Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing

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It was the first weekend of the summer break, and Skye was walking up and down the aisles of a small second-hand bookstore. She was looking for books from the summer reading list that the school had handed out. Steve had already taken her to the library to see if she could just borrow the books, but with so many students being given the same list of books to read, she couldn't find any.

Steve told her they could just buy the books and suggested they headed to the Strand bookstore, but Skye had suggested they try this second-hand bookstore first. She had been here a few times before, as it was near a previous foster home that had encouraged her to read a lot. They had brought her to this shop to look for books to read.

Steve was walking down the aisles looking with her to find the books on the list.

"I can't say I have ever noticed you reading anything outside of things for school., Do you like reading?" Steve asked.

"Nope," Skye said. "This is the first time I'm doing the summer reading list. Previous schools gave the lists out, but it was never really enforced. With this school, it is, and there is a form that parents are supposed to fill out saying that the books were read. Some of my classmates say they take marks off your following year's grades, but others say that isn't true. But they still want us to read some."

Steve nodded.

"And I figured there is no way you're going to say I read them if I didn't, so," Skye said.

"You're right, I will not say you read them if you don't," Steve told her.

"Was a summer reading list a thing when you were in school?" Skye asked.

"No," Steve said. "Not where I went to school, at least."

Skye nodded.

"But I think it's a good thing, to keep you learning over the summer," Steve said.

"It's supposed to be a break from learning," Skye said.

"You will never stop learning, even when you are fully done with school. How many books are you supposed to read?" Steve asked.

"At least six, apparently some read the entire list," Skye said.

"Six books in ten weeks isn't a lot, so I say that you still very much get a break," Steve said.

Skye sighed.

"And you have to do it. If you keep a positive attitude about it, it will probably be more enjoyable," Steve said.

"I guess," Skye said.

"Did you at least look up what the books are about to pick some you might be interested in?" Steve asked.

"Yes, the dozen I have circled are the ones that are of interest to me, so any six of those," Skye said.

Steve nodded.

They kept looking through the books and were able to find three of the books that Skye was looking for.

"Well, three gets me started," Skye said. "Maybe I will find the other ones at the library later in the summer."

"Okay," Steve said as they went up to the cash register, where a girl who looked only a couple of years older than Skye was working.

"Good afternoon," the young lady said.

"Afternoon," Steve said.

Skye put her books up on the counter, and the girl started to ring them up.

"This is a good one," The girl said, holding up a book called Thaw.

Skye nodded, "Um, yeah, seems like it."

"What is it about?" Steve asked.

"It's a romance novel," Skye said.

The girl told them the price. Steve paid, and Skye took the books.

Steve and Skye left the shop and headed out to where they had parked.

"So, you like romance novels?" Steve asked.

"I don't know, maybe. It's the only romance one from the list I picked," Skye said.

Steve nodded. "Why did that one catch your attention more than the other romance novels?"

Skye shrugged.

He could tell there was something there she was hesitating to tell him. They got into the car, and Steve started for home.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Steve asked.

Skye smiled. "Not thinking anything in particular."

"You're sure?" Steve asked.

She nodded.

"Okay," Steve said, and they drove in silence for the next few minutes.

"Have you found out anything else about Kate and Civicmax?" Skye asked.

Steve let out a breath.

"You said you would tell me things," Skye said.

"If it pertained directly to you," Steve said.

"I'm their target. It's all about me," Skye said.

"Well, the Avengers as a whole are their target. They just think you are the easy method to get to us and be able to use against us," Steve said.

"Okay, but that means I will be who they come after first," Skye said.

Steve nodded. It was true, and it terrified him, He was just getting to know his daughter, and he was terrified of losing her.

"Dad, isn't this why I've been training? To be ready to defend myself and eventually be able to help the world the way that you do," Skye asked.

"Well, yes. But I was hoping to wait a few years," Steve said.

"You said six months," Skye said.

"Six months, and we would talk about it," Steve said. "Which we are."

"What do I need to do to prove to you I'm ready?" Skye asked.

"Skye, it's not really about me needing to see something to trust you are ready. I don't want you to get hurt; even if you are trained for years, you can end up hurt. We all have been hurt at some point. When we were dealing with the fallout of snapping people back Tony almost died, Nat almost died, and a few years before that Wanda's brother did die," Steve told her.

"I'm not going out looking for trouble. Trouble is going to find me. I want to be prepared to defend myself when that time comes. And, won't it be easier for me to be able to do that if I know exactly what is going on," Skye said.

"We are planning to make an appearance at Civicmax and talk to the CEO, whom we know has ties to Hydra. We want to let them know we know and to back down," Steve said.

Skye nodded. "When? Any chance I can come?"

Steve let out a breath., "Day after tomorrow, and no."

"Why not?" Skye asked.

"I'm not going to directly put you in harm's way," Steve said.

"You will be there, right?" Skye asked.

"Yes, Tony and I are going," Steve said.

"So, I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to try anything with you two there, too," Skye said. "And being there will show the CEO that you aren't worried about me being able to defend myself if I need to."

"The answer is no, Skyler," Steve said.

Skye let out a breath.

They pulled in at home and went inside.

Skye went into the kitchen where Tony was.

"Can you convince him to let me come to Civicmax when you go?" She asked Tony.

Tony looked up at Steve, who just shook his head in annoyance.

"Sorry, Kid, if he says no, the answer is no," Tony said.

"Come on, you let Peter fight," Skye whined.

"He was older than you," Tony said.

"By like a year," Skye said.

"Two years," Tony said.

"Skyler, I said no. Now go start reading, the sooner you start the sooner you finish," Steve said.

Skye went, mumbling how it was unfair.

"Thank you," Steve said to Tony when Skye was out of earshot.

Tony shrugged, "Even if I don't agree with it, you're her dad. You make the final call when it comes to her."

"If some thirteen-year-old showed up here and she was your daughter that you didn't even know about and she had some ability, would you let her fight?" Steve asked.

"She has been training for over a year. She has done everything you have asked and has mostly stayed out of trouble," Tony said.

Steve let out a breath. "But why does she need to be there, even if I wasn't terrified of her being hurt or killed if I let her."

"She doesn't. You're not wrong. But allowing her to be there shows her that you trust her and lets her experience what we do in a small-scale situation where there will be two of us to get her out of there unharmed," Tony said. "And, it's a chance for her to test out her suit."

"You're done?" Steve asked.

"I am," Tony said. "Peter helped me finish it."

"I'm not letting her come with us to Civicmax. But if her suit is ready, I'll let her know. and we can see what she thinks," Steve said.

"Okay," Tony said.

At dinner that evening, Skye was still in a bad mood.

"What's up with you?" Wanda asked her.

"He is never going to let me be part of Avengers business," Skye said, nodding to her dad.

"Not never, just not yet," Steve said.

"Whatever," Skye said.

"Keep up the attitude, and you won't get to check out the suit that Tony and Peter have made for you," Steve said.

Skye's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked, looking at Tony.

"Your dad asked me if I could create something for you to have some added protection like a lot of us have," Tony said.

"It's similar to Steve's, but cooler," Peter said.

Skye chuckled. "Thank you!"

"But behave, or you don't get to see it yet," Steve said.

Skye let out a breath and nodded.

They finished eating, and the kitchen was cleared up before Skye went down to Tony's lab with Tony and Steve. There was a purple suit with a helmet on a mannequin. It did look similar to Steve's current suit.

"It is made of the same materials as your dad's it is resistant to ballistic and knife damage," Tony said.

"Resistant doesn't mean it is fully bullet or knife-proof. It's just very hard to damage," Steve said.

Skye nodded. "Understood."

Tony took the suit off the mannequin, handed it to her, and pointed to the bathroom. "Go put it on."

Skye took it and went to change in the bathroom. She came out excitedly. Peter had joined them at that point.

"This is so cool," Skye said.

Tony helped her get the helmet on her head.

"You do not get to go on any missions without every part of your suit," Steve said.

"Got it," Skye said.

Steve let out a breath, this was becoming more real every moment.

"Hey, Pete, why don't you take Skye to a training room and train with her? Let her get used to the suit," Tony suggested.

Peter and Skye went.

"I get you're worried Steve, but we brought her in to train her. Eventually, you will need to let her use what she has been taught," Tony said.

"I know," Steve said. "I just was hoping it would be a while longer before she would be the intended target."

"She is at the most vulnerable she will ever be. Every day she becomes stronger and stronger, of course, they were going to attack as soon as possible. This is all connected to Hydra, and you took down Hydra the first time. They will always have a vendetta against you, meaning your daughter is an easy target in their eyes," Tony said.

"Are you trying to make me feel better, because it's making me feel worse," Steve said.

"It's not your fault they are going after her," Tony said. "And the best way to protect her is to arm her to defend herself and right now we will be there to help her. In the future, there will come a time when she is alone and will have to defend herself. She has the tools now, she just needs the experience."

"Okay, okay, I'll let her get some hands-on experience," Steve said giving in.

"She will be okay. We always get out alive," Tony said.

"The last time both you and Nat almost didn't. Wanda's brother didn't," Steve said.

"Nat and I almost didn't survive, but we did. Yes, Pietro didn't, but we have come so far since then. We are so much more aware of what to expect and how to prepare Skye and the future generation," Tony said.

Steve nodded.

"Come on let's go see who is kicking whose ass," Tony said with a smirk.

Steve chuckled and the two of them went to check in on the two youngest Avengers.

Steve was impressed at how evenly matched they seemed to be, knowing that Peter had been at this much longer than Skye.

When Skye and Peter noticed the two men, they both stopped and caught their breath.

"You're doing very well, Skye," Tony said.

"And that's all her. She doesn't have any extra skills because of the suit," Peter said.

"Thank you," Skye said with a smile before looking at her dad.

"I'm proud of you, Skye. You have worked really hard," Steve said.

"Thank you," Skye said.

"You aren't coming to Civicmax when we go. However, if it comes to having to fight, you can join us," Steve said.

Skye squealed. "thank you!" she said as she hugged him

Steve hugged her.

"You have anything in mind for a alter ego?" Tony asked.

"No, just not mini America," Skye said.

"Girl America?" Tony suggested.

Skye scrunched up her face.

"Heir America? I mean you are his heir," Peter suggested.

"Heir America," Skye said nodding. "I like it."

"Heir America it is," Steve said with a smile.

"How do you feel about the suit? Nothing uncomfortable about it?" Tony asked.

"It's great. I love it, thank you," Skye said.

"Okay, good," Tony said.

Skye and Peter went back to training together, and Tony and Steve watched for a while.