**A/N: Here we are everyone! The final chapter of this story :) When you finish reading this, head on over to my profile and click on the next story, Through the Storm, where chapter 1 will be awaiting you!

Chapter 60- Broken Strings

"Broken lines, broken strings, broken threads, broken springs, broken idols, broken heads, people sleeping in broken beds. Ain't no use jiving. Ain't no use joking. Everything is broken."

~Everything Is Broken, Bob Dylan

Bethany wasn't sure where Steve was, but she didn't even question why he wasn't in the house. She walked into Jamie's room, well-lit by the sun. Despite the fact that it was late in the morning, Jamie was still sound asleep in his bed, his face flushed and curls wildly spread out, sticking up in places. He looked so sweet and content. Bethany sat on the side of his bed, softly touching his cheek. It was warm under her hand. The toddler didn't flinch, his breath remaining even as he continued to dream away.

"He is a beautiful one," a familiar light voice said softly from behind her. Turning her head, Bethany couldn't hide her shock at her guest.

"Mother? What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit my grandson, of course," Mrs. Stark replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your hair looked the same when you were younger. It took me forever to untangle those knots every morning. You hated me for it, but you couldn't very well go around in public with your hair standing up like that."

Bethany could remember that. She remembered her mother pulling a fine tooth comb through her hair every morning and Bethany complaining every time. The more she cried and whined, the harder her mother would pull through the knots. But all things considered, now Bethany understood in a way. While she would use the softest of brushes to soften Jamie's knots and then carefully untangle them, Jamie would often try to wiggle out of her arms.

"You didn't need to take a strap to me when I would cry," Bethany replied honestly.

"That was what was considered normal back then," her mother rationalized.

"I would never do that to Jamie," Bethany snapped. "I love him too much and no matter how angry I am, I would never bring him pain or give him reason to believe that I don't love him."

"Is that would you believe? That I didn't love you?" Mrs. Stark asked, calmly. Her hair was pulled back into her customary bun which always made Bethany see her face as stern, but there was something in her eyes that showed some compassion that Bethany couldn't remember from her childhood.

"Momma, you tried to sell me in the Great Depression!" Bethany reminded her. It was something she had barely told anyone, since she was ashamed that her mother would ever do that. "We had the money, and yet you still tried to give me away, as if I was a burden."

"We had the money to give one of our children an amazing life. If someone did buy you, they had enough money to afford you and give you what we couldn't."

"I don't believe that," Bethany disagreed, shaking her head. "If you had loved me, you wouldn't have done everything to make me believe you didn't. And that's affected me for years Momma. You treating me the way you did—it brought me down some very regretful paths."

"I was doing everything I needed to do to get you ready for life, Bethany," Mrs. Stark explained. "And look. Look what's in front of you. Everything I was trying to give you. A loving husband, a darling child, a beautiful house… everything I wanted for you, down to you being a housewife. You have it all. You tried to rebel, but you became exactly the type of woman that I wanted you to be. I'm proud of you."

Bethany blinked, trying to register her words. Nothing that she said was untrue. Bethany had tried to rebel and yet because of it, Bethany had made a lot of mistakes in her life. But now, in her perfect little life, everything was exactly what her mother had planned for her. But most importantly, Bethany was shocked that her mother was proud of her. "You-you are?"

"You're right. I wasn't the most loving mother to you. I was hard on you. But you are a wonderful wife and a wonderful mother. You've made a lot of mistakes, but you've done more than enough to fix them. And Jamie is a perfect little boy."

"T-thank you, Momma," Bethany replied honestly, still trying to mull over the fact that she was having a nice moment with her mother.

"Although, his name is awful."

Bethany's heart didn't even fall. This was more like the mother she knew. "What's wrong with it?" Bethany asked, slightly annoyed.

Her mother looked at her with a pointed expression, all the compassion that was in her eyes before gone. "You named him after your brother's murderer, you filthy whore."

Bethany woke with a start, letting out a deep breath. She looked over to Steve who was still sound asleep beside her. It was Thanksgiving, and while she should very well go back to sleep and wake up late in the morning to be well rested before she had to cook a feast, she wasn't tired anymore. She had a lot to think about. Her dream had a realistic feeling about it and she needed to ponder over it before she could return to sleep. Slipping out of bed carefully, she pulled her cardigan off the bed post and wrapped it around her. She tip toed to the balcony doors, tossing one more look at Steve's sleeping form before slipping out the doors. It was still dark, but the sun was going to begin its journey to the sky very soon.

She sat in one of the wicker chairs, pulling her legs up and wrapping her cardigan around everything she could. The air was brisk. It was almost December and without the sun, it was really chilly, but Bethany didn't make to move back inside. Her mother had been furious at Jamie's name. In all fairness, so had Bethany when she had lost her memories a year prior. She loved her son and wouldn't change his name, but every once-in-awhile, she wondered whether she should have picked a different name. Naming babies after someone always carried consequences, especially in the life that Steve and Bethany lived. She didn't want to think about how Tony would react when he found out… If he finds out, Bethany reminded herself. Tony was still completely in the dark about Bucky being the reason that his parents were dead. He would no doubt feel betrayed about Bethany's decision to name her son after Howard's killer.

She sat there for a few minutes, thinking about it all when Steve opened the door to the balcony. "You'll catch your death of a cold out here," Steve whispered to her, leaning down to her and putting his hand on her arm.

"I needed some fresh air," she replied softly. "I dreamt about my mom."

"Oh?" Steve asked, his brows raising in curiosity. "The typical dream?"

"It didn't start out like usual," Bethany began to explain. "It was… nice. I mean, she was trying to justify everything she had done to me through the years, but it was really nice to hear her say she was proud of me."

"That's great Beth," Steve encouraged.

"Then she brought up the fact that I named our son after the man who killed her son…" Bethany concluded, looking to Steve. "And then she called me a whore."

"That's… not so great."

"Nope," Bethany said with a sigh. "I can't help but wonder if… well, if Howard would be upset. Or if I clung onto the name 'James' too quickly… It's too late to change his name now… and I know that it means something to you, but-"

"Hey, you don't need to explain," Steve whispered, his thumb rubbing across her hand. "You're right. It does mean something to me. And I wish it wasn't something that meant something so negative to you and your family."

"I know that it wasn't Bucky. That it was what HYDRA did to his mind. You know that I know the difference. I just… I can't help but wonder if my parents would see it the same way. Howard. Maria… and more specifically, Tony. He's the only one who could actually find out."

"He won't," Steve promised. "We agreed that he wouldn't find out that the Winter Soldier killed Howard and Maria for his own good."

"Is it? For his own good? Or ours?" Bethany asked, but didn't get an answer as the door was pushed open slightly, Jamie looking up to his parents. "Hey, what are you doing out of bed so early, Munchkin?"

"Monster, Mumma," Jamie whined, Bethany now noticing the wet streaks down his face.

"Aww, baby," Bethany tried to comfort him, pulling her into her arms. "It's okay, there're no monsters here. Only Mumma and Daddy."

"We should go back inside," Steve suggested. Bethany nodded, knowing that it was too cold for her to be sitting out there any longer. She carried Jamie back into their room, holding him tightly and kissing his temple as the family settled in the bed.

"I thought that by reading him that book, it would help him think that monsters aren't scary and bad," Bethany admitted quietly, rubbing Jamie's back as he was tucked safely between his parents. "I guess my strategy was flawed."

"All children dream about scary monsters," Steve reminded her.

"But in our life, monsters… they can be real. I just wanted him to continually think that they are lovable Muppets. I guess I should just stick to Wacky Wednesday next time."

"It was a great idea, Beth," Steve promised her. "But things will scare him. We can't change that. All we can do is show him that we'll protect him no matter what."

"How could he ever doubt that?" Bethany asked quietly, kissing Jamie's curls. "How could he ever doubt that we won't be able to protect him?"
Steve stayed quiet, but wrapped his arm around Bethany, securing his family safely in his arms.

Steve's phone started ringing way too early for Bethany's taste. She moaned, turning around in the bed, reaching out to touch Steve's face. "Don't answer it," she mumbled against her arm, barely able to get the words out, pure exhaustion wrapping around her.

"It's probably the Facility," Steve whispered to her, reaching out for his phone anyways. His phone screen was unbelievably bright, the light burning Bethany's eyes, even though they were tightly shut. "I have to go, Bethany," he told her softly after reading the message on his screen.

"No, don't," Bethany moaned, gripping onto his arm tightly. "I don't want you to leave. You keep the bed so warm."

"Babe, there was an attack in Amsterdam. We have to go, it's non-negotiable," he explained, trying to pull himself from her without jostling Jamie.

"Fine," Bethany gave in, pouting as he slipped away from her.

"We shouldn't be too long," Steve promised. "I'll be back with just enough time to start the turkey preparation before dinner, okay?"

"You better," Bethany replied. "I went to Church with you. I even confessed and took communion."

"I know," Steve smiled down at her. "I was very proud of your maturity. And I'll live up to my end of the deal. Now, go back to sleep and I'll see you later, okay?"

"M'kay," Bethany agreed, letting her eyes close and arm wrap tightly around Jamie. She could hear Steve move around the room as quietly as he could, getting ready for his mission. She was starting to feel a little bad about the fact that she had made a fuss about Steve leaving when she knew that there were people who needed him and not just to keep the bed warm.

She had a lot of things to do before dinner that night and without Steve, or really any of the team around to help her, she was going to be running around just like a turkey with no head… pun fully intended. Although Steve had promised her that he'd be back with plenty of time to help her get ready, she still knew that it would cut off at least an hour or two of having multiple helping hands to get the house and table ready.

Bethany groaned to herself for a moment before dragging her body out of bed. She used the extra pillows on the bed to place around Jamie's body so he wouldn't just roll off the bed. Setting up the baby monitor, she took the screen with her into the bathroom, securing it onto the shower tiles that she installed for exactly this purpose. As she stood under the hot water, she couldn't help but close her eyes and tilt her head back. Being in the shower when first waking up was what Bethany had always considered as an odd sensation. It was like her brain was being lulled to sleep while her limbs were being woken up. She could easily spend an hour under the water, not realizing the passing time if she wasn't careful.

Moving slowly, she began to wash her hair. She hadn't wanted to get ready so early in the morning, but her hair was in serious need of a wash, and if she didn't do it now, she'd feel greasy all day. She mentally made a list of all the things she had to do. The first thing she wanted to do, after starting her coffee of course, was to check the news. Steve hadn't given her much detail on what was happening in Amsterdam, but she knew that if the Avengers were being summoned out, it was something extreme.

When she finished in the shower, she dried off her body and hair before pulling on some sweats, a sports bra and one of Steve's sweaters. Jamie was starting to stir, so she decided to sit beside him, rubbing his back until he began rubbing his eyes. She smiled when he sat up in the bed, a confused look on his face and his curls standing every which way. "Where Daa-dee?" He asked her.

"He's working right now, Munchkin. It's just you and me. And Miss. Molly, of course," Bethany told him softly, trying to fix his curls with her hand. "Come on, let's go downstairs and get ready for the day."

Jamie said nothing as she pulled him into her arms, making her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. He clutched onto the sweater, laying his head on her shoulder, but his eyes still open, not willing to go back to sleep. Bethany smiled when she saw that despite his hurry to leave, Steve had set up the coffee maker for her, a little note taped to her mug reading I'll be home soon Beautiful with a perfectly drawn heart next to his name.

"Your Daddy is very cheesy, but very adorable," Bethany informed Jamie, putting the sticky note on the fridge, next to the existing notes he had left her in the past and some of Jamie's scribbles. Slipping Jamie into his highchair, she took out one of the containers in the fridge filled with fruit for Jamie to munch on. He immediately began to dig in, letting Bethany peacefully make her own breakfast.

As she waited for her coffee to brew and egg to boil, she turned her mental to-do list into a visible one. It was long. She hadn't started preparing for it at all. Sure, she had all the groceries, but she hadn't decorated or started on any of the food. She knew it was idiotic of her to assume that everyone would be there that day, especially since their work hours weren't typically straightforward, but she had foolishly hoped.

When she was settled at the kitchen table, she turned on the TV, her heart falling when she landed on the news. The mess in Amsterdam was horrific. Buildings had collapsed and rogue HYDRA agents were raiding the streets. The Avengers' Intel was typically one-step ahead of the disasters, but every once in awhile, the enemy would know how to play their system. It was the main issue with these HYDRA agents having spent years within SHIELD's walls. They knew how to work around all the signals and how to fool the system. She, Fury and Maria had been working on re-working their current system before they left, but now it was basically a free-for-all with everyone at the Facility. Everyone had their ideas and opinions on how they should fix the problems, and it was causing a lot of chaos.

The newsfeed switched to the Avengers quinjet landing, the team immediately going to work. Bethany already knew that Christine Everhart was going to go on a rampage, blaming the Avengers for not being on the scene earlier to avoid the disaster. Pepper had told Bethany that she invited the reporter to the Stark Foundation Christmas Party and that she already RSVP'd that she'd be there. Bethany wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. While she really wanted to punch her for making her life even more difficult and stressful than it already was, she knew that it would just make the situation worse. Steve had even suggested that they skip out on the event, honestly afraid that his wife would take it one step too far. Bethany promised she'd keep her cool, since their presence always brought more awareness and money, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep that promise realistically.

"Daa-dee!" Jamie pointed out when Steve's back, donning the Captain America shield popped up on screen.

"That's your Daddy," Bethany nodded, reaching out to touch his cheek softly. She sighed, knowing that despite Steve's promise, he wasn't going to be back anytime soon. She would have to get the dinner and the house ready… all by herself.

Jamie wasn't used to not being the center of Bethany's world. When she was busy with chores or working, usually someone was around to keep him company and it wasn't usually longer than half an hour. But with the amount of work Bethany had to do, she couldn't take breaks except to feed him or change his diaper. He would follow her around the house and kitchen, crying for her attention, not stopping until she put down the vacuum or ladle. She finally plopped him into a play-pen in front of the TV and started a loop of Disney songs. In order to keep him fully emerged in the music, she had to pump up the volume and pick the songs with the most colourful drawings.

This allowed Bethany to get things done much quicker, but his loud happy squeals and the overbearing music was quickly eating at her nerves as she tried to juggle all her tasks. She was feeling completely overwhelmed and if she was weaker, she would sit down and completely break down. She refused to do that though. She didn't want to feel sorry for herself, not when her house was in one piece and HYDRA soldiers weren't marching around the streets threatening her and Jamie. Sure, her husband and her friends were out there, endangering their lives, but she was pushing those thoughts away.

A steady ringing began in the middle of Be Our Guest and for a brief moment, Bethany thought she was going crazy before she realized it was just her phone. She quickly snatched it before stepping out into the backyard. It was quiet out there, albeit chilly, but she could still see Jamie through the glass doors and hear who was on the other line.

"Steve? Is everything okay?" She asked, after reading the caller ID.

"That depends on your definition of 'okay'," he replied. She could barely hear him, knowing full well that he was talking while still on the field. The mission wasn't done, and if she knew him well enough, she knew he was calling because he didn't think it was close to over.

"You're not coming home anytime soon, are you?" Bethany asked, trying not to sound deflated by the news.

"I'm sorry Beth. Things are… they're pretty bad. We've got all the ex-HYDRA agents, but we're still working on saving the civilians."

Bethany couldn't hold back her sigh. "I-Things look bad on the news," she told him, although she really wanted to tell him that she was disappointed. She couldn't though. She wouldn't let herself admit to being that selfish. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"I don't know," Steve admitted and she could tell by his voice that he was just as disappointed as she was. "Soon, I hope. But realistically? It's going to be a little longer."

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked carefully. "Am I still making dinner?"

"Yes," Steve confirmed. "We'll be home for dinner. I know we were all supposed to help, but-"

"No, it's fine!" Bethany began, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. She even went as far as to put a fake smile on her face. "You know what? I've got a bunch of things going and I should be done soon. I'll probably even get a nap in."

"Really?" Steve asked, sounding extremely surprised. "Oh, well that's good. I'll keep you updated, okay?"

"Okay! Love you!" She finished with before hanging up. She leaned against the glass door, sighing. She had only made a dent on her list, but now she was determined to get everything finished before they came home.

Tony couldn't help but check his phone as he pulled up onto the bumpy road to Bethany's house. He made a mental note to get a company to pave it over before the snow fell, even if Bethany and Steve were comfortable with it. He was not. It was too country-cute with the dirt road for his taste.

He kept himself from sighing when he saw that he didn't have a text from Pepper. He had made an insensitive comment about her mother, who was supposed to be joining them along with her husband for Thanksgiving dinner at the Rogers. No matter how many times he apologized, Pepper wasn't ready to forgive him. He was hoping she'd change her mind and show up, if not for his sake, then for Bethany's. She had agreed to add two more mouths to her table and now she was down three.

Parking his car haphazardly on the lawn, he mulled over his options again. All his calls went to voicemail and his texts unread. At this point, he was pretty sure that Pepper had turned off her phone and for her to do that, he knew he had really fucked up. This wasn't an 'it's over' fight. She would have made that clear before she left to pick her parents up from the airport. But he would have to be patient and polite while she cooled down and realize that he was just a shithead who really doesn't know what he's talking about most of the time.

Getting out of the car, he made his way to the front door. For a moment, he hovered in front of the welcome mat. It was weird, visiting Bethany in an actual house. With a garden and fence and welcome mat. It was also weird when it occurred to him that social protocol was to knock. Walking right into the house without giving Bethany and Steve the proper time to get ready would be rude… Yet then again, when did that ever stop him?

Turning the knob to the front door, he stepped over the welcome mat, grimacing slightly as the loud children's music attacked his ears. He carefully made his way into the house, ducking under some decorations that hung from the ceiling. It smelt like the perfect mixture of turkey and pumpkin pie, reminding Tony of some better childhood memories. "Umm, Beth?" He called out when he found her in the kitchen. Her head was on the kitchen table, her shoulders slumped and some of her hair in the whipped cream swirls on the pies.

"Beth?" He repeated, poking her this time. She snapped awake, looking around quickly, as if completely confused on how she got to where she was.

"Tony? What are you doing here?" She asked, getting out of her chair and moving to check on Jamie, who was happily watching the Disney sing-a-long songs.

"You said four thirty," Tony reminded her, looking at his watch for re-assurance. "It's four fifty. I know I'm late… but I'm clearly not the only one."

Bethany slumped up against the wall, rubbing her hand over her face and through her hair, frowning when she felt the whipped cream. "Umm, yeah, I guess they're still on their mission."

"The Amsterdam one?" Tony asked, having seen the news earlier.

Bethany hummed in response, pulling her phone out from her apron pocket. "Steve says that they're almost done. Should be home by six. Hey, umm, where's Pep?"

"I sent you a-"

"Text," Bethany finished, nodding, clearly having just found it. "Why isn't she coming though? You just said she wasn't coming. Work issues?"

"Relationship," Tony said with a shrug.

"What the fuck did you do now?" Bethany asked blatantly. Tony was surprised at her words, since she was right in front of Jamie, but he could see how exhausted she was, no doubt for cooking up a feast single-handedly.

"I said something rather… inconsiderate about her mother," Tony replied carefully. Bethany rolled her eyes, picking up the remote to the television and lowering the volume a little. "Three less mouths to feed. At first I thought you'd be grateful, but now…"

"It's fine. With numbers this big, three isn't that many," Bethany said with a shrug. "Steve will just eat their share anyways."

"Yeah, I bet he'll be hungry," Tony mumbled, but knowing that he should have just kept quiet.

"Tony, what do you expect? Did you see the news?"

"I did," he nodded.

"And how hard was it for you not to put the suit on and go help?" Bethany asked, crossing her arms. "He couldn't help it, none of them could. I'm not mad at them for going, just the circumstance. I spent all day slaving away and I smell like turkey fat and have whipped cream in my hair and no doubt hair in my pies. But as long as they come home in one piece, who am I to complain? To be ungrateful? Especially on a day like today."

Tony couldn't help but look at Jamie, who was clutching onto his Captain America Doll. He was getting to the age when he would start to notice Steve's absence. Sure, Thanksgiving to Jamie held no purpose, but Bethany was continually doing tests on his intelligence. She was worried that he was growing at a slightly enhanced rate and while all the tests always just showed that he was on the larger side of the scale for his age physically, and slightly more developed mentally than the average boy his age, she ran those tests monthly. Out of curiosity, Tony had pulled out his baby book. He had been accomplishing the same things as Jamie was at his age, and Tony could remember an abundance of holidays where his dad was not there. He didn't want the same thing for his nephew. And more importantly, for Bethany. She deserved to have normalcy during the holidays, since those were the times that would stick out in her memories through the years.

"Can you just do me a favor and not say anything?" Bethany begged. "I don't need you fighting with Steve for me, especially when I don't want to fight with him in the first place. I'm tired of this same old battle. I always end up looking like the bad guy because I don't want Captain America out there, saving the day. I'm tired of that, I really am. Can you please just watch Jamie for half an hour while I go quickly clean myself up? An hour, tops. And by then, Steve should be here."

Tony really didn't want to say yes. It made him nervous, being alone with Jamie. But he could see the desperation in Bethany's eyes. She just needed one person to help her today, and all she was asking was for him to make sure he didn't get hurt. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Thanks kid," Bethany replied with a wary smile. "There's some cut up fruit in the fridge if he starts to complain that he's hungry. When the timer goes off, the turkey needs to be basted, but should be good after that."

"Uhh, 'basted'? Yeah, I don't know what that is."

"You're a smart cookie," Bethany responded, moving closer to him and patting his chest lightly, in a mocking way. "I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Right," Tony said, mostly to himself as Bethany made her way up the stairs. He stood in the living room for a moment before reality sunk into him. He looked at Jamie, who in return was staring back up at him. "What?"

Jamie broke out into a fit of laughter, falling onto his butt in the process. The laughter halted, followed by a moment of silence before he began to cry. "Uhh…" Tony panicked, not sure what to do. "Hey, shh. You're okay," he attempted, looking around the room, as if the answer was somehow written on the walls. He found a small stuffed toy, and not knowing that it was actually Molly's, picked it up and tried to entertain Jamie with it. When his cries continued, he went to drop the toy, but his sudden movement made the toy hit Jamie's forehead, making him cry even more.

He continued to look around the room, trying to find a solution. He ran to the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and drawers until he found some leftover Halloween candy stocked away. Grabbing a candy bar, he quickly went to dangle it in front of Jamie's face. "If you stop crying, I'll give you a candy bar."

It took a few seconds for it to register in the toddler's brain, but slowly his cries stopped, replaced by sniffling and wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. "Good boy," Tony replied, handing Jamie the unwrapped chocolate bar. "Alright, now what's this 'basting' thing your mom was talking about?"

After Tony figured out how to baste the turkey and successfully—or somewhat successfully—completed the task, he went to turn off the television, the insistent happy Disney songs starting to give him a massive migraine. He wasn't sure how Bethany could listen to those songs on repeat all day, just to keep Jamie entertained. It would drive him insane.

Jamie made an indignant sound, looking up at his uncle. "Come on, let's do something else while we wait for your parents," Tony suggested, lifting Jamie out of the playpen. As soon as Jamie's feet touched the floor, he darted across the room, heading for the stairs. "Hey, wait, no," Tony replied, chasing after him. "Those are dangerous."

Swooping him back up into his arms, Tony was hit by a foul smell. "Ugh, is that you?" Tony accused the baby. Jamie just popped his thumb into his mouth and began to suck on it eagerly. Tony twisted Jamie around in his arms so he could get a closer smell at the diaper, a clear mistake. "Euck-" Tony exclaimed, cringing. "Okay, let's hope your Mom can change you now, or else we're in for an interesting event."

Carrying Jamie up the stairs, he couldn't help but look at some of the photos on the walls. There were even some of him as a little boy, playing with a brown-haired Bethany. There were photos of his mom and dad, or more recent photos of Bethany while she was pregnant. Tony had to admit, that if he was immortal, he would appreciate photos a lot more than he did now.

"Beth, your child's butt exploded," he said when he saw Bethany's door was open. "Beth?" He called out when she didn't reply. Stepping into the room, he saw Bethany comfortably curled up into a ball on the bed, still wearing her clothes from earlier. It was evident that she laid down for one moment and slipped deep into her dream land.

"And interesting event it is," Tony mumbled under his breath, looking towards Jamie who seemed to smile at him around his thumb.

Steve ran his hand through his hair, watching as some debris fell from it onto the walkway up to his house. He was a little tired, but he knew he'd be fully refreshed after a nice hot shower. He told the rest of the team to go back to their quarters and sleep. It was clear on all of their faces that they were exhausted… Well, all except Vision, but he couldn't eat the Thanksgiving dinner anyways, so Steve told him it wasn't necessary for him to come to dinner. It would just be a nice, quiet family dinner. Steve was sure that Bethany wouldn't complain about that. The mission had taken much longer than Steve anticipated. He knew that Bethany had been looking forward to them all working together to create their Thanksgiving Day feast. It would help them all fully appreciate all they have to be grateful for.

But the mission had shown the team just how much they had to be thankful for. They were a rag-tag team. They had all lost so much, their homes, their lives, their families. But they all had a place to call home now. A life to live. And they had created their own family as the Avengers. But it didn't make watching innocent people lose all those things and more any easier. Before they arrived, the casualties had been high, but they were able to preserve the remaining lives, and Steve was proud of them. Now, however, it was time for him to return home to be with his wife and son, and be grateful for them.

Wiping his feet on the welcome mat, he opened the door, smiling when he smelt the abundance of food Bethany cooked. He had told the team to join them the next night for a make-shift dinner, since they were guaranteed to have leftovers. "Beth?" He called out, sitting down to take his boots off, knowing that even though he wiped them, they were still muddy from the mission. Placing them neatly against the corner, he called out for Bethany again, stopping when he saw Tony sitting at the dining room table, which was fully set for the feast, just waiting for the food to be brought out.

"Hi Tony. Where's Beth? And Jamie?"

"Sleeping. Both of them," Tony said casually.

"Oh," Steve replied with a soft frown.

"And where's everyone else? I mean, it's almost seven, making everyone late to begin with," Tony added, getting out of his seat.

Steve inhaled deeply, not wanting to get the third degree from Tony. "They were all tired from the mission. It's been a long day."

"Would have been nice to tell Bethany that earlier, don't you think?"

"Tony, you weren't there. We weren't sure how long the mission would take," Steve began to argue. "If I knew, I would have told her."

"Well, I don't want to be there when you tell her that all her hard work was for nothing. From the looks of it, she didn't even have time to put Jamie down for a nap. After I changed his diaper…" Steve could almost see Tony shudder, as if caught in a terrorizing memory. "The kid walked to his bed, crawled in and fell asleep."

Steve felt a little guilty that both Bethany and Jamie had fallen asleep because she had been too busy running around preparing their dinner that day, but he knew that the team had to go to Amsterdam. It was their duty. Bethany understood that. "Tony, I know you think I care more about the shield than them-"

"It's not about that," Tony interrupted. "It's not about you going out on missions when you have a family worrying about you at home. I know what it's like to be out there, Rogers. I remember the duty, the sense that it's what you owe the world, even though they don't give you the same damn thing."
They were quiet for a few moments, but Steve knew he needed to dig deeper. "Then what? Why are you attacking me?" He asked calmly, trying to go about this rationally. He knew how much it bothered Bethany when the two of them fought and he didn't want to take away anymore happiness from her day if he could help it.

"You weren't here for Jamie's birthday, and now you've missed Thanksgiving," Tony began, trying to mimic Steve's calm tone. Steve knew better and kept quiet, knowing that he didn't completely miss Jamie's birthday, and Thanksgiving technically wasn't over yet. "He's going to start noticing soon. He's probably noticed already, he's too smart for his own good."

Steve knew that Tony was right. Jamie was very aware when Steve was gone and when he was gone longer than a typical work day. It always was heartwarming to see Jamie's giant smile when he returned after being gone for more than a few hours and he always thought positively about it. But now, he had to admit that for once, Tony had a point. If Jamie was excited when he saw his father, that meant he had missed him. And evidently, that meant that he was noticing that he was gone.

"He'll start to wonder why you're always gone. Why he's not good enough to hold your attention. To keep you here. Why you miss holidays and science fairs," Tony rambled on.

"He's not you. And I'm not Howard," Steve reminded Tony. "I make sure that I spent time with him and he knows how much I love him. I don't want him to grow up resenting me like you do your father."

When Steve saw Tony's jaw clenched, he knew he hit a nerve. There was no way to avoid it now.

Bethany moaned against her pillow, frowning as her senses came back to her. She could hear two people shouting back and forth from downstairs, but it took her a while to actually pinpoint who the voices belonged to. She wanted to shout right back at them when she realized it was Tony and Steve. And while it meant that Steve had returned safe and sound, it also meant that she'd have to step between the two of them once again and pick a side. She hated doing so. She always saw the benefit in both of their arguments but was completely forced to choose Steve or Tony every single time.

Looking at the clock, her heart fell. It was after seven. She had fallen asleep and stayed asleep longer than she had anticipated. She hadn't showered, done her hair or gotten dressed. She looked like a complete mess, but she had to stop the fight between her husband and nephew before the turkey ended up as decoration on the walls. Pulling herself out of the bed, she could see Jamie standing in the doorframe of his room. By the way his curls were standing every which way and the rosiness of his cheeks, she knew he had just woken up from a nap. She felt guilty, realizing she forgot to put him down for one, or at least give him the option of falling asleep since she was playing the loud, colourful Disney music to keep him busy, not to mention, awake.

"Did Uncle Tony put you down for a nap?" Bethany asked as she moved over to his door and scooped him up into her arms. She pushed some of his curls out of his face, kissing his cheek softly. "That was nice of him. Huh? Wasn't that nice?"
Jamie's dimpled hand moved to rub his tired eyes, his head resting against her shoulder, clearly still tired. Bethany used her free hand to rub his back soothingly, walking down the stairs slowly, not wanting to alarm the men. She wanted to understand what they were fighting about before she made an appearance. She stood, semi-covered by the shadows, listening in.

"Tony, I'm trying! Okay? I can't do everything! I can't stand back while something like this is happening, you know I can't! And so does Beth!"

"But for how long? How long will this go on, Rogers?" Tony demanded. "When Jamie is five? Ten? Fifteen? How much longer will you expect you will have this 'duty'? It's not going to end Steve, it's never going to end! There will always be-"

"Okay, that's enough," Bethany interrupted, loudly. Both men turned to her, both looking extremely embarrassed. "Tony, I appreciate you putting Jamie down for a nap and watching over him, but that does not give you the right to yell at Steve about matters that aren't your business."

"Beth, you're my family-" Tony attempted.

"And you want me to be happy," Bethany finished. "I know. But I'm happy right now. Not at this exact moment, but Steve and I are living our lives happily. It's not perfect and definitely not your place to intervene. He and I will decide what is right for Jamie."

"So that's it? Your taking his side? Again?"

"No, I do agree with you," Bethany added, surprising both men.

"Wait, what?" Tony stuttered.

Bethany sighed, walking down the steps and putting Jamie down. The baby waddled over to where his toy truck was set up, keeping himself busy as the adults fought. "I don't want Steve to do this forever. I don't want Jamie to grow up having the same relationship you had with Howard. But I have faith that Steve won't put us through that for that long."

Tony was silenced by her words, leaving Bethany to look over to Steve. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, we all are," Steve confirmed. "They were all tired though, so I told them to sleep."

"I guess that's understandable," Bethany mumbled, feeling a little bitter but knowing full well that she shouldn't complain. Tony's phone rang, grabbing his attention.

"Pep?" He greeted when he answered. "Okay. Yeah, I think I'm done here anyway. Okay, bye."

"She forgave you?" Bethany asked, not entirely as enthusiastic as she should. She was too tired and annoyed to even feign excitement.

"Kinda," Tony replied, shoving his hands into his pockets and letting out a deep sigh. "Well, if we're done here, I'll leave."

"Yeah, sure," Bethany muttered, rolling her eyes. "Have a good night kid."

Steve and Bethany were quiet until they heard the front door close and Tony's car pull away. "I thought you'd be the bigger man," Bethany finally said.

"Wait, you're mad at me?" Steve asked, confused. "Beth, I tried to avoid the fight, but he was having none of it! You know how stubborn he is!"

"Yes, and I know how stubborn you are too," Bethany stated firmly. "I hate it when you and Tony fight. Every little disagreement, it's like World War Three! And every time, I'm in the middle! Even when it's over stupid, petty little things! And you both expect me to side with you! And God forbid I have my own opinions on the situation-"
"Beth, you knew that I was right. I couldn't just sit back and let what happened in Amsterdam happen without stepping in. It was HYDRA, and I have a huge part in the reason why they are openly terrorizing the streets."

"But you do realize that you are not always right, right? And by default, Tony is not always wrong. He makes very good points. And yes, it's wrong for him to judge you just because of what his dad did. But maybe you should actually listen to him and realize that he's trying to keep our family together because we're the only family that he has."

"Are you saying I don't care if our family stays together?" Steve asked.

Bethany exhaled deeply, shaking her head. "No. That's not what I'm saying at all. Steve, I just don't want any more part of your and Tony's bickering. Next time, I'm grabbing Jamie, getting back in the car and not coming back until you two reach a happy middle. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Steve replied cautiously.

"Okay," Bethany nodded before looking to the table. "I-I don't know what to do with this. It seems idiotic to sit at the table set for fifteen when there's only three of us."

"We can eat in our room, if you want," Steve suggested lightly. "Watch a Christmas movie?" When Bethany didn't reply, Steve moved forward, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Love, I know how much today meant to you. I'm sorry that you put all this work in for nothing, but please know that I wish it was different. I wish that you got everything you wanted from today and life."

"I know," she replied softly. "I can't complain about what didn't happen today. Every time I wanted to, I remembered that you weren't here because you were helping others who had a lot less than me. That today was a day to be thankful and just because I didn't get exactly what I wanted doesn't mean that I have no reason to be thankful. I'm so thankful. For our health, our son, our house. Dinner in bed, the three of us? That sounds perfect."

Steve smiled at her, giving her a light peck on the lips before looking into her green eyes. She was telling him the truth and she knew that it was evident in her eyes. Steve needed to know for sure that she was happy with their life, and in fact, she was. 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: Anddddd THE END.

lenabui98: Yes, he's absolutely adorable! I try to capture exactly how I see him in the story, but I honestly think I'm not doing him justice, that's how adorable he is to me :)

Jo: Haha, he made it to their bed already ;) Getting him to stay in the bed will most definitely be an issue in the future. Check it out in chapter 1!

Adela: Well, Civil War is here! Yay!

anonymouscsifan: Haha, I'm sure Jamie would think Steve was attacking Bethany LOL. The deleted scenes really show that Steve had intentions on putting down the shield, so at least Bethany can be happy about that. Obviously, she'll be angry with what'll follow (aka Bucky and all that shit), but it helped change how the beginning would start.

chockomon: I'm thinking she'd enjoy that if it was made out of silicone or latex :P She might be weirded out by having someone else but Steve in her bed.

Crafty: Don't worry! I'll be showing the entire story from multiple angles. To one will really be shown as a villain. Especially when it's Bethany's POV, she'll understand why everyone is doing what they are doing, but that doesn't mean that she'll be happy about certain decisions they make :P