A/N: Spoiler Alert! This was story was inspired by Captain America: Civil War.

Enjoy, and don't forget to review.

Many thanks to CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur for the Beta, and Black' Victor Cachat for brainstorming.

Namaste,

Sunny

The family is one of nature's masterpieces.

~ George Santayana

Captain America

Civil War

I Still Believe

Nature's Masterpiece

Aghast, Wanda started to go to his rescue, and was stopped by Bucky.

"Don't sweat it, doll. He's got it covered."

"But Steve will be hurt. We should stop him."

They backed up against the wall when a man in uniform swaggered down the alley, and sent the bully on his way with a kick in the backside without getting a hair out of place, making Wanda giggle.

One side of Bucky's mouth turned up in a grin. "Not the first time. Won't be the last." The grin dimmed. He looked down at his feet, sending a stone rolling over the bricks with a swing of his foot. "I just wonder who's gonna keep him outta trouble while I'm workin' for Uncle Sam."

Wanda took hold of his hand. "I do not think that will be a problem." She smiled. "After you're gone, Steve's life takes a rather dramatic turn."

"Yeah? Cool."

The Bucky in uniform, hooked an arm around Steve, and drew him out of the alley. He handed Steve a newspaper, and they disappeared into the dark at the entrance, as though the night had swallowed them up.

"That night, I got us a coupla dates. Connie and her friend Bonnie. Just like always, they barely spoke to Stevie. The girls were so excited to see the flying car demonstration. Then I turned around, and Steve was gone."

The scene around them changed, and they were standing outside the Army recruitment center. The friends hugged, and Bucky walked away with a girl on each arm while Skinny Steve turned around, and went into the center.

The Bucky with Wanda made to follow the other Bucky, and she stopped him, nodding at the door through which Steve had disappeared. "This way."

"Aw, come on, doll." He wiggled his eyebrows, and made a few dance steps. "Dontcha wanna cut a rug with yours truly?"

"Another time, maybe." Wanda stated emphatically. "This isn't the right memory. We should try another one." Boom! They were outside the room again. She looked around. "I need a way to get into the room that has your memories from after you'd been captured by…"

"…Schmidt." Bucky's voice had taken on a dangerous tone, and when she looked at him, he looked completely different. His eyes were still blue, but with the hard edge of pain, anger, fear, and distrust, though not for her.

Bucky's clothing was different too. An ugly green sweater, unbuttoned, dog tags dangling against his hairy chest, brown pants, and beat up boots had replaced the civilian clothes. A rifle hung over his right shoulder. His hair was dirty and unkempt, and he hadn't shaved or bathed in over a week. This close to him, she could smell stale sweat, and something else she didn't want to define. What could have frightened a man like him so badly that he lost control of his bodily functions, not once or twice, but repeatedly?

The doors spun, moving so fast that they blurred together, as if they were standing in the middle of a gigantic slot machine. They slowed down so that she could now see individual doors, and finally stopped. In front of them was another door, the date over a year after the previous one. But here, the colors wouldn't stabilize. Red, yellow, pink, grey and black swirled around each other, taking turns as the dominant emotion.

Wanda grasped the doorknob, but before she could open it, Bucky shook his head. "I-I don't want to go in there."

She held in a sigh, giving him a tender smile. "I'm trying to help you, Bucky. I wasn't able to open the door to your memories of being the Winter Soldier, and I understand that they're traumatic for you. But it's the only way I can help."

He opened and closed his mouth, uncertainty in his eyes. "So maybe if we spend some time here," he nodded at the door of many colors, "the other will unlock, and we can go in?"

"Yes. Perhaps. And this time, I will be with you." She held out her hand, and he took it, offering up a tentative smile. "Do not worry. I sense that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

Bucky snorted. "As long as it's not another stinkin' train. Let's get on with it, doll."

Wanda touched the doorknob, and she and Bucky were instantly transported to a metal platform. Heat and smoke from the massive fire below made them cough. To their right stood Steve in his Captain America uniform, and Bucky, in the same clothes her companion wore. The platform shook with every explosion, threatening to collapse, killing them all.

Wakanda

Clint stopped in front of Scott's door, pausing a moment before knocking. The door opened on Scott pulling a t-shirt down to his waist. He already had pants and sneakers on. "Yeah?"

"Wilson and I are taking a little trip. Thought you might want to ride shotgun." Though he tried to be discreet, Scott saw him trying to look over his shoulder into the room. Annoyed, Scott pushed the door all the way open, showing that the room was empty.

"She's not here. And pass. Don't want to end up back in prison, and we have plans after lunch, if she feels up to it. At the moment, she's in the cryo lab with Barnes." He crossed his arms, and stood with his feet shoulder width. "Out of curiosity, where're you headed?"

To annoy him, Clint turned and walked away. "That's need-to-know, and if you're not coming, you don't need to know."

~~O~~

Sam peeked around the corner. "Coast is clear." He and Clint hustled down the hall, holding an unconscious Scott between them. "Did you have to knock him out? This would be so much easier if he walked to the quinjet under his own power."

"Told you, he declined my offer, and naturally, I couldn't tell him why he had to come."

"Why not?"

They carried Scott up the ramp, sat him in one of the jump seats, and strapped him in. Clint patted him on the cheek, and went to the cockpit. "It's a surprise. That's if my message got through. If not, didn't want to get his hopes up." He aimed a thumb over his shoulder. "Buckle up. Take off in three minutes."

Sam chose a seat that allowed him to keep an eye on Scott, and see out the front window at the same time. "He's gonna be pissed. He'll think you did this to keep him away from Wanda."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Huh! It's no secret that you don't like them spending time alone."

Clint concentrated on taking off, and Sam got the sense that he wasn't going to respond to his last comment. Whatever. He settled back to take a nap. "Wake me when we get there."

Several Hours Later

Outside Vancouver, B.C.

Sitting in the back seat, slumped down on his spine, arms crossed and the cap pulled low over his eyes, Scott brooded, only because he was too old to pout. They'd been driving for over an hour, and he had yet to speak to his companions or take any interest in their surroundings. Clint was the brains behind the plan to kidnap him from Wakanda, and Sam had helped. That put them both squarely at the bottom of his Christmas card list. If he had one. He hadn't sent cards in years. In prison, he got out of the habit.

The car slowed, turned into the parking lot of a deserted warehouse, and drove around to the back. Clint parked next to several other similar vehicles, and shut the engine down.

Scott still wanted nothing to do with whatever was going on. "You go. I'll wait here."

Sam came around the car, and opened the door. "We're all going, Scott."

"Fine. But I'm not gonna enjoy it."

When Clint and Sam didn't respond with a witty comeback, Scott got suspicious. Still, he followed Clint to the door beside the loading dock. The archer knocked in a specific pattern, and the door was opened by a blonde in black pants, a tailored shirt, and a vest.

The blonde smiled. "Right on time gentlemen." She stood back for them to enter, and closed the door behind them, while Clint made introductions.

"Scott Lang, Sharon Carter. Carter, Lang."

Sharon shook his hand, and motioned for them to follow. "Sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, Mr. Lang."

Annoyed, Scott said, "Yeah, about that… Why are we here?"

With a smile, Sharon opened another door that led to a room that had no place being in an abandoned warehouse in Vancouver, BC. It was furnished like a large single family home. New furniture, a full kitchen, living room and dining room. Doors led off into unknown areas, maybe rooms for the agents. There was a set of stairs that presumably led to bedrooms for the "guests".

But the best feature of the room had to be the little girl sitting next to her mother, and clutching an ugly stuffed rabbit. She saw him at the same time. Her eyes lit up and she called out, "Daddy!"

Scott stooped down, taking his daughter in his arms, and hugging her tight. "Cassie!" There were other shouts of joy around him, but Scott couldn't let go of his daughter to check it out. Over her shoulder, he saw his ex-wife with a single tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away, and sniffed as she came to join them. Holding Cassie with one arm, he gathered Maggie close. "How did you get here?"

Maggie shrugged. "I'm not even sure where here is." She nodded at Sharon Carter. "The day before Agent Carter came to the house Jim and his partner were sent to retrieve a grand jury witness. Said the man won't fly, so they're driving back to San Francisco from Nashville, because he also won't get on a train or a bus. I'm beginning to think it was a set-up to get Jim out of the way so he wouldn't ask where we'd gone."

"I'm glad you're here, Maggie. I wanted a chance to explain…"

"You're here, Scott, and you're alive. That's all we care about."

~~O~~

Watching Scott and Clint with their families, Sam felt just a little left out. He had no one to miss him while he was gone. He went to the door, thinking to step outside to give his friends some privacy when he was brought up short by a familiar voice.

"Where the hell you goin', Wilson?"

Sam swung around, his mouth dropping open when he saw the closest thing he had to family: Riley's wife and daughter, Selena and MelissaJo. The Riley women were pulled into his embrace. Looking down at the top of Melly's head, Sam realized just how much she'd grown since he saw her last.

The girl tilted her head back so she could see him. "We missed you, Sam. When're you comin' home?"

Though she was almost twelve, he picked up MelissaJo, and followed Selena to the sofa away from the others. They sat down, and he tucked the girl against his side. "Probably not for a while, Melly. Sorry."

"Some people came to our house, said you did something really bad. But I didn't believe them. You're an Avenger, not a super-villain."

"The people who said I was bad make the laws, whether I agree with them or not."

Selena took his hand. "A few days ago, another guy came to the door, tried to tell us he was a friend. Said his name was Tony Stark." She jutted her chin out proudly. "We told him to get lost."

MelissaJo poked herself in the chest. "He wasn't nice either. Tried to come in the house when we said no. So I kicked him."

"Good girl."

"Tony Stark?" the woman with Scott asked. "He came to see us too. Tried to charm his way in. Cassie got him in the shins."

Scott grinned, and held up his hand to the little girl on his lap, and she gave him a high-five. "Way to go, peanut!"

Cassie wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I didn't like him."

Sam chuckled at the picture in his head of Tony being beaten up by two little girls. "Not many people do, sweetheart." To Selena, he said, "You staying the night?"

"Sorry, Sam. Gotta work in the morning, and take Mrs. Engelmann to the doctor in the afternoon. Plus Melly's starting school in a couple of weeks. We have school supplies and clothes to buy." She lowered her voice. "From what that Carter woman said, this is a family thing. We appreciate you thinking of us that way."

"You two are the closest I've got." Sam sobered. "It's been a few years. Have you started dating yet?"

Selena grinned. "As a matter of fact, I have. His name's John, and we met at church. He just moved to the area."

"I'm happy for you." He pointed a finger at her. "If he doesn't treat you right, I'll send one of my superhero friends around to tell him a thing or two."

She looked down, and took a deep breath. "What they said you did…"

"It's a long story, Selena. Most of it's classified." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "What I can say is that we did what we thought was right and got put away for it."

"The people who questioned us after what happened in Germany came back a few weeks later. Said you broke out of prison, and wanted to know if we'd spoken to you."

MelissaJo giggled. "Mommy told them…" the girl leaned close to whisper in Sam's ear.

Sam laughed out loud, drawing curious glances from the others. He ignored everyone, and hugged both girls.

~~O~~

Clint made a beeline for his family, Cooper and Lila meeting him halfway, leaning down to hug them tight. "I've missed you guys so much."

"We missed you too, Dad," Cooper said into his ear. His oldest son had grown a couple of inches in the past few weeks, looking and sounding more like a young man than a boy.

Laura stood, and Clint went to her, taking her in his arms, and holding tight. He kissed her as if he'd never get another chance. A small hand tugged on his pants leg, and he looked down to see Nathaniel's angelic face smiling at him. The boy held up his arms, and Clint picked him up. "Hey, buddy. How you doin'?"

"Daddy!" Nathaniel stated firmly, and with a grin that was a duplicate of Clint's, dimples and all.

"Yeah, baby. Daddy's here." He hugged the boy, breathing in his baby smell that he'd missed so much. "Did you miss me?"

Nathaniel stuck a finger in his mouth, and nodded. Laura drew Clint over to the sofa, and he sat beside her with the boy on his lap. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, "When you sent the message to get out of town, I was so scared."

"But you did it. Just like we planned." He held her hand, rubbing a thumb over the knuckles. "Has it been too bad?"

"Not really. Your friends are nice. They treat us like family." She glanced around the room. Sharon was watching out the window, speaking softly. Per protocol, there were eyes on them at all times, human and electronic, though not in the bedrooms or bathrooms. "We brought enough clothes to stay a couple of days like Agent Carter said."

"Not sure how long I'll be here. If the people who put us in prison find out where we are, we'll have to cut and run. And if they get wind that you were here…" Clint didn't have to finish that thought.

Sharon caught his eye, and lifted her chin. Clint passed Nathaniel to his mother. "Be right back."

Wakanda

The Cryo Lab

The platform shook, and Wanda grabbed the handrail for support. Steve and the Bucky from the past were confronting the Red Skull, and another man, short, pudgy, with glasses. Schmidt was doing all the talking, but both Bucky's were staring at the other man with such fear, loathing, and revulsion that he could only be the scientist who experimented on him.

Schmidt and Zola made a hasty retreat, leaving Steve and Bucky to die. The catwalk had collapsed, and the only way to the exit was a metal beam that shifted each time there was another explosion. Bucky climbed over the rail, and slowly made his way to the other side.

Bucky, her companion on this odyssey, looked away. She took his hand, and he gripped it tight. A moment later, they were in the hallway again. They took several deep breaths to clear their lungs of the smoke and toxic fumes. Bucky's form blurred, and changed back to the one in civilian clothes. "Where to now, doll?"

"Will you please stop calling me 'doll'? My name is Wanda."

He shrugged sheepishly, and without remorse. "Yeah, but I love the way that spot above your nose crinkles when I say it. Just like me." Hands went into his pockets as they started walking, silently reading the year and description on each door.

July 4th 1936

Christmas 1923

Homecoming Game 1933

September 1924

Then they came to one that said Mary Louise Sorrentino Summer 1934 caused Bucky to smile fondly. He started to open the door, and changed his mind at the last second.

"Who's Mary Louise Sorrentino?" Did he just blush?

"Old girlfriend. Her grandmother lived on our floor, and she came to stay with her every year. We only went out a few months in the summer of '34, but she was my first serious crush." Intrigued, Wanda put her hand on the doorknob, looking over her shoulder when Bucky said, "I wouldn't go in there, if I were you."

"I want to see what your girlfriend looks like." Wanda went into the room, leaving the door open a crack, and was back out within seconds. She stood with her back to the door for a long moment while an involuntary shudder made its way down her spine. "Oh, my God. I will never be able to unsee that!"

Bucky shook his head, and smirked. "Told you not to go in there."

"You might have warned me."

"I did." He held his hand up in surrender. "But you didn't listen."

Wanda avoided his gaze, and took off. "Just drop it, and come on. We have to finish this."

Vancouver, B.C

SHIELD Lloyd Wiley and Gabby Hamilton stepped up to the counter at the Pizza Shack, Gabby doing the talking. "We called in an order about two hours ago. Janet Smith."

The young man behind the counter smiled. "Yes, Ms. Smith. Your order will be ready in a few minutes."

While they waited, Lloyd drew Gabby's attention to nothing out the window. "We're being watched."

"I know. You'd think they never had anyone order ten pizzas, five containers of pasta, salad, breadsticks, drinks, and dessert before."

"Ms. Smith? It's ready. Looks like you're feeding an army."

Lloyd glared at the young man. "Corporate retreat."

The cashier rang up their purchase, and Abby handed him cash plus a generous tip. "Um, would you like help getting that to the car?"

For an answer, she handed him the keys to their vehicle, a grey minivan designed to blend into the scenery. The cashier took the keys, and went into the back. He came out within seconds followed by four other employees, all carrying the food. Abby and Lloyd watched them fill the van, close the doors, and run back inside. Lloyd got the keys back, and the partners left.

Once they were on the road again, Lloyd turned the radio down. "What do you think of the new director, Abs?"

She snorted. "Liked the last one better. This one's more of a politician than an agent. Glad-handin' all over the place, predatory smile like a shark, and always ready for a photo op, if SHIELD wasn't still underground. You?"

"Same. His handshake felt oily."

"Probably that crap he puts in his hair."

Lloyd looked skeptical. "If it is his hair."

The partners had a laugh as they got on the 7, and headed for the safe house, which was actually in Burnaby, British Columbia, inside the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, close to Port Moody.

~~O~~

The building was quiet with everyone in their rooms. All but Sam who was too restless to sleep. He was outside, careful to stay mostly under the trees. He sat on a log, propped his elbows on his thighs, and rubbed his hands together. Through the leaves, he could see the stars. More than he'd seen since coming home from his last tour. In the desert, there were no city lights to fade out the stars. It made a man contemplate his place in the universe, and realize just how…

"Makes you feel insignificant, doesn't it?"

He looked around and up at Sharon as she came closer. "Just what I was thinking." She stopped next to him, and he scooted over so she could sit next to him. "We haven't had a chance to talk, Sharon, and it's not my place to tell you this…"

"Steve's in love with someone else. I could tell the last time we talked." She shoved her hands into the pockets of the puffy vest she wore against the chill. This time of year, the temperatures hovered about forty-three Fahrenheit, six Celsius. "Strangely enough, I'm okay with that, and wish him every happiness. And to tell you the truth, Sam, that kiss was a little weird."

Sam watched her from the corner of his eye, gauging if she was telling the truth or just trying to save face. Nope. Not lying.

"Why didn't he come with you?" Sam hesitated, and she rushed to assure him. "I know you're hiding out with Barnes, Romanoff, Lang, and Maximoff. And there's a rumor floating around that you had help from Hill and one of the senior techs that were on hand for Sokovia. What's his name?"

He shrugged. "Can't confirm or deny any of it."

Sharon waved a hand. "No, I understand. Wasn't really asking for details. Just sayin'." She shivered, and hugged herself.

After a moment's consideration, Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't red light me, okay?"

"No problem, Sam. And thanks. Always hated cold weather." She scooted closer, and leaned into him. "Before the CIA cut me loose, I tried to get your gear, but Ross has it locked up, with only himself permitted access."

He gave her a shake. "Thanks for trying." She let her head rest on his shoulder, and a few minutes later, he heard her sniff. "Something wrong?"

She pushed at him, and he loosened his hold so she could sit up. Tears glittered in the light of the moon, making her eyes sparkle. "I just miss Aunt Peggy so much, Sam. She was everything I've ever aspired to be, and here I am working for a disgraced spy organization, one she helped found, and aiding and abetting international fugitives."

Sam found a napkin in his pocket, and gave it to her. Then, he pulled her close again. "I didn't know Peggy Carter, but I think she would've been proud of the woman you've become, Sharon." He tilted her head up with a finger under her chin. "You've planted yourself like a tree, and said, 'No! You move'."

She laughed, and something between them changed. Sam felt it, and from the look on her face, Sharon did too. And though it felt all kinds of weird, he slowly lowered his head, and kissed her. But the most surprising thing about it was she kissed him back.

TBC