Sitting at the tech's station, Brooklyn sighed as she watched the woman file away her wedding nails.

The pain she had felt the day before, while on the floor of the RV, with Steve inside her and above her, was her nail snapping at the bed. Between the growth that had occurred, and the the intense physical activity, the nail had simply broken. When she had noticed it while dressing in the morning, she had commented on it to Steve. He had taken her hand, kissed the broken nail, and told her not to worry.

After leaving St. Regis, they had continued on West along the 1-90. It wasn't very long, before they crossed into Idaho, among the winding and twisting turns of the highway. She had pointed out the state sign, and Steve had laughed, nodding.

She had been a bit delicate with the nail, not wanting to aggravate it, but willing to wait until they were actually further west before seeking out a salon that could fix it. It really wasn't that big a concern for her. Nails broke. That was kind of what they did, in her opinion. It hadn't been until she had started working at Tassels that she had even cared about her nails. It was a look for her hands that seemed to be appreciated by the patrons, and honestly to her, she found she was tipped more, if her hands looked good while serving drinks.

Having her toenails done as well was a smart thing, as well manicured nails didn't snag on stockings or shoes.

She had continued up the practice of having her nails done every two weeks or so, because she had liked the look, and Steve seemed to appreciate it. In this instance, she had been content to attend to physical pampering of a sort, in the effort to both please Steve, and because it seemed all of the females she saw in New York seemed to get manicures or pedicures of some sort.

Even Nat looked like she maintained a workable, if short, manicure.

But the harsh reality was, nails were one of those things she never really thought about beyond making sure they were out of the way, while growing up in HYDRA.

Papa had regularly taken a knife to her nails, if they got too long, while she was training or in the field with him. Other times, he had straight up bitten them off, if there was no knife available. Snags, tears, and nails that grew too long could be a liability.

When Steve and Brooklyn had reached the first major stop in Idaho for them, Wallace, he had held her hand, while she led him through the town, investigating and inspecting it's silver mining history, while he toyed around on his phone a bit. She had taken a bit of caution, realizing that, as they wet along on this trip, that her collar might become more and more evident, and might eventually lead to questions that would at the very least be uncomfortable to either dodge or answer. With this in mind, she had done a bit of searching through some of the clothing Kitty had packed for her, finding a somewhat higher collared, lighter fabric shirt. It had made it just a bit easier for her to keep the pendant hidden. Steve had not spoken about it, although she had seen him notice it. It wasn't the best of the available solutions, the easiest being removing the collar, but that wasn't something she had a desire to do. So, she was planning on relying on higher collars, or possibly even scarves, if she found any that she liked.

She had gone to the bathroom at one of the museums, taking the time to adjust her collar slightly, and when she had come out, he had been ending a phone call, then put his phone away, smiling at her.

After a bit, he had kissed her hand, and told her he had a surprise. After a very short drive, he had pulled over the bike, in front of a small salon and pulled her in, introducing her to the technician, and kissing her head, telling her to not get claws, then left.

Carrie, the nail tech, had led Brooklyn to her station, and invited her to sit down. Once that happened, she began to work on her nails, initiating small talk.

Brooklyn had filled the space up with absent chatter, making sure to avoid anything that would indicate that Steve was who he was, and that they were anything but a cute loving couple traveling the country on their honeymoon. She fell back on the old standard she had used with Juliana's teacher, before Steve had admitted the truth, that Steve was a subcontractor hired by a subsidiary of Stark Industries, who specialized in global security programs. Whatever that meant.

It helped that the scruff Steve had started to grow really did make him look worlds away from the clean cut image of Captain America that every single person in the world seemed to recognize. Then again, how many people expected Captain America to walk into a small salon, in the panhandle of Idaho, asking to have a manicure for his wife, and did they mind fixing her nail while they were at it?

She watched the technician work on her nails, turning her hands, and allowing the woman to get at certain angles easier.
"These were done so well." Carrie commented, as she began grinding down the acrylic. "Really."
"My adoptive mother paid to have them done, for the wedding." Brooklyn explained, tilting her head slightly as a fleck of nail came at her face. "New nails, new life."
"That's the way it should be." Carrie nodded, an amused tone. "First thing I tell all my friends. Guy dump you? Get your nails done. Lost your job? New manicure. Just found out your uncle was sent for prison moving meth, and the whole family's all up in a roar? Shape your claws, and polish it up."

"I imagine that is really good for business." Brooklyn smiled. "But I guess it's sage advice. My Papa always said, if they come at you from the left? Duck under and hit them in the balls."

"Now, see..." Carrie pointed her grinder at Brooklyn briefly. "Your Papa was teaching his daughter right. Too many people tell their daughters to sit still, look pretty, and keep their heads down. Your Papa taught you to trade blow for blow, right?"

"Always." She nodded. "It was... how we kept it together, I guess. Especially being moved around all the time. Never was sure where we were half the time. But, Papa was... constant."

"Oh. Military family?" Carrie gave her a sympathetic look. "My first husband was one. Lord, we were moved all over, it seemed. We'd just finish packing, then we'd get the orders and have to pack it all up again. Didn't find my wedding pictures, I think, until after the divorce, because of it."
"First husband?" Brooklyn inquired.

"Honey..." Carrie began to laugh. "I'm fifty seven years old! I've been through three divorces, five kids, and one bout of breast cancer. If there's something in this world I don't know about, I'm keen to learn."
"Is that why you do nails?" she looked around the little shop, noting the pedicure spa chairs, the four nail stations, the back room for waxing, and the racks and racks of nail polish hung on the walls.

"I started doing my own nails, after my first divorce. Had to cut corners. Figure my shit out. I started with my own nails, figured it out, and eventually my friends and family started asking me to do theirs. Figured, I could make a living from it. So, I started charging them, and used that money to take classes at the local beauty school. Took me more than a few months. But I got my license. I was able to scrape enough together, to set up a nail salon in my garage. Saved and scrimped from there, until I was able to get a loan, and got this place. And from there? I managed to help my kids go to college, if they wanted. One of my girls joined me here, after she got her license. Buried one son, when he didn't come back from Iraq. But, this place? It's mine." Carrie gave her a smile. "Got me a few grandbabies, and I'm my own boss. So, I can't complain."

Brooklyn nodded. "That is impressive. Really."
"Thank you." Carrie looked at her, as she flipped Brooklyn's hand over, inspecting her undernail. "Gonna have to soak that broken one off. Unless you want me to rip it off."
"Whatever you think is best." Brooklyn nodded again. "I don't think Steve is going to rush us."

Carrie nodded, pulling the things needed for the nail removal out of a drawer. "He's a handsome one."
"Objectively, he is attractive to most females. With the exception of the ones who are physically and sexually attracted to their own sex." Brooklyn tilted her head. "But yes, he is... handsome."

"Nice ass." Carrie grinned. "Really nice ass. If I was maybe... twenty, twenty five years younger... I might give you a run for your money, with him."
Brooklyn laughed. "You could try! He's... he's mine. All mine. I own him. Body... soul.." She leaned foreward. "Even his cock."
Laughing, Carrie dropped her head forward, before she looked at Brooklyn, her eyes bright with mirth. "Tell me he's a beast in the sack?"
"He is." She smiled back. "Granted, he's the only one I've ever had sex with."
"You were a virgin? Oh, honey... a woman should shop around a bit, first." Carry shook her head. "Made that mistake with my first husband."

"I never... felt the need, before him." She shrugged. "He... he slipped in under my radar... and then I just.. and he..."
"You fell." Carrie finished her broken nail, grabbing the grinder to prepare the bed. "Head over heels. Deep. So deep, right?"
"Yes." Brooklyn felt relieved, thankful someone understood. "It's like I can't breathe. There was... this Spring, I thought he had died, and I felt like I would never be able to breathe again. Like... I was freezing, from the inside out. Underwater, drowning, but without water."

"Oh, Honey..." Carrie stroked her hand briefly. "But he didn't. You guys got married. It's worked out fine."
"I know. But there was a moment..." She took a deep breath, before dropping her voice to a whisper. "Where I would have set the world on fire, if it had taken him from me."
Carrie didn't say anything, just stroked her hand gently. Brooklyn took a deep breath, settling the darkness that whispered deep inside, pushing it back into the closet, making sure the door was locked tight.
"Sorry." She shook her head. "It was just... a really, really bad day."

"No." Carrie sighed. "It sounds like it was... more than that."
"It doesn't matter, really." Brooklyn tried to lighten her tone. "He came home, and I agreed to marry him. And now.."
She turned, waving a hand as if to encompass everything.
"We're married, and on our honeymoon."

Carrie looked at her, before giving her a big grin. "You know what? I have a bottle of wine in the back. Occasionally, I like to have a drink, when I'm doing the paperwork. Why don't I go get it, we'll crack it open, and we'll get snookered, while I finish your nails. And then..." She leaned forward. "I'll wax those eyebrows. Because, Honey? They're growing in."
"I know!" Brooklyn moaned. "I know!"

Standing up, Carrie laughed. "Be right back!"

****8

By the time Steve came back, smiling, Carrie had long finished Brooklyn's nails, and had waxed her eyebrows. They had taken seats at one of the nail station, laughing and drinking the cheap berry wine that Carrie had offered Brooklyn.

She didn't think Carrie was 'snookered' as she had previously claimed they would become. But despite the bitter taste underlying the wine flavor, it had been a half decent wine. One of Carrie's daughter in law made it, she had told Brooklyn, as she pulled the cork out. Every summer, she would spend days picking different berries, before setting them with the required ingredients, and made her own wine. And she always sent as many bottles as Carrie wanted over to her.
It was sweet.

The small town mentality, that was there. In a way, it was a facet of life Brooklyn hadn't ever seen before.

"Hello, Babydoll." Steve smiled, coming over to bend and kiss her temple. "Have fun?"

"Lots." She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek, rubbing his scruffy cheek. "Do lots of exploring?"
"A little." He looked at Carrie. "Interesting town you live in."
"We try." Carrie laughed. "Granted, it's tourist season, so it's crawling with strangers. But come winter? When it's just the miners and the locals? It can be cozy."

Steve nodded. "We're moving to a small town, when we get back east. Bought a house, with a bit of land." He reached down, picking up Brooklyn's hand, kissing the palm of it. "I promised my Babydoll a rose garden."
"And a sunroom. And a place to read." She smiled back. "And a pantry."
"All of those things, Babydoll. I promise." He kissed her palm again.

"So darling." Carrie sighed, finishing her wine. "You keep that up? You'll be together for years."
"Seventy, plus.. I refuse to accept anything less." Steve winked. "More if I can get it. I'm greedy. I want all of Brooklyn's future years."

"Well, you'll have them. I told you, someone has to keep you from being an idiot." She shook her head, before turning to Carrie. "I told you, he's an idiot."
"You did." Carrie agreed, sitting back, folding her arms. "He was smart enough to keep a hold on you."

"He was!" Brooklyn agreed, turning to look at Steve. "You were."
"I was." He nodded, leaning down, kissing her again. "You got your eyebrows done."
"Yup. Needed it." She told him, before holding up a hand, showing him her nails. "What do you think?"

He took the hand, inspecting her nails. "Pink, huh? With sparkles?"
"I will have you know..." Carrie began, before laughing. "Well, you are a man, aren't you... pink is pink. Even with sparkles."
"It's glitter pink gel polish, Steve." Brooklyn shook her head. "It was pretty."
"Not as pretty as the hand it's on." He gave her a charming smile, kissing the back of her hand. Brooklyn would't lie. She felt like her heart did a double beat for a moment, with a fluttery motion in there as well.
Damn, but he could be charming, when he wanted to be. How the hell no girl had been bothered to give him the time of day before the serum, she wouldn't ever understand.

"What is the color?" He looked at Carrie. "I kind of like it on her. Might want to make sure her salon back home can get it."
"It's..." Carrie turned, grabbing the bottle, showing it to Steve. "This one. There really isn't a name. Just the number."
Steve looked at it, before nodding slowly. "I don't suppose I could buy that bottle from you?"

Carrie blinked, before nodding. "Yeah. In fact, let me see if there is a fresh, unopened bottle in storage. I usually by these in multiples, to make them easier."
She stood up, and went into the back, into a room that was obviously the storage room.

"So. Eyebrows." Steve slowly raised one of his. "Was that all you waxed?"
She grinned, nodding. "Yup. I remembered what you said. Nothing below the eyebrows."
"Good." He leaned down, kissing her. "Cause you are starting to get a bit stubby. Not that I mind, but I imagine it's itchy."
"I haven't been noticing. Really." She assured him, reaching up to scratch at his jaw. "How about you? You getting itchy?"
"No." He shook his head. "I mean, it's there. I notice it. But it's not really bothering me."

"I like it." She told him. "I mean, I like the clean shaved look, but the beard is nice. It makes you... what's that word... Rugged? Wild? Not so... clean cut, and rule abiding....." She licked her lips a little. "Less morals, and more... loose."

"You are always worrying abut my morals." He teased, reaching out to pinch her chin. "They aren't as strict as you think, Babydoll. Trust me. When it comes time? I'll shock the pants off you."
"I'd rather you just rip them off." She grinned. "I like the beard. I really like it. I like how it feels on my thighs... and my pussy."

His eyes darkened, as his fingers tightened on her chin. "Careful, Babydoll... we're in public. And that very nice lady will be coming back, any second. Wouldn't do to shock her, would it?"
She winked, reaching a hand out, sliding it up his thigh till she reached the juncture of his legs, pressing against the bulge that was growing. "Oh, I don't know. I imagine she wouldn't be shocked, at all. She seems very earthy."

As if summoned, Carrie came out, waving a gel polish bottle in her hand. "Found it!"

Steve cleared his throat, standing up straight, his fingers lingering on Brooklyn's chin, before he let go. She dropped her hand, turning to smile at Carrie.
"Oh!" Carrie laughed, stopping before waving a hand, coming back over to her station, sitting down and setting the polish down in front of her with a little click. "Honeymooners. And the two of you are too damn cute."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Steve ducked his head, reaching behind himself and pulling out his wallet. "How much do we owe you?"
"Well..." Carrie sat back, pulling out a calculator, tapping away at it. "Thirty five for the fill, ten for the repair, fifteen for the wax... and let's say... ten for the bottle?"
"Ten's fine." Steve nodded, opening his wallet. "My math correct that it's seventy, right?"
"Yup." Carrie turned the calculator around, showing the number to Steve. "Seventy dollars. Although, I might take some off, because Brooklyn has been so entertaining."

"No." Steve shook his head, pulling out a single bill, holding it out to Carrie. "We couldn't do that, considering this is your livelihood?"

"It is." Carrie reached out, taking the bill. "Give me a moment, and I'll get your change."
"Don't bother." Steve put his wallet away, waving his free hand. "Consider it a tip. You fixed my Babydoll's nail, and you made her happy. That alone is worth what ever is left from the bill."

Brooklyn stood up, grabbing her bag, before holding out her hand. "Thank you, Carrie. Are you going to be okay, getting home?"
"Oh, Honey, don't worry about me. My daughter is coming in to help me do the weekly cleaning." Carrie stood up, ignoring her hand, and came around the station, wrapping her arms around her. "Oh, you are going to have so much fun, Honey!"
"I know." Brooklyn brought her hands up, patting Carrie's back gently. "I fully plan on making sure we are having as much fun as possible."

"I have a feeling you will." Carrie pulled away, smiling at her. She turned to look at Steve. "You take good care of her. She's something special."
"I'm well aware of this." Steve stated, taking Brooklyn's hand. "Thank you, Carrie."
"You are more than welcome." She waved at them, as they left.

*****

Steve paused, looking at the statue. "So. World's Expo."
"World's Expo." She nodded, looking at it with him. "Nineteen Seventy Four World's Expo."
"In Spokane." Steve put his hands on his hips, still looking at the goat. "And this was part of it."
"The theme was Environmentalism." She looped her arm through his, grabbing her wrist with her other hand, leaning against him slightly. "So. They say...if you feed the goat, it eats trash."
"Really." His voice was interested. "Can I ask why the interest in a trash eating goat?

She blinked. "It eats trash, Steve. It's a statue, and it's designed to eat trash! How is that not something of interest?"

Looking up at him, she watched as he pursed his lips, before he gave a slow nod. "Okay. I get it. It's pretty cool, I guess."
"You guess." Her voice was dubious. "Okay. Watch this."
She unlinked their arms, before stepping to the side, and flipping open her messenger bag, reaching in and digging around until she found a crumpled receipt. She pulled it out, and held it up, showing it to him. Going over to the goat, she dramatically placed the receipt at the entrance of the goat's mouth, the vacuum pulling the paper out of her mouth, and away to god knows where. Turning, she gave a flourish, raising her eyebrow.

"There's a vaccuum." Steve now sounded impressed. "Okay. So they just have a vaccuum, posing as a goat statue, and people feed it trash."
"Only papers and small things like that. No cans or glass or lids." She pointed to the sign.

"Wonder how well that would work back home." He mused, coming closer and looking at the goat. "The problem is, people don't always respect things like this, in New York."
"Not just New York." She pointed out. "I imagine there are many places where a thing like this would be ruined in a day or two, simply by someone trying to be 'funny', or just out of disrespect."

"You're right on that one." He sounded disgruntled. He walked around the goat, looking at it further. "It's impressive. Okay, I get it."
She smiled, happy he got it. She had been worried, the day before, at the carousel, when he had seemed a little... out of place. As if he didn't understand why they were there. It had been a bit upsetting, when she had thought he would enjoy it just as much as she would. She had assumed he would, based on how he reacted when they did things with Juliana. But there had been a moment, when he had seemed so far away, almost bored.
He had snapped out of it, when she had questioned him, and had returned to his usual all in self. In the end, there had been the sense that he had actually enjoyed himself.

So, yes, while she knew he had said this trip was for her, for her to chose where they went, and what they saw, she wanted him to enjoy it as well. To be able to look back, and say that it had been a happy time for him, that he had enjoyed it as well. That he had good memories from the six weeks that they had managed to carve out for themselves.

"You know." He looked at her. "This is actually ingenious. I mean, if it wasn't messed with, it would be great to have. But..."
He came over, resting his hands on her waist, before bending down and kissing her.
"I'm hungry, Babydoll." He told her, against her lips. "Can we go eat, now?"

She blinked, before laughing, nodding. "We can. Do you want to eat Dick's?"

Steve gave her a slow look of confusion, before disapproval. "Brooklyn. I've told you about this. I'm only interested in women. And specifically, one woman. You."
"No!" She laughed, shaking her head. "It's a burger joint. Native only to Spokane and in no way related to the chain that's in Seattle. It's called Dick's!"

"Oh, Jesus." He laughed. "You had... Christ, Brooklyn!"
"I should have known better." She shook her head, apologizing. "You always have sex on the brain."

"Only part of it." He nodded, looping an arm around her shoulder and leading her to where they had parked the bike. "Only part of it."

She giggled, breaking away and jogging ahead of him. "It's either the burgers, or pizza."
"Pizza?" He picked up his pace a bit, not letting her get to far ahead of him. "You mean to tell me pizza was on list of options?"
"A pizza eating challenge. Five pounds of pizza in a half an hour." She reached the bike, turning to grin at him. "I figured you might want that for dinner."
"How about the pizza for lunch, and the burgers for dinner." He nodded, his voice firm. "We had burgers for dinner last night. Burgers for lunch might be a bit much."

"If you want." She nodded, waiting for him to swing his leg over the bike and settle in, before swinging in behind him. "I think we're going to head up to Cashmere tomorrow. Then west to Leavenworth. Then north till we reach the Canadian border."

"Cashmere? Like the scarf?" Steve asked, as he started the bike, and kicked off, causing her to wrap her arms around his waist.
"Kinda. They have a candy factory there. Regional favorite, I think? But they're famous for it. You can take tours, and do tasting. And of course, a gift shop." She raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the motor.

"Well, that'll be fun!" He called back. "Where's the pizza place?"
She told him the address, and he paused at a corner, putting it into his phone GPS, before turning the sound up all the way, and handing her the phone.
"Let me know where to go." He patted her hand, before checking traffic and taking the first turn.

She guided him to their destination, using the GPS on the phone in her hand, but occasionally pointing out things along their way. He pointed once, at a building that sparked a memory in him.
"That was where the USO show was done. I remember. The hotel was... right there." He pointed, at a run down hotel. The building was decaying, but still seemed to be in use. "The train station wasn't very far either."
"Did they have good services?" She asked, curious.
"Decent." He shrugged. "The stage was one of the better ones, I guess. At least it wasn't a fair ground."
"They do that?" She was a little shocked. "I thought you were the headliner."
"The War Bonds were the headliner, Babydoll. I was just the face." He shook his head, turning down another road on her instruction.

They pulled in front of Pizza Rita's, and Steve pulled into a parking spot, holding the bike steady as she climbed off. He turned off the bike, and swung off, before looking around, then shrugging. He pushed the bike up to the sidewalk, lifting it with ease, and placing it by one of the parking meters. He grinned at her, as he pulled the key from the ignition, then put it in his pocket.
"Can you even park there?" She asked, surprised. "Or is this like the thing you did at the apartment, and the no parking anytime sign?"

"We'll ask for a seat by the window." He told her, taking her hand and heading for the door. "If someone complains, or a police officer decides to write a ticket, I'll go out and deal with it. I just don't think it's fair to take up an entire parking spot, with our bike."

"Not that anyone is going to complain." She remarked, looking around. "There's not much here."
The pizza place, part of a chain, and the one she had chosen, came off as a part of a ghost town. The lights hung in the window looked sad, and about to die. The telephone pole outside was hung with decapitated fliers, aged and fading, sadly flapping in the slight wind. Even the sound of traffic from a few streets over added to the sound of a dying neighborhood.

"The reviews were good?" She offered, turning to look at him, as he opened the door, holding it for her.
"Guess we'll see." He told her with a small smile. "Inside, Babydoll. It's a bit warm, now."
She ducked under his arm, going inside and inhaling as the scent of yeasty bread, and tomato sauce filled the building, wafting along on the air conditioned coolness of the air. She shivered slightly from the change in temperature.
"Oh, that's nice." Steve commented, coming up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back. "It's dry out there."
"It's cold in here." She complained softly, wishing she had packed a light sweater. A sweatshirt. Another shirt. Anything.

"I'm sorry." He told her, rubbing her back gently. "Why don't we order, and see of that helps you get warm. We can sit away from the fan."
"Thank you." She nodded, stepping forward to the counter. She looked up at the menu, before pointing. "That. The five pounder challenge."
She felt him press up against her back, his chest vibrating as he hummed. "We have to pay for it."
"I want the shirt." Stubborny, she folded her arms. "So, you're going to win me the shirt, Steve."

"If you want the shirt, I will get you the shirt, Babydoll." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "So. That takes care of me. What about you?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I mean, I know what I get, back home. Maybe I should try something different. Explore. That's what we're supposed to be doing, right?"

"How about you get what you want. Whatever you don't eat, we'll take back with us, and we can use it for our midnight snack." He slid his hands down to her hips, starting to rock back and forth.

"Instead of me?" She looked at him over her shoulder, surprised. "That's new."
"Oh, Babydoll." He grinned, leaning down to kiss her temple. "You'll always be my favorite midnight snack. But, occasionally, I feel like I need to recharge to keep up with you. That's all. Cold pizza will always work for that."

She laughed, and a worker popped his head around the short wall.
"Oh! Hi! Welcome to Pizza Rita's! What can I get started for you today?" He said, coming over to the till, smiling.

"Hi." Brooklyn stepped forward. "My husband wants to do the five pound challenge."

"Cool!" The worker smiled, tapping a few buttons on the till. "And you're aware it's one person only?"
"Yup." She nodded. "I'll get a medium..."
She looked over the menu, trying to figure out what she wanted, when something caught her eye.
"I'll take a medium Chicken Bacon. Please. Oh! And some of those cheesy garlic things. The cheesy eights? And we're gonna want drinks...." She returned to looking at the menu. "Sodas. A liter of... root beer?"
She turned her head to look at Steve, and he nodded.
Turning back to the worker, she continued. "Root beer. And an order of the fruit eights. Can we get half and half? Or does it all have to be one flavor?"
"Half and half is fine." The worker stated, still tapping at his till. "Will that be all?"
"Nope." She grinned, before stepping aside. "Steve?"
"On it, Babydoll." He pulled out his wallet, stepping up to the register. "What's our damage?"

The worker hit a few more buttons, before rattling off a number, and Brooklyn felt her eyebrows raise slightly, as Steve paused, before shrugging and pulling out some money.
"And a small, or medium, in the shirt." He told the worker, handing over the money, waiting for his change. As soon as he got it, he thumbed off a bit of it, and stuck it in the tip jar by the till. "Please. It's for my wife. She likes to collect them."
"They're war trophies." She grinned. "From the battles my glorious husband has waged with the food challenges he has attempted."

"Done a lot?" The worker did, as a groan from the kitchen came out audibly. "Ignore them. They're not happy teenagers. First summer job."

"I've done a few." Steve allowed. "Been traveling for about a week." He leaned forward, grinning. "Honeymoon."
"Congrats." The worker smiled back, nodding. "And thank you for visiting Spokane. Where to next?"
"Cashmere." Brooklyn leaned against Steve.
"Aplets and Cotlets? The Liberty Orchard factory?" The worker leaned on the counter a little. "That's always a great tour. Went when I was younger with a school trip."
"that's the place!" Brooklyn gave a little jump, and she saw Steve smile down at her out of the corner of her eye. "Then Leavenworth."

"Ah, going along the Cascade Loop?" He smiled, his eyes twinkling a little. "That's always beautiful, this time of year."
"I had thought about it." She nodded. "But I think we're only going to be going along the northern part of it. To Canada. Then south to Seattle. Then... I don't know!"
She laughed a little.

"I honestly don't have a whole lot of plans, once we get through to Seattle. South of there. I know I think I want to go to see the sea lions? In Oregon? Maybe?" She admitted.

There was a crash, followed by a groan, then another crash.

The worker looked behind himself, before grabbing a few cups and putting them on the counter. "Soda is in the cooler. I'll have your food out to you in a moment. About fifteen minutes?"
"You can bring the pizza's out first." Steve told him kindly. "The rest can follow."
"thanks!" The worker nodded, before turning around the short wall, and disappearing."
"Sounds like someone is making a mess." Steve murmured, picking up the cups, and handing them to her, before going over to the cooler and opening the sliding door, grabbing a two liter bottle of root beer. "Pick a table, Babydoll."

She nodded, leading over to one, pausing to test the air before nodding again, and taking a seat.

"A little chatty, there." He remarked, as he opened the soda, pouring some into both glasses, before sliding in across from her, his feet capturing one of her ankles. "Something I should be worried about?"
"No." She shook her head, reaching for one of the cups. "I figured, local. Might know the area better, and might be able to suggest something neat to see off the beaten path."

"The Cascade loop?" He tilted his head. "Have you mentioned that before?"
She paused, before taking a sip. "I think so? Yeah. I did. After we bought the donuts."
"Those were good donuts." Steve commented, reaching out and taking her free hand, playing with her rings. "How you feeling today?"
"Fine?" She frowned. "Steve, are you worried about something?"
"It's just..." He took a deep breath, before letting it out. "You scent was a little... strong, yesterday. I figured... you might be close."
"Close?" Brooklyn frowned more, before it hit her, what he was talking about. "Oh! Well..."
She considered it, thinking. Her last period had been right about a week before the wedding. Which had been two weeks ago. "It's possible? I mean, I know I'm not regular, yet. So, if you think I might be getting close..."
"I just don't want you to be unprepared. If we need to get things, I would rather have them, and not need them. Instead of need them, and not have them." He rubbed her hand a little, before giving it a gentle squeeze. "Kind of figured it would happen, at least once. Six weeks? You've been more regular than that. And I don't want you to worry about it being awkward or something, considering it's our honeymoon."

"I haven't gotten that impression from you." she set down her cup, laying her hand on the one holding her other one. "In fact, as far as I can tell, you have been amazing when it comes to my menses."
"Well, I love you. All of you. Even when you're feeling bloated, and crabby, and crampy, and worried about leaving blood spots on the furniture." He grinned, bringing their conjoined hands up to kiss hers. "What kind of husband would I be, if I was disgusted by a natural bodily function, that happens on a fairly regular basis? I'll tell you, Babydoll. I'd be a shit one. Straight up, horrible, disgusting husband. One who isn't worthy of you, if I can't handle a little blood coming from your uterus, every now and then. Besides..." He grinned at her. "It makes your scent stronger. And I'm not going to lie, now that I know what it is? It's exciting."
"Sex on the brain." She shook her head, feeling her cheeks warm up a bit. "Always sex on the brain."
"It's our honeymoon." He pointed out again, gently. "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to have sex on the brain."

"You had it, before we got married." She accused lightly. "Possibly before we even met."
"oh, I had it on my mind, a certain night in a certain club." He admitted, grinning. "If you had actually pushed, I might have given you my best efforts, that night. In fact... I had more than a few hands on sessions, in the between. Well, in between meeting you, and finally being able to touch you."

A abrubt laugh left her. "You're kidding."
"Nope." He grinned. "In fact, I had quite a few sessions with my hand, before I even fully kissed you."

"Wow." She grinned back. "Good think you never told me that, before we got married. I might have changed my mind."
"Nope." He grinned wider. "I would have fucked you until you were so cock drunk, you would have limped down the aisle, and said your vows in a slur. Granted, Kitty would have had my head, but it would have gotten the job done."
She nodded, before tilting her head. "I want to watch."
"Watch? Me masturbate?" He blinked a few times. "Why?"
"Well, you don't anymore, do you?" She asked, curious. "I mean, since you have me available, whenever you want me?"

"Actually...." He pursed his lips, in that thing he did while he was trying to think. She could see the cogs trying to turn, and getting stuck, as he sighed. "No. I guess I don't do it anymore."
"There you go." she concluded. "I want to see you do it."

Steve licked his lips, nodding slowly. "Okay. I can make that happen-"
Whatever else he was going to say was cut off, as the worker who took their order, came up to their table, putting two pizza boxes on it, placing the larger one in front of Steve, before reaching into the pocket of his apron, pulling out a timer.
"Okay." He said, as he began to turn the dial on the timer. "You have thirty minutes to finish everything. And I mean everything. Every crumb, every crust, every dropped ingredient. Starting..."
Steve moved the box, looking it over, as the worker finished adjusting the timer, setting it down.
"Now!" He stated, folding his arms.
Steve took a deep breath, and grabbed the first piece, taking a huge bite out of the triangle.
"And you can't help him." The worker looked at Brooklyn, before pointing at his eyes with two fingers, then pointing them at her. "I'll be watching."
"Got it." she smiled reaching for her own pizza, picking up a piece and taking a smaller bite. Chewing, she nodded. "I wont help him, at all."
"Good." He nodded to Steve, who had shoved more food into his mouth. "Good Luck."

She chewed, watching as he went back to the counter, leaning on it, folding his arms and watching them.
"Oooh, he's gonna make sure you follow the rules." She teased, as Steve began powering through the first slice.

"Brooklyn..." He admonished, reaching for his cup, taking a swig. "Eat your lunch."

********

She laughed, as he pulled into the gas station at Moses Lake. "I'm just saying, I don't think cheese belongs on pie."
"It does!" He insisted, looking at her with that look that said she disappointed him. "A nice slice of sharp cheddar on a big slice of apple pie is perfection. Especially if they toast the cheese to the point where it gets just a little bit melty."
"It can't be that great." She shook her head. "I haven't had it."

"Oh, we're gonna fix that." He informed her, turning the RV off and pulling the keys out. "Trust me. You're going to love it."

She grinned as she pushed her chair back, making room for him to pass.
"You're not coming in?" He asked, pausing on the stairs.

"Yes, I am." She told him, standing up and reaching behind her chair for her bag. "But I was going to let you go first."

"Well, thank you. But it would be rude for me to go before a lady." He bowed slightly, opening the door. "Although, I don't want you to fall. So... maybe."
She laughed as he climbed out, turning and offering his hand. She placed hers in his, and let him guide her down the stairs and out of the RV. Once on the ground, she adjusted her messenger bag, looking at the gas station store.
"Shall I go ahead of you?" She asked. "Do you want me to pay so you can pump while I explore?"

"No." He wove their fingers together, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of it. "I'll pay, we'll look around, then we'll go back to the RV, and I'll pump the gas, while you put away things we buy. If we buy anything. Maybe we should buy some apples?"
She rolled her eyes. That was what had started the conversation about apple pie. In a roundabout way. He had mentioned the Washington State fruit being apple. And that had started them talking about apple flavored recipes they enjoyed. Until Steve had dropped the bomb that he enjoyed cheddar on his apple pie on her, they had a lot of similar tastes in regards to apple flavored items.

She wrinkled her nose at the idea of cheese being on a pie. Ice cream, yes. Whipped cream, perfect. Even bare topped pie, with just the crust was fine. But cheese? Who the hell thought up that idea? And then sold it to God knows how many people that this was a great idea.
Her poor husband. He had been so brain damaged by his time in the ice, that he thought cheese on pie was a great thing.
She brought her hand down to their joined ones, patting the back of his, trying to tell him silently that she would fix it for the poor idiot.

Said idiot just smiled at her, leading her into the gas station.

The cold air hit her, as they went through the doors, and she inhaled slowly, shaking off the shiver that pebbled her skin. It was one thing she had noticed, since last summer. Maybe it was the fact that most places she went to, with the exception of the club, didn't really seem to engage in their air conditioning to the point that it felt like she was in a blizzard breeze when she went shopping, but it seemed like this summer, she was feeling the AC more and more. Even Kitty seemed to keep the house up at Melba at a more moderate cooler temperature.
Brooklyn had been able to keep the apartment cool, for the most part, by opening the windows and letting the air flow through. As soon as the fall had turned bitter, she had ended that practice, with the exception of when the heater had started malfunctioning, fluctuating between roasting the apartment, or straight up refusing to work.

If they had stayed another winter, she would have had to make sure it remained maintained.

Instead, they would be firmly in their new house by then. And Steve had promised to make sure that she had enough firewood to keep things warm, in case the furnace went out. Granted, the furnace might be the first thing to be replaced, as far as she knew, depending on what Kitty found.

Which reminded her...

"We should call Kitty, sometime in the next day or so." She told Steve as they wandered the shelves. "If only to see what she's started on."
"Twenty bucks says she's already started gutting the rooms that need it." Steve grinned, reaching for a jar of apple butter. "We told her to do the master bathroom. And to redo the sunroom."
"Only a little bit." She protested. "I just asked her to replace what needed to be replaced."
"Babydoll..." He shook his head, chuckling. "You know that Kitty is going to go wild. She has been excited, ever since we gave her permission. I'm pretty sure she'll find a reason to replace so much, just because she wants to make sure the house is the best for her girls. You know, ignoring the fact that I live there."

"She loves you, too." Brooklyn took his hand, squeezing it. "She wouldn't have been so accepting of our getting married, if she didn't."
"I know she does." He looked at her, his face content. "The fact that she told me at Christmas to make sure I put a ring on your finger, is pretty indicative of that."

Brooklyn nodded. "I think... I think she really does see me and Jules as her daughters. Like, honestly does. The jewellery I wore during the wedding? That was the jewellery that Pops' father gave her. To pass down to her daughters. The rosary was her mother in law's. they gave me family jewellery, Steve."
"Because you are their daughter, now. The territory, your placement in the family, the fact that they trust you, and have welcomed you so much... yeah, Brooklyn. You're their daughter now." He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I don't know how I really feel about that." She admitted. "I mean... I never had a mother before. I only had Papa. And I don't want them to think they can take his place."
"They aren't." He turned, taking her other hand. "They aren't trying. They don't even want to try. They know how much you love your Papa. They are well aware of this, Babydoll. They just want a spot in your heart and in your life, just like I did. And just like me, they have it now, don't they? Or are you telling me that if Kitty called and said something happened to Pops, that you wouldn't drop everything and demand I get you to his side as soon as possible?"
"No. I'm not saying that." she shook her head, before sighing. "But would they except it, if I left them to go to his side? To Papa?"
"They would." He smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Just like I would. The difference is, I would expect you to let me go with you. I mean it. If he calls you, or orders you to come to him? I'm with you, every step of the way. Right beside you."
"Like glue." She smiled at him, reaching up to cup his jaw, rubbing her thumb along his stubbly skin. "Because you're mine."
"I am." He gave her a goofy grin, holding up his left hand, wiggling his ring finger. "Even got the mark of ownership to prove it. No getting rid of me, now, Brooklyn."
"Well, I mean..." she pursed her lips, before teasing. "I know that Pops had you sign that prenup."
"He did." Steve teased back. "If I ever let you divorce me? I have to pay out everything I own for the next five lifetimes, at least."
"Horrors." she continued to tease. "You'll be opening grocery stores, and kissing babies, just to make your monthly payment to me."
"Yup." He tilted his head. "Did you sign anything?"
"Just the marriage certificate." She grinned. "If I divorce you? I get to keep all my things, all my money, and all my property. Including the house."

"Seriously?" He looked surprised. "No one made you sign anything?"
"Nope." She shook her head.

"Damn. Yeah, not going to let you divorce me, Brooklyn. Never, ever, ever..." He kissed her. "Ever, Babydoll. You've got me for life."

"Oh." She smiled against his lips. "I know. And I'm going to make you regret it."
Steve sighed happily. "Looking forward to it, Babydoll. Looking forward to it."

*****

She stacked a few more boxes of the candies into the basket Steve was holding.
"I'm sure they're not going to run out, Brooklyn." His voice was amused as he held still.
"I just don't want to miss anyone. These are so good!" She bounced a little.
"They are." He nodded, before looking at her, around the stack of candies. "I've got their website information. We can order more, when we get home."
"Or, we can get them now." She insisted, turning and looking over the boxes again. "Maybe I should get more."
"Brooklyn." His voice was gentle, but firm. "We have about five weeks left, before we get home. And it's summer. These are candies that need to be maintained at a certain temperature. We still have to go through the desert. How about we put some back, and order them when we get home. I bet they'll be just as good, if we do that."
She pouted at him, before sighing, and nodding.
"I hate it when you use logic." She complained, watching as he started to put most of the boxes back. "It doesn't feel right."
"Because I'm an idiot. I know." He winked at her. "How about this. We'll get some of the little packs. Those will fit well in the fridge, without taking up too much room. Okay? And we can enjoy them. Then order them for our friends and family. In fact, if you want to make sure they're there when we get home, we'll order them a week before we're due back. That way, they'll be there, and wont have waited long."
"Aplets and Cotlets." She hummed, happy. "So damn good."
They had arrived in Cashmere, with enough time to stop at one of the local ice cream shops, having milkshakes, before going on the factory tour of the Liberty Orchard candy factory. They learned the story of how the company came to be, and watched actual workers make the actual candy that was sold in the shop, and apparently all over the Pacific Northwest.
A hidden secret gem, the tour guide had told them, as they walked. Known and appreciated only to those who lived there, and those who visited.

Brooklyn had snorted a little at the overly quixotic phrasing the guide had used to describe the candies.

But then, at the end of the tour, they did the tasting.

The minute the powdered sugar dusted jelly textured candy melted on her tongue with a smooth flavor of fruits and walnuts, she had let out a little moan, sucking the confectionery until it was gone, before eating the rest.
She had been hooked.

Steve had nodded, as he chewed, but he apparently didn't feel the same way Brooklyn did. That was more than fine by her. That just meant he wouldn't sneak any of hers, when she built up a personal stash.

Once they had tried a few more flavors of candy, they had been turned loose on the gift shop, and Brooklyn had made a bee-line for the largest of the boxes, intent on storing up as much as possible. That had been, until Steve had reminded her that the candies might possibly melt, in the time between buying them, and getting them home.
At least he hadn't forbidden her from buying a truckload, she reasoned, as she moved through the shelves, picking up a few more assorted boxes. She was already making plans to buy as much as she could, before they got home, as he suggested.

She would be eating the candies all the way through till Christmas, until the seasonal candies hit.

Reaching the bins of the small packets of candy, she picked one up, looking at it.

Perhaps she would hand it out at Halloween...
"Steve..." she smiled, turning to look at him, bouncing a little on her toes. "We're going to get trick or treaters. Like what we saw, when we took Jules out!"
He blinked, apparently taken a little off foot by her change of thought process. "Uh... Yeah. I guess so. Yes. I expect we will."
"We're going to be able to hand out candy. To the kids." She continued, excited. "We can take Juliana out, and then come home, and hand out our own candy to kids."

"Yes, we can." He smiled, watching her. "Excited about that?"
"We own a house. And we can decorate that house. And then hand out candy on our front porch." She explained. "We can do all that."
"Yes, we can." He laughed. "And we can decorate for Christmas. And Valentine's day. St. Patricks day. And every other holiday between now and then. All year round, if you want."

"Really?" She bounced again. "We can decorate all year round?"
He nodded, grinning at her. "Every month, every holiday."

"And no one will consider it odd, or out of place?" She questioned, wanting to make sure that they weren't going to be giving anything away to indicate they were anything other than a slightly normal family.

"Nope." He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure we'll be considered normal."

She dropped the candy back into the bin, before launching herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him. "I want to do that."
"Okay." He laughed. "We'll get the decorations, as we need them."
"And I want to do what everyone else does, at Christmas. All the lights, and the decorations, and the... everything." She told him, still hanging from his neck. "Halloween, too."

Steve laughed harder. "To hell with the power bill. All the lights, and the decorations and the everything. I promise. I'll even make sure I'm home, to make sure you don't have to go up on the roof in the cold."

She giggled, the image of him cursing as he hung lights, possibly even in the snow, while tromping on the roof, while she and Juliana snuggled inside where it was warm, came into her imagination.

"I promise, I'll have the hot cocoa ready, for when you come in, stomping snow and cold off of you." She kissed him again.

He helped her lower herself to her feet, before breaking the kiss. "Brooklyn... lets get your candy paid for, and then find a spot where no one will bother us. I think we need to take a nap."
She grinned, grabbing the boxes from him, turning and getting in line to pay. "C'mon, Rogers. I'm tired."

He eyed her, and she noticed his attention falling to the tee shirt she was wearing. "I'm a bit tired, too. You know, since I ate five pounds of pizza, in thirty minutes. Thus winning my wife that stunning new shirt she's wearing."
She grinned wider, batting her eyes. "My hero."

She began to laugh, causing a few people to look at her, as he rolled his eyes, stepping into the line with her.

A/n: So. Washington. LOL! Not going to lie, i've been waiting for this part of the trip! If you are ever in Washington State, and are coming from the east side of the state to the west coast, DO stop in Spokane and visit one of Pizza Rita's many locations. The food is fantastic! Just dont do the five pound challenge, or God forbid, the five minute challenge, unless you want to be hurting later! And of course, a visit to Cashmere is always worth the drive, especially in the summer. Liberty Orchard Co. is a wonderful little part of Washington. 
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