"I told you, they pulled us over on the highway for absolutely no reason! They had to have been tailing us!" Clint tried to explain for the tenth time since they'd return.

"Then why did Steve stop the car?" Tony snapped back.

"Because it's Steve, the man would knight a crossing-guard if he could! I know a dirty cop from a mile away and I could smell the crooked on these two. They said Steve was speeding, ran his drivers license and made him get out of the car. Steve wanted to get it all over with before any cameras showed up so he went along with it but when they pulled out the handcuffs he started to ask questions. Then they started throwing phrases at him like "belligerence" and "disorderly conduct" meanwhile me an' Thor are in the backseat starting to get antsy. Bruce tries to to talk to the cops from the passenger seat but Steve just tells us all to stand down! They pushed him up against the car and cuffed him. By now we're trying to get Bruce to not Hulk out on us and then they deck Steve over the head with a baton. Cap didn't hardly flinched of course but that's when I got out of the car yelling and demandin' answers."

"And?"

"They tased me."

"Why didn't you guys get him out of there?!"

"And start up an Avengers vs NYPD shoot out with my Goddaughter in the crossfire?!"

That shut Tony up. There's no way Steve would let that escalate into anything dangerous or anything the media could use against him the night before the trail. There's a reason he made the others stay in the car and let himself be wrongfully arrested and injured.

"After ten minutes of these assholes enjoying and laughing at Steve begging them to let me take Sylvia home with me they only said yes because Nat and I are her Godparents so legally they couldn't bring CPS into it if I was there."

"That would make it the only legal thing they did." Tony fumed.

"Tony, its of my deepest regrets that I allowed this to happen to our Captain. But I do believe that Steven's decision was the best possible one he could have made." Thor stood towering at the other end of the common room.

"Yeah, well Steve's spending the night in jail because Tiberius paid off a couple of fucked up cops to do his bidding." Tony admitted.

"Tiberius? How-" Bruce started.

"He came here, wanted to see my face when I heard Steve got arrested. Then he left. The only way he could have known Steve would be arrested at that very moment he had to have been the one who paid them to do it. This is his style and it has his name all over it."

Clint started at his shoes as he spoke quietly.

"I trust Steve to handle himself in court tomorrow but Godparents or not if he loses Sylvie we all lose her."

The next day Tony was marching up the court steps alongside The Avengers , through the blinding flash of cameras and the roar of reporters he focused only on the doors in front of him. Sylvia was back at home with Pepper, Coulson and Sam Wilson. Entering the courtroom they found seats in the first, showing a unified front that they knew Steve would appreciate. Tiberius and his lawyer took their seats at the prosecutors table, Ty looked as confident as someone who'd already won. Steve and his lawyer Matt Murdock (who had refused to let his friend be dragged through the media mud and not have the best possible legal representation) took their own seats at the defendants table. The judge arrived and all fell silent as they rose and sat as told. Ty's lawyer began his opening statement.

"Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury and of course the American people...I stand before you on the behalf of my client Tiberius Stone who's entire life was shattered irreversibly. Imagine...falling in love, doing everything in your power to bring this person you love into the light after a lifetime of self-destruction, abuse and pain only to be rewarded with a vicious beating from a jealous ex leaving you paralyzed and alone. This horror is the all too real nightmare that has become Tiberius' every waking moment. Mr. Stone is the victim of an atrocious crime of a man we need to be holding to a higher standard. The point of this trail is not to exact revenge on anyone for any reason. Its to bring a criminal to justice for the damage he's done and to do our duty as protectors of those who cannot protect themselves by removing Sylvia Rogers-Barnes from Steve Rogers' custody before a needless, unspeakable tragedy occurs."

"Thank you. You may be seated, prosecutor. The defendant is now allowed to make his opening statement."

"Thank you, your honor." Matt stood up, sure and calm.

"Steve Rogers is not only a man you've all watched put his life on the line for even the least deserving but a man who has always stood for mercy, righteousness and most importantly defending the weak and the helpless."

I guess that puts Tony in the weak and helpless category...or the least deserving category, either way.

"Captain Rogers would never inflict any pain or punishment on any individual unless it was necessary beyond a reasonable doubt."

Tony wondered how much Matt knew about the whole situation as he continued with the opening statement, what Steve had told him about Tony and Ty's relationship, if anything? Did Matt know just how necessary Steve's actions were?

Following opening statements Judge Misner declared a 15 minute recess. Unusual in most other trails but due to this being such a high-profile case (there were cameras inside the courtroom and the reporters were practically vibrating with excitement) they all expected more intermissions than normal. Tony confidently strode to the defendants table were Steve and Matt were thumbing through a stack of papers. Steve's smile when he glanced up to see Tony made him forget where he was for split second.

"You came! I was so nervous you'd choose to stay home...not that I'd be mad or upset or anything I-"

"Take a breath, Steve." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Are you okay? I mean being here with...?" Steve trailed off.

"You kidding? I'm fine!" Liar, liar Armani pants on fire.

"Good."

"Matt, do you mind if I steal Steve to talk alone a minute?"

"Of course not. But for the love of God please don't put your pants back on inside out."

Steve blushed furiously, Tony laughed and Matt smirked. That devilish little Daredevil.

The two left the courtroom and ducked out into an unoccupied conference room, away from nosy camera lenses.

"I didn't see Sylvia anywhere, where is she?" Though well hidden Tony could still hear the urgency in Steve's voice.

"She's with Pepper, Sam and Coulson at the tower. She got pretty fussy without you there last night but she's perfectly alright."

Steve's shoulders loosened and his whole body followed.

"Steve...what does Matt know about Ty and me?"

"Nothing. As far as he knows I really did assault an innocent civilian."

"What?! Are you insane?!"

"The things he did to you, Tony...those aren't my secrets to tell. They don't involve me at all. Legally speaking, Matt has no evidence and "taking someone's word for it" is a pretty terrible defense strategy. You have tell your side of this when you get on the stand today. Its the only way Tiberius will pay for what he did...the only way for me to keep my daughter."

Their fifteen minutes were up and Tony was left with the lives of the man he loves and his reason for living in his hands.