Chapter 1
The five years since the snap had been the longest years of Steve Rogers' long life. Although living for 105 years, Steve was not prepared for the long days, months, and years after the snap. Once they realized what had happened, what was left of the Avengers had gathered in the palace of Wakanda and scanned the globe for signs of life. What they found was something more unsettling than their worst nightmares.
Half the population of the planet was gone.
As they scanned further into deep space, the reports only grew more disheartening. Half the population of the universe had disappeared with the snap of the Mad Titan's fingers. They found Thanos on a deserted planet, and without an ounce of remorse for what he had done. After he revealed the stones had been destroyed and all hope was lost, Thor took it upon himself to end the Mad Titan with a swipe of Stormbreaker.
Since that time, Steve had done his best to be the leader that everyone needed, but the toll of what they had lost had worn on him. Instead of leading the Avengers with a rousing speech of determination and grit, earth's mightiest heroes went their separate ways to grieve and process what they had lost.
Steve started a support group for anyone who had lost somebody, which was everyone. Different groups met on different nights as the people of the world tried to move on and start again. He enjoyed helping people in a new way, one where he didn't have to fight off an attack from Nazi's or aliens.
On this particular afternoon, Steve had finished a meeting for one of his groups, and began his drive out to the country.
A gravel driveway ended at a large cabin set within a grove of trees. The sun glittered through the leaves, making the dark siding sparkle. A porch wrapped around three sides of the house made of cedar beams and wrought iron rails.
Steve pulled his motorcycle into his usual spot and cut the engine. He had just put down the kickstand when he heard a familiar noise. Little feet pounded across the porch and Steve took his position at the bottom of the stairs as the little figure launched at him. Steve easily caught the little boy and spun him around in a chorus of giggles.
"How's my little man?" Steve said as he stopped spinning.
"Good." The boy beamed at him.
"Did you do anything fun today?"
"I learned that if you mix red paint and blue paint you get purple paint! And purple paint is very hard to clean." The boy ducked his head a little, guilty of applying paint on more than just the canvas.
"Jamie, let your uncle come inside." A new voice joined them from the stairs.
Steve looked up. "Hi, Danielle."
She looked the same as she had when he met her ten years ago. Being a mom had only made her more beautiful, in Steve's opinion.
"Let's go inside. The mac and cheese is ready." She knew that would get her son's attention.
"Put me down!" Jamie said as he fought Steve's hold on him. Steve let him go and he took off running up the stairs, past Danielle, and into the kitchen.
Steve climbed the stairs and enveloped Danielle in a hug. "It's good to see you."
"You, too." Danielle released him then started for the kitchen. "How is everyone?"
"Natasha is doing okay. She tries to be strong for everyone, but I've heard her crying in her room at night. I haven't spoken to Thor in almost two years, since he stopped checking in. Bruce has become such a celebrity that I don't want to bother him."
Danielle waited a moment. "And Tony."
Steve's eyes saddened at the mention of his former teammate. "He doesn't accept my calls. I don't blame him."
"I'm not exactly his biggest fan, but Pepper and Morgan have been good to Jamie." Danielle led Steve into the house and went to the kitchen. Jamie had gotten distracted by his toy trucks and sat on the floor pushing one truck around the others. "Jamie, go take your seat."
Steve watched the little boy bounce over to the table and scramble into his chair.
"Uncle Steve, sit next to me." Jamie called.
Steve removed his leather jacket and draped it over the back of the chair next to Jamie. He lowered himself into the chair and took in the dinner Danielle had prepared. Besides the mac and cheese, she had baked chicken and broccoli in a big glass dish. It was the most delicious looking meal Steve had seen in a long time. The five years after the snap, and even the couple of years before, had been lean years of surviving off of functional meals using the least amount of food to avoid wasting any of it.
Danielle brought the mac and cheese to the table, then grabbed Jamie's plate and gave him a little bit of each food. When she placed it in front of him, he wrinkled his nose.
"Broccoli is gross." He said, rotating his plate to put the mac and cheese closer.
Steve stabbed a piece of broccoli and held it up. "You think this stuff tastes bad?" He put the broccoli in his mouth and chewed enthusiastically. "You're missing out."
Jamie sat up a little straighter and took up his fork to stab a piece of broccoli and put it in his mouth. He tried to match Steve's enthusiasm, but Danielle could tell he was unconvinced when the flavor hit his taste buds. He scrunched up his eyebrows as he chewed, but he didn't spit it out. Steve took another bite full and smiled at Jamie, then glanced at Danielle.
She mouthed a thank you to Steve before she started eating from her own plate of food.
—-
After dinner was over, Steve stood at the sink washing dishes, then drying them before putting them away. He had visited Danielle and Jamie enough times to know where everything went. He was drying the last spoon, when Danielle came out of the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
"He's asleep already. I didn't even make it through 'Captain America Saves Disneyland'". Danielle joined him at the sink and leaned against the counter.
Steve snorted. "Not one of my favorites if I'm being honest."
"Oh, come on. You save Minnie Mouse and she rewards you with a kiss. That's every hero's dream, isn't it?" She teased.
Steve put the spoon away and turned back to her. "Something like that."
They stood in companionable silence for a moment, listening to the crickets and other nocturnal creatures making noises in the dark. Steve tried to avoid bringing down the mood, but he couldn't help but ask.
"How are you, Dani?"
She crossed her arms, trying to portray some kind of strength. "I'm fine. I'm the mom of a rambunctious five year old boy, who thinks climbing trees and jumping out of them is fun. I have a nice house in the woods down the street from the Avengers compound, so it's very safe. I have everything I need right here."
Her voice cracked on the last word of her speech and she swallowed hard, trying to hold herself together.
Steve closed the distance between them and took her in his arms. Danielle relaxed into him and gripped his sides as the tears started to fall.
"I miss him, Steve." She cried into his shoulder.
He squeezed her tighter. "I know. I do, too."
—-
After Steve had left, Danielle made the short walk to her bedroom and into the bathroom that connected. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark hair had grown out to nearly her waist. Her slim frame had grown slimmer with the lack of supplies and always providing for Jamie before herself. The last five years had taken a toll on her in more ways than one.
"You look beautiful."
"You would say that." She said to no one.
"You don't believe me?"
Danielle looked at the figure standing behind her in the mirror. "Not these days."
"That's a shame." The figure shifted and James materialized in the reflection behind her.
"I wish you were here," said Danielle, weakly.
"I wish I was too, so I could hold you…and kiss you." His image moved closer to her in the mirror until it was standing right behind her. No one was there, but she could almost feel him breathing on the back of her neck.
When she turned around to face him, he was gone.
Danielle leaned back against the sink for support. Like all of her hallucinations of James, when she got too close, he disappeared. She didn't know when she had started imagining him so vividly, but she hadn't told anyone, especially Steve. Instead, she kept her little bit of peace to herself, hoping it would make her feel better.