- Two Years Later. Third Person POV -

"Mommy!" A little blond toddler came running into the kitchen of the small country house. She threw her arms around her mother's legs and hugged her tightly. Alice laughed and knelt down to her daughter's level and kissed her on the nose. The little girl giggled.

"Where's daddy?" Alice asked her daughter.

Maggie extended a small finger towards the hallway by her bedroom. Steve came walking out of Maggie's room with a pink tiara on his head. He stopped when he saw his wife snickering. 

"Yep. That's right. Laugh all you want to, but according to Maggie I am a pretty daddy." Steve replied with pride. Maggie ran back over to her father and he greeted her with open arms. He lifted her up into the air and planted a little kiss on her cheek. Steve pulled the tiara off of his head and placed it on his daughter's head. "It looks better on you, little cloud."

Maggie laughed and pulled the tiara off quickly. "No, you!" She placed the plastic tiara back on his head and giggled.

"Captain Pretty Princess. I like the sound of that better than Captain America, don't you, Maggie?" Alice asked her daughter. Maggie nodded in agreement. 

Steve looked at Alice as she rummaged through her purse, looking for something. Steve's happy expression dropped from his face. "Go play in your room, cloud." He placed her gently on her feet. The toddler took off towards her room without hesitation.

Steve approached the counter slowly with his arms crossed as his wife continued to dig through her purse. He leaned up against the kitchen counter and sighed.

"I don't like this, Alice." Steve stated, not making eye contact.

"It's been years, Steve. I know that I told Tony to stay away from us, but I need to make things right. The team was our family, despite everything that happened. Making amends is the right thing to do." Alice explained calmly.

Steve grabbed Alice's hands and stopped her from digging in her purse. She looked into his blue eyes and saw the look of fear and anger. "I don't want you to do this."

"I have to."

"No, you don't. Alice, I brought us all the way out here so that we could protect Maggie and save her from becoming an Avenger. I don't want her to follow our path. I want her to live the normal life that we never could."

Alice pulled her hands away and dropped her tone to an angry whisper. "There will never be a normal life for Maggie, Steve! Look at her! She's the daughter of Captain America. She will never have a normal life because of us!"

Alice stepped away and took a few shaky breaths. Steve stood tall and watched as his wife tried to hold in her tears. "I want Maggie to get to know the team in the same way that we knew them before everything fell apart. We all were a family before everything shattered. I miss our family, Steve. I want to see them again."

Steve walked around the counter and took his wife into his arms. She leaned against his chest and held him tightly. "I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't mean to get angry."

Alice sniffled, "I know."

"I miss them too. Well, except for Tony." Steve replied. "I'm just worried about what could happen. I don't want something to happen that could ruin Maggie's life."

Alice looked up at her husband with glossy eyes. "I know, but just think about it. Everyone there would be willing to risk their lives to keep Maggie safe. I know they care about her."

"They'll be glad to see you again. Did you tell Nat when your plane lands so that she can pick you up?"

"Yes. She knows." Alice replied.

Maggie came running out of her room and ran straight to her father's leg. "Daddy, when's mommy going away?"

"Really soon, baby." Steve replied.

Alice grabbed her purse from the counter and pulled out her plane ticket that she had been searching for. She slung her purse over her shoulder and held her arms out. "I've gotta go now, baby." Steve passed Maggie to her. "I'm going to miss you so much, little cloud. You have to promise to be good for daddy, okay?" The toddler nodded her head. Alice planted a little kiss on her forehead and then wrapped her daughter in a hug. "I'll be home before you know it."

She placed her daughter on the ground and then took Steve's hands. "Stay out of trouble, make sure she takes her naps in the mornings, don't forget to pay the water bill, make sure you keep you shield and other weapons out of her reach-"

"Alice, relax." Steve kissed his wife on the forehead. "Maggie and I will be fine."

"Really? Because the last time I left you two alone for just one night, you burned the frozen pizza in the oven and Maggie drew all over the living room wall with a sharpie."

"I won't let that happen." Steve leaned in and kissed Alice on the lips. "Make sure to text me before your plane leaves."

"I will." She smiled.

Alice walked over to the door and picked up her small suitcase and opened the front door to her small house. Sunlight came streaming in and her figure was silhouetted with warm, golden light. Steve instantly fell in love with his wife all over again. She looked heavenly and quite angelic. 

"I love you both so much." She said.

"Vibranium strong." Steve mumbled to her as he approached the door. Maggie followed right behind him. Steve leaned in and placed a long and tender kiss on Alice's lips. When they finally pulled away, Steve lifted Maggie into his arms. Alice planted one last kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"Vibranium strong." She mumbled in response as she shut the door behind her and walked to her car.

-

Alice's plane departed eight hours ago. Steve had not heard a single word from her. 

This was not like her.

Maggie was now asleep in her room. Steve sat in the living room, staring at his phone that lay on the coffee table. His anxiety was growing intensely.

Ring. Ring. Please ring.

Steve suddenly reached for his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he reached Natasha Romanov's phone number. He pushed the call button and waited impatiently.

"Captain Steven Rogers." Nat's voice chimed in suddenly on the other end of the line. "It's been years and now I get a phone call from you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Is Alice there? Can I talk with her?"

"Alice? Why would Alice be here? Steve, what are you talking about? Alice isn't here."

Steve froze. "What do you mean? She's not there?"

"No. I didn't even know she was coming. She's supposed to be here?"

"You didn't know she was coming? She told me this morning that you were going to pick her up when her plane landed!"

"Something's wrong." Nat's tone dropped. "I'm calling Bruce. Maybe he knows-"

"Shit." Steve blurted out and quickly ended the phone call and sprang from the couch. He grabbed the keys to his car and began to race into Maggie's room. He would find her, but he would have to take Maggie with him.

Please don't be-

He stopped in his tracks when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly ran to the door and opened it, only to reveal two officers dressed in their black uniforms. One of the officers held Alice's purse and a crumpled up plane ticket.

Steve didn't even need to hear a word from the officers. He knew exactly what happened to Alice. She never boarded her plane. She never even made it to the airport.

Steve's ear began to ring loudly as the officers began to speak. "Captain Steve Rogers?" Steve could barely nod his head as a sick feeling invaded his stomach. "I'm sorry."

Steve sank to his knees as tears began to pour from his eyes. He couldn't remember a time he had ever cried this hard. Suddenly, Steve could hear Maggie crying from her room. 

"Your wife, Alice, is-"

The ringing in Steve's ears swallowed up all remaining sound.

And he always thought that he would be the one to go first.

-

A sleek black casket rested next to the hole that it was going to be placed in. A large bouquet of white lilies were placed on top. A small group of people remained at the burial site. 

The sun was buried behind dark clouds.

Remaining Avengers stood back from the casket. They all stared in disbelief at the casket of a woman who had only wanted to make amends with what had broken so long ago. A woman who did everything she could to protect those she loved.

A woman who was truly vibranium strong.

In front of them stood a truly destroyed Steve Rogers. A small girl dressed all in grey hugged her father tightly and stared ahead at the casket.

She did not understand.

She wouldn't understand for a long time.

Natasha Romanov stepped forward from the group and walked up beside Steve. She didn't say a word, but she took the small child out of her father's arms.

"Let's head back to the car, Rainy. I think it's going to rain." Nat said to Maggie, trying to smile. Her smile was fake. It would be for the next year.

One by one, every single Avenger disappeared in silence back to their car. Even Bruce reluctantly went back to his car. He knew that Steve needed his space.

One Avenger still remained.

Tony Stark.

Tony opened his small black umbrella as the raindrops began to fall from the sky. He approached Steve silently and held the umbrella above their heads. 

"They never found her body." Steve mumbled through a shaky breath. "Whoever caused the accident must've stolen her body, at least that's what the police say. There was so much blood found at the scene of the crash. All of it was her blood. Even if she tried to escape, she wouldn't have made it far, not with the amount of blood that she lost."

"Hydra." Tony assumed.

"I don't know." Steve wiped away a single tear and reached into the pocket of his black suit jacket. He pulled out a single piece of white paper that was neatly folded. "This was found on the windshield of her car." Steve passed the paper to Tony and watched as he unfolded it and revealed the red scribbles written on the page.

THE QUEEN IS CAPTURED. IT IS YOUR MOVE. 

"What is this, a game of chess?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. The day that we rescued Maggie, we found another paper like this one tucked inside of her baby blanket. At least we know that whoever kidnapped Maggie is the same person who went after Alice. The handwriting is identical." Tony handed the paper back to Steve after he had finished speaking.

Tony stared ahead at the casket and suddenly felt tears swelling up in his eyes. Things hadn't always been the best between them, but he always cared for Alice as if she was his younger sister. Tony's friendship with Steve had never been perfect either, but he knew that he needed to do something. He wanted to help.

"We start searching for her tomorrow. Come to my lab tomorrow at any time if you'd like to. If Alice is still out there, we will do whatever we can to find her."

Steve bit down on his upper lip as another tear rolled down his cheek. Tony stood next to Steve in silence, hoping that he might respond to him, but Steve remained quiet. He desperately wanted to fully believe that she was alive, but his gut was telling him otherwise.

Tony handed Steve his umbrella and then turned around to walk back to his car.

Steve stood alone in the rain as the cool droplets began to fall quickly. He silently approached the casket and placed his free hand on the sleek and wet surface.

"I'm trying, Alice. I'm doing the best that I can. I'm trying to stay strong for Maggie. She doesn't understand. God, I don't even know how I will ever begin to explain this to her. I don't even know where to start. But I promise you that I will do whatever it takes to give her the life that we always dreamed that she would have. I know that she will never be normal and that she will never truly know what a normal life is, but I will do whatever I can. And I want her to know the team. I want her to know this amazing group of people. You were always right, Alice. The team is her family. I mean, she's already really close with Nat." Steve chuckled. "She thinks her Uncle Bucky is very funny. She got him to wear her tiara the other day. I wish you were here to see that. I wish you were here, Alice." 

Steve's tone suddenly changed. "God, I wish it was me. I wish they didn't take you. You didn't deserve this, Alice. Maggie needs you. She will always need you."

Steve wiped away his tears and sighed. "I will always need you." He backed away from the coffin in silence before he looked down at the folded paper in his hand. He crumpled it up in his hand and shoved it deep in his shirt pocket. "If there's anything that I learned from you, it's that revenge is a dish best served cold."

Without another word, Steve Rogers turned away from the casket and walked back to his car.

-

A/N: The end... I just want to take a moment to thank you all for reading this story and giving it a chance. It means so much to me. I can't believe I finally finished it.

It's time for a sequel! Keep an eye out for Vibranium Legend! I will post a chapter in this book to let you know when Vibranium Legend is posted if you are interested in reading it.

And about the ending to this story... I've had this planned since the day I started writing this. I knew that I wanted it to end this way because I wanted Maggie to have a strong motivation for the sequel. So, Maggie's biggest motivation will be finding her mother!

Thanks for an amazing journey :)

- Cam