Oh my gosh! I survived the week! I hope you all did-or else you wouldn't be able to read this chapter. Now that's a sad thought... Anyway, enjoy! Also, I'm sorry I posted this chapter really late. Hope I didn't disturb any well-deserved sleep or late night partying!

Chapter Thirty-Three

I was walking down a road in the middle of a desert. The sun was so bright that it made everything around me stunningly white. There was nothing but the hot road and parched earth around me, but I kept walking.

At least a dozen thoughts entered my mind, but the most important ones were: where was I? Where was I headed?

The thoughts didn't stop my legs from moving, though. It was like they were stuck in the same rhythmic motion. I tried to make them stop, but nothing could have shaken them off their unknown course. With a sigh, I continued.

I was able to make out a few shapes even with the blaring light. There were a few cactus plants and, once in a while, I saw something wriggle its way along the ground. I shuddered. I hate snakes. But it quickly disappeared from sight and I managed to forget about it.

I had been looking down at the road for a while to try and stop 'admiring' the blindingly white scenery, but a dark shadow was suddenly cast along the ground and I looked up, nearly yelping in surprise. It was Steve.

Hope welled up inside of me and I quickly ran to his side, finally having complete control of my legs. I wrapped my arms around him, but he remained stiff. I slowly pulled back, only to meet his stern expression.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was as cold as ice even in this scorching wasteland.

"I...I don't know. But Steve, I'm so glad to see you." I tried to hug him again, but he shoved me away, his strength nearly knocking me to the ground.

"Go away." He barked. "I never want to see you again."

"Wh...what?" I was stunned. "What's wrong?"

"You." He advanced toward me threateningly, his muscles tense and his face turned into a grimace. "I hate you."

The words stung more than the desert heat. I tried to keep the tears from coming, but it was no use as a few started to roll down my cheeks.

"But Steve..."

"I said leave!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, his body coming uncomfortably close to mine. The fury in his eyes was unmistakable. I could see his large hands clench into fists, his face centimeters away from mine.

In fear, I turned and ran. The tears had started to dry on my face from the heat, only to be refreshed with another round of salty droplets. After a long while, I turned around, only to see him gone. Panting from exhaustion, I sank to the ground and held myself close.

"Steve..." I whispered between sobs, "please don't do this to me."

I jerked awake, only to find myself in a cold sweat, tears fresh on my face. I breathed in a few gulps of fresh air, the dream still painfully fresh in my mind. The clock on my nightstand read 2:38 a.m.

"Miss Barton, are you alright?" I started to shake as I laid down in bed again, wrapping my arms around my legs and tucking my head into my chest.

"Just leave me alone." I replied miserably to the A.I.

"Should I call your aunt?"

I shook my head. "No." The last thing I wanted was for my aunt to see me like this. She'd have a conniption if she found out the extent of what was going on. I didn't want to go through that.

"Yes, ma'am."

"He hates me." I whispered to myself. "He hates me."

The next morning I was still trying to shake off my nightmare as I sat at the kitchen table on Tony's floor eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs. Aunt Nat had half-dragged me out of my room that morning, insisting that I needed to get out of my 'dungeon of misery.' Everyone in the Tower had decided to have breakfast together. Well, with one member missing. I'll give you one guess who.

I kept having flashbacks of the dream, but getting out of my room was a good idea. Sitting next to my little cousins was good distraction when it came to meals.

"Auntie Hannie, look!" Barney squealed as he took his spoon filled with cereal and flicked it in Thor's direction, hitting him dead center in the forehead.

"He has his father's aim." Thor commented before popping the stray Cheerio in his mouth. I noticed he was already on his fourth bowl that morning. Good thing Tony kept more than a few boxes stashed in his cabinets.

"That's my boy." Uncle Clint ruffled the boy's hair and the toddler giggled.

"I'm gonna be just like Daddy when I grow up." He beamed with joy at the thought of shooting his own bow and arrow like he had seen his father do in practice. He was dazzled by the sport and I frequently caught him looking up at one of Uncle Clint's old bows framed up on the wall safely (for now) out of his reach.

"Like we didn't know that already." I teased and my uncle cast me a smile. He still didn't have a clue what was going on. That was a good thing, since he would flip if he knew what was going on-right behind Aunt Nat, of course. Steve would be dead in less than ten seconds. The only problem would be which relative would get to throw the first punch (or arrow).

"How's that history class going?" Bruce asked curiously, pushing his glasses back to the bridge of his nose.

"I got an A on the professor's last test." The memory brought a satisfied smirk as I remembered seeing my grade posted online. Carlyle probably had a mental breakdown when he had to give me an A.

"Who's that professor again? Carlos?"

"It's Carlyle." We all simultaneously whipped our heads toward the elevator doors and saw Steve standing there, his face emotionless as he shifted awkwardly from our attention.

"Finally come to join the party?" Tony couldn't have been less subtle about Steve's withdrawn nature the past few weeks.

My aunt gingerly placed her hand on my leg below the table. I was trying to be as strong as I could, given the circumstances. I knew I was was going to have to mentally force myself not to let him ruin my breakfast. Whatever was wrong with him was his problem, right? I just hoped I could keep that outlook for another ten minutes.

"Well, don't be a stranger. Have a seat." Tony ushered him in with a wave of his arm and Steve cautiously accepted.

He might as well have been a stranger as he sat down. He was quiet sitting beside Thor, pouring himself a bowl of cereal and pretending to focus on his meal. Bruce and Tony cast a few questioning stares in my direction and I shook my head sadly, still completely clueless as to what was going on.

"Anyway, Pepper and I are holding a big party here in a few months." Tony spoke up to break the stunned silence at the Captain's arrival.

"What for?" We all looked at him in curiosity.

He looked over at Pepper whose cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink.

"We're having a baby."

I knew something was up. I had kept silent about any suspicions I had, but I knew Pepper had been acting weird lately. The strange cravings (pizza and pop tarts), the changed morning schedule that had once been a strict 8:00 a.m. had shifted to a later time of 10:00 a.m.; and those were only a few symptoms I had noticed. I'm sure Aunt Nat had had her suspicions as well, but she had kept her thoughts to herself.

"Yep, a little Tony Jr. is on the way." Pepper met Tony's overjoyed face with a disapproving glance.

"We are not naming him Tony Jr."

"So it's a boy?" I didn't think she was that far along. Someone with such a slender figure as her would easily be showing off a baby bump by that time in her pregnancy.

"Actually, we're not sure yet." Pepper replied, the excitement on her face evident at the thought of finding out the sex of their child. "It'll be about a month before the doctor can tell."

"So it might be a Tony-etta." My smirk was hidden behind a gulp of orange juice and a few chuckles resounded throughout the room. I noticed Steve wasn't laughing. Instead, he was looking at me. When my gaze met his, he immediately turned away in embarrassment.

What is going on with him?

"We are NOT naming it Tony-etta." Pepper said flatly. Maybe I should let the name game be left between Tony and Pepper.

I looked down at my watch: 7:30.

"Well, I better get to school. Don't want to be late for Carlyle's class."

"I'll drive you." Aunt Nat offered, just in time as I realized I didn't have a ride.

I quickly dumped my bowl in the dishwasher and we headed out, not even so much as casting Steve a glance as I left.

Steve

And like that, she was gone. She had barely even looked at me. And now I had a big lump of guilt buried down in the pit of my stomach.

Smooth move, Cap, as Tony would say.

"So, what's been up with you, Cap? I haven't seen you and Hannah around much." Clint began. He didn't have a clue was going on. And I much preferred to keep it that way.

"Yeah, what's up?" Tony repeated.

"Nothing. Just...busy." I lied.

I could feel them staring at me. Nat had already cast me a short and sweet deadly glare before she and Hannah had left, and I was once again reminded that I had an unknown timer ticking away before before she came back in my room like last night with an army behind her. I was putting off talking with Hannah as long as possible. I wasn't a procrastinator, but I wanted to avoid it as much as possible. I knew I was going to have to talk to her eventually, lest I lose a good friend forever. I would have to lie to her.

That's the only way. Lie to her. Tell her you were having some problems and now you're all better.

But I wasn't better. In fact, I felt worse than I had in my entire life. Getting shot in the stomach and nearly drowning after the fall of the Triskelion was easier to contend with than this. But I had fought with every fiber of my being to keep something like this from happening. And I wouldn't stop now.

I couldn't get hurt. Not again. Everything had fallen apart last time and I had almost given up on life after that.

I couldn't help but remember best parts about it, though. It gave life so much meaning and purpose. It had even...

Fight.

I sucked in a breath. Yes, I would fight it. I had to.

But if I was fighting so hard against this, why did it feel like all I was doing was running away?

Chapters like this always make me feel sad. I hope I didn't ruin anyone's weekend!