A/N Shorter chapter this time I hope you enjoy!Soon we are going to get into the good bits.

Evelyn POV

When we arrived at the apartment it was with a flurry of chaotic activity. There were construction workers everywhere cleaning and fixing the disaster that Steve and James had made of my room. Before I had a moment to question what was to happen next, Steve ushered me quickly up to the roof and away from all prying eyes. His own eyes darted wildly about as though he was expecting another even more dubious threat to come barrelling in. But me, all that I wanted was to ask him about James. Had I his number in my phone I would have called him myself but as it stood Captain America was my only contact so far. Before I could even open my mouth to voice my questions, Steve was on his phone his back turned to me looking out over the city, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. He made numerous phone calls, not giving me the slightest opportunity to ask him for James' number.

I leaned against the roof top still able to hear the bustle of reporters below, tuning him out long ago no longer trying to figure out who he was speaking to. When he finally slid his phone into his pocket, he turned to me.

"You, ok?" He asked again stepping closer to me his eyes filled with genuine concern.

"When is James able to come back?" I asked choosing to ask my own rather than answering his.

He ran his fingers through his hair, and I couldn't help but feel the tension radiating off of him. "It's hard to say."

I could feel my own anger begin to rise at this and I bristled. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself before I spoke next, "I don't understand why he can't come back home."

He sighed and I could see the conflict boiling over within him. "They have sealed the doors to the building so no one else can get in or out for the time being until we can get an injunction to force them to go away." He said as though it pained him to admit it.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked weary of not his words but his tone.

"I had to inform a few folks that that you were here, but the government can make all of these," he motioned to the reporters below, "pests, go away."

I pulled my lip between my teeth before I looked back up to him, "And how exactly are they going to do that?"

He reached out to me then pulled his hand back as though he thought better of it and once again pulled his hand through his hair making it stand on end, "I told them you were my wife Evelyn and they needed to help me keep you safe."

I punched him square in the face.

Mordo POV

Coming here was more dangerous than I had thought it would be. I had not been able to get any closer to Evelyn Rogers, but now however I was dealing with the enemy of my counterpart. My doppelgänger was more of a nuisance in this world than anything else, and as far as I could tell his only goal was to get under Strange's skin.

This universe' Strange was not even The Sorcerer Supreme and I did indeed feel as though Wong was well suited to the roll. I was fuming as I found myself outside of the sanctum, wondering if this part of my plan was in fact deranged.

Was I not handing myself right over to my enemy?

I took a deep breath and took a step towards the door lifting my hand to knock, but the dark double door swung inward. I stepped through the threshold, into the empty entry way. My eyes traveled up the grand staircase dragging them to where it split grandly towards the next levels of the Sanctum. My boots echoed off the gleaming decorative floors, I let my hand rest lightly upon one of the three globes that decorated the centre of the entryway.

"This is brave even for you Mordo." That voice. It made me gnash my teeth together violently.

"You will find my friend, that I am nothing like the man you know." I turned my eyes towards the voice to find the Doctor at the landing of the grand staircase, his right hand resting upon the railing. "Nor are you anything like the Strange from my Universe."

He narrowed his eyes as he observed me for longer than the few initial moments that he already had. Finally noticing the differences between me and my counterpart from this world. Understanding filled his face, "You will not find her here Mordo, she is under the care of the Soldiers."

I let a grin curl onto the corner of my mouth, "Oh, I know exactly where she is, she and I have had some lovely conversations." I moved my hand from the globe and clasped them behind my back as I walked around them moving closer to the staircase, "I'm just getting impatient Strange. You may have seen the many futures of this world while the time stone was in your possession but in my world, you saw what could be in many dimensions, even without the time stone in your possession."

His chin angled down and to the left, his brows furrowed, "That's impossible."

I let the grin on my face widen, "Your counterpart kept secrets, Stephen. Secrets from his companions, from his enemies too but once he realized that I had managed to avoid the snap just like he did he sought me out."

"Any why would he do that?" condescension thick in his tone, I swallowed back my anger.

"Because no one else could help him with his suspicions."

Strange was silent but he moved slowly towards me and down the stairs.

"You still have no idea, do you?" I couldn't help the laugh that fell from my lips.

"Did you come here to gloat that you know something that I don't, or did you come here for an actual reason Karl?" I could hear the anger rising in his words.

I merely looked at him, letting my eyes take him in, then falling to the eye around his throat. "Use it, Strange," my fingers itched to get The Eye of Agamotto from around his neck but first there was something he needed to do for me, something that was beyond my scope of power, "See how the Eye reacts to her."

He took a step towards me but before he could reach me, I had opened a portal below my feet sliding into it and closing it behind me well before he could follow. I knew he would do as I asked, even if he didn't understand that there may be dire consequences behind his actions. I was hoping he wouldn't consider them at all, I just trusted that the eye would be able to do as I anticipated.

Then and only then I would make my move.

Evelyn POV

Fuck.

It had been a long time since I'd punched Steve Rogers in the fucking face, and I forgot how much it hurt. The pain radiated all through my hand and up my arm in sharp twists of agony. He didn't look like he faired any better however, he had staggered back and was leaning heavily against the flashing of the roof holding his jaw in his hand.

"What the hell Rogers," I spat, "How dare you say such a thing!?"

"If you would give me a minute to talk before you started swinging," he began straightening, "I would have told you that it was the only way to put you under protection without letting everyone know everything there is to know about you. Unless of course, you want your business aired to the entire world," He hissed at me. His brows were drawn in anger as he pushed himself off the edge of the roof and stomped towards me. "I told you Evelyn, I'm only trying to protect you, just like I promised."

He was toe to toe with me, I had to crane my neck of meet his gaze and I saw the expression in his eyes which immediately made mine soften. He meant what he said, and I believed him. I believed he'd only done it to protect me. I lifted my hand to the bruise already along his jaw regret swelling swiftly inside of me, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

He put his hand over mine and leaned forward tipping his forehead to rest against mine, "Its ok."

I closed my eyes and let myself have this moment. If only a single moment because I wasn't sure I deserved and more than this, and I was sure that James didn't deserve to feel like I was pushing him away again either.

Not for the first time I wished there didn't need to be a choice, that I could be happy with both of them and not have to pick one over the other. I cursed myself for my selfish thoughts.

I opened my eyes.

"Steve..." I found myself whispering his name ever so softly, but he seemed frozen, unable to respond but I knew he could hear me, "Steve," I whispered again, rubbing my thumb over the stubble where my hand still pressed. "Open your eyes and look at me."

His eyes were tightly shut, and he took a deep shuttering breath, "I-I can't. If I look, I will never stop and I swore that I would step aside. For Bucky."

My heart panted and I snatched my hand away quickly embarrassed with myself. Yet before I could even take a half-measured step away, I found myself being pulled back to him. His face buried into my neck and his arms wove tightly around my waist. Our chests pressed firmly together so that there was not even a stitch of space left between us. "I'm sorry," he said, and I found myself once again squeezing my eyes closed tightly, fighting with myself from either holding on so tightly to him or pushing forcefully away.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into his chest, "I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry for coming here and ruining your plans to go back, I'm sorry for being a thorn in your side, I'm sorry I've gotten between you and your best friend, I'm sorry I made you care about me." I couldn't help but keep the hitch out of my voice, the emotions swelling.

"Stop," his voice was hoarse as he held back his emotions as well, "please don't apologize to me, those are things you should never do because Evelyn, you never did anything wrong. You didn't know when you came through the portal that I would even still be here. Everything that has happened isn't because of you, it's because of all of the unspoken things between all of us." He loosened his grip allowing oxygen to fill my lungs again. One of his arms stayed around my waist while the other moved up to my face, caressing the side of my cheek and tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

I felt breathless. I found myself leaning into his touch while another part of me screamed to move away, but I was never very good at listening to begin with. My eyes met his and something tumbled low in my stomach, that animalistic attraction between us flailed and the air felt hot and thick suddenly even though the sky was still thick with clouds. Rain threatened to spill down around us, and I longed for it. His mouth landed down over mine and I could do nothing but allow it to happen, time seemed to still and everything started to move in slow motion. All noise lest the two of us dimmed, the building seemed to disappear and all that there remained was man and woman within each other's arms longing for the others touch. Just as I could begin to feel the feather light brush of his lips the door to the roof banged open.

"Will you two get in here and away from all the cameras!" It was Bruce, he was out of breath like he had just run all the way here and up the stairs. He was pointing enthusiastically behind us. We followed the direction to pointed only to land on a number of news helicopters one of which that had a camera man hanging out of the side of the door.

"Shit." I cursed under my breath and sprinted for the door Steve behind me, I was hyper aware that his hand had traveled under my shirt at the small of his back.

Once we got in the stairwell Bruce was already heading down the stairs, "What the hell are you thinking Steve?" His voice echoed loudly. "When you told me what you were going to do, I got it, I mean... I just didn't think you were going to be trying to sell it to the media."

I looked sharply over my shoulder to Steve who was avoiding my gaze by glaring daggers into the back of Bruce's head.

"How the hell did you get in here anyway?" Steve's voice was low and angry.

"Really guys?" Bruce said and although he did not turn around, I could hear the grin in his voice, "I'm the Hulk, who's going to stop me?"

Steve grumbled under his breath and my stomach felt like there was boiling acid inside of me.

"I sent the workers away," Bruce said, "Told them to come back tomorrow."

I could barely hear the conversation between the two of them because my heart was pounding so loudly. I knew, if Bruce had seen us together on the roof that there was no question that James had seen it too.

"It's ok," Steve said as he reached around me and held the door from the stairwell open so I could pass through, "We will talk to him together."

"I don't think he is going to want to hear it," I said, and I bit my lip to keep it from trembling, "We just figured this out..." I sighed, "This feels like some sort of terrible soap opera."

Steve didn't look away from my eyes, but I noticed the way that he clenched his teeth. I could read his body language far better than he gave me credit for and I knew there was tension rolling through him because he thought the same thing that I did.

We were fucked.

Bucky POV

I couldn't get away from it, every channel, every television, every single billboard... it was everywhere...

"STEVE ROGERS AND MYSTERIOUS NEW WIFE, SEEN ALL OVER NEW YORK TODAY..."

The image of the two of them shopping in the phone store together and getting into his car. The video of her crawling over his lap to get out of the door of his car, then the two of them on the roof... all the rest of the images I hoped could be taken out of context. Yet the way he held her to him the way their faces were always so close together, then both of them leaning in for that kiss.

The expression on his face.

The deep flush on hers.

I hung my head.

I couldn't even be angry anymore. I had nothing left in me to be angry. I told her that I trusted her, and I did, I said I wouldn't fight anymore.

Damn did I want to...

Seeing the two of them together like that...

I had no more fight left in me.

His words rang in my ears...

"I won't stand in your way... But I won't stand aside either."

Currently I was sitting inside a bar not far from the apartment. I had no idea where I should go. Where would I sleep or when I would be called back to the apartment? Word had it that Bruce was back at the apartment with them so at least I knew that they weren't alone... Not that it would stop them. I knew Evie and I knew Steve and if they were both passionate and forgot themselves when their emotions were high...

Fuck.

I took another sip of the amber alcohol in my glass emotions swirling in my gut. I wished the burn in my throat and the heat in my stomach were indications that the amount of alcohol I'd consumed was enough to make me forget, but I couldn't get drunk...

Not anymore.

Not in a very long time.

I had my glass was filled again, and I looked up to the Bartender, a twenty something with admiration glimmering in his dark eyes, "Thank you for everything you've done Sargent Barnes." He said before he left the bottle and stepped away.

I nodded to him and held my glass up in a silent cheer before tipping it back and letting it slide down my throat, hoping that the burn of this drink would be the drink to finally push me over the edge.

It was not.

There was a buzzing in my pocket, I ignored it.

I could feel eyes on me, many eyes and I hated it. I missed not being recognized, but I didn't miss the fear that I would often get when folks would look at me. Steve never looked at me that way, not even when he found out that I was the Soldat. Evie never looked at me like that, she'd always looked at me with something akin to admiration, love even.

It's too soon for that, I admonished myself knowing full well that I was already head over heels for her.

The voice inside my head didn't like with when I thought about love, because he knew better than I did. He knew that I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve her, even if she was holed up in our apartment, most likely with Steve not too far away.

I didn't blame him.

You should.

The voice spat in my mind.

Pathetic.

You need to fight for what is yours.

But the voice was wrong, fighting had been what made her run, fighting had been the downfall of her world, she had said as much. But how could I just sit idly by?

My phone buzzed again. This time I pulled it out, but I didn't recognize the number. I set it down on the bar and poured myself another drink from the bother that the Bartender had left for me. Once my glass was refilled, I contemplated downing it but this time I chose to drink it slower, letting the boiling burn of liquid to linger longer as I nursed the drink.

My phone buzzed four more times before I finally relented and picked up on the fifth call.

I didn't speak, I just put the phone to my ear.

I could hear someone on the other line waiting for me to say something undoubtedly.

Finally, there was a light sigh and then she spoke, "James? It's me... Evelyn."

I didn't reply but I felt my pulse accelerate.

"Are you alright?" she said her voice tight with worry, "Where are you?"

Again, I didn't reply. I could just tell that she was pulling that gorgeous bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for me to reply.

"You're safe." I answered finally.

There was a small sigh of relief, "We are."

We.

The voice in my head was angry.

"The media is still outside. Steve says he filed an injunction that will force them to leave, but I want you to come home."

Home.

I scoffed, "What do you need me there for?"

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the phone.

Rather than waiting for her to reply I carried on talking anger lacing every single one of my words the voice in my head no longer listening to me, "You have your Husband there" I let the word hang in the air in front of me, it felt sour in my mouth, "What do you need me for?" The burning in my stomach seemed to intensify and I thought for a moment that I might puke, even if I didn't think it was possible.

"It's not like that James," I could hear the hurt in her tone but still she managed to sound patient with me, "come home so we can talk about it."

"What is there to talk about?" My tone was harsh, and a small part of me couldn't help but hope it had stung her to hear it as much. I hoped it stung her as much as it had stung me to see her in his arms all over the news.

"Enough," I could hear Steve in the background, "Come home so she can stop worrying, your problem is with me not with her."

I could hear the rustle of them fight over the phone, but Steve inevitably won, "Get home now Barnes."

Then the phone went dead.

Evelyn POV

Steve passed me back my phone, but he wouldn't look at me in the eye. I reached out and grasped him by the bicep, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't turn him to face me. I squeezed tighter with my fingers feeling him flex under my touch, "What are you doing?" I hissed.

He looked at me through his lashes and I knew he was fighting as to if he was going to tell me or not. "It's nothing."

"I don't believe you," I raised a brow, "Tell me why you and James are so mad at one another now that everything has been set right?"

He shook his head.

I scoffed.

It was now my turn to turn and walk away but as I headed towards my room, I realized it was closed off as they fixed the walls and furniture. I stopped and turned back aiming for James' room, but before I could even touch the doorknob Steve had pressed me into the opposite wall. His body pushed into mine his forearm rest beside my head and his mouth was once again ever so close, "You really don't realize what you've done to the both of us do you?"

I knew I was pretty good at pissing everyone off. I opened my mouth to respond but the way his eyes fell to my lips made all thoughts disappear from my head.

"Bucky is mad because I told him that I wouldn't stand in his way," his mouth hovered over mine again, "But that I also told him that would not stand aside."

I held my breath.

"I can't get you out of my head," his voice was filled with frank honesty, "you are all I see when I close my eyes, when I sleep, when I eat and do a thousand other mundane things." I took a sharp breath at his confession, "When I close my eyes, your face is engrained on my eyelids when I sleep you are all I dream about. Only you." His breath heaved out of him like he had been running miles rather than merely confessing his feelings for me, "I thought it was a curse at first, but now I know that it's not." Butterflies tumbled low in my guts, "I know that you are meant for me."

His worlds were heated, possessive and didn't leave any room for argument. I could feel his heart beating steadily in his chest, I could see that his eyes never wavered from me, and though I could see his fist curling, I could tell it was because he did not want to scare me, to hold me to him, to force me. He was leaving this up to me because he was making up for the times that he had not.

I didn't have any words. I didn't want to speak because if I did, I knew that my lips would brush against his own.

"You, Evelyn, were mine in another world and you should have been mine here." His words seemed to echo in my mind, but his eyes were soft, it was not a threat, "even if that means that I have to share you." He finished his voice gentile.

I shivered.

How many times had I hoped to hear those words all those years ago? Not from this man but from the man that I eventually married. Now however, it was not this man that would stand in my way in fact he was practically begging for it. It was James, my twin heart, a heart that had never belonged to another who I wasn't sure would even want that.

"I hate to interrupt..." Bruce's words interrupted the moment and Steve moved hurriedly away from me, the pair of us forgetting that he was even there, "Again..." he trailed off, I could see a dark flush on his cheeks, "But now just might not be the time for this."

Steve cleared his throat and looked back to me a hopeful glimmer in his expression as he saw the flush that had spread on my cheeks. I could tell it must be crimson with how my cheeks burned. A mixture of embarrassment and other emotions that I dare not indulge, at least until I spoke with James.

Steve made his way back to the kitchen, not before pulling my phone from my hand again.

"Hey!" I called after him before I followed. I glanced to Bruce who was giving me a weary look.

"So would now be a good time to take that sample?" he asked