The battlefield was devastating. They had to clamber over mounds of debris to see the grass again. Bits of the river was beginning to soak through the debris and it was a race to escape it. Every now and then she'd tread on something she recognised from the base and she'd feel a rack of sobs wanting to burst from her chest. She couldn't cry over the fallen 'A' for Avengers that she'd driven past so many times, when there were people mourning a husband, friend and father.

Immediately, Bucky wanted to find Steve. But she refused to unclasp their held hands. It was official, wherever he went, she would now be going too. There would be no separating them anymore.

They found Steve after the battle had cleared, standing by an ambulance. He had been the one to carry Tony's cold body from the field. His family and friends too weak to move him and Steve's soldier coding told him to never get emotional until after the battle was finished. Although they had won, their mission wasn't over. Steve had been in enough wars to know the truth of this. There was always the aftermath.

Covered by a white sheet, Tony's body was lifted into an ambulance. The gauntlet put into Hulk's safe hands, but she could see Tony's arm hanging off the edge of the stretcher. Grey and cracked from the power of the infinity stones. Bea flinched away, shivering at the sight.

"Steve." Bea greeted him with a hug but immediately side-stepped out of the way, so him and Bucky could reunite. Properly.

"hey, pal," Bucky relaxed a sloppy smile and the two embraced like brothers welcoming each other home.

"I missed you buddy."

Bea had a hard time letting go of Bucky's hand so he could hug his old friend. As soon as Steve and Bucky pulled away, she grabbed his hand back again and kept it locked by her side. She felt his thumb rub comforting circles around her hand.

"This is crazy…" Bucky mumbled to himself, "I feel like I've just stepped into a completely different world."

"Get in line," the same voice spoke, but from a different man.

She couldn't help the soft flutter her heart soaring at the tune of his voice. Her Bucky was back, she told herself, clutching tighter to his metal hand, she shouldn't still… feel things still. Avoiding staring at him, he stepped next to her and she could no longer avoid it. Met with a matched image of Bucky. They stood next to one another. There was too much to take in.

In the past five years, she'd imagined hundreds of different scenarios of their reunion, but none of those dreams came close to this near nightmare. Standing beside Tony's stretcher and two Bucky's looking at one another, waiting for an explanation. "Uh, Bucky – meet Bucky," Bea jumped to introduce them, pointing at each in turn, "This Bucky is from a different timeline and time. 1943 to be exact."

"Right…" Her Bucky rigidly reached to shake the wrist of himself as if he was unsure it was the right thing to do. "Anymore explanation other than that?"

"I'm just as confused as you, truthfully. I didn't realise she was from the future at the time."

"From the future?"

"I had to travel back in time," Bea explained quickly. There was a lot of explaining today, and it seemed Beatrice was the only one with all the answers. She gripped his hand tightly, not missing the double stare world war two Bucky passed their joined hands.

He gulped and turned to the group, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"you can stay with me for a bit," Steve offered, looking over at Bea.

Relieved he had offered; she didn't know what she would do if she'd had to live with two Bucky's. Sometimes she was too dependent on Steve. she never asked him to help and yet here he is.

"Explanation?" Bucky asks but Bea's stomach gave a cry of food. She hadn't eaten anything for a full day – or maybe the nasty feel in the pit of her stomach was nothing to do with food. Clapping her hands together, she quickly suggested they go find a place open for lunch – if there was such a place – all she knew was food would definitely quench the nerves of having to explain all of this again.

It seemed everywhere was closed for business and people reunited with their families. The roads were absent of cars, but not people, as couples hugged in the street and long-lost friends cried at having found one another again. The sight would be blissful, if Bea wasn't aware of what they had had to lose to win it back. Tony Stark's hand falling from the stretcher pierced at the forefront of her mind.

He had a child. A daughter.

Morgan would never see him again. She didn't even know it would be the last time she saw him.

Brooke's fine – the worry intruded her mind. Right now, she didn't want to bother explaining everything to Bucky but spend the time calling her daughter. Alex could still be after her for all they knew. She itched to ask Steve for his phone, but bit her lip close. She owed Bucky an explanation first.

With all café's signs flipped to 'closed', Bea suggested heading back to the hospital to see how Fifteen was, "Plus, they'll be vending machines there." Suggested Bea, as her stomach gurgled again.

Her hungry stomach and wanting to check on Fifteen made her rush to drive the broken-down cab back. Its bumper falling off and door almost hanging off its hinges but no one took any notice when they parked it outside in the cab zone. Everyone was too busy reuniting to noticed Captain America, a woman dressed in Hydra clothes and a set of twins – one who had a very distracting glowing metal arm. For once, he wasn't even concerned with hiding it.

"Your friend is still being treated on currently, so you can't see her," The receptionist said, slapping on his keyboard in the same tone he spoke with, "We've got a shortage of staff cause they've all gone home to their families – because some of us are so lucky."

"Thanks…" Steve stepped back warily. He'd just fought Thanos and the angry receptionist was what got him backing down, "uh- we'll just go wait in the cafeteria then."

Defeated, the four of them collapsed down in the plastic and strangely small chairs of the cafeteria. Bea had been hoping for a blissful and quite room to explain everything to them, but as they squeezed to get through the doors, she realised her bad luck was just getting worse.

Old patients reunited with families. Nurses scuttled back and forth to make sure everyone was comfortable. Children scuffed their feet and hid a face of defiance when strangers they'd never met claiming to be their uncles, grandmothers and fathers, kissed them on the cheeks.

Not a single eye looked up at the them.

Quietly, they munched on their snacks. Beatrice was well aware of the pressing stare Steve was giving her from across the table. Until the air was filled with the silence of Bucky's thousands of questions pressing against her.

"So, who the hell is this guy exactly?" Bucky points at himself from across the table, "he looks like me, and-" without warning, he reached over and moved aside Bucky's shirt, revealing the silver chain of his dog tag below. Bucky tried to swot his hand away, but the Winter Soldier was too fast as he swiped the chain from him.

Holding it in the palm of his hand, Bucky analysed it. Second later, he frowned up at Bea.

"What's this?"

"Uh… His dog tag?" She replied blankly, "Which you should give back because that was really rude."

"It's not his – or my - name on it."

Leaning on his shoulder, she looked at the tags and found that Bucky was right – etched along the side of the tag was Beatrice's name, along with her rank and the name; Howling commandos. She thought she'd never see it again.

"Oh," She sounded, "You kept it?"

"I found it when you left it on my pillow…" Bucky answered carefully, "I- I realised I had to go after you when I saw it."

Thoughts raced across her mind. She paused. Trying to catch at least some of them. . She had caused his best friend's death and yet he still followed her into certain death to make sure she was okay. The older Bucky must have noticed her shock, as she felt the squeeze of a hand over hers – she…. Didn't deserve either of them.

"Can I have it back?" the younger Bucky asked, already reaching his hand out to take it.

With the slightest bit of hesitation, her Bucky passed it back. When their fingers connected for a split second, Beatrice felt his muscles tense beside her – as if she needed to add to her pile of drama, now that both Bucky's had an instant dislike for one another. Steve noticed it too, and was sending warning looks between them.

Steve sighed, "I think if we start from when this whole-time travel situation started, we might get somewhere."

"Yeah I'd appreciate that." Bucky said, which one she wasn't sure as she was in a locked eye staring battle with Steve. Careful for Bucky not to notice her, she leaned back as far as she possibly could in her seat. 'Don't mention Brooke' she mouthed.

That explanation could wait. Wait for a more private setting where she could sit him down and show him pictures and tell him about the wonderful being, they had created together. But not now. Not whilst his former self was sitting across from him or in a hospital cafeteria where hundreds of other people sat reuniting. She tried to get this sentiment across to Steve through the intense staring contest they had going, but Steve's continued glare was all she had to know he wasn't happy.

Nevertheless, he nodded at her simple request.

Steve set off. Beginning with how they even ended back in time. Beatrice sat back, glad that Steve was here to do the talking for her. He explained how it was Scott's plan, how Tony had been the mastermind behind it all, how the original plan was for him to go back in time with Beatrice, but something went wrong and Fifteen ended up with her. It was only then did he pause and look at Beatrice for further understanding, "I don't really know what happened from there…"

Nerves tickled her stomach as she uncomfortably shuffled forward, aware of the three eyes expecting her to fill in some holes of confusion. She had to be careful about this – not talking about Brooke, or her feelings for the Bucky she had met in the 1940's… she didn't want more tension between the men.

"Um… so…" her throat was suddenly dry, "I guess it started when I turned up at the base and Fifteen got us the coordinates for a Hydra base where the tesseract was supposed to be. It was meant to be an easy mission but… well, I guess I fucked it up-"

"You got the tesseract in the end. That's what matters," Steve tried to comfort her, but with both Bucky's staring at her, it was hard for her to believe. After this conversation, both of their lives would change. It was all her fault. She almost willed it to never end.

"We got a plane to the base but Hydra started firing at us. Uh – I had jumped out of the plane but, well… Fifteen was caught in the explosion. Hence why she's upstairs. She must have come back to the present day. I had no choice but to continue without her, I couldn't leave without the tesseract, otherwise everyone would suffer but when I got into the base, um, I guess you could say I got distracted…"

Distracted was an understatement. She had practically failed the universe because she saw him again. Her eyes betrayed her as she looked over at the younger Bucky, and the words to express how she had felt in that moment was lost on her.

"…I just saw you again and suddenly nothing else mattered."

If it wasn't for the fact she was cornered in between the wall and Bucky, she would have fled the room then. To distract herself and give her a moment to gulp back the tears that were threatening to break through, she took a break to munch on her snack. It was dry and certainly didn't make her feel any better.

"We can continue this conversation later, if you'd like?" The Bucky beside her suggested, but she sharply shook her head. It was sweet of him to suggest it, but she knew he was dying for some answers and she had months of preparation for this conversation. She wasn't backing out now.

"No, it's fine. I just want to get on with it."

As soon as she got that out of the way, the rest of it was relatively easy. She explained her friendship with Peggy Carter, and how she had no choice but to join the Howling commandos. Steve laughed at that part, saying how he doubted the men were too happy about a woman joining them and she caught a look resembling pride of her Bucky's face.

Leaving out the reality of her relationship with the younger Bucky was the most difficult part as it was the biggest part of her trip to the past. He was the quite within the mayhem, and from across the table, every now and then, she would look up and find him staring at her softly as if he understood why she wasn't saying anything but practically begging her too.

Quickly, she moved on and tells them how she stopped Bucky getting on the train, pausing briefly to look up at Steve and ask him to forgive her, for he was dead now because of her mistake, and Bucky was here. Just because she got the tesseract doesn't mean she didn't completely fail.

"You did what was right in the moment," Steve tried to reassure her as he always did, but the younger Bucky's eyes had wandered away from her and she knew he still hadn't completely forgiven her for that. How could she blame him?

Finally, she reached the end. The super soldier serum, her fight with red skull, Bucky joining her on the plane.

"You're a super soldier now?"

She shrugged, "I figured Zola had a supply of it somewhere, considering he turned you into one."

"You got Zola to experiment on you?" Bucky cornered her with wide eyes.

"No, Peggy did it."

"Peg helped?"

"She didn't just help. She believed me when I don't think anyone else would – I owe everything to her. I think we became best friends. Even though I was terrified of her half the time-" She certainly had a type of friend. At that start, she was deathly afraid of both Natasha and Fifteen… both woman who are now either dead or permanently injured.

The younger Bucky saved her from dwelling too hard on that, "I guess we'll never know if that plane did crash or not."

"Did you aim it at the floor?" Steve pips up. Bucky nods. "I think we can safely say you crashed it then."

The follow up questions she had been eternally dreading came next. Whilst she was explaining, she had full control of where the conversation steered, but once Bucky started asking questions, she realised he could query things she felt like burying in a twenty-foot hole.

Luckily, he mostly asked about her well-being. Of course that was his main concern. He'd just been turned to ash and disappeared for the past five years and the only thing he cared about was how the super soldier serum was affecting her, and if she was okay after everything that happened to Fifteen. He kissed her softly on the head, repeating how sorry he was for leaving her.

"I suppose I should say thank you for looking after her," Bucky reached a hand out to his former self. She pretended not to be offended. She could look after herself, thank you very much… hadn't she at least proved that.

"My pleasure." They shook hands and it was an odd sight to witness.

Now that was settled, they all munched on their snacks in silence, sending Steve away to go buy some more. Beatrice didn't know what else to talk about. Five years of wanting to talk to him and suddenly no conversation starter fell at the tip of her tongue. Small talk seemed pointless, they were beyond that, and the dizziness of turning her head from one side to the other and seeing doubles of Bucky was starting to make her feel sick.

Steve came back with a collection of chips in his hand, but no sooner had he sat down, did the younger Bucky ask, "What did Bea's mom say about Brooke? She alright?"

"Uh-" Steve chokes on air. His neck whips to look at Bea.

Shit. Her eyes darted to Bucky, finding him frowning. Steer clear, Steve… don't answer, she begged but the other half of her – the mother inside of her - was desperate to know how she was. She hadn't heard a peep about her daughter for months now. Was she okay? – of course she was okay, Steve would have said something by now if she wasn't. However, the kicking maternal instinct inside her won out.

"She's safe, right?" She asked quietly, as if Bucky wouldn't hear her despite sitting right next to her.

"She's fine." Hesitation swam deep in his voice. Frowning as he spoke, remaining persistently staring at the unopened crisp packet. "Apparently she's chasing the cat around a lot and hit her head quite badly, but other than that she's fine."

"Thank god."

"Who's this? Brooke?" Bucky frowned, making creases in his forehead, "Please don't start adding new people to the mix, I've only just started liking your other friends."

"Shit." Came the sharp gasp of the younger Bucky's eyes, widening in shock at what he'd just revealed, "I didn't mean-"

She knew he didn't mean anything by it. No matter how jealous or angry Bucky got, he wasn't low enough to sink himself to such methods of creating tension between them, but it still didn't mean she wasn't irritated that she hadn't been able to bring it up on her own terms and right now wasn't the right time to introduce him to the fact that he was a father.

"Brooke is no one." She quickly added, feeling guilty and earning a glare from Steve, "She's just a friend."

"I'm sorry…" Bucky continues to apologise. He stood suddenly, knocking the table as he did, "I think I need some air. I'll be back."

He turned tightly, struggling to part between the sea of crowds forming in the room. Momentarily, she considered her options – running after him or letting Bucky fester with the fact that she was hiding things from him? She'd never wanted to escape a room as much as she did now, not even when she was Hydra's prisoner. Telling Bucky he was a father was not a conversation she had rehearsed-

Her plastic chair gave an awful squeak as she scrapped it across the floor to stand. But before she could run any faster, Steve's sharp hand caught her on the shoulder and pushed her back down.

"I'm going to go after him," pointing at Bea, he adds, "tell him or I will."

With that, Steve chased after the friend he'd never met and Bea was left with the ever-pressing stare of the father of her child looking back at her. Could today get any worse?

*~it started with Pizza~*

Pre-Hydra Bucky's POV

Bucky never made it outside. The hospital rooms were crowded with people reuniting and though to most the sight would have been joyous, his stomach turned in somersaults. Was everybody in the world happy accept him?

It felt like seconds ago he had jumped on the plane to join her. Content with the fact he might die for this woman and happy to do so. He had thought she'd felt the same… and maybe she did, but now he was back and there was nothing he could do about it.

He had nowhere to go. No safe place. Brooklyn had once been his home yet nothing felt familiar.

"Buck…" a familiar voice called after him. On instinct he turned at the sound. The sound of his best friend but upon seeing him much older face, he realised he was far from that.

"Look, thanks for coming to check on me but let's face it... we're not friends. I've never even met you-"

"No - hey, if you're really the same guy in there like Beatrice is saying, then you are definitely my friend. It doesn't matter where you've come from." Was he the same person? He seriously doubted that. Apart from looking alike, he felt he shared no similarities with the Bucky sitting just behind those walls. There was a shadow behind the depth of the man's eyes, the metal arm served as a physical reminder of what he'd been through and he walked with fear. He noticed his eyes wandering around the room throughout their conversation and when they walked in, he requested he take the seat where his back was not against the crowd. He feared that was what his future was like.

"I understand how you must be feeling. But I'm here if you want to clue me in."

Sure he knew… how could he?

To hide his clenched fists, he stuffed them in his pockets and slowly turned to face Steve.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," He let out, "It's just dawned on me I'm never going to see my mom or sister again... everything I know is gone and now Bea... well - I don't even know who this guy is and…" she was happy. He told himself. There was nothing he could do, "…and he's holding my girl."

A look that resembled realisation dawned on Steve's face, his eyes flickering around to the café, "You fell in love with her..."

Bucky said nothing.

Steve smiled, irritating Bucky more. Could he not see how upset he was? "I can hardly say I'm surprised. Somehow, she's always been able to get to you. Even when I couldn't."

"What am I meant to do now?" He looks around, "seriously? I mean I'm trying really hard not to freak out at everything."

"I get it. I fell under the ice and woke up in a completely new world." He paused, seeing Bucky look at the cafe again "... and I'd just lost the woman I love too."

Maybe he understood more than Bucky anticipated.

The corridor was still suffocating and he didn't want to go back inside there. Not where she smiled at him so easily. He hadn't meant to let it slip about Brooke, he'd completely forgotten that the other version of himself had no idea he had a daughter. His throat thickened, thinking of the happy life they were about to lead into. The adventure he could never have and was foolish enough to think he could.

"You got anywhere we can go?" Bucky asked nervously, unsure if he wanted to be around Steve either.

"Yeah, there's a safe house nearby no one's using and luckily the internet is a great tool for learning."

"The internet?"

"You're gonna be amazed..."

*~It started with Pizza~*

Steve had left her on her own to do this. She could hardly blame him. This was her mess, but for so long she had been used to having him standing right beside her in her messes. If it wasn't for the loud screams of delight and the babbling chatter commencing in the café, it might have been easier. This wasn't the right place or time.

Bucky was rubbing his arm nervously. She knew he was trying not to pressure her to talk, but the confusion and need for answers made him press her for more, "Bea?"

Slowly she took a long sip of her coffee. It burned her tongue, but she made the sip last as long as she could. Gulping the hot stuff down her throat, hoping it would burn her ability to talk. Somehow but, all of a sudden, she couldn't feel any of her senses.

"Brooke's not a friend."

"Okay?"

She wants someone to save her. Steal her from this conversation. Maybe she could be dusted away to avoid telling him. "Brooke... she's my - our – daughter."

"Wait… what?"

The murky edges of her coffee mug were suddenly very interesting. It worked to distract her from throwing up the contents of her stomach. It seemed to churn in her stomach, but all she'd eaten were out of date chips.

"How the hell is that even possible?"

"Do you really need me to explain that to you?"

"Well kinda!" Bucky exploded, "cause last time I saw you; you weren't pregnant."

"I was," She snapped back, "when I fought in Wakanda I was pregnant. I just didn't realise."

"That…that can't have been healthy for the baby."

Bea considered that for a moment. She'd been so consumed in her grief over Bucky at the time that she hadn't considered that. She shrugged a moment later. "She turned out fine."

"Bea. How?" He sighed, looking half-way between running out the door and shaking her for more answers. She could only imagine how he felt. This was the second time today; she'd pounced life changing news on a version of Bucky. "Five minutes ago, I was worried about asking you to marry me. Let alone having… having… having a daughter– I… I was only gone five minutes…"

"Except you weren't. You were gone five freakin' years," but before he could turn and flee she slapped her hand over his and clutched it tightly. It was either his want to stay or her newfound super strength that kept him grounded. "You have no idea how scary the last five years for me were. If it weren't for Steve-" and Natasha, "-I don't know whether I could have done it." She paused, debating whether to continue but as Bucky folded and unfolded his arms like he was squirming to get comfortable, she decided she needed to be as open as possible about the delicate matter. "And I need you. I really did. There were times when I couldn't even look at her, she looked like you so much."

"She looks like me?" Bucky's head rose and he immediately stopped fidgeting, "Have you got a picture?"

She tapped at her pockets before remembering everything had been lost, "destroyed my photo at a Hydra base explosion and my phone was at the Avengers compound. My things keep blowing up apparently."

Defeated, Bucky went back to shifting around. She didn't know what else she could say to ease his worry. She wanted to express how excited Brooke would be to meet him, and how beautiful kind and caring she could be – but thought not. It was better not to push him further. He would see her for himself eventually.

"I've got photos at the house," she offered pathetically, as if that would fix everything, "we can go look."

"The house? In Wakanda?"

"No-" she almost snorted. Did he really think she stayed in Wakanda all these years without him? "I've got a house here – In Brooklyn. Hence Brooke's name. I wanted to name her after something important to you…"

"Brooke?" He frowned, as if testing the name on his tongue. He didn't sound like he hated it?

"Do you like it?"

"The name? Uh- yeah. Sure."

Her shoulders slumped in instant disappointed. She'd waited years to hear his thoughts on her name. She'd chosen it specifically for him. In honour of him. But, what else did she expect? For him to excitedly tell her how well she'd chosen. He needed time.

She gave his hand a squeeze, "Shall we go to the house now?"

"Uh- is she there?" his voice almost shook. In all the enemies the Winter Soldier had faced, she'd never seen him sound so scared.

"Oh, no. She's at my mums in England," Beatrice said, "We're going to pick her up tomorrow once everything's calmed down. You can meet her then-" his eyes widened "-if you want too that is."

"Bea, I don't know…"

"it's okay," Beatrice was quick to counter back. It was a lot to take in for any one person, but they were in this together this time and he didn't need to do this alone, "we can go as slowly as you want with this, but, I know once you meet her, you'll fall in love with her instantly."

He looked as if he seriously doubted that.

A/N Sorry for taking so long to update. Twas my birthday last weekend and didn't feel like updating. Also I was slowly catching up to where I was writing so wanted to write a few more chapters ahead of myself to get here.

Truthfully, I'm not 100% happy with this chapter. Honestly, this is one of those chapters I'm even confused myself by what's going on because somehow explaining there being two Bucky's in a scene is hella confusing.

One thing I wanted to ask, though, is if there's anything you guys don't like about my writing? Or could improve on? You can be as critical as possible. I just really want to work on improving and who better to ask than your readers… so if there's anything you hate or can't stand about my writing style please let me know.

Reviews: (I had so many last chapter and I'm so so thankful!)

SilverIce523: ah I'm so glad you caught up. Thank you so much for reviewing and also so so sorry for brining back Tony's death to the surface. I tried not to focus too hard on it because I'll end up crying myself.

LunaEvanna Longbottom: I'm sorry I didn't save Tony. Honestly, don't make me regret not having him somehow live and have a happy ending with his daughter on their house on the lake. I would do it in a heartbeat! (I'm just secretly hoping the MCU somehow find a way to bring him back.) Haha no promises there with letting the couple live in peace. As you guessed, I'm a sucker for tradgedy :P Thank you so much for your reviews! They always make me laugh x

NeoMulder: to be honest making ww2 bucky sad was never a part of my plan. It was just when I got to writing this chapter I realised 'oh… she can't be with both of them'. As you can see, I DEFINIETLY plan ahead with my fics lol. Thank you so much for your review and I'm really sorry about killing Tony off still

Narnian702: Thank you so much for the review! It's a relief to hear you enjoyed last chapter. I don't want to upset any readers because I know everyone feels differently about Steve's ending, but I will still be sending him back – I think especially with this fic, seeing Bea/Bucky/Brooke's family will make him long for his own, so I think it makes sense to go back but I completely understand what you mean when you say he erased her kids and other husband because she managed to move on without him.

BuckyBarnes07: Thank you! Hope you like this chapter sweetie x

Fede67489: ah thank you so much for your review! I'm sorry for almost making you cry, lol but honestly thank you for the compliment about my writing, it really made my day. I hope I'm better writer than I was before (but think it's simply because where I work now is kind of boring, and I tend to think of ideas to kill the time) but I really want to improve, if you think there's anything that I could do better just let me know. And haha, let me just arrange to write you into the fic and get you with 1940's Bucky. I can do this for you :P

Sofiarose613: Your wish is my command. I hope I made their interactions okay, you have no idea how hard it is to write about two of the same characters in a scene, even just writing 'said Bucky' made me stop and go; but wait… what Bucky! Can't wait for you to see Bucky meeting his daughter.

Guest: Thank you! Hope it lived up to expectations

SomebodyWhocares: haha, think that should be the title of every chapter in this book. Thank you so much for the review! I love them.