The apartment was quiet. The only light was that of the sun shining through the curtains. Steve was nowhere to be found, nor was anyone else for that matter. Marlena wasn't sure where her phone had gone, so she had no way to contact anyone, no matter how desperately she wished to be able to. It'd been days since she'd seen any member of her family, and their absence was bothering her tremendously.

Marlena trekked slowly through the apartment with her father lingering behind her. She was happy to be free of the Hydra base Alena had them trapped in. Learning what her and Kellan had planned for Marlena meant there was no more time to be spared in making her escape. She was lucky to have found her father in the midst of it all, as she wondered if she ever would've found her way back home without his assistance.

"How much do you pay a month for this place?" Marlena's father asked as he, too, walked around the apartment. There were pictures scattered across the walls—some new, some old. The sight was bittersweet for James, as he'd been gone for so long. It gave him comfort knowing that even if he hadn't been given the chance to experience his children's lives in person, he could experience them through pictures. It was better than nothing at all, he thought.

"About $4,000," Marlena answered nonchalantly.

"Wow," James chuckled quietly and shook his head. Times had changed since he'd truly been able to live his life, as had the prices. "I hope you two have really good jobs."

"We do," Marlena smiled softly and headed into her shared bedroom with Steve. "Steve is a consultant and counselor down at the VA, and I'm working as a researcher for NYU while I finish school. Sometimes we're Avengers, so additional income, I guess."

"I'm really proud of you," James told Marlena, and she turned to look at him. There was a smile on his face, but she could see the sadness in his eyes, as well as feel it radiating off of him. With the return of her abilities came a newfound strength she knew she hadn't had before. Her father, on the other hand, didn't appear so strong, though Marlena knew he was trying to be. She didn't blame him, though, as the only family member he'd known since 2005 kept him locked away in an ice box with little to no contact to the outside world. It was clear he was struggling to adjust to all the sudden changes, and that was okay, or at least it was okay with Marlena. She planned to do whatever she could to help him after everything was said and done.

"You're a lot stronger than you know," Marlena said to her father. She reached out to grab his hand and squeezed it gently inside her own. "I know this because you're a Claire, and we're pretty damn resilient. There were so many times I thought I was broken to the point of being unfixable, but each time I was proved wrong. Whenever this is over, I'll help you in whatever way I can, okay? You don't have to go through this alone...not anymore, dad."

James took a deep breath and squeezed her hand back, his eyes filling with tears at the sound of her words. He wasn't sure where his little girl had gone, but he was beyond proud of the woman she'd become. She'd been through so much, and he could see it in her tired hazel eyes. But through it all she found a way to push through. She found a way to keep going.

"The last time I saw you, you were this little girl with freckles and too many Star Wars t-shirts," James chuckled softly, "Now you're this strong, beautiful, and incredibly intelligent woman, and I'm so sorry I didn't get the chance to see you grow into that."

"You know none of that's your fault," Marlena reassured him. "I never want you to feel like that's your fault."

"I could've done a better job saving your sister." He sighed and pulled his hand away. "I could've done a better job making our family whole again, but I didn't."

"That still doesn't make it your fault." Marlena ran a hand through her tousled hair. She hated seeing her father in such a fragile state, especially when her memory provided her with a completely opposite picture. "When Bucky was the Winter Soldier, he was one of the deadliest assassins in the world. In my eyes, at that point in time, no one could've defeated him. Hydra took your life from you, Dad, the same way they took my life from me and Alena's life from her and Bucky's life from him, but none of that's your fault. It's none of our faults, but we're all broken to some extent because of it, especially Alena, which is why I need to stop her before she takes this too far. Dealing with a pain like that can make you someone's worst nightmare, and I'm trying to prevent her from becoming anyone else's."

"You know I'll do whatever I can to help you end this, right?"

"I'm counting on it."

Marlena continued into her room, her eyes falling on the bed. Only one side of the bed had been slept in, and this was a big relief for Marlena. The thought of Alena even having the audacity to do something like that apart from stealing someone's children was absolutely disgusting, and Marlena had no issue letting her know if that happened to be the case. The problem, on the other hand, was that if Alena wasn't with Steve, she was with Bucky, and that was an entirely different issue in itself. Marlena grew angry when she realized what that meant.

"I'm gonna kill her." Marlena turned to look at her father, who was watching her with a raised brow.

"I get it, I do, but please don't."

Marlena looked around the room, stopping when she laid eyes on the dresser. She walked over to it and picked up the engagement ring she'd left there just a couple weeks prior. It looked just as bright as it had when she left it, and the sight of it made her smile. It was a reminder of the family she fought for—the family she refused to lose again. They weren't going anywhere and she was going to make sure of it.

"We've gotta go find Steve," Marlena said to James. She slid her ring back onto her finger, now thankful the bloating had gone down some, and she started back towards her father.

"Neither of us have phones," James reminded her. "He could be anywhere."

"I'm just gonna borrow a phone." Marlena started out the bedroom door, leaving her father trailing behind her.

"You can't just leave Captain America's phone number in some stranger's phone. Are you crazy?"

"Then I'll delete the—" Marlena stopped talking the minute she heard the apartment door open, and she held her arm out, stopping her father at her side in the corner.

Steve walked into the apartment. He switched on the light in the living room and tossed his jacket aside before moving to sit a bag of food from his and Marlena's favorite Chinese restaurant on the counter. There was only one box in the bag, which meant Steve was alone, and she grew upset when she remembered the reason why.

Marlena stepped out of the dark hallway and walked quietly towards the kitchen, but her boots weren't as quiet as she thought they'd be. Steve, who'd just grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, heard her, and quickly turned around to look at her. He hadn't expected anyone to be in the apartment, especially not Marlena.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked her.

Marlena frowned as she made the slightest mental connection with Steve. He was hurting and so much more. A dreadful pain associated with loss loomed over him like a cloud, and it was then she couldn't help herself. Marlena preferred staying on the surface of one's mind to prevent invading too much of their privacy or any at all, but she needed to know what Alena had said and done to him, and she figured she'd be saving him the pain of talking about it.

With a sigh, Marlena hurried over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Steve was slightly taken back, but he accepted the hug and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I'm so sorry she did that to you." Marlena pulled away from Steve and placed her hands on either side of his face. He looked down at her, confusion flooding through his body, alongside an intense love for the woman he was holding onto.

"W-what?" Steve said to her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's really hard to explain right now, but I need you to know that I'm here—we're both here—and we aren't going anywhere," Marlena assured him. "But I need you to tell me where Bucky is, Steve."

"I don't know," he answered with a frown on his face. "I haven't heard from him or anyone else since you showed up."

"That wasn't me, Steve," Marlena shook her head. "Give me your phone."

"Could you explain to me what's going on?" Steve handed his phone to Marlena and followed her into the living room.

"To put it simply," Marlena began typing away on his phone, hoping she could figure out a way to make things work. "I found out who Alena is—she's my twin sister. I was adopted by Miranda and she was taken by Hydra. My fate as an Avenger has pretty much been sealed since the day I was born."

"What?" Steve couldn't believe his ears, but it was beginning to make sense. The Marlena standing in front of him was different—her smell, her skin, her eyes, her hair, and even her energy. He hated that he hadn't known better, but he was sure he wasn't the only one. No one ever could have expected something like this.

"Yeah, I might as well just paint 'Avengers Assemble' across my forehead," Marlena groaned quietly and sat down on the couch. "And do you wanna know the best part of it all?"

"What's that?"

"You can come out of hiding now!" Marlena called to her dad who was still standing in the corner with a certain nervousness looming over him. He was nervous to meet Steve, even with everything else going on, and the knowledge of that made Marlena feel just a tad bit better about the situation.

Steve turned his head to the corner and watched Marlena's dad emerge. The man was familiar, almost too familiar. He'd seen him before, but only in pictures. In fact, the man shouldn't have been standing in front of him to begin with. From what Steve knew, he'd been killed at the hands of Hydra years ago. "Is that your—"

"Yes," Marlena said with a smile. "I figured it was finally time you two met."

"C-Captain Rogers, it's truly an honor to meet you, sir," James greeted the soldier, his voice wavering slightly due to nerves. It was surreal to be standing in front of the man he spent his entire childhood listening to stories about. Not only that, but knowing Steve was now his daughter's fiancé was truly astounding to him. He never would've imagined his little girl finding love with not just one, but two of grandfather's very best friends. It was strange to say the least, as well as completely awesome in his opinion. Fate was a very fickle thing for the Claire family, so it seemed.

"It's really great to meet you, Colonel Claire," Steve responded sincerely, though their greetings to one another threw Marlena completely off.

"Why are you two being so formal with each other?" Marlena questioned, her brow raised as she watched the two interact. "It's weird."

James gave his daughter a knowing look and gestured to Steve. "He's Captain America, Marlena! How else am I supposed to greet him?"

"I dunno, maybe by his name?" Marlena chuckled quietly.

"It's proper military etiquette, Marlena," James said to her, eliciting an eye roll from the brunette.

"Don't worry, you won't be court-martialled for calling him 'Steve'," Marlena teased.

Just then, Marlena was met with a thought regarding her father's time serving in the military. His actions in basic training had resulted in the current outcome of her life, and she had many questions that needed to be answered. She figured he was the only one who could provide her with them, considering Miranda was out-of-state, and her birth mother, Anastasia, was deceased as she'd come to discover.

"Speaking of the military, though, I need to talk to you about something," Marlena said to her father, placing Steve's phone onto the coffee table after sending a very informative text message to Wanda.

James walked over and made himself comfortable in the recliner opposite of the couple, his eyes on Marlena. "What's that? Are you thinking of joining?"

"God, no," Marlena said with a shake of her head. "Alena told me what happened between you and Anastasia during basic training. So did mom, and you obviously know I know she isn't my birth mother. I want to know why you two never told me."

James pursed his lips and wiped his clammy hands nervously over the legs of his pants. He'd been anticipating a conversation of the such between the two of them, but he hadn't anticipated it coming so soon. Regardless, he knew he could not find a way out of it. Marlena deserved answers. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was feeling or thinking after discovering the truth behind her entire life was nothing more than a lie. It made him feel horrible, but he had his reasons from keeping the truth from her, and all of those reasons had everything to do with maintaining her safety.

"Miranda and I wanted to tell you for so long, but we couldn't find the right time," James told her. "I was absolutely terrified when Anastasia found me and told me about her pregnancy. I didn't think I was ready to be a father just yet, until she told me the truth about who she was and who she worked for. I never told Miranda about Hydra for the sake of protecting her, and that's why I never told you either. I thought if you knew, your curiosity would get the best of you, and I couldn't shake the fear that one day you'd walk out looking for the truth and not come back."

"Why would you think that?"

James paused for a moment, reeling over his thoughts and the unpleasant memories of the last two decades of his life. "I was a pawn to Hydra for twenty years, Marlena. If it hadn't been for your sister, I would've welcomed death a long, long time ago. That wasn't the life I wanted for you."

"It still wasn't your decision to make," Marlena replied seriously. "Yours or mom's."

"I know, and I'm so sorry," James apologized, his tone filled with desperation and sincerity. "But to see you here now as the kindhearted and determined woman you grew up to be is everything I hoped for and more."

Marlena couldn't help the small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. Her father's opinion of her meant a lot, so much more than she thought it ever would. She was still overwhelmingly upset, however, knowing she'd lived the last 32 years of her life without the truth. "Don't get me wrong, I am so happy to be where I am in my life right now, but it's really hard knowing most of my life was spent living a lie."

"Your life is not a lie, Marlena Claire," James told her. "You have two beautiful children who love you so much. You have two parents who would do anything in the world for you. You have a brother that absolutely adores you. Hell, you're an Avenger, Marlena! And that's the truth. I should've told you everything, and I know that now, but please don't let my mistake make you second guess this wonderful life you've built for yourself."

"He's right, y'know?" Steve added.

James grinned and glanced between the two of them. "And don't even get me started on this right here," he said, gesturing between Steve and Marlena. "I knew one day you'd find a good man that could see just how amazing you are. Granted, I never imagined those someones to be your great-grandfather's best friends, but regardless, you are so loved. Nothing that's happened over these last several days will ever change that."

Marlena didn't respond. She simply sat back in her seat, glancing between Steve and her father periodically. James was right, and although she knew it'd take some time before she was able to overcome the emotions presented by the situation, his words made her feel a sense of peace and acceptance for the life she'd built thus far.

"Would you two care to tell me how the hell this happened, though?" James asked the couple after several moments of comfortable silence. "How'd you two meet? How'd you and Bucky meet, Mar? Alena never really got into the details with me."

"That's probably because she doesn't know any of them," Marlena chuckled.

"Enlighten me then."

Marlena shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Steve, an automatic smile pulling onto her face as she thought back on decade-old memories. She never would've imagined that single moment at the Smithsonian leading up to this point. She couldn't say she regretted it, however. She never would.

"I met Bucky at the Smithsonian back in 2014," Marlena started, looking back over at her father. "If I were to give you every single detail, we'd be here until January, but meeting him pretty much set me on my path in life. I met Steve not too long after I met Bucky, and he's been my absolute best friend ever since."

"Are you 'friend-zoning' me?" Steve asked with a raised brow, but his tone indicated he was merely teasing.

Marlena shook her head and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his broad chest. It hadn't been too long since the two had seen each other, but to Marlena it certainly felt like forever. If she could stay exactly where she was, listening to the soft sound of his heartbeat as she held him tightly in her arms, she would. "I think you've spent more than enough time in the friend-zone, Cap."

"Six years, give or take," Steve responded, wrapping his arms around Marlena as well. He couldn't help the smile on his face knowing he finally had her back. He'd missed her far too much. "But the wait was definitely worth it."

"Wait, what?" James leaned forward in his seat as he began reeling over the subtle meaning behind their interaction. "So you were pining over Marlena while she was still with Bucky?"

"I was," Steve responded with a nod. "And at the time I was perfectly fine just being the friend she needed me to be. But now I don't think I could ever let her go."

"And you don't have to," Marlena assured him.

"Man..." James shook his head and sat back in his seat once more, making himself comfortable. "If Grandpa Jo could see you now, Marlena..."

"He'd have quite a few opinions, I know that much."

"Well, of course he would," James laughed quietly. "I have quite a few myself."

"Oh, yeah?" Marlena raised a brow, pulling away from Steve slightly. "Like what?"

"Nothing bad, I promise," James reassured her with a slight smirk on his face. "It's just super weird, is all. You've taken 'respect your elders' to an entirely different level."

Marlena couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. His words brought back an old memory, one in which her mother had walked in on her and Bucky having a moment together on the couch. Her parents were so much more alike than she thought. It was almost a shame that when everything was said and done she wouldn't be able to see them rekindle that relationship, but her mom was happy with Greyson—the man who'd been there for Marlena and Mason unconditionally in the years following Miranda's death—and knowing her mom was happy was more than enough for Marlena.

Steve's phone vibrated on the table, and Marlena picked it up to see a text back from Wanda. After reading it, she stood up from the couch and looked at the two men. "It's time to go," she said to them.

"Where are we going?" Steve and James questioned simultaneously.

"To get our family back, c'mon," she answered and started towards the apartment door, but stopped and turned to Steve. "I'd put your food in the fridge if I were you."

Marlena tossed Steve his jacket, but not before removing the car keys from his pocket and giving him her award-winning smile. She was ready for the fight to be over so she could spend the next seven months in bed or on her couch. Life was exhausting, and she needed a vacation from it. Everyone did, and she was ready to give it to them.