Steve blinked in confusion and bewilderment, "How?", calming down slightly to hear that his children and the rest of the family is safe in America, and Preston helped him up, "It's quite a story, but first, this is Bebinn, my amazing and wonderful wife. She was formerly old too before becoming restored to youth like me...", with a warm, tender, loving smile, as Bebinn blushed with a smile, kissing her husband on the cheek, "Oh, you. You are my incredible husband, Preston. Why don't you explain everything while I fire up some real cozy soup? Don't get me wrong, having delicious cheese is nice, but you look like you need some soup in you, Mr. Rogers.", with a warm smile as she passed them to the cabinets and such.
"I know what you're probably thinking, Preston... why the hell did I come here first rather than, say, checking into the closest base I could find...", Steve sighed. "You wanted to let family know first, I can hazard a guess?", Preston gave a wry, knowing smile.
Steve nodded, "Yeah...I just couldn't make them wait longer than necessary, you know? Especially Peggy...I know she can handle herself way better than before, but she's still human...And I miss having her in my arms and everything...".
Preston replied, "Well, you just need to be patient a bit longer...as you need to clean up quite badly and some rest, and I think the kids doesn't deserve to be scared off by...well, the current state of you...", before proceeding to explain the story for a couple of hours as Steve was given the tantalizing and wonderful soup of two servings, with a pitcher of milk, toasted bread, and some pie.
Steve felt heaps better as he smiled gratefully at Bebinn, "Thank you, Bebinn...That was the most wonderful meal I've ever had...", and Bebinn smiled warmly, "Thank you, Steve. Centuries of experience there. Now, I will go ahead and portal to the cottage and Atlantis since Audrey is on one of her occasional stayovers while checking up on Marina's progress.".
Preston nodded, "Yeah, there is still your hygiene stuff in the bathroom from yours and Peggy's old childhood bedroom, and I will search for some good clothes since that suit needs some serious cleaning up, and then after you reunite with the children and the others, I expect you will rest then, yes?", with a quirked eyebrow.
Steve looked so relieved to hear that, and smiled, "It would take me a long while in the shower...It had been ages since I actually had more than 10 minutes to relish a real nice warm shower...I'm sorry that I took so long to get here, Preston...Turns out the explosion was strong to shoot me out to Greenland, and then the weather was crazy, with a storm here and there on Greenland and Iceland, and then a nasty and wild almost hurricane-like storm got the ship lost on the way to Ireland before the storm cleared out and realizing that the shore in reach was Scotland...I got off the ship so fast, and with rough directions and all, I had to walk a long time since Scotland was more...wild per sec...And of course, the accent in any people was thick more or less.".
"I'm honestly surprised that word didn't quickly spread about you arriving back beforehand.", Preston said. "Hey, you didn't recognize me, do you really think most random folks in this country would either?", Steve asked with a smirk.
Bebinn chuckled, "He got a point there, Preston, and besides, it's a good thing that he wasn't recognized, since if he was, word would have possibly been out to the Nazi and Hydra...", with a tilt of her head.
Preston exhaled, "Ah, right...Better to keep everyone safe than nothing...", with a nod, and Bebinn smiled, kissing her husband on the lips, "Indeed. Well, I'll be back soon.", before portalling swiftly to the cottage before Steve could even peek as she then closed it after her, and Preston smiled fondly, "I'm already starting to understand why you love Peggy...It's like nothing else I'd ever felt, yet I can't get enough of it, making me feel whole, filling that hole which was missing from my life. Come on, let's get you cleaned up.", patting Steve's shoulder as he nodded, eager for the shower and a fresh set of clothes.
Indeed, it took an hour and half of relishing into the heavenly glorious shower, a very much needed shave, and changing into a fresh set of clothes from his dresser in his and Peggy's guest/childhood bedroom, and Preston was surprised and worried when he got a note by portal.
"You okay, Preston?", Steve asked in concern, and Preston exhaled, "She is usually fine with portalling, but fainting after three portals total...She said that Nola is checking over her through she says that she's fine, and that she just needs to rest like a half hour before she's able to portal back with Audrey and Marina to the cottage, while telling me that I can portal you there.".
Steve replied, "That's good, right? I mean, we all know Nola just fine.", with a reassuring smile, and Preston nodded, "Yeah, yeah, you're right...Probably the rush of excitement of telling the good news about your return was a lot. You ready to hug and reunite with the kids, next to everybody else?", with a smile, as he had to convince Steve to wait patiently for the weekend to come around to reunite with Peggy and Bucky which is in a couple of days, and then Steve will make a foolproof plan to say that he had journeyed and then rested in the Carter house while it was empty before taking the train to London with some money he found in the house, to the base and Phillips.
"How's Peggy been since she went through the procedure?", Steve asked Preston as he gave him a look. "Ho- how do you know that?", Preston asked as Steve chuckled.
"Well, I was kinda there with her when that happened in a more spiritual form; trying to be with her as she was going through all the pain. Wish I had that when I went through. But even if I wasn't there and didn't know, I could guess when you told me while I was cleaning up that she was with Bucky and the others serving on the front.", Steve replied.
Preston gave a small smile, "She's determined, yet she doesn't forget who she is, and thank god that visiting secretly every weekend by portal is helping her feel more sane, next to Bucky...I'm not told much, but between the lines, the Nazi and Hydra is digging themselves into a deep pit yet thinking they ain't there yet, thanks to Hitler on the Nazi side, and the technology on the Hydra side.".
Steve grinned, "Well, I bet she will appreciate the extra help.", and Preston chuckled, nodding, "Yeah. You ready now?", and Steve took a deep breath, "Let's go.".
Preston used his sling ring like it's second nature to him, and a portal formed into the living room of the Rogers cottage, and Steve walked through, awed as he didn't feel weird, with Preston following him after, the portal closing, and then a shout of joy came, "Dada!".
Steve immediately was crying in happiness as he saw his daughter running to him, wearing her beautiful blonde hair in an adorable ponytail, in a spring green dress, kneeling down to open his arms as she happily embraced her daddy, "Me miss you, Dada!", feeling her daddy envelop her, kissing her forehead.
"Oh, Brooke! I missed you so much, sweetheart!", Steve sobbed as he took into his daughter's wonderful smell, smiling in joy as then he heard a squeal of attention, and he looked over, with Brookyln looking his way, to see Asher looking determined, sticking his tongue out as he was on his little pillow rest on his back on the floor, and rolled over, burying himself into the pillow rest, and as Steve was about to get up and sprint over, he saw his son backing up, shaking his head slightly as he uprighted himself, crawling with little turns before he then faced in the direction of his daddy and big sister, and then smiled determinedly with a babbling squeal as he then crawled to them.
Brookyln clapped her hands in joy, "Yes, Ash, you doing it! Dada, it first time he crawling!", with a wide smile at her daddy who was still in tears, in awe, "He is...That's it, Ash, son...Look at you...Determined like your mumma...", turning his knees over into a yoga position, as Asher babbled excitedly, crawling closer and closer before he put his little hands on one of Steve's ankles, smiling at his daddy who scooped him up into his other arm, and he squealed happily as he snuggled into his daddy's neck, looking at him like a mirror in their eyes of father and son, looking so healthy with his copper brown hair growing lush like his mumma, but not as lush yet like Brookyln, enjoying his daddy's kisses on his forehead.
"I'm so sorry...", Steve began to sob. "I didn't mean to make you two miss me so much...", holding his children a bit closer in his arms. "Mumma thought she lost you...", Brooke said as Steve nodded.
"I know... close call and all, but couldn't help where I ended up... I would've let you guys know as soon as I could that I was alright.", Steve spoke, looking between his wonderful children.
Then Amanda's voice sounded out teasingly and warm, "Are you crying, Harrison?", and Steve and the little ones looked up and over, to see Amanda and Harrison standing there by one of the recliner chairs, with Harrison blinking and shaking his head, "No way, no!", with Amanda smiling with tears in her eyes, "Aww, come on, honey, didn't you see that Steve isn't afraid to be a softie?", handing over a handkerchief.
Harrison blinked, "Okay, fine, I'm crying, happy now?!", not mad at his wife as he gave a tearful smile, tears falling as he tried to compose himself. Brookyln giggled as Asher cooed, with Steve not leaving the floor as he just wanted to hold his children and take into their wonderful sounds, smiling happily, "See, Brooke, Ash, all daddies have a sensitive side, no matter how small or big that is...", as he couldn't stop kissing and touching his children with fatherly affection as two months felt like forever.
"Are you alright?", Amanda quickly asked Steve as he nodded, "Been freezing cold for a while... probably would've succumbed to the elements if not for my enhancements; and the sheer fact of how much traveling on foot I had to do... but... I made it. Hope you two are alright with the fact that I had to break into your place... I just couldn't wait in terms of getting something finally decent to eat.".
Harrison smiled, "It's okay, Steve. After all, you're our son-in-law. We couldn't believe our ears when Bebinn told us the news...I'm glad that you're alive, son.", and Steve looked relieved to hear that, smiling as his heart swelled at the fact once again that he got parents in Harrison and Amanda by marrying Peggy and all.
Preston smiled, watching Harrison and Amanda walking to Steve and the little ones, hugging Steve altogether in the kids in the middle, and hoped that Bebinn is okay like she said in the note.
As the couple helped the trio into the couch, conversation was in the air while Steve couldn't let go of his children, never intending to leave them, and soon, the excitement of the reunion and the few short conversations was more than enough for Steve as he couldn't stop yawning occasionally, and after apologizing that he couldn't stay up long enough for the return of Audrey and Marina by Bebinn's portal from Atlantis, he headed to the master bedroom, his heart panging slightly at the bed, seeing the mussed side of Peggy while his side was straightened and unused, and he went to take the middle of the bed, falling asleep together with his children, with Asher resting on his chest, a hand of his father resting on his little back, with Brookyln in the other arm, snuggled into Steve's side.
Amanda happily and tenderly took a picture with the newest camera, which was a Kodak, and left the bedroom, heading to have some tea with her husband under the covered patio in the backyard, while Preston waited patiently in a chair with a book to distract himself.
About 40 minutes later, he then saw the portal forming and taking shape, seeing Audrey and Marina stepping through, and then Bebinn afterwards, as his eyes widened, seeing a new crystal necklace in conjunction with the medallion, as she closed it after her, and he got up to his feet, glancing at Audrey who had a question in her eyes, and smiled reassuringly, "Steve's home, but he's currently asleep with the kiddos in the master bed...He couldn't let go of them...".
Audrey looked overjoyed to hear that with tears in her eyes, calmly nodding as she cradled Marina warmly as she cooed happily, and Preston walked to Bebinn, "Are you okay?", looking her over, caressing her cheeks tenderly as he held her head lovingly in his hands.
"Yes, I am, Preston.", Bebinn beamed warmly with a glint in her eyes that Preston hadn't seen before, "Nola took care of me after I fainted, and turns out I needed rest, some food after doing a lot of portals...Kida gave me my crystal, thinking that it'd help work together with the sling ring for the portalling a while until it's too much, that is, after realizing that the magic is strong to aid along while I was resting...".
Preston, not getting the hint, asked in confusion, "Too much?", and Bebinn caressed one of his hands, taking it from her cheek to her belly, hoping the next hint would then make him realize it, and Preston's eyes widened, whispering, "A-are you...?", realizing that the clothes hid an obvious baby bump that wasn't there this morning.
Bebinn smiled warmly, "Yes, Preston...I'm pregnant with our children...You're going to be a daddy of twins...", with happy tears in her eyes, wondering if Preston is going to faint in his reaction or freak out in excitement, biting her lip nervously...She knew she said that she is happy to be pleasantly surprised with anything through their life, not knowing what's to be expected, but she honestly didn't expect this soon, yet Nola told her that the conception date was on their newlywed day, either with magical power in their technical, astral first time together, or the two times of their wedding night, including their physical first time, from what she could tell, to Bebinn's amazement and shocked happiness.
Preston took a deep breath as he was trying to basically contemplate everything. Children, at his age. Sure, he had regained quite a bit of youth, but it still didn't change that he had been alive for well over almost 8 whole decades now.
Yet he strived on being a grandfather of sorts for the mob of children as they brought him life, next to everybody else treating him like family he never thought to have, and then he became an uncle which he adapted far better than before, due to being young again, and now, as 27 years old, essentially long-living now with his wife, he's a husband, a best friend, an uncle, a brother, and now...now he's a father of two children...Twins...
He saw the happy tears in his wife's eyes while looking nervous for his reaction, and remembered how Bebinn was worried about being inviable yet wanting to share love with a child, and that pregnant or not, she is still the same wonderful, amazing, loving, passionate, strong woman he fell in love with, and a wide smile slowly formed on his face as he reacted in his own eccentric way.
"You alright?", Bebinn asked him as he nodded, "Sorry... just... the news and all, it's almost too much to take in right now... I'm just so overwhelmed with joy!".
Bebinn shrieked in delight and surprise, laughing as Preston lifted her up in his arms, "I'm going to be a dad! I'm going to be a dad to twins!", forgetting that Steve and his children were asleep, and all, barely seeing Harrison and Amanda come in, alert and all, with Steve sprinting out with his children protectively in his arms, as Audrey calmly smiled happily with a gurgling Marina in her arms, as she was told by Nola while Bebinn was resting.
"You made me the happiest man on Earth right now, Bebinn! Gods, I love you and the twins so much!", Preston guffawed happily as he lowered her down, kissing her warmly on the lips, caressing her cheek with one hand while one hand caressed her baby bump through her shirt.
Bebinn sobbed in relief and joy, smiling so brightly, "I love you too, Preston, and I know the twins loves you too...", before noticing the others, and blushed, "I think you were shouting it loud enough to the house, Preston.".