I really believe you all are going to love me by the end of this chapter. Be sure to let me know just how much after you're done. Toodles! :D That's French, by the way. Just an interesting fact I picked up today.

Chapter Forty-Four

Tonight was the night. I looked out the massive view of my aunt and uncle's floor at Stark Tower, hundreds of cars lined up the streets for Stark's baby celebration. It was also the night Tony would propose. I hadn't told Aunt Nat, but I had a feeling she knew.

The dress looked as stunning as it was when I first tried it on. The reflection in the window was a stranger. Their hair was curled and flowing loosely behind their back, their figure deeply accentuated with curves by the dress that hugged tightly to their bodice. It took a moment to realize that person was me.

"Barney, hold still while I get your bow tie on!" Uncle Clint scolded as he wrestled with the troublesome toddler behind me.

"It's too tight!" The boy cried, trying to wrench his father's large hands from him with his tiny fingers.

The two could not have been more like each other. I'm pretty sure my uncle had whined half the day about having to wear a stupid bow tie to one of Stark's parties.

"Here, let me take him." My uncle gladly stepped aside and started to fiddle with his own done-up, strangling menace.

Barney was still reluctant to have someone mess with the choking contraption, but he gradually eased up as I loosened it and redid it.

"There you go. And look what a handsome little man you are!" Barney beamed, grasping his waistcoat and standing on his tiptoes.

"I'm not so little anymore, Auntie Hannie."

No, you aren't, I thought, holding in a sigh. I ruffled the boy's head in protest, a practice I had done since he was a baby. He may be my big, little man now, but at least I could hold on to some of our old ways.

"So when's your date supposed to be here?" My uncle pulled me back into the present.

"Should be anytime."

I had been nervous all day long. I wasn't just going on a date. I was going to a big, fancy party with hundreds of famous people with the infamous Captain America. The idea of having all those eyes on me made me nauseous.

"You look beautiful." He kissed me lightly on the forehead. He looked at me, his eyes so bright that I could see myself in them. The same, mischievous smile adorned his face and I asked wearily,

"You're not trying to butter me up so that you can torture Steve tonight, are you?" His smile grew wider.

"Just try not to get into too many slow dances."

All of a sudden, I heard the click-clack of little shoes on the tile floor and my niece emerged out of the bathroom, a mess of red curls and a glittery red dress to match. To top it all off, her equally red shoes sparked like the dress under the light, making any eyes that dared gaze upon the little girl believe that she was more a bright, flaming star than a child.

"I'm gonna party all night!" She cried with a wide smile.

"Until her bed time in an hour." Uncle Clint whispered in my ear.

He would probably be carrying both tired children to their beds in an hour's time and sleep soundly until the following morning. No need to worry about them waking up in the middle of the night, since they slept like a couple of bears in hibernation. It had seemed wrong not to let them enjoy the celebration of their soon-to-be cousin, so both parents had consented to letting them stay up a little while.

"Where's Mommy?" Clint asked his daughter.

"I'm right here." Aunt Nat emerged out of the bathroom, positively glowing in her midnight blue dress. Uncle Clint was speechless.

"You look...gorgeous."

The corners of her ruby red lips tilted upward. "Not so bad yourself, handsome."

He looked like a goofy fourteen-year-old going on his first date to the middle school dance, shifting awkwardly in his fancy tuxedo before finally offering his hand to her.

"Shall we go?"

"I don't think Hannah's date has arrived yet." Aunt Nat gently reminded him, but not without grasping his large hand, intwining her long, slender fingers with his large, calloused ones.

"You both go. I'll watch the kids until Steve comes." I offered.

She cast me a grateful glance.

"You're the best." Uncle Clint replied, giving me a wink as the two lovebirds stepped into the elevator and disappeared from sight.

"Auntie Hannie, when is Uncle Stevie coming?" Natalia tugged on my dress, eyes looking up at me with curiosity.

"Any minute." I answered her, my eyes locked on the elevator, waiting for a handsome soldier to step out at any moment.

Steve's P.O.V.

I couldn't wait to go to the party with Hannah. She had told me the color of her dress was pink, and I was elated. As I looked in the mirror to make sure there were no hairs that had gone astray, I couldn't help but think of Peggy.

This should have been the date you had with her.

I wanted to shake the thought away, but all I could see was Peggy. I had imagined every night during my time in the army of her in her beautiful red dress. I had two left feet, but the thought of her leading me onto the dance floor and teaching me was a dream come true.

If only I hadn't crashed that plane into the ocean...

No!, I nearly shouted in resistance.

As terrible as it was to accept, Peggy and I weren't meant to be together. She had gotten married, had kids and even had some of them grow up to join S.H.I.E.L.D. No, she had had her purpose and now I had mine. And it was my time to have a happy ending, one with Hannah. She would be the one to take me out on the dance floor and teach me how to dance, even though she swore she had two left feet like me. I had seen her in practice. She was as graceful as a ballerina, minus the tutu.

Come on, Prince Charming. The party's about to start.

And that meant the beautiful princess was waiting.

I fumbled for something in my pocket. I had almost talked myself out of it, swearing it would look silly or she'd laugh if I gave it to her, but it was something I wanted to give Hannah, something that said 'my girl.' I pulled out the necklace I had bought about a week ago. It cost a measly twenty dollars, but when I imagined it on her, it was looked like a million bucks.

I dangled the necklace with the Captain America shield charm on the end of it. It was made of pewter with a small gem (plastic, but I could have that easily changed) on the star. I shoved it back in my pocket, praying she would like it when I presented it to her at the party.

I did a brief check in the mirror, brushing off any loose blonde hairs on the shoulder of my jacket and started to head towards the elevator.

Something rolled in front of me. It had the shape of a grenade, but it didn't quite look the same. I didn't have time to react as the grenade exploded and everything went black.

Hannah's P.O.V.

It had been almost thirty minutes and Steve still hadn't arrived. The twins had gone from cranky to tired and now their little eyes were drooping. They were the cutest, well-dressed and tired three-year-olds I knew. Barney's head was resting on my lap as I stroked his hair gently, Natalia wrapped in a navy blue blanket Steve had gotten her for her birthday.

It was odd that I hadn't heard anything from my uncle. Sure, both him and Aunt Nat could have gotten distracted by the party or each other, but they should have texted me by now.

Before I knew it, an hour had passed and I had shifted from confused to worried.

Steve, where are you?

I had sent about a dozen text messages to him and a dozen more phone calls, but there had been no reply.

I had to see what was going on.

JARVIS?" I half whispered to the A.I. because of the now-sleeping twins.

"Yes, ma'am?" The machine replied back quietly.

"Can you watch the twins while I go check on the party?"

"Of course. Shall I carry out Operation Night-Night?" I nearly giggled as he repeated the operation we used to keep the twins locked down on their apartment floor.

"Yep." I replied as I replaced my legs with a pillow under Barney's head. Natalia never stirred under her blanket on the shoulder of the couch. I pressed the button, leaving the sleeping pair and heading upstairs.

What if he decided not to come? What if he decided to go without me?

I mentally slapped myself. How could I think such a thing? He would never do that, not to me. He lo... I mean he cared about me-just like I cared for him.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a large mass of people on the party floor. They all looked stunning in their array of tuxes and shimmering dresses of many colors. I almost didn't move because it was so fascinating.

"Drink ma'am?" A waiter asked, breaking me out of my trance. I shook my head.

"No thanks. I don't drink." At least not tonight.

I shifted through the crowd, looking for my family. I was surprised I hadn't seen one of them yet, especially Tony and Pepper. They were the reason for the party, after all.

I finally saw a head that looked a lot like Bruce with curvy brown hair. I placed my hand on his shoulder, only to be greeted with a stranger.

"Sorry." I muttered as a shied away.

What is going on here?

After another bout of searching, I finally started to ask a few questions. I asked a woman in a white dress, a man with a polka-dot bow tie (it was actually quite schnazzy) and an elderly woman with a walker. The answers all came back the same; no one had seen them.

By the time I glanced at my watch, it had been almost two hours since I had last seen my aunt and uncle.

Something was wrong; terribly, terribly wrong.

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