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Though the Avengers rarely got time off, there were a few moments where the world wasn't in complete peril. Sam had learned to cherish the moments as he and his husbands spent the day playing with their kids. Rory and Maggie always brought a smile to his face and he loved them as much as he would love his own flesh and blood. After Sam made them dinner, Steve and Bucky got the kids ready for bed.
That evening, Steve made sure that they got their baths and Bucky tucked them into bed. Sam came into to say goodnight, and saw that the kids were still excited from the day's events.
"Read us a bedtime story!" Rory demanded excitedly.
Maggie sat up in her bed. "Please!"
Bucky went to grab one of their books, but Rory said, "Tell us stories about the Avengers."
Sam, Steve, and Bucky looked at each other. "Alright," Sam said, sitting in the wooden chair in their room. The kids jumped off the bed and sat on the rug in front, looking at him eagerly. "Let me tell you the one about the mission that changed our lives for the better." Steve and Bucky smiled fondly at the memory, knowing exactly what he was referring to. Sam cleared his throat and began his story.
TWO YEARS AGO:
"On your left!" Steve called out to Sam as he ran past him on the indoor track in the Avengers facility. Though Sam had already finished his morning run, Steve had always been able to outrun him.
Sam pretended to roll his eyes at Steve, but he had grown fond of the phrase over the years. He wondered if he would have done things any differently, if he’d known how much his life would change after that simple jog in the heart of Washington, DC. Probably not, he admitted to himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by Bucky's entrance, carrying two jelly donuts in his hand. "Morning," he said cheerfully as he handed Sam a donut.
"Good morning to you too," Sam smiled, pecking him on the cheek. Their relationship had changed a lot since they first met, and he was thankful for Steve bringing the three of them together. It was partnership that a lot of people didn't understand, but the three of them were happy and that was all that truly mattered.
Steve ran over after finally finishing his morning jog, holding a protein bar in his hand. "What's on tap for today?"
As though on cue, Tony strolled over to them. "Bruce believes he's found a Hydra testing facility."
Steve, Sam, and Bucky looked at each other and then back at Tony. "When do we start?" Sam asked.
Tony checked his watch and replied, "This afternoon. Nick will brief us before we head into the field."
Steve nodded. "See you there." He had fire in his eyes as he had witnessed the horror of Hydra firsthand and was determined to destroy every last remnant of the Nazi organization. Bucky and Sam held his hands, having the same determination to end Hydra once and for all.
They had a couple of hours to kill before the briefing session, and the three of them took the opportunity to discuss the mission at hand.
PRESENT:
"Can we get to the base already?" Bucky yawned from the doorway as he and Steve watched Sam tell the story.
Sam gave him a mock glare. "Well if you think you can do better, be my guest."
Bucky approached the kids and cleared his throat. "Okay, now for the exciting part."
TWO YEARS AGO:
The Avengers landed on the supposed base site, armed for the battle. Steve held his shield at the ready while Bucky held a gun in his hand and Sam flew down next to them with a gun of his own.
Tony, Hulk, Thor, Natasha, Clint, Scott, Wanda, T'Challa, and Vision stepped up next to them, bracing themselves for battle.
Steve looked around at the seemingly normal office building and then back at his team. "Ready?"
A chorus of nods greeted him and Steve pulled his shield off his back. He held it in front of him, ready to take on Hydra. Steve, Sam, and Bucky entered the building first, with the other Avengers following close behind.
The interior of the building was deserted and quiet. Too deserted and quiet. Looking around for any sign of movement, Steve stepped forward. As he stepped on a loose tile, a rumbling noise began behind them. The Avengers turned around and found that the doors were closing behind them. Before Steve could call out instructions, he yelled as a thick net engulfed him and yanked him up suspending him against the ceiling.
"How nice of you to join us," came a familiar voice, followed by Brock Rumlow stepping out from the shadows. Natasha, Bucky and Sam pointed their guns at him while the other Avengers prepared for battle. He looked at Sam and Bucky with a sick smile on his face. "We meet again."
“I saw you die,” Wanda said, glaring at him.
Rumlow laughed at her. “You ‘saw’ me die.” He made sure to emphasize the air quotes. “Do you believe everything you see?”
Bucky pulled the trigger of his gun, but no bullet came out. He let out a string of Russian curse words as he examined his gun. Rumlow laughed as the other Avengers attempted to fire their weapons. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"
T'Challa leapt at him and attempted to strike him. A force field appeared in front of Rumlow and the blow hit that instead. T'Challa yelped at the pain in his arm. "You're nothing without your powers," Rumlow laughed. He pressed a button on his wristwatch and the ceiling opened up. Steve was pulled inside. Sam tried to fly up and stop it, but he found that his wings stopped working only a few feet up and he fell to the ground.
Rumlow turned to address the group. "You have three hours to bring me the scepter you have in your facility. Or else Captain America gets what's coming to him." Smirking, he walked back where he came from and the Avengers could do nothing but watch him leave.
PRESENT:
Steve shuddered as he thought about the incident. "I hated those ropes."
Rory and Maggie looked at the three of them in awe. "How did you escape?" Rory asked excitedly.
Steve smiled in response. "One word of advice, you never know when you're going to need a pocket knife."
TWO YEARS AGO:
Steve struggled as he felt himself pulled into the Hydra facility. Several Hydra agents were waiting for him as he hovered over them, trapped in the net. Rumlow stepped into the room and pressed a button. Steve fell to the ground with a thud as the net dropped. A pair of agents approached him and Steve attempted to hit them with his shield. However, the force field took the blow and the shield bounced right back at Steve like a boomerang.
Falling to the ground, Steve fell over as pain shot through his stomach. The Hydra agents disentangled him from the net before pulling it away. Before Steve could try to escape, they picked him up and forced him into a chair in the center of the room. As soon as he was seated, he was bound to the chair with ropes. Unable to run or fight back, Steve looked at his captors. "What do you want?"
"Your help," Rumlow replied. "I apologize for tying you down, but it was the only way to get you to listen."
Steve just glared at him. "Why would I help you?"
Rumlow smiled. "For peace." Steve gaped at him and Rumlow explained. "There is an enemy that is a danger to all of those who dwell in the galaxy. I'm sure you've heard of him."
"Thanos," Steve spat out, knowing that the inevitable was coming.
Nodding, Rumlow said, "Correct. Now as fearsome as you and your costumed boy band are, you are no match for Thanos by yourself. Help us and we will make the world safe again for everyone."
"Why would we accept help from you?" Steve said, as he looked around the room. He had spent all of his life fighting Hydra, and hell would freeze over before he would ever think of joining the Nazi organization.
"Don't you want peace?" Rumlow asked, "Join us and we can have it. With our technology we'll be able to stop him and we'll never have to fight another battle again."
Steve glowered at him, "We don't negotiate with terrorists."
Rumlow laughed, "Have it your way. Just know that you're making a very big mistake." He turned to another agent. "Bring him to the facility." He turned back to Steve. "A little torture will change your mind. You will work for us either willingly or unwillingly. It's up to you to decide.”
Two agents grabbed him by the ropes that bound him and dragged him to a small empty room. Steve struggled against their grip, but he felt himself getting weaker. He slumped in defeat, but he knew that he couldn’t give up. If he was going to get out of here he had to use his wits. That and the small pocketknife hidden in his back pocket.
The agents left him inside and Steve struggled through his bindings to reach his back pocket. After several minutes of struggle, Steve clasped his hand around the knife. He smiled in triumph and began to cut himself free of his bindings.
Not long after he stood up, several agents came rushing in to subdue him. He knew that he couldn't punch his way out, as he had seen what the force fields had done to his teammates and his own shield. Luckily, he had other tricks up his sleeve. He dodged several punches, weaving around gracefully. One agent attempted to put him in a headlock, but Steve wriggled out of his grasp. "I can do this all day," he taunted at the Hydra agents, who were clearly tiring from the fight. Steve dodged more of their punches and maneuvered towards the door. Another wave of agents opened the door, and Steve managed to slip out between them.
Running through the facility, he looked around for an exit. He found a door pretty quickly, but the sound of crying nearby stopped him. Glancing inside the door, his breath caught as he saw two kids, a boy and a girl locked in a cage. They had to be about two years old and looked terrified as they locked eyes with him, as he looked back at them frozen in place.
Before Steve could do anything, he was knocked out and dragged back to his cell.
PRESENT:
"What happened next?" Maggie asked. The two kids were restless with anticipation.
Sam laughed. "Your dad didn't rescue you singlehandedly."
Steve nodded. "I don't know what would have happened if your dads hadn’t saved me."
Clearing his throat, Sam continued with the story.
TWO YEARS AGO:
The remaining Avengers regrouped outside the facility, stopping to catch their breath. "Screw Hydra," Bucky said, panting.
"Language," Tony said mockingly, reminiscent of Steve.
T'Challa frowned in contemplation. "Now what?"
Natasha stepped forward. "There's no way we're handing over that scepter."
"He's right," Tony said sadly as he made quick adjustments to his Iron Man suit. "We're nothing without our powers."
Sam leaned against the side of the building in deep thought. "We're going to get Steve back," he said, feigning confidence in his tone. "We just have to find another way."
"How?" Clint asked. "Hydra is ruthless in their missions."
"Ruthless," Sam replied, with a smile. "But not unstoppable."
"What do you suggest?" Thor asked as the other Avengers turned to Sam.
Sam smiled, "We outwit them." He looked at the other Avengers, a plan forming in his mind. "They have developed a technology to stop our punches, but every technology has an off switch." Natasha smiled, starting to understand Sam's plan.
"We bring the scepter, just like they asked. While Bucky, Thor, Wanda, Clint, Vision, and I are engaging them, Scott, Natasha and T'Challa will help Tony and Bruce sneak in. Once inside, they will disable the technology. Once the technology is disabled, we'll subdue Hydra and rescue Steve."
"While that is a great idea," Tony said, "You're forgetting something. We have no way to know where to find the server and there won't be nearly enough time."
Bucky glared at him. "The plan will work, Stark. Just because it isn't your plan doesn't mean it's a bad plan."
"Though I appreciate the defense," Sam said, smiling at Bucky, "we literally do not have time to argue." He turned to Tony, "If you have a better plan, speak up. If not, then let's try it."
Tony opened his mouth to argue but shut it, unable to come up with a better plan. Clint made a call back to headquarters and Nick Fury pulled up about a half hour later with the scepter in hand. Sam reached out his hand to take it, but Fury pulled it out of his grasp. "Do not let this fall into Hydra's hands," Fury warned. "I don't have to tell you the destruction that could occur if it does."
He held out the scepter and Sam took it carefully, feeling the power coursing through it. "Yes, sir." Turning back to the other Avengers, he said, "Let's get Steve back."
The Avengers split up into two teams, one led by Natasha and one led by Sam. Gripping the scepter, he looked over at Bucky, who gave him an encouraging smile. Straightening his shoulders and adjusting his goggles, he led his team into the building.
PRESENT:
"Can I hold the goggles?" Rory asked as he listened to the story with bated breath.
Sam smiled at his son's enthusiasm and pulled them out of his pocket. "Be gentle with them," he said as he handed them to him. Rory slipped the goggles over his eyes, they were too big for him but he held them to his face with both hands.
"All you need is the wings," Steve said from the doorway. "Then you'll be replacing Dad in no time as the Falcon."
"Hey," Sam said, mock-glaring at Steve. "I didn't know my job security was in danger. I would have though you two would have retired first."
Bucky laughed. "We can all move to Florida when we retire, after all that's where us geezers live. And you can visit us in the winter during your migration."
Through all of their years together, Sam never got tired of the playful teasing he engaged in with his husbands. He just grinned back and said, "You're not getting rid of me so quickly."
Maggie cleared her throat and Sam focused his attention back on her. "Can we finish the story? What happened next?"
Leaning back into his chair, Sam continued his story.
TWO YEARS AGO:
The lobby was deserted as they reentered the building. Sam cleared his throat and said, "Hello? Anybody there?"
There was no answer and the team looked at each other in confusion. Sam held the scepter up in the air, to show it. "We have your scepter. Come and get it."
There was a sudden noise and the team was wrapped up in another, larger net. "Did you think I was just going to let you hand it over and walk away?" Rumlow asked as he stepped into the lobby. He frowned as he looked up at them. "Where are the others?"
Sam shrugged as Clint elbowed him in the face in an attempt to break out of the net. "They went home. Figured that you didn't need all of us."
"Perhaps you can get your friend to cooperate," Rumlow said as he glared at Sam. "He's being very unpatriotic at the moment."
Bucky hissed at him. "I'll show you unpatriotic." He attempted to wriggle out of the net, but Sam held him back.
Rumlow said nothing as he pressed the button on his wristwatch. The net pulled upwards and dragged them deeper into the facility. Hydra agents were waiting for them and pulled them out of the net. Though the Avengers tried to fight back, they were quickly subdued. The agents dragged them to a group of cells and threw them inside.
Sam breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that he and Bucky had been thrown into a cell with Steve. Running over, he saw that Steve was out like a light. Thankfully, he was still breathing. Sam tenderly placed a kiss to his forehead as he gently shook him.
Steve gently stirred awake slowly, his eyes wide with panic as he saw Sam and Bucky standing over him. "What are you doing here?"
"We were attempting a rescue mission," Bucky said, "but it didn't work so well."
Steve looked at them with deep concern. "Did they get everyone?"
Sam shook his head. "Not everyone." He didn't divulge further details of the plan, as he didn't know whether Hydra was listening in on them.
Luckily, Steve picked up on the plan pretty quickly. "There's something I need to tell you. There are kids down the hall locked in a cage. They look like they've been experimented on."
Sam nodded in understanding. "We'll get them out." Before they could talk any more, the door to their cell opened and several Hydra agents came in. None of them attempted to fight as they allowed themselves to be pulled out of the cell.
PRESENT:
Steve cleared his throat and Sam turned to look over at him. "Maybe we should skip this part of the story." He gestured over to the kids who had not moved in quite a while, entranced by the story.
Sam and Bucky nodded in agreement. "You're right," Sam said. At that moment, Sam's phone rang in his pocket. He pulled out the phone and glanced at the caller ID. "I should take this."
"Don't leave," Maggie pleaded as Sam stood up. "Finish the story."
Pausing, Sam looked at his kids. "I'll only be a couple of minutes," he said. He looked over at Steve and Bucky. "You're in good hands with your dads."
Bucky gave him an encouraging nod and he left the room. Sitting in the now empty seat, Bucky continued the story.
TWO YEARS AGO:
The three of them struggled to catch their breath as they were led back into their cell. "Torture hasn't changed much since the 40s." Bucky grimaced cradling his human arm with his metal arm.
Steve stared straight ahead as he sat in the uncomfortable chair. Sam noticed and sat next to him. "We're going to get out of here," Sam assured him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
He relaxed into Sam's touch. "I know," he said, "It's just that..."
"You're worried about the kids," Sam finished his sentence. Steve nodded. "If we can get out of here, we'll definitely be able to rescue them as well."
Before Steve could respond, the lights in the cell went out. The room was engulfed in pitch black and only the screaming by Hydra agents outside indicated that this was not part of the plan.
"Stark and Banner must have disabled the system," Sam said, his voice filled with triumph.
The three of them got up, holding each other up to prevent the others from slipping and falling in the pitch black. "Now we punch our way out of here," Bucky said, excited.
The lights came on and the three of them looked at each other before clenching their fists. The door to their cell burst open and they ran into the hallway, where their fellow Avengers were beating up the Hydra agents trying to subdue them. Natasha saw them and threw Steve his shield. Vision had the scepter in his grip, safe from Hydra’s hands. Steve smiled over at her before the three of them joined the fray.
Even with their powers back, the Hydra agents were more than a challenge for them, weak from torture and captivity. But when it seemed as though the Avengers were getting the upper hand, Rumlow walked into the center of the battle. He smiled a wicked smile before pressing another button on his wristwatch.
"Two minutes to detonation," a computerized voice came on over the loudspeaker. Both Avengers and Hydra agents alike ran in terror as they tried to evacuate the building.
PRESENT:
Sam returned from his phone call. "Is everything alright?" Steve asked.
He nodded in response. "It was just Rhodey calling about Tony's surprise party." He looked over at Bucky, "Where are you at in the story?"
"The bomb," Bucky explained. He got up and offered the seat back to Sam.
Sam eagerly took it and said, "I love this next part." He leaned forward, looking down at the kids, and launched into the next part of the story.
TWO YEARS AGO:
Steve looked back down the hall to where the two kids were trapped. Sam noticed his gaze and said, "Go. I'll get them."’
Steve nodded and helped a limping Bucky out of the building. Sam ran down the hall and kicked open the door with great force. The two kids looked up at him, in terror. He slowly walked towards them and tried his best to reassure them. "It's okay. I'm here to rescue you."
The boy offered his hand to Sam through the bars and he took it. Sam glanced around the room, spotting keys hanging from a hook on the wall. He grabbed quickly before opening the cage. The kids ran into his arms as soon as they were freed. The computerized voice counted down the seconds through the speakers. They were never going to get out in time through the door. Though Sam was terrified, he put on a brave face for the screaming kids in his arms. Using his gun, he shot a hole in the ceiling and held tight to the kids while he spread out his wings.
Flying up, he braced himself and the kids in his arms. They burst through the ceiling and Sam flew as high as his wings would allow. He could make out the other Avengers battling with the Hydra agents below at a safe distance from the building. Sam covered the kids’ ears as the building exploded beneath them. He could make out their crying over the sound of the explosion and said calmly, "It's okay."
He flew down to the other Avengers, who had subdued the Hydra agents, including Rumlow. Steve looked over at Sam as he landed, mouthing a statement of gratitude towards them. Sam released the kids from his hold and they hugged him. Sam felt warm and fuzzy in the kids’ embrace and he knew he had already fallen in love with them.
"What are your names?" Sam asked.
"Rory," said the boy.
"Maggie," replied the girl.
Sam grinned at the two kids, and held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rory and Maggie." The kids shook his hand as Steve and Bucky walked over to them. "Rory, Maggie, this is Captain America and the Winter Soldier."
Rory and Maggie's eyes widened at the sight of the two Avengers. Steve knelt down to their level. "It's nice to meet you. Are you hurt?"
The kids shook her heads. Rory pointed up at Sam, and said, "Angel."
Sam blushed at the compliment. "I'm not an angel, but I'll take care of you."
Moments later, Nick Fury arrived with a transport vehicle. The other Avengers helped load the Hydra agents inside, preparing them to be taken to their prison. "Everything alright?" Fury asked, looking at Steve.
Steve nodded, "I've had worse."
Fury noticed the kids who were glued to Sam's hip. "And who are these adorable munchkins?"
The kids backed away in fear at the sight of Fury, but Sam assured them, "He's a friend." Bucky explained the situation to him, and he nodded at the story.
"Let's take them back to headquarters and make sure they're okay," Fury said. He looked down at the kids and asked, "How would you like to ride in a transport vehicle?"
Though Sam was sure they've never heard of a transport vehicle, they nodded excitedly. Everyone piled in and Fury drove them back to headquarters.
PRESENT:
"That was a great story," Rory said, yawning. Maggie nodded in agreement.
Sam smiled at them. "It's not over yet."
They looked at him with matching confused expressions. "It's not?"
"The best is yet to come," Sam said glancing over at Steve and Bucky. They smiled back at him as they thought about the aftermath of the mission.
TWO YEARS AGO:
The Avengers sat around the table, each of them nursing the drink of their choice. None of them spoke, as they relaxed after the difficult mission.
Fury strode into the room and the Avengers turned to him with rapt attention. "Good job, everyone." Fury looked around the room. "We've successfully closed down another Hydra facility and brought more of their agents to justice. Though we could have done without the pyrotechnics." A couple of the Avengers laughed.
Tony stood up, "Party tonight? Drinks are on me." A couple of the Avengers nodded in agreement.
"Thank you," Steve said, "but I think I'll pass."
"Your loss, Cap," Tony said before exiting the room.
Fury looked at the remaining Avengers. "You're all free to go. Rogers, Wilson, Barnes, can I have a word with you?"
The three of them stayed sitting while the other Avengers left the room. When everyone had left, Fury cleared his throat. "About the kids you rescued. We found no permanent damage from Hydra's experiments on them. We also found Hydra’s records on them. Unfortunately, they have no living or legal guardians."
"What's going to happen to them?" Steve asked.
"Normally we'd put them in the foster system and wait for them to be adopted," Fury explained, "but in this case I'd feel safer if they went to a home that could properly deal with their trauma."
Steve, Sam, and Bucky looked at each other, understanding what Fury was asking. Though none of them said a word, they could tell that they were all on the same page. "We'll take them," Sam said, speaking up for the three of them.
Fury smiled at him, "I'm glad." He pulled out papers and a pen and handed them over to them. "Here are the adoption papers. Once you fill them out, you can visit them and bring them home."
He left them in the room and Sam pulled the papers toward them. "We're doing the right thing," Steve said.
Sam nodded in agreement. "We'd been talking about adoption for a while. At least the difficult part of choosing is over."
The three of them filled out the papers and signed them with each of their signatures. Handing the papers over to Fury, they were led to a room where Rory and Maggie were sitting. The kids looked over at them as they entered the room. "Ready to go home?" Sam asked.
Rory and Maggie nodded as they walked over. The three of them knelt down to the kids’ eye level as they joined into a group hug. Taking their hands, Sam led them to their car. The family piled inside and Steve drove them home.
As they entered the house, Rory and Maggie's eyes lit up in excitement at the sight of the spacious rooms. Sam looked around, hoping to find something he could give them as a toy. They had a lot of work to do to make the house inhabitable for two children, but the three of them could get it done pretty quickly.
He found the prototypes of the Captain America, Falcon, and Winter Soldier action figures on his desk that had been sent to them by the toy company. Despite being toys, they were pretty accurate to the real likenesses. He handed the toys to the kids, and they accepted them happily. Steve and Bucky sat on the floor as they played with them. Sam watched from the doorway for a couple of moments before going to make dinner for them.
Luckily, he had some chicken fingers and Mac and cheese in the freezer and figured that that would do for tonight until they did a proper grocery run. Not long after, Sam called them in for dinner. Sam couldn't help but smile during dinner, as he looked around at how happy everyone was. It was almost as if they had been doing this for years instead of the first time.
After dinner, Sam found some ice cream in the freezer and they gathered on the couch to watch one of the movies that Sam had. He had been trying to introduce Steve and Bucky to all of the movies they had missed due to their extremely unique circumstances. They settled on Big Hero 6 and nobody spoke as they enjoyed the movie.
As soon as the movie was over, the three of them put Rory and Maggie to bed. They each got a hug from each of their parents as Bucky made up the pullout couch for them. As they lay in bed, Sam told them a bedtime story that his father used to tell him as a kid. He didn't get very far, as Rory and Maggie fell asleep quickly due to the long and exhausting day.
Steve, Sam, and Bucky kissed each other good night as they got ready for bed. They barely had time to get settled before Rory and Maggie ran into their bedroom, crying. "Bad dream?” Steve asked. Both of them nodded.
The three of them looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Sam helped them climb into bed and they rested between the three of them. Though the bed was crowded, it felt comfortable. The kids fell asleep almost immediately, and Steve and Bucky weren't too far behind them. As Sam fell asleep, he thought about how lucky he was to have his family, both old and new.
PRESENT:
"And they lived happily ever after," Sam said, finishing up his story.
Rory and Maggie yawned, but they had wide smiles on their faces. "So that's how you chose us," Maggie said.
Sam nodded. "It is, but to be honest, you chose us as much we chose you." He checked his watch and saw that it was close to nine. "Time for bed. It's way past your bedtime." He held out his arms and Rory and Maggie ran towards him. Rory offered his goggles back and Sam held them in his hand as he lifted the kids up in his embrace. "I love you, Rory and Maggie."
"We love you too, Dad," said Maggie. Sam put them down and they ran to Steve and Bucky.
"We love you, too," Rory said, as they embraced their other fathers.
Bucky and Steve smiled, "We love you, too." They picked them up and put them to bed. After tucking them in, Rory and Maggie fell asleep pretty quickly.
Sam, Steve, and Bucky made their way down the hall until they reached their bedroom. They kissed each other good night, said their I Love Yous, and got ready for bed.
As they lay in bed, Steve and Bucky fell asleep quickly. Sam looked at his husbands and then thought of his kids sleeping down the hall. Though their family came together in an unusual way, Sam wouldn't trade it for anything. Through the years, they had become one big happy family and Sam wouldn't have it any other way.
