Title: A Shared Life Experience
Author: Sgt. Pepperony
Fandom: Avengers (MCU)
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, characters Property of Marvel and Disney.

4th July 1918

"Sarah I know it hurts but you have to keep pushing," the midwife insisted. "Your baby's head is just about crowning."

Sarah Rogers groaned as the next contraction ripped through her stomach and with all the fire in her she pushed and pushed until she heard a weak wail.

"That's a good girl," Mrs Brannon, the next door neighbour, told the younger woman. "It's a boy. He's a tiny little thing."

The midwife looked concerned and rubbed the baby's back a little to get a stronger cry out of him. It was a little stronger but strained.

"Can I hold him?" Sarah asked. The midwife nodded and gave the wrapped baby to his mother. "Steven. His name is Steven Grant Rogers. My poor love you are so small."

"Well, if I hazard a guess you were rather early," Mrs Brannon insisted. "I suppose after what happened with Joe..." Sarah cried because even in her son's tiny face she could see traces of her late husband and she was at a loss as to how she was going to keep up being a nurse and raise her son at the same time. "You know love, this little man is going to grow up and become so famous that you will be grinning from your grave. I can see it. So focus on raising him a good person and a man any woman would be proud of having."

Sarah nodded and kissed Steven on the forehead, "Happy Fourth July little soldier."

-o-

30th October 1991

"It's a boy," the midwife announced as she lay a squirming crying bloody baby to Marya Maximoff. "There we go. Healthy set of lungs on that one. Not a bad weight for a twin either."

There was a mild shake of the building and everyone stilled. Unfortunately, these days buildings shaking and gunfire were not too uncommon. Marya knew Yugoslavia was going to rip itself apart eventually but she never anticipated how bloody it could be. Sokovia was just one nation barely holding together and had they had little chance of getting their independence soon, especially under the current government.

After a moment, the shaking stopped and the midwife took the baby boy to the paediatric nurse, "Okay, let's see how baby number two is doing." After feeling the bump, the midwife looked a little concerned. "Marya, twin two is coming now but he's not in the right position. He's breech. I need you to sit up and keep breathing as you gently push the baby out okay?" Turned out baby number two was more stubborn and did not want to budge as much. Then the lights went out. "Marya, you're going to have to push harder." It had been eleven minutes since the birth of her son and finally Marya's second baby decided to make an appearance. "I can see baby's bottom now gently push so we don't trap the chord." The body was finally pushed out and then the head. "Fantastic, twelve minutes later and you have a little girl."

Said little girl was eerily quiet. After a rub on the back, the cry came but it was very weak. She was also tiny compared to her brother. The paediatric nurse checked her heartbeat and even that was weaker than it should be.

"Is she okay?" Marya asked.

"She's a little less healthy than her brother. It might have to do with the birth so give her a moment."

Marya held her breath until her daughter let out a stronger cry, "Oh thank the lord."

After a few moments, both babies were handed to their mother, "You have names for them?"

"Wanda and Pietro."

-o-

14thMay 1928

Sarah had placed a cool damp cloth on her son's head when the door knocked. She tucked the sheets around him and went to answer the door. Stood in the entry was a slightly tall young lad with a cheeky smile on his face that could charm even grouchy Mrs Hoover.

"I'm sorry James but Steve is really sick and can't come out."

"How sick is he Mrs R?"

"Very. Doctor says it is pneumonia."

"Can I see him?"

"Five minutes. He needs his rest."

She let him pass and he immediately launched towards Steve's bedroom. The little guy looked so pitiful and weak that James Barnes had to frown.

"I thought you were meant to be a tough little kid. Pneumonia should not be kicking your ass."

"Don't ... let Ma ... hear you ... say that," Steve wheezed.

The corner of Bucky's mouth turned up into a smile, "Steve Rogers does not lay down and let someone beat him up."

"Buck ... I can barely ... breathe ... let alone ... fight."

"Well, I got you that book you wanted. Not bad. You may as well read it while you're stuck here."

"Thanks. You're ... a ... good ... friend."

-o-

31st January 1996

Wanda coughed, shivered and spluttered as she rolled over and whimpered. Everything in her body hurt, mostly her lungs and head. Her little body had been hit bad with pneumonia and the doctors were not sure if she would live or not. She had been in hospital for a week and there had not been any real signs of improvement.

"Wanda?" a voice asked softly. "Do you blame me?"

Pietro had decided to take her outside to play, even though she was sick. The doctors thought that one of her lungs must had collapsed and she passed out. Needless to say, their parents were furious with Pietro.

"What for?" she replied.

"For landing you in here."

"No."

"Really?"

"Pietro ... need sleep."

Wanda sucked on her thumb and rubbed her nose into the pillow.

-o-

5th June 1940

Steve walked slowly out the hospital room and leaned against the wall. He rubbed his face and sighed deeply. He knew one day that his mother would succumb to the disease she spent her working life trying to cure. Yet it still hurt like hell.

"Mr Rogers?" the doctor asked. "We have some of your mother's belongings and we need you to sign some papers as you are next of kin."

It felt so formal. There were so many things to sign and arrangements that Steve barely had a moment to breathe, let alone grieve for the mother who raised him.

The only time he could grieve was at the funeral itself. Bucky was at his side when they lowered her coffin and they both scattered earth.

"I'm with you until the end of the line," Bucky tells him later when he returns home.

It's not enough to make him feel better but it makes him feel less alone in the world.

-o-

17th November 2001

Wanda had to lay down. The shock of seeing her home in rubble had caused her head to go dizzy. Pietro had gotten onto his knees beside her. The rescue workers had put a blanket over them. Two days they had been stuck under that rubble, escaped with minor injuries but now faced the absolute horror of no home and no parents.

"What do we do Pietro?" Wanda whispered.

There was either the system or there was the prospect of living on the street. From what Pietro heard of the system, it was often worse than the streets, even though Wanda's constitution may not be able to withstand the cold nights of winter.

After what felt like an entirety, Pietro got up, helped Wanda up and led them away. They took the blankets with them and found an alleyway the rest in.

Wanda shivered and then cried as the shock faded.

"It's okay. I'm going to look after you. It's you and me," Pietro reassured.

-o-

28th February 1943

Steve had never felt so awkward going into a room. Not because he was scared of screwing up but rather because there were people there who only saw him as a lab rat. Granted some like Dr Erskine and Peggy saw him as a human, hence probably why they looked just as concerned about this as he did.

Once he had gotten into position, Steve casually asked, "You save any of that schnapps?"

"Not as much as I should have," Erksine answered guiltily.

Steve resigned himself and took a deep breath as his body was filled with chemicals and serums that he could not be able to tell you what was in there, let alone pronounce. At first, it felt like a burning sensation, then slowly it felt as though he was being ripped in two. He yelled because now the pain was excruciating.

At one point he hears Peggy screaming to let him out but Steve protests before anyone can get him out. They keep going until the pain slightly subsided. When the doors open, he breathed in actual air and did not feel the need to choke.

"How do you feel?" Peggy asked.

"Taller," Steve breathed.

-o-

30th March 2014

Wanda screamed as the doctor held her down and cut her open. It was at that moment when she questioned why she was going through all this so she could help finish this war that their government had been waging for too long.

She really should have been smarter than to trust a shady scientist with a German accent, especially when she started to see the bodies rise up. The idea was to push the subjects to their limit in order to get their powers to become active. Hence, why they were slowly cutting her open without painkillers.

"Get off her!" Pietro yelled as he ran straight at the doctor with the scalpel. The sensation ended but Wanda knew that her brother had stepped over the line.

"Fiery one your brother is. Perhaps we should give him a lesson in manners," Strucker said as he nodded to the guards to restrain Pietro and flip Wanda over and rip the back of her gown open. Wanda could feel her heart pound into her ears and then she felt a sharp lash across her back. Then another. And another.

She could barely hear herself scream or Pietro begging for them to stop. Her fists clenched and then the room began to shake. Items began to levitate and after a moment, a red light flashed around her and threw everything and everyone back.

Wanda panted and looked at her brother in horror. She knew what she had unleashed was dangerous and HYDRA was going to use that to their advantage.

-o-

22nd February 1945

It had taken him a total of five glasses before it finally occurred to Steve that he was not getting drunk. Even if he could it was not going to take the pain away anytime soon. The last two nights had kept him awake and he was unable to erase the image of Bucky plunging to his death from his mind. Now he truly was alone. At least Bucky kept his promise of being with Steve until the end of the line.

-o-

6th May 2015

Wanda drifted aimlessly through the streets of a place she once called home. Half her soul had been ripped out in an instant and now she had no one left in the world. Pietro was gone, and there was nothing that she could do to bring him back. She looked up for a moment and saw Ultron Prime flying through the air and landing in a derailed train carriage. She knew exactly what to do.

-o-

13th May 2015

They both wake up screaming.

Steve is drenched in sweat, the voice of Bucky swirling in his head telling him that he could have saved him, and then he would not have been tortured and used. He then still had the remnants of his vision of Peggy and being alone in the dance hall. After getting out of bed, he pulled off his shirt.

Wanda constantly relives the moment her brother died, feeling every bullet go through her and bleeding out. She sobbed and tried to take two of the tranquillisers she was prescribed. She's out of water though and she grumbles her way to the kitchen where she finds Steve.

They look at each other. It would be the first time they had interacted since Sokovia and the last time he had been fully clothed. Wanda couldn't help but blush.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

Wanda nodded but then found herself hugging Steve, taking in his warmth and scent. Steve realised that this was probably the first time she had any human contact in ages and she looked like she really needed a hug.

"Tell me it gets better," she whispered.

"I wish I can."

They don't go to bed. Instead, they tell each other's life story. Both slowly realised that they may understand one another more than they had thought.

-o-

4th July 2015

Steve looked at Wanda from across the table and Wanda looked directly at him. She smiled weakly at him. Steve gave her a reassuring smile.

Steve's birthday was a quiet event, as he liked it. Wanda feels guilty that she didn't get him anything, but he doesn't mind. When they are alone on the balcony, Wanda gives him a kiss on the cheek.

-o-

30th October 2015

Wanda's first birthday without her brother loomed and Steve doubted he should be giving the gift he intended. It wasn't much but he thought it would be nice to show someone cared for her.

He gave Wanda a bracelet with three heart shaped rubies across. He kissed her on the cheek. Wanda accepted the gifts willingly.

-o-

24th December 2015

"I can't believe that you have not celebrated Christmas in ten years," Steve told Wanda as they sat by the fire in dorky Christmas jumpers.

"When you are on the streets, celebrating Christmas seems pointless."

"Yeah, during the war it was kind of the last thing on our minds."

They sipped the egg nog and Wanda groaned, "This is disgusting."

"Yeah." Wanda put the glass down and looked at him in the eye. Steve looked up and saw the mistletoe hanging from the mantle. "Damn it Stark."

"Hmm?"

"There is mistletoe on the mantle."

"What does that mean?"

"When two people are under it, they have to share a kiss."

"Oh."

Wanda blinked and shuffled closer. It was not meant to be more than a peck on the lips but for some reason or another, she could not remove her lips from his. Steve did not let go either and wrapped his arm around her.

They only pulled away when they heard people coming into the lounge.

-o-

31st December 2015

Steve had decided to move away from the festivities going on as he did prefer to reflect. Granted he was the only one sober enough to reflect. Wanda came onto the balcony, wobbling a little since Natasha had suggested shots would be a good idea.

"Ah, what are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Just thinking."

"You can think too much. I know because I can feel it."

"Remember when we sat up that one night and told each other our life stories? Part of me really wants to move past that."

"But?"

"Bucky is still out there."

Wanda bit her lip, "You'll find him."

"I hope so."

Soon everyone inside started counting down from ten and then at midnight, the Times Square ball dropped welcoming 2016. The fireworks in the distance echoed in their ears whilst the other received the delightful yet drunken tune of Sam and Rhodes belting Days of Auld Land Syne.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne!"

Wanda giggled but then spotted Laura and Clint kissing, and then Pepper and Tony. Steve explained, "Another tradition is to kiss at midnight on New Year's Day."

"What is it with you Westerners and kissing traditions?"

"I don't know."

Again it's Wanda who initiates the kiss, only the kiss in softer and more passionate. Once they break apart Wanda took Steve's hand and led him to her room.

-o-

1st January 2016

Steve woke up and found Wanda's still sleeping form and smiled. His fingers traced over the scars on her back. They still looked red.

Wanda shifted and turned to face him. She grinned and kissed him.

"Happy New Year Steve."

"Happy New Year Wanda."