Isabelle Rogers-Thorson was going through her old hard drives when she found a video that made her smile and want to cry in equal measures.
It was the first video ever taken of her with her God-Father: Bucky Barnes. Also known as Seargent James Buchanan Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, WWII era sniper, and 20th-century ghost man. Her father had kept the grainy security footage for some reason, and she smiled when she remembered why.
Her dad told her once that it had taken him almost 6 months to hold her for the first time. He was terrified of hurting her and had refused until her aunt had "coincidentally" left the two of them alone together.
"I forgot that I made plans with Tony to work on updating his Iron Man suits! You have to watch her, Bucky. I know you're nervous, but you have no reason to be. She'll be fine."
Of course, no such plans had been made. Steve and Hilly had been in on it, and, before he knew it, he was alone with a sleeping baby he was afraid to touch. Walking around to the side of the pack and play that moved around the tower with the little girl, he looked down at her. She was a perfect hybrid of her parents, with the red hair of her mother and the piercing blue eyes of her father, she really was beautiful. More beautiful than he deserved. He had tried to explain it to his best friend, but the super soldier was insistent, and so was he. His metal arm was reason enough to keep any children away from him. It was a weapon, used to shed blood and kill innocent people. It had no place in the life of a child.
He was broken from his reverie when he heard her start crying. Her eyes were squished shut, and she was grasping at her blanket, trying to comfort herself and failing. All of his doubts went out the window, replaced with an unyielding urge to comfort her. Hesitantly, he reached down and laid his hand on her head, not even realizing that it wasn't his flesh one until it was too late. Her crying stopped almost immediately, going from loud wails to barely whimpers in what felt like seconds. He was shocked at how easy it was to be gentle with her. He was so convinced that he was going to hurt her that he never thought that he might be wrong. In fact, she had rolled over and taken his fingers in her small hands, eyes wide open with a gummy smile on her face. It melted his heart to see, it really did.
"Hi, Isabelle..."
He whispered, chuckling to himself when she tried to put his fingers in her mouth. He gently pulled his fingers away from her mouth, standing up so he could pick her up from her place below him. He was shocked at how normal it felt to be holding the little girl in his arms. It was like she was made to be there. Her eyes widened, and, for a moment, he was afraid she would start crying again, but it turns out that he had nothing to worry about. She was laughing at him. He rolled his eyes despite himself.
"You are just like your mother. Laughing at my misery..."
The little girl smiled her toothless smile at him and he was hooked. He walked over to the couch and sat down, shifting the little girl so that her head rested in on his shoulder. She was asleep in minutes. He rotated his body so that his back was against the armrest and his legs were stretched out in front of him. He chuckled to himself, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Decided that Steve was right, he quickly texted his best friend a picture of his vantage point.
Maybe you were right, punk.
The response was instant.
Of course, I was jerk. Hilly is on her way to pick her up.
Bucky was shocked at how much he didn't want her to come yet.
I can keep her for a while. Give you guys some time to yourselves. I'll bring her up at dinner time.
Although Bucky couldn't see it, Steve's eyes had widened in shock. The blonde super-soldier motioned for his wife to come over and read it, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Hilly was just as shocked.
"Say yes, obviously! We've got to let Mandy know. She'll be thrilled!"
Steve nodded, quickly texting his oldest and best friend.
If you think you'll be ok...let us know if you need anything.
Back on the couch three floors below, Bucky smiled, looking between his phone and the little girl in his arms. Taking his flesh hand and running it down her back, he couldn't help but smile. This is not how he thought his day was going to go. He thought he'd be able to protect the little girl by keeping himself from her, but he was wrong. The best way he could protect this little angel in his arms was by fighting for her every day. Fighting for her future and for the world she would grow up in. At that moment, he decided that there was nowhere else he'd rather be, and nothing else he'd rather be doing.
As little Isabelle grew, it was discovered that her favorite place to be was curled up against her Uncle Bucky, head against his heart and arms around him. The former assassin could never say when it happened, but it became something he cherished.
When his own daughter was born two years later, he decided he liked it even more when he had Isabelle tucked up against his left side and Charlie on the right. They brought him peace. If after everything, he got this, he'd never take it for granted again.
