**A/N: Here we are. The final chapter of Wrong for the Right Reasons. As warned, it is a long one. And double bonus? Chapter 1 of Broken Strings (which dominated in the poll, with a total of 27 votes of 39) has also been posted (or if you clicked the link with the e-mail update within seconds of receiving it, it'll be up by the time you finish this chapter). In total, that's over 18,000 words I'm posting today. Crazy.

WARNING: For now on out, there will be Age of Ultron spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie by now... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! I've seen it five times. Yes, that's excessive, but if you haven't seen it by now, you better have a really, really good reason. There's two huge spoilers (okay, one huge spoiler, one medium sized one) in this chapter, and a lil hint towards another one.

Chapter 60- Living Isn't Easy

"Living isn't easy, dying isn't hard when the hungriest days of winter plays her wicked cards. I'll not be called a quieter, 'cause I chose to take a knee. For the ice won't ever be broken, not by no man, not by me."

~Alan Doyle, Laying Down to Perish

Bruce rubbed a hand over his face, deciding that he needed some caffeine before continuing on his work. He had tried to recruit Tony, but the man was working on something else. They kept to themselves' in the shared lab space, but it didn't stop the other from asking the occasional question.

"Coffee?" Bruce asked. "I'm going to take a little break."

"Yeah, black," Tony replied gruffly, typing away at his computer screen.

"What are you working on exactly?" Bruce questioned, moving behind him and crossing his arms.

"The Iron Legion. A first line of defense," Tony answered.

Bruce nodded, letting out a small "okay then" before leaving the lab. He wasn't sure what time it was, but when he moved to the communal living area, Jackson sat with both Jamie and Theo, the three of them watching a movie. Or at least, Jackson and Theo were watching the movie. Jamie was sound asleep. Moving to start the coffee machine, he then went over to the couch.

"Let me just check your burns," Bruce said to Theo, the kid looking like his frown would never flip itself around. Peeling off the side of some gauze, Bruce nodded at the skin. "Looks good. When did you get back?"

"This morning," Jackson revealed.

"Oh, good, you're here," Pepper said, walking into the room. "Is Tony still working?"

"Hasn't even gotten up from his chair," Bruce reported. "What's going on?"

"Kiley quit," Pepper stated.

"What? That sounds out of character. She loves her job," Bruce replied.

Pepper nodded. "That's what I thought as well. But she left all the necessary things. A letter of immediate resignation, a list of people who could fill her spot and all the things she was working on. I've been trying to find her, but she's just… gone."

The two of them moved away from where the boys were trying to watch the movie, but Bruce could tell that Jackson was listening to them, watching them carefully. "A person can't just… vanish."

"When's the last time you saw her?"

"At the hospital last night," Bruce revealed. "She was with someone. Some guy. I couldn't see his face, but that's the last time I saw her. Why? You think that she might haven't left willingly?"

"No, that's not it," Pepper began. "Kiley and I have a key word we use in all texts and e-mails. Doing what we do, knowing who we know, we thought it would be safe, in case something ever happens."

"Did she say why she was leaving?" Bruce asked, crossing his arms.

Shaking her head, her orange ponytail swishing from side to side, she held out her phone for Bruce. "Just that she needed to get away, and that she'll be out of contact. Her phone has been disconnected and her bank account drained. I'm not worried about her. I believe that this was a conscious choice, I just wonder why."

"I have no idea," Bruce replied. "The only person who might have any indication of what's going on in her personal life would be-"
"Bethany," Pepper finished, sighing and accepting her phone back. "Clint and Natasha are with Steve right now. Trying to get him to come home, to sleep for a few hours."

"Not budging, is he?" Bruce asked, already knowing the answer. "Are you going to head over there?"

"I'll send flowers," Pepper responded. "But I'm waiting to see her until Tony is ready to see her. Natasha said that she's almost unrecognizable."

Bruce scratched the back of his head, nodding. "Part of her face is untouched. Steve keeps staring at her. But almost every other part of her body is affected in some way. It's… it's baffling seeing her like that."

"But the anti-serum injections should wear out soon, right? Don't they need to be injected every day to stay in her system?"

"It's like an allergy injection," Bruce explained. "At first you need it multiple times, but over the weeks, less and less. Your body gets used to it, and it lasts longer. But Bethany had been taking those injections every day, opposed to every second or third day. It may take a while to drain the serum from her system. But if she flat lines, we don't know if she'll come back."

"Which is why keeping her stable is so important," Pepper concluded. "What are you working on now?"

"A way to speed up the process," he replied, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on the bottom of his shirt. "I wanted to see if I had any of her old blood samples. Theoretically, they would remind her cells of what they are supposed to do. Maybe even start healing her on their own. It doesn't work on other people, but since the rapid cellular regeneration is hardcoded in her DNA, it would stand a chance."

"Let me guess," Pepper began. "No samples left?"

"None," Bruce nodded. "I've been trying to find a way to separate the DNA code from the blood palettes so it could be used universally, but it's causing a lot more trouble than I anticipated."

"If it was easy, wouldn't it surprise you?"

Bruce chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, it would actually. Nothing is ever easy, is it?"

Natasha placed a McDonald's bag on Steve's lap. The soldier barely flinched, but seemingly ignored its existence. "Steve, you need to eat," she sighed. "You haven't had anything since yesterday. Last time you were in the hospital, Bethany lived on because she knew that's what you wanted. Now stop being a wussy and eat your fucking Big Mac."

For the first time, Steve's gaze fell away from Bethany and turned to Natasha. She didn't flinch at the sight of his face, eyes raw and red with heavy bags lining them, but she did feel her heart stop for a moment. "I'm not hungry," he said slowly.

"Tough luck," Natasha replied, crossing her arms. "Either eat that now, or when Thor gets back from London, he'll hold you down while I force it down your throat."

Steve kept his gaze held on her for a few seconds before turning back to Bethany. Natasha opened her mouth to say something, but Steve opened the bag and took out the box. She felt a small smile pull at her lips, a silent win. She looked over at Clint, his arms crossed, looking down at Bethany. It was the first time he was seeing her, and she could tell from the look on his face, that he was feeling the same things she felt.

"Boys, you need to snap out of it," Natasha spoke up. "Okay? Bruce is positive that in a few days' time, her healing will return to normal. This is Bethany. She'll come back, just like she always does."

"Nat," Clint said silently, shaking his head as if warning her to stop. "It doesn't change the fact that she's like this now."

"She'd hate you all for being soft," Natasha pointed out, thinking back to one of the first missions she ran with Bethany.

"So, spill," Bethany said from their booth corner at a dark club. They were waiting to meet with some informants, and then hopefully they would be able to take them down. Unfortunately, their informants weren't good with being on time.

"Spill what?" She asked, confused.

"Look, I had access to your file. Your entire history at my fingertips," Bethany began. It was customary for agents to get a rundown on who they were working with, just enough for them to be aware of what may or may not happen in their presence.

"So… you know everything?" Natasha asked, the question coming out more like a statement.

"Actually, no," Bethany replied. "I've heard whispers. I've heard what Clint has told me and what Fury has warned me about. But I didn't open that file."

"Why? Anyone else would have," Natasha pointed out.

"Well, I'm not everyone else," Bethany explained. "My file isn't all too spectacular either. My real file. Not the highlights they give agents. In my real file, you see heartbreak and bad decisions."

"Why are you telling me this?" Natasha asked slowly.

Bethany let out a deep breath, looking around the room, but still not seeing anyone. "Because I wouldn't want someone to judge me based on what was in my file. And I'd rather you get to know me and I get to know you like real people get to know each other."

Natasha looked to Bethany, a little shocked. From what she heard, from what she read about the agent, she seemed to be a hard ass, completely dedicated to her job. But she was opening herself to Natasha, showing her that she genuinely cared. "I'd like us to be friends," Bethany continued.

"I don't-I don't have friends," Natasha replied, trying to keep herself from being timid. Typically, she was good at hiding that, but now, she felt embarrassed of her lack of friends opposed to proud.

"Neither do I," Bethany said, giving her a smug smile. "But isn't there a first for everything?"

"But… why me?"

Bethany quirked an eyebrow quickly. "Why not you? The way I see it, you'll understand me and respect me for the same reasons I'll understand you and respect you. We're both weapons. We were made into weapons. Not the same way, but we won't judge the other and what we've been through. Of course, you don't need to tell me. About the things that you went through. The truth is, I won't tell you everything. But I'll tell you some things."

"You want me to tell you about the Red Room?" Natasha asked carefully.

"Like I said, you don't have to," Bethany reminded her. "Just a word of warning; I don't care what happened to you. I'm not going to go soft on you. That's not who I am. Not now, anyways."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Natasha replied smugly.

Bethany knew. She knew everything. Over the years, she had told the woman all her secrets, and in turn Bethany had told Natasha hers. While she wasn't sure if Bethany had told her everything, she knew enough. Ironically, the same things they taught in the Red Room, on keeping the girls from turning soft was the very thing that turned Bethany hard. Sterilization was supposed to make killing easier. Yet for Bethany, her baby was her first kill.

Which is why they understood each other in a way no one else ever had. And what mattered even more, was despite feeling sorry for the other, neither of them showed it, because neither of them wanted sympathy. They felt they didn't deserve it, and no one knew better than someone going through the same thing.

Those years before Steve came back, Bethany had been a cold-headed agent. For the most part, she followed protocol, but it was obvious that SHIELD was her life. It wasn't so much as keeping innocent people safe as it was something to do. Bethany worked for SHIELD because she had nothing else to do. Yet, when Steve woke up, Natasha knew that Bethany would change. It was inevitable. She would evolve into something new, and to Natasha's belief, something better. Yes, Bethany was softer now than ever before. But it made sense. Because she had a family. She had a husband and a son, and they were everything that made killing hard and the mission not as important.

Bethany had gotten soft, but it didn't change the fact that she was still trying to keep a brave face during her day to day life. She still tried to be strong, and despite having meltdowns, Natasha didn't have anything but the highest opinion of her friend. Sure, she was crying more so than Natasha ever thought possible. But she had something to lose, others to worry about and a job to do that wasn't just a hobby.

"What do you think she's dreaming about?" Natasha asked.

"What?" Clint questioned.

Natasha repeated her sentence before adding "It's Bethany. She always dreams when she's asleep."

"Probably about that road trip we took in '03," Clint said with a small smile.

"That was a mission," Natasha reminded him.

"Nah," Clint replied with a shake of his head. "That was a road trip. Just because we were on the clock doesn't make it any less of a road trip."

"I hope she's dreaming of her brother's workshop," Steve began softly, both Natasha and Clint surprised to hear his input. A small smile pulled at his lips, clearly being brought comfort by this thought. "She always did say it was her favorite place in the world. She hated the smell and always thought it was dirty, but it was her favorite place in the world. For a long time, it was the only place she could be herself."

"Hey," Natasha whispered, collecting Steve's attention. "This isn't the first time that she's been in a hospital bed. Back during the whole Mandarin-Extremis thing, she was declared dead. And what did she do? Woke up. And when she was suffering from preeclampsia? She lived through that. Both of those circumstances, we weren't sure if she'd pull through. And she did. And why do you think she did?"

"Because we had faith," Clint supplied.

"Exactly," Natasha nodded. "You were the one telling the doctors to continue to work to revive her, and that's what brought her back. And after we all agreed to see the last hospital visit as merely there for the baby being born-"

"We all had hope," Clint nodded.

"And I can't be the only one who is optimistic," Natasha pointed out. "C'mon fellas, give me a hand here. Especially you, Steve. Whether or not she can hear us, she'd want us to be strong. You know that more than anyone. She'd want you to go home. To see your son. To comfort Theo."

"I can try to be more hopeful," Steve said, taking a hold of Bethany's hand, his Big Mac abandoned on his lap. "But I can't leave her. Not-not like this."

Natasha let out a sigh, looking over to Clint. "It's a start."

They all thought that he was still in the lab. In fact, he was confused on why he wasn't still there. But somewhere in between starting new plans of development for top security and now, he had gotten up and left the Tower without anyone noticing. And somehow, he ended up at the hospital. Tony didn't exactly want to be there, but part of him needed to see her.

It wasn't curiosity for the severity of her injuries. He had seen the burns. He saw how there was no life in her and her face covered in blood. He had seen that she was broken. He didn't want to see her like that again, despite being cleaned up. Somehow, the idea of seeing her in a hospital bed covered in bandages and wires seemed to be worse. Because at least before, he had the expectation of her coughing herself back to life, saying something sarcastic or witty to relieve them all of the shock and pain of seeing her twisted and bent in ways deemed impossible. But seeing her in a hospital bed would only solidify that she had yet to have that moment.

The reason why he wanted to see her, needed to see her was merely to make sure she was still breathing. Whether or not technology was doing it for her, Tony wanted to see her. To see that she was alive, if only barely. Because that would be more than what he'd seen before. The entire world around him seemed to be a blur until he opened the hospital door where everything slowed down.

Tony's heartbeat pumped loudly in his ears, the intensity of each beat making him nauseous. Looking past the wires, the bandages and the angry scratch marks and burns, he could see his aunt. Or at least, a ghost of who his aunt was. One side of her face was completely unmarked, but it was pale. A sickly white colour, as if her blood was barely stirring throughout her veins.

"Stark," he heard Steve say. Their gazes met for a moment, a deep connection of understanding. Neither of them wanted to see her like this. But somehow, neither of them was prepared to leave. As much as it hurt seeing her like this, he wouldn't be able to tear himself away. And he knew that Steve felt the exact same way.

"Mind if I join you?" Tony asked, looking at the seat on the opposite side of the bed that Steve had claimed.

"Not at all," Steve replied with a nod. "Bring the chair over to this side, though. Then you can almost pretend that she's sleeping."

Tony kept his spot at the door for a few seconds longer before following Steve's suggestion. Taking his spot next to the soldier, he took in a deep breath. "I'm just waiting for her to wake up," Steve admitted, his voice quiet.

"And say something witty?" Tony finished with a small smile.

"Or complain about all the blood," Steve nodded. "Or about her shirt being ruined."

"Her shoes," Tony added. "Somehow, she always loses a shoe, or ruins her shoes."

"That's her reason for having so many," Steve replied, letting himself chuckle softly. "She only really wears the same four pairs, but she has so many. Growing up, I remember that my mom had two pairs of shoes. One was worn out, but served for everyday purposes. The other were these really beautiful ones with silk on them. But she never wore them."

"For any particular reason?"

Steve nodded. "My dad got them for her. So they had sentimental value. She didn't want to risk the chance of them being ruined. She told me that for unknown reasons, a pair of shoes meant just as much as jewelry to her. It was a status thing back then."

"Still is," Tony pointed out.

"My mother wasn't someone who generally cared about that stuff," Steve explained.

"Bethany is," Tony replied.

Steve shook his head. "She likes nice things. But she likes it when people buy her nice things. She had enough money to buy these," Steve explained, holding up the clear plastic bag with Bethany's diamonds and carefully touching the earrings. "But she wanted someone to buy them for her."

"I don't think I've ever seen her without them," Tony spoke truthfully. "Well, except for now."

Steve looked at the bag, letting out a deep breath. "I never cared about the amount of shoes. If she had a reason for having them, then it was fine with me. I never cared, not just because it made her happy, but because I remembered the pair of shoes my mother had but never wore. Always in the closet, just like all of Bethany's shoes. Might not be for the same reason, but…"

"You miss her?"
"Do you miss your mom?" Steve said in turn. "Doesn't matter how much time passes, or what they did or didn't do. Your mom is your mom."

They let the silence overtake the room, being more comfortable than awkward. Tony hadn't expected Steve to say anything, and yet they had talked about shoes. Although the conversation wasn't one they would have had under any normal circumstances, it was a normal conversation by any means. It was nice to just have something to talk about that didn't revolve around the pain they were feeling. It distracted from what was right in front of them.

Thinking about Steve's comment on mothers, he had to admit, he missed his. And he wasn't going to lie, he missed his dad sometimes too. He attributed that last part to Bethany though. She always spoke of him highly, but wasn't blind to his shortcomings. What he didn't appreciate was when Bethany pointed out how much he and his father were alike. That was something she always did, and it irritated him, but he knew that she was right. At least, most of the time.

"You know," Bethany said, sitting down next to Tony. The boy sighed, looking out at the sunset. "If you're trying to run away from home, you're doing a shitty job at it, kid."

"I'm fourteen," Tony pointed out. "I'm not a kid."

Bethany let out a humorous scoff. "Everyone is a kid compared to me."

"You're like what? Ten years older than me, visually?"

Bethany ran a hand through her dark locks. "Nine, actually. Maybe eight. And that's a big difference. And it's also not the point. I'll call you 'kid' until you stop acting like one. I have a feeling that'll be decades into the future. I mean, you just ran away from home. If you were an adult, you wouldn't have to run away."

"I didn't run away," Tony snapped. "I needed to get away. There's a difference."

"Okay, but you know your parents are concerned," Bethany replied, not letting her nephew's impatience get to her.

"Good," he answered bitterly. "I want them to be worried."

"Don't be like that," Bethany insisted. "Listen kid-Tony. I get it. I do. Sometimes parents are…"

"Annoying? Overbearing? Assholes?"

Bethany nodded. "Yup. But they're still your parents. You only get one pair."

"Not true. They could get a divorce and remarry."

"Stop smart-assing me," Bethany replied calmly. "Your dad isn't perfect. I know that. I know that better than anyone knows that. And your mom isn't perfect either. But you're not either. Anger is a dangerous emotion. And I understand wanting to run away. Do you know how much I just want to run away? Sometimes people just say one word and it affects my entire being. But I don't. And I have the luxury to do that."

"So what? Just stay in that hell hole and pretend like everything is okay?"

Bethany let out a deep breath of air, putting her hand on Tony's. "Next time you need to get away, you call me. Alright? Whatever I'm doing, I'll put it down and come get you. And then we'll get away. Anywhere you want. Italy, Greece, even Canada if it's what you really want. Honestly, I don't care. Just know that you can depend on me, okay? For a really long time, I had an older brother looking out for me. Doing whatever I needed. Now, I'm going to look out for his son and do whatever he needs."

Tony said nothing for a few seconds, the two of them just looking out at the distance. "Italy, huh?"

Bethany turned her head to him, giving him a hint of a smile. Yet Tony knew that the hint of a smile was the biggest smile Bethany had now a days. He saw pictures of her back in the forties, and it was bright and wide, but now, that was as big as it got. And he knew it was only directed towards him. "We can go right now if you want. You know, after you tell your parents that you aren't rotting in the bottom of the lake."

"I've been gone for, what? Three maybe four hours?" Tony pointed out.

"And yet they had time to call me," Bethany reminded him.

"What if they don't let me go?"

Bethany waved a hand, dismissing his words. "I'll talk to them. I think you misjudge how much power I have over the three of you."

"Over me?" Tony asked with a scoff. "I don't think so."

"No?" Bethany replied softly. "Huh. Then how in the world did I know you'd be here? The place I taught you how to ride a bike and throw a baseball."

"Lucky guess," Tony stated, pushing himself off the edge of the bench. "Now, come on. If we hurry up, I'll even let you buy me a burger."

"Oh, you'll 'let' me, huh?" Bethany replied, giving him a light push with her foot before getting up.

The ringing of his phone made him snap from the memory. Pulling it out, he read the ID. Pepper. He wasn't really in the mood to answer the call, but at the same time, he really wanted to avoid a lecture from Steve. "I'm at the hospital," he answered immediately.

"Oh, I didn't even know you had left the Tower," Pepper replied honestly.

"Ouch," Tony spoke, only a little wounded. "Why are you calling me then?"

"Well, for one of two reasons. The first was to try and get you to go to the hospital, but I guess I don't need to do that anymore. But the second was Kiley. Have you heard from her?"

"Uh, no. Not lately," Tony answered.

"Are you with Steve? Can you ask Steve?"

Tony sighed, but looked at Steve nonetheless. "Have you seen Kiley?"

"No," Steve replied honestly. "Not since last night. Why? Is she missing?"

"Is she missing?" Tony repeated to Pepper.

"She resigned, actually," Pepper informed him. "She left all the necessary things. But her stuff is gone and I can't get a hold of her."

"Should we be worried?" Steve asked, hearing the red head's words.

"Maybe she just needed to get away," Tony inputted. "I know I'd like to."

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "I know someone else who would like to. Someone who would take Kiley if she asked."

"So?" Tony encouraged. "Should we be worried?"

Steve shook his head. "No. No, she should be safe."

"'Should'?" Tony repeated.

"Tony, what's going on?" Pepper asked, getting frustrated.

Steve and Tony held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Tony sighed. "Steve says she's safe. That she just needed to get away. When I get back to the Tower I'll do a quick sweep for information on her, but if she needed to escape, we should let her escape."

"But you don't think it's weird? I mean, she didn't say anything?"

"Pepper, this entire situation is weird," Tony reminded her. "And sometimes, it takes one event, one word to change someone's feelings. Make them feel trapped."

"Well, okay. Just… take your time at the hospital. Tell Steve we send our love."

"'We'?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, everyone at the Tower. We're all worried about her. Rhodey is on his way to the Tower to help in whatever way he can."

"Alright, I'll call you later," Tony spoke before hanging up. "They send their love."

Steve nodded, rubbing his thumb against Bethany's hand. The silence filled the room again, neither one daring to disturb it. They just sat there, looking at Bethany who laid there unmoving, shallowly breathing, the rise and fall of her chest the only indication of life.

As they pulled up the drive, Kiley let out a sigh. Before they headed off to Europe, she wanted to see her parents. Bucky had respected this, and they had left immediately so she could say good-bye. She knew her parents wouldn't try to change her mind, to convince her to stay in the States and keep her position at Stark Industries. Instead, they would encourage her. They never thought that the big industry was really a good fit for her. Ever since she was little, she wanted to travel the world, her only form of payment being whatever she could collect in her guitar case.

"Would you like to come with me?" Kiley asked, putting the rented car in park.

If Bucky was his old self, he wouldn't have missed the opportunity to make a sex joke. But with his current state, he missed it all together. "Might be best if they don't know I'll be with you at all."

"What? Why?" Kiley asked confused. "Bucky, they don't know who you were. All we have to say is that you're one of Steve's friends. That'll make them trust you. Honestly, that'll make anyone trust you."

"You go," Bucky insisted. "I'll stay here."

"Promise not to leave?"

"Kiley, I'm not ditching you now," Bucky promised. "Go. See your family."

"I'll be quick," she assured him, slipping out of the car and walking up to the front door. For a moment, she stopped at the door mat, a hand raised to knock against the wooden frame. Her hand dropped as she remembered that once upon a time, this had been her house. She had entered the house in a pair of worn out converse when they first moved there, and left in a pair of stilettos. Kiley had worked hard to build a professional image even before she even climbed the ladder at Stark Industries.

Her hand moving to the door handle, she turned it and stepped inside. "Mom? Dad?"

"Kiley?" Her mother called out, confused at her daughter's presence. "Honey, what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too," Kiley joked, slipping out of her shoes and moving over to hug her mother. "Is dad here?"

"No, he's away for the week," her mother informed her. "I'm surprised to see you. Isn't your friend in the hospital?"

"Bethany? Yeah, yeah she is," Kiley nodded, feeling a little bit of guilt eat her up. "Uh, mom. I just… I needed to get away. Everything was just… just too much."

"Oh, sweetheart," Kiley's mom sympathized, leading her into the living room. "And you wanted to come home?"

"Not exactly," Kiley replied with a sigh when they settled on the couch. "I'm heading to Europe. I'm… I'm going to travel the world."

"What? Well, that certainly is sudden," her mother expressed. "You sure right now is a good time?"

"No," Kiley admitted. "But if I don't go now, I don't know if I will. I'm going with Steve's friend, Bucky. So, I'll be safe with him. You won't have to worry about me."

"Oh, Kiley, I never worry about you," her mother shared. "I have all my faith in you, that you'll be safe and make the right decisions no matter what path you're on."

"I just… I wanted to see you because Bucky and I will be backpacking," Kiley explained. "We left our phones in New York. We're going off the grid."

"You aren't in trouble, are you?" She asked, concerned.

Shaking her head, Kiley placed a hand on her mother's. "No. It's just… It's time. You know how much I've been wanting to do this, ever since I was a kid. Working for Stark Industries has just changed everything. It's the right time to do this. I just wanted to tell you face-to-face. So you know that I didn't just randomly disappear one day."

"You keep in touch, you hear," her mother warned her. "Even if you want to be offline. Snail mail will do just fine."

Kiley chuckled, nodding. "I will, mom. Listen, if anyone from work calls, just let them know that I'm alright. I just need to do this."

The woman's brows moved together in confusion. "Did you leave without telling them?"

"I left the necessary papers," Kiley replied. "But I was afraid they would convince me to stay. And they would convince me to stay. I slipped out without them knowing."

"Honey, I support this decision one hundred percent," her mother began. "But your friend is in the hospital. Don't you think she needs you? That they all need you? And you're leaving with Steve's friend? Well, doesn't Steve need all the support he can get?"

"That's why we have to leave," Kiley replied, looking into her lap. "Mom, the timing just fell into place. When Bethany wakes up, she and Steve will understand. That's the kind of people they are. And I know, you think I'm taking advantage of their understanding. And maybe I am. But-"

"But you need to do this," the woman finished with a sigh. "I ain't gonna hold you back, love. You know I never will. And if you need to do this, I'll let you."

"Thanks mom," Kiley responded, a small smile on her face. "I knew you'd understand."

"And evidently, your friends will too. So if they'll understand, why didn't you say anything? You're giving me mixed signals here."

"Steve and Bethany will understand. They wouldn't hold us back. But everyone else? I'm not too sure. As long as I'm with Bucky and Bucky is with me, they'll have faith in us."

"Well, if you're certain," her mother spoke softly. "Where is this Bucky? Is he something special?"

"Mom!" Kiley exclaimed with a chuckle. "He's a friend, I swear. He's not ready for love right now."

"Oh, but you are?"
Kiley rolled her eyes. "Mom. I-I don't know what I want right now. I just want to go out and figure out my life.

"Of course. But before you go…" Kiley watched as she got up, moving over to a book case and taking a box off the top shelf. Handing it to Kiley, the blonde opened it and gasped.

"Mom-"

"You'll take the money and won't say anything about it," her mother insisted. "That money was for you, anyways. Your dad and I always put our extra money there in the end of the month for when you were ready to travel the world. Now that it's time, it's yours. You can backpack, but don't eat any strange berries. Go to a buffet or bed and breakfast or something."

Kiley chuckled, pulling her mother in for a hug. "I promise I'll write. Snail mail style."

When Clint entered Bethany's room, he was surprised at what he saw. Steve's presence was a given. In fact, he was almost convinced that the soldier would never leave Bethany's side again. It was proven that every time they were separated, one of them got hurt. It almost never happened when they were together. It's like they're stronger together.

No, the surprising aspect was Tony, sitting patiently next to Steve. They weren't speaking, but Clint had a feeling that the two men had been sitting in that silence for a long time. He almost didn't want to disturb the peacefulness they had created within the room, but he knew that he had to relay the information he had to the two men.

"The results from the room sweep are back," he announced, walking to the opposite side of the bed that Steve and Tony were sitting by. He looked down at Bethany for a moment, and that was too long. He had seen worse cuts, worse bruises and worse burns. But he had never seen any of it on Bethany.

"And?" Steve asked. Clint had to applaud the soldier. He seemed to have pulled himself together since the last time he saw him. He seemed much stronger, and looked like he was finally seeing reason. Yet, he also looked exhausted. But he understood why Steve wanted to sit by Bethany's bed until she woke, and most likely, until she left the hospital.

"Well, you were right," Clint confirmed. "It wasn't anything with pipes. It was a planted bomb."

"HYDRA?" Steve asked cautiously.

"Seems like it," Clint nodded. "Nat is there now with some old SHIELD connections. Trying to use some tech to piece together who really did do it. The question is what we do if our suspicions are correct."

"We kill the bastards," Tony said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "This? This is taking it a step too far. She didn't do anything. She didn't come after them, didn't have any weapons on her. Not just that, she had a kid with her."

"He's right," Steve replied. "We can't sit back anymore. Whether or not this was HYDRA. They need to be taken down. We can't just sit back and wait for them to do something."

"I don't necessarily disagree," Clint assured. "The question is, where do we start?"

Steve sighed, looking to his wife for a moment. "We've been looking for Jen and Jacob. Two very singular people in this massive world. But HYDRA-"

"They're a disease," Tony finished. "And they rely on numbers. Cut off one head."

"Two more shall take its place," Steve breathed. "HYDRA was a deep-science division for the Nazis. Their goals? They rely on science, technology and advancement."

"Well, if they were hiding within SHIELD," Clint began. "You can guarantee that they're using a lot of prototypes to carry out their plans for world domination or whatever. Which is much more dangerous than a bomb in a bookcase."

"I'll go back to the Tower," Tony suggested. "Start trying to find a crack in their hideout. I just need one of them, then we can get all of them. Raid their hideout, get as much intel as we can, clean them out-"

"No more sitting back," Steve repeated. "We should have started this months ago. As soon as we found out about HYDRA."

"Yeah, well I think Bethany having a baby changed a lot of what we should have done," Clint reminded them. "Without Jamie, who knows what could have happened differently. Anything."

"Everything," Steve whispered. "Alright, Stark. Head to the Tower. Find anything you can. We'll head out soon. But I'm not leaving here until Bethany is awake."

"Liar," Clint accused. "You aren't leaving until she's back at the Tower, completely healed and agreeing on this plan of ours."

"Oh, she'll agree," Tony assured, getting out of his chair. "She may have been emotional lately, but I have a feeling as soon as she wakes up, she'll want revenge. Doesn't matter how much healing she's done in trying to make herself the better person, we all know she would snap one day."

"Would you let her fight?" Clint asked carefully, Tony sticking around to find out the answer. "Would you let her go out with us?"

"If that's what she wanted," Steve said quietly. "But I'd feel a hell of a lot better if she did it with her healing abilities."

"Yeah, well, I think she'll agree with that too," Tony promised.

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I think so too. Which makes it easier just thinking about her heading out again."

"You know, she was an amazing agent," Clint guaranteed. "Yeah, she relied on her healing a lot, but it wasn't all she was. She's out of practice, but sending her out to battle without the healing capabilities? It's the same as Nat and I. The exposure? It's the same."

Steve looked up at him, taking in a deep breath. "I know that, Barton," he began patiently. "And I worry about you two as well. I worry about us all. But I worry about her the most because she's my wife. And the mother of my kid. She's worked hard to get to where she is, and to even imagine her losing it all?"

"It's 'cause she has something to lose, right?" Clint offered. Steve didn't say anything, just looking back to Bethany. He got it. He really did. He understood why Steve would be primarily concerned with Bethany over the rest of them. But Clint also knew that Steve wouldn't screw them all over if it meant only saving Bethany. The decision would crush him, but Clint had faith in him. He trusted him. But more than anything, he understood what it was like. To be in Steve's position. To not know if the person you loved would make it through the day, even if it was all but guaranteed.

Looking down at Bethany again, he knew that Steve's prior weakness towards Bethany was still immense strength. He knew that if a certain brunette laid in Bethany's position, he would be crushed. He didn't even want to fathom it, the mere thought being painful enough. "She'd rather it be her than anyone of us," Clint said after a moment.

"I know that too," Steve whispered.

Time and time again, Bethany jumped in front of bullets and used herself as a human shield to protect Clint. Yet, Clint knew it wasn't because of the assurance that she would be okay. He could tell that more often than not, it was an instinct. Like a mother protecting her baby. Bethany would walk through fire and ice if it meant the rest of the team survived. Even if she would be losing more than they would, she would do it without thinking.

Clint knew this because she had done it. For the majority of their friendship, Bethany had no idea that Clint actually had more to lose than the rest of them, and willingly placed herself between him and harm's way. She had thought that she had the most to lose, but went on doing what she had to do. It was only recently that Clint shared his secret with her, and they hadn't gone on any real missions in the time passing.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her with the secret. Clearly, he did. The reason why he didn't tell her was because he didn't want to upset her in anyway. Natasha promised him that it was an absurd thought and that Bethany would be happy for him, in her own unique way. They knew she loved and lost and somewhere along those two, was close to becoming a housewife. Clint would pry and tease Bethany through the years, but he never really tried to get the painful truth from her since he understood and respected secrecy. The only reason he finally brought himself to tell her was because she had been doubtful of whether SHIELD and families mixed, and he had firsthand experience in their success.

Clint watched as Bethany hit target after target in one of the training facilities. Besides the two of them, the room was empty. Bethany had been restless all week, and finally Clint suggested she work off some of her frustration the good ol' fashioned way. With a gun and a practice target.

"Feeling better?" Clint asked as she stepped back, slowly moving to refill her gun. He moved to the box, pulling his arrow across his bow, letting it soar to the target.

"Not really," Bethany grumbled.

"We could spar, if that would help," Clint suggested, another arrow sailing to the target.

"Could we talk instead?" Bethany asked slowly.

Clint relaxed his position, turning to face her. "Talk? You wanna talk?"

Bethany nodded, sitting down on the ground. Following her lead, he waited for her to say something. "I know I should talk to Steve about this, but I just… I don't know what to say to him. I don't know how to say this in a way that he'll understand completely. He says he gets it, but he still assumes that everything will fall into place. That we'll live in a beautiful house with a bunch of kids, living a simple life."

"That could still happen, you know," Clint reminded her.

"I don't think it can," Bethany disagreed. "I mean, I want a family. I want a family for Steve. To be honest, if he never wanted to get married and never wanted to have kids? Just live our days together? I'd be okay with that. But…"

"You feel like you owe him this?" Clint asked, curiously.

"I love him," Bethany corrected. "And I know that this is what he wants. Therefore, I want it too."

"Yeah, but I have the feeling that you're second guessing this," Clint pointed out.

Bethany looked at her hands, her gun resting in her palms. A few seconds passed before she let out a deep breath. "I'm just nervous. Clint, having a family and being with SHIELD? How does that even work? I mean, I get that people do that, but how? How can they bring themselves to be apart from their families, sometimes weeks at a time? Especially from kids, who don't necessarily understand? Look at Tony; he only has negative memories of Howard because he was always too busy running a company, not to mention, dealing with SHIELD."

In that moment, Clint knew he had to tell her. Part of it was to comfort Bethany, but another part was to defend those who had families and still worked within SHIELD. "You have one of those bug killers on you?" He asked her.

"Uh, yeah," She nodded, digging a hand into her pocket and pulling it out. It didn't surprise Clint at all that she had one since she valued what little privacy she still had.

"Press that button and I'll tell you a secret," he offered. Doing as he said, they heard a loud squeal, followed by subtle popping. "Laura, Cooper and Lila."

"Excuse me?" Bethany asked, not following.

"Three people who understand," Clint explained. "Who understand why SHIELD is so important. Why this job is so important. My family."

Bethany's eyebrows raised in shock. "You're shitting me, right? Is this one of your jokes?"

"I met Laura before I joined SHIELD," Clint began. "When I was recruited, Nick agreed to leave it off my file in order to protect her, and our two kids. Cooper and Lila."

"Clint," Bethany spoke sharply, but said nothing else, as if still not believing him.

"Ever wonder where I head off to after missions are done?" He offered.

"Your… You said it was your family's farmhouse. I always assumed it was the place you grew up in," Bethany explained. "Wait, and they understand? Laura is okay with you being here more than being there? Okay with living their lives in the shadows if it means-"

"They understand why my job is important," Clint interrupted. "And yeah, they miss me. But we agreed long ago that the safety of the world? That comes first. Look, I only told you to show you that families can be successful while in SHIELD."

Bethany nodded softly. "Listen, I… I really appreciate you telling me, Barton. It… It helps a little. But your situation is different than mine and Steve's."

"I know," Clint replied. "I can't even compete with your situation with Steve. But I can offer you sanctuary if you ever need it. Laura loves company, since they live such a sheltered life. It's off the records. The house is big enough for company. And hey, if you ever need to get away with Steve, somewhere to just collect your thoughts, I'm always looking for an excuse to take them out camping. A family bonding experience. Even if it lasts weeks. Months. Laura can hide the family photos if Steve doesn't know and-"

"Clint-"

"That farmhouse is about as far away from the rest of the world as you can get. And while it's a perfect place to have a secret family, I know that you might need it a little more than we do. Especially since, like you said, your situation is different. But just know, Stark, that you can do it. You and Steve can walk down the aisle, say your vows and have a dozen children. If… if that's what you want."

"I want what Steve wants," Bethany said with a sigh. "I want him to get what he deserves. And if I can give him that, then I'm happy."

"It's natural to worry about the future," Clint assured. "I worry all the time. Which brings me to my next-"

"You want me to keep quiet," Bethany finished with a soft smile. "I won't tell a soul."

"It's not that I don't trust Steve," Clint began.

"Clint, I get it," Bethany promised. "Secrets… Secrets run our lives. The more people who know, no matter how trustworthy… there is still a chance that something could ruin it all. I once only told one person a secret and it all blew up in my face. I tried to save Steve from a world of hurt, and I only hurt him even more. I won't say anything. I won't even think about it."

"If you take anything from this conversation and do think about it, think about it every single damn day it should be that you can do it."

Offering him a hint of a smile, she nodded. "If you can do it, I'm sure it can't be that hard." Clint opened his mouth to respond, Bethany just giggling, showing that she was teasing him. "Thanks Clint."

Steve let out a long yawn, looking at the clock. It had been almost two hours since Clint left. Since then, it was just him and Bethany. Every single second was spent looking at her, waiting for her to open her eyes. He understood that the doctors would be the ones pulling her out of the coma, but it didn't change the fact that right now, that was the end goal. Within that two hour span, three doctors had come in to look at her burns, her stitches, take her vitals and insert something into her bloodstream. One of them was due to come back at any moment.

Getting up from the chair, he stretched his legs and back. He hadn't realized how stiff they were until now. And despite being exhausted and completely drained, he felt the bottled up urge to run around the city. At full speed. He was itching to exercise every single tendon.

As he twisted in his spot, his back letting out a series of loud cracks, the door opened. In slipped the doctor who performed the surgery. "Getting restless?"

"A little," Steve admitted.

"The offer still stands," the doctor reminded him. "We'll call you if anything changes."

"I'd like to just stay here," Steve replied, the doctor nodding once in respect. "Uh, I-I didn't catch your name."

"Dr. Lex," he replied, moving over to look at Bethany's face. "It may not look like a beautiful sight, but the way it looks now? This is actually a good sign. Usually patients residing here for a week will have burn marks like that."

"So she's healing faster?" Steve said hopefully.

"Without a doubt," Dr. Lex nodded. "Not as fast as you might like, but this is drastically different from yesterday. Drastically different from two hours ago. If she keeps up this good work, we'll be able to take her out of the coma soon."

Steve couldn't hide his small hopeful smile, emotion quickly overwhelming him. "And then she'll be as good as new?"

Dr. Lex sighed, nodding softly. "Let's sit and talk for a moment," he suggested. Steve followed suit, the doctor moving to sit where Tony had a couple hours before. "Induced comas are used to restrict brain damage. Bethany had a huge blow to the head, followed by a lack of oxygen leading to suffocation. And with that, plus all the burns and internal injuries, it's honestly a miracle we were able to bring her this far. But it's also surprising she didn't fall into a coma naturally. Which is why we took the liberty of reducing any damage, not to mention pain."

"Does… does that change anything?" Steve asked carefully.

"We won't know until we pull her out of the coma," Dr. Lex continued. "But her external wounds are only part of the equation. Honestly, Captain Rogers, I cannot stress enough to you how… If it was anyone else, we wouldn't be able to save them. But just because Bethany survived this, and pulls through it, it doesn't mean that she'll wake up and be okay. She may have a long journey ahead of her. She may have brain damage, may not be able to use the full extent of her limbs. She may have temporary numbness. We won't know until she wakes up."

"But she will?"

Dr. Lex nodded. "Like I said, she will if she keeps this up. She has a slight fever, so we'll administer some more antibiotics into her system, but there's only so much we can do right now. Until her fever lowers, I'll make sure someone is checking up on her every half hour. And if it keeps growing, more frequently. But I don't want this to worry you. It may set her back, but I truly believe she'll wake up. That she'll live."

The knowledge that she had a fever was alarming. Steve had been holding her hand, sitting next to her ever since she was brought to the room and he hadn't noticed any change. She just laid there, still. And while he tried hard to pretend she was sleeping, it was ultimately impossible because of the breathing tube. She always slept with her mouth slightly ajar, and with the breathing tube in between her lips, it ruined the image completely.

"We can bring you a cot," Dr. Lex suggested. "Fit in a quick nap. When she wakes up, she won't be well rested, so you need to be."

Steve realized he had a point and nodded. "That might not be a bad idea."

"I'll make sure a nurse brings one in," he nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes with some more antibiotics."

When he left, Steve leaned out and took Bethany's hand. He felt reassured that the doctor had faith in her recovery. It was one thing for Natasha to believe in it, it was another for a trained professional. And then in was another thing for him. Typically, he had faith. Faith that everything would work out for the best. And while this had been true so far, there was always a first for everything.

Bethany had never really feared death the way most did. She had even confided in him that when she had her near-death experience during the fall of SHIELD, she wasn't really worried about her death. She was more worried about Steve and Jamie. About her friends and family. And about the world around her. Yes, she was afraid of how she left things with Steve, and wanted more out of her life. But that was only natural. While she copped that out to growth and maturity, Steve knew that this was always how she was. She wasn't afraid of death like most men were. She was afraid of what would happen after her death and even more, other people's death.

When Bethany collapsed on Steve's bed, she let out a loud sigh. He had been sitting at his desk looking over battle plans, but her entrance attracted his attention. "Everything okay?" He asked, getting off his chair and sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Well, no one died," Bethany reported. There had been an explosion in the lab earlier that day, meaning that when Steve returned from his raid, Bethany had been helping to move the injured engineers and scientists to the infirmary. The whole ordeal shook Steve so much, that he decided to ask Howard for Bethany's hand in marriage. He knew that she wasn't ready for that step, and while he wanted it, it didn't mean he was ready for it either. He just wanted Howard's approval in case something ever happened to the mechanic.

"That's good," Steve replied, moving to lie next to her. "I missed you."

She offered him a tired smile, closing the gap between their lips with a short and sweet kiss. "I missed your embrace," she whispered. "It's lonely sleeping without you. I get cold too easily."

"You'll be warm tonight," Steve promised, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her flush against him. "How's this?"

"Amazing," she spoke softly.

"Is there something on your mind?" He asked after a moment. "You seem a little distant."

"Just reeling in everything that happened today, is all," Bethany explained, resting her head on his chest. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" He wondered.

She tilted her head to look up at him. "Steve, all around me was bleeding men. With a flash, they could have died. Everything they ever worked for, gone within a blink of an eye. And you lay your life on the line every moment you get. And as much as I know you love being here, being with me and Bucky and Peggy and Howard… Steve, I know that if you could be out there even more, you would."

"Only because I want to end the war," Steve replied.

Bethany shook her head. "I don't take offense of that," she promised. "All I mean is… how can you do that? Are you not afraid of dying?"

Steve sighed, kissing her forehead. "More so since we got together. The only thing I'm afraid of is not doing the things I want to do. Have a dance, a family. But then again, if I'm dead, I won't miss those things, would I?"

"I guess not," Bethany agreed. "You don't believe in heaven?"

"The way I see it, in heaven, I'd get all those things," Steve replied. "I feel like that's what my heaven would be."

"Interesting," Bethany responded softly. "So dying isn't really that scary, is it?"

"It is," Steve assured. "It's confusing."

"Living isn't easy, and dying isn't hard," Bethany summarised. "People fear death, but once death comes, everything they fear? It won't be a problem. Dying shouldn't be scary."

"So you're not scared?" Steve asked carefully.

"I'm scared of what I'll be leaving. But I'm not afraid of it, no."

Steve had sent Bruce a text message thirty minutes ago telling him that the doctor was hoping to take Bethany out of the coma soon, and the news warmed him. What didn't warm him was the news that Bethany had a small fever. Steve seemed to think very little of this, but it instantly awoke fear within him. He waited nervously and less than fifteen minutes later, Bruce got another text message. Bethany's fever had spiked. Infection had completely taken over her system.

Having quickly rushed to the hospital with a syringe in his hand, he pushed through everyone in his way. When he got to Bethany's room, Clint and Natasha were holding Steve back, evidently having been thrown out of the room. Bruce knew that Steve's strength was more than a match for them, and the two ex-SHIELD agents were acting more like a barrier between the door and the soldier. They were so distracted with Steve that they didn't even notice as he came up to the door and burst in.

"You can't be in here!" A doctor shouted. Bruce saw Bethany's body seizing on the table and the loud alarms of her machines beeping and immediately went up to the bed. Uncapping the syringe, he pushed it into Bethany's arm, watching as the red liquid in the container was pushed from its confinement and into Bethany's blood stream.

Looking up at the doctors, they were all staring expectantly at Bruce. "Just wait," Bruce insisted, counting to ten in his head before Bethany's body stopped shaking and the machines calmed down. "You're welcome," Bruce offered, before leaving the room.

"Wh-What did you give her?" Steve asked, his view on Bethany, but giving Bruce the courtesy of staying in the hall to talk to him.

"Something that will remind her blood of what it's supposed to do," Bruce explained. "As well as do some healing of its own. Not enough to fully heal her-"

"What is it?" Natasha pushed, curiosity getting the best of her.

Bruce looked down at the empty syringe, feeling guilty. He wasn't proud of where he got it, but inspiration hit him and he knew that this could be a do or die moment for Bethany, so he didn't hesitate. "From Jamie. It was Jamie's blood."

"Wait, what?" Steve asked, finally looking to him.

"Steve-"

"He's just a baby!" Steve protested, clearly uneasy with this news.

"He's fine," Bruce assured. "I only took a little-"

"You shouldn't have done anything without talking to me firs-"

"Steve, calm down," Clint suggested. "Bruce did what he thought was right. And I'm sure if he had the time, he would have talked to you. But more than that, he just saved Bethany. So why don't you just go back in there and hope that she'll be able to wake up soon."

Steve's jaw tightened, his eyes dark until he turned his head to look at Bethany. His shoulders relaxed a little, and he looked to Bruce apologetic. "I-"

"It's okay," Bruce replied. "Go be with her."

Steve nodded, slipping back into the room, the doctors still surveying Bethany, but now allowing his presence. "You did good," Natasha offered Bruce. "You did what you needed to do to save her."

"I should probably head back to the Tower. Make sure that Jamie is okay," Bruce replied, his guilt still eating him up. "Steve is right. He's just a baby. Not a science experiment."

"It worked almost instantly," Natasha reminded him. "Clearly Jamie has some sort of regenerative blood in his system."

"Can it be used on others?" Clint asked suddenly. "Jamie's blood? Could it be a step up from Bethany's?"

"I don't know," Bruce replied honestly. "All I know is that it worked for Bethany. Even if the blood is DNA specific, theoretically-"

"Bethany's system would accept it," Natasha finished. "Good thinking. And hey, don't beat yourself up. Steve will come around."

"Although, I'd hate being you when Bethany finds out," Clint admitted. Natasha gave Clint a warning hit to the chest. "I'll-I'll just check on Bethany."

"Good idea," Natasha encouraged, watching as Clint went into the room. "Don't let them scare you off. You did the right thing. You just saved Bethany's life. You're a hero."

"I wouldn't go that far," Bruce said with a timid smile.

"I would," Natasha replied, offering him a sweet smile. "Stop beating yourself up. Join us. Maybe now Bethany will be able to wake up sooner. And she'll have you to thank."

"Nah, I-I should really head back to the Tower," Bruce replied.

"Alright," Natasha allowed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just… take my advice, okay?"

Bruce nodded, looking down at the syringe in his hand again. "It'll be a whole lot easier when she wakes up."
"Well, I have good news then," Clint said, popping up beside Natasha. "The blood worked immediately. Everything they were concerned about is healing."

"See?" Natasha began with a smile. "A hero."

Steve could almost see some of the cuts on her face healing within the next hour. Ever since Bruce injected Jamie's blood into Bethany, the doctors hadn't left the room. They were staring at her progress in awe. One doctor even went out to have quick words with Bruce and when he returned to explain the conversation to the rest of the doctors, Steve couldn't help but overhear and intervene.

"If Banner doesn't want to tell you what was in that vial, you need to trust that it's not safe for the general public," Steve said, his heart hammering with thoughts of his son becoming a human blood bank.

"If it could save millions of lives-"

"No one wants to save people more than I do," Steve reminded one of the doctors. "Bruce is a scientist. His main goal is to preserve life, to better life. Bethany's system is different than everyone else's. What works on her may not work on others."

"We should still try it on others," a brunette doctor began, folding her arms. "If this is a cure to cancer and-"

"Just take my word," Steve pleaded. "If Dr. Banner is keeping this under wraps and away from the public, then you should respect his wishes. He understands the dangers of messing with genetics and melding with human nature. Respect this."

The last two words were stressed with the most authority Steve could expel, and it proved successful as the room of doctors dropped the conversation. It was at that point, thinking about the dangers in Jamie's life, that he realized how awful of a father he had been. Jamie needed him. Theo needed him. And what had he been doing? Wallowing in grief, watching Bethany's chest rise and fall slowly. He didn't want to leave her. But he knew he should have taken the time to ask about the boys. Be concerned about them. To call.

Steve pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He pressed the home button, but the screen didn't light up. Sighing, he realized that it had been days since he charged it. Looking at Bethany quickly, seeing that she was doing better now than previously, and knowing that the doctors would get him when they were ready to wake her up, he slipped out of Bethany's room.

"Romanoff?" Steve asked, seeing the back of the ex-SHIELD agent. She turned around, her hair flaring around her like a flame. "Can I borrow your phone? I want to check up on the boys."

"Of course," she answered immediately, pulling the phone out of her back pocket and entering her password. "How's she doing?"

"Healing," Steve revealed with a hint of a smile as he dialed the number. "She's back on track. Without the blood… I don't know what would've happened."

"Hello?" Jackson's voice responded as soon as Steve pressed the phone to his ear.

"Jackson, hi. It's Steve," he began, giving Natasha a nod before he moved back over to Bethany's room, but lingered by the door. "I know I've been… absent-"

"I understand," was the answer Steve received, but he didn't believe it.

"Nothing I've done is excusable. I've convinced myself that Bethany needed me, but the boys… they needed me as well. They need me."

"Yeah, Steve," Jackson agreed after a sigh. "They do need you. Theo thinks it's his fault. His physical wounds may not be that severe, but he's traumatized."

Steve's heart felt even more shattered than it had before. Steve had been thinking about how it was his fault. Tony had been under the impression that it was his. But Theo feeling like it was his? Not to mention having to live with everything he saw. His father and mother both abandoned him, and both Steve and Bethany promised that they would be there for him. It was an unspoken and spoken promise that they had vowed to him for a year now, and Steve did exactly what his parents did. He abandoned him. What made circumstance even worse, he did it when Theo needed him the most.

"You hear that?" Jackson tested carefully. Steve could tell that the babysitter didn't want to say something that went too far, but at the same time, was trying to get Steve to understand the results of his actions. Focusing his hearing on what was going on at the Tower, he could hear the subtle crying in the distance. Jamie's crying to be specific. Every last piece of his heart still intact completely splintered. The emotional pain was beyond anything Steve had ever suffered.

Bethany wouldn't have noticed if Steve wasn't there. While he believed that some level of her could sense his presence, he knew that ultimately, she would be disappointed in his decisions. Theo and Jamie noticed that he wasn't there. They needed him more than Bethany did. Steve realized the only way he could now justify his actions was that he needed Bethany. Not the other way around. His selfishness was eating him alive.

"They need you," Jackson said when Steve didn't answer. "Theo understands that Bethany needs you right now, but Jamie doesn't. The only time he stops crying is when he's eating and too exhausted to continue to cry. Which is how he's sleeping." The sitter let out a deep sigh as Steve swallowed heavily. "Don't feel guilty. I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty. Only for you to be aware. You're a good father, Steve. And a good husband. It's hard to pick on over the other. As soon as you can find a moment to slip away-"

"Bethany should be waking up soon," Steve replied, trying to keep his real emotion out of his voice. "As soon as she's up, I'll be there. I'll talk to Theo, I'll spend time with Jamie. I may have something to keep him from crying. I have a recording of Bethany singing on my phone. That may calm him down. When I get back to the Tower, I'll send it to you. My phone is dead right now."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Jackson replied kindly. "If they're waking her up soon, she must be doing significantly better?"

"She doesn't look as…" Steve trailed off, trying to find the right word. "She looks more like herself," he settled with. "She still has some healing to do, but I think they'll take her out of the coma soon."

"Well, good luck man," Jackson added. "And like I said. Don't feel guilty. This can't be easy for you. But I'll tell Theo you checked in. He's napping right now."
"Thank you," Steve replied with a sigh before hanging up. Natasha quickly collected her phone before putting a hand on his upper arm.

"I just talked to one of the nurses," Natasha began. "They want to start waking her now."

"Now now?" Steve asked, both overwhelmed and excited at the same time.

"We'd like to talk to you quickly," Dr. Lex said as he exited Bethany's room. "Because, yes, we do think this is a good time to wake her up. Some of her burns are still visible, but almost all the rest of her wounds are healed. Her healing seems to be picking up in speed, and we're comfortable with her being awake for the rest of the process."

"Can I be in the room?" Steve asked. He always assumed he would be the first person Bethany would see when she woke up. That she would smile, squeeze his hand and whisper 'hi'. But by the way Dr. Lex was relaying this news, he had a feeling he wasn't going to get that wish.

"It's better if you're not," Dr. Lex concluded. "As soon as she is settled, you'll be the first one allowed in the room, but we don't want to alarm her in any way."

"Why would she be alarmed if I'm there?" Steve asked, his heart racing again.

Dr. Lex looked down quickly before meeting Steve's panicked gaze. "It's not uncommon for patients like her to have hazy memories. Missing periods of time. Sometimes they come back in pieces, sometimes they stay away permanently. With Bethany's healing, however, the chances of this are slim. But if her last memory is of a time when you were still…"

"I understand," Steve nodded, realizing that if her last memory was of him still being in the ice, her panic might end up hurting more than helping. "Can I just stand right here? Look through the window?"

"Of course," Dr. Lex allowed before moving back into Bethany's room and closing the door.

"You know," Natasha began, previously keeping quiet. "You have the worst luck. You never are able to catch a break."

"Not all the time," Steve replied quietly.

"What if she is missing periods of time?" Natasha offered. "The doctor is under the impression she'll get the memories back. And quick. But what part of Bethany's body doesn't heal like the rest."

Steve almost choked on the words "her brain". His palms tightened into a fist as a sweat began to take over his body. "Nata-"

"Relax," She interrupted. "And breathe. I may be wrong. And maybe she'll be fine. And even if she isn't, we'll find a way to get her memories back. But Steve, we need to be prepared. You need to be prepared."

Steve watched through the little door window as the doctors carefully worked around Bethany, pulling her out of her slumber. "I'll never be ready for that, Romanoff," Steve whispered. "I can't… she's the one piece of my past that actually remembers it. She's the one thing I've had then and now. I can't… I can't lose her like I lost Bucky."

His jaw tightened, trying to bite back his emotions. "If there's one thing I know about Bethany," Natasha added. "It's that she doesn't let these things keep her from moving forward."

"Natasha," Steve breathed, watching as Bethany woke up. The air around them became silent, the two of them waiting for a sign. A signal that everything was going to be okay. Steve felt like he was going to be sick, the anticipation slowly suffocating him. He cringed as they removed the breathing tube, but Steve could tell that Bethany was overwhelmed by confusion.

His breath caught in his throat, harshly fluttering out as his wife began to react to her surroundings. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, as if questioning everything. Steve didn't want to accept the very worse until he was forced to, and even then, he would do it with resistance. He stood there, watching as the doctor began to reassure Bethany, talk to her and have her respond with movements of her hands.

Finally, the doctor pointed to the window where Steve stood, asking Bethany something. Her gaze followed Dr. Lex's arm, studying Steve's face for a moment. The soldier couldn't even crack a smile. He was so caught up in the moment, his blood pumping hard in his ears, to even register emotion. Their eyes met and held the others gaze tightly. It seemed like years until Steve finally got any response from Bethany's green eyes, a spark of recognition. The smallest of smiles appeared on Bethany's face, enough for Steve's entire body to relax, letting go of the tenseness it held for the past few days.

Lost in each other's eyes, they were both home. Everything was falling into place, everything in their world right once again. And while the journey wasn't perfect, it brought them to that very moment of peace, fading into each other.

**A/N: Does that ending seem familiar? Yes? No? Maybe? It's pulled directly from the last paragraph of Sorry Ever After. I felt that it worked really well in this context as well. Hey, might just end up being a constant in my stories. Who knows? :)

If you've enjoyed this story, possibly leave me a review? :) Not begging, I swear! But I do like to hear what you all think, and since it's the last chapter, it'll be nice to hear what everyone thought. If you haven't reviewed and have always wanted to, well this is the time to do it :) And hey, I can take negative comments if you have them, but make sure to leave something positive to them too. Like a way for me to fix it, or something you did enjoy :)

And DON'T FORGET TO CLICK ON MY PROFILE AND READ THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF THE STORY :)

KnowInsight: Well, damn. I'm jealous as fuck. I'm terminally single (there's absolutely no reason for this other than my anti-social behaviour, but how do you think I can get a chapter out every week and balance a social life and two jobs? Not with any success) In chapter 2 of Broken Strings, Steve begins to think about the aging vs the healing and what should be done in the future :)

Jo: Double the update today :) Wooo!

IrelandLover: Remorseful? I don't know. But definitely questioning what the hell he's doing and whether it'll be worth it.

MissAnimeMiss: Enjoy the double update :)

FeliciaFelicis: Yes :) She'll be alright. Just head on to the next story and you'll get a insight right off the bat of Steve and Bethany during AoU. Bucky was briefly in this chapter, but he is in the new story! For a while, he'll be in every update and then will (shhh, it's a secret) mysteriously disappear from my writing. But that's just 'cause I'm trying to make the MCU fit in with this daydream of mine. And yes, it does make sense :) I think I finally have a good idea of who Bethany should be, and I'll be working on making her that way. I think people will like her a whole lot more. And after thinking long and hard, I really think Steve will like the new version of Bethany better than any of the others. It's a part of chapter 2, so you won't have to wait too long ;)

sarahmichellegellarfan1: She's awake! And yes, I agree. They all need to get off their asses and start hunting down HYDRA. This entire explosion thing was to force them to seeing the imminence of the situation. They were all kinda on maternity leave and now they're aware that they need to do more than play house.

AngelLove1728: Well, maybe not a spinoff, but they will be featured in the new story! At least 1000 words during each chapter for the next few months or so. I have a good idea of what I want to happen with them, but unlike Steve and Bethany, becoming a couple basically overnight (it took 7 chapters for them to sleep together...), Bucky and Kiley's relationship will be key and will drag on for a bit. I mean, they may not end up together, but they probably will. Like 89%. But not anytime soon. I don't think Bucky is ready for a relationship. Not in the slightest.

Snowflake2410: I sent you a message, in case you haven't read that yet. Don't worry, I didn't go all crazed and protective. Just some of my ideas, thoughts and okay, maybe it's a little defensive, but I actually appreciated your review. So chill, I ain't mad ;) It may have seemed that way, but I'm not.