Well guys here we are at the end of the story. I want to say thank you to everyone who has been with me since the beginning. I want to also thank everyone who ever added this story to their lists and reviewed. Seeing those updates in my mail box made my day. So without further adieu, let's get on with the final chapter of Like a Fine Whiskey.
She watched the TV screen in horror, hand hovering over her mouth as the destruction unfolded on the screen in front her. She could hear the explosions echoing outside. Her phone went off like mad, but she ignored it. She couldn't tear her eyes away from history unfolding before her. Time had caught up to her at last. She needed to make her move; needed to implement the final stages of her plan that had been put into place so long ago. She vaulted off her couch, reaching for her car keys. All her hopes hinged on a bit of unconfirmed information she vaguely remembered hearing. She had to get there before he did. She had to see him before he ran.
The museum was filled with things he'd never thought possible. The exhibits around him stirred a sense of wonder, which confused him. Everything was confusing to him now, all thanks to that man with the shield, the man who called him "Bucky". The man whose face caused the flood gates of his memories to be flung wide open. Not that he knew what he was remembering anyways. He hated the confusion; hated the fear that went along with it. Now was not the time for fear. Not when the world was burning around him. Not when he had just turned his back on everything he had ever known and saved the man he had been ordered to kill. Captain America.
It had been by pure chance that he had stumbled across a flyer for the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian. Here was his chance to learn the truth of the matter. If the man had been lying, he would find out and then complete his mission. But if he had been telling the truth…He shook his head dispelling the unpleasant thoughts. He made his way through the other exhibits, blending in with the crowd. While outwardly he appeared calm, inside he was wound tighter than a drum. His eyes darted everywhere taking in every potential threat, target, and exit points. At long last he reached the exhibit. He didn't bother studying most of the exhibit. The man's face was plastered everywhere, confirming his identity. The thing he searched for was the name Bucky. He was not prepared for when he actually found it.
There was his face tied to the name that the man with the shield called him. Here was the proof that he was who that man claimed him to be; of all that he had lost at the hands of those who had made him do all those terrible things. He vowed, right then and there that one day he would make them suffer as he had suffered. He knew that not all of the members of Hydra had gone down with the Hela-carriers. He would take care of the rest before they could regroup and come back like the vermin they are. But first, he needed to piece together the bits of his past. To figure out whom he used to be. He would never be able to be that person again, but he needed to know this Bucky so he could begin to choose a life for himself. So Bucky walked through the rest of the exhibit, stopping whenever he saw his name or face. He saw countless videos of him with Captain America laughing and fighting. He also watched videos of him a woman looking at each other with longing. Seeing the woman made his heart beat wildly and his stomach danced. Whatever she was to him back then didn't matter anymore because she was most likely gone.
Bucky turned to leave the museum when he felt someone watching him. Slowly he turned towards the feeling to spot the source of the feeling. The world ceased to exist when his eyes met the most vibrant green eyes he had ever seen in a face that he had just spent several hours memorizing. Everything in his body froze; his breathing, his blood, the tiniest muscles. Every long buried instinct screamed at him to run to her and take her into his arms. He didn't. Instead he studied her.
Her hair was shorter than in the videos. It barely reached her shoulders but that only helped to frame her face better. She stood tense in the middle of the crowd, staring at him like she couldn't believe he was alive. He felt the same way. She gave him the faintest of smiles before slightly tipping her head towards the theatre that played interviews from the people who knew Captain America the best. She walked towards the dark room without glancing back to see if Bucky would follow. For some reason, he did. Call it curiosity; call it whatever you want, but he wove his way through the crowed toward the dark theater.
When Bucky entered the dark room, he quickly scanned the area for threats or any signs of a trap. He found none. He then spied the woman sitting in the last row, which also happened to be the darkest corner in the room and was well away from the other people who were too intent on watching about their new hero to notice them. He walked up to the back row and sat just to the right of her. He studied her out of the corner of his eye. Her posture was casual but her body was tense. Only someone with his training would have noticed. She did not acknowledge him in any way. They sat as still as stones for several tense minutes while they waited for the other to speak first.
"I know you are very confused right now," she said softly, finally breaking the silence. "I know that you have many questions. I can answer some of them." She finally turned towards him and gave him the briefest of smiles. That smile sent his world tumbling again. Her face turned serious. "Keep your head down for the next few days. Stay safe Bucky." The woman got up and left the theatre. He didn't watch her leave. Instead he focused on the slip of paper she had left on the seat.
"I am James Buchanan Barnes," he whispered. Deep in his bones he knew the truth of his words. He was Bucky Barnes; friend to Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Somehow he would find the balance between the two.
Bucky picked up the slip of paper and read it. He crumbled it into a tiny ball before tucking it into his pocket. It was an address.
Vivian drank half a bottle of wine as soon as she got home. She hadn't expected seeing Bucky again to affect her so much, especially when he didn't know who she was. Well, he must have known something if he followed her. She nearly wept right there in that little theatre when she saw that he had followed her. All her planning, all her hopes had hinged on that and he hadn't let her down. Now all she had to do was wait. She had done all that she could. He would come to her sooner or later, that much she was sure off.
One Month Later
There was so much left to do before the party. Vivian still had to bake the cake and put up the decorations. She really should have taken the day off. Oh well, that's what she gets for being stubborn. She kicked her heels off with a sigh of relief. She hated board meetings. Her bag and coat soon joined her shoes on the floor. She made her way to the kitchen, exhausted. She opened the refrigerator, taking out a carton of chocolate milk. She drank straight from the carton. Why dirty up another dish for just a little bit of milk? As she closed fridge, she felt another presence in the room with her. In a flash she spun, pulling her gun from her holster, ready to take the intruder down. Her gun lowered an inch when she saw the man standing in her living room.
"Bucky?"
His hair was a little longer. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a while, but there was no denying that Bucky Barnes was standing in her living room. Vivian fought not to break down sobbing. Instead, she holstered her weapon and waited.
"How are you here?" Bucky asked. His voice was just as she remembered it. She fought the urge to close her eyes as the sweet melody of his voice filled her ears for the first time in what felt like a life time. Instead, she swallowed back her emotions and answered his question.
"Zola, being the head of Hydra's science division, had the copies of the plans of the machine that brought me to your time," Vivian explained. "Howard built it after you…died…and sent me back."
"You knew I would come back," Bucky asked suspiciously. "That's why you were there at the exhibit."
Vivian bit her lip. She slowly nodded. Here came the uncomfortable truth. "I was pulled into the past a couple of months before Steve took down Hydra/Shield. I had Howard send me back to when Steve came back. I knew he would need a friend and I wanted to be there for him."
"Why didn't you say anything back then?"
Vivian's throat tightened. "I wanted to, but I wasn't sure. Time travel is a tricky thing. Sometimes just the littlest alterations can cause huge affects. And there was always the possibility that I was in an alternate reality where you didn't fall from the train. I had hoped for the latter. But since that didn't happen, I took the best chance I had at getting you back."
A heavy silence fell as she finished speaking. She waited tensely for Bucky's answer. She hadn't asked a specific question but it hung in the air never the less. They stared at each other, drinking in the image one another. Bucky's body relaxed and Vivian let out a half sob. She was poised to run to him, when she heard voices coming from the other side of her door.
Shit.
The people couldn't have come at a worse time. Before Vivian could even begin to formulate a plan, Bucky had positioned himself in front of her, gun drawn at the door. Shit. Shit. Shit. The doorknob turned slowly. She only had seconds to react. Just as the door swung open, she flung herself at Bucky, pushing his arm down. Everyone froze.
Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff stood in the doorway staring at Vivian and Bucky. Steve had pushed something behind him before moving to block the door way.
"Everything alright, Viv?" Steve asked. His tone was like but there was an edge to it. Bucky knew it was because of him.
"Everything's fine Steve," Vivian assured the two in the door way. She silently urged Steve to relax so the situation could deescalate. Meanwhile, Natasha took in everything with her cool, calculating eyes. It was her that finally broke the tension in the room. She plastered a smile on her face and cocked out her hip.
"We can always come back later when you and your friend are done." To anyone on the outside it would sound like there was something romantic going on. Vivian would have kissed Nat if she could. She felt Bucky relax and let go of his arm so he could holster his weapon. With the gun gone, Steve too relaxed. It looked like everything would go smoothly until a tiny voice called out from the hallway.
"Mommy?"
Bucky tore his eyes away from the doorway to stare at Vivian. Just like in the theatre, she didn't meet his eye but she knew that the look on his face was hurt and confused. He took three steps away from her. Vivian closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. Looks like she'll have to handle this particular issue sooner rather than later like she had originally planned.
"It's alright hunny," she said. "You can come in." She gave a quick nod to the two in the doorway who reluctantly moved to allow a small boy to come forward.
The fragile world that Bucky had made for himself over the past month crumbled away at the sight of the little boy in front of him. The boy was no more than four, maybe five, years old. He had dark brown hair that was as curly as his mother's. He also had his mother's bright green eyes. But his face…his face was a miniature of Bucky's own.
"James come here please."
Bucky watched as Vivian's son…his son…walked slowly towards his mother. All the while the boy studied Bucky with the intensity that only a child can muster when they are faced with someone they don't know.
However, instead of going to Vivian, young James stopped in front of Bucky. He looked him up and down before breaking out into a smile that was the exact copy of Bucky's from his earlier days.
"Welcome home daddy," James said before flinging himself at Bucky. The little boy wrapped his arms around Bucky's hips and squeeze as tightly as his little arms could. Before Bucky could fully process what had happened, James had let go and gone to his mother.
"Mommy said that you were being kept by bad men, but that one day you would come back." Bucky could not tear his eyes away from the child in front of him. "You came back in time for my birthday!"
Bucky felt a shift in the very center of his being. In what used to be nothing but a dark void of anger, shame and regret now blossomed a tiny ember of hope. He knelt down to look his son in the eye and smiled for the first time in decades.
"That's right," Bucky smiled. "I can't wait to get to know you, but for now, I need to talk to Mommy."
"Ok," James said and that was that. He skipped merrily off to his room, everything right with his little world.
Bucky stood and faced Steve. "You've taken care of my family." It wasn't a question. Steve nodded. "Thank you. Can I get a moment?" Once again Steve nodded, gently closing the door behind him.
"I was going to tell you," Vivian said, voice tight. "I just didn't want to overwhelm you…I…" Whatever else she was going to say was cut off when Bucky pulled her into a near bone crushing hug. He had buried her face in the crook of her neck, one hand tangling itself in her hair while he breathed in deep. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as she tried to fuse their bodies together. The rest of the world drifted away until they were the only two things left in all creation.
Vivian was the first one to pull back. Her hands slid up to cup Bucky's face. They both were crying. "I never gave up on you," she told him. "Never. I know you're still trying to piece everything together. James is your son but we won't make any demands on you. I know that you're not the same. The only thing that I ask is that you don't disappear completely. Not for me but for him."
Bucky stared at her in disbelief. His brows furrowed and the corners of his mouth dipped. "I would never do that you either of you." Vivian gave him a water smile. "But I'm not the man I was. I'm not a good man. I've done things…" He lowered his head
"You are a good man, Bucky Barnes," Vivian said forcing him to look up at her. "The things you did, you had no choice in the matter."
"But I did them. Besides, people will hunt me down once they realize I'm back. There are a lot of people out there who want revenge."
"There are contingency plans for that," Vivian assured him. "Do you think that I sat idle while you were gone?" She let Bucky go with some reluctance and went for her bag. From it, she drew a battered looking file. She handed it to Bucky with a smile. "I've been working on your case since I arrived. It's gone really gotten some speed since Steve defrosted." Bucky took it with questioning eyes. "You're a free man Bucky. In this file you are given clemency for any crimes committed against the United States during your imprisonment with Hydra. There's also paperwork for a new identity, should you chose to have one." She smiled at Bucky, hand rising to his face once more.
"You don't have to sign anything now," she told him.
Bucky placed the file on the table and pulled Vivian in once more. His hand splayed across the small of her back, pulling her in tight. His other hand traced the lines of her face before settling at the base of her neck. Tentatively, he lowered her face towards hers. With painstaking gentleness, Bucky kissed Vivian. He felt her sigh into his kiss as if it was the long awaited answer to a question. When he tried to break the kiss, she buried her fingers into his hair, preventing him. She began to demand with her kisses, urging him to open up and let go. He obliged. Their kiss became hungry with each of them demanding more. Their tongues danced wildly as they fought for dominance. Bucky's hands roamed over every inch of Vivian's body that they could reach. When they rolled over her curvaceous bottom, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Bucky hands shifted to support her weight, the momentum carrying them into the wall. Vivian let out a gasp as a coat hook dug into her back. Bucky smiled at her apologetically before letting her down.
"I think we should stop before this goes too far," he said. Vivian tried to keep the hurt off her face and took several steps back. No matter how much it killed her, she would respect his wishes. Bucky scowled until he realized the implications of his words. His eyes widened and his hands went out in a placating manner. "Not like that," he sputtered. "There's Steve waiting in the hallway and James."
Vivian dipped her head as she blushed. "Otherwise…I would…" Her heart swelled at his words. When she looked up she had a smirk on her face that made Bucky want to pin her against the wall again.
"That could be easily arranged."
James was very much a happy go lucky type of child. He didn't fuss or complain when Vivian told him that would be spending the night with Uncle Steve and Aunty Nat. Bucky knew that he had seen the red head somewhere before but he couldn't place exactly where. But if he was honest, he really didn't care. Especially not when he noticed the way she and Steve looked at each other. Another broken corner of his soul mended at the sight. He was happy that Steve had found someone new. And speaking of Steve; he looked apprehensive about leaving Vivian alone with Bucky. He tried to not let it bother him.
"Are you sure?" Steve asked shooting darting glances at Bucky who was talking to his son and pretending not to hear.
"Yes," Vivian sighed. "Bucky and I need to sort out some things." Natasha snorted. Vivian rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'll be fine. You can drop James off first thing."
Steve casted one last dubious glance at Bucky before shouldering James' bag and leaving Vivian and Bucky alone for the first time since 1945. Their fiery passion from before had now cooled making them stand awkwardly in the living room.
"How 'bout a drink," Vivian tentatively offered. Bucky nodded vigorously. He would definitely need alcohol to get through the night. Vivian motioned for him to make himself comfortable while she got the drinks. Bucky stood awkwardly for a few moments looking about the space. The pictures on the mantel caught his eye. They would give him a quick glance into what her life had been like.
In the first frame, a very dazed looking Steve listened to a compassioned Vivian; no doubt taken right after his revival. Another showed a very pregnant Vivian surrounded by friends smiling brightly at the camera. For some reason, her smile felt like it was just for him. Like she knew that one day he would see these pictures and wanted to tell him I am happy. You have always been with me. The next few pictures featured Vivian and James. Some were of birthday parties where James smiled up at the camera, much like Vivian had, surrounded by loving faces. For a moment, Bucky thought about disappearing. They have such a wonderful life, filled with light and love. If he were to stay, that would surely change. The last frame didn't hold a picture like the others. Instead there was an extremely realistic looking drawing of him and Vivian holding a baby, looking at each other with unbridled joy in their eyes. Bucky reached out to touch the picture.
"Steve drew that for me when he found out I was pregnant," Vivian said. Bucky turned. She wasn't looking at him but at the drawing with a sad smile on her face. She placed two small glasses filled with a liquid the same color as her hair on the table next the abandoned file. "We had gone on a mission to help out a children's hospital. You fed a baby while I gave him his shots. Steve said that it was in that moment that he knew that we were meant for each other. He wanted James to see the love that his parents had for each other."
Bucky swallowed his throat suddenly tight. "I think I remembered you. All those years when I didn't know myself, I think I remembered you. It wasn't much just a flash of color, a smell, a song."
Vivian ducked her head but not before Bucky saw the tears glistening along the edges of her eyes. He crossed the space between them and placed his fingers under her chin. He gently tilted her head back up. In her eyes he saw every ounce of pain she felt since losing him. He saw the regret that she had for the years that had been stolen from them, from their son. There was nothing that they could do to get back those lost years, decades, but now at least they had a chance to share in whatever the future held for them. Bucky whipped away a tear with his thumb as he leaned in for another kiss. This one was gentler than the first. This kiss was meant to be savored like a fine whiskey.
Vivian yielded completely to Bucky's kiss. On so many lonely and sleepless nights, she went back to the last night they had spent together the night where they completely opened up to one another. Her hands traced the hard planes of his back beneath his clothes. Her hands slid under the hem of his shirt. She felt him stiffen the moment her fingers touched his skin. She paused, breaking their kiss to give him a questioning look. For too long he had been without the ability to choose. Tonight, everything was up to him.
Bucky searched her face for any signs of doubt. Finding none, he removed his hoodie and shirt. He tossed them carelessly to the side. He tried not to flinch when he saw her eyes fall automatically to his hated metal arm, the terrible scarring around it. He knew what it looked like, what it must look like to others. Vivian's eyes shifted from his arm and moved on to every other scar that decorated his body. He saw her eyes blaze with rage at what was done to him. When she met his eyes the fire in them shifted to something softer. She kissed the scared flesh around his metal arm. Bucky's blood boiled with her gentle kisses. He stood perfectly still as she kissed each and every scar on his body, ending back up at his lips. This time, his hands went straight to her backside as he lifted her up into his arms once again. She locked her legs around him and did not stop kissing as he carried her to her bedroom.
It took only a few minutes for them to shed the rest of their clothing. They slipped into the cool sheets and continued re-familiarizing themselves to one another by kiss and by touch. They took their time. Eventually they joined, becoming one flesh, one breath, one soul. When their pleasure crested they called out the others name. They laid together, still joined, breath ragged. Bucky kissed Vivian's forehead before pulling out. He lay on his back and pulled Vivian in close so that her head rested over his head. She took comfort in its fast but steady beat. How she had longed to hear it once more. They lay in bed in a comfortable silence until sleep finally claimed them both.
Bucky woke the next morning confused. For the first time since he left Steve on the river bed, Bucky hadn't had a single nightmare. Not once did a victim of his past haunt his dreams. He turned his head to avoid the glare of the early morning sun. He felt the bed shift as Vivian rolled over in her sleep. He smiled as the morning light set her hair a flame and gave her skin a rosy glow. Moving carefully as to not wake her, he eased out of bed. He grabbed his pants from their precarious perch on the dresser. He buckled them as he headed to the kitchen. He had a big appetite this morning.
It took Bucky a few minutes to figure out how everything worked, but after a little bit of trial and error, he got the coffee brewing and the sausage sizzling in the skillet. He hummed a little as he worked looking out over the room, trying to take in more of who Vivian was in this time. His eyes fell onto a strange device lying on the counter. When he picked it up, he realized it was a phone. He pushed a few buttons and ended up in the contact list. The first number he saw was Steve's. Bucky stared at the number. Steve was just as much, if not more, a part of his past as Vivian. He knew that he and Steve had been best friends at one point and remembered the way he refused to leave Bucky as the carrier went down. Bucky pressed the call button.
Vivian was still pleasantly sleepy as she reached out across her bed. She shot up when her fingers only found cool sheets and not the warm body she had expected. Her heart leapt to her throat but calmed when she smelled unmistaken scent of coffee and breakfast. Smiling, she quickly threw on some clothes before heading out. She was surprised to see Steve and Bucky sitting at her table drinking coffee and talking. They looked like they were getting on well. She didn't want to disturb that since she knew what this moment would mean for Steve. She took a step back to make a hasty retreat but the movement caught the attention of the two men at the table. She was greeted by two smiling faces that she never thought she was ever going to see again. True they both were a little harder around the edges than before, but they were not the men they had been before.
"Who has James?" Vivian asked as she strolled to the life giving coffee pot. "It better not be Tony. Last time he watched him my son he nearly ended up in the hospital."
Steve laughed. "Clint has him."
"I'm not sure that's better," Vivian laughed. She made her coffee and slid into the seat next to Bucky. "So what were you two talking about so early?"
Steve and Bucky shared a glance. Vivian was glad to see them fall back into the familiar habit of talking to each other without saying a word. It warmed the cockles of her heart.
"Steve is going to take me to the new Shield headquarters," Bucky said slowly. Vivian slowly nodded and waited for more. "I'm going to talk to the Director and see what it would take to get me into the field."
"Are you sure?" Bucky nodded.
"I'm not really fit for anything other than killing." Vivian opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "At least I can use those skills to make the world a safer place for you and our son. Vivian reached out and clasped his hand. "In my old life, you gave me a reason to fight. Now I have two."
"I would be with him every step of the way in the beginning," Steve assured her. She gave him a tight lipped smile. As much as she hated the thought of Bucky back out in the field she swore to respect his wishes.
"That's fine but don't forget that James' party is at two this afternoon."
Bucky smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Five years later
The lake looked like a mirror reflecting the mountains and the sky above. It's amazing the way nature takes the scars of war and turns them into something beautiful. The last time Bucky had stood in this exact spot, it had been nothing more than a crater with the woman who would change his life at the bottom.
"Is this really where you met mom?" asked James now eight and already a heart breaker just like his dad.
"A long time ago," Bucky replied.
"It's almost time," Steve said as he came up. Bucky nodded and gave his son a gentle push. The two men look out one last time at the lake before turning back the set up behind them. "This has definitely been a long time coming. I thought you would never ask her."
"You're one to talk," Bucky joked lightly punching his friend. "How long have you and Nat been seeing each other?"
Steve blushed a brilliant shade of red before excusing himself under the guise of getting ready. Bucky laughed and took in the site around him. Dozens of chairs had been set up with a long, while strip of fabric lay out between them. Many of the chairs were already occupied, filed with agents from Shield, Inhumans, and other allies of the Avengers and Bucky. The rest would be filled in soon. Off in the distance stood a large white tent that Vivian had been holed up in since their arrival. Bucky felt the smallest twinges of apprehension. He couldn't wait to see her. He made his way towards Steve who was going over his notes for the thousandth time today.
"I hope I don't mess this up," Steve confided.
Bucky clasped his friend on the shoulder. "You'll do fine. Just speak from the heart like you always do."
A familiar song filled the air causing everyone to fall into an excited silence. Bucky looked up and felt the breath leave his body when he spotted Vivian standing at the other end of the chairs looking like an angel. Her dress gently flowed along the curves of her body. Her hair had been curled and left to flow free, just the way he like it. A little girl with flaming red hair and crystalline blue eyes and his stubborn chin walked down the aisle casting flower petals in her wake. Bucky flashed her a bright smile before he let his attention be consumed by the woman who would soon be his wife.
Steve was right; this day was a long time coming. For the past five years, Vivian had been there through every up and down Bucky had gone through. He loved her more than anything on this planet or in any other one in the vast universe. James was a constant source of wonder for him and Amelia, she had him wrapped around her little finger and he like it.
Vivian joined him in front of the crowd and Steve started to speak, but Bucky could only marvel at the sight before him. He didn't care about the tears that lined the rims of his eyes. This was the happiest day of his life.
"Do you Bucky take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To honor and cherish from this day froth as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."