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Andrew flinched when Alex hit his arm really not expecting that. He expected a lecture but not what Alex actually said. He sighed knowing his children had the same concerns. "I'm not fragile and i had help with this. It's not like i took a shovel and just started digging." Andrew said. He looked to Alex and breathed out, "Ok fine i started out with the shovel but then figured it'd take too long and called in a few favors. I had a bobcat come in who did all the work." Andrew said. He knew that Alex and the kids were worried about his health due to his heart attack.

"my heart is fine. you can check yourself." Andrew said looking to Alex.

Alex sighed and listened to Andrew. In all probability he probably wasn't at risk, but she still worried about him. "I just love you so much Andrew. The thought of anything happening to you upsets me."

She looked around again as she slowly began to calm down. "Ok...so you're digging a pool. May I ask what brought this on?"

Andrew realized that he was in the clear, at least as far as putting a hole in the backyard was concerned. He felt foolish then expecting her to be mad at him for just this only. He took a breath and nodded, "I know..just wish everyone would stop treating me like im glass ya know? Zoe lectured me..our daughter." He said looking to Alex with a knowing look. She was her daughter after all. "Man her and James, i should have been harder on them. They stopped by two days ago and read me the riot act." He sighed.

He looked to the pool thinking on how to answer that. "I realized we have money and we have a grandchild. Gotta have a pool for him to play in." Andrew said with a nod. He stepped closer, "Annnnd gives you more of an excuse to lie around in a bikini when you retire." He said hinting at his ulterior motives.

Alex couldn't help but smile a little when Andrew told her that Zoe and James had come down hard on him about this. She knew it was just because they loved their father and wanted him to be safe. In retrospect she knew that Andrew had probably been extremely careful and safe. He knew his limits and didn't push them anymore...not because he couldn't physically do it (which he could), but because he had a family that cared about him and needed him.

She was walking around the exterior of the pool, being careful to avoid the huge piles of dirt, when Andrew revealed his true motive for building the pool. She laughed out loud and hard at his comment.

"Andrew," she finally said after she could talk again, "I haven't worn a bikini since James was 10."

Andrew raised an eyebrow as Alex laughed and walked around the the pool. He took a moment to think about the last time Alex wore a bikini and he truthfully couldn't remember. Oh he felt better about the pool now. "So what you'll need a new one then? Can i come with for the shopping?" He asked.

"So i did good then? Oh that spot there is for the waterfall and this little hole is where we have the heaters. Wasn't sure when you were finally hanging up the scalpel and felt getting a hottub thing for your feet would be good." Andrew said having thought about Alex thrugh this process

Alex laughed again as she thought about getting herself into a bikini again. "Yeah, I don't see that happening. I'm not exactly 20 anymore Andrew." She walked around a little more as she listened to Andrew. He had clearly put a lot of thought and care into the design of the pool...but something else ultimately caught her attention. She walked over to her gardening area and saw just how careful Andrew had been to preserve it and make sure nothing got damaged.

"You kept the garden..."

Andrew walked after Alex as he made her way over to her gardening area. Oh he made sure everyone knew to stay the hell away from that garden. He assumed Alex was going to flip out the pool and didnt need to add fuel to the fire. "Neither am i but you dont seem to mind our more private moments." He said. She looked just as sexy to him as the day they met. He wrapped his arms around her as she mentioned the garden.

"Yeah i might have threatened bodily harm to anyone that messed with your garden. I kind of want to build you a greenhouse eventually." He said thinking he wasn't going to get her out the house long enough to surprise her.

Alex felt a few tears come to her eyes as she heard that he wanted to build her a greenhouse. She looked up into his eyes and then kissed him for a long moment. As she pulled back she looked up into his eyes again and smiled at him. "I have the best husband in the world." She kissed him again a little deeper that time. This time she pulled back more reluctantly and looked back over at the partially completed pool.

"You know we need a fence around it to keep Finn from accidentally falling in, right?"

Andrew returned Alex's kiss glad that this turned out the way it had. This way he could gloat to his two kids that dad still knew what he was doing. the second kiss caught his attention he kind of hoped Steve had taken off. "Ok easy now i have Steve here and i've been a little occupied and feeling a bit neglected." He warned with a smile. When Alex brought up the fence he looked to the pool having not thought of that.

"Oh damn you're right. I'll have to think of something. Maybe fence the patio in.." Andrew said rubbing his head. He looked to Alex, "Oh this is the only project i've done while you were gone, i left your precious washer alone." He joked knowing he'd been a nuisance lately.

Alex laughed and walked over to her garden to check on a few vegetables. A few of them were close to being ready to be picked, but not quite yet. "The washer isn't broken! If it is now it's because YOU touched it."

She glanced over at the house and saw Steve inside. "I'm glad you got him to help you. I'm concerned about what he is going to do with his time when he finally retires. Since Mariah's married I'm worried that he's going to get lonely. I've always wondered why he never dated. Has he ever really talked to you about that?"

Andrew thought about the washer and all he could think about was the rattling. "It just rattles, i swear something is loose in there. All i gotta do is just open her up and check.." He said smiled. He followed her eyes and saw Steve relaxing. Thinking he could tell him the war was called off to come back out he stopped when Alex went on about his dating life. "Come to think of it no." He admitted feeling rather bad all of a sudden.

"I mean he had to be with someone at some point i mean..Mariah." Andrew said pointing out the obvious. "Think i avoided it because it was a potential touchy subject." He said wondering why he did that. Most of the time he liked to plant a flag on someones sensitive spot. Maybe he still hero worshipped Steve and didnt want to upset the guy. But thinking about Mariah did bring something to mind.

"Actually i'm glad you brought Steve up. Couple of days ago the kids came over, both Zoe started in on her mothering i spoke with Mariah. I think somethings up with her and Steve, at least one sided cuz Steve seems like normal." Andrew said voicing his concerns to Alex.

Alex knew about Eve, but the extent of her knowledge was the exact same as Mariah's. It had been a one night thing after a particularly dangerous and stressful mission where they both had thought they were going to die. She knew that Eve had been married and was told that they had both died during a mission. However, something about the story had never quite sat right with her. It seemed to her that there was something more to it, but, like Andrew, she didn't want to press the subject and upset Steve. Steve was family now and even before then she and Andrew had been very close with him.

It concerned her though when Andrew told her that Mariah was acting strangely in regards to her father. "I think Steve would have told you if they had had a fight. Do you have any idea what it might be about?"

Andrew could understand reluctance to date someone after losing an assumed loved on but it had been years. He always assumed there was something more with Eve that caused Steve to never date anyone else. Thinking back to Mariah he couldn't come up with an idea on why she would be upset with Steve. "Yeah he's pretty open with questions if he did something wrong or how to go about fixing things." he said.

"I dont have the faintest idea. I know its not about Steve retiring i'm 100% on that. But somethings bugging her that she's keeping from everyone. she hasn't mentioned it to James.." Andrew said looking to Alex. James wasn't as good at hiding his feelings, Andrew had felt that something was going on with his son but this didnt seem connected to Mariah. "I'm a bit worried about those two, i know i'm a bit secretive about things around you but i'm too old to have it be something major. This is about as big as it gets." he said motioning to the pool.

"But i dont know how to drag information out of someone with tact ya know? and James is too old for punishment obviously"

Alex had felt that there was something going on with Mariah and James, but had assumed it all had to do with the attack on Mariah and Zoe recently giving birth. She hated to see the two of them in emotional pain, but there was only so much she could do. Time was going to have to ultimately heal those wounds. Some couples may not pull through something as traumatic as this, but James and Mariah were stronger than most couples and truly loved and needed one another.

"Well, you aren't going to get anything from Mariah that she doesn't want to tell you. She was trained by the best agents at SHIELD, including agent Romanov. If there is something going on she will say something when she is ready. It is possible that this is all just still having to do with Finn's birth."

Andrew wasn't sure if Mariah's problem was related to Finn and her relationship with James. Just her reaction to him asking about STeve something twitched in her eye. But he knew Alex was right and if Mariah didnt want to know he wasn't going to get it out of her. Wasn't like he could follow her at SHIELD.

"oh Romanov isn't all that.."he said which was a lie. He looked to the house, "Guess that will have to remain a mystery, man it's a good thing i cant read minds. Well lets get you settled in, i'll send a message to the kids that you're home." Andrew said knowing she kind of dropped her bags by the gate.

OOC-Anything else you wanted to do here? I really liked this thread a lot.

OOC: Hmmm, trying to think of something else. I know Andrews message to the kids is going to be like You're mothers home and she's thrilled about the pool, i'm right.

OOC-Did we want to do something with Lani and Azari? I'm pretty much thinking the next thing we do with Mariah should be a time jump to when Ibrahim sends Mariah to kill Sam. We could also do something else with Alex and Andrew.

OOC: I'm all for something with Lani and Azari, just need to think on what that is. maybe azari obtains new info on James using the sight for his vendetta or osmething. I had thought of another instance with Sam getting involved with the trio and Mariah to help further along the stakes. Or just Sam and the trio which prompts Ibrahim to send Mariah after him?

OOC-We could do that with Azari and Lani. Is that something you could start? As for the Sam incident, I think it should just involve Sam and the trio and then Ibrahim sends Mariah to take care of him. However, by that point the rest of the Avengers should know that Ibrahim is working with someone new.

OOC: Sure thing will get it it going on a new thread