"Hey Becca!"

"What? Ah!"

Becca turned and shielded her face as her brother leapt into the pool next to her, sending up a spray of water. Seth had been doing the same thing since they were kids, but she hadn't learned apparently. His friend Amar laughed from up on the pool deck. As soon as Seth popped up, Becca splashed water towards both of them, which instigated more splashing.

"Hey. Watch it, you two," complained Ally without lifting her head from the floating raft. "I'm trying to dry off over here." Becca and Seth looked at each other and grinned. They waited for Ally to shut her eyes before quietly approaching her. She peeked an eye open just in time to see them. "Oh, no. Don't you –"

They flipped her over and gave each other a high five.

Becca felt good. It had been over a month since she got clean. She had signed up for a counseling program, and she really liked her counselor. They met twice a week now to check in. Eventually, the appointments would lessen to once a week and then every other week and so on. Addiction was a lifelong battle, but she would to her best to be on the winning side. It was hard sometimes. She missed the energy Adderall had given her. Dealing with the remaining pain of her nerve injury hadn't been much fun, but she had healed to the point that her neck barely bothered her anymore.

After talking the situation over with Steve, Becca had decided to come clean about getting the Adderall illegally. She'd gone to a police station and filled out a confession. An officer had contacted her the next day to say that her case had been thrown out. When she'd been baffled, the officer noted that she "had friends in high places." Whether that meant S.H.I.E.L.D. had yet again intervened or someone else was protecting Steve, Becca wasn't sure. As an alternative penance, she volunteered with Narcotics Anonymous, using her skills as a copywriter to help with their campaigns. They also needed sponsors, and she was considering going through the training.

As for her relationship with Steve, everything had stabilized back into normalcy, as normal as it could get anyway when dating a superhero. After detoxing, Becca had invited him to keep the dresser drawer for his stuff. It was a step towards a future together, one which he'd accepted. Maybe they wouldn't last, but they'd toughed out a lot together. Becca wasn't too concerned about looking ahead. Well, okay, she was looking ahead a bit towards when he came back from the latest mission, but way in the future? More aliens could drop down from the sky at any minute. No thanks. She'd concentrate on enjoying this mini vacation at her parent's house.

Her mom opened the screen door, smiling. "Becca, someone's here for you. Take a towel so you don't track water through the house."

Steve waited in the living room, glancing over family pictures on the wall. Beside him sat a bag with his swim suit and towel which Becca had advised him to bring if he stopped by. He stood near the air conditioner, cooling down from the slow ride through town. It was a hot day, although not quite as hot as it had been in Peru. Walking off the plane this morning had felt like relief for a while, though not as much as a cold shower had. Two days, and he would be getting on another plane to leave for another week. Naturally, he had to see Becca before that happened. Since he'd been invited up to her parents should he come back while she was there, Steve didn't feel like he was intruding.

Becca appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a towel. She looked much better than she had a month ago. No more deep frowns or tired rings around her eyes. She had gained some of her weight back. There were little personality differences he'd noticed. Her energy had dipped of course, but not so much that she became inactive. She wasn't quite as talkative as she had once been. However, she still loved to tease, and her quiet moments never felt like she was drifting away from him. Becca was still Becca, and he was proud of her.

"Hi," she greeted, strolling across the room. "I didn't know you were coming home."

"I didn't either, but I did call when I landed."

"Ah, I haven't been paying attention to my phone. I would hug you, but I've been in the pool."

While on his mission, there had been a shoot out in a wine cellar. Steve had learned that walking around soaked in wine on a hot day was not at all a comfortable experience. A little pool water wasn't going to be a problem for him.

"Well, fortunately, I don't melt in water. Hang on." Steve emptied his pockets into the bag by his feet.

"That looks like your sketch paper," Becca noted, gesturing hopefully towards a folded up paper. "A present?"

Since Becca had enjoyed his first sketch so much, Steve had decided that he'd continue to bring her one home each time. The last sketch had been a cartoon of various dogs at a European café, which was sort of a commentary on the mission. This time he'd gone for realism because he had passed a trellis of interesting flowers that stuck with him. He figured Becca would find the image pretty, and while he was sketching a woman on the trellis, the figure had slowly turned into her.

"It is, but I think someone –" Steve twisted a strand of her wet hair between two fingers. "– would be upset if they dripped on their present."

"Good point. I suppose I'll settle for a kiss in the meantime."

Obligingly, Steve leaned down for a kiss. The towel she wore was damp and cool, but he could feel the gentle warmth of her body beneath. He had missed holding her, missed sleeping next to her, too. After they'd finally had that whole day in bed together Becca had promised him, facing an empty bed seemed almost lonely. Steve pressed a second kiss to the top of her head.

"So now that you're all wet, do you want to jump in the pool?" Becca asked. "My brother totally soaked me, and you look like you could do a mean cannonball. You know, to avenge your girl?"

Steve chuckled. "Sure, let me just get into my swim suit."

"Please tell me it's Captain America themed."

From in his bag, Steve pulled out the navy blue swimsuit that S.H.I.E.L.D. had given him during training. "Does this count? It's the same color as my new suit."

"Ooo, they finally finished your new suit? I need details." Becca took his hand and led him towards the doorway. "This way. We'll walk and talk."

Steve followed beside her, describing his suit. He wasn't sure how he felt about the change, but he would get used to the suit eventually. He might still be that kid from Brooklyn, but when the world changed, you had to make changes with it. Besides, there were some changes to like. Having a beautiful woman holding his hand and smiling as he talked, for starters. Had Becca never walked by him in the park that day, he wouldn't have had that right now. Had he not crashed the plane, would he? Maybe with Peggy. It was difficult to say, but then, he didn't like to look to the past too much. He had made his choices, and there was no going back. The only way to move was towards the future, and Steve just hoped that Becca would be there right along with him.

Author's Note:

SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT!

While the story of Becca's addiction has come to an end, the story of Steve and Becca has not. I've decided to write a sequel! However, a lot will have happened between this ending and the sequel, so I will first be putting out a collection of one-shots called Moments of Clarity.

Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed. Thanks also to the people who have shared their stories of struggling with addiction. It's a long and never-ending battle. Do the best you can.