Tess (A Dark!SteveRogers AU)

Chapter 21

Tess hadn't expected to find her brother sat at the table when she came back from the store the next afternoon. What was more is that she hadn't expected Steve to be sat with him despite their deal. 

"Well look who's come crawling" She glared. "In the shit again dear brother?" 

Brock rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too Tess". 

"No, it ain't - it ain't ever nice to see me!" She snapped and began to put the goods that she'd brought away in the cupboards. "The fuck does he want anyway? Protection?" She now asked Steve, knowing full well it was exactly that. 

Her husband simply sighed. A storm was brewing, and his wife was the thunder within it. "Tessie...calm". 

"I am fucking calm!" She now raged. 

The truth was that she wasn't. Tess was still hanging onto Wanda's words and her warning. They'd not left her since yesterday. Another night of tossing and turning had thrown itself upon her and in the end, she'd risen before dawn just so she could go and watch the sun come up to feel like she was alive when she felt like she was already dead. 

No way could she tell Steve of what had been said. He'd either tell her that she and Wanda were crazy and completely discard the whole thing, or he'd go and try to strangle the woman. 

Steve now stood up quickly, chair scraping back against the floorboards. "Why don't you go feed the horses, let your brother and I talk". 

"You're not sending me nowhere Rogers. Now what does he want?" She yanked her arm from her husband's grasp. 

Brock sat back and watched the pair. "I see you two are getting along". 

Tess just glared at him before pulling back a chair and sitting down on it, arms folded. "Talk asshole, why you here? Schmidt sent back another of your boys nice and dead?" 

"Yeah, actually" Brock fired back. "He's coming for me Tess, coming for our friends...our family"

"They ain't my family no more, not since you sold me out". 

Brock stared at her, "so you'd see that Red Skull Creek was destroyed, our rep in the dust? You helped make our name known too Tess. Sure, you may be a Rogers now, but you need to remember where you came from". 

"I can't listen to this crock of shit". She now got up and looked to Steve who had sat back down. "You help him and after you do? That's it - deal is done", then she walked out with a slam of the door. 

Steve exhaled and looked at Brock. "Where's he planning on meeting with you?" 

"Vormir Plains, just after dusk in two days - bastard's keeping me hanging". 

"Well someone will be if we don't take care of him". 

Brock nodded at this, "So you'll help then? I won't ask for anything else. Tess? She's still pissed at me, and I know that. After this? You won't ever have to see my face again". 

Steve wasn't about to hesitate in agreeing. To have Brock and the rest of the Rumlow/Hydra gang out of their hair would be better for everyone all around. Most of all, Tess. There would be calm for once in a lifestyle that was anything but that, especially with his wife who was a whirlwind herself.

"Me and my boys will be there to back yours". 

Brock got up and shook his hand. "Thanks, I'll see you then" As he walked out, he looked across and saw Tess sitting on top of a barrel, swinging her legs back and forth and shooting a look that could kill him. "I'm glad you're staying away from all this Tess...I wouldn't wanna see you hurt, I still care, even if you don't". 

She said nothing as he mounted his horse and now rode away leaving a cloud trail of dust in his wake. Her eyes then fell onto Steve, who was also watching him before he noticed her. 

"C'mon Tessie, back inside". 

Pushing herself off the barrel, she walked back in and popped the cork of a bottle of whiskey, taking a long swig from it. "'Still cares' my ass, the only thing he's ever cared about is himself". Now she paced around the kitchen. "Did you say you'd help him?" 

"I did". He leant back against the wall and crossed his arms, "And he agreed to never set foot here again after we've done". 

"Good, because if he does then I'll be sending his body back to the creek". 

"C'mere..." He beckoned her to him with his finger, brushing some of her hair from her face. It looked a little wild today, but then again, his wife was the definition of just that. "Leave that son of a bitch to me, okay?" Now taking the bottle from her hand and having a swig from it. 

Tess snorted, "I can think of worse words to call him". 

"Well yeah, he's exactly that too, you can't let him get to you. You need to show him that you don't give a rat's ass about what he did. You're better than that Tessie, stronger - even I know that". 

"What are you suggesting?" she asked, fingers tracing over the part of his chest that was exposed under his shirt.

Steve now smirked at her, knowing that she wouldn't refuse this offer. She'd wanted to be part of it for some time. Now the winds had somewhat changed, he knew that he could trust her and that she was capable enough of holding her own.

"How'd you like to come shooting with me and the boys?"