Wanda had gone to sit in with Rosalie as she slept, still sedated from surgery. They had said that she should wake up in the next few hours and Steve wanted someone to be there when she did. He had left Grace with Bucky in the waiting room, telling his friend that he had to call Rosalie's parents to tell them what had happened. Bucky had nodded and simply stared at the little girl as she watched him back. Neither of them had said anything and Steve wondered what was going through Bucky's mind.

He managed to find their phone number after calling for assistance from Sam. Once he had borrowed a phone from one of the obliging nurses, he found an empty corridor and sat down to make the call. He pushed a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, the phone against his ear. He listened to it ring before he heard someone pick up on the other end and he sighed in relief.

"Hello?" the asked cautiously.

"Martin…Mr Jonson," Steve said, still feeling as though it was right to be formal with his parents-in-law. "It's Steve."

"Steve," Martin sighed his name, "thank God. What happened? The news is saying it was some kind of blip…half the population had been wiped out for five years. It feels like we just had a nap, Steve. We don't understand."

"What they're saying is correct, sir," Steve responded. "This creature, Thanos, he wiped away half of the earth's population and you and Jennifer…Mrs Jonson…you were taken. Rosalie was distraught. We both were. It's been a long five years."

He heard Martin sigh before speaking in the distance, telling his wife that it was Steve on the phone with him. "Just a minute, Steve, Jennifer is here…I'll put you on speakerphone."

There was another few moments as Martin grumbled at the phone before he clearly succeeded as the next voice he heard was Jennifer's.

"Is Rosalie okay?" she asked, needing to know about her daughter.

Steve let out a shaky breath. "She will be fine," he decided on saying, not wanting to start off causing them worry. "She was in a car crash. There was a battle to bring everyone back and Rosalie got caught up in it. She has a broken leg and the doctors had to performs an emergency C-section on her. She's in recovery and the baby is in the special baby unit…she's premature."

"Oh my God," Jennifer gasped loudly. "But she will be okay? Have you seen her?"

"Wanda is in with Rose and I have Bucky looking after Grace."

"Who is Grace?" Martin asked and Steve didn't want them to find out like this, but there was no other way. Rosalie had always imagined the joy on her parents' faces when she told them that she had had their baby. But Steve was certain that joy would still be there when they saw them.

"The baby that we just had is baby number two," Steve said to them. "Rosalie…before the blip…she was pregnant. She gave birth after then. Grace is our daughter…your granddaughter."

There was a moment of silence before he heard Jennifer exclaim loudly. Closing his eyes, he could almost picture it. Martin would have held onto her tightly, gripping her close as she cried with joy against him and he shed a tear himself. He heard them continue to talk, their words almost incoherent through sheer emotion.

"We have a granddaughter?" Martin checked.

"You do," Steve said, "and she would very much like you to meet you…they both would."

"Two girls?" Jennifer checked.

"You'll have your hands full, Steve," Martin said.

Steve chuckled and nodded. "Just how I'd like it," he responded to them.

"We need to get to New York," Jennifer said. "Steve, call us as soon as Rosalie is awake. Can you do that, please?"

"Of course," Steve said.

"I'll get the car," Martin said.

"I'll pack a bag," Jennifer responded.

"I will let you go. I need to go and check on Rose," Steve said to them. "We'll see you very soon, okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Steve…thank you for everything."

"You don't need to thank me," Steve responded, gulping as he shook his head back and forth. He was doing what any husband should do for their wife.

"We do," Martin replied, "but we will talk to you soon. Take care, Steve."

"You too," Steve responded.

He hung up the phone and went back to the desk, thanking the nurse who had given it to him. He walked back to the waiting room to find Bucky and Grace sat in exactly the same positions since he had last been in. Looking between the two of them he frowned as his daughter spoke, looking away from Bucky and to her father.

"Does he always stare?" she wondered from him.

"You get used to that," Steve promised her and Bucky looked to him. Steve arched a brow as he took hold of Grace after she had extended her arms to him. Picking her up, he let her burrow her face against his neck. "Were you having a staring contest with a five-year-old?" he questioned from him.

"She's good," Bucky said, "but disconcerting. It's like looking at a weird version of you when you were younger."

Steve chuckled. "Well you'll have to get used to it because you know that we were going to make you a godparent, right?"

"Me?"

"Yeah you," Steve said with a nod. "Come on, Buck, I remember you having four sisters that you looked out for. It's like doing that, but just being called Uncle instead of brother. No pressure though."

"Wanda said that she wanted to be my godparent," Grace piped up.

Steve arched his brows on his forehead and looked to his friend, still amused. "See?" he said to him. "Wanda agreed. So that means you can. I can't do this without you, buddy."

"But…who I am," Bucky said with a shake of his head, not wanting to discuss too much in front of the small child Steve was carrying. "You know who I am."

"I do," Steve nodded. "You're James Bucky Barnes. You're the guy who looked out for me when I used to get beat up regularly. You're the guy who followed me into war. You're the one I was with until the end of the line…my best friend."

Steve swore that he saw Bucky gulp loudly and almost show a flicker of sadness. But he simply nodded. He was that man. If Steve still saw him as that man then he would prove to him that everything was fine. He would make him see that he was still the Bucky he had grown up with.

"Till the end of the line," Bucky responded.

"Right," Steve said with a nod and looked down to Grace. "Do you think you can take Bucky to get some coffee for me?"

"I can do that," Grace said. "Can I see mommy when I come back?"

"Yeah," Steve said, really wanting Rosalie to be awake when she first saw Grace. "Hopefully she will be awake by then, darling."

"Okay," Grace said.

Steve set her down on the ground, kissing the top of her head as he lowered her. Bucky stood up from his chair and looked down to the little girl as she began talking, telling him about what her father had told her about him. They walked off down the corridor and Steve saw Bucky placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her forwards. He smirked at the sight and knew that Bucky would be fine.

Heading to the room where Rosalie was, he stepped inside, seeing that she was under the covers and sleeping still. Wanda was by her bedside, leant back in the chair with one leg folded over the other. She made a move to stand so that Steve could take the seat, but he shook his head, urging her to remain seated.

"Did you call her parents?"

"Yeah," Steve said, "they're on the way here now."

"Good," Wanda said. "The doctor came in and said that she should wake up soon. The drugs should be wearing off. Apparently she might be in some pain."

"Okay," Steve said.

The two remained in silence, waiting patiently before Rosalie began to stir. Her hand twitched and she let out a strangled groan. Steve moved then, sitting down on the side of the bed and reaching for her hand as she opened her eyes and looked to him. "Steve," she spoke his name.

"I'm here," he promised her in a gentle whisper. "Everything is fine, Rose."

"Gracie?" she asked.

"With Bucky," Steve told her and he looked to Wanda. She moved to her feet and looked down to Rosalie. "Wanda is here too."

"Wanda," Rosalie said and looked at her. She was groggy, still taking her time to come to her senses. Wanda moved a hand to Rosalie's shoulder, squeezing it gently in her fingers.

"I'm here," she said, "I'm going to go and find a doctor to let them know you've woken up."

"Thanks," Steve commented and Wanda turned to take off from the room, leaving the two of them alone. Steve ran his thumb over his wife's knuckles, feeling some cuts on her hand as he made the motion.

"The baby?" Rosalie asked, slowly starting to feel. Her stomach ached. Her leg felt like it was cramping. She just felt achy all over, her body trying to fight the pain as she looked at her husband, her gaze pleading with him to tell her that everything was fine. She had to know that everything was fine. Steve nodded and squeezed her hand inside of his, holding onto her fingers and smiling to her.

"She is doing okay," he said and Rosalie's free hand went to cover her mouth, a sob of relief echoing through her as Steve moved to brush a hand down her hair, pushing it out of the way as he smiled at her, trying to keep her calm. He didn't need her exerting her energy. That was the last thing he needed.

"She?" she checked with him, her voice soft and almost breaking.

"She," Steve confirmed for her. "She's tiny, Rose. She's so small and so delicate, but she is doing well. She is just premature which means they need to keep monitoring her for a little while before we can take her home."

Rosalie nodded. "Can I see her?"

"I will talk to the doctor and ask him if you can move," Steve promised her. "And I spoke to your parents. They're both alive, Rose. They're coming up to New York as we speak. Your mother was about to start packing while I was on the phone to her."

Rosalie laughed at that, imaging her mother's reaction. But her eyes were wet. She was smiling but crying and Steve knew that it was a lot to take in. But then he knew what he had to tell her. He had to tell her about Tony.

"But I do have to tell you something," Steve said and squeezed her hand. "In the fight against Thanos…Tony…he risked himself to stop him from getting the stones. He died, Rose. He died to save everyone else."

Rosalie's smile fell and she shook her head. "He's gone?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Steve said.

"First Nat…now Tony…" Rosalie said and she moved her free hand to Steve's that remained on her cheek. She took it and kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Steve told her. "I know that we had our differences, but Tony had a family. He has a wife and daughter that he left behind and I cannot even begin to imagine losing you, Grace or the new little one. I just cannot even begin to imagine, Rose."

"Hey, hey," Rose said and she moved to wipe a tear from his eye. "It's alright. We're here, Steve. Don't think like that."

"I know," Steve said and he bent down to kiss her chastely just before the doctor walked into the room.

He pulled back and stepped back, looking down to his wife and realising how lucky he truly was.

….

Steve had brought Grace to see her mother as soon as the doctor had left. Rosalie had managed to hold her daughter tentatively, needing to be careful because of her leg and her stomach. Steve had said that he would go home and clean up. He asked Bucky to come with him, knowing that Grace needed sleep and his friend could surely babysit for an hour or two. Wanda had stayed at the hospital with Rosalie, telling Steve she was fine there. Bucky hadn't looked entirely comfortable with babysitting, but Steve was sure he would be fine. He had found his friend and daughter talking, debating the concept of the Princess and the Pea and he had almost found it comical.

"Five years," Wanda said as she sat with Grace. Steve was due back in the next hour or so and he was going to take Rosalie down to see their daughter. "How was it five years?"

"I don't know," Rosalie responded to her. "It felt like the longest five years of our life."

"Did you never want to give up?" Wanda asked from her. "Did you ever think that there was no hope?"

"A couple of times," Rosalie admitted to her, sitting up in bed and sipping on a glass of orange squash that the nurse had brought her. "When Steve was preparing to go back in time and find the stones…a part of me was so selfish. I didn't want him to go. I kept thinking about what would happen if I lost him as well. I have seem him go off into battle so many times that I just didn't want to keep watching it."

"I can understand that," Wanda responded. "What did you do in that time?"

"Well," Rosalie sipped on her drink again, "Steve insisted on another baby and even I knew that a sibling for Grace would be good…and I wanted another one. Steve was the stay at home dad for Grace."

"No," Wanda said in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," she said. "I caught him napping so many times on the sofa with her. You wouldn't think that he was Captain America."

"I can't imagine it," Wanda responded.

"Neither could I, but he is a great dad. He really is…and he…he's been a rock through all of this."

"I can imagine," Wanda said, remembering just how strong he had been for Rosalie in the past. But Rosalie shouldn't underestimate herself. She was strong too. She was there for Steve when he needed someone to lean on. He was always there for her. "And what did you do?"

"Went back to teaching journalism," Rosalie said. "We had a routine and it was normal, I mean, except for half the population being missing."

Wanda nodded at hearing that. "Your daughter is very inquisitive," she said. "I brought her in and she said that she knew about me."

Rosalie placed her glass down on the table next to her. "She knows about all of you," she said to her. "I told her about you all as she grew up. It was strange though…whenever we took her to nursery she would tell the kids that her dad was Captain America. She was warned by a teacher for telling tall tales until Steve actually turned up to pick her up."

Wanda laughed at that at the same time the door opened to the room. Steve walked in, freshly showered in a black jumper and jeans. He looked at the two women as they laughed with each other. "What is going on in here?"

"I was telling Wanda about Grace telling everyone in her class that Captain America was her dad."

"Ah," Steve said, "yeah, that was awkward."

"He loved it," Rosalie joked and Wanda stood up. She smiled down to Rosalie and bent down, embracing her tenderly. "Where are you going to go?" she asked her, knowing that they had yet to broach Vision as a topic of conversation. Rosalie wanted Wanda to be the one to bring him up, but so far she had kept quiet.

"I…I don't know…" she admitted.

"Here," Steve called out to her and he dug his hands into his pocket, grabbing his car keys. "Take the car and head back to ours. The address is in the sat nav. Bucky will let you in. I left him to order some food in. Grace is in bed and sleeping soundly."

"You're sure?" Wanda asked, holding the key in her fingertips.

"Positive," Steve said. "We have a guest room. Get some rest. Bucky…tell him that the sofa pulls out into a bed."

"Thank you," Wanda said. She gave Rosalie another wave before leaving the couple alone.

Walking over to the bed, Steve pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "So, I managed to persuade the doctor to let me take you to see our daughter. He also said that you can shower in the private room, but you can't get your stitches wet so you need to be extra careful. I told him that I would help."

"Thank you," she said, "because you have no idea how jealous I am that I can smell your shower gel right now."

Steve chuckled and bent down, kissing her on the forehead. "Stay here, I'll be back in a minute."

He left the room to grab hold of a nurse and a wheelchair. He went back into the room and helped Rosalie into the chair with the supervision of the nurse to ensure he lifted her correctly. He settled her down into the seat and the nurse held the door open for him, guiding them to the baby unit. They both performed the necessary routine, washing their hands and Rosalie looked at the other parents in the room. Steve pushed her forward, careful not to irritate her leg any further before he stopped next to their daughter's incubator.

"She is so small," Rosalie whispered to him. "So tiny."

"I know," Steve said, "but she is in the best place here and she will grow."

"I know…but look at her…" Rosalie moved her hand into the incubator, two of her fingers running along her daughter's soft hand as she pressed her other hand to the glass.

"Hey," Steve said softly, sensing that his wife was emotional as a silent tear fell down her cheek, "she is going to be okay. I know that it is daunting to see her like this, but she is healthy…"

"I'm sorry," Rosalie said to her husband, "it's my hormones."

"I understand," Steve promised and bent over to kiss the top of her head.

"We never picked a name," Rosalie said, sniffing and wiping away her tears. Looking over to her husband, she felt him reach for her hand.

"We had options," Steve said to her.

"I know…and I was thinking…what about Annalise?" she asked him.

"That was the one in the notebook," Steve recalled and Rosalie nodded.

"I know," she said, "and I was thinking again…Annalise Natasha Rogers."

Steve's eyes widened and his face softened. He watched his wife for a few seconds and he nodded, looking to his daughter as Rosalie bent forwards, cupping his cheek in her hand and stroking it, forehead pressed to hers as he bent down.

"She's perfect," Steve said. "Annalise Natasha Rogers it is."

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think. Just a couple more chapters to go!