ＳＬＡＴＥ ◼ STEVE ROGERS◼

ＢＯＮＵＳ： "ＦＩＶＥ ＳＴＡＧＥＳ ＯＦ ＧＲＩＥＦ"

{TAKES PLACE BEFORE FAR FROM HOME}

It was moments like this where Steve Rogers wasn't entirely sure what to do. He was so lost that he had even resorted to asking Friday to pull up articles explaining the five stages of grief. If he had done his research correctly, he was sure that Charlotte had reached stage four: depression.

The super soldier couldn't lie that the deaths of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff affected him as well. Seeing Tony's face everywhere they went, not being able to scroll through the programs on the television without seeing a documentary on the billionaires life, it took a toll on him as well. Steve, over the years, had learned to compartmentalize his grief. He was beginning to see that Lottie wasn't able to compartmentalize the grief like he was.

She had her moments where everything seemed to be alright. Her and Steve would just be enjoying their lives together, constant chatter and excitement over the baby the number one topic of discussion. But other days, it seemed that even the smallest things would set Lottie off as she would crawl into their shared bedroom and go silent for the day. 

Today was one of those days. But this time, Steve Rogers had a plan (that he definitely had to thank Sam and Bucky for help with).

"Doll?" the soft tone of Steve's voice and the gentle knocking of his hand on the door-frame of the bedroom tore Lottie out of her trance. She wiped furiously at her eyes, fingers ghosting over the necklace that still hung around her neck as she turned to face her husband with the smallest of smiles. "There's somewhere I want to take you. You okay?"

"Yeah," Lottie nodded, trying to put on a brace face as she joined Steve in the doorway, linking her hand with his. "Yeah, let's go."

Tucked away in the sleek black car that sent another round of memories through Lottie's head, Steve Rogers took control of the wheel from Friday as he sped off down the road, taking the familiar road that led back into the heart of New York.

Lottie's gaze sat on the buildings, the houses, the trees that flew by outside the window. Her left hand resting on her stomach, rubbing it slightly back and forth as Steve reached a hand over as well, placing it on top of hers. Lottie let a smile slip onto her face for just a second at the thought of the little person growing inside of her.

It slipped away again when she realized they'd never meet their Uncle Tony and Auntie Nat.

With the car parked on the side of the busy road in Queens, Steve Rogers stepped out of the car first, walking around to his wife's side as he helped her out of the car and onto the sidewalk. Lottie thanked him, looking up at the apartment building before her as she gasped in shock.

It was Peter's apartment building.

"What are we doing here?" She whispered, looking up at Steve as he led her into the building and into the awaiting elevator.