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As Leah walked up the steps to the back porch, she could feel him watching her. Knowing that the only reason she could sense him was because he let her, she allowed herself relax, the porch light flickering on in the darkness.

The only question was, why had James Barnes followed her home?

She could hear muffled voices inside, and the door creaked open.

"Sweetheart! I thought I saw you out there. How'd everything go?" Sue asked, placing her glasses on her head and putting a bookmark in her book. She stood up from the kitchen table and hugged her daughter tightly.

Nervously, Leah hugged back.

"Steve and I are good," she told her mother. She let herself soak in the hug, and her mother's love.

"Perfect," her mother said, leaning back, "now what do I have to do to get these boys out of my house?" she nodded her head to the family room, where Leah could hear the surprisingly quiet voices of the pack.

"Starve 'em out," Leah said seriously.

"They haven't asked for anything since that red head came by-what's her name, Natalie."

Leah blinked, "Natasha was here?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it was Natalie," Sue assured her, "she and her friend Maria. She was an absolute darling-bought me two loaves of the fruit bun I like from the shops-said she would have made something, but she didn't want to poison me."

"She also said she was a friend of Steve's, and that she'd known him for a while but he'd never been happier than when he met you. I knew they'd love you," she beamed.

Thinking back to her odd, but not unpleasant interaction with Barton and Natasha in the woods, Leah nodded awkwardly, "yep."

Sue eyed her carefully, but said nothing, sitting back down at the table and retrieved her glasses.

"Now could you get those boys out of my damn house?"

Rolling her eyes, Leah entered the family room. The pack, minus Sam, were slouched around the TV, where the younger boys were engrossed in a very half-hearted game of Mario Kart. Paul, who would usually be screaming at the screen (he had a life-long ban from actually playing) was curled up on the couch, scowling to himself.

"What the hell happened to you?" Leah asked suspiciously.

As soon as she spoke, everyone in the room tensed. No one would meet her eye.

"Leah," Paul spoke to her feet, "I am so sorry," he said with feeling.

Wondering if she'd stepped in some ridiculous booby trap, Leah examined her feet, and the area around them. They were fine, if not a perfect picture of cleanliness.

Feeling nervous, Leah glared at them. Everyone except Seth flinched. He had taken the Mario Kart controls from Collin, and was whooping an apathetic Brady's arse.

"This is the best day ever," he told her gleefully.

"Guys, you already apologised once. Someone better start explaining," Leah snapped, causing the guys to stare into their laps.

"That Natalie girl was here," Seth said, still entirely to cheerful.

"And?" Leah said, thoroughly freaked out.

"Did you mention that everybody here had seen you naked?"

"... Briefly," Leah said slowly, growing more and more alarmed.

"Well, she did something to them while me and mum were talking with the other lady. And now they're scared shitless."

"Seth!" Leah snapped automatically.

"It's true! Look at them," Seth jerked his head over his shoulder.

It was an accurate description, Leah had to admit, surveying the pack, the way they refused to meet her eye-or each other's.

"And now, when we've shifted, I'm not forced to see your naked body whenever someone says your name. I don't know what she did, exactly, but isn't this awesome?"

"Awesome," Leah echoed, standing awkwardly.

"... Mum would like everyone to go home? ...Please?" she asked politely, more worried then she would like to admit.

As one, the pack stood up, filing out the front door, leaving Seth sitting by himself in front of the TV.

Seth offered the second controller up for her to take.

"It's no fun playing by myself," he said, and Leah took it. She turned it over in her hands, wondering how to tell him.

"Steve's going back to New York soon," she stated, and Seth froze.

"But, what about the imprint?" he asked, turning on his bottom to stare up at her.

Leah opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"...You're going with him," Seth stated, staring up at her.

"Maybe. I don't know," Leah admitted, sitting down next to him on the floor.

"He asked me to come with him... I said I had to think about it. He-I still haven't told him about the imprint," she half sat, half collapsed next to him.

Seth frowned, "Are you worried he won't like it?" he asked.

"I don't know," she admitted, "he's had so many choices ripped from him-I don't know how he'll react to find this one wasn't all his."

"But it was!" Seth argued, "The imprint effects us strongly. He chose you."

"He may not see it that way," Leah shrugged.

Suddenly, a whiff of a scent she was growing increasingly used to reached her nose. Gunpowder and leather, with a metallic aftertaste.

She spun around, already on her knees when she spotted him in the hallway. Instead of being framed in the arch, he hovered close to the shadowy wall, uncomfortable in the spotlight.

"The Asset knows what it is like to not have a choice. This is not... comparable," he said, his voice rough, as if unused. Briefly, Leah wondered who 'The Asset' was, until she realised with cold certainty he was talking about himself.

His eyes shifted rapidly from grey to blue, and he leant out of the shadows slightly.

"You're the dame he wouldn't shut up about," he murmured, crooked grin slowly emerging.

Shocked at the rapid change, that was somehow both subtle and all too much, Leah nodded, eyeing him again.

He took a step forward, towards her, and she felt her brother tense. She rose to her feet slowly, one hand out slightly to stop Seth from moving.

The man took another step forward, until Leah could look down directly into his blue eyes.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Bucky-because who else could she be talking to-said softly.

"He's an idiot, and he's gonna screw up. But he's worth it," his eyes focused on empty space behind her, "At least, that's how I remember it."

Something moved behind her, and his mouth tightened, eyes flickering to the noise. In the half second it took for his eyes to focus, Leah realised they lacked colour once again.

He took a step backward, eyes searching for something, but worriedly closed off. And then he was gone.

"What was that man doing in my house?" a voice behind her sounded, and both Leah and Seth spun around to see their mother in the kitchen doorway, lips pursed tightly as she examined the swinging front door.

"He wanted to tell Leah that she and Steve need to get it on," Seth, body still a little tight to be completely relaxed. Leah felt too overwhelmed to reprimand him.

"Hey mum, do you think if Quil asks him, he'll get an autograph to go with the bullet?"

"Seth, you leave that poor man alone," Sue instructed, "and tell Quil the same. Or he'll shoot the boy someplace it won't grow back."

Seth winced.

This time, Leah wasn't worried that her visit wouldn't be well received, despite the late hour. She raced up to Steve's door and was about to knock when it opened.

She stared at him.

"I heard you coming," Steve admitted awkwardly, grinning at her.

"There's more wolfy shit to tell you," she said uncomfortably. His grin was replaced with a look of concern, and he stepped outside, their chests brushing against each other, and closed the door.

"We have this thing called an imprint-where we see our, our soulmate, I guess you'd call it, for the first time, and we just know. It's like your whole world suddenly dropped out from under you, and then started spinning around a different sun," Leah said. Had she looked back, she would have winced at the poetic nonsense she'd just rambled, but that didn't make it any less true.

"You don't love me?" Steve asked, confused, and despite the sharp pain to her chest of Steve hurting, she snorted.

"I already confessed my love once. I don't say that to any old superhero," she said, "I imprinted on you. The second I saw you."

"That's why you ran from the diner," Steve realised. She nodded.

"I-do I feel it too?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not as strongly," Leah admitted, "but a lot of imprints say that it felt like love at first sight-we think that's the natural attraction of two people, minus the imprint. Sort of, the imprint just makes it more obvious."

"...I knew," he said quietly.

"What?" Leah stared into his blue eyes.

"The second I saw you, it just- I knew."

Leah found herself blushing as she stared into his face, then burst out laughing when she realised he was blushing far worse.

"Just, one question," Steve asked uncertainly, eyes flickering away as the mood changed dramatically, not quite able to look her in the eye anymore. Leah frowned, and tugged at his chin until he had to face her.

"Spill," she said, almost surprising herself at how gentle she sounded.

Steve stared at her, mouth slightly open. He looked away, swallowed, then stared back.

"If you hadn't imprinted on me, would you still have picked me?" he asked quietly, jaw clenching.

Leah chewed the inside of her cheek. It was the same fear she had had, and the idea that they both had uncertainties settled something inside her. That he knew he just could come and talk to her when he was stressed, well, that was even better.

"I wouldn't have picked you out of a line up, or anything," she admitted, "But you'd have grown on me."

Steve smiled at her, "So you picked me for my dazzling personality and not my looks? That's refreshing."

He leant forward and gently bumped their noses together. Leah broke away and snorted out a laugh. Steve laughed right back at her, eventually stopping to just smile at her.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You're wonderful," he told her gently.

Leah grinned, happiness making her feel like she could fly away, not that she wanted to. She launched herself at him to squeeze him tight. Steve yelped when she actually picked him off the ground, laughing when she swung him around.

"You're pretty wonderful to," she admitted, feeling slightly awkward at confession, "And I'm coming to New York-if you'll still have me," she said, self-doubt kicking in. Then she winced at the wording of her question. And realised she was still holding him in the air. She set him down carefully.

"Of course. I don't-the thought of leaving you behind was terrifying," Steve admitted.

"Does this mean you're also saying yes to the other offer?" he grinned, teeth stark white against the darkness.

Leah pretended to scowl at him, "I guess the world could do with one more Avenger," she allowed, "but no spandex."

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Steve said sincerely, eyes twinkling. It was his turn to pick her up and swing her around in celebration. Leah was pretty sure it shouldn't have felt as much like flying as it did.

Then he pretended to frown, staring up at the sky. Leah couldn't find it within herself to be irritated at how exasperatingly cute it was.

"Imprinting-don't baby ducks do that?" he mused.

Leah rolled her eyes.

"So if I called you my little duckling, exactly how irritated would you be?"

Grinning, she elbowed him.

Steve pretended to gasp, "It can be your super hero code name," he grinned, and Leah couldn't help but laugh with him, even as she shook her head.

"I'm warning you, here and now, if you do anything stupid while we're on a mission, I will be so mad. You won't care about your broken leg when I'm yelling at you," she promised him.

Steve grinned, sitting down on the small wooden deck, pulling Leah after him. They sat there for hours until they fell asleep, next to the parking lot of a run down motel. Neither was worried.

The next day found Leah walking up the path to Emily's house. She didn't bother knocking on the door, just flung it open and marched to where her cousin was sitting at the table, laptop in front of her.

"Hey," Emily grinned, tilting her laptop screen away, "I heard on the grapevine-New York, huh?"

Leah rolled her eyes, "My little brother has a big mouth."

"That, and he's very proud of you," Emily smiled, "So am I. Not everybody gets to say their big sis saves the world on a regular basis."

"I'm not saving the world on any basis for a while yet," Leah pulled out a chair for herself.

"I've got to figure out a million other little things first. Between me and Steve, and if the other Avengers will be happy-"

"And what your superhero name will be, and what you'll wear. You know, you could actually pull off the spande-"

"No," Leah said firmly. Emily looked at her, wide eyed, until they both burst out laughing.

Still laughing, Leah looked up to see the screen of Emily's laptop.

"Best Universities in Seattle?" Leah read out the google search curiously.

Emily stopped laughing, and pulled the screen slightly closer to herself.

"Yeah," she finally said with a soft smile, "I was thinking about what you said-how it's okay to be selfish."

Leah grinned at her closest friend, "And?"

Emily shrugged, "And, I've always wanted to be a teacher. Primary or High School, I'm not sure yet. But I'd love to help teach the children our language, do my part, you know?"

Leah smiled, "Yeah, I get it. Not the working with children part," she sniffed, and Emily rolled her eyes, "But wanting to make a difference."

"What about things with Sam?" Leah asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I do want things to work out between us, and I'm willing to give it a try if he is. I want to go to couple's counseling, even if we have to fudge the details here and there," Emily smiled nervously, "and, I plan on moving to Seattle soon," she gestured to her laptop, "so maybe a bit of space will help. And if it doesn't work out," she shrugged, "I guess it doesn't work out. But I'm going to stop putting off things I want to do for him and the pack."

Leah bit her lip, trying to stop the prickling tears behind her eye. After a minute of prolonged silence, she gave up, and lunged at Emily, burying her face in her neck.

"Proud of you, sis," Leah choked out, and Emily hugged her back tightly.

Sighing, Sue turned to her daughter.

"You have any trouble with anyone, and you call me," she told her daughter, not giving her any say as she swept her into a tight hug.

"Ok," Leah agreed.

"And you call at least once a week, and every time after a 'mission'," Sue continued, still not letting her go.

Something collided into Leah's back, making the two women stagger.

"Miss you too," Seth said, as he squeezed them both extra tight.

Leah let him have it for a minute before throwing him off.

Seth just grinned mischievously, "and the pack is out the front to say goodbye."

"And they're bugging Steve and the others?" she groaned.

Seth shrugged, "Just a leetle bit," he said, holding his thumb and forefinger as wide apart as possible.

She groaned, and marched out the front.

Clint was very carefully not touching Steve's bike, as Steve glared at him from where he leant up against the car. Leah could just make out a shadowy figure in the backseat. Bucky was coming home.

Maria and Sam had left early to get things settled in New York. As he'd slid into the front seat next to her, Sam had grinned at Steve, and muttered something along the lines of, 'Outta my league, my ass'.

Now, the pack was loud and chatty, individual voices indistinguishable. Jared was talking to Steve, doing his best to remain calm, but he was shifting his wait from foot to foot every few seconds. The rest hung at a distance, or near Clint, marveling at Steve's bike. Clint looked rather put out.

Just as Leah was wondering if they'd ever leave, gravel crunched underfoot, and the whole pack froze as the Black Widow entered the scene. Whatever she had done seemed to make them just as scared of her as they now were of Leah. Which was probably for the best.

On the steps, Leah raised a brow as Natasha walked by. The red head winked back, in a blink and you'll miss second. Leah tried to copy the spy's stoic expression, but a smile easily broke through. It had seemed harder for her to keep a straight face recently. And more than that, each and every smile was completely genuine.

Leah slid into the passenger seat of the car, rolling down her window as Steve climbed in next to her. Bucky gave her polite nod in greeting, which she returned with a smile.

Clint finally hopped onto Steve's bike, Natasha following suit, as the pack waved and hollered their goodbyes.

"You're letting Clint drive your bike?" she asked Steve disbelievingly.

He shrugged, "Natasha should keep him in line. Hopefully."

As if in response to Steve's murmur, Clint turned to Sue the pack and gleefully yelled, "Don't worry about Leah, we'll let her run wild in Central Park with the other nut-jobs from time to time".

Sue began frowning at him, but Natasha got there first, jabbing him in the side.

Clint hissed, "and that's my cue," he mumbled, shutting his helmet, revving the engine, and flying down the road in a spray of loose gravel.

Leah felt Steve flinch next to her, and Bucky let out a huff of laughter at Steve's expense. She turned in her seat to grin at him, and the wary soldier gave her a small, near invisible smirk. She laughed with him when she heard Clint revving the bike in the distance. Steve rolled his eyes at the both of them and started up the car.

Leah found her self grinning again as she waved goodbye, to her mother and brother, and her pack, her heart clenching oddly as they appeared smaller and smaller in the distance.

It was strange to think that even six months ago, an opportunity to leave them would have seemed a miracle. And now, she was sad to see them go.

That being said, Leah may be leaving one family behind, but-she thinks of Natasha's protective wink, Clint's jokes, how Bucky was slowly but surely coming out of his HYDRA enforced shell.

How Steve still teasingly called her his little duckling when no one was listening.

There's no rule saying you can't have more than one, and Leah realised she hadn't just found her imprint. She'd gained a family.

I took so long to post this for a lot of reasons, the number one being I just didn't want to say goodbye to the characters and the story. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thank you for reading.