The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 44

Weeks passed. In that time, Steve had gone on one mission, while Brooklyn had been out at three times. He had grumbled about it, after the incident with Stelluto. She was quick to soothe and reassure him.

Juliana was doing well in school. The weekly reports back from the teacher were encouraging. She had also gone to spend the night at her friend Carrie's house. Brooklyn had even made her way to going to the PTA meeting during that time, coming back absolutely bewildered about the women who ran the meetings. They all appeared to be friends, and yet, she had claimed to meet agents who were more loyal.

Halloween was in two days, and Juliana had started to make noise about wanting to go trick or treating. All her friends at school were going, she informed them. It was only fair that she be allowed to go as well. After an adult discussion about it, later the same night Juliana brought it up, Steve and Brooklyn agreed there would be no harm in allowing her to go. Granted, as long as the two of them were there. So it was that the three of them found themselves at the local Target, again. Braving the masses of hyper children and ragged mothers, all whom were on the same mission that they were: purchasing a Halloween costume.
Juliana was stuck between deciding on a pretty princess or, much to Steve's frustration and Brooklyn's amusement, Iron Man. It was with gentle urging from both that she settled on the princess costume. But only if Brooklyn would dress up with her. Brooklyn, sighing, grabbed one of the first costumes she saw in her size, putting it in the basket, before they went off to pick out a candy bucket. Steve mused that he had never been trick or treating. It hadn't been popular when he was growing up, and when it had, it had not been in the form that it now took. He admitted to being excited to be a part of it.

The outing had almost been successful, until a little boy, maybe a few years older than Juliana, had pointed at Steve and declared that Captain America was there. This caused a mini-mob, mostly of excited children, to form around them. He caught the look in Brooklyn's eyes, before she brushed her hands against his jacket pocket, taking the car keys from him, and grabbing Juliana, leading her away from him, towards the registers. He was able to watch, helpless, as she paid for the purchases, put the bags in the cart, and made her way to the front of the store with her sister. By the time he was able to extract himself, she had already loaded everything into the trunk, buckled her sister into her booster seat in the back, and was sitting in the passenger seat, calmly. When Steve got into the car, the first thing he did was press a kiss to Brooklyn's temple, apologizing for everything.
She had waved it off, but he caught the shadows in her eyes that didn't go away until much later that night, when he chased them away with kisses and touches. By morning, the incident had been, for the most part, forgotten.

But now, with Halloween only days away, he was starting to grow concerned that something like that might happen again. Children, he had found, were either much more observant or much less circumspect, when it came to outing him when he was out in public. Adults either tended to brush over his appearance, or ignore it, especially when he was out with Brooklyn and Juliana. Since it was still widely assumed he was single, and living in the Tower, his presence around Carroll Gardens and it's environs was mostly left alone. It might also have helped that Marino's influence was felt, in that regard. Many of the shopkeepers and business owners would blink, seeing him shopping, but quickly look away, giving him his privacy. And it wasn't like he was Stark, using every opportunity to remind the world of his hero identity.

When he had expressed this worry to Brooklyn, she had nodded, but not said anything. He was concerned, now that she might try to break it to him, gently he hoped, that maybe it would be better if he stayed behind, while she took Juliana out by herself. This was an idea that he vehemently rejected. He didn't want to miss a moment of Juliana's new experiences. Halloween was going to be one of them, and he wanted to be there when she knocked on that first door, before sweetly asking for candy. He wanted to hold her hand, crossing the streets, while she skipped along dressed in her pretty costume. He wanted to help carry her home, if she got too worn out by her excitement and the activity. He wanted to reassure her if she got scared by some of the more terrifying decorations that people would no doubt have out.