"Is she ready?"

"What more could she need?"

"Her failure will be the death of us all."

Kyra Rogers tossed and turned as she slept, trying to run away from these words, but they haunted her whether she was asleep or awake. She was burdened with a purpose she didn't even know, and suffocated under the implications of her failure.

Outside it was almost six in the morning, and Sharon Carter came up to start her day. She made her way to the kitchen, but as she passed by Kyra's room, she was pulled to check in when she heard crying. Agent Carter quietly opened the door to peak inside, and saw her sister-in-law crying as she slept. Her maternal concern kicked at her, but she only made a pitied face as she closed the door and went to the kitchen.

Sharon had already started making breakfast by the time her boyfriend came into the room.

"Mornin', doll." Steve Rogers said as he kissed her head from behind and began gathering ingredients for a health shake.

"Good morning. You might want a late start today, hon."

Steve finally stopped what he was doing and turned his focus to his girlfriend.

"Something wrong?" He took a quick look towards his sister's room as soon as the words left him.

"She was crying all night." Sharon told him as she nodded to the door.

Steve lowered his gaze in a confirming look.

"I thought the nightmares ended?"

Sharon Carter knew all there was to know about her new family since the past few years she'd been dating Steve Rogers, including Kyra's troubles with her past. She shrugged in response to Steve's question, unsure of what was bothering her sister-in-law.

"New nightmares?" She suggested.

"I'll check it out." Steve leaned off the counter and began to Kyra's room.

He knocked twice on the door, not too soft but not too loud.

"Morning, sleepy head." He called as he peaked his head in.

Kyra pulled the covers up, hiding her face from Steve.

"Did I sleep in?" She groaned.

Steve laughed to himself. His little sister was never a morning person.

"No, it's still early. I'm heading out for a run and I thought you could join me. We gotta talk."

Kyra groaned again. "I'll be out in a minute."

Steve nodded and closed the door before returning to the kitchen.

"We're gonna go for a run. You good with James?"

Sharon chidingly turned her head. "What? Am I not his mother?"

"No! It's just... I feel bad not helping." He corrected himself as he worked on his protein shake.

Sharon wrapped her hands around his waist and dug her chin in his shoulder.

"You're helping Kyra. She's our responsibility too."

Steve turned in her hold and kissed her, wrapping her in his arms.

"You don't have to..."

"I want to! Your little sister's my little sister. And no one's going to call you a bad dad for being a good big brother,"

Their conversation had moved on by the time Kyra came out dressed for a workout.

"Good morning!" Sharon greeted her and Kyra replied with a smile.

"When are we leaving?" She asked Steve as she stole a buttered toast from Sharon and a glass from Steve.

"Whenever's good for you." Steve answered before finishing his own drink in a couple sips.

"Let's go." Kyra was ready to go and Steve kissed his girlfriend goodbye.

He grabbed his car keys on their way out, but when they got outside, Kyra stopped him.

"Car's too long," she complained and grabbed Steve's arm to teleport instead.

They both expected to come out in the national mall, but ended up at their old park near the gym.

"Well, this isn't where I was going." Kyra complained.

"Hey, it still works. Warm up first?" Steve was much too energetic for her taste, especially this early in the morning.

Cap's movements were determined and quick, while his sister's were lethargic. Kyra waved him off as he went on his first run, but when he passed her again, Kyra was determined to leave him in the dust.

They ran a competition for miles, chasing each other in the dawn breeze. But as the sun came up and the temperature warmed, Kyra slowed down, her ghosts catching up.

She leaned over her knees to catch her breath, but soon began choking on air and broke down crying.

"Hey, hey!" Steve cajoled as he straightened her up and pulled her into a hug.

Kyra cried out her frustrations pressed against his pillowy chest, his strong arms wrapped around her promising to keep the demons away.

She sniffled and pulled herself together as she stepped away, his hand on the small of her back.

"You good?"

"Yeah, thanks. I really needed that," she replied and walked over to a bench.

"Any time. Do you wanna talk?"

Kyra took a big breath and sat down. Steve followed.

"Uh! Just, family... communication gap."

"Dad troubles?"

"Grand dad troubles," she corrected him. "God I hate magic school."

"Well, you're on Earth now. You have medical school to think about."

"Speaking of, where are we with that?"

"I don't know. Why don't we give Tony a call right now?"

"So up for it!" She welcomed the distraction Tony would give.

Steve got out his smartphone and gave the billionaire a call, who picked up on the fifth ring.

"You've reached Tony Stark. Leave a message after the tone," he made his own beep sound.

"Hey, Tony! It's Steve."

"Cap! What's goin' on? How's my favorite tiny human?"

"We're doing good. James misses his uncle Tony."

"Criminal! That means we gotta get together soon! This a social call?"

"Not really. Listen, I have a friend here who's looking into science school. And I thought you might be a better person to reach out to. You got a minute?"

"For you? Anytime! I'm actually up in Manhattan for the tower. You wanna meet up?"

"Sounds good. Call you when we get there."

"Alright, ciao. Love to little Anthony."

"Bye Tony." Steve said back and hung up.

"I bet you regret naming James after him now, huh?" Kyra teased.

"It was either that, or making him godfather. We went with the lesser evil. Cheered up?"

"Always!"

Steve got off the bench first.

"Alright, let's head home first, then we'll catch a ride to New York."