(A/N: The last one in this story, but you'll see Val again in Bucky's Dimple...I mean...spoiler alert!)

"I just don't like the way she looks at you." Valencia huffed as she shrugged on a pair of yoga pants.

A lot had changed since the Ultron 'incident' happened. Valencia was now an active member of the Avengers. Her mother had returned home to Alexandria, much to her joy, and she had given Valencia her blessing, not that she needed it.

Steve and Valencia had been together for two months now, and the pair had moved into together. It was Valencia's decision, the bronzed girl spent most of her time in Steve's apartment anyway so she pitched the idea to the hero. Smitten, Steve of course agreed. But sometimes, like every other couple, they fought.

And this morning was one of those times.

"Valencia, I'm sure she doesn't mean anything by it." Steve sighed, putting his uniform on.

They were talking about a blonde named Sharon who, according to Steve, used to be his neighbor in DC. She was undercover as an agent for S.H.I.E.l.D. and was working for Valencia's dad before he 'died'.

Valencia scoffed, running a hand through her ebony bob. "I'm sure she doesn't." She grumbled, running a brush through her hair. Her eyes glared at her reflection in the mirror and Steve sighed again behind her.

The hero put his uniform shirt down and walked over to the short woman, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and placing his chin on the top of her head. "Are you mad at me?" He muttered, his steel blue eyes staring into hers in the mirror.

Valencia looked down and huffed once more, "No." She answered, in a voice smaller than her. "I'm mad at her."

"It was a friendly, colleague lunch." Steve stated, a slight pout on his lips.

"She's not our colleague, she works for the CIA." Valencia argued, albeit a little childishly. Steve raised a brow and looked at Valencia pointedly, making the bronze woman roll her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm being ridiculous; but that's only because I love you."

Steve smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek, muttering, "Thank you for admitting it."

Valencia bit her lip to contain her smile and rolled her eyes, finishing up her morning routine. When she was ready for work, she walked to the kitchen and sat on the counter, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.

"You're going to be late, if you don't hurry, Val." Steve chimed, walking into the kitchen. "I told you if you want breakfast you need to wake up earlier."

Valencia snorted, "Okay, dad." She jested before her tone turned sultry, "I wouldn't be so tired if it weren't for you, Steven."

The hero raised a brow and turned toward her, "Is that so?" Valencia said nothing in return, taking a bite of her apple and chewing with a huge grin.

The blonde walked over to her and stood between her legs, pressing his forehead against hers. "You didn't let me get much sleep either."

Valencia bit her lip to keep from smiling and blanked her face. "I have no idea what you mean, Captain."

Steve looked down at her lips through his lashes and leaned in, making Valencia's eyes flutter closed. As soon as she felt his breath on her lips, he was walking away from her with her apple in his hand.

"Don't be late!" He called, as the elevator doors closed.

Valencia rolled her eyes and jumped off the counter, fixing herself up and going to work.

Grunts echoed through the training room as Valencia broke in the new recruits.

"Keep your eyes on me." She ordered, as she flipped Sam over her back.

He groaned as he hit the mat, "Christ!"

"If you're playing offence not defense, Sam! That's why you keep getting taken down." She held her hand out to him, "Try again."

Sam nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to the mat and pinning her. He grinned at his victory only for Valencia to headbut him and kick him off of her. "Dammit!" He swore under his breath as he held his nose.

"I think you're done for the day." Valencia snorted, covering her mouth to contain her laughter. "Next?"

Wanda stepped on the training mat and Valencia froze up. "No powers, Maximoff."

Wanda smirked, "No promises, Fury."

Valencia put her fists up and Wanda copied her stance. "Put your legs farther apart; when they're that close it's easy to knock you off your feet." Wanda did as she was told and threw a punch, using all of her body. Valencia easily dodged it and Wanda stumbled, quickly returning to her fighting stance.

"Do not use your whole body to throw a punch. Arm strength, Wanda." Valencia chided her student, throwing a lunch of her own. It landed in Wanda's abdomen and she groaned, moving her hands to cradle herself. Valencia clicked her tongue and grabbed Wanda's head, kneeing her in the face.

"Do not react. No matter how much pain you're in." Valencia held her hand out to Wanda and she took it, putting her fists up again.

"Ready?"

When lunch time rolled around Val was showered and fresh, and on her way to the communal kitchen.

"Hey Nat." She greeted from her place in the elevator.

"Hey Baby," Nat greeted, "How was training?"

"Same little mistakes." Valencia shrugged, "I'm not sure how to correct them."

"Break a few bones," Natasha smirked as they both made themselves sandwiches, "That'll teach them."

"Sadistic bitch." Valencia muttered and Natasha laughed.

"I've been doing this thing longer than you, Val. I think I know the tricks of the trade." Natasha replied as they got their food. They sat down at a dining room table and continued their conversation.

Valencia shrugged, "I dunno, I figured that all this would be-!"

"Don't say easier." Natasha interjected.

"Not easier, just…" Valencia shrugged, "I don't think I'm a good teacher."

"Aw don't say that!" Sam exclaimed as he sat on the bench next to her with a tray of food. "You're the best teacher ever, Val! I'd bring you an apple every day if I could."

"Shut up, Sam." Valencia snorted, elbowing him in the ribs.

"He is right." Wanda added as she joined them at the table, "You're a good teacher. Albeit a little rough."

"At least I don't break your bones like Nat." Valencia shaded, cutting her eyes at her redheaded friend. Natasha just smirked behind her water bottle.

After lunch, it was back to work, though instead of training recruits, Valencia was stuck at a desk. She blew her bangs out of her face and squinted at the mission report, trying to find out exactly what is was asking her.

When she was starting to get frustrated, a knock sounded at her office door. "Come in!" She called and Steve poked his head in with a smile.

"Having trouble?" He questioned, taking a seat in the armchair in front of her desk.

Valencia looked up from the paper with a sigh, "No, but I could use a welcomed distraction. What's up?"

"Well..." Steve started, folding his hands in his lap and leaning forward. He seemed to be having trouble finding the words to say.

Valencia furrowed her brows and got up from her desk chair, closing her office door. She sat on her desk in front of Steve and lowered her voice, "Is something wrong? Is it Bucky?"

"No, no." Steve shook his head, "Nothing's wrong, it's just… Do you remember when I told you about how I visit Peg every Tuesday?" Valencia nodded, urging him to continue. "Well I found out that another one of my friends is in the same nursing home."

"What?" The bronzed Fury breathed, "Who is it? Is it one of the commandos?"

Steve swallowed thickly and closed his eyes for second. He began to crack his knuckles, a nervous tick that Val noticed about him, before looking off to the side. "When I lived in Brooklyn," He started, pausing to collect himself, "There was a girl named Darla that used to look after me."

"Darla?" Valencia echoed and Steve nodded.

"Darla Lorraine Frederick." He added before continuing, "She lived across the hall from Bucky and the two of them were smitten with each other. Even with that," He paused, a fond smile on his face, "I used to be sweet on her." Valencia smiled at that, watching as Steve's eyes glazed over, "She used to have these big brown eyes and she had dimples in each cheek. She didn't even have to smile for them to show, Bucky used to call her 'dimple'. She was the kindest gal in the whole world and she would always patch me up when I would get into fights… She'd feed me too, the best apple pie in Brooklyn." He stopped talking, closing his eyes as if he was reliving every moment.

"She sounds great, Steve." Valencia chimed, running a hand through her hair. "Why didn't you tell me about her before?"

"I thought," Steve stopped, clearing his throat, "I thought she was gone and I didn't want to think about her anymore." He sniffed and ran a hand down his face to wipe the tears.

"But she isn't!" Valencia said with a smile. She placed a hand on Steve's knee, "She's still here and you have to go see her!"

Steve shook his head, looking down. "She wouldn't want to see me like this. The last she heard I was dead in the ice. I left her all alone…"

Valencia frowned, kneeling in front of Steve. She placed a hand on his chin and made him look her in the eyes, "She'd be happy to see you're alive, Steve."

Steve set his jaw and shook his head, pushing her hands away from him and standing up. He walked to her window and looked out, clenching his fists. "I can't."

Valencia chewed on her lip and stared at Steve's back, trying to think of the right thing to say. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Steve and placed her head on the blonde's back. "You don't have to go alone; I'll come with you. She needs to know that you're alive, Steve." Her boyfriend looked down at her arms before looking at her over his shoulder and sighed.

"What are you doing right now?"