Our Finest Hour (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 5: What Happens Now?

Cara's heart literally felt like it stopped as she saw Steve angrily charging up the isle towards them, his eyes dead set on Bucky. Every inch of him was burning with unmistakable rage. As if everything was moving in slow motion she watched Steve drive an uppercut into Bucky's jaw knocking him backwards. Stumbling, Bucky caught himself a few steps back as Steve drove another punch into Bucky's chest. As the third punch came toward him, Bucky caught Steve's hand with his metal hand. But without missing a beat, Steve drove his foot into Bucky's chest, knocking him back even more.

As the two continued to fight, Cara watched on in horror, chest heaving trying to regain the air that felt sucked out of her lungs. Bucky landed a few good hits before Steve blocked one punching him in the gut. Gasping, Bucky doubled over slightly before Steve kicked him again, this time sending him flying backwards. Stopping just short of the edge Cara's nerves ignited, looking at Steve in a panic.

"Steve, stop!" Cara cried out.

"I trusted you! You son of a bitch!" Steve yelled at Bucky.

Spitting blood out of his mouth, Bucky rolled to his back stating on the ground.

"I knew you loved her and that she loved you and I allowed it on some level but that... that crossed the line Buck." Steve said angrily.

"Steve please! Don't!" Cara said again moving closer.

"That's a little dark for his style don't you think sweetheart?" Bucky said confidently.

Steve knelt to one knee and in one motion brought a punch down that connected with Bucky's shoulder socket. A loud sickening crack rang out followed by Bucky yelling. As Steve stood he picked Bucky up with him by the shirt. To Cara's absolute shock and horror, Steve ripped Bucky out over the edge at an arm's length.

"You don't get to call her that!" Steve yelled angrily.

"Steve, please stop this!" Cara shrieked.

Somehow moving towards them, though her legs were like jello, she closed in close enough to hear Bucky's next words, even though he said them quietly.

"Guess they didn't get all of the Hydra out of you did they?"

Cara stopped, her heart physically hurting now. Steve tensed for a minute as he looked at his friend, angrily, betrayed, and confused.

"Go ahead Steve... just let me go. You'd be doing me a favor." Bucky added.

Steve hesitated for only a moment before he brought him back from the edge. Tossing him to the side, Steve turned and looked at Cara, feeling the shame rising up in him. He quickly walked toward her dropping to his knees at her feet. His fists were still balled up in anger, his head hung low, and he was breathing heavily. Cara was still in shock, her heart hurting, she looked from Steve to Bucky who was laying on his back on the floor in pain, his nose broken, blood covering his face.

"Maybe he's right..." Steve said faintly.

Cara looked back at Steve quickly, slowly stepping toward Steve she gently cupped his cheek, her fingers gently following his jawline to his chin. She carefully applied a gentle pressure causing him to lift his chin. He looked up into Cara's eyes meeting his tear filled ones causing a small sharp inhale to pass her lips.

"Steven Grant Rogers... he's wrong. There is nothing but good in you. Standing up against your best friend who asked your fiancé to marry him the day before our wedding... that's not an easy thing to do. But you did nothing wrong." Cara said as she held his face in her hand.

Without a word Steve pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her, his head resting against her stomach. Carefully she wrapped her arms around his head holding him to her. It was then that she noticed Tony, Clint, Wanda, Vision, Nat and Sam standing just outside the balcony door, watching everything going on, realizing they must have seen it all. She looked back at Bucky, groaning, rolling over to his side. The longer she looked at him, the more her heart hurt. Suddenly looking away, she inhale deeply before looking down at Steve.

"Let's go inside. Come on." Cara whispered to him.

Looking up at her, Steve suddenly looked around noticing the others. He looked back at Cara before nodding and standing up. She took his hand as they walked back inside together. She and Clint locked eyes, both sharing a deadpan look but saying plenty. As she and Steve drew closer, about to go inside together, she nodded at Clint subtly. Giving her a nod back, he elbowed Nat gently before he started walking toward Bucky, Nat following close behind.

The whole way down to the living quarters floor, they were silent. When the elevator door opened they walked hand in hand to the nursery, silently reassuring one another with such a small action. As they entered the nursery, they both were caught off guard to see Loki strutting around the room holding both boys talking to them, telling them some sort of story from Asgard. Cara smiled stifling a laugh, but Steve looked defeated that they weren't alone. Reassuring him with a quick squeeze of his hand in hers, Cara then let go clearing her throat causing Loki to stop in his tracks, his back to them. Looking annoyedly over his shoulder at the disruption, he then turned around to face them, finishing his story.

"Ahem, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted... I then turned back into myself and stabbed your Uncle Thor with a dagger. Oh how I miss those times. Sometimes he still falls for my tricks though." Loki finished.

"Really Loki?" Steve said disapprovingly.

"Oh Steve relax they're like 5 days old, they won't remember." Cara said.

"Thank you, at least one of your parents gets it." Loki said to each of the boys.

Pleadingly, Steve looked at Cara who got back down to business.

"Um, Loki? Do you mind if Steve and I have the room with the boys? We would like a little privacy right now." Cara said.

Rolling his eyes he walked over towards them. Cara took Jackson into her arms, and Steve scooped Evan up against his chest gently bouncing him as he patted his back. As he walked out, he gave them a final remark.

"Try to keep it brief, I have other wonderful stories to share with my nephews." Loki said shutting the door behind him.

Steve looked at Cara in a skeptical kind of way.

"He knows he isn't really their uncle right?" Steve asked one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, Steve, let him be. They're all as much Aunts and Uncles as my brother is. This is our family. It's a weird very unconventional family, but it's the family they'll grow up knowing." She responded giving him a look in return.

Knowing better than to argue with her he began to pace around the room, still processing what just happened. Not really ready, or wanting to have this conversation, she knew they had to have it. Sighing heavily she turned to look in Steve's direction, clutching Jackson to her tightly.

"What happens now?" Cara asked sadly.

Steve stopped in his tracks, visibly slightly deflating. He stood silently for quite some time causing Cara to become impatient.

"We can't cut him out of our lives Steve, we had a son together too. And I won't cut him out of his son's life. He's hurting, broken, he isn't thinking correctly. He's your best friend Steve." Cara began to offer.

Steve suddenly turned around.

"Is he though?! He's supposed to be but what kind of best friend asks his best friends girl to marry him instead, THE night before the wedding?!" He said agitated.

Heart still hurting, she let Steve to angry, knowing he was hurting just as much as she was. Just the way he looked at her, told her how badly he was hurting, all the while seething in anger and torn between the two emotions. Somehow, she was going to have to diffuse this situation. Bucky was all Steve had from the 40s, and without him, Steve would always be incomplete.

"So, Captain Rogers, what happens now?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door.