The White Queen (S.Rogers)

Chapter 31

Steve told Brooklyn that he felt like shit, for abandoning them on the second day of school. Brooklyn reiterated that they were always aware that his work came first, and that as long as he hit the big days, the days when parents were actually needed, according to the calender, then he was going to be okay. She wasn't sure if this was true or not. She was making it up as she went. Then he started in on that damned museum trip again, about how he wanted to chaperone, and she just about wanted to reach through the phone to strangle him. Thankfully Nat had started pulling his attention away from his phone. With him swearing, up and down and sideways and under and over, that he would be home soon, and to not worry (not that she actually was), he ended the call, and she took a deep breath.

Brooklyn, now knowing a tentative timeline, had messaged Mr. Marino, set the phone down, and helped her sister get ready for school.

Now, walking out of the school, on to the street, she got into the back of the dark blue compact that was parked in the loading zone.

Francis Marino jr, known far and wide as the imaginative 'Junior', sat next to her, with a rueful grin on his face. "Pops says you have unfinished business."

"The job isn't finished." she explained, pulling her messenger bag onto her lap. "And I don't have a lot of time to finish it."

"Yeah, Pops said your new man isn't keen on you picking up on a few jobs for the family." He reached up and tugged at her ponytail, causing her to bat at his hands. "So it's all nice and official now? You got Cap taking care of you now?"

"I don't need him to take care of me." she argued, shoving him gently towards the door of the car. "I can take care of myself."

"Sure, Queenie." Junior laughed. "You try telling Ma and Pops that. I just wanna know if I need to roll up in there and let him know what's what."

She laughed. Junior was a younger, easier going version of his father, at least when he wasn't on the job. When he was on the job though, he was just as ruthless as his old man. He had taken an instant liking to her and her sister, embracing them as family just as much as his parents had. "I would pay good money to see how Steve would react to you trying to intimidate him. Really I would."

"What?" Junior spread his arms wide. "You don't think I can stand toe to toe with Captain America?"

"No." She laughed again. "No, Junior. I don't"

"Jeez." He folded his arms. "You hearing this, Hams?"

Hams, Junior's best friend and personal bodyguard, who was currently driving the car, nodded. "I hear it, Junior. Hey, Queenie, what's Captain America got that we don't, huh? Why can't you date a good Italian guy?"

"Oh, my god!" She laughed harder. "Seriously? You want to know what he has that you guys don't? Really?"

"Hey, I'm just sayin. If I knew you were into older men, I coulda set you up with my old man." Hams came to a full stop at a red light, looking at her in the rear view mirror. "He's on dialysis, and he only has one kidney, but I'm pretty sure he still gets it up. Although, his hearing ain't so good no more."

"Ew." Brooklyn shook her head. "No thank you."

"No, seriously. Ma has been setting you up with all these nice guys, and you pick the patriotic patsy?" Junior poked her side, causing her to giggle. "What gives?"

She batted his hand away again, trying to poke him as well. "He does it for me."

"'He does it for you'? What, is that code for how he well he dicks you?" Junior put on a disgusted face. "I don't wanna think about that."