A/N:

Alex and Ausha got this idea from chatting after we had both seen Avengers: Endgame and how cute Captain America is. Alex posed the idea about whether Captain America could be changed into a vampire and things quickly went downhill … or uphill, from there.

With Alex's extensive Twilight knowledge and Ausha's obsession with all things Avenger's this crossover has been so much fun for both of them to write. Collaborations can be difficult, but these two friends have taken the challenge head-on and look forward to hearing your thoughts on this story. The writers simply ask that you read the tags, warnings, and the description fully before you start reading. Generally speaking, Alex writes for Bella and Ausha writes for Steve Rogers/Captain America.

The authors would like to thank Alice's White Rabbit, Pandora's Box Is Heavy, and DayDreamDreamer for all their hard work and hand-holding. MarieCarro made the gorgeous banner.

Updates will be every two weeks. We'll be starting with the original 7 chapters that were donated to BatB and then adding the new chapters after that. We are each posting to our own accounts as we do not have a joint author account.

From Ausha: I just want to thank Alex for trusting me with her idea and letting me run with it at times. Our team for being so supportive and to those of you that are coming over from the Babies at the Border compilation. We submitted the first 7 chapters to the fundraiser. Thank you for coming to read and please review!

ENJOY!

Chapter 1

BPOV

The bell above the door rings as someone walks into the store. I'm sitting at the checkout, trying not to fall asleep from boredom.

Mike walks up to the desk just as I'm trying to conceal a yawn.

He laughs. "Slow day, Bella?"

"Every day is a slow day," I quip.

He checks his watch, and then shrugs; he doesn't disagree. "You can go if you want. I'll cover the checkout."

I look at the time on the cash register. It reads 4:30 and think about it for a split second.

"Sure. Thanks!" I stand up from behind the desk and walk out into the back room to collect my bag. Mike is standing behind the checkout when I come back. I silently pray that he won't ask me out. Again.

"Hey, Bella." He runs a hand through his hair, and my heart pangs at the familiar motion but for different reasons. "You know if you're ever free …"

I cut him off. "Mike, we're friends, right?"

He sighs, and then nods. "This town is too small, isn't it?"

I smile. "Most definitely." I dig into my bag for the keys to my truck, and then hitch my bag up onto my shoulder. "See you in a few days."

I walk out of the store and do a small fist pump on the way out—maybe I've finally gotten through to him!

I look at myself in the rearview mirror and rub my eyes. The girl looking back at me hasn't smiled properly in a long time, and I wonder when that's going to change. I sigh, and then crank the truck into reverse.

xoxo

I pull into our street and notice an Audi on the side of the road that I haven't seen before. My heart skips a beat, but I try to ignore it. It isn't parked outside my house, so it must be someone visiting a neighbor.

I park my truck in the driveway and apply the parking brake. I grab the food I got from the diner and get out. I look back along the street as I'm walking up to the porch and gaze wistfully at the Audi.

I shake my head and turn back to the front door, putting my key in and unlocking the door.

"You know, you really ought to secure your house more thoroughly."

I scream and drop my drink, and it spills all over the floor. Ice cubes rattle all over the floorboards, and I can't help but think about having to clean that up later.

"Hi, kiddo."

I turn toward the voice with my hand on my chest as if that's going to slow down my racing heart. Once I focus on the visitor standing in my living room, the Audi outside makes sense.

"Uncle Tony?" I drop the bag of food on the floor and race toward him, throwing my arms around his neck, and start to cry.

He hugs me back tightly. "Oh, Bella. What happened to you?"

I cry even harder and try to talk through the sobbing. "It's so good to see you." I pull back and wipe the tears from my face.

Uncle Tony looks at me. "It looks like we have a lot to catch up on." He goes to sit back down on the couch, and I stay standing. "Bella?"

I wipe my eyes of tears again and go to sit down next to him. "Why are you here?"

"Charlie called." He hasn't ever been able to lie to me. "But, you know, I was planning on coming anyway. Since you've graduated and all that."

"Hmm."

"C' mon, Bella. You can just as easily pick up the phone."

"And what, leave a message with Pepper, or JARVIS?

He winces. "That isn't fair." He grins. "It's hard work, saving the world, you know." And then he winks at me.

I can't help but smile. "I am glad you're here. To be honest, I'm surprised Dad didn't call you sooner."

Tony has the decency to look sheepish. "Or did he call you sooner?" I gulp. "How much do you already know?"

"It doesn't matter because I want you to tell me."

I fall back against the sofa and take a deep breath. It doesn't matter how much he knows, and it doesn't matter how much I tell him because, for once in my life, I don't care that I'm about to admit I dated a vampire and that he completely and utterly broke me into pieces, and that I haven't been the same even though it's been almost two years. I sit up again, square my shoulders, and dive into the story.

xoxo

I talk for what feels like ages. I tell him everything. About Edward being a vampire, and that his whole family is as well. I tell him about Phoenix, and James, and my birthday … and then I get to the part about him taking me into the woods behind my house and telling me that he didn't want me anymore.

"I don't want you to come."

"You don't want me?"

"No."

The memory comes to me, and I shake away the feeling. I tell him about how I've been like a zombie since it happened; that I haven't done anything … I haven't wanted to do anything. I tell him why I'm still in Forks, and that the reason I haven't left— why I didn't go to college—is because I'm secretly wishing he'll come back. I wipe away tears that have fallen while I've been telling my story, and then let out a breath as I finish talking. "So, that's it." I look at Uncle Tony to see if I can tell what he's thinking about, but he looks impassive as always.

He looks at me and smiles. "Do you feel better now?"

I'm shocked by his first choice of words. I just told him I dated a vampire. I narrow my eyes at him. "You knew, didn't you?"

He tilts his head. "I believe when I called you at various points last year you told me that you had a boyfriend, and I might have happened to do a check on him to see what I could find." He shrugs. "There wasn't much, which made me curious … but then I found out he was connected to Carlisle Cullen, and I realized I'd met him before." I can't help but wince at the name being mentioned. "I knew there was something weird about him, but I didn't know they were vampires until you said the words."

"I shouldn't have told you. I shouldn't have even known in the first place." I wring my hands. "But I do feel better for getting it all off my chest. I just haven't been right, not … since it happened. I haven't been myself. I haven't been able to tell anybody." I decided it probably isn't the best time to bring up Jacob and the fact that I'm also friends with a werewolf.

"I could kill him." He growls.

I laugh. "You couldn't even if you wanted too. He's a vampire. Indestructible comes with that territory."

Headlights shine into the front window, interrupting our conversation. "Charlie's home." I look at him. "And he doesn't know any of this."

"Duh." He puts his arm around my shoulders, and I lean into him. "It's going to be okay, Bella." He kisses my head. "I promise."

The front door opens and Charlie walks in. "Bells!" he shouts. "I'm home!"

"I'm right here, Dad. There's no need to yell."

"Jeez!" He jumps, and it makes me snicker. "Why is there food on the floor, Bella?"

"Oh, I forgot about that. Dad, we have a visitor."

"Hi, Charlie." Uncle Tony stands up from the couch and heads toward my dad, and they hug the only way men seem too.

"Tony! What a surprise to see you."

I roll my eyes and walk past them to pick up the food I dropped on the floor earlier in my surprise. "You're a terrible liar, Dad. I know you called him." I go into the kitchen and dump the bag in the trash. I walk back out with the mop in my hand to clean up the drink I also spilled on the floor.

"A call that was long overdue," Tony says.

I don't reply as I mop up the spilled drink on the floor.

"Bells, what happened?"

"Oh, Uncle Tony made me jump as I was coming in so I dropped my drink all over the floor, and then my food …" My stomach chooses that moment to rumble rather loudly. I place my hand over my stomach as if to hold the noise in.

Charlie laughs. "Pizza?"

xoxo

Dad and Uncle Tony have been talking for hours since we've had dinner, and I've been sort of watching TV while listening to their conversation.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" I turn toward my dad.

"Can you turn that off for a second?"

I look at him quizzically but turn off the television and turn around to face them properly.

"Do you have plans, Bella?" Tony asks.

I frown. "Plans?"

He pauses for a second. "College?"

I look away and wring my hands.

"You gonna tell him, Bells?"

I stay silent, and Charlie sighs. "Bella applied to a few colleges during her senior year. Columbia was one of them, and they offered her a full-ride scholarship, and she turned it down." I look back at my dad, and he looks upset.

Tony doesn't say anything. I guess he doesn't have too.

I bite one of my fingernails. The room is silent.

Charlie sighs and stands up; he leaves the room without saying a word and climbs the stairs silently.

"Bella?" I turn to look at Tony. "Why?"

"Because I didn't want to leave. How could I? What he if came back, and I wasn't here?" My voice breaks. "But I already know he isn't coming back." I run my hand through my hair. "God, I need to get over it." I move from the chair I was sitting in and back to the couch to sit next to him. I lean my head on his shoulder. "It was so stupid."

"Come to New York with me."

I sit back. "What?" He doesn't reply. "Are you crazy?"

"It has been said before."

I laugh. "I can't just go."

"Why not?"

"Because … What about Charlie? What about my job?"

Tony pats my knee. "Bella, Charlie will be all right, and do you care that much about your job?"

"Well, no, but …"

He raises an eyebrow.

I gulp, and my voice becomes quiet. "What if he does come back?"

"Bella."

A lone tear runs down my cheek, and I wipe it away. I turn to look out the front window, the streetlight at the end of our driveway lights up the back of my truck.

"Say something."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked in a detached voice.

"Tell me you forgive me."

Another tear runs down my cheek.

"Mike Newton ended up in this conversation because Mike Newton would be a hell of a lot healthier for you to be with."

"I'd rather die than be with Mike Newton. I'd rather die than be with anyone but you!"

"Don't be melodramatic, please."

I wipe another tear from my cheek.

"But my kind … we're very easily distracted."

"It will be as if I never existed."

"You're not good for me, Bella."

He isn't coming back. I've known this the whole time, but I've been lying to myself. Charlie's tried so hard to pull me out of this funk I've been in, and I know he's disappointed in me for giving up that scholarship and staying in this town where nothing ever happens.

All because I'm heartbroken over a boy I dated for six months. I've spent more time pining over his return than the time we ever spent together. A boy I loved and thought I wanted to spend forever with. A boy I thought loved me too. A boy I was willing to turn immortal for.

But he's gone. And he isn't coming back. There's no point wishing for it anymore.

I don't know how long it's been quiet, but Uncle Tony is patiently waiting. I turn to look at him and wipe the last remaining remnants of tears off my face.

"I'll come to New York with you."

He stands up from the couch, and I walk over to hug him.

"I know this will be good for me."

"It sure will be, kid." He kisses the top of my head. "It sure will be."

xoxo

I come downstairs the following morning, and Tony is folding up the bedsheet from the couch.

I already know what his answer will be before I ask the question. "How'd you sleep?" I snicker.

"Like a baby. That spring poking into my left kidney helped lull me to sleep …" He turns to glare at me.

"I'll sleep down here if you're staying for a few more days," I say as I walk toward the kitchen and begin to pour some coffee.

He leans against the doorframe. "It depends on how many days you think it'll take you to pack everything up."

I turn around to face him. "Huh?"

"Always so eloquent."

I blush and hand him a cup of coffee. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs. "Is there any use in hanging around? You can hand in your notice at your job, pack up, and we can go."

"I dunno …"

He gives me a look. "Why are you stalling?"

"I haven't even told Charlie that I'm going, and you want me to hand in my notice at Newton's today?"

"You need to give your father more credit. You don't think this was his idea to begin with?"

I blink at him. "Huh?"

Tony laughs and sits down at our kitchen table. I know he's been here before, but it looks odd to see him sitting in our very humble kitchen. "When Charlie called me way back in September last year"—he pauses, and I can't help but wince—"he told me what had happened and wanted me to come and persuade you to leave then, but I knew you wouldn't want to go. He's been keeping me updated, and then you didn't want to go to Florida to your mother, which I can't say I blame you. I knew there wasn't any point in trying to get you to come to New York either. So, we waited until you'd graduated. I didn't know about Columbia. I'm surprised you didn't tell me about that." He takes a sip of his coffee. "Do you still want to go to college?"

I sit down opposite him at the table. "Well, yeah, but I turned them down, so they're not going to still want me anyway. And hasn't the semester started already?"

He waves his hand in a noncommittal gesture. "I can pull some strings."

I roll my eyes. "Of course, you can." I take a sip of coffee.

He stands up. "So when can we go because I can't sleep another night on that couch."

"I know I don't have a lot of stuff, but even I can't pack it all up in less than a day. Give me two days?"

He groans. "Ugh, fine, but I'm going out to buy Charlie a proper couch today." I start walking up the stairs. "One that's a futon!" he calls up the stairs, and I laugh.

xoxo

Tony was serious about going to buy Dad a new couch. He's scrolling through the GPS to find somewhere to buy one as I get out of the car at Newton's.

The rumor mill of Forks isn't going to be able to cope after seeing Tony Stark walking around town.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, to psych myself up, before pushing open the front door of the store. There's no one in the store as I walk in, but it's October, so it's hardly surprising. I walk up to the checkout desk, and there's no one around.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" Mike says from behind me.

"Oh, jeez!" I jump.

He walks behind the checkout desk and looks bashful. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He looks perplexed. "You know you're not working today, right?"

"Um, yeah. Is your mom or dad around?"

"No. They're out of town. They've had to go to some wholesaler show or something."

I groan internally, I didn't want to give my notice to Mike directly. I put the envelope on the counter. "Can you make sure they get that, please? It's important."

He picks the envelope up from the counter. "Are you leaving?" He doesn't have to open it to know what it is.

"Um, yeah."

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, to New York. I've decided to go to college after all." I shrug.

"Nice."

There's a brief silence. "So, please make sure your parents get that letter. I won't be here for my shift on Friday because I go in, like, two days. It's all been a bit sudden." I'm rambling. "But, hey, it's been great working here, and please pass that on."

"Bella?" I hear Tony's voice as he walks into the store.

"Coming! Take care, Mike."

Tony appears around the corner. "Ready?"

Mike looks back between me and Tony, looking even more perplexed than he already did. I roll my eyes. "See ya!" I turn around and make my way out of the store. I hold the door open for Tony. "I told you not to come in there!"

He laughs. "I just really wanted to see that kid's reaction. Priceless."

"Ugh, people are gonna be gossiping so badly now." I climb into the Audi. "Did you get a couch?"

"You think it would fit in this car? They're dropping it off later."

"Dad is gonna kill you, but I know you don't care."

"Nope." He starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot.

"I suppose this means I better start doing some packing." I groan.

"You said earlier you don't have much stuff!"

"Well, I don't, but that doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy it."

xoxo

I've been upstairs sorting and packing stuff all afternoon, and I've officially had enough. I have more stuff than I thought I did. I stand up from my bedroom floor and groan due to how stiff I've gotten. I head down the stairs just as Charlie walks in the front door. "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Bells." He hangs up his gun belt and walks into the living room. He stops in the doorway, looking at the new couch. I press my lips together to stop from laughing. "What's this? Where's my couch gone?"

Tony comes round the corner from the kitchen with a dishtowel over his shoulder. "It's a new couch!"

Dad looks at Tony. "I didn't need a new couch."

It's a blocky, square modern-looking thing, slung low to the ground and beige. Dad's glaring between Tony and the new couch. My guess is it'll be stained within the day.

"I respectfully disagree, Charlie. I'm staying here another couple of nights, and I couldn't have that other couch pressing springs into my back anymore. So, now you have a new couch!"

"You are insufferable."

"The only way you like me." Tony winks.

"All right, you two, get a room." I sit down on the new couch. "I like it. It's comfy." I grin.

"Bella has something to tell you, Charlie."

I glare at Tony. Dad sits down next to me. "I'll just be carrying on with dinner." Tony disappears back into the kitchen.

"You leaving?"

I nod. "Yeah."

Charlie has never been one for affection, but he leans over and hugs me. "That'll be good for you, Bells."

I hug him back. "Thank you, Dad."

"Just try not to turn too New York, okay?"

I laugh. "I'll try." I stand up. "I better go pack some more." I head back up the stairs and into my bedroom. I go to step around some of the stuff on the floor but trip over one of my sneakers and land hard. "Shoot!" I rub the bottom of my foot. I look down and notice that the floorboard is sticking out. "Huh." I kneel and pull up the wood. I let out a breath at what I see. I pick up the handful of stuff and place it next to me. I move my legs from under me and sit down properly. I look through the stuff and find the pictures that had been removed from my photo album, the CD he made me, and airline tickets to go see my mom in Florida.

"Bella? Dinner is ready."

"I'll be there in a second." My voice breaks at the end.

Tony comes to stand next to me. "Bella?" I hand him the stuff. "What's this?" He looks through it all.

"They were my birthday presents from last year, and he hid them. I just found them under the floorboard." I stand up and hold my hand out. "Give them here." Tony hands me the stuff, and I walk out of my bedroom and run down the stairs. I open the front door and run down to the trashcan on the sidewalk. I drop the things inside and slam the lid back on. "You're a cowardly bastard." I turn back and walk to the front door.

Tony raises his eyebrows at me from the front door. "You okay?"

"I am now." I close the front door. "What's for dinner?"

"Kraft mac and cheese."

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone to cook dinner."

xoxo

I wake up on Friday morning, feeling a bit odd, and then I realize that today is the day I leave Forks. I lie in bed for a little while, and then decide I should get out of bed and go use the bathroom. I come back and get dressed, and then pack my few last-minute things into a backpack. The stuff I've decided to take with me has already been shipped to New York.

I pick up one of my suitcases and head down the stairs.

"Morning, sunshine," Tony calls out.

"Good morning. You haven't made breakfast today have you?"

"No, you're safe. I made pancakes for you," Dad says from the couch.

"Thanks, Dad." I sit down at the kitchen table and start eating.

"I'll go grab the rest of your stuff, Bella," Tony says, and then climbs the stairs.

Dad comes to sit opposite me. "I'm proud of you, Bella."

I put down my fork after I eat my last pancake. "You are?"

"Of course. You're doing a brave thing. I know you didn't want to go, and I hope you don't mind that I called Tony, or that he's known about this the whole time."

"You needed someone to talk too, and of course, I don't mind. I know this will be good for me, Dad, and to be honest, I'm kinda excited." I smile.

He stands up and holds out his arms. I push my chair back, stand up, and walk into his hug. "I love you, Dad."

He kisses the top of my head. "I love you too, Bella."

I step away from him, and we walk out of the kitchen to the front door.

"You ready to go, Bella?" Tony says from the car. He walks up the path to the bottom of the steps.

"Yeah." I turn around and hug my dad again. "I'll call you when we get there."

He pats my back. "Okay."

I look up at him, and his eyes look watery. I walk down the steps to the car as Tony walks up to talk to Dad. "Look after her, Tony."

"With my life, Charlie." They hug, and Tony joins me back in the car. I climb into the passenger seat and buckle in my seatbelt.

"Ready?"

"Let's go."

Tony reverses the car out of the driveway, and I wave at my dad as we drive away. I wipe a lone tear away as we head out of the street. We pass the welcome sign into the town and head out onto the highway. I'm going to miss Forks, and I'll especially miss Charlie, but I know this is the start of something new for me, a new chapter. For the first time in the last year, my broken heart isn't ruling my every move.

xoxo

We arrive at the airport in Port Angeles a little over an hour later. Tony drives onto a part of the tarmac and parks next to a small airplane. He gets out of the car and heads over to the plane. I stay in the passenger seat and watch as Happy comes out to greet Tony.

I'm looking around the airport when the car door is opened. I gasp and swing round to face Tony.

"Are you getting out? Or are you going to stay here?"

"You scared me! You have to stop doing that!"

He rolls his eyes and closes the door behind him and makes a "come on" motion with his hand. I climb out and walk round to the trunk of the car.

"Your stuff is already on the plane, Bella."

"Oh." I blush. "Sorry." I make my way toward the plane and climb the steps. I stop just inside the door of the plane, completely in awe. "Wow."

"Cool, right?" Tony says from behind me.

"I'm never going to be able to get on a normal airplane again."

He laughs.

I sit down and look out of the window.

"It's nice to see you again, Bella."

I turn around and smile at Happy. "Hi."

Tony sits down opposite Happy. "We should be in the air for about six hours."

"Okay." I look out the window as the plane starts to move forward, the speed picks up as we go to take off, and I say goodbye to Washington.

At least, for now.