I'm sorry, dad... (a Steggy story.)

You made your choice

"Margaret Anna Rogers! You get back here!" Mama yells as I run down the street, farther and farther away from the house and my father, who is standing in the doorway with an angry glare on his face.

Tears stream down my face. When I was a little girl, and my father still looked at me like I was his pride and joy. But now, I'm 16, I tried doing what they planned for me, and I got bored within three days of school. I wanted to have the procedure, I wanted to be the sidekick that dad needed, I wanted to be Lady America...he said I would get there one day.

One day is taking forever to get here.

No...instead, they enrolled me into a very prestigous...very stuck up... School for girls in London, England. I want nothing to do with it. I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow...but...with the way my dear old dad is yelling that I'm cut off...

I guess I'm cut off. I don't have to go.

Mama's probably on the phone with the headmistress now.

I'm sorry, headmistress, Margaret won't be enrolled in your school. We're pulling her out and cutting her off financially. Thank you. Goodbye.

Well...at least I have Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria.

***

I knock on the door of Howard's gigantic house. I ran here. Sweat covers my skin and my messy brunette hair is...well...a mess of curls and cowlicks from the wind. And I just rolled out of bed when my parents came in to yell at me. It wasn't my fault I had slept until one in the afternoon. Dad had me running laps around the back yard at around sunrise, of course I went hack to bed afterwards.

"Miss Rogers." Mr. Jarvis says as a greeting. "Your mother called and told me not to let you in. But then Mr. Stark said, and I hope you pardon my language, "Fuck that. What Peg doesn't know won't hurt her." May I offer you some tea? Lemonade? Water? I highly doubt Captain Rogers drove you here."

"Tea sounds great, Mr. Jarvis. Is Ana here?" At that moment, the Hungarian woman stands up from the couch and pulls Margaret into a hug. "Let me see your arms, honey." She says, and, reluctantly, I show her the wounds that are still healing from last night. I don't harm myself...not often, at least. But the shouting match I got into with dad last night was too much.

Ana stares down at my wrists for a moment. "You must be in horrible pain... Captain Rogers doesn't do that, does he?" I sigh. "Just because I'm the only baby that survived doesn't mean they own me. Dad doesn't seem to realize that. All I want is to follow in his or mamas footsteps but..." I feel myself starting to cry. "Nothing I do matters..." I wipe my eyes. "He doesn't harm me physically... I think he might if he wasn't a damn super soldier."

"Don't say that, dear."

Ana hugs me one more time before going to get the tea. "So wheres Howard and Maria?" I ask, sipping the tea.

"Maria's having the baby."

"Oh...cool."

Great. A new baby. A shiny new toy for mama and dad to spoil until he turns a certain age...then it'll be constant abuse and disappointment...

"Margaret, you don't have to take this alone." Ana says quietly. She sits next to me. "You know I am not able to bear children...you are like a daughter to me. Peggy Carter-Rogers may be a spy, but she isn't a terrible mother. And Captain Rogers just wants whats best for you-"

I cough into my teacup. The cough sounds like the word "Bullshit." But I smile innocently and listen to Ana.

"I know being sixteen is hard. I know you want to rebel. And I know that you will be okay no matter what happens."

***

Howard and Maria get back with an infant they named Anthony Stark. Howards upset that its a boy. He looks a bit pissed off when he gets home. He instantly brightens up when he sees me, on the couch pretending to be asleep. "Hows my favorite Rogers kid doin?" He asks. I yawn and stretch, really selling the tiredness in hopes that he might go away. I smile, a bit sadly. "You know I'm the only Rogers kid, Howie." I mumble. He picks me up over his shoulder and yells "That's uncle Howie to you, punk!" And I laugh and scream for him to put me down. He does, holding both of my hands in his. I realize too late what hes doing. He turns my hands over and pulls up my sleeves. "You promised not to do that." I push my sleeves back down. "I know. I'm sorry." He hugs me. "Come meet your cousin, kid." Maria lets me hold Tony, and I sing to him a little. From a movie that recently came out about an elephant who can fly.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part
Baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let your light sparkle and shine
Never a tear
Baby of mine

Tony's asleep by the end of the song, and I give him back to Maria.

Ana and Mr. Jarvis clap a bit. I blush. I've been taking vocal lessons from Angie's wife, Rosemarie, since I met her. Angie was in love with my mama in the 40s but got over her pretty fast after meeting Rosemarie. She's a vocal coach. Angie made it into a Broadway show a few years ago, and she moved out to California around the same time we did. Its 1970. My 17th birthday is coming up.

I wish I could get out of my parents shadows...

I should have been more careful what I wished for.

Because the day I turned seventeen...

Was the day he took me away.

The winter soldier...

James Buchanan Barnes...

Bucky.