Topic: Debrief and Downtime

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:32 EST
S.H.I.E.L.D. H.Q. in New York was like a second home to those who worked for the agency and as such, Steve and Lucy had their own quarters there where they were able to rest and take meals and live as comfortably as possible, and yet, it wasn't home. Not really. Home was the house in Brooklyn where their family was waiting for them to return. Steve had spoken briefly to Liv a few nights ago and assured her they were fine and would be home soon, but that wasn't going to happen until Captain and Doctor Rogers had completed their duties. For Steve, that had meant a lengthy debriefing with Nick Fury, and for Lucy, it was working in the lab to ensure the children had suffered no ill effects from their ordeal. Understandably, Steve couldn't help but worry about his wife, who had just undergone her own ordeal, and he was anxious to take her home.

After two days and a lengthy debriefing, Steve had finally reached the end of his patience. He knew what they were doing was important, but he wanted to take Lucy home, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. With that in mind, he made his way through the corridors toward the lab, knowing that was where he'd find his wife. He wasn't wearing his uniform, but a S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt that strained at his bulk, a pair of blue track pants, and sneakers, and yet, everyone he passed saluted him, as though they all knew precisely who he was.

He found his wife sitting on the gurney in her lab with one of the boys who had been rescued, letting him play with her stethoscope with one hand while she checked his vitals. Her left arm was in a sling, purely to keep her from pulling stitches out with natural movement, but aside from that bandage, she was already dressed in civvies. Steve's warning that they were going home today, regardless of whether or not she felt she'd finished up, had been heeded - she'd dared the disapproval of the chief medic to wear her own S.H.I.E.L.D. tee with her jeans to finish up her assessments this morning.

Steve knew how important Lucy's job was, not only to her but to the children she was helping, but he also knew she wouldn't be any good to anyone - including her own son - if she didn't give herself time to rest and recuperate. Normally, Steve Rogers was a very patient man, but not so much when it came to the well-being of those he loved. Fresh from Nick Fury's office, he was feeling a little irritated with the man, but he squashed his own feelings quickly enough when he saw that his wife busy with a very young patient. "Hello," Steve greeted the boy, though he wasn't sure whether the boy knew any English.

The boy looked up - and further up - trusting eyes wide as his mouth fell open. Lucy chuckled at the reaction, gently slipping her hand from the child's wrist. "I don't need to guess who is standing behind me, then," she commented in amusement. "Martin, this is my husband, Steve." Given the way she pronounced the boy's name, he was clearly of French origin, but seemed conversant with English, nodding his understanding as he looked up at the big man standing behind the smiling doctor. Lucy tipped her head back to look up at Steve herself. "We're almost done," she promised him.

"Bonjour, Martin," Steve greeted the boy in his own language. He was fluent in several languages, though that skill was rarely needed these days. "Ca va"" he asked the boy, hoping to make him a little comfortable by speaking in his own native tongue. "Take your time," he told Lucy, smiling fondly back at her, relaxing a little in her company.

"Bonjour, monsieur," the little boy answered him with a delighted smile. "Ca va bien, merci. Et vous"" He was clearly more comfortable in French, but had more than enough English to get by. Lucy's smile warmed as she claimed her stethoscope back from Martin, easing herself from the bed to write down the observations on the chart that lay on her desk.

"Bien, aussi. Comment allez-vous" Est-ce que vous avez besoin?" Steve asked further. How are you feeling" Is there anything you need" If it had been anyone else, they might have just been polite words, but Steve really meant them and was as concerned for Lucy's young patients as she was.

Martin smiled, seemingly relaxed in this strange place, far away from where he had been harmed by stern strangers who did not talk to him. "Non, monsieur," he promised Steve with a nod, shifting back into English. "I have well, thank you. The madame, she is very good to us."

Across the room, Lucy smiled to herself as she tapped away on the computer, waiting patiently for the escort to return and take the boy back to where the other children were staying for now.

Steve sat down beside the boy on the gurney, so that he wasn't towering over him and was more on an even level. "She is very good to me, too," Steve said with a smile, shifting back to English, not really caring if Lucy heard what was said between them. He'd only thought to put the boy more at ease. "How old are you, Martin?"

The boy grinned. "I am sept, seven," he said, offering his age in both French and English. "Ma soeur, she is five, cinque." That was an interesting discovery - that of the four children who had been rescued from that Arctic facility, two were siblings. There was only conjecture as to what had actually been the goal of the scientists there, but thankfully it seemed that whatever had been done had been reversible.

"Seven!" Steve repeated, whistling in appreciation. "Nearly a man. You take good care of your sister?" he asked further, not only making conversation and trying to put the boy at ease, but trying to get to know a little more about him, too. "What's her name?"

"Lianne," Martin told him, already confident that this huge man would not use anything he said against him. "She was sick, but the madame, she made her better again." He shifted a little, reaching to scratch at an odd-looking mark on his neck. From across the room, Lucy made a quiet sound, and he pulled his hand away before he scratched, grinning guiltily.

"Lianne," Steve echoed with a smile. "That's a pretty name." He glanced briefly at Lucy, arching a curious brow before looking back at the boy, noticing the mild scolding she'd given him and the grin in return. It was obvious to Steve that Lucy had easily gained the boy's trust, but that didn't really surprise him. "You don't have to worry or be afraid anymore, Martin. I promise we're going to take good care of you and your sister. Everyone here just wants you both to get better."

"She is tres belle, monsieur," Martin insisted, nodding firmly. Whatever else he might feel, it was clear that he adored his little sister. He was also sitting on his hands to keep from scratching at that mark, fidgeting awkwardly with the urge to do just that. He smiled at Steve, trusting the big man purely because he was gentle and because he was the madame's husband. In time, he would trust Steve for Steve's sake.

Lucy came up to Steve's side, a small pot in her hand. "Spread a little of this on that itchy mark," she told her husband. "It will stop le petit monsieur from scratching." This was offered with a comical grimace to Martin, who giggled.

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:37 EST
"Of course, she is. She's your sister," Steve replied. "I would like to meet her sometime, if it's all right with you." He glanced to Lucy as she came up beside him. "Oui, madame," he replied, taking the pot from her and turning back to Martin with a sly wink. "Elle a oublie de dire se il vous plait," he told the boy as he spread some ointment on the mark with a surprisingly gentle touch. He wasn't sure if Lucy knew any French, but it seemed he was about to find out.

"Sil vous plait, mon mari ch"ri," Lucy added as she moved away, setting Martin to giggling once again. Apparently she did understand French, and could even be sarcastic in that secondary language.

As Steve spread the ointment onto the itchy spot, the itch faded, and the little boy sighed in relief, thanking him for his attentions. "I would like for you to meet Lianne," he agreed amicably. "And the others, too."

"Merci bien," Steve told his wife, only marginally surprised to hear her reply to him in perfect French. She was full of surprises. "I have a little boy of my own at home. His name is James. Would you like to meet him?" Steve asked, thinking it would be good for the children to meet other children, even if they weren't the same age. "Do you remember Monsieur Storm' The man who rescued you? He has a daughter named Felicity. I'm sure she'd like to meet you, too."

Steve snagged a tissue and wiped the ointment from his fingers. He didn't much care what Fury thought of his invitation - they were children first and foremost and he'd do whatever he could to make sure they didn't have to suffer anymore. He didn't have to ask Lucy to know she'd agree with him.

It was a little much at once for Martin to take it, his small face creased with confusion as he tried to follow what was being said. Lucy's hand gently touched Steve's back as she returned. "A little much, a little fast," she murmured to him, raising her voice to speak to Martin. "Mademoiselle Diane is here, Martin. Time to go back to your sister."

Relieved, the little boy wriggled down from his seat, offering a solemn hand to shake Steve's before hugging Lucy's hips and hurrying to the agent who had come to collect him.

Steve's expression remained the same, despite Lucy's whispered warning, smiling warmly to the boy as he took that small hand in his own. It was only when the boy scampered away that he let her see the concerned frown on his face. Lucy knew her husband well enough to know he had a soft heart. "Sorry, Luce. I was just trying to make him feel welcome. I guess that's not really my job, is it?" That was a job for the social workers and the therapists and the doctors, not for a soldier.

"I know," she nodded, looping her good arm about his shoulder where he sat as she, too, watched Martin walk out of the lab, hand in hand with the agent who was his keeper for the time being. She drew in a slow breath, turning her head to look at Steve. "I still don't quite understand what they were trying to accomplish with those children," she said quietly. "But I'm not going to release them until I am certain there will be no after-effects. The youngest, Lianne ....it seems as though they injected her with their form of the serum, and then started to test her immune system against diseases. Steve, she shouldn't be alive. She had an advanced form of measles when I got to her, and yet today she's absolutely fine. I don't know what to make of it."

"Jesus," Steve muttered. Though he wasn't usually the type to cuss or swear, it was said almost like a prayer. He couldn't understand what kind of person would do such things to a child, except for someone who was pure evil, and though he didn't usually wish anything bad on anyone, he thought whoever those people were, they probably got their just reward. "It's the serum, Luce. It has to be. Or their form of it. I'm immune to ....pretty much everything. I can't even catch a cold. Not that I'm complaining." But she knew all of this already. "I assume you tested her blood. Is there any evidence of serum left?"

"There's a trace," she confirmed quietly. "I'm working on separating it from her blood so I can test it for the separate ingredients that went into making it. It's not pure; it's definitely been doctored and adapted. But I don't think it's a permanent change, I think it's a temporary serum. Which is another reason to keep those children here a while longer, in case the serum wears off and everything else that has been done to them flares up as a result."

"Right," Steve said with a frown. It didn't seem like a very pleasant place for a child to stay, even for a little while, but he knew she was right. There was no place they'd get better medical care than here, but it wasn't so much their physical health that was Steve's only concern. "Have you compared their samples to mine?" he asked, wondering just how close they'd come to duplicating the serum.

"I'm going to run that analysis at home," she told him quietly, her face helpfully turned away from the ever present security cameras. "S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't know I have data on you and the serum, and I'd like to keep it that way, if I can." She leaned close into him, resting her temple to his. "They're just children," she said helplessly. "I don't even know what to think."

He touched her cheek gently, a soft smile on his face. It had been a long couple of days, and despite her worries over the children and her dedication to her job, he thought it was high time they went home. He said nothing more about the bloodwork either. Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't need to know everything. "We have a little boy of our own waiting for us at home," he told her quietly, his forehead touching hers.

Lucy sighed softly, torn a little between her duty to the children here and her duty to their own little boy. It was the first time either of them had been away from Jamie for more than an evening, and she was anxious to see him again. "Home sounds nice," she admitted wearily. "All I really want to do is curl up with you and Jamie and let the world pass by for a couple of days without us."

"I'm not sure I can promise you a couple of days, but I can at least promise you tonight," he told her, touching a kiss to her lips. "If we leave now, we might even make it home before bedtime," he told her with a soft smile. Of the four of them, he knew all of this had been hardest on her, not only because she was a civilian and because she'd gotten hurt, but because she cared so much. "Let's go home, Luce. The lab will still be here in the morning."

"Aye, aye, captain," she smiled back to him, drawing the fingertips of her injured arm gently along his jaw. She had full use of the arm, but was under strict orders not to make full use of it for a few days, at least. As much as she wanted to be there for the children they had brought back with them, there was one little boy who needed them more. "Take me home, Steve."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, his smile broadening. He kissed her one more time, just for good measure, before sliding off the gurney to tower over her again. Like her, as much as he wanted to help the children they'd brought back with them, the only place he really wanted to be right now was home with his wife and his son and their extended family. "We're leaving now," he said, knowing someone - whoever was watching and listening - would hear him and relay the message where it needed to go.

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:38 EST
Tucked under his arm, Lucy laughed at his announcement to the various security staff who were always watching them, knowing the information would be relayed to Director Fury before they even reached ground level in the elevator. He hadn't tried to stop them leaving yet, although part of her wanted him to give it a go, just to see what Steve would do. Pausing only long enough to collect her keys from the desk and stuff them into her pocket, she yawned, steering her husband toward the door. "Maybe we should try and set a record for how fast we can get out of here," she suggested impishly.

"It would be faster if I carried you," he warned, though he doubted she really wanted him to reenact the scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. He snagged his jacket from the back of her chair, where he'd left it on their way to the door. He had a feeling not even Director Fury would attempt to stop them from leaving tonight. The man knew them well enough to know they cared too much and were too dedicated to stay away for long. "When this is all over, you know what we need?" he asked, though it was sort of a rhetorical question. "We need a vacation."

"Mm, a real one," she agreed, not even hinting at allowing him to carry her. She was still smarting from the fact that, of the entire team, she was the one who had gotten herself injured. Every single S.H.I.E.L.D. member had come out of the mission walking, except her. It was embarrassing. "Somewhere warm and far away from idiots with too much equipment and not enough brains."

"Hmm, sounds nice," Steve mused. They hadn't really been anywhere quiet and relaxing since they'd spent their honeymoon on Turtle Island a little over two years ago. Had it been two years already? The time had flown by. "Some place where Jamie can feel the sand between his toes," Steve suggested.

"We could go to Greece," she considered as they walked along the corridors, ignoring the agents who passed them with varying degrees of hero worship in their eyes for Captain America. "Or to New Zealand. Somewhere winter isn't."

"Somewhere quiet," Steve said, more interested in privacy and seclusion than anything else, as evidenced by the glances he received from everyone who recognized him, agents notwithstanding. He did his best to try and ignore the looks and the whispers, but was patient and accommodating enough to stop and sign his autograph or let someone take a selfie. Here in New York, his face was fairly recognizable, but he thought there had to be someplace where he could go unnoticed.

"I could always swallow my pride and go ask the moron's advice," Lucy offered, proof enough that a vacation was definitely something they both needed. She didn't offer to talk to Tony unless she considered it absolutely necessary, and to be fair, Tony had gotten very good at not being in when Lucy was expected. They were both still dancing around the issue of her decking him while heavily pregnant.

Steve smirked, not needing to ask just who "the moron" was, though he wasn't quite so much at odds with Tony Stark as Lucy seemed to be. Then again, he wasn't related to the man by blood. "I think we can figure it out without asking for help, don't you? Besides, we could always ask Peggy." Steve knew if they asked Tony, he'd probably make a big fuss and insist on paying for it and flying them there in his private jet, and all Steve really wanted was a quiet family vacation.

She smiled faintly, careful not to let the sadness show as he mentioned Peggy. Despite everyone's expectations, the elderly woman had survived the winter, determined to see something she had yet to divulge to any of them, but the season had taken its toll. A vacation might have to wait a while, rather than have them leave her while she was deteriorating. "I'm sure she has plenty of stories to tell about the places she's been."

Steve frowned at the thought of Peggy, knowing she was not getting any younger. "Why don't we take her with us?" he asked suddenly. "Liv and Johnny and Fliss, too. Let's make it a real family vacation." So much for romance, but these days, Steve and Lucy were all about family. They all knew time was running out for Peggy. Why not make her last weeks or months memorable"

"That would be lovely," Lucy admitted quietly, as fond of the old woman as she could be these days. They could have had a hostile relationship, Lucy being the woman who had replaced Peggy in Steve's affections, but the bond of family tied them closer than any petty enmity could tear them apart. "Definitely somewhere warm and quiet. With a town nearby that has nightlife, so Johnny can embarrass Liv with his god on the dancefloor routine."

Steve chuckled and rolled his eyes at the mental image of Johnny on the dancefloor. "He doesn't need much encouragement," Steve said as they stepped into the elevator that would take them to the ground floor, and he turned to punch the proper button. "I was kinda worried about him back there," he added with a frown. "Fury wasn't too happy about his taking off, but he couldn't argue with his results."

"It's Johnny," Lucy sighed, leaning back against the wall of the elevator. "It probably didn't even occur to him to check in with us. He just wanted to get home to Liv and Fliss, and given the state he must have been in when he got there, I can hardly blame him. He doesn't mean to be a worry, he just doesn't think sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. I said as much," Steve admitted, stepping back once the elevator started its descent to take hold of Lucy's hand, just because he could. "We couldn't have done it without him. Not as quickly or as thoroughly, anyway. I just don't want..." Steve broke off, knowing that even in the elevator, there were likely to be little ears. "Never mind," he said, which translated to "I'll tell you later."

She nodded, understanding his reticence to express fully his concerns anywhere that S.H.I.E.L.D. was listening. The only reason they knew their home wasn't bugged was because they'd gotten Natasha to go over it with a fine tooth comb and remove every last piece of surveillance equipment with great relish. She shifted over to lean against him. "It'll be nice to see Liv again," she murmured. "It's only been a couple of days, but she must have been worrying herself sick."

"I'm sure," Steve said, that frown on his face again. He'd been worried, too, and he'd been there. He could only imagine what Liv had been going through worrying not only about her husband, but her twin, too. "I'm not so sure I should have taken both of you away from her."

Lucy knew that tone, raising her eyes to his with a sardonically amused smile, one brow raised in teasing query. "Are we having retrospective second thoughts, love?" she asked him through her smile. "Because, to be honest, I kind of enjoyed it. And Liv will have calmed down the moment Johnny got back to her. She knows he wouldn't have skipped all the way home if something had gone wrong."

"Wouldn't he?" Steve asked, arching a brow back. After all, Lucy had been shot, and as far as Steve knew, Johnny had said nothing about it. If he had, Liv would have been ringing Lucy's phone incessantly by now. "I picked the people I thought were best for the job, but I don't know." He, like Fury, couldn't argue with the results, but what if things had gone differently' The elevator doors slid open as they reached the ground floor, and Steve stepped forward to hold the door open for his wife.

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:39 EST
"No, he wouldn't," she assured him, moving to step out as he held the doors. "Think about it. You were completely calm. If I'd been seriously hurt, you wouldn't have been. He heard me speaking over the comm. Yes, he should have checked in, but that's a lesson learned. If there's a next time, he'll do things right."

"That's what I told the Director," Steve said again. Apparently he and Lucy thought alike anyway. He wasn't sure he could say the same for Fury. "Honestly, they should be giving the guy a medal, not a reprimand." He followed her out of the elevator, taking her free hand as he led her toward the exit, past security to the free world outside.

She frowned as he let that slip, tucking her hand into his as he led her out of the HQ and into the last sunshine of the chilly day. "Fury's intending to reprimand him?" she asked, angry on her brother-in-law's behalf. "Over my dead body. Make sure he brings Liv with him if he gets summoned - if Tony can't speak his mind in front of her, there's no way in hell Nick Fury will be able to. He's not that stupid."

Steve couldn't help but chuckle a little at the thought of Liv giving Director Fury a dressing-down. He was pretty sure Lucy had done the same thing on more than one occasion. "I don't think that'll be necessary. He just needed to let off some steam. Even Nick Fury isn't that stupid. He knows Johnny is an asset. Even if he's not ready to put him on the payroll, he doesn't want to burn that bridge."

"I don't know if Johnny would go on the payroll, even if the chance was offered to him," Lucy mused thoughtfully, smiling at having brought a chuckle to her husband. "He's completely committed to the fire crew he works with, and to being a dad."

"I know, but you have to admit, he has certain talents that no one else can duplicate." There really was no one like Johnny Storm, at least as far as Steve knew, and he thought Johnny hadn't even begun to explore his true potential. Still, Lucy was right - Johnny was happy with his life in Rhy'Din, and Steve wasn't sure he wanted to disrupt that again, unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Of course he does," she agreed, digging in her pocket for the car keys before realizing that she wasn't going to be able to drive. They jangled on her hand as she paused beside the car, looking up at Steve. "Driving, or catching a bus?" she asked him curiously.

He gaped at her, almost as if she'd insulted him. "I can drive," he insisted, though he preferred his bike. New York wasn't the easiest of cities to navigate by car. It was different now - a lot more crowded - but it was still the city of his birth and the place he called home. He held out a hand for the keys, refusing to take a bus when he could drive.

She laughed, handing over the keys without a fuss. "I didn't mean to imply you couldn't," she pointed out, rounding the car to pull the passenger door open when the locks clicked over. "Just that you don't like driving my car."

"I'll suffer this once," he told her with a grin, stepping around the car to pull open her door for her, ever the gentleman. It seemed the modern world hadn't done much to change that.

"Thank you," she smiled to him, inserting herself into the car and sighing when she realized just how much leg room she had. And conversely, how little he was going to have when he folded himself behind the wheel. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, carefully jogging the seat forward with barely a wince for the jolt in her arm before reaching for her seatbelt.

He saw her wince, and leaned over to help her with the seatbelt, too, before going back around to the driver's side door. He wouldn't be satisfied to leave until he knew she was both comfortable and safe, though he couldn't say the same for himself, at least where comfort was concerned. He somehow managed to fold himself into the seat, after pushing it back as far as it would go, his head just missing the roof. Not one to complain, he said nothing about it, but strapped himself in and turned over the engine before looking over at her again. "You okay?"

She nodded, a little pale but otherwise okay. "I'm fine," she promised him. "Still adjusting to what I can and can't do for a while, that's all. And don't think you can use that as an excuse not to roger me silly later on, because I know for a fact that can be done with only one arm." She wiggled her good fingers at him teasingly.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied again with a further smirk. "I'm more than happy to do my husbandly duty," he teased her as he pulled the car out into traffic. With any luck it wouldn't take two hours in heavy traffic to get home.

"Oh, so it's just a duty to you these days, is it?" she teased him laughingly. "Now we're definitively married and have reproduced, it's a wham, bam, thank you, ma'am situation, I suppose." She snickered, knowing for certain that Steve was never going to be that kind of lover. Hell, she'd had enough trouble convincing him that a quickie was perfectly suitable in certain situations, pretty sure he was still reining himself in rather than indulge there.

"Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am?" he echoed with a laugh. That was a new one on him. Though it had been a couple of years since he'd been woken from his long sleep, he still had a lot of catching up to do, and every now and then he'd stumble on something he'd never heard of or knew nothing about. "That's an interesting way of putting it. Doesn't sound like much fun for the ma'am, though."

"It generally isn't," she grinned over at him. "But given how you won't even let me blow you in a store cupboard, somehow I doubt we're ever going to get into that situation. You're just too lovely to ever even consider only taking what you want." An odd sort of compliment, perhaps, but a compliment, nonetheless. He might not believe her, but Steve was easily the best lover she had ever had.

He'd been very inexperienced with women when he'd first met her, having only kissed two women in his entire life who weren't directly related to him, unless he counted Becky Sue in the Second Grade, but that had been a very long time ago. Thankfully, they were stopped at a traffic light, the shade of red on his face nearly matching that of the stop light. Maybe he was a little too old fashioned, but that just wasn't proper behavior of full-grown, married adults, and yet, he realized that was probably the point of it. "That's not really what it's there for, Luce," he pointed out, practical and predictable as ever. Not that he wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of that, but he was Captain America, and he did have a certain reputation to uphold.

She giggled. "One of these days, I'm going to entice you over to the horny side," she threatened him fondly, fully aware that he was more concerned about the threat to his reputation if she did manage it. "Steve, we're married. People really wouldn't be surprised if we were seen entering somewhere lockable and then leaving it together. We're a lot more relaxed about sexuality these days, love. Besides, I thought you quite enjoyed giving my desk a few memories to get me through the slow shifts."

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:39 EST
"Yeah, about that ...." Steve started, frowning again, as the light turned and they inched forward. He was starting to think maybe they should have called a cab. "You realize your lab is bugged, right?" he asked, as if he had only just found this out himself, or only just realized it. Whether the good Director had said something or not, Steve wasn't saying. "Sorry I'm so boring. Guess I'm just a little old-fashioned," he said, as if it was a bad thing.

"Sweetheart, you're not boring at all," she told him, letting the comment on the surveillance in her lab slide without adding to it. She had a feeling that if anyone was going to say anything about it, it would be said to her. Discussing sex with Steve could be awkward enough for her; she didn't think anyone would dare trying to discuss his marital sex life with him. "I know I tease you a lot, but the very last thing you are is boring, I promise you."

But it wasn't that that was bothering him so much as the thought that her lab was bugged. That their home had been bugged before Natasha had gone over the place with a fine-toothed comb. Steve let the entire subject of sex drop and dropped another bomb on her instead. "I told him I wanted the bugs removed. All of them. I told him if I find out we're being bugged again, I'm done with S.H.I.E.L.D. for good."

Lucy blinked, genuinely surprised by this. She had assumed that the surveillance in her lab was routine, though she had been furious with knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been in their house before they had ever moved in. "And ....how did he take that?" she asked carefully, tilting her head as she looked at her husband. It was difficult to imagine him not attached to S.H.I.E.L.D., but if Fury pushed, she knew Steve well enough to know he would follow through on that threat without a second thought.

It was the bugs in their home that had angered Steve most, and though Steve was about the nicest guy on the whole planet, he wasn't immune to anger when he felt strongly about something. "He said it was for our own safety and did I know how many ..." Steve broke off again, but he had never treated Lucy with kid gloves. She was one of the strongest women he knew, if not the strongest, and if he couldn't tell his wife, who could he tell" "He said it was a security thing, to keep us safe from our enemies. My enemies."

"If it was a security measure for our safety, then we should have been consulted before they were ever installed," Lucy ground out from between clenched teeth. It sickened her to think that S.H.I.E.L.D. was so controlling of everyone, even the one person on their payroll who would never endanger them. "And frankly, we're more than capable of defending ourselves if it comes to it. He needs to back off, or I'm going to storm his office again."

"I do have enemies, Luce. That much is true," he pointed out, though there were other means of securing their home without having to install listening devices. Privacy or not, the thing that was important was the safety of his family, and that family included not only Lucy and Jamie, but Peggy and Liv and Johnny and Fliss.

"And I've known that all along," she pointed out. "Truthfully, what does Fury think he can do' If we're attacked at home, it would take time for his agents to get to us, anyway, and I highly doubt our neighbors would appreciate the area being turned into a no-go zone if it turns out to be something we can handle ourselves. An emergency button and a panic room would make more sense."

"Or a portal," Steve pointed out. But was that even possible" "I don't mind having a security system, but I don't want any intrusion into our privacy," he told her, knowing she'd agree. It seemed from what little he'd told her, he'd had quite the discussion with Director Fury.

"I absolutely agree," she nodded vehemently. "And if anyone can work out a way to rig up a portal, or get an official one opened up for us, it'd be Liv and Johnny. I don't like the way Fury seems to want you on a leash, love. And the fact that he's pushing surveillance on us does not make me inclined to trust him with you or our son's safety. If he can't respect us, then what is there to stop him trying to make Jamie the center of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experiments?"

Steve's expression darkened, more at the thought of Fury or anyone else wanting to use their son for any reason than at any concern for himself. "Over my dead body," he muttered, the determination in his voice mingled with some carefully-controlled anger. "Maybe I'll talk to Tony. He should be able to rig up a security system capable of keeping us safe and securing our privacy." As far as portals were concerned, he was in agreement that Liv and Johnny could probably help with that and if not, there was always Johnny's brother-in-law, Reed Richards.

"Easy, baby, don't snap the steering wheel," she warned him, unhooking her injured arm from the sling to gently lay her hand on his forearm. The thought of anyone trying to hurt their son made her blood boil, but it was all just theory right now. "We'll work something out, something separate from S.H.I.E.L.D. that they can't hold over us."

Steve clenched his jaw, but his expression relaxed a little at her reassurance. "I know," he said, knowing there was nothing either of them wouldn't do to keep their boy safe. "I'm just not sure how much I trust S.H.I.E.L.D.," he admitted, which was a little disturbing, not only because they were both employed there, but because the agency had grown so powerful. "What do you think will happen to Martin and the other kids?" he asked, changing the subject, but not entirely, as it still concerned S.H.I.E.L.D.

She sighed softly, fingers gently squeezing his arm before retracting as she settled the sling back into place. "I've never trusted S.H.I.E.L.D.," she admitted reluctantly. She'd never openly admitted as much to him, but it was true. They'd kept the secret of her parentage for most of her lifetime, and blackmailed her into taking a job with them - she had not forgotten or forgiven that. "Well, if I can establish that there are no long-term effects from the experiments that have been run on them, and that they're in good health, they'll probably end up in care. I hope Martin and Lianne will be homed together, if they do, but I have a horrible feeling they'll be split up."

"Split up?" Steve echoed, glancing over at her momentarily, a frown on his face and looking just a little shocked by that statement. "But they're siblings. They should stay together. Why would anyone want to split them up?" He didn't know all that much about the adoption process, other than what Lucy had told him and what he knew about what Johnny and Liv had to go through in order to adopt Fliss, but that was Rhy'Din, and things were probably different there. "Is that why you and Liv were never adopted?" he asked further.

"Probably," she nodded. "I'd guess that there was a note on our file that we were only available to be adopted together, but that's where it gets complicated. Lianne is a beautiful little girl, there will be a lot of interest in her. And prospective parents are generally only looking for one child at a time. There would likely be a lot of pressure on the agencies to allow Martin to be separated from Lianne, purely because there's a very good chance she would be adopted if she was a single choice."

"That's horrible," Steve said, his frown deepening at the thought that the siblings could very well be split up. He wasn't sure how the two of them felt about it, but he couldn't imagine any brother or sister wanting to be separated. "We can't let that happen, Luce." Steve wasn't sure what they could possibly do about it, but there had to be something.

She offered him a quietly secretive smile. "I have an idea about how to make it impossible," she promised him with a wink. "We need to sneak Liv and Johnny into HQ without getting into trouble to make it happen, though."

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:40 EST
"Liv and Johnny?" Steve queried, not quite understanding what the point of that would be, except that they were dead ringers for Lucy and Steve. Or was it the fact that they'd already adopted a child and might want more" "I'm not following," he admitted. Though he wasn't stupid by any means, there were times when he didn't quite follow his wife's train of thought. He blamed it on her being female.

"Well, you can't really adopt a kid without at least meeting them first," she pointed out cheerfully. "I figure, if the four of us can make friends with the four of them ....maybe we can bypass the system altogether. Maybe. It would all depend on whether or not any of us make a match."

"A match," he echoed again. "Are you talking about adopting?" he asked curiously. The thought hadn't really occurred to him until just now, but he wasn't quite sure if that was what she'd meant.

Lucy sighed quietly, knowing she could probably have approached that in a better manner. "Yes," she confessed quietly. "Yes, I think I am. Those children deserve so much more than what the system can give them, especially after what they've been through. And ....well, if we were open to it, if Liv and Johnny were open to it ....it wouldn't matter if they have long-term positive effects from what?s been done to them. Because we can all handle it."

For the first time since they'd gotten into the car, Steve smiled. "And that's exactly why I love you, Doctor Rogers," he told her, briefly glancing her way allowing her to see the warm smile on his face before turning back to the road in front of them. Traffic was finally starting to thin once they crossed over the bridge for home. And what exactly did he mean by that' That she was not only smart and beautiful, but that she was kind and caring and compassionate besides - why else would she have become a doctor"

Lucy glanced at him, a little bemused by his sudden declaration of love after she'd dropped the idea of possibly adopting at least two children on him out of nowhere. "That's why?" she asked in amusement, unable to pass up the opportunity to tease him. "So it's not because I'm the best lay you've ever had?"

He had to laugh at that, especially at the way she'd phrased it. "Honey, you're the only lay I've ever had," he reminded her, but thankfully, he didn't turn a bright shade of scarlet this time. "It shouldn't just be up to us though. Fliss should have a say in this, and so should Martin and the others."

"Of course they should," she nodded in agreement. "It isn't as though we could force any of them to do it, or to accept it. But it's worth planting as an idea in all their minds, to see how they react to it."

"It's worth a try, I suppose, but are you sure we can handle it' We may need to start think about hiring a nanny," he added, that frown on his face again and for good reason. They all knew Peggy probably wasn't going to last the year, though no one seemed to want to talk about it. She wasn't really able to help much with Jamie anymore, and adding two more children to the household wouldn't make things any easier.

She sighed quietly. "Well ....we make enough money to be able to hire someone," she said thoughtfully. "But ....look, I read over my S.H.I.E.L.D. contract a couple of months back, and it's up for renewal in a few months. They only contracted me for three years, probably because they didn't really know whether they could trust me or not. If we had a house full of children ....I, um, I'd probably seriously consider quitting."

"Quitting" Really?" Steve asked, looking her way with a look of blatant surprise on his face. He knew how important her career was to her, and he'd never ask her to give that up, but he knew how much she hated working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Unfortunately, he didn't have much choice. He'd made his own choices a long time ago. "Are you sure you'd want to do that' I mean, I'd never ask you to quit."

"I know you wouldn't," she smiled at him gently. "And I know I'm very focused when it comes to work, but ....love, I can always pick up someplace else in a few years' time. Our family is the most important part of my life. I don't want our children to miss out on things because I'm always working. And I am always working - I work longer hours than you do."

They were almost home now, weaving their way through the streets in their own neighborhood until they reached the house they shared with Peggy. Steve smiled at the thought of that, at the way the word "children" rolled so easily off her tongue. Children, not child, presuming they gave Jamie siblings, whether they adopted or not. "Are you sure you wouldn't get bored staying home?" he asked.

She snorted with laughter, shaking her head. "I'm sure I will, sometimes," she told him, that absolute honesty that only he ever got from her blurting out easily. "But once the children are all in school, I would be able to find work that allowed me to work flexible enough hours to be able to spend time with all of you, every day."

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" he asked, as he turned the car down their street. As long as it had taken them to get home, it had given them some time to talk without anyone interrupting or overhearing and without chancing one of them drifting off to sleep in the middle of the conversation.

"I am," she admitted. "I've been thinking about it for a while, really. I feel as though I'm missing out on a lot of Jamie, and with Peggy getting worse ..." She sighed softly. "I suppose I just want to spend time with both of them. I want to be a wife, and a mother, and a niece. Right now, I'm just a doctor who has a family. It isn't enough."

Steve listened to her quietly - really listened - understanding her need to be more than just a doctor, even as he wanted to be more than just a solider. Sure, he was a hero, a legend - or so people told him - but he was a lot more than that. He was a husband, a father, a brother-in-law, and a friend. But he didn't have the same liberties Lucy had. He couldn't just hang up his suit and decide he didn't want to be Captain America anymore, and he didn't think Lucy would want him to. In some ways he felt torn, almost wishing his choices and his life could be so simple. "Then you should quit," he told her quietly as he pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. He turned quiet again, thoughtful, making no move to get out of the car just yet.

"Sweetheart ..." Guilt was dominant in her eyes as she twisted to face him, releasing her seatbelt as she did so. "It's unfair, I know, that I can make that decision and you can't. And it's unfair that I am inclined that way. It wouldn't happen for a few months, at least, and a lot can happen in just a few months. We'll see how it goes. I would never make a decision like that without discussing it with you first, not ever."

"It's not unfair," he argued, turning to face her as much as he could in the confines of the small car. "I made my choice a long time ago, and I have no regrets. It's just ..." It was his turn to sigh. Should he tell her what was bothering him' What had been bothering him for weeks, maybe months" If he couldn't tell her, who could he tell" "It's Peggy." There, he'd said it. He knew her time was growing short, and it was breaking his heart, but he hadn't wanted either of them to know it.

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:42 EST
And there it was, the one thing he hadn't confessed to her but that she had been suspecting for months now. Her hand rose, gently laying against his cheek. "Take a leave of absence," she told him quietly. "This is more important than daily duties at S.H.I.E.L.D. You and Peggy deserve to part ways gently, and spending time together is the only way to reach that point."

"I'm not sure they'll let me. There's always something ..." Steve broke off, her touch soothing, but not quite calming his troubled heart. If anything wasn't fair, it was this. He wasn't in love with Peggy Carter, not anymore. Another woman had since taken her place, but the love he had once felt for her had changed, perhaps growing even deeper as she'd taken on a more maternal role in his life than before. "I know no one lives forever, and she's had a long, full life, but somehow it doesn't seem fair. I'm just ....I'm gonna miss her," he said, not quite trusting his voice not to crack.

"They'll let you." Lucy was adamant about that. "If not for your sake, then for hers. She's one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., love. They wouldn't dare treat her badly, not now." Hearing his voice crack, she frowned, concerned for him, setting her own upset aside as she leaned over, ignoring the biting pain in her shoulder as she curled her arms about him. "I would think less of you if you didn't," she told him softly, stroking her hand over his hair. "You need this time, you and she. I'll make sure you get it."

A leave of absence. He hadn't taken one since Jamie had been born, and even then, it had only been a few weeks. Before that, he'd taken a short break for a much-anticipated and deserved honeymoon. Everything he'd done and accomplished had to count for something, didn't it' Was it so much to ask" And he'd still be available if something crucial came up and they needed him. He couldn't very well argue with Lucy, though he wasn't sure whether Fury would agree. He and Peggy had been robbed of seventy years, and while Steve knew they could never make up for that lost time, maybe this time they could say a proper goodbye. He leaned into his wife, sniffling back a few tears he'd rather she wasn't aware of, but feeling better for finally having told her what had been weighing on his mind these last weeks and months. "Thanks, Luce. For everything."

She kissed his temple, letting him keep his dignity by ignoring those few tears that fell. "You're the one who should be thanked," she murmured. "I would do anything for you, Steve. Standing up to Directionless Furball and his Eye of Sauron is nothing." She smiled, drawing back to gently stroke the tip of her nose against his. "Besides, you get to play Mr. Mom for a while, too. And I know you love it."

He quickly brushed the tears from his face, knowing she couldn't have missed seeing them. He wasn't ashamed of them exactly. It took a lot of courage and a lot of trust to let her see what he was feeling, and though he wasn't afraid to let Lucy see those tears, he didn't want Peggy to know. He wanted her last days to be happy ones, not full of sadness and regret. He had to laugh a little at her description of Director Fury. "He wouldn't appreciate hearing you say that, you know," he warned her, hoping the car wasn't bugged, though if it was, it probably served Fury right to hear her. He shrugged a little, reaching over to very gently slide her arm back into the sling where it belonged. "Never thought I'd get the chance to have kids of my own. You gave me that." It was his turn to touch her cheek with surprisingly gentle fingers. "I would do anything for you, too, Lucy."

"He knows my opinions already, let him spew on it," she shrugged with a smile, turning her head to kiss his fingertips gently. "I love you, Steve. And everything that comes with loving you, I am only too willing to share with you and with the rest of the world, if I have to. Tonight, though' I'm only going to share you with our family."

He leaned close to touch a kiss to her forehead, loving and protective. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, but by "we" he meant the rest of their little family. They had discussed a lot in a short amount of time, but they couldn't really make any final decisions until they had discussed things with Liv and Johnny, and Fliss and Peggy. "Tonight, I want to spend with you," he told her, his lips finding hers and kissing her softly. "I love you, Lucy."

She smiled as he kissed her, daring the ache in her arm to gently stroke his cheek as his lips left hers. "Tonight is all ours," she promised him - barring any emergency calls to drag her back to HQ and see to the children there, of course. From the corner of her eye, she saw the front door open, grinning faces watching them from their own house as a joyful bundle of dark fur came galloping out to dance her paws on Steve's door, looking in at them hopefully. She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I think the welcoming committee just arrived."

Steve laughed as Bella planted her paws on the car and barked a happy greeting. "I think someone's too chicken to do it themselves and sent her instead." He smiled over at Lucy as he tugged the keys from the ignition. "Shall we, Mrs. Rogers?"

Laughing still, Lucy sighed, settling her injured arm comfortably once again. "I think we shall, Mr. Rogers," she agreed. "You get out first, though. I want to see what beautiful Bells does to you before deciding if I need to run for the safety of the house."

"Well, I'm not Johnny!" he pointed out, knowing the Beaucheron could tell the difference between her master and her master's best friend, even if most people couldn't. Johnny's hotter temperature was a dead giveaway, anyway. He kissed his wife one last time, just because he could, before carefully pushing the door open to greet Bella. "Hello, Bella!" he greeted her, rubbing her head fondly. "Miss us?"

Over-excited to see more favorite people, Bella only just managed to dance backwards as the car door opened, dropping down onto all fours briefly before rising up to bounce her forepaws on Steve's chest, her tongue quivering out the side of her mouth. From inside the car, Lucy laughed harder, unsurprised to see Johnny, Liv, and Fliss in the front doorway watching every second. And on Johnny's hip was Jamie.

If Lucy was smart, she'd made use of the diversion to make a dash for the house. Steve seemed perfectly happy to greet the big dog on her own terms, rubbing her ears fondly as her tongue found his face to smother him in doggie kisses. He laughed at that, too, happy to be home and in the company of people he knew he could trust and that loved him. "It's nice to see you too, girl!"

Lucy was definitely smart, although slower to react thanks to her sling. She clambered out of the car herself, a wide smile on her face for the antics of the dog, and grunted in pain as Fliss barreled out of the house to throw her arms around her. "Whoa, careful!" Lucy laughed, blinking back the natural rise of tears as she shifted to hug the teen with her good arm. "I'm not as unbreakable as the men in this family, you know!"

"We've been worried about you," Johnny broke in, stepping onto the porch with Jamie on his hip.

"Mama," the little boy murmured, recognizing his mother, just as Bella recognized the differences between Johnny and Steve. He held out his little arms for her, straining to escape from Johnny's grasp as she got closer.

"Whoa, kiddo!" Johnny laughed, taking a tighter hold as he walked forward to greet them both. "She's not gonna disappear on you!"

Once Bella was done slobbering all over Steve, the two of them joined the little group on the porch.

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:42 EST
"What happened?" Fliss demanded, eyes wide as she belated noticed the sling and bandage.

Lucy shook her head with a smile. "I got shot, I'll tell you later," she promised, her eyes focusing in on her little boy. Sorry, Johnny, but for now, he just wasn't as all-enthralling as the toddler straining toward her from his arms. "Hello, baby boy!" Unwrapping her good arm from about Fliss, she spared a brief smile for Johnny before taking Jamie onto her hip and hugging him tightly. "Oh, I missed you ..."

On the other side of the car, Liv had moved to rescue Steve from Bella, hugging her brother-in-law in lieu of actually being able to thank him for bringing everyone home, including himself.

Had Johnny forgotten to share that little detail" He offered an apologetic smile to Lucy as she took the little boy from his arms. "He missed you," he told her, taking no offense at taking second place to the little guy. He knew Lucy was fond of him in her own way, but no one quite took the place of her son. "Sorry I didn't check in," he told her a little sheepishly. "I just wanted to get home and ..." He shrugged, as if that explained everything.

Steve had no qualms about hugging Liv back. The two of them had gotten close over the last few years since he'd first met her sister. "Is he okay?" he asked her quietly, regarding her other half.

Liv smiled, nodding as she drew back to look up at Steve. "He's almost himself again," she told him quietly. "He's never pushed himself quite that hard before - it took a little longer than he was expecting to get normal strength back. But he's doing well, I promise. How are you doing?"

As Liv questioned her brother-in-law, her husband was being given a reassuring smile from Lucy even as she hugged her little boy to herself. "We know," she assured Johnny warmly. "And Liv called in the night you got back. We were worried about you, Johnny. Next time" At least drop in on the way past, okay?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Steve replied, smiling a little too brightly. While he'd finally admitted to Lucy what had been dampening his mood for the last few weeks, he didn't really want the others to know what was wrong. "It's good to be home," he admitted truthfully.

Nearby, Johnny was laughing and offering Lucy a salute. "Yes, ma'am! I'll try," he said, making no promises, except for that. At least, he knew who called the shots in this family.

"Lucy got shot," Liv pointed out to Steve with a faint quirk to her smile. "You're too much like me not to be blaming yourself over that at least a little." She gave him another squeeze, and judiciously stepped back as Fliss, bored with Johnny and Lucy, came over to hug her uncle tightly.

Lucy chuckled at Johnny's playing, hiking Jamie a little higher on her hip. "So how has everything been here?" she asked him, since he had better knowledge of what had been going on. "Lots of chaos to drive Livvie nutty?"

"A little maybe," Steve admitted with a slight blush, though in all truth, he'd been blaming himself for a lot of things and a lot more than a little, despite how everyone else seemed to insist he wasn't at fault. He was a little surprised by the unexpected hug from Fliss, though he welcomed and returned it with one of his own. He couldn't help but wonder what she might think about the possibility of having a couple of siblings, but one thing at a time. "Thanks for helping with Jamie," he told her.

Though Lucy was doing a good job of hiding it, Johnny noticed that Lucy was moving a little stiffly and was likely in some pain, but he didn't dare mention it. "Just the usual," he replied, unable to help himself from frowning a little in concern. "Are you okay, Luce" I'm sorry I didn't check in. I didn't really think I was needed anymore." Or he didn't really think.

Lucy smiled at Johnny, trying to reassure him a little. "Steve smoothed things over with S.H.I.E.L.D.," she promised him. "You know now to drop a line if you decide to go straight back home. And to be honest, I'm glad you did. Liv was probably working herself into a silly state over being the only responsible adult in the house." She chuckled, glancing over at her sister briefly. "I'm fine, Johnny," she added in a quieter tone. "In a couple of weeks, it'll be as though it never happened."

It was just like Johnny to underestimate himself and have doubts about whether or not he was needed or even wanted, though he was slowly getting better about it and regaining his confidence.

Steve broke away from Fliss' hugging to go rescue his wife from their son. "I can take him, Luce," he insisted, reaching for the squirming nearly-two year old. "We have a lot to talk about," he added, for the sake of Liv and Johnny and Fliss. "But not tonight. We all need some rest." Especially Lucy, though he thought it went without saying.

"Yes, we do," Liv agreed, taking the opportunity to hug her sister as soon as Lucy handed Jamie over to his daddy. "Peggy's up and in the living room, and she wants to see you both. And I already ordered pizza, so no cooking tonight." On her other side, Fliss grinned as she corralled Bella to her side, leading the way back into the house.

Steve exchanged looks with Lucy at the mention of Peggy, but said nothing further. The look on his face was enough, though he was trying hard to be cheery and optimistic and not a dreary old worrywart. "Should we go say hello to Aunt Peggy?" he told Jamie, tickling the little boy's sides with his free hand, while easily balancing him against one hip.

The little boy gurgled happily, far more secure in his father's grip than his mother's right now, and nodded in answer to the query, looking back to make sure everyone else was coming with them as he was borne toward the house. Lucy waved to him, her smile just a little subdued as she nodded to Steve, waving him inside ahead of her, too.

"I'll be there in a minute!" Johnny called back, mostly for Liv's benefit, as Steve followed Fliss back inside. He lingered beside Lucy, until the other two disappeared back inside, leaving them alone. "What's wrong?" he asked, once they were alone, astute enough to sense something amiss with Steve's mood, if not Lucy's.

"Okay, sweetheart," Liv called back, allowing her husband and sister a little time together.

Left with Johnny, Lucy hesitated. It had taken a lot for Steve to be able to open up to her, and she didn't want to betray that trust. "It's a lot of different things," she said in the end. "What's going to happen to the children, Peggy's health, my shoulder, issues with S.H.I.E.L.D. ....he's just struggling a little today, that's all."

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:43 EST
Johnny frowned in concern, not only for Steve, but Lucy, too. He knew Steve tended to take a lot on his shoulders - it was just who he was - but he didn't have to. That's what family was for, after all. "He's not alone in this, you know. I don't know what?s going on with S.H.I.E.L.D., but as for the rest of it, we're part of this, too. I know he and Peggy are close, but she's at peace with it. And your shoulder ....that was just a fluke thing. It could have happened to any of us." He said nothing about the orphaned children yet, but he had his own ideas about that.

"It happened to me," she pointed out quietly. "He's blaming himself for the fact that I freaked out in the plane, and for the fact that I got hurt. All any of us can do is talk him down if he gets intense about holding that blame to himself." She shrugged her good shoulder, a little at a loss as to how she could help her husband there. "It could have been a lot worse."

"He picked you for the mission. Maybe he's blaming himself for that. If you hadn't been there, you wouldn't have gotten hurt," he reasoned, though he agreed that Steve wasn't to blame. "He picked you because he trusted you and thought you were the best person for the job. It wasn't his fault you got hurt." And yes, it could have been a lot worse, even for himself. He'd only just barely managed to get out of there alive himself and hadn't even told Liv how close he'd come to catastrophe. He'd frightened her enough with his state upon his arrival home. "You did a good thing, Lucy. Those kids are alive because of you."

"They're alive because of all of us," she argued, keeping her voice down for the sake of the rest of their family who were gathering in the living room as she and Johnny stepped in through the front door. Pushing the door shut, she turned her focus onto her brother-in-law sharply. "So what happened to you?"

Johnny arched a brow at her question, which was a little unexpected, though it shouldn't have been. Between Liv and Lucy, Lucy had always been the more astute one and the one more likely to call him out on something. "Nothing," he shrugged, indifferently. "I just burned myself out a little. I'm okay." Nothing to be too concerned about, at least, not anymore. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't have unlimited reserves of energy and plasma - even the Human Torch had his limits.

"Not quite what I was asking, Johnny," she pointed out, moving to wander into the kitchen. A little privacy might be called for. "You were underwater for a while there, and I know that isn't your comfort zone, not by a long shot. Experiences like that can be traumatic if you don't talk about them, and knowing you, you're so worried about upsetting Liv that you've told her virtually nothing about it. So what happened?"

Johnny frowned as Lucy came straight to the point. He hadn't really thought much about it or maybe he just hadn't wanted to think much about it. Liv hadn't asked, and he was happy to be home. He didn't really want to think about it much or admit how terrified he'd been, especially to Lucy who'd taken a bullet or to Steve who'd only blame himself. "Nothing happened," he insisted with another shrug once they were safely out of earshot of the others. "I did what I was supposed to do, and that's that. But to be honest, I never wanna have to do that again."

Well, it was a start. Lucy eyed him thoughtfully for a long moment, reaching up to wrap her good arm about his shoulders and hug him. "You don't have to talk to me about it," she told him quietly. "But you need to talk to someone. Don't let it fester inside you and make old fears worse, not when you've come so far with them." She kissed his cheek affectionately. "Liv's a good pair of ears, you know."

"I could say the same for you, yanno," he countered, hugging her back, gently though and careful of the wounded shoulder. He knew her just as well as she knew him, and he knew she wasn't as tough as she let everyone else think. "Let's just say it's a good thing Liv and Fliss gave me a few swimming lessons." That small hint was probably all Lucy was going to get out of him, and it was said with such a silly grin, it was hard to take him seriously.

She smiled faintly, seeing a little more than he might have been comfortable with, but not pressing the point. "I will talk about it," she told him. "You know, after I convince Steve that shagging me is not going to do any damage." She winked at her brother-in-law cheekily.

"Somehow, I don't think that will take too much convincing," he said with a chuckle, although this was Steve Rogers they were talking about, and they both knew how stubbornly chivalrous he could be. Johnny's smile faded as another question came to mind, one he only cared marginally about, but still wanted to know. "What did Director Fury have to say about my taking off?"

Lucy squeezed his hand gently. "It sounds as though he let off his steam at Steve," she told him. "I don't know what was said, I've been in the lab the last couple of days with the kids. But if Fury calls you in, take Liv with you." Her smile turned just a little evil. "I would pay to see Furby try and reprimand you with her standing right there."

Johnny shrugged again and turned to put a put of coffee on, the old fashioned way, not the sped up Johnny Storm way. "I don't owe him anything. I'm not on his payroll. I was just wondering if he was pissed. I did what I was supposed to do, and no one got killed. Not any of the good guys, anyway. Seems like a win-win to me." Johnny had a habit of seeing things in black and white, where Director Fury seemed to see things in various shades of gray. "How're the kids doing" They were scared to death when we found them."

Easing herself onto a stool by the counter, Lucy considered her answer. "They're a lot more confident now than they were when you picked them up," she told him. "We know a little more about them. One is Russian, a boy called Alexei who's about six years old; there are a pair of French siblings, Martin and Lianne, seven and five respectively; and the last girl seems to be between five and eight, but we can't get her to speak. They've all been traumatized, one way or the other, though the siblings seem to be rallying better."

Now that the coffee was brewing, Johnny turned back around, blue eyes full of sadness. "What's gonna happen to them?" he asked in concern. "They're not gonna experiment on them, are they?" he added, those same blue eyes flashing with anger at the very thought of that. If he had his way, he'd do something to make sure no one ever hurt them again. So much for not talking too much tonight.

"No. They're not." There was a lot of steel in her voice as she said this - Lucy may not have been the most powerful or influential member of S.H.I.E.L.D., but she knew her team. There wasn't one person in the medical research lab who would even consider putting those children through anything more than was absolutely necessary to determine their health and well being. "Chances are, once they're cleared, they'll end up in the system, unless ..." She eyed him consideringly. "Well, unless we can get you, Liv, and Fliss into the HQ to introduce yourselves to them properly. No pressure, but ....if we were to offer to adopt them, between us, they wouldn't have to go into the system at all. And I wouldn't have to disclose any potential long-term positive mutations they may or may not have."

Whatever reaction it was Lucy was expecting to hear from him, it probably wasn't a laugh. Johnny chuckled once Lucy was finished relaying her plan, as though she was the only one who'd thought of it. "I knew there was a reason I liked you," he teased, though, of course, he liked her for a lot more reasons than just that. "I've been thinking the same thing, but I'm not sure we can handle all four of them, and I haven't said anything to Liv about it yet."

Lucy Rogers

Date: 2015-03-15 06:46 EST
"Well, if it helps, Steve's virtually already in protective daddy mode, and he's only met one of them," Lucy chuckled, glad that Johnny was on board, even if Liv didn't know the details yet. "Whatever happens, it's likely to be a couple of weeks before I can give them the all-clear, anyway. Time enough to talk to Liv and Fliss, and to see if there's a connection there we can make use of."

"I'm pretty sure Liv will be okay with it, but I'm not so sure about Fliss," he admitted with a frown. She was good with Jamie, but Jamie wasn't a sibling. He didn't go home with them and compete with her for Johnny and Liv's affection, though he had a feeling it might be good for Fliss to have a sibling or two. Of course, they were trying to have one of their own, too, but there was no guarantee they ever would, and both Johnny and Liv had enough room in their hearts to love more than one child. "Not tonight, though," Johnny added, remembering Steve's warning and surprised Lucy had told him this much.

"No, not tonight," she nodded. He might have been surprised to learn that she wouldn't have said any of this to Liv, or even to Peggy. "Tonight is all about family. I can't believe how much I missed everyone while we were gone. It was harder than I thought it would be."

"We missed you, too," Johnny replied, a soft smile on his face. There had been times when Lucy and Johnny had been like oil and water - or maybe more like oil and fire - but all of those old disagreements seemed to have been forgiven and forgotten a long time ago. "You should come visit us sometime," he said, though he knew that wasn't likely to happen so long as Peggy needed them. "Now, go snuggle with Steve and make yourself comfortable. I'm taking over the kitchen!" he told her with a grin as he shooed her from the kitchen.

She laughed as he shooed her away, swatting at him with her good hand. "All right, all right, sheesh," she teased. "I'm going, I'm going ..." Sticking her tongue out at him, she grinned, turning to head for the living room and the rest of their family.

"Oh, send Fliss in, will you?" he added as she started for the living room. Apparently, he did need a little help in the kitchen, but not from Lucy. What he was planning was his own little secret.

"Hmm' Okay!" Shaking her head with a smile, Lucy rounded the door into the living room, charmed for a moment to see everyone surrounding Peggy where she was propped up in the most comfortable chair in the room. Fliss was already up and moving toward her, having heard Johnny say her name in the first place. The teen flashed Lucy a grin on her way past, slipping into the kitchen and out of sight. Peggy looked up as her elder niece came into the room, concern flickering in her gaze as she took in the sling. Lucy held up a hand. "I'm fine, don't fuss," she told her aunt, moving to bend and kiss Peggy fondly before dropping down onto the floor to cuddle with Jamie.

Steve was already on the floor, not far from Peggy's feet, with Jamie trying to escape his father's lap in favor of his mother. "He's such a mama's boy," Steve remarked with a chuckle. "Just like his father." Well, that's what happened when your father died while you were still young, but Steve wasn't planning on the past repeating itself as far as he was concerned. He'd already greeted Peggy, making a decided effort to be cheerful for her sake.

"He's missed both of you," Peggy pointed out, chuckling as Jamie tucked himself entirely underneath Lucy's sling and proceeded to play peekaboo from behind it with anyone who was unlucky enough to make eye contact when he popped out. "I am very glad to see you home safely." Her eyes rested on Steve as she said this; each mission he undertook called to mind the mission he had never come back from, all those years ago.

Steve was perfectly happy to play peekaboo with his son, laughing along with the little boy as he giggled madly at his father's antics. Unlike Johnny, Steve was a little too serious most of the time, and it did him good to have a small child around to keep things light. "We're glad to be home," Steve replied, as he reached over to tickle the little boy who had charmed the soldier from the moment of his birth. He simply could no longer imagine his life without Lucy or Jamie in it. Peggy either, but that was another matter.

With her son laughing like a demented hyena on her lap, Lucy couldn't help laughing with them, aware that Liv was settled beside Peggy, on hand if the old woman needed any help at all. It was a nice feeling, to be surrounded by family, and she was glad they'd asked Liv and Fliss to come to New York while the mission was on-going. Family was important, far more important than S.H.I.E.L.D. And perhaps, in a few months, their family would have grown again. They would just have to wait and see.

((Mission over and done with, and doesn't it look like the Storms/Rogers are going to grow in the near future" Loads of hugi-flubbles to my partner in crime!))