Goldridge (Steve Rogers AU)

19

Joe looked at the smouldering ranch house as the authorities worked through the crime scene. Bucky and the other ranch hand's had set about taking the bodies of Brock and Jack's other accomplices far out onto the land to bury them where no one would ever find them. Of course the cops had questioned where they'd been but Joe had sugar coated it, telling them that he'd asked the group to go out and patrol the places where it could be possible for anyone else to be lurking.

No way was he letting on that Jack had help - there was need when he had to be the one whose name needed to be tarnished. A man trying to kill his newly respected sister? The town would hate him forever and would be in Elsa's favour.

"Is he in there?" Came his daughter in law's voice as she stood next to him, tired eyes staring ahead at the ruins.

"They ain't said yet, but I have no doubt that he is". Joe slipped an arm around her.

She nodded. "This what it's like? Being a Rogers?"

"Yeah...this is what it's like". He didn't lie to her. She wasn't one for having the truth sugar coated.

"Bring it on..." She muttered and wrapped the coat, that she'd borrowed from Sarah, around her.

Everything was gone. The house, personal possessions. All of it up in flames like jack had promised. But she didn't care. It had all been worthless anyway, and the one who mattered was at the hospital still. It had been Sarah who had convinced her to leave Steve and come back to clean herself up. She hadn't though, instead coming back to the ranch wanting to be sure that her brother would never try to hurt them again.

"Sir..." One of the officers came over to Joe and signalled that he wanted to talk to him alone.

"Whatever you say to him you can say to me". Elsa replied. "Is the asshole dead in there or not?"

The officer, completely stumped now looked to Joe who nodded for him to continue. "Yeah...he's in there, however the coroner..."

"Fuck the coroner, as long as he's dead that's all I care about".

"We need your statement about what happened". The officer continued.

"What happened was that the bastard came looking to kill us, and almost did. He shot my husband, dropped the lighter but didn't expect a bullet in him. So if you're thinking for one fucking moment about potentially charging my husband with murder? Think again, because I can easily take your career away with so much as a single phone call".

Joe looked to the officer. "She's in shock, but it's what happened. However I do agree with her. It was self defence. You only have to look at this place and my son to see that".

"I was going to say that it's probably what the coroner will rule. Anyone who knows Steve knows that he wouldn't have shot back without good reason". The officer agreed. "I'll leave forensics to wrap up here, but I'll be needing to talk to him when he's awake and up to it". He looked back to Joe. "And he acted alone?"

"Yep. He's had an axe to grind since we took over. His sister marrying into our family was sure to be the cherry on top of that big old cake".

The officer wrote down a few more things and then put his notebook away. "Let me know when Steve's feeling up to talking. You take care of yourself Mrs Rogers", and then made for his car.

As they watched him leave, Elsa's eyes stayed on the cop car. "You sure no one's gonna be finding Brock and the others any time soon?"

"No unless we decide to build a barn in the middle of nowhere". Joe replied, also watching the patrol car disappear down the track. "When we do something like this, we don't do it by halves". He now looked to her. "Let's get you back to the ranch so you can clean up and eat something - Sarah will call us if anything changes with Steve".

"I'm not hungry".

"No but you need to sleep, and quite frankly? So do I". Joe sighed as he steered her in the direction of his truck. "You can stay in his old cabin like you did the other night. Might help seeing as his things are there".

She didn't argue as she sank back in the passenger seat and felt her eyes grow heavy, and no sooner had she had a shower and washed her hair once they were back at the Goldridge Ranch, she found herself slipping into slumber for the rest of the day.

**

The sound of the door opening in the darkness had Elsa sitting bolt upright in bed and looking at the time.

4am.

Reaching for her gun she switched the light on, looking and seeing that the figure in the doorway was not who she'd expected.

"Steve!"

He stood there, tired, pale but alive.

Jumping up she went to him, helping him into the bedroom as he groaned when sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You shouldn't even be here, what the hell?"

"I discharged myself...I wasn't about to lay on my fucking back for days on end while they monitor me to make sure I'm not about to die on everyone". He waved it off, grunting a little as she helped him off with his clothes.

"Do your parents even know?"

"Ma's in for a shock if she goes to see me in the morning that's for sure". He half laughed through the pain of his now bandaged wound. Elsa lifted his top to examine it. "They give you any meds?"

"Yeah..."

"Did you take 'em?"

"Nope".

"Fuck you, Steven". She sighed as he produced the pill dispenser from his pocket and looked at the label.

He shrugged. "I wanted my own bed, at my ranch, with my wife - is that too much to ask?"

She stared at him. "It is when just hours ago we didn't know whether we'd be burying you". Opening the container, she tipped out two pills. "Take 'em, and then we're getting you showered and into bed. You ain't doing shit until I say you can. You may not have wanted to be flat on your back in the hospital? But you're gonna be here".

Steve didn't argue, and allowed her to help him off with the rest of his clothes and shower, before he got into bed with her. She huddled next to him, making sure no pressure was put on the area where he'd been shot. Instead her hand linked with his tightly.

"He could've killed you". Steve said through the darkness. "Both of us".

"But he didn't. You gave him what he deserved, ok we lost our house and belongings, but he didn't take either of us away from one another".

Steve was silent for moment. "We can rebuild, bigger, better - something that's ours".

"With a big ass fireplace like the one your parents have here?"

He chuckled at this. "Sweetheart, I'll put them in every damn room if it makes you happy?"

"Baby, I only need you for that - house or no house. I know I've got you".