covered her mouth. He looked down at her stomach. She was far from showing, but he knew that his baby was inside there. He put his hands on her stomach and smiled at it, putting his face to the dress she was wearing. He shut his eyes and let out a happy smile. "We're gonna have a baby."