Little Star // a Steve Rogers, Captain America, Avengers story

Are You One Of Them?

Ellie was shaking as she turned the front doorknob. It was open. Someone was home.

"Mom! Dad! Charlie!" She heard her mother scream her name as she came around the corner from the kitchen and stopped in her tracks before screaming again.

"Holy shit, you're pregnant!"

At that moment her father and Charlie came in from the back yard and saw her. Her dad started to cry like she'd never seen him cry before.

"Dad... it's ok, I'm here, you're here, it's going to be ok, I promise."

He took her hand, holding on to it as if he was afraid it would disappear between his fingers and looked at the rings on her finger. "I didn't get to walk you down the aisle."

"No one walked me down the aisle Dad, because no one could replace you. We had seats for all of you, with your names and pictures on them. We never ever stopped hoping that you'd come home."

"Honey," said her mother, "we barely understand that we left. I turned on the TV and it's five years after the last time I sat at the kitchen table. We were having breakfast and then the dishes were gone and no one was here and the lawn needed mowing and there was a security system that recognized our faces, and a new door.

"Steve snapped your door knob off because I had meltdown in the street and I didn't have the key, but Tony's people had it fixed in less than an hour. We used photos of you three to make sure you could get in if this ever happened. I promise that I took very good care of the house."

Her parents looked completely lost, but Charlie finally spoke. "Steve and Tony. Tony has people. Steve snaps things and breaks doors.  I've been watching TV Ellie. They said he was missing, leaving a pregnant wife. There's no one in this town who could have bought you a ring like that, is there?"

Her parents were obviously not making the connection, but she didn't want to overwhelm them even more. "Charlie, it can wait, ok? There's so much to do and say. Let's hold that back for a bit."

"Roger that. Hi Kate."

Ellie's mother looked startled, "Good lord, Kate, I've been a bit distracted. I love the haircut. How's that friend of yours... John?"

"He's wonderful. He's my husband. No kids. My folks are fine. They stayed. I felt so guilty I didn't talk to Ellie for a month. That's about it."

Ellie sighed, "My recap is going to take days, guys, not one minute. I don't even know where to begin." her phone rang with a video call. "Oh Jesus, Kate, it's Pepper. Tell them stuff that isn't related to Steve and the team.

"I have to take this, guys. Life or death. Death. Oh God." She started to cry as she walked into the back yard and answered her phone. After 15 minutes she knocked on the sliding glass door and asked Charlie to bring out the easy chair. It was going to be a long call.

It was over an hour later when she hung up.

"Jesus Ellie," Charlie said, watching his tiny pregnant sister pull the big chair back inside. He was sitting on the low wall that bordered the patio. "What are they feeding you?"

"I've always been stronger than I look, and you know it. How long were you listening to my private conversation?"

"Not long. The stereo sobbing made me uncomfortable. I know who that was on the phone. I saw her picture when the call came in. And the sobbing bit kind of gave it away. What the fuck happened while we were... gone? Are you one of them?"

"Yes. No suit. No fighting. I really want to explain everything to you, but... but I lost my husband today, Charlie. Now that I know the three of you are safe, I need to get home. Anna and Luke must be starting to worry."

"Anna and Luke?"

"Our adopted children. Anna's nineteen, Luke's four. She was one of my students. Oh, hell, you don't know that either. This is going to be exhausting. Come on, let's go in."

It took Ellie using every bit of her skills to convince her parents that she'd see them the next day. "I'm going to send a car at eight because I know you'll all be up and your car isn't starting anymore. You can come spend the day at Aprillia with us. Bring bathing suits if you'd like, the pool is amazing right now. I want you to have a completely relaxing day and I will explain as much as I can."

"Will we meet your husband?" asked her mother, hopefully.

"No. That's very complicated, and I think I'll have to explain it very first thing. But not right now."

Her father had picked up on something no one else had. "Aprillia? As in down the road Aprillia?"

"Yes. Aprillia is our home. And we have two other children. Adopted. Very recently. Ok, I need to go home."

Suddenly her mother looked like she was going to cry. "The baby, we haven't even met the baby!"

"You will have all day tomorrow to chat with little Rogers, I promise."

Charlie gave a sly nod when she mentioned JB's nickname, and they all walked her to the car.