When Steve woke up that morning, he didn't go on his normal run. Instead, he dressed in normal clothes and ate breakfast. He had almost finished his bowl of cereal when there was a knock at the door. He opened it and saw Bucky standing there, holding a messily wrapped package.

"Happy birthday, punk!"

Steve smiled. "Thanks. You didn't need to get me anything." He placed the package on the table.

Bucky followed him inside. "No matter how many times you tell me that, I'll always get ya something. I always got you something, even back in the '40s."

"I guess there's no point in telling you no, then." Steve put his empty bowl in the sink and grabbed his keys and the package.

"Where ya going?"

Steve paused near the door. "I thought I'd go visit the guys. The rest of the Avengers are coming out later for the Fourth, but Tony said they'd arrive around noon."

Bucky nodded. "Can I come with? I've only been there once, on Memorial Day."

"Of course you can come, Buck. Let's go. I'll open my present there."

~xXx~

Steve and Bucky stood before the same graves as a few weeks before, heads bowed. Bucky started talking first. "Hey, boys. I'm back, with this punk. He didn't tell ya, but today's his birthday. It's a funny coincidence; him being Captain America and all."

Steve smiled. "I'll bet you're all laughing now, saying it all makes sense." He paused for a moment, becoming serious. "I miss you guys. You'd love how big the Fourth is now. Every town, even the tiny ones, have a huge fireworks display and parties raging all night. It's all really patriotic."

Bucky grinned. "And Tony Stark is flying in later. You guys remember Howard? His son, Tony, is just like him. You can just imagine his parties, especially the Fourth of July ones, from what I've heard."

Steve sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "We need to go now, but we'll be back. Don't worry."

Bucky held up a hand. "One minute. I've got something for them." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of sparklers. He set one on each grave. "Remember these? They're so easily available now; you'd love that. These used to be such treats. Now you see every kid running around with 'em." He stood up and turned to Steve. "Open your present."

Steve had forgotten all about the gift. He tore off the paper, revealing the present. His eyes lit up. "Thanks, Buck! I thought these had been destroyed!"

His gift was a few of his old sketchbooks, along with an album full of the pictures the Howling Commandos had been in. All the original photos.

Steve flipped through his old sketchbooks, eyes landing on the page with the monkey on a unicycle holding a shield. "This is the best present I could receive, Bucky. I love it. Thank you."

Bucky scuffed the grass with his shoe and shrugged. "It was nothing. Stark helped. Howard had kept all the things, he just went through it for me."

"Bucky, the effort is enough. Thank you."

"Punk, don't make it weird. Just shut your trap and accept it."

Steve smiled and held the little anchors to his past. "I suppose we'd better go meet the Avengers at the airport."

"Yeah. Before Tony makes his way to your apartment and makes himself at home."

The pair walked back to the truck, both thinking of their friends laying back a ways. Both wishing things had ended differently back then, for different reasons.