''Jesus, Nat. Have fun last night?'' 

Katya stood in front of the mirror, staring at her body. She didn't mean to, but on her way to the shower, she had caught her own reflection. She counted at least five hickeys, all on her stomach. At least they were out of sight. Her thighs weren't bruised, but they were a bit sore where Natasha dug her fingers into them.

''I have no idea what you're talking about,'' she innocently replied from the bedroom. She had already brought Maya to school and left Katya to sleep in, which she appreciated. 

To make a point, Katya stepped into the bedroom, hands on her hips. Natasha looked her up and down shamelessly, not even trying to hide the smirk growing on her lips. ''I don't see the problem. You look beautiful.''

Katya rolled her eyes. ''You're impossible.'' She turned back to the bathroom, brushing her short hair to get the knots out. She needed to dye it again. Desperately. But going into town was too much of an effort.

''Last night you said I was amazing,'' Natasha called after her. For some reason, she had come back to the bed after dropping Maya off, picking up the book on her bedside table and reading it with her back against the headrest. She had read more books in five months than in the five years before. It surprised Katya that she had the patience for them.

''It differs per minute,'' Katya responded, turning on the shower and loving how it relaxed her muscles. She tried to think of something to do today. Was there something to fix in the house? Oh wait, maybe they could start with the preparations for Maya's birthday party. It needed to be good. Not for them, but for her. She deserved to be spoiled after having nothing since the Snap.

Mornings like these were peaceful, slow. Waking up without any pressure, showering long, eating breakfast on the porch if the weather was nice, throw in a workout if you felt like it. No missions, no yelling Tony Stark in the hallways. Silence.

Katya turned the shower off when her phone rung on her bedside table. ''Can you get it?'' she yelled to Natasha. The sound stopped, so she suspected she picked it up. Wrapping a towel around her body, she was about to step out the shower when she heard Natasha mumble something under her breath.

''Oh my god.'' She couldn't believe her eyes, the TV in their bedroom displaying the news. ''Kat, you need to see this.''

Her tone of voice was enough for Katya to forget all about the water dripping from her hair and legs and to step into the bedroom, finding a shocked Natasha on the foot end of the bed. Katya followed her line of sight, her breath hitching in her throat.

The same Senator who thanked Sam excessively for doing the right thing by giving Steve's shield to the museum, now proudly stood behind a pulpit with the logo of the Department of Defense. She knew what he was going to say, the minute she saw him and all the military men around him.

''While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend Earth, we also need a hero to defend this country.''

With her eyes glued to the screen, Katya sat next to her wife, shortly sharing a knowing look with her. The Senator's first words included both of them, too. Although not anymore.

''We need a real person who embodies America's greatest values. We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol for all of us.'' The Senator's loud words boomed through the once so peaceful room. 

Katya knew where this was going, exactly who he described, but she refused to accept it yet. Her heartbeat quickened and Natasha clenched her jaw together in anger. 

''So, on behalf of the Department of Defense and our Commander-in-Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America!''

The Senator stepped to the side, and the doors behind him opened. There, on the screen, was a man neither Katya nor Natasha had never seen before. But what they did know, all too well, was the shield he proudly carried. 

''You have got to be kidding me,'' Katya hissed angrily, receiving a punch in the gut. The urge to throw something at the screen was big. Should she be surprised? How many times has the government screwed them over now? 

'Captain America' walked down the steps, shoulders back, proud look in his eyes. A look nobody should wear while holding a stolen item. 

''They can't do this,'' Natasha breathed, her whole body rigid. Her eyes jumped over the man's body, trying to force back the scowl. 

This was Steve's legacy they gave away. Like they saw the shield as just a thing. That man -whoever he was - must have done something to deserve the title, but he didn't know Steve, Steve didn't give him the shield. The only person Steve wanted to have the shield was Sam. He was the only one who should carry it if he wanted to.

''We need to do something,'' Katya growled. She couldn't watch the guy's smug smile anymore, so she turned the TV off and started pacing, back and forth through the room. Luckily, the floor was wood and not carpet because she left a trail of water.

Natasha sighed, running her shaking hands through her hair. She cut it a couple weeks ago and was back to being all red now, falling just below her shoulders in loose curls. ''Trust me, I want to rip that thing out of his hands as badly as you, but we can't do anything about it. It is the government's property now,'' she spoke, unsure if she tried to calm herself or Katya down.

''God, I hate politicians.'' Katya shook her head, her whole body tense. She glanced at Nat. ''Have I mentioned that before?'' Her relationships with governments had plummeted to a low with the Sokovia Accords, and never bettered after that.

Normally, Natasha would have chuckled or at least smiled, but she couldn't find any reason to. ''About a thousand times.'' She stopped Katya by catching her wrist, sighing when her blue eyes fell on her. ''Look, Kat. No matter how hard this is, we need to let it go. Sam will be on top of this, no doubt. Probably Barnes too if he ever comes out of his apartment. It's not for us to deal with, okay?''

Katya sighed, sitting on the bed again. She hated how deciding to give up that lifestyle came with restrictions. ''I know. I know. But it hurts to see. Sam gave it away in trust, and they handed it over to the next white guy like it's just a prop.''

Natasha clenched her teeth together. ''Yeah, this isn't over yet.'' She tapped the cover of her book, watching Katya as she shook her head and walked back to the bathroom, leaving the door open. All kinds of solutions to this problem started running through her head, but she pushed them all away. She had to accept that this wasn't her problem anymore. But that was hard when this concerned one of her best friends.

''What do you want to do today?'' she asked instead, trying to lift the heavy silence.

Katya had to think about that, drying and brushing her hair. Her eyes were sad and she kept them strictly on her hair. ''Definitely not go into town, not with this news.'' She was right, they would be asked about the situation all the time, and she needed time to process it all. ''But we need a gift for Maya.''

Natasha hummed. Maya's birthday was in a week and they had no clue what to get her yet. It would probably take the entire day to find something. ''So online shopping, got it. Let me also call the trampoline park.'' She grabbed her phone and looked up the number. But right before dialing it, her thumb froze above the screen. ''Wait, should we plan this on the day itself, like after school? Or in the weekend? Like, how does it work?''

Katya walked into the room, moving to the closet to find something comfortable for today. These days, she mostly wore sweatpants and leggings instead of jeans. Unless they were going out. ''I- on the day itself, right?'' She looked at Natasha, both very clueless as to how any of it worked. ''I honestly have no clue. I can call Pepper?''

They did end up calling Pepper, who gave them more tips for organizing a party, which they were very grateful for. As for the gift, that did take the entire day. It was beautiful out, warm, so they sat on the porch, Natasha with her laptop on her knees, scrolling through thousands of websites to find something. 

What could a nine-year-old possibly want? Maya was content with very little because she has grown up with very little. She wasn't one for expensive things or lots of things. She felt guilty asking for things, even though they reassured her time after time she shouldn't.

Katya fiddled with the cup of coffee in her hand, head on her wife's shoulder. After hours of doing this, she started to lose concentration and focus, and they were still no closer than finding anything. 

Apparently, Natasha felt the same, because she abruptly shut the laptop and set it beside her on the cushions of the wooden bench. She sighed and laid her head on top of Katya's, staring out over the small lake. If they listened carefully and the wind was in the right direction, they could hear the sounds of the city. But otherwise, it was very quiet, only birds singing. 

Katya knew something was on her mind, between her eyebrows no doubt that crease. ''What is it?''

Natasha wasn't surprised she noticed. They knew each other through and through. ''Never thought ten years ago that I would miss Steve Rogers,'' she admitted, smiling faintly. A little more than a decade ago, they met him with the whole Loki situation. But it wasn't until after the fall of SHIELD that they saw him as one of their closest friends. 

After that, they only became closer with the Avengers, and later also while on the run for two years. He was family, and so his death hit everyone hard, although Natasha never showed that a lot. But today must have stirred up some feelings.

Katya let out an airy chuckle, allowing Natasha to lace her fingers through hers. ''Me neither. But he finally got the life he always wanted. He wasn't meant for this modern world.''

''Yeah.'' There was more, but she didn't say anything and Katya didn't want to push. If Natasha wanted to talk about it, she'd come to her eventually.

They sat in silence, Katya staring at their intertwined hands while Natasha's eyes traveled over the lake. It rippled only slightly because of the lack of wind and reflected the sunlight brightly. 

Eventually, it was time to pick up Maya. Katya shifted a bit so she could look at her wife. ''Should I pick her up, or do you want to?''

''I'll go,'' Natasha replied with a soft smile. She placed a kiss on Katya's lips and disappeared into the house, coming out a couple minutes later with the car keys in her hand, stepping into the car and driving off.

Katya waited until she was out of sight to pick up her phone and call back the one person she suspected had more information on this. Someone she saw literally a day ago, when everything was still fine.

''I expected you to call way earlier.'' Sam had apparently waited on her phone call. She could hear the smirk in his voice, but it didn't hold the usual flair. He was tired, frustrated.

Katya rolled her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest. Liho joined her, lying in the spot Natasha had sat. ''I'm sorry that I have an actual life,'' she joked, to which Sam chuckled. She missed him, missed joking with him. ''You know why I'm calling, so spill.''

She imagined Sam's smile falling and there was some rustling on the other side. He either went through some papers or sat behind his computer. 

''Guy's name is John Walker. Former Captain of the U.S. Army's 75th Rangers Regiment. Couple tours in Afghanistan. First person in American history to receive three Medals of Honor. His partner-''

''Okay okay, I get it, he's a good soldier,'' Katya cut him off. She had heard enough. This man was chosen for his achievements instead of his heart. Steve was a good leader, a good Captain, because of his righteousness and his strong sense of right and wrong, not because of the number of medals he had. 

''But he's not Cap,'' Sam finished with a sigh. ''Yeah.''

Katya mirrored sighed, running her hand through Liho's fur. She felt for him. ''I'm sorry, Sam. You must be pissed. Is there anything you can do?''

''No. I gave it away myself, willingly. It's the government's property now.'' Government. Always the goddamn government. This is exactly why Katya didn't go and work for them. She didn't trust anyone when it came to politicians. And what happened here today was proof enough.

''That's what Nat said.''

She could hear Sam stand up from his chair, his boots patting on the floor. ''I just don't understand how they could do this, you know? I thought I was doing the right thing by letting the Captain America title rest forever, to preserve his legacy, but I should have seen this coming.''

''Sam, nobody saw this coming. None of this is your fault,'' Katya reassured him. Maybe Bucky wouldn't think the same about it, but she knew how much Sam struggled to make this decision. Both options had pros and cons, but nobody could have seen this con coming.

''Will you be watching the interview?'' Sam noticeably changed the topic, but Katya went with it.

''The interview?'' she asked confused, furrowing her eyebrows. She went through her mind but couldn't come up with any interview she should be watching.

''Walker will give an interview. They're making a whole show out of it. Band, cheerleaders, stadium.''

Katya's heart sped up in anger, but she pushed it all away. It was simply no use getting angry. ''When?'' She couldn't believe the people went with this so easily. Had they already forgotten Steve?

''Next Saturday. Eight AM, I believe.''

She fiddled with a loose thread on her pants. ''Nat will want to see it, so I guess I don't have much of a choice.'' She wasn't really looking forward to seeing the guy parading around with Steve's shield. But ignoring all of this didn't make it go away. ''Are you going to be okay?''

''I won't watch it, so yeah.'' Sam sighed deeply. ''Just keep going, right?'' He tried to joke, but it didn't come out that way. 

''Right,'' Katya agreed, sensing that this conversation came to an end. He probably had enough to do, so she let him. ''Good luck in Munich.''

A beat of silence fell on the other side, and she had to laugh at his surprise. ''Wha- how?''

Katya chuckled softly. ''Told you we're keeping an eye on your stupid shit. Bye Sam.''

''Bye Kat,'' he laughed, the first real laugh she'd heard him give.

He hung up and Katya threw her phone on the bench cushions next to her, running her hands over her face. Sam sounded sad, stressed. She wished she could do more, but he was right, it was the government's property now and they couldn't just rip the shield out of Walker's hands. 

Speaking of Walker, Katya picked up the laptop and Googled him. Sam had only been able to tell her a little before she cut him off, but that had painted a good picture of him already. The guy was a good soldier, did a lot of heroic things while in the army. 

She clicked on the images and a lot of them filled her screen. At the top were all the same ones: promo pictures for the new Cap. She quickly blocked them out and searched for other ones. Most were of the guy in his uniform, a couple with his partner Lemar and she even found one with his wife, who looked very kind. 

The guy himself didn't look too awful. Don't get her wrong, Katya was not attracted to guys, but he looked alright. Blond, blue eyes, physique a bit smaller and less muscular than Steve, but he was a super soldier so the two couldn't be compared. 

But there was something about him that put her off. Something in the way he looked, something in his eyes. But it was hard to tell without hearing him speak or meeting him in person, which would never happen if it came to her. 

She was about to dive into the freaking website they made for him, when her ears picked up the sound of tires on the driveway. She put the laptop away and watched how Maya jumped out of the car the moment it stood still. 

''Hello darling.'' Katya smiled widely when Maya walked up the porch steps, at least expecting a smile or something, but she mumbled a hello back and disappeared into the house with a pissed look on her face. Surprised, Katya turned to Natasha, who stopped on the top step, shaking her head to herself. ''What's wrong?''

''She heard the news,'' Natasha replied, staring at the retreating figure of Maya. She disappeared to her room, either mad or sad. Or both. 

''Oh.''

Maya was a lot like Natasha when it came to these types of situations. Leave her alone for a while to sulk and then go and talk to her. So they left her to do her homework or whatever she was doing upstairs and ate dinner with her in a tense silence. They made some small talk, avoiding the painful topic of Walker, until Natasha went to talk to Maya after the meal.

She came down with a frown on her face afterwards. Natasha might not show it, but the emotions of people she cared about influenced her greatly. When Katya was sad, she was sad. When Katya was happy, she was happy. So seeing Maya so sad made her green eyes sad too.

Katya said nothing, just sat next to her on the couch and patted her leg. It made a small smile grow on Natasha's lips, which would have to be enough for now. 

Next Saturday, a little before eight AM, they turned on the TV above their small fireplace and flipped through the channels to find the interview. Which wasn't hard; every channel broadcast it. 

Katya walked to the bottom of the stairs to alert Maya of the starting event. She heard her ferreting around in her room last night, unable to sleep because of it, and hadn't come out of it after breakfast. ''Maya! It's starting now. Do you want to watch or-''

She stormed past her, completely taking Katya by surprise, and walked to the couch. Instead of sitting next to Natasha, she crawled onto her lap, resting her head on her collarbone and eyeing the TV from the corner of her eye. A soft smile grew on Natasha's face as she wrapped her arms around her daughter to pull her further into her chest, placing a kiss onto her hair.

Katya melted at the sight, almost forgetting to sit down herself. She would have made a joke about Maya stealing her spot if she hadn't been so sad. Damn, she loved her little family. She felt like her heart was going to burst with love.

The Good Morning America tune started playing, and after a short intro, they were quick to get to the point. 

Sam hadn't been joking when he said they'd make a spectacle of it. What filled the screen was a football field you'd find at a school. Not too big, a couple stands around it, but they were filled all the way. 

In the middle of the green field, a small podium was set up, with a woman already waiting with a sheet of paper. Cheerleaders and a whole band - in uniform - danced and marched around it. 

The fun and excitement traveled into the living room, but the three people inside weren't celebrating. They had their jaws clenched and eyes full of something that came very close to hatred.