Life After Death

by Team Damon

Sequel to Breath of Life. He's overcome a lot to get to where he's at, but he still has a long way to go. She knows that it's not going to be easy, but she also knows that he's worth it. And neither of them have the slightest clue what in the world they're doing. Bucky/OC, post-TWS and non-Civil War compliant. Now complete!

44. Chapter 44

Late one night in the master bedroom of their new home, Bucky was packing and Summer was snuggled up under the covers with her laptop, clicking on the latest of a small wave of new comment she'd just gotten on her blog. Every time she got a new follower or comment, which lately was a routine occurrence, it was like a little surprise birthday present that never got old. She smiled as she read the newest one, and continued to smile as she quickly typed up her response.

New comment: Hey E, I've got a question for you. I've been reading your blog for about a month and I think you're hilarious, and your family sounds so cute! I can also relate a little bit. I've got a daughter from a previous relationship, and I'm engaged to this really awesome guy, but as the wedding gets closer I just feel like I'm about to freak out. How did you know that your guy was theguy? I've asked other people and they all have different answers, and I was really curious what yours would be. Thanks for being awesome and good luck with your book!

E. B. Carey: Hi! First of all, thank you for reading and thanks even more for caring enough to ask me a question. I'm no expert on anything, but I can say that for me there was no single moment where I suddenly knew that my guy was the guy. It was a really gradual thing. We took things super slow from the beginning, for both of our sakes, since we both had (and still have) raging trust issues. Each milestone was huge, from the first kiss to the first date and first... other things, lol, and each one just made it more and more clear that I really had found "the one". One of the major things though was when my leg was crushed almost two years ago. He didn't hesitate to pick me up and carry me to the bathroom and take care of me at my grossest, and he also took amazing care of my son the whole time I was in the hospital and totally useless. That's really what it's all about, I think - finding someone who really truly supports you and treats you the way you deserve to be treated, and your kid too, if you have one. It's definitely not easy to find, and having a kid already makes it a lot harder, so if you find a man like that, hold on to him and don't let him get away. Or at least that's my two cents :) Thanks again for reading and for reaching out! Hope this helps a little bit.

Summer hit the submit button on the comment box, grinning to herself like she always did every single time she got the chance to brag about her husband, which lately had been quite a bit. Her blog was growing in popularity and her latest commenter had been remarking on a post where Summer invited her followers to ask her absolutely anything, and to her everlasting glee, a good amount of them were actually asking her questions. And to think she was once skeptical that anyone would care about her blog enough to glance at it, let alone read it and enjoy it.

"I just kind of doled out advice to a girl who's about to get married," Summer said, closing her laptop and setting it aside as she then struggled to sit up in bed. Now twenty-nine weeks pregnant and already a full forty pounds heavier from her pre-pregnancy weight, just sitting up was an ordeal, and her belly was so huge that she'd been getting a lot of remarks asking if she was possibly carrying twins. But she felt pretty good despite being roughly the size of a whale, and she was even supposedly "glowing" now, or at least that's what the man currently packing his bag on the edge of the other side of the bed claimed.

Bucky looked up at her and grinned faintly, a lock of hair falling into his eyes before he reached up and brushed it away. "Yeah?"

She nodded, resting a hand on her belly absently. "Yup. They asked when I knew that you were the one."

He quirked an eyebrow, packing for a "trip" that she really wished he didn't have to take. "And what did you say?"

Leaning back against the headboard, her hair up in a messy knot and her eyes a little tired following what had been a long day, she pretended to wonder for a moment before she replied, "Definitely that time last week when you brought me home a McFlurry in a 42-ounce cup at three in the morning and told me that you bribed the manager with like fifty bucks to make it for me."

He chuckled. "Wow. So you didn't know until then?"

She shook her head and playfully replied, "Nah. I mean, I had my suspicions, but every time I'd start to think maybe, you'd take your shirt off and I'd forget what I was thinking about."

"And when I asked you to marry me?" he asked, grinning and going along with her.

"We were both naked," she shrugged and smiled. "What did you expect me to say?"

He chuckled again and closed his suitcase, zipping it up as he replied, "Yeah, I kinda know the feeling."

She grinned for a moment and then dropped her eyes to the suitcase as he picked it up and moved it to the floor. Her smile became a frown as she half-whined, "Are you sure you have to leave?"

He rolled the bag towards their dresser, then turned back around and brushed his hair out of his face with both hands - it was ridiculously overgrown and yet he refused to let Summer cut it, like he couldn't bear to inconvenience her or something - and made his way back towards the bed as he replied, "Every time you ask me that, I start to wonder why you pushed me to go on this mission in the first place."

She smiled a little sheepishly as he climbed into bed next to her, shifting towards him as she muttered, "Well, I just... I can tell when you're bored and itching for some action. Action action, not sexy action. Although I can tell that, too."

He gave her a crooked little smile and then reached out to her, pulling her against his side with his right arm as she laid her head on his shoulder. His metal hand went to her belly, resting gently on top of it over her shirt as he murmured, "I should be back in a week. Pretty straightforward mission."

"Will you be able to call me, or is gonna be one of those missions where you fall off the face of the earth the entire time and I worry like a maniac?" she asked, feeling their little daughter shift and roll a little bit.

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure once or twice I could..." he trailed off, then smiled and said, "I felt that."

"Even with that hand?" Summer grinned, and Bucky nodded before shifting and pulling his right arm out from behind her. She leaned back against the pillows as he moved in front of her, placing both of his hands on her belly just in time to feel another roll followed by a little kick. Adelaide was a very active baby, always moving and stretching and kicking, and for the last six weeks or so, Bucky had been able to feel the movements through her belly. The first time he had felt it, his eyes had lit up and his expression became so awed that it had almost made Summer cry a little bit. He was used to it now, but he still treasured every little movement that he felt, and so did she. There was nothing quite like it.

He lifted up her shirt after a moment, just high enough to expose her belly, and he chuckled as he pointed out, "You're all lopsided."

"Yeah," she smiled, peering over her belly to look down at it, "she's all pushed up on one side. I think this," she touched the left side of her belly, "is her butt."

"It must feel so weird," he marveled, running his hand over the swollen and quite large baby bump. She was almost as big as she was with David at full term, and she'd only just entered her third trimester a week earlier. She blamed it on her ridiculous appetite, which she blamed in turn on Bucky's super-DNA.

"Sometimes," she replied. "But mostly it's just really awesome. And sweet." She reached her hand to Bucky's hair, putting a few stray pieces behind his ear, then said more quietly, "I'm gonna miss you."

He glanced up at her, then laid a sweet, innocent kiss on her belly before moving back up so that he was beside her once again. Her hand still in his hair, he leaned in and kissed her lips just as sweetly before saying, "I'll be back before you know it."

She pouted a little. "That's not true. And David's gonna miss you too. We're both gonna be counting the days until you're back." He didn't say anything back to that, instead tracing the line of her collarbone with his cool metal fingers. Her eyes drifted back to his hair, which her fingertips were still working their way through, and then she couldn't help but ask, "Do you want me to cut your hair before you go?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"But... look at it," she chuckled, sitting up a little straighter and gathering it in both of her hands. She managed to get it all in a single handful high at the back of his head, and she pointed out, "It's long enough now to where you could totally have a ponytail. Ooh, or even better, a man bun -"

He smiled and playfully batted her hands away, his hair falling back and hitting the nape of his neck as he protested, "Stop. It's fine the way it is."

"But what if it like gets in your eyes while you're trying to sniper some bad guy?" she asked, seriously concerned. "I can cut it if you want me to. I'm not an invalid, you know. Just super fricking pregnant."

"It's fine," he assured her, blinking slowly in exasperation. "You should get some sleep. It's late."

She scoffed. "You're the one who's gotta get up at four in the morning and then fly to the other side of the world."

"Exactly," he grinned, reaching across the bed and and flipping off the lamp there, darkening the room save for the light from the wall-mounted TV that was still on but muted. Next he shed his t-shirt and dropped it on the floor, then lifted up the covers to slide under them next to Summer, who immediately snuggled up to him as closely as she could with her belly in the way.

"What am I gonna do a for a whole week without you," she groaned, kissing his neck as his right arm held her closer.

"Work... eat... sleep... unpack some more... the usual," he joked as she sighed and then started kissing his shoulder. "Try not to be too insatiable while I'm gone."

She whined quietly and looked up at him. "Don't even remind me how much that is gonna suck."

"Poor baby," he teased, left hand trailing up and down her side, stroking the still-bare flesh since the bottom of her top was still pulled up. He shifted on his side to get closer to her, kissing her softly before murmuring, "Guess you'll have to keep yourself happy for awhile."

She groaned. "That's like getting used to having Starbucks everyday and then having to downgrade to Folgers. Old Folgers, the crap that's been stuck at the back of a cabinet but never gets thrown away just in case."

He couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "That's pretty harsh."

"It's the truth," she muttered, sliding her leg with his under the sheets and running her hand along his chest. "Also... is it just me, or are you getting even bigger these days?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, watching as she shifted and then grabbed his right arm to inspect it. "Not really intentional. Just have to stay balanced with the other arm."

She inspected the muscles of his arm, concluding that they were indeed growing in size, and then she muttered, "Meanwhile I'm a whale with stretch marks the size of the Canadian border."

He snorted at her hyperbole and eased her to lay back down on her side next to him. "You're beautiful. I love you like this."

As his fingers ran through her hair, she squinted and guessed, "Fat, emotional, and constantly horny?"

"More like... gorgeous, strong, hard working... and the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he said with the utmost sincerity, though she couldn't help but roll her eyes a little.

"You're just saying that because of the boobs," she replied, but he was having none of it.

"That's part of it," he admitted with a little touch of a grin. "But only a part. A very small part, honestly, compared to everything else."

She smiled even though it was still hard to believe him after all of this time. "One of these days you'll realize that I'll still have sex with you even without all this sweet talk."

He grinned back and retorted, "One of these days you'll realize that's not why I say it."

She smiled as he leaned in for a kiss, and her fingers slid back into his hair as he let the kiss linger and grow into another one. She was secretly glad that he hadn't let her cut his hair, because as much as she liked it short, there was always something to be said for longer hair as well. It was soft and just the right length that begged to be pulled, and though she kept the tugs light and pain-free very deliberately, she had to wonder if a secret fondness for having it pulled was further delaying the inevitable haircut.

As their kisses grew deeper and longer, she wound her legs tighter with his and mewled quietly as his hands ran over her softly and tenderly but with clear intent. She pressed herself as close to him as she could get without putting pressure on her belly, and their kiss broke only when he chuckled and pulled away.

"What?" She asked, opening her own eyes and smiling at him.

"She kicked me," Bucky said, hand going to her belly. It was pressed softly against his abdomen, and now that he mentioned it, little Adelaide was still being quite active at the moment. "Maybe she wants me to leave her mommy alone."

"Well, until she's out, I overrule her," Summer decided, managing to pull off her top with some difficulty. "Besides, I'm not gonna get to see you for a week, and it's gonna kill me."

He nodded, helping her get her thin sleep shorts off next as he said, "She seems so feisty. I wonder if she'll be like babies in the movies who start crying the minute the parents try to get a minute to themselves."

"Hope not," Summer said, shifting to her side so that her back was to his chest, which was their default position now that her belly was huge. He got in closer and their hands went to one another as she added, "She's living up to her middle name though."

"Rosa?" Bucky asked casually, working on getting his own pants off. "Your grandmother's name?"

"Yup. Feisty and full of energy. And trying to ruin all my fun," she joked. Then she patted her belly and said, "Just kidding about the last part, little Adelaide. By the way, Adelaide Rosa Barnes - can we just take a minute to appreciate how fricking awesome that name is?"

"It is," Bucky agreed, now naked enough to get down to business and kissing her neck as she sighed and forced her mind back to sexy things rather than grandmother and baby things. But the transition wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

"Okay," she said, hand going to his hair and taking a handful of it as he got a handful of her swollen breasts, "say something sexy to get me back in the mood."

"Something sexy?" he repeated, amused as he nipped at where her neck met her shoulder.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You're so good at it. And I accidentally kinda killed my own mood."

"All right." His lips left her neck to graze her ear as he murmured in a voice that was deliberately thick with need, "You're so fucking gorgeous, baby. You really are. I'm gonna make you come over and over and give you something to think about when you're alone with just your own hand over the next week."

Her blush was instant, and so was the rush of blood to parts of her body that were instantly right back on track. "... That works," she squeaked out. "My God."

But he wasn't quite done yet. "Don't wait for me to come back," he told her, kissing behind her ear and grinding softly against her from behind while his hands were everywhere. "I know how much you need it. Don't deprive yourself just because it's not as good. Think about me when I'm gone, take care of yourself. Understand?"

"... Okay," she replied a little shakily, sure that she would never be fully used to the way that he spoke to her in moments like these.

"Good girl," he groaned, slipping his hand down lower until she bit back a moan and sighed instead. "Now let me take care of you while I still can."

He didn't have to tell her twice. She relaxed against him and gave in, and for the rest of the night, in their new bed inside their new bedroom, surrounded by new furniture and boxes that were still yet unpacked, they savored one another while they still could before Bucky's job separated them for a little while. It was just life, after all, and absence did make the heart grow fonder.

They stole two hours before sleep overcame them both. He left only a few hours after that, kissing her goodbye quietly without waking her and then slipping out of their room to tell David goodbye as he slept down the hall in his own new room. Then Bucky was gone, flying off with Steve and Sam on the mission in Europe, focused fully on the mission objectives but, in his heart, already counting the hours until he could be back home.

---

The nice thing about being a working mother with both a day job and a book in the process of being published was that Summer never lacked for things to do and therefore wasn't one to sit around and pine while Bucky was gone. She stayed busy and upbeat, working and shuttling David back and forth from school and spending time at the tower or Paul's house when she didn't feel like going home to her otherwise empty new home.

Bucky didn't call for the whole first week, and she expected that, because he usually wasn't able to communicate much when out in the field. But when the eighth day came and he still wasn't home, she got a text from a strange foreign number stating simply, Not done yet. Maybe another week.

She had gotten that message in the middle of the night, after a day spent trying not to worry but fretting anyway. She had then sighed and dropped her phone back on the bed, resigning herself to another week without him. She'd live, of course, but man, did she miss him.

Two days after that, Summer dropped David off at school in the city and then headed for the tower, asked there casually by Natasha through a text she'd gotten the night before. She stopped at a donut shop and got a half dozen of the most disgustingly sugary kind available - all for her - and scarfed down three by the time she made it to the tower's private elevator. The sad thing was, she was still starving.

Purse under one arm and her donut bag crunched under the other, Summer made sure there weren't any crumbs in her hair as the elevator dinged to a stop. The doors opened and then she walked out on to the floor that used to be her home, then immediately stopped in her tracks and let her jaw drop.

"Holy... crap!"

She was not expecting little pink balloons hanging over the big kitchen table and a bunch of pastel-wrapped presents, and in the middle of it all, a rather impressive three tiered cake decorated in pink and white and bows with a cute little fake pair of pink baby shoes sitting on the top tier.

"Dammit!" she heard Darcy curse as she came rushing out of the hall. "Everything's not ready yet! You're early!"

"I... sorry, but... oh my God, is this a surprise baby shower... thing?" Summer asked incredulously, stepping closer to the table even as Darcy tried in vain to keep her away from it.

"Duh, but we didn't think you'd actually get here until like eleven and it's barely ten!" Darcy sighed, straightening up the presents. "I've got an 'it's a girl' banner I still need to hang up. Why does this always happen every time I try to surprise you with something?"

Still gaping at everything, not to mention the cake that looked like it had probably cost a couple hundred dollars, Summer asked, "... Did you do all this?"

"No, Nat too, and Wanda's here somewhere, but the real mastermind was -"

"... Oh, do not tell me she saw before everything was ready!"

Esteban's unmistakably sassy voice rang out behind Summer, and she turned around with a big smile on her face even as he put his hands on his hips and frowned at her. Nicolo rounded the corner at the same time, smiling as Esteban scolded her, "Do you always have to be early to everything?"

"... Sorry?" Summer muttered, voice suddenly wobbly as her eyes watered. "Oh my God, you guys, I'm gonna cry like a baby."

Esteban sighed and then came closer to her, opening his arms and gathering her into a hug before the waterworks started. "Yes, yes, let it out, sweetie."

"You don't understand," she sniffed, pulling away and turning her head as she gestured to the table. "This is... just... I never had a baby shower with David because I was alone, and..."

"Well, you're not alone anymore," he smiled, patting her shoulder. "Now sit down, my feet are hurting for you."

She laughed a little breathlessly and managed to wriggle her way on top of a chair, but then Natasha came out of the hallway next and Summer all but jumped off of the chair to maul her with an enormous hug of her own.

Once she had also attacked Darcy and then Wanda too once she also emerged from the hallway, Summer was still blinking back happy tears and then marveling as she looked at the rather impressive amount of gifts, "There's so much! And the cake - it's beautiful!"

"That was my contribution," Nicolo smiled proudly. "I know a lady who does really gorgeous cakes for a lot of weddings I do, and I came up with the design and got her to make it. I think it turned out perfect."

Summer's eyes widened and she looked again at the cake before looking back at Nicolo, then targeting him next for yet another oversized hug. "I love you. I love you, and I love all of you, and I'm crying again."

It took her some time, but once she managed to rein in the emotions and allow both Nicolo and Esteban to physically make her sit down at the table again, she wiped at her damp eyes and found herself wishing that Bucky was there. Of course, baby showers weren't traditionally dude-friendly events, but she just wished that he could see how people cared about her and their baby to throw all of this together for them.

"So," Natasha said, taking the seat closest to her, "Pepper was supposed to be here, but she had to go take care of something at the office. She'll be here later with her gift, because she insisted that she had to be there when you open it."

"Okay," Summer smiled excitedly. "That's totally fine with me. So... what exactly happens now? I've never even been to a baby shower, so..."

"Neither have I," Natasha admitted with a smile, "or any of us besides Esteban, so I defer to him."

"Yes, wise decision," Esteban grinned, standing at the head of the table where all of the presents were. "First things first. Let's move the enormous pregnant lady to the couch so she can put up her big swollen feet -"

Summer furrowed her brows and immediately protested, "Hey!"

" - And be comfortable while we get down to business."

"My feet are only a little swollen," she informed him as she got up and trudged to the couch, the others grabbing the gifts and carrying them towards the living room. Most of them, anyway, as Wanda made most of them simply float there.

Once she was seated again and the presents were all ready and waiting on the coffee table in front of her, Natasha sat at her left and Esteban at her right, and Darcy was examining the gifts to determine which to give her first. That was when there was a sudden jarring boom right on the very top of the roof, or at least that was what it sounded like, and it made everyone jump out of their skin - even little Adelaide, who Summer swore jerked awake from a brief nap in her belly right then.

"The hell was that?" Natasha asked, echoing everybody's thoughts as she got up to go to the window and peer out of it. She made it there just in time, apparently, because her expression of confusion gave way to amusement just before she glanced at Darcy and said, "I can't believe it. It actually worked."

Darcy's eyebrows shot up. "No way!"

Summer was officially lost. "What worked? What was that?"

Wanda, equally confused, noted, "It sounded like that time Thor landed on the roof and almost broke the penthouse."

"You're right," Summer said a bit slowly. Then she watched Natasha's grin widen a little as she made her way back to the couch, and Summer stared at her wide-eyed. "... Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason," Natasha shrugged, grin falling off of her face and pure innocence replacing it. But Summer knew her far too well to fall for such an act.

She kept pestering Nat for an answer, but she soon got one in the form of the elevator dinging and the doors opening to reveal the surprise visitor. Every head in the room turned to see who it was, and once they did, it remained an eternal mystery as to who squeaked the loudest, Summer or Esteban.

"Hello, my friends!" Thor smiled brightly, dressed in his more casual Asgardian garb and carrying a gold-wrapped box in his rather huge hands. "Am I late for the... ah... event?"

Summer began to flail and tried to get up again, but Natasha held her still while Esteban jumped up instead. While Nicolo looked like he might hyperventilate - he would likely never get used to being acquainted with Asgardian royalty - Summer smiled so widely it hurt and exclaimed, "What the... but... holy crap, you came here for my baby shower?!"

"Ah yes, baby shower, that is what Hemidall called it," Thor smiled, letting Esteban take the gift from him and put it with the other presents.

Summer then ambled to her feet and rushed happily to Thor as he strolled closer, giving him her biggest hug yet even though it was a bit difficult with how huge he was and how gigantic her belly was. "I can't believe it!" She gushed as she pulled away. "Did someone else yell at the sky this time to invite you?"

"Yes, that would be Lady Darcy," Thor replied before looking her over. "You look wonderful, my lady! Very... full of life and... glowing!"

She smiled but raised her eyebrows. "They do that 'you're glowing' lie thing on Asgard too?"

"It is no lie!" he insisted. "I am sorry that I have been away for so long. I have missed all of you greatly, but I have been... busy."

"But you came for my baby shower," she marveled, almost getting teary again. "And you're a dude and dudes don't even like baby showers! I love you!"

Thor laughed as she hugged him again, and then he was helping to lead her back to the couch as he asked, "Is the baby coming soon?"

"I could see how you'd think that," she said as she eased back down on the comfy cushions, "since I'm a whale, but I've got over two months left."

"Ah, I see," he said, taking a seat next to Nicolo, who then looked at Esteban and widened his eyes and visibly held back his inner freaking out. Thor looked around and said, "I take it by all the pink that the baby is a girl?"

She nodded and beamed, "Her name is Adelaide Rosa. Adelaide because it's classic and old fashioned and Bucky loved it, which made me love it, and Rosa because it was my grandmother's name and she was awesome and raised me."

"Wonderful!" he smiled back, before gesturing to his gift and saying, "I do hope you like the gift that I brought. I had some help in choosing it from a very good friend, so I think you will."

"I'm sure I will," she waved, turning her eyes towards the gift and then pausing. "Is it... wrapped in... like... golden silk?"

"Yes!" he chirped, like that was totally normal.

Darcy muttered, "And here I wrapped mine with cheap wrapping paper from the dollar store."

"Let's save Thor's present for last," Natasha decided, plucking one of the smaller gifts first. "Since I imagine everyone else's will look pretty sad in comparison."

Summer scoffed, but now that everyone including one very special surprise guest was present, she finally got started on the first phase of the shower: digging into the gifts and leaving giant mounds of wrapping paper everywhere.

The presents ranged from very much needed items to utterly adorable ones that made all the girls go awww and the men smile. There was a baby swing - a nice one - that was from Sam, an even nicer bouncy seat that was from Steve and Natasha, and a fluffy, tiny pink dress from Darcy that would make Adelaide look like a newborn fairy-baby, and Summer loved it.

Clint had sent a gift as well, a gigantic teddy bear with a big pink bow around its neck, and it was the single largest present of all of them. As Summer cooed over it, Natasha explained, "I had to talk him out of choosing a limited edition action figure of himself. Luckily, he knows when to listen to me."

"That's definitely a good thing," Summer chuckled and was then handed Wanda's present next, which was flat and somewhat heavy. She looked at Wanda and smiled before she began to open it, and Wanda smiled back and only spoke once the wrapping paper was ripped off and Summer was carefully holding the item in her hands.

It was a picture frame. The borders were made of wood that was painted in both pink and blue, and words engraved in a kid-like font stated softly, Big brother, little sister. There was no picture in the frame yet, of course, but it was incredibly sweet and Summer looked up with a surprised smile on her face, not missing the significance of the gift coming from a girl who had been the little sister by twelve seconds of a brother she had lost nearly two years ago.

"I wasn't sure what to get," Wanda explained. "But I went with Natasha when she was shopping for a gift, and I saw that and liked it."

"I love it," Summer assured her sincerely. "Thank you."

Wanda smiled back and nodded quietly, and Summer only had a moment to admire the frame more before there was a gentle woosh of wind behind her. She knew that woosh, and when she glanced behind her, she smiled when she saw Vision landing gracefully on the floor behind the couch from wherever he had just floated in from. He smiled at her and asked, "Are we giving our gifts today?"

"Yes!" Thor answered for her, and what followed was what she could only call a bro-reunion as the two Mjolnir-worthy beings greeted one another like old friends who occupied a highly exclusive club.

After, Vision walked closer to Summer and sat down on the couch after Wanda scooted over and made room for him. He was as quiet and thoughtful sounding as ever as he said, "I apologize for the simplicity of my gift. It is the smallest and cost me nothing to make, but..."

"It's okay!" she assured him with a nod. Then she paused. "You made something?"

He smiled and handed her a tiny little silver box. It wasn't wrapped, and when she lifted the lid to find a simple USB stick inside, she looked up and listened as he explained, "When I first... came to be, I had a very difficult time sleeping. I wanted to stay awake and learn and explore, and I found it very challenging to turn off my mind and simply fall asleep. From what others have told me, I understand that children can be the same way. What helped me was music."

"Music?" she repeated curiously.

He nodded. "The music on that device was given to me by Tony. He said that it is the same music that Dr. Banner would listen to to stay calm and balanced. It helped me sleep as well."

"Oh. Wow," Summer said, smiling and picking up the USB stick. "Thank you! If it can help you sleep and keep the Hulk from... being the Hulk, then I bet it'll definitely help a baby calm down."

"I'm sorry that it is not as elaborate as the other gifts," he replied.

"Oh not at all!" she shook her head. "I love it! I can tell you put a lot of thought into it, and that makes it really special, so thank you."

He smiled and nodded, and Summer happily closed the box and let Natasha take it from her, putting it with the other opened gifts. There was only a few left to be unwrapped now, and the next that Nat handed her was a moderately sized box. "This one's from just me," she smiled as Summer took it. "A very necessary thing."

"Hmm," Summer grinned playfully, quickly unwrapping the thing and opening the box up. She forgot how many non-gay men were present as she immediately went "Oooh" and lifted up the single fanciest and prettiest nursing bra she'd ever seen in her life. "Holy crap, where did you find this?!"

"I have my ways," Natasha said proudly as Thor squirmed a bit and Esteban laughed at him. The bra was, naturally, huge, a bigger size than Summer currently was since she was destined to blow up even more once the baby was born. But it was also dark and lacy and extremely pretty unlike every other nursing bra she'd ever seen or worn before, and yet it felt very comfortable at the same time. "But I thought you could use something nice and pretty."

"I don't even want to know how much it cost," Summer said, smiling at her but also cringing slightly. Natasha waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. Try it on later and tell me how you like it."

"Definitely," Summer nodded, putting the bra back in the box and letting Natasha set it aside for the time being. All that remained was Thor's present, and he brightened up and stopped looking uncomfortable once Natasha set it the gift in front of Summer.

"Okay... I'm not sure how to 'unwrap' this exactly, but..." She tugged at a string on the top of the box, and it all then came apart surprisingly easily. The silk fell away and revealed a surprisingly simple box with flaps that she gently pulled open as Thor edged closer with an excited look on his face.

Summer peered into the box and then paused as she reached in and pulled out... a little golden ball. And by golden, she meant literally made of actual gold.

"Uh... I... is this... real?"

"It is!" Thor's reply came booming.

She turned the ball in her hands, using both hands both because it was bigger and apparently kind of precious. "Whoa. But what exactly... is it?"

"It is for the baby's bed," he explained. "Here, let me show you."

Still in awe, Summer handed the ball to Thor and then blinked in surprise when he reached into the box and then pulled out another part that she hadn't even noticed. It was a small but interesting looking contraption of some kind, and Thor knelt in front of the coffee table and demonstrated how it worked.

"First, you take this," he said, fixing the second part to the coffee table, "and attach it to the bottom of the bed. Or crib, as I think you call it here."

Summer nodded. "Does it just automatically latch on?"

He nodded. "Yes. Then you take the ball," he said, "and it attaches to the first part. You can adjust it however you like, and it is perfectly safe. It will not fall on the child."

Summer nodded, watching as the ball hung over the coffee table. "Then," Thor added, "you turn this dial here on the bottom part, and then..."

Suddenly the ball began to glow, and soft little music began to play as the ball opened up and little golden figures emerged. They were not on strings, seemingly levitating and rotating in slow circles. There was a snowflake, a sun, a moon, a rainbow that shimmered iridescently and looked a lot like the Bifrost that Thor used to travel the realms. Every single person other than Thor leaned forward as they watched the thing, fascinated by the sight before him.

"There are other figures too," Thor said, smiling at the curious bewilderment on everyone's faces. "Animals, toys, things like that. You control everything with the dial."

"That is... the coolest thing... I have ever seen," Summer marveled, unable to take her eyes off of the thing. Thor chuckled and then dismantled the magical mobile, which broke the spell and made everyone pause in sudden disappointment. It was that cool. Heck, Summer wanted one to put on her bed.

"I thought you would like it," he said, putting the mobile back into the box for her.

"Like it? I love it!" she gushed, getting up and giving Thor another enormous hug that made him laugh. "Thank you so much!"

"You are very welcome! And like I said, I had help," he smiled, patting her shoulder. "In fact, there is a note in the box written by the lady who helped me."

She gave him a look and replied quietly, "... The same lady who helped you with my wedding gift, too?"

"The very same," Thor smiled, and Summer gulped before sitting down and tearing into the box to find the note.

It took her a few moments to get to it, now that the present part of the shower was over and she needed to give her final thanks for all of the lovely gifts. Esteban then quickly got up to start distributing the cake that was almost too pretty to eat, and Natasha and Darcy got up to get the very necessary and traditional baby shower games ready. Once everyone was briefly distracted, leaving Summer and Thor alone on the couch for a moment, she finally got to excitedly find the note in the box and immediately go a little wide-eyed just at the fancy writing on it. It was identical to the note that had come with her wedding gift, but she just couldn't get used to seeing such a thing with her own two eyes.

As Thor watched, smiling as always, she began to read the impeccable script.

Dear Lady Summer, I hope that you and your little one will enjoy this gift as much we enjoy giving it. My sincere congratulations on your impending arrival, and my family and I wish you and your family the very best of health and good fortune. I do hope that one day I will have the pleasure of meeting you myself, as any friend of Thor's is a friend of mine as well.

The note was signed with both the full author's name and, directly under it, a pair of initials - A & L. A made sense, as it was the first letter of the lady's name, but L...

Summer looked up at Thor and puzzled, "... L? Who's L?"

Thor was well aware of her suspicions. "There are many with the initial L in Asgard."

"Yeah, but... the lady who wrote this is... Loki's ex-girlfriend, right? So... but... he's dead."

"Indeed, he is believed to be," Thor replied in such a transparently ironic way that Summer's jaw dropped because he may as well had just come out and said it.

"Holy crap," she whispered, "he's alive?! And he signed the note with my baby shower present?!"

Thor glanced at the others, particularly Natasha, before replying equally quietly, "You must tell no one. The others would only worry needlessly."

Her eyes were about to pop out of her skull, and she sort of felt like she might actually explode. "I am so excited and freaked out that I might throw up."

"Try not to do that," Thor chucked.

"But... okay, so... is he still... you know..." She twirled her finger around her temple in the universal signal for "cuckoo".

Thor sighed. "It is a very long story, one that I hope I can share fully one day. But not today."

"Okay," she nodded. She could understand that. "But he must not be too insane if he's signing gift notes and oh my God they must be back together!" When Thor merely smiled, she whined a little and asked, "Can I at least tell Bucky? I have to tell someone and he doesn't have anything against Loki. He was in a HYDRA fridge when the whole Battle of New York thing happened. He'll just think I'm silly for freaking out so much."

Thor smiled understandingly but said seriously, "Only if he will not tell any others. Especially Steve."

"Okay," Summer nodded. "Holy fricking crap, I can't believe I know this when literally nobody else on earth does."

"Yes, you should consider yourself quite special," Thor chuckled. He then glanced at her belly and said, "I will make sure to visit after the baby has come."

"Oh I hope you do," she beamed. "I miss how it was when you lived here."

"I quite enjoyed it as well," he said a bit sadly. "But... I am afraid that much has been happening back home, and I cannot stay for long. I am lucky that I managed to come here at all."

Summer nodded, understanding though she had no idea of what the heck was going on in his neck of the woods, especially now that she knew Loki was apparently quite alive. "Well... thank you again for coming and for the awesome magic mobile thing. I can't believe it. You made my whole month."

She meant every word, and Thor smiled brightly once again before Esteban returned to get the shower back underway.

After that, Thor managed to escape the clutches of girly, mildly embarrassing baby shower games with the help of Vision, and Summer put away two rather sizable slices of the painfully pretty and equally delicious cake as the games got started. She laughed and had fun, surrounded by people who cared about her and loved her enough to give her one of the traditional, happy experiences of pregnancy that she'd never gotten to have the first time around. She treasured the day even more for it, and they all understood why she thanked them entirely too much and got teary eyed at the drop of a hat.

Back home in Virginia, the only person who had ever come to visit her when she was pregnant with David was Paul. Now, here in her new life in New York, a mythical being had traveled the entire galaxy just to come and give her and her unborn child a gift, and he was only one of many remarkable people who were there to spend the day with her and have fun getting ready for the new life only a few months away from making its debut in the world.

And to think that she never would have met a single one of them if not for the man currently on the other side of the globe, tracking down bad guys and missing her as much as she missed him.

---

Following that unforgettable baby shower, Summer picked David up from school and brought him back to the tower to surprise him with Thor's unexpected visit. He was utterly elated, and they didn't end up leaving the tower until long after the sun had set and the night was edging on late. But she wouldn't have changed a thing, and it all served as a wonderful way to stay happily busy and free of the worry that crept into her mind whenever she didn't have much to do.

David so wore himself out chasing both Thor and Vision around the tower that he fell asleep in the car on the way home. With the trunk full of her presents and her own energy levels exhausted for the day, she left the gifts in the car to worry about the next day and gently woke David up to lead him into their house. He trudged straight to his room, face planted on the bed, and then passed out for the night, and Summer tucked him in and turned on his nightlight before heading to her own room to call it a night. It wasn't yet even ten, but she had work the next day and the thought of collapsing in bed as efficiently as David had sounded like the best thing in the world.

And so, after going through her usual nightly routine and getting ready for bed, she threw on one of Bucky's shirts that was nice and roomy for her belly and then crawled into bed, groaning gratefully and sleepily the minute her head hit the pillow.

When her phone rang on the bedside table, she seriously considered ignoring it. But then just the tiniest, slightest chance that it might be Bucky calling from the other side of the world pushed her into rolling on her back and reaching for the phone. When she grabbed it and looked at the caller ID, her heart did a few happily surprised flips at the sight of another foreign number, and then she answered it hastily with a suddenly cheerful, "Hello?"

The connection was as clear as if he was calling from the middle of Manhattan. "Hey, sweetheart."

She smiled and closed her eyes at the sound of his voice, so close and familiar and something she'd missed greatly over the last ten days. "Hey. Where are you? I didn't expect to hear from you at all."

"Believe it or not," he said, smile audible in his voice, "I am actually in a hotel room tonight."

"Oh really?" she chuckled. "Wow. Don't you usually sleep on the Quinjet or just... anywhere?"

"Usually, yeah," he replied. "Steve decided to splurge tonight."

She laughed quietly, knowing there had to be more to the reasoning than that. "Well, that's good. Sharing rooms?"

"Hell no," Bucky scoffed humorously. "He still snores like he did when we were kids."

She laughed again and snuggled deeper under the covers, Adelaide rolling rather haphazardly as Summer turned on her side, probably disturbing her sleep. "So, do I get to know what country you're in?"

"It's cold and there's two feet of snow on the ground," he muttered.

"Well that could be anywhere," she pointed out. "Do you think you'll be coming home soon? We miss you."

"I miss you too," he murmured, the richness of his voice making her skin tingle a little bit. "We should be back by the end of the week."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," she replied. "This bed is too big for just me."

"Yeah I bet," he replied, grinning faintly.

She sighed and looked around their room, still lit by the lamp next to the bed. The walls were a calming shade of aqua and decorated with large framed pictures. Most were from their wedding, one of the two of them plus David, in front of the arch and smiling happily, and another of just Summer and Bucky, leaning against Clint's barn and pressed forehead to forehead in one of Nicolo's favorite shots from the whole event. She loved the pictures, but at the moment, they only made her miss Bucky more.

"So tell me about your day," Bucky said lightly. "What have you been doing without me?"

She suddenly remembered the awesome day she'd had and said excitedly, "Oh my God - everyone threw me a baby shower today!"

She could hear his grin. "Really?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, before diving into all the details and rattling them off at record speed. She flew through each of the gifts, barely even letting him get a word in edgewise, at least until she got to one of her favorite parts.

"... And ooh! So after Thor showed up all dramatically, he gave me this... magical... mobile thing, that like kinda floats and has these little figurines that pop out and hang without strings or anything, and it's all made of pure gold by the way, but anyway, so it came with this note signed by the same girl who signed our wedding gift, and you'll never believe this - it was signed by Loki too."

Bucky was silent for a few seconds. "... But Loki's dead, right?"

"No!" she smiled. "But you can't tell anyone. Thor made me promise not to tell anyone but you, and he said you definitely can't tell Steve. But from what he kind of implied, Loki's definitely alive and, I'm guessing, not insane and super evil anymore."

"Um... wow. Okay. But why would he care to sign a gift for us?"

"Because I guess he's back with his old girlfriend, who's the one that's helped Thor pick out our presents," she shrugged. "Thor didn't really confirm that one either, but I'm just assuming. But anyway, isn't that awesome?"

"Yeah... I guess," Bucky replied, and Summer rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think you'd be that impressed," she sighed. "But just wait until you see the mobile. It's amazing. I want one for us."

He chuckled again, and the sound made her smile return. "I just want to be back home. This thing has gone on way too long. Should have been home three days ago. How's David holding up?"

"He's great," she replied. "He got to spend the whole day after school with Thor at the tower. I think he's adjusting better now, with the new house and everything. But he misses you a lot. Apparently I just don't cut it on my own anymore."

"Sorry," he laughed quietly. "But I'm glad he's doing okay. What about you?"

"Oh I'm fine," she said. "I've gained seven pounds since you've been gone, which is ridiculous. But I feel good. Adelaide's moving a whole lot. We're good."

"Good," he replied. "And what about the thing we talked about the night before I left?"

She paused, genuinely having no idea what he was talking about because her pregnant brain could only remember so much. "Uh... what thing?"

"I think you know," came his answer.

"... Not really, no," she shrugged. "Wait. The night before you left. I remember us... you know... but I don't really remember..."

She suddenly froze and blushed with the force of a thousand ripe tomatoes. Scandalized, she laughed and half-gasped, "Oh my God. You're not seriously asking me if I've..."

"Yes I am," he replied, nonchalantly and totally seriously, like he was asking if she had remembered to take the trash out or keep up with any other task he usually tended to himself. "Have you?"

Squirming a little, she laughed nervously and then muttered, "Um... no?"

His sigh was heavy and unmistakably disappointed. Her eyes widened at how apparently seriously he took this. "Summer. You promised me you'd take care of yourself while I was gone."

She closed her eyes, unable to believe that this was what they were talking about. "I... well... I mean, I've just been tired. It's not exactly the first thing on my mind, especially not..."

"Not what?"

"... Not when you're not here," she admitted.

"I believe you, but I also know you, Summer. And I know how you've been ever since you stopped throwing up every day. You're insatiable."

She cringed a little, but it was true. It was totally true. She was always a little on the higher scale of horny, but with the arrival of the second trimester, she had flown off the charts and for once had made it a challenge for Bucky to keep up with her.

"You might think it's silly," he added, "but everything else I can trust other people to help you with. Nat's there to help you out, get you out of the house, stuff like that. I told David to clean up after himself to give you less to do. But one thing I have to trust you to take care of is that. And you're not."

"But it's only been ten days," she sputtered, face still aflame. "It's not like it's a dire thing like... eating or sleeping, or..."

"Summer," he cut her off, an authoritative tone to his voice that made her freeze and listen. "You promised me. Didn't you?"

... Did she? Her memory was fuzzy, but she trusted him that he was telling the truth. "Yeah."

"Then you need to keep that promise."

"Okay, okay," she said embarrassedly. "Fine. I'll... do it. Some time tomorrow."

He laughed, a low little chuckle that sounded distinctly dangerous. Her eyes widened, her fingers fiddling nervously with the hem of the shirt she wore as he then said, "No you're not."

"... I'm not?"

"No. You're gonna do it now."

She froze again, unsure of his meaning. Did he want her to hang up and do it or... was he insinuating...

"Uh... do you mean..."

"Yes," he said, low and sure. "That's what I mean."

She pulled the covers over her head and groaned. "Oh Bucky, no. No, no no... I can't..."

"You can," he assured her, "and you will."

She gulped, still hiding under the cover but nonetheless growing increasingly excited the more he spoke in such commanding ways. He knew how much she liked it when he got all domineering, and apparently, he could still have the same effect on her even over the phone with thousands of miles between them.

"Is David asleep?" he asked.

She pulled the cover down and sighed. "Yeah."

"Door closed?"

She peered at the doorway to double check. "Yup."

"And you're in bed?"

She nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Affirmative."

He paused for a beat, and then asked in that low voice once more, "What are you wearing?"

She bit her lip, dying a little inside. Of all the things they had done, this was a first, and she wasn't sure she was cut out for it. "Uh... a shirt."

"Mine?" he guessed.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And... that's kind of it. Well, besides my underwear." She cringed. She already felt stupid.

"Take the shirt off," he instructed, and she didn't hesitate to reach for the bottom of the garment and pull, even though she was still incredibly nervous.

"Okay. I mean, having it on wouldn't bother me, but..."

He sounded amused as he answered, "I know, but I'd rather imagine you laying there naked."

Oh right. This thing kind of worked both ways. Once the shirt was off, she laid back down and replied, "Oh. Yeah. Makes sense." Then she paused and asked, "What about you? Do I get to know what you're wearing?"

"Well... I had just gotten out of the shower when I called you, so... not a lot."

She groaned, pulling the sheet back over herself and imagining him lying in bed in some random hotel room, long hair wet and smelling divine, probably just in a pair of boxer briefs that fit a little too well. The added visual of cradling a cell phone to his ear while undoubtedly smirking at her general distress wasn't helping.

"I miss you," he said, quiet and sincere. "I wish I was there with you right now."

"Me too. I'd feel a lot less nervous," she chuckled.

"Don't be nervous, baby," he replied, the term of endearment making her miss him even more. "Leave the talking to me. Just be good and do what I say, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"I... yeah," she replied, hoping that she could. Then she smiled and admitted, "You know I'm a sucker for when you get all... bossy."

He chuckled. "And I'm a sucker for when you blush and squirm right before I get you to finally drop the innocent act. Like how I know you will in a few minutes."

"Well... we'll see," she replied cheekily.

"I wish I could. But since I can't see you, you've gotta let me hear every noise that comes out of your mouth. Every noise."

"Okay," she nodded. "As long as you do the same."

"You know I will."

The line fell quiet for a moment, and Summer wondered exactly how they were supposed to get started, and for that matter... what were they going to actually do? Phone sex always seemed so weird and awkward in the movies, but this was real life and it was also Bucky, who had yet to subject her to anything remotely weird or awkward even once.

"I dreamed about you last night," he said, stealing her attention back from her own thoughts.

She smiled. "You did?"

He hummed to the affirmative. "It started weird. You were crying about something... muffins, I think..."

"... Sounds about right."

"But then I got you to calm down. And then I put you on our kitchen table and went down on you. You were about to scream, and then Steve fucking woke me up."

She choked a little, ears turning red as she blushed again. "Oh."

"I woke up hard as a rock but I couldn't do anything about it," he groaned. "Then we end up here at this hotel tonight and I was in the shower for two minutes before I thought about it again and... just..." He trailed off for a moment. "Then I imagined you there in the shower with me. Would have only taken me a minute to get it over with, but I wanted to hear your voice."

"So you planned this?" she smiled, head already spinning a little just from what little he'd said so far.

"Sort of," he grinned. "I knew you hadn't touched yourself since I've been gone, so I knew what I'd have to do."

"And how did you know that?"

"Because I know you," he replied. "Now stop asking questions and start doing what I say."

She shivered. This was a bit terrifying but also incredibly exhilarating already, and she definitely wasn't tired anymore. "Yes sir."

She'd said it half as a joke, but he seemed to like it. "Good. Now relax. Turn off the lights and get comfortable. But I don't want any covers on you."

She frowned a little as she reached over to turn off the lamp. "Why?"

"What did I say about asking questions?"

Crap. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he replied. "And I want the covers off because I want to picture you spread out with nothing in the way."

"Oh. Okay. All right... light's off and covers are off."

"Good. Now just keep breathing. I can tell by your voice that you're still nervous."

"Yeah..." she admitted. "Sorry, I just... don't want to sound stupid."

"You won't, I promise. I love you and it's driving me crazy already just imagining you how you are right now. I might not be able to drag this out as long as I'd like to."

"That's okay," she assured him, absently touching herself in places that didn't seem to matter. It was more nervous motions than anything, like tapping one's foot or twirling a lock of hair, only it was her hand moving along her leg or drifting along her neck. "I'm... I need it, so..."

"Yeah, because you were bad and didn't do what I told you to do," he scolded her lowly, the clear lust in his voice making her thighs clench automatically. "See what happens when you're bad?"

"I was just... tired..."

"No excuses," he replied. "Now... are you relaxed?"

"A little," she said, though even that was generous.

"Okay. Okay, now... just lay back and close your eyes. Keep breathing. Where's your hand?"

"On my chest, kinda... under my collarbone," she replied, carefully following his commands and not even cracking an eye open.

"Tease yourself," he said, the tone of his voice making her blood run hotter even without the words themselves. "Start with your breasts. Go slow."

They couldn't even begin to fit in her hand, but she did as he said and did what she could. Her squeezes were nothing like his, her hands being considerably smaller than his and a little shaky at that moment, but it didn't mean she didn't know how to use her fingers and couldn't get the job done.

"Feel good?" he asked.

"Yeah, but it would feel better if it was your hand instead of mine."

"So imagine that," he grinned. "Keep your eyes closed. Everything you do, everything you feel, it's me. I'm there and I'll do anything you want me to. What do you want from me, baby?"

She groaned softly, mind going blank for a moment as her hand wandered down lower, over her belly. "I... God, just anything, really."

He let out a soft groan of his own, and she wondered if his own hand wasn't already at work, maybe softly palming at himself through what little he had on. "I just want to kiss you. Just kiss you everywhere, touch you everywhere, get you all worked up until you do that little whining thing and beg me to do more, give you what you want."

He was so good at that, at what he was saying. He'd done it so many times that she could almost feel it if she focused hard enough, and with his voice right there in her ear, it was as close to real as she was going to get that night.

"Then once I do," he added, voice lower and breath a little rougher, "it's like something in you snaps and you just... come to life, like you're on fire. I love it. I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, brows furrowing slightly at how breathless and strange her own voice sounded to her. But then her hand slid lower, just once, and she was so sensitive and, just as he'd said, deprived that it made her gasp softly into the phone. "Oh God."

"There you go," he said approvingly. "Don't stop, Summer. I bet you're already soaking wet, aren't you?"

She whined a little rather than answer with actual words, both because she couldn't and because she was too busy following his other order. Then she heard him curse and, for the first time that night, moan, and she knew exactly what he was doing. The image in her head was incredibly vivid, especially since it was something he had let her see before, on their honeymoon, and it heightened everything she felt even more.

"Fuck," he cursed, and the single word raced through her ear and through her veins like a little stick of dynamite. "Tell me what you're thinking about right now. Tell me, Summer."

She whimpered a little, letting her legs fall further apart and slowing down the pace of her fingers before replying, "I... well, actually... I'm just imagining you... what you're doing right now."

"Yeah, you like it when I touch myself," he chuckled, far too breathlessly to be innocent. "I should do it for you more often." Then he groaned and cursed again, and she sighed and picked up the pace. "Go faster, sweetheart."

"I am," she murmured, the words turning into a quiet but lingering moan. She was doing her best to make sure that she didn't hold anything back, knowing that he relished her sounds needed them even more than usual this time around.

"Good girl," he said breathlessly. "God, you sound so good. Louder." She obliged, not even needing to exaggerate, because each new command only enhanced everything. Then he raved, "Perfect. You're so perfect. If I was there right now I'd..."

"... What?" she asked, wanting to know the rest of that sentence, though it had been cut off by a low groan that had sent yet another shiver of pleasure through her nerves.

"... I'd bury my face between your legs, fucking devour you," he replied, voice strained and dark and sinful. "I wouldn't stop until we were both a fucking mess."

She let out a shocked little moan, even though there was nothing shocking about his words and he had lived up to them countless times in the past. He was just so filthy about it, and it was exactly what she needed to get closer and closer to that edge that she was now nearly teetering on.

He knew her sounds and what they meant, so the next words out of his mouth were, "Hang on for me, baby, just a little longer." She whined his name in reply, barely meaning to, and he replied, "I know, I know. You're close, I know, I can tell. Your fingers feel good, don't they? How many are inside you right now? Two?"

She merely panted into the phone, not answering and moving increasingly erratically. She was trying to hold on, but she wasn't sure how much longer she possibly could .

"Three?" he guessed next, and her faint squeak gave him his answer. "Three. Fuck. Keep going, sweetheart. Fuck yourself, like it's my fingers inside you."

"Bucky," she half-moaned again, trying to speak but only incoherent words coming out as her vision began to blur behind her closed eyelids.

"Hush, baby," he said softly. "Just keep going." She let out a strangled moan, her loudest yet, and its effect was instant. "Fuck, fuck, Summer. Come for me. Now, do it now..."

His words then became the sort of careless, deep moans that he usually muffled roughly against her neck or she swallowed with kisses, and every nerve ending in her body lit up as she helplessly followed his final command. She didn't feel like she was alone because she truly wasn't, despite the enormous physical distance between them. They were, in that moment, as close as they always were, in all the ways that truly counted and connected on levels that distance couldn't touch.

It felt like it went on and on, and when she finally rode out the last wave and collapsed back on to the bed bonelessly, it was another long few moments before either of them could say anything. Bucky was just as far gone, his breath heavy and satisfied in her ear, and Summer only vaguely noticed that her phone screen itself was actually fogged up a bit.

The first thing Summer did once she had caught her breath and somewhat returned to reality was laugh. It was a carefree, happy little giggle, and once she started, she didn't stop until Bucky laughed with her and asked, "You okay?"

"Oh, I'm great," she replied, stretching out carelessly in the bed and smiling like an idiot. "That was great. I mean like... really great."

He chuckled, sounding happy and spent, and agreed, "Yeah. You did perfect, sweetheart. Perfect. I needed that."

"Me too," she groaned, unable to wipe the smile off of her face.

"I know. And now I'm trusting you again to take care of yourself until I get back. I won't be able to do this with you again, so..."

"I understand," she nodded, eyes closed. "Don't worry. I'll... be good."

She knew he grinned at that. "Good. I love you so much."

Her smile managed to get even bigger. "I love you more."

"Impossible." He'd said it before, and he'd keep saying it until his dying day, she knew.

It was late now, and Summer had no idea what time it was where Bucky was, but soon it was time to hang up even though she didn't want to. Sleep was annoyingly pulling at her eyes, and now that she was happy and sated, resistance was futile.

"Get some sleep," Bucky said after she yawned noisily into the phone. "I'll be home in a few days, hopefully."

"You'd better be," she replied. "I can't wait."

"Me too," he said, and she could hear the sweet smile on his face. "Goodnight, Summer."

"Night, husband," she replied goofily, making him chuckle. "Dream of me again."

He groaned. "You know I will, especially after all of that."

She giggled, and all too soon, they had said their final goodbyes and finally hung up. Her exhaustion hit her all at once then, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face and her phone still in her hand. She dreamed of handsome assassins-turned-Avengers with filthy mouths and even filthier minds, and for the first time in her life, she woke up in the middle of the night moaning and in the middle of a very real release that left her quite bewildered and confused.

Pregnancy, over-sensitivity, and having Bucky for a husband apparently had some odd side effects, but she sure as heck wasn't about to complain.

---

About four days later, Bucky was still not home and Summer was sitting at the table in her nice new kitchen, sipping caffeine free herbal tea and watching Natasha work on her laptop as she sat across from her. Just earlier that day, Summer had very unintentionally clicked a link on an otherwise usually reliable website and then watched her computer have a total meltdown, which was a very bad thing because not all of her pictures nor her work was backed up, and the thought of losing it all had sent her into an hour-long crying fit. Thankfully, Natasha had been nice enough to come over and offer her tech expertise at only the price of a few glasses of wine that Summer couldn't share with her.

"Is she gonna live?" Summer asked nervously, watching Natasha tap away. David sat at their side, working quietly on his homework on the left side of the table.

"Your laptop's a she?" Natasha asked, glancing up to raise one eyebrow.

Summer nodded. "Her name is Josephine and Paul bought her for me after my house blew up and I'm very attached."

"Well," Nat chuckled, "Josephine will be fine once I'm done with her. Though you might want to get in the habit of backing up your hard drive, to save you panic attacks in the future."

"Probably," Summer nodded. "Thank you for coming by and doing this for me, you really saved me a huge headache. You're the best."

Natasha smiled and kept on working. "No problem. I haven't been here since you first moved in. The house looks good."

"Oh thanks," Summer smiled. "I've almost got the baby's room all set up, too. I'll have to show you later. I guess I've officially begun 'nesting' or whatever."

Natasha smirked a little and shrugged, "Well, I guess you had to pass the time somehow while the guys took their little vacation."

"Oh definitely," she snickered. "Speaking of that, have you heard from them lately? Any idea when they'll be back?"

Natasha shook her head, eyes focused still on the computer screen. "Nope. Sorry."

Summer sighed and leaned her head on her hand. "Dang it. I'm starting to worry."

Natasha shot her a look and said, "They're fine. You know they're fine."

"Yeah, but... I kinda wish you were with them," Summer admitted. "Like... you're kind of the voice of reason in the middle of their ridiculous ideas, you know? And I know Sam's with them and he's pretty... normal, but..."

"Well, as ridiculous as they can be sometimes," Natasha said, leaning back from the computer and taking her glass of wine in hand, "you can trust Steve to take better care of your husband than anyone. Except for you, of course."

Summer smiled a little. "Yeah, I know. I just... I worry. It's been two weeks now and I've seriously gained fifteen pounds since Bucky left."

Natasha's eyes widened as she swallowed a sip of the wine. "Fifteen pounds in two weeks?"

Summer nodded and cringed. "I'm just so hungry. All the time. Plus I eat when I'm nervous and I've been more and more nervous every day. I'm as big as this entire house. Bucky's gonna come home and look at me and just see a big fat sprinkle donut with giant boobs and dark hair."

David started giggling and earned a glare from Summer. Natasha merely rolled her eyes and said, "Oh please. The looks he gives you got even more obvious the week you started showing, and they've only gotten worse since. He looks at you and sees a goddess, not a donut."

Summer considered that for a moment, then shrugged, "Maybe a goddess of donuts."

That one made Natasha laugh, and Summer was smiling with her tea in hand when the sound of a car door closing outside made all three of them stop and look towards the front of the house. Summer furrowed her brows as Natasha eyed her and asked, "You expecting anyone?"

Summer shook her head, years-old paranoia getting the better of her. It was what happened when one endured having HYDRA agents knock on their door and proceed to nearly kill their child in front of them.

"Stay here," Natasha said casually, the picture of calm and cool and unconcerned as she got up and moved towards the front door. Summer and David watched, neither of them moving a muscle and Summer considering running and getting her gun just in case.

But then Natasha peered through the blinds on one of the windows, and she chuckled before calling over her shoulder, "Looks like someone's finally home."

In an instant, fear gave way to surprise and then excitement as Summer blinked, "Is it Bucky?!"

"And Steve," Natasha said as both Summer and David scrambled up from the table, the latter much quicker than the former.

Summer smiled and began reflexively trying to smooth down her hair, which was pointless because it was in a messy ponytail and beyond help. David ran to the front door and then burst out of it, and Summer came waddling to the door and stopped right at the doorway, just in time to see Bucky get out of the passenger seat of Steve's car.

It was dark outside, but the soft porch lamp cast just enough light on Bucky to make it seem like a moment straight out of some cheesy romantic movie. He was dressed in black, his favorite leather jacket and equally dark pants, and the first thing she saw was the back of his head. Normally such a sight wasn't that dramatic, but it was in this case, because his overgrown hair was in an honest to God bun high on the back of his head. She couldn't believe it, especially after he'd always seemed aghast at her suggestions to put his hair up and actually do something with it.

But it only got worse from there. He turned around just as David ran up to him, and it was as he looked down and smiled at his adopted son that Summed realized with the utmost shock that he had grown a beard while he'd been gone. A beard. And a pretty good one at that, given the relatively short amount of time.

He picked David up and gave him a big hug, and as he squeezed the boy to death, Bucky looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with Summer for the first time. Her heart skipped a beat and Adelaide kicked the crap out of her, likely trying to tell her to stop being stupid and breathe for both their sakes, but breathing wasn't particularly easy at that point in time.

As she gaped, Natasha came strolling through the doorway next to her and called out in her usual confident way to Steve, "Took your time there, Cap."

Then even she stopped in her tracks, and Summer didn't know why until she managed to tear her eyes away from Bucky and look at Steve as he grinned and made his way to Natasha, not dressed quite as darkly as his best friend but equally bearded and oh man did it look good on him. Really good. Good enough to make Natasha stand there and stare with rare, very open lust.

"Yeah," Steve shrugged, eating up her reaction. "Sorry about that. I'm not usually one to keep you waiting."

He then grinned and hugged his still-bewildered girlfriend, and Summer stared at them before looking back at Bucky, who had put David down and was now walking towards her with that very same maddeningly knowing look that had been on Steve's face. Had they planned this? Better yet, she asked, "Why do you guys suddenly have beards and look even more like walking sex?"

"We were in the mountains," Bucky said, eyes raking over her body like she wasn't a beached whale but rather a goddess, just like Natasha had said. He shrugged and then invaded her space with a grin. "Seemed fitting."

She just stared at him, at the loose strands of hair framing his face and the beard that she'd honestly never expected to ever see on him, and then he took her in his arms and leaned down and kissed her. It was no little peck, but rather exactly the kind of kiss she'd been hoping that he would give her when this moment came. She made a small whimpering noise and wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and ignoring David's mild gagging sound as lost her breath and felt her blood start immediately rushing to places that were not her head.

It wasn't her fault. He had a fricking man bun, plus a few cuts over his brow that somehow only made him look more badass, and the way that his surprise beard scratched and tickled under her lips made her instantly wonder what it would feel like other places.

When he pulled away, instantly grinning again and cradling the side of her face with his hand, she had a two hand grip on his jacket and a dazed look in her eye as she vaguely heard Steve say, "He's lying. We just didn't have time to shave. And we figured you ladies wouldn't really mind."

She shook her head to the affirmative, not taking her eyes off of Bucky. His own eyes shot down again, apparently finding her overall look of maternity jeans and a white shirt with little pink foot prints over her belly quite impressive. Then he met her gaze again and said quietly, "I've missed you so much."

She nearly swooned. Meanwhile, Natasha pulled Steve's face back to her, demanding his full attention while utterly filthy thoughts danced behind her eyes. But before she could tell Steve in Russian to get in the car and take her home immediately, Summer continued to stare at Bucky and blurted out, "For a minute there I thought my water might have broke but then I realized that I was just suddenly really really really w-"

Bucky laughed and kissed her to shut her up, before helpfully reminding her, "David's still hanging on my leg."

She just shook her head and brought her hands to his jaw, dragging her fingers through the roughness of the beard before squeaking, "But... but... your hair and your..."

He nodded, leaning in and whispering for only her to hear, "I know. Just hold it together until we're alone, sweetheart. Be good."

Be good. He pulled away and she scrunched up her brows, staring at him helplessly and groaning when he kissed her lightly one more time before stepping back and leading David inside. She glanced again at Steve and Natasha, who were still half-hugging and staring at each other like they might just go at it right there on her porch in the middle of the suburb.

Summer wouldn't blame Nat if they did. Bucky looked quite good with his beard, but Steve looked like he'd been born for the look and also more mature and... well... Summer wasn't about to to go down that road. Besides, it was all written on Natasha's face anyway.

"Thanks for the wine, Summer," Nat said lightly without looking away from Steve, taking his hand and physically dragging him to the car. "Catch you later."

Summer grinned and called back, "See ya. Thanks for fixing Josephine!"

Steve managed to steal one glance Summer's way and smile and wave before Natasha shoved him in the car. Summer waved back and laughed, then watched Natasha get in the driver's seat and smoothly but swiftly get on the road and speed away. Summer doubted they'd even make it home before Natasha and that beard got acquainted.

She, on the other hand, had to wait for David to go to sleep, and as it turned out, Bucky's return had him wired faster than if he'd drank a whole Red Bull. But that was okay. She'd waited two weeks and she could wait a few more hours.

It was like Bucky had never left, and just that quick, life was finally back to normal. He regaled David with tales of the fights he'd had while away, and she couldn't quite tell if he was exaggerating or not. He told them both how at one point, Steve had tossed him his shield and Bucky had thrown it with impressive precision to knock a bad guy out of a helicopter he'd been shooting at them from. David loved that one, and Summer had listened while casually and mindlessly playing with the loose strands of Bucky's hair. She just couldn't help it.

When David's bedtime rolled around, he protested but ultimately gave in when Bucky promised him that they'd spend the next day together, just the two of them, while Summer was at work at the tower. Then they put him to bed together, just like always, and Summer was all but walking on air by the time they quietly left his room, padding out into the hallway and closing the door as their eyes met and little smiles formed on their lips.

"I can't believe you're finally home," she said sweetly as he took her hand and gently led her towards their own room, only one more door down the hallway. "I thought you'd be gone at least one or two more days."

He shook his head, free hand going to their doorknob and turning it as he replied, "If the intel had been better we would have come home on time. But we got it done." He opened the door and led her through it before him, grin returning as he added, "Miss me?"

She scoffed and wheeled around to face him as he walked inside behind her, closing the door behind him. "Miss you? Oh no, not at all. Gosh, I'm just so bummed out that now I've gotta deal with seeing your stupid pretty face every day all over again."

He chuckled, casually twisting the lock on the door as he looked her over from head to toe again. "You're even more beautiful now than you were when I left."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the flutters within from both the lock and the way that he was looking at her now that they were alone. "I'm fifteen pounds fatter. You don't have to lie, you know."

He didn't even blink or raise an eyebrow. "I'm not lying. Come here."

She bit her lip unknowingly, slowly closing the small distance between them and again admiring everything about him. The jacket was long gone, so now he was in just a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. His hair was still up and she loved it like that, though she missed the feel of it in her fingers when her hands went to his shoulders first and then his neck as his arms wound around her. He hugged her again, his beard scratching her neck slightly as he inhaled the scent of her hair and groaned lightly. "I missed you so much."

He'd said it a few times by now, but she didn't mind in the least. "I missed you more."

He laid a soft, sweet kiss on her neck, and then to her surprise, he dropped down on his knees in front of her. It turned out to be for completely innocent reasons, as he lifted up her shirt and smiled while both of his hands went to her belly. "And I missed you too, baby girl."

Summer was instantly a puddle of useless, happy goo on the floor, melted by both the sweet tone of his voice and the way that he looked upon her belly with such love and devotion that it was almost unfathomable. She couldn't believe that she'd gotten so lucky, and she knew that even when she was old and gray someday, she still wouldn't believe it.

"She's been crazy the last two weeks," Summer told him, one of her hands on top of his. "But she's been really calm since you've been home. Maybe your voice calms her down."

"Yeah?" he smiled, looking up into her eyes before leaning forward and sweetly kissing her belly. She melted all over again, and she was still flailing inside when he rose back up to his feet and placed his hand on her face, thumb swiping along her cheek as he said quietly, "I can see your pulse racing in your neck."

She laughed and admitted shamelessly, "I have been dying inside since the minute you walked out of the car."

"Me too," he replied sincerely, but his words were met with a scoff. "You're so gorgeous."

This was getting ridiculous. "I'm a house! I've gained fifty five pounds! And look at you," she said, placing her hands on his chest and groaning as she looked him over. "You're perfect and all big, and your hair like this is ugh and the beard, I didn't even know I needed it but I needed it, and..."

She gasped very quietly in surprise when his fingers grasped her chin and raised up her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. He looked deadly serious as he told her lowly and firmly, "I'm only gonna say this once, so listen to me, Summer."

She blinked. He sounded kinda... angry.

His fingers left her chin, then slid into her hair as he slowly started walking her backwards towards their bed, though she barely noticed. "I am sick and fucking tired of hearing you cut yourself down every chance you get. I don't know if you're like this because of what that bastard did to you and I understand, I do, but I can't sit back and listen to it anymore."

"Oh, well..." His finger on her lips shushed her.

"Don't talk until I say you can."

Her eyes widened. She wasn't sure what this was or where it was coming from, but she was totally okay with it. Super okay with it.

She piped down, still moving backwards slowly, and his hands drew downwards to grasp her shirt and pull it up as he continued to speak. "The only person I know who has a single bad word to say about you is you. Do you realize that? Everybody loves you. I've heard Steve brag about you almost as much as I do. And I wasn't gonna tell you this, but I overheard Wanda tell Nat a few months ago that she was gonna leave the tower and go home before you put food in front of her door and talked to her that first night."

Her jaw dropped. She had no idea. "... Really?"

He took her shirt off and dropped it on the floor, nodding. "Really. And you're still not allowed to talk."

She swallowed and nodded, blinking a few times to herself as he knelt down and started taking her jeans off, one leg at a time. She held on to his shoulder for balance and didn't let go when he straightened up and resumed their walk to the bed.

"I come home to this beautiful, amazing woman who gave me a family when I had nothing, who's carrying my child and giving me a life I'll never deserve," he said fiercely, searing his words into her consciousness, "and all I want to do is lay her down and show her how much I love her. But then she opens her mouth and I just want to break something because no matter what I do, no matter what I say, it doesn't get through to you."

Then he was sitting her down on their bed, himself still fully clothed and angry, and her in her bra and underwear and bewildered. She stared up at him in confusion and then followed him with her eyes as he knelt down in front of her on one knee, placing him just below her eye level.

His hands went to her legs, to the outer parts of her thighs as he said, "I know you've got insecurities, and I know they won't just go away. But what I am telling you is that if anyone talked about you the way you talk about yourself, I'd beat the shit out of them and make them apologize to you before I tossed them out on the street."

Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open even more, though she remembered this time to not say anything, per his orders.

His hands moved up her belly, along the sides of it, his fingertips tickling at the stretch marks there as his eyes bored into hers. "I'm sick of it, Summer. I don't want you cutting yourself down anymore. We're gonna have a little girl who's gonna hear everything you say and then start to do the same damn thing to herself."

... Dammit. He was right. He was so right, and she felt like an idiot. Shame started to prickle underneath her skin, and Bucky didn't miss the way that her eyes began to shine as she blinked more rapidly than before.

"It's not your fault," he said softly, one hand back in her hair, soft and soothing. "I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I want you to feel good. Remember our wedding night, when you danced for me?"

She smiled a little, nodding. Of course she remembered. How could she forget?

"Seeing you like that, so confident and comfortable and just... in control. It was incredible. Just the way that you carried yourself and looked at me, like you knew exactly what you were doing to me and how much I loved you. That's what I want to see in you again. That's how you should always look."

She chewed on her lip. What he was saying was way easier when she was smaller and not pregnant, but at the same time... if she was being honest, she'd spent her entire life criticizing herself and everything about herself, and she was just as sick of it as Bucky himself was.

And she would never forgive herself if she unwittingly taught their unborn daughter to be the same way.

"So..." he said a little more gently, leaning in close enough for his lips to almost graze hers. "Can you do that for me? For yourself?"

She took a deep breath, holding on to the bed beneath her palms as she nodded. He grinned a little and said, "You can talk now."

She grinned back, nodding again. "Yes. You're right. I'll work on it, but... I'm gonna need your help."

"Anything you need, sweetheart," he assured her, kissing her lips so softly that it made her very bones sigh. His hands roamed gently over her, one reaching behind her back and easily undoing her bra as he murmured, "One more thing."

A faint blush on her cheeks, she watched him discard her bra to the floor and then said, "Yeah?"

His eyes rose from her breasts to her own eyes as he asked, "Were you good?"

He didn't need to say anything more. Her mind flashed to that phone call and the promises she'd made at the end of it, and as her blush deepened, she nodded. "Yeah. I was good."

He grinned and it was just the right amount of dirty and curious. "Yeah? Good. Good. When was the last time?"

"Um..." she fidgeted slightly, glancing up at him and smiling a little anxiously. "... This morning."

His gaze darkened and his hand in her hair tilted her head back just a little, his other hand gently groping her breast and making her body tingle as he groaned against her lips, "Tell me what you thought about."

"You," she breathed, closing her eyes as he kissed her neck. The tickle and roughness of his beard felt so different and amazing that she almost forgot to elaborate. "You, your... tongue. Everything." She took a breath and then forced out, "And you were kind of in your uniform and I was... tied up."

He paused halfway down her throat, raising his head to look up at her with the sort of heat in his eyes that made her entire body thrum with excitement. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"You know I would."

He blinked slowly, cursed under his breath, and then kissed her with a blinding, searingly hot passion. It was exactly what she had been waiting for, the moment where they would in in and everything would suddenly kick into gear and start really moving. She kissed him back desperately, clutching him and clawing at his shirt and reeling under the intensity of it all. They'd gone much longer than two weeks without intimacy before, but it was the weight of his words and the look in his eye and the depth of their ever-growing love that made it as perfect and fiery as it was, at least for her.

His clothes came off before he finally crawled into the bed with her. He beckoned her to sit on his lap and they made it work for awhile despite how crowded it was, kissing like mad and hands moving everywhere, becoming familiar with everything that was new. His facial hair was starting to burn her chin but she didn't mind it, and he definitely didn't mind the extra weight that she'd put on while he was gone. He even determined where most of it had went, his hands sliding down her back and then venturing lower before he squeezed and said, "Fuck, Summer, your ass."

"It's huge," she acknowledged, moaning quietly as his lips trailed down her neck and his hands squeezed so hard it nearly hurt. "I had to buy new jeans again."

He groaned his approval for the new development, and the more that they touched and the more fervently he worshipped every curve and every imperfection on her body, the more that she became convinced that he truly was right and that she could let go of those nagging insecurities. She might not ever be rid of them entirely, but she could stop feeding them and start starving the power they held over her and the words that she spoke. She could do it, and she decided starting right then, she would do it.

She began by spurning their now-routine position when the time came and they were both ready for more. Rather than lay down on her side and take comfort over what she really liked best, she made him sit with his back to the headboard and then turned in his lap, so that her back was to his chest and her legs were straddling his hips. She took control and he gladly gave it to her, and while it wasn't easy and she could only do it because of how strong her legs had become prior to her getting pregnant, it was more than worth the extra work and effort it took to ride him like that and give them what they both wanted.

She blindly took his hair down halfway through, reaching behind his head and fumbling until she pulled the locks free. She grasped a tight handful of his hair and refused to let go, pulling on it sharply every time he hit her just right, and he gasped and moaned roughly into her ear or against her neck each and every time it happened. She got the feeling that he wouldn't be letting her cut it any time soon.

It was a better reunion than she could have asked for, long and lingering into the early hours of the morning until they fell asleep safe and happy in each other's arms, where they belonged. She didn't even mind when her phone woke her up only a few hours later, ushering her into a new long day at the office, because she was just that happy.

And when she ran into Natasha at the tower, in the elevator on her way up to her office, she giggled goofily when the other woman pulled her red hair aside to reveal equally red skin along her neck and chest, eventually disappearing under her shirt. Summer then showed off her own equally beard-burned skin, or at least the parts that she could show, and after they laughed some more and got off on different floors, Summer couldn't believe how amazing the week had ended up turning out.

She decided to enjoy it while it lasted, because in only two more months' time, life was going to irrevocably change forever once more. Still, she absolutely couldn't wait.

A/N: Yeah, sooo... I think if I had to sum up this chapter, it would be merely with the words "babies and beards" LOL. I have just been sitting here waiting and waiting for when I could plausibly throw a beard on Steve's face, and then it ended up getting extended to also Bucky's face, but let's face it, beardy!Steve is just... there are no words. None. And I am going to shut up about beards now lol

Thank you guys so much, as always, for reading and reviewing, I love you ALL and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint :D Just as a side note, to answer a few of the last anon reviews I've gotten: to the first one, who is getting a bit annoyed with Summer these days lol, I understand where you're coming from but there's no backwards sliding or narcissistic teenagers here. If it seems that way, it's probably because I wanted to write a lighthearted pregnancy for the first time (seriously, the previous ones I've written were doozies lol) and I think that with as much as Summer has resting on her fictional shoulders, she's allowed to have a few silly or accidentally self-centered moments. David is still her top priority but she's trying to figure out how to also have a second little top priority, plus work, plus the book, plus just keeping up with every day life, and none of that is even mentioning Bucky, so... I think we can cut her a break for being so wrapped up in chocolate and wanting sex that she didn't immediately notice David's brief distress. Bucky pointed it out to her and all was well. He's equally David's parent now too and I like having him pick up on some things before Summer does now. She's only one person and is bound to miss some stuff here and there. Nobody's perfect. But he's there to help her now and I quite like that :D But in any case, I've noticed a few others also prefer AC Summer, which I think is super funny lol. I think she's just a little more carefree and less traumatized in that story, plus not a mother yet, which definitely makes a difference. But anyway, thank you for reading and for your honesty :) And now, to the other anon review which wasn't really anon because it was signed lol, to Geena :) Yeah, I miiiiiight have a reason for suddenly not talking much about Hydra anymore lol :p actually, really I imagine them post-AOU quite crippled and sort of trying to rebuild and maybe work with other baddies to do so, so they're not really doing too much at the moment (in this story lol). BUT. Trust me, there is more action coming and a LOT of serious things, and they're getting closer. But the bad guys will be different this time. Which is all I can safely say :D

Thank you guys again, and thank you to midnightwings96 for helping me SO MUCH and gahhhhhhh I can't thank her enough :D I'll see you guys next week!