"Uncle Steve, how much longer is it gonna be?"

"They'll let us know when they let us know, Nik. Just like I told you five minutes ago."

"Well, duh," the boy snickered, "thanks, Captain Obvious."

"Hey," Steve retorted, finally looking over the outdated magazine that he had read at least a dozen times, "let's watch that attitude, alright? I know you're a Barton, but come on, you've gotta lock that down."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I know that we're all tired, and it's hard to wait, but we're all in the same boat that you are, kiddo." Steve returned to his reading, holding the magazine in one hand while the other gently patted Nik's back as he continued to lay flopped over his legs in exasperation. They had been waiting at the hospital for so many hours that even he had lost count, but the last time that he had been brave enough to ask for an update, he got nothing but a glare of warning until he turned and ran back to the safety of the lobby.

"Uncle Steve?"

"Yeah, Nik?"

"Are you excited?"

Steve paused and closed the magazine, tossing it aside with a heavy hand onto the small table next to his chair. His lips parted to answer, but he stopped with a furrowed brow and a wandering mind; his senses came to life with a barrage of familiar sounds and sights, the scent of sterile antiseptics and bad coffee suddenly obvious to him now in a whole new way. "This seems really familiar," he mumbled, looking around at the group that was with him, "I'm getting the worst case of déjà vu right now."

"What's dayshaa vooo?"

"I feel like I've done this before," he laughed softly, sitting up to push the small boy from his legs so that he could stand. The team had come back together for the event, to help welcome the newest member of the family, even as fractured as it was. Tony was on the far side of the room with Pete and Scott, contemplating if the lounge coffee was actually good enough to drink or not; a cough and a spit into a nearby garbage gave them a quick answer. Steve made his way over to their group with Nik in tow, wondering if they were feeling the same sense of repeat that he was. It hadn't really been that long since their altercation with Thanos and the resurrection that changed them forever, so it wouldn't be out of the question for all of them to be feeling something similar.

"Hey, Cap, what can we do for ya?" Scott began, offering a quickly declined cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Scott, but no thanks. I have a question for you fellas, though."

"What's up?" Tony joined in, but he appeared to be only partially listening as he typed on his phone. "Actually, before you start, who wants in on the coffee order? No way I'm drinking this sludge anymore, and Banner offered to pick up on the way here."

A long round of orders were called out from the small group and everyone else who had congregated in the small waiting room, but Tony kept up with each of them, successfully and efficiently getting it all done like he had been itching for anything that felt like work to be done. If Steve hadn't known better, he would say that Tony was bored with his new life in Malibu and so far from the action that used to consume him. If he were being honest with himself, Steve would have recognized that he felt exactly the same.

"Bruce is on the way?" Peter asked with a wide smile. "Great! I have a few modifications that I've been making to my web fluid and I could use his opinion."

"I have an opinion too," Tony huffed, clearly offended. "God knows that I have enough time."

"And I still have my question."

"Oh, right, sorry. What's the question, Cap?"

"Do any of you guys feel like...I don't know, like we're doing this exactly the same way we did it when Nik was born? Even some of the stuff we're saying is exactly the same. Is it just me, or are you guys catching this too?"

The four men looked back and forth to each other, waiting for one of them to speak, but they held their silence much to Steve's frustration. He believed that they were agreeing with him, but no one was willing to admit it; no one wanted to give voice to the idea that Thanos was still affecting them to this day, just so that they wouldn't have to so much as say his name. "I'll take that as a yes," he snickered, turning away with annoyance. He decided that the conversation had been much better with Nik up to this point, so he was going back to that for however long this had yet to go, even when all he had was a magazine that was over four years old now. He had just gotten settled in again before he was back to standing, with Nik at his side and watching with wide eyes as a new visitor came to join in, followed closely behind by Steve's own three children.

"Hey, everyone," Johnny greeted, "long time no see, and let me tell ya, I'm happy to see you alive after what the kids have told me. Grant also told me that there's a new mini on the way. Any bets on what wicked skills this one's gonna have?"

"Storm," Steve stepped forward with his hand extended, "glad you could join us. How have you been?"

"Business is booming since you all went on permanent vacay. I actually stopped by to talk to these guys about some freelance work with the Four."

"Um, well...I don't know if that's such a good idea. They aren't back to full strength yet. They told you what happened with their powers, didn't they?"

"Yeah, but it seems like they're coming along pretty well. Honestly, they're just lucky that they've got anything back if you ask me. It sounds like that stone thing really knocked it out of 'em."

"Dad? We can help," Anthony offered with a steady step forward. He was ready to be shot down quickly, but it had been a while since he had challenged his father so it was a good time to test the waters again. "We might not be one hundred percent just yet, but we're getting there."

Steve glanced over Johnny's shoulder to see the kids looking back with hope in their eyes and an eagerness for him to say that he'd think about it if nothing else. They were still kids, after all, but they had seen more in their very few years than most adults he had known, and they definitely surpassed their maturity. He couldn't hold them back forever, now that their power was gaining strength again, and a life as normal teenagers was never really in the cards for them anyway. After knowing Storm for a while now, he felt as if there could be a trust there, and maybe it was worth allowing himself to loosen the reigns just a bit. "This isn't a yes," he cautioned, "but I have to talk to your mother before I say anything."

"We know," Brooklyn answered readily, "we don't want any decisions without Mom. We learned that lesson a long time ago."

"That's my girl," Steve smiled, moving to wrap an arm around her, "we'll talk to her together, okay? Promise."

"Thanks, Dad," Grant finally stepped forward, "if we don't all agree, we won't push."

~~~

Another hour had now passed, and there was no word on progress, leaving the waiting team to fall asleep out of pure boredom more than fatigue. Steve was draped over the couch, taking up most of it to leave both Nik and Allie on top of him while their own parents were curled up together on one of the larger chairs nearby. Even Tony had drifted off despite his innate penchant for anxiety and worry, but Banner had yet to appear with the needed caffeine to keep him moving. The group had barely found their rest before they were awakened again, this time by Vision as he finally passed through the doors that they had all been watching for hours to open.

"Viz?" Tony stood first, with Steve immediately behind with his niece and nephew in his arms as they continued to snore softly against him.

"Mr. Stark, Captain," he smiled, "(Y/N) has delivered a girl. All are well and you can go in soon if you would like."

"Everyone?" Steve asked hesitantly. "How are Buck and Sam doing?"

"They are enamored, of course."

The doors on the other side of the room suddenly burst open, allowing a frantic Wanda to rush in with her own little one sound asleep in the carrier strapped to her chest and nestled tightly against her. At the sight of his own family, Vision hurried to meet her, taking her hand in an attempt to keep her calm. "Did I miss it?" she asked in panting breaths. "Is she here?"

"She is here, but only just. You missed nothing, my dear. Allow me to take William so that you can visit with (Y/N)."

"Thank you, good," she hurried to answer, though her movements to remove the carrier that held her son were careful and slow, purposeful in each muscle's shift. Once Vision had him securely against his chest to her contentment, Wanda turned back to the door that she had come through with a small wave of her hand, summoning the last visitor to arrive. When he didn't follow her summons and held back, she peeked her head out and into the hallway to see what was wrong.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Wade asked nervously. "I kind of took off without a goodbye. I suppose that's what I always do though, so maybe she didn't notice. She probably won't notice if I don't stop by either..." he paused, shaking his head as he began to talk himself out of it, "yeah...she'll be too tired...Sam's gonna be too busy. I should go."

"Wilson, don't you dare move," Tony warned when he caught a glimpse of the man, leaving Wade frozen in place. "I swear, one day you'll learn that you're a part of this family whether you like it or not, and when I put out the call for the Avengers to assemble, that means you. Now, I know that you're not a fan of Avenging, and that's okay, but you're still one of us. Now you get yourself in that room and talk to (Y/N) and Sam and meet that little girl because I can see it in your eyes that it's torturing you not to."

"Since when are you on my side?"

"Since you gave me back everything that I love, dumbass. You're never getting rid of me now."

Steve decided right away that from the look in Wade's eyes, it was a mix of terror and plain awe that of all people, Tony Stark was suddenly a fan of his. He was in a confused stupor, almost statuesque, and in desperate need of someone to save him from the moment that he couldn't understand. "Come on, Wade," Steve offered with a careful hand on his shoulder, "I'll take you in. Don't worry, you'll get used to him eventually."

~~~

You had sworn over and over that there was no way you were going to do this again. You had told these two now weepy friends of yours that they would have to find someone else for uterus rental, and that they were never allowed to so much as ask. You had done your time as a walking oven twice already for Clint and Natasha, and you were done; you had promised Steve that, too. So, when he was the one to come to you and ask that you maybe reconsider it was a shock at first, but given how much the team had suffered, and how everyone had faced the end only to return to life so broken, it took only seconds for you to destroy your own resolve.

For Vision to say that Sam and Bucky were enamored with the tiny baby girl was an understatement; they were consumed and captivated, their focus unlike anything you had ever seen from them even in their fiercest battles. Questions to them would be answered with half-hearted mumbles and their eyes couldn't be drawn away. They handed the tiny one back and forth between them as if she would break, and the one who sat without her would count the agonizing seconds that passed before they could feel her in their arms again.

Bucky was having a hard time, you could tell, even though he hadn't said anything yet. Every time that he reached for her and his metal hand came close to connecting with her skin, he pulled it back as if it would hurt her. She would whimper and cry quietly when it came into her sight, and he knew in that moment that it would never be allowed to touch her. He would cut the stupid thing off if it meant keeping her from making that sound that slammed the knife into his chest.

"Hello, parental types," Wade interrupted, stopping just inside the doorway, "I hear that you're repopulating the earth again."

"Is it okay if we come in?" Steve greeted with a bit more tact. "We don't want to barge in on anything."

"Of course you can come in, both of you," you smiled, pushing up to stand from your bed so that you could greet them. Steve opened his arms to take you into them, but you passed by, practically throwing yourself into Wade's waiting hold instead. "I've missed you! Where have you been? Why haven't you called me? Are you okay? You just took off and I haven't heard a word. You never answer my calls or texts, and you had me worried."

He took a deep breath, clearing away his apprehension and humming quietly at the security that he felt being so close to you and feeling for himself that you were alive. The last time that he had seen you he wasn't himself, and he had been kept away from seeing you; Strange had all but pushed him out of the compound as soon as the power of the Gauntlet had released him. Maybe the distance was what he needed to get his mind right again, and get back to his own life, but after a few years without so much as a single word to each other, holding you in his arms felt like what you must have felt after coming back to life. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. I've missed you too, I really have."

"It's okay, but you didn't have to just leave," you continued, "and you definitely didn't have to shut me out. Did I do something?"

"No!" he quickly argued, releasing you and pushing back a step. "No, not at all! It was just good timing with the team splitting up anyway, and I thought it would be best to keep a clean break from everyone."

"Hey guys?"

"That's ridiculous, Wade, of course I wanted to talk to you. That's why I called and texted so much. You never could take a hint."

"Guys?"

"Do I not get a hug?" Steve whined, his arms still out. "I've been waiting just as long as everyone else, doll, and you wouldn't let me be in here, remember?"

"GUYS!"

The three of you spun to look at Bucky and Sam, who were sitting on one of the nearby couches with their daughter, looking as if they were terrified at what they were seeing and not moving barely enough to even breathe. It sent your maternal instincts on edge, and you rushed to their side to see what had them so scared while trying to hold your own composure together. "What's wrong? Is she okay...oh...oh, wow."

"I didn't do that," Bucky whispered, staring at his metal hand in complete astonishment. He had worked so hard to keep the appendage away from her, but he suddenly couldn't control his own movements, and the baby girl had taken his thumb into her mouth to soothe herself. "I can't move it away from her."

"What do you mean?" Steve joined in, moving to stand behind you with wide eyes as he watched. "Did...did she do that?"

"Oh, okay, I get it!" Wade laughed, nodding along to his own train of thought. "You guys didn't break up the band. You're just putting together a new one!" Steve opened his mouth to argue, but he should have known it was pointless after all this time as Wade spoke over him. "So, let's get this straight, you've got an emotions junkie, a girl who can kick ass with a thought, a raging pyro, an animal whisperer, and now baby Magneto-"

"Nik has started to show signs of water bending," Sam added. "Barton had to modify the kid's bathroom for waterproofing when it started to rain in their kitchen."

"Bitchin! I can't wait to hear what the little witch baby is gonna do, I bet it's gonna be so damn epic! It sounds to everyone's favorite Uncle Wade like these New Avengers are off to a pretty sweet start."