The first time Steve hears the news he shatters the glass in his hand, even though Peggy tells him in a careful tone. He can see how hard her eyes are and suspects his own look the same. He’s still damp with sweat from his morning run when Tony is taken from his drive to school. Steve is proud he manages to ask if Jarvis is alright, and is equally relieved to hear that he is if guilt ridden.
It’s one of the most frightening moments of his life. Scarier than even the pain of the transformation into Captain America was and his bones had reformed then. But all Steve can think about is Tony, who hangs onto him like a limpet whenever Steve allows him to (which is always because he can’t say no) and begs for him to teach him anything too inquisitive for his own good on the best days.
But the most terrifying thing is it happens again after that first time. It happens too much. The stony look on Peggy’s face becomes telling enough for him to know when it happens. Steve’s smirk turns cruel when they’re on their way out in a way Peggy agrees far too much with.
Yet on their third rescue Tony looks almost normal, not sniffling or shaking much for a child that has been traumatized. Tony tells them that he’s not scared because he knows they’ll save him. Peggy gives him a kiss on the forehead that leaves behind the bright red impression her lips, assuring him that they will always come after him if ever he needs them. Steve just hugs Tony tight to his chest feeling the relief that always comes each time he’s safe and sound.
It is sadly a fact of life that the name Stark brings a certain level of attention and threat in turn. So Tony is taken as a bargaining chip again. Only this time when Howard is the one to stutter on the truth, Steve thinks he stops breathing. Jarvis manages to speak instead, confessing that this time it appears that someone with HYDRA has taken Tony. Jarvis is bleeding sluggishly against the gauze pressed against his hair, having taken a sound smack to the head. Howard is in disarray himself having rushed from work to home at the news. It’s a whole new terrible experience. Tony has been taken before, and it’s awful, but this makes Steve cold. Peggy’s lips are pressed together, a thin red line and her eyes dangerously dark. Jarvis is the only one who doesn’t remember the run-ins during the war, who doesn’t think of a camp filled with prisoners of war that were test subjects as well as laborers.
"What leads do we have?" Steve is the Captain now. Or maybe he isn’t, while he wears the cowl he hasn’t felt this kind of anger since the war.
Jarvis looks guilty, angry, and just as frightened as they are. “I’m…afraid I didn’t get much of anything before they got up behind me. I’m sorry.”
Peggy pats Jarvis’s shoulder. “Tell us what you do know.” The words are surprisingly gentle. Peggy knows the guilt and the fear he feels right now. They all know how much Jarvis loves Tony like he was his own flesh and blood. They’ve all caught Jarvis at the sink doing the washing with Tony next to him to help, asking every question that anyone could think of about soap and water. They all feel the loss of Tony’s presence like an ache.
Jarvis gives them an account of everything he remembers with a set of determination to his face that had been pain before. He keeps the gauze pressed to his hair while he speaks, giving them every detail knowing that what seems like nothing can be just what Peggy needs to work her magic.
Steve listens and watches for now. Howard is quiet but fidgets the entire while. Steve realizes he hasn’t seen Maria the entire time and pushes down on the anger that comes with the realization this boy’s mother isn’t here worrying herself about his safety. Steve’s had his objections about the Stark family but he keeps them to himself unless asked. Tony matters most right now, not the dynamic of a family he doesn’t envy but for the child they’ve been blessed with.
"I’m going to get looking into what we know through my contacts." Peggy says, looking to Steve after. "You should check on where it happened. See if you find anything that might have been missed in the moment."
Most men would balk at getting orders from a woman even in their day and age, but Steve knows damn well it means Peggy is trusting him with something, someone, they both hold precious. Steve nods and takes another look at Jarvis. “Get someone to look at that properly, we’ll need you later Jarvis.”
"Quite right." Jarvis still has determination in his face and it only strengthens with the direction. He stands slowly and speaks up before Peggy or Steve make it very far. "Both of you be mindful of yourselves Master Tony would be very upset if anything happened to either of you."
Steve nods and Peggy almost looks amused. Steve’s heard a little about the adventures that Jarvis had with Peggy before he was found again. They have a link he does not and he thinks he might ask more when things calm down.
"I managed to survive this long without you." Is all Peggy says before she’s on his way out the door.
Steve follows and hopes they can all come out unscathed. If he had the clarity of thought right now he’d pray but his nerves are too pressed, mind too full of concern, and chest too tight to breathe some moments.
They dig and find what they need after three days. Steve has only eaten because his metabolism demands it and he needs to be in fighting form. Peggy had bags under her eyes no amount of precise make-up can conceal. Howard is chain-smoking at this point which is never a good sign, but he’s only eyed his decanters with a longing that fits a man in the desert. Jarvis is trying to take care of them all throughout despite their own neglect of themselves. He’s smart about it, using what he knows will work. Tea for Peggy at every chance, plenty of carbohydrates and protein for Steve to help combat his appetite, and keeping Howard on task as best anyone can.
By the time they find what they need to be on their way they’re all more than ready. Steve has the shield on his arm, squeezing one of the leather straps in his hand again and again. Peggy has checked and re-checked her pistol enough times to make a quartermaster roll their eyes. But they have too much time to kill on the way and too many dark thoughts to fill the quiet.
They’ve found an old office space in Iowa with a bunker underneath the main building. It’s nothing impressive, one level besides the bunker and it’s perfectly mundane. The exteriors is even a cheerful sunny yellow.
Steve and Peggy are going in alone. Jarvis had tried to object but when Captain America says he will tie you to the nearest chair to keep you there, even the most stubborn take the point. Howard had been virtually useless after tracking down what they needed, though he’d asked them in a quiet voice to make sure Tony was alright.
Peggy is walking in first with a smart suit on, skirt loose enough to hide the rolled up pants beneath them, jacket closed to hide the shoulder holster and additional ammunition pouch as well. The heels click in her usual pace as she walks, Steve closes his eyes to count her steps to ground himself in the moment.
He watches from his hiding place across the street, waiting for the right moment.
When Peggy’s briefcase collides with the side of the man’s head to send him tumbling Steve moves. He tries to be as quick as he can so they don’t lose time or the element of surprise, going around to the back entrance for a pincer attack while Peg is drawing attention. The sounds of a scuffle grow louder as Steve slips further in, into the offices. There is screaming from a woman, Steve would warrant the guess it’s one of the secretaries.
And he turns out to be right. A woman is shrilly shouting and Peggy is grappling with a man in a suit who is trying to keep a hold on her. Peggy elbows him just below the ribs and he wheezes painfully. Steve isn’t worried Peggy has it well in hand now, instead he turns to the screaming woman and smiles at her as disarmingly as he can, surprising her enough to silence her.
"Ma’am this is an official government action and we need your cooperation." Steve tells her trying to work some of his old stage charm in there. Peggy would rib him about it later but they’d have an excuse to be teary with laughter instead of releasing stress from days of worry.
Peggy shifts her weight and tumbles the man over her back onto the floor hard. The clattering sound it makes makes it difficult for Steve not to grin. Peggy’s legs are spread wide for leverage and she straightens out, smoothing the skirt out of habit.
The sound of a door makes them both freeze.
"What’s all the racket Rachael!" A man’s voice shouts.
The screaming secretary looks away then at Steve and Peggy. Steve catches her eye and gives her the best solemn, entreating look her can. With what is at stake he doesn’t have to pretend.
"T-there was a rat." Rachael shouts back at him.
Steve lets his eyes close for a moment. Peggy smiles at the woman in gratitude. Rachael bows her head and falls back into her chair heavily. They can thank her later.
Once the sound of the door closing comes Steve is moving to the source. They caused enough noise to attract attention upstairs and if they have a prisoner they’ll want to be sure no one is going to rescue them. Peggy is at his back and Steve nods to the door. She nods back and steps around, hand on the knob while Steve presses against the opposite wall to which the door opens. Holding up his fingers he counts down from three, quickly. When his hand drops Peggy throws the door open full. They wait.
Steps rise up a set of stairs and pause. Steve reaches over, grabs the front of the man’s shirt and brings him straight down into his knee. There is only the heavy sound of a forceful exhale and the man is limp in his grip. Steve pulls him aside and sets him down.
Peggy has shucked the skirt and jacket and drawn her pistol by the time he comes back. Peg is about to take point on the way down and Steve edges in. She doesn’t look overly pleased about it but Steve has the shield and Jarvis pointed out they needed to look after themselves. Tony wouldn’t take them being hurt well for one thing and they need to be their best as a precaution. Underestimating HYDRA can lead to disaster. They know what happened the last time they danced with the Red Skull and that is not something that needs repeating.
Steve leads the way down making his foot falls as quiet as he can. Eyes darting to every corner for signs of movement. There is nothing.
The stairs descend down below ground level where it grows a little cooler and the air is just a little damp and dank. The space has a certain must to it that implies it hasn’t been used much, probably a cover business more for funds than the space itself. It isn’t very suspect which makes it a good choice to take a billionaire’s son when you kidnap them. The small open space at the bottom of the stairs has a reinforced door that leads into the bunker itself.
"Repeat performance?" Peggy asks. Because luring the enemy out has its advantages.
After a moment to consider Steve nods. “Knock for me? Please?”
Peggy’s lips quirk to the side just for a moment before she reaches over, knuckles tapping against the metal door. “Of course dear.”
They’ve been lectured about flirting in the field before, not that it’s stopped them. Or that it is ever likely to. The job is serious but they have to not be on occasion to keep going. It’s a brief moment that they need. Steve has a buffer of affection for Peggy warming his chest against the cold worry that’s been there for days. Peggy holds onto the amusement of Steve being Steve, endearing nonsense and all.
Sure enough the door opens. Steve pulls the man out like the first upstairs. He falls like a sack of potatoes, but the second behind him is stunned to stillness. Peggy’s fist strikes him square in the nose, then against the side of his face. The man wavers on his feet before he drops onto his behind dazed. Once more over the top of the head and he’s down while Peggy steps in over him.
Now they start forward at a slow pace. Steve takes point again, listening for movement. There is some ahead and to the left so he goes that way. The bunker isn’t large but it has separated compartments. But the internal walls are flimsy so surely their commotion has been heard.
Steve grips the strap of the shield when he knocks the door in, something satisfying about the way it yields. They can’t do quiet so Steve can do direct. He doesn’t need to look back to know Peggy’s firearm is up.
There is Tony gagged and face tear streaked. Something primal in Steve growls.
There is a man in casual clothing holding the collar of Tony’s shirt and he presses the muzzle of a small caliber pistol to Tony’s temple in clear threat.
"It’s alright Ducky we’re here. I want you to close your eyes for me." Peggy’s voice is light but her eyes at on the man as is her weapon. Tony’s eyes squeeze closed tightly. "That’s a good boy. Now keep them closed until we tell you to open them."
Steve is staring the man down the entire while. He isn’t anyone highly ranked, he’s a hired thug. Steve has seen the dedicated soldier and this is not it. Steve lets himself posture, making himself big and mean looking to the best of his ability. By now he has learned better the picture he presents.
The man twitches and that’s all it takes for Steve to dive forward. One moment of weakness and Steve launches himself over and covers Tony with his body. It’s stupid but it’s also unexpected. He didn’t go for the shooter no matter that he wants to bean him with the shield more than anything. Instead Steve becomes the shield himself.
The man is off balance and looks between Steve and Peggy not sure what to do, so he points the gun to Peggy now. It’s a stand off with a panicked man with a gun.
"I would recommend surrender." Peggy says, more than accustomed to loaded silence and a gun pointed in her direction.
Tony has started to shake under him, he can feel the vibrations against his chest. Steve presses his chin against the top of Tony’s hair. “It’s alright Tony.” The shaking worsens but Steve knows that’s not strange. Little hands try to cling to the suit, having to readjust several times until they manage to get a strangle hold of the reinforced kevlar. “I’ve got you.”
The gunman sways on the spot, stepping back toward the wall. “You know them. You know they won’t let me do that. They’ll kill me.” The fear, panic in the man’s voice is real. HYDRA has the reputation they have for a reason.
"I’m well aware of who we are dealing with. Come with us we can give you protection in exchange for information-" It’s a very charitable offer really from Peggy given the circumstances.
The man laughs, a hysterical sound. “You don’t get it.” It’s a strangled whisper when it leaves him.
Steve can feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. They're missing something.
"Then help me to understand." Peggy isn’t one to back down.
Steve looks over to Peggy from where he is laying over Tony, eyes going from the man back to her. She doesn’t so much as look directly at him, she’s a professional after all, but her shoe-point taps in Steve’s direction. ‘Wait’ is what that one means. He doesn’t want to but he does.
Steve just curls around Tony better, tighter, holds the shield over Tony’s head to extra reinforcement because he cannot, will not, let anything happen to him now.
The sound of a gunshot makes Steve’s muscles bunch and head lift. The direction of the sound is wrong. Peggy has turned to face out of the door where one of the men Steve knocked down is, gun raised and grinning at them in triumph. This, this is the face of a faithful believer that HYDRA employs. Tony is shaking like a leaf under him and Steve can’t leave him.
Peggy’s face is a mask of calm but Steve can see a tempest just under the surface. The implication of it all is not lost on her either. A fact just driven home when the man snaps his teeth down with an audible click.
"Hail HYDRA." The gun is lowered and the man is foaming at the mouth. The faithful die for the cause.
"Damn." If Peggy is cursing in front of Tony it means she feels the horrible ominous threat.
Steve just wraps his arms around Tony and stands up. “Eyes closed still Tony.” Tony clings onto him, pressing close and trusting. Tony’s seen enough already, they don’t need to add the image of bodies to his nightmares.
Peggy is in complete agreement and leads the way back upstairs. The office is empty save the one secretary that helped them earlier. The woman, Rachael, looks stunned to see a little boy in Steve’s arms. Rachael turns into a fretting mother hen that Steve almost snaps at in his own protectiveness.
"I want to go home." It’s the first thing Tony says when they get the gag off of him. His eyes are wet and he’s looking up at Steve like he can do anything. Steve can’t deny him. Not even with the threat of HYDRA in the world again.
Peggy runs a hand over his back. “Let me make a call and we can go.” They are run down by now after days of anticipation and angst. Soon they will crash hard but likely with Tony there with them. Steve doesn’t have the heart to let him go and the way Peggy sweeps her fingers through Tony’s hair echoes the need to be close to their ducky. “I promise.”
Tony nods, satisfied with that because Aunt Peggy never breaks her promises. His head rests on Steve’s chest as he sniffles. Steve starts to sway them, motion something that settles some of his own nerves and reminds him of the distant memory of his own mother.
"You were so brave Tony." Steve mutters against the crown of Tony’s head.
Tony doesn’t make a peep but sniffles again, more even. Steve keep moving slightly from side to side even though Tony is hardly a toddler anymore it’s nostalgic comfort. Steve would do anything to offer that to Tony right now.
Rachael helps Peggy get into contact with whoever she needs to and leaves when they ask her to. The local police who will work from this point with their own SHIELD agents. Steve’s return had given the change the final push it needed to turn the S.S.R. into the more modern authority that is SHIELD.
Peggy leans against Steve’s side to be close to them both while they wait for the police car to pull up. Her hand rubs over Tony’s back, as he sniffles on and off still.
The police arrive and take in Steve in the uniform and immediately are quite accommodating. Captain America still means something to people and while Steve hates to use it to his advantage today is an exception. It makes the process go much smoother.
Soon they are back in Stark Manor on Fifth, cleaned up and in comfortable clothes. Peggy is sitting with Tony pressed against her side so much he is almost hidden if you look too quickly. Peggy’s arm is resting around him, eyes tired but filled with affection. Steve takes in the pair of them with his own emotional baggage, helping to tidy it up for now. Jarvis taps his shoulder lightly and offers him a mug, hot chocolate which is more for comfort than necessity.
"Thanks." Steve finds the word croaked, but Jarvis just nods understanding his overwhelming level of emotion.
"Thank you Steven." Jarvis largely calls him Captain despite Steve’s attempts to get him to get him not to. It’s a sign that Jarvis cannot really express his gratitude for what they’ve done.
"Do it again. Any day."
They exchange slightly weary but sincere smiles because it will happen again, won’t it?
"I’ll continue to ask you until the need no longer arises I’m afraid." Jarvis does sound like he regrets having to to ask, but they both know he will every time. Or he’d just do it himself.
"Never need to ask." Steve has his own reasons no one needs to talk him into it.
"Are you two quite done whispering to one another like that?" Peggy asks looking over at them both.
Jarvis gives him another mug before he is offering the third he had to Peggy. “Quite done, I assure you Ms. Carter.”
Peggy’s lips twitch and she takes the mug but before she can thank him Jarvis is on his way out the door out of sight again. Her nose wrinkles when Jarvis hightails it from the room but she keeps quiet, offering the mug to Tony instead.
Tony stares at it a moment before he takes it with a subdued thanks.
Steve comes up and holds another mug down for Peg. Her fingers wrap around it while he kisses her hair. Steve knows why Jarvis is being so scarce. The bandages around his head draw attention and Tony is the type sadly to blame himself when the people he cares about are hurt. “Does he know you’re married?”
"Something of a joke between us." Peggy says before taking a sip with a hum of satisfaction. It’s enough to coax Tony into taking a sip himself.
"Joke?" Steve sits on Tony’s other side not surprised when Tony’s free hand reaching out for him. Steve just wriggles closer until Tony is nestled between himself and Peggy. Tony seems to approve and settles in between them safe.
"I could never get him to call me Peggy." She says aware Steve knows that particular dilemma.
"Is that why when he’s annoyed with you he calls you Margaret?" Steve teases gently, hearing Tony’s snort.
Peggy hears it too and just sticks her tongue out at Steve. “Better than being called what was it again now. Ah yes, Captain Stubborn.”
Steve can feel his cheeks heat recalling that particular day. Tony looks ups at him and Steve busies himself with his own mug. He has no plans to elaborate on that one.
However, he hardly needs to as Peggy is beginning to despite the wounded look he offers her. Tony is watching her with large eyes and a giggle or two as Peggy inserts some exaggeration into the story. By the time Peggy’s barely half way through it Tony’s eyes are beginning to drift closed. Steve just takes the mostly empty mug from him.
Peggy kisses Tony’s hair a bit awkwardly. “Sweet dreams Ducky.”
They both breathe a little easier with the sound of Tony’s not-quite-snores between them. Tiny point of warmth against either side. They’re all here now and that’s enough.
The officer waits for the call to connect, fingers tapping impatiently against his hip. The sound of the line connecting makes him straighten up.
"The boy got away."
There is silence, never the best of signs with their superiors.
"This is not unexpected."
It’s still vague whether punishment will be doled out or not.
The hoarse, disused laugh on the other end of the line that makes the officer frown. Captain America has ruined their plans again which makes him a constant pest, as always.
"Sir-"
"Patience." The word cuts him off, almost lightly even. "We have not lost the war, only the battle. While the boy is no longer in our hold we have gotten the information that we need. He was just what we needed."
"Sir?"
"This is just the beginning of a new era." The words as those before at heavily accented but positive.
"Hail Hydra." The officer states into the phone, the empty office echoing just slightly with them.
"Hail Hydra." The line is hung up after that.