A.N. I apologize for my unintentional hiatus, I just began rehearsals for a show which is exciting but also took a ton of time away from writing. Updates will happen as soon as I have the chapters so there won't be a fixed schedule but they will occur once a week. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Three

1917 AD – Brooklyn

Winnifred Barnes looked down at her first-born child, she met his beautiful blue grey eyes, and a sob escaped her mouth. He was perfect, and just as handsome as his father; she looked towards her husband to see his own eyes gleaming.

"He's perfect Winnie, just perfect." She nodded, in agreement, cradling him to her chest with the utmost care.

"I still like James." George quipped a dopey smile on his face. Winnie nodded after a second the decision exceedingly clear.

"James Buchanan Barnes." George tilted his head to the side, there was something vaguely familiar about the name. A president maybe?

His gaze returned to his wife's brilliant smile as she looked down at their son, and if he was honest, he'd admit there was a nice ring to it.

"I like it." He whispered, still at awe at the child before them. Winnie hummed in response her eyes never leaving her sons face.

"James it is."

1917 AD - Asgard

Astrid hunted through her childhood home, she hissed a curse as she tripped over yet again another stray object in her mother's hazardous bedroom. But at last, she made her it to the wardrobe and heaved open its door. A waterfall of clothing fell out, along with little trinkets clashing hap hazardously on the floor, Astrid hummed in annoyance as she filtered through the mess. After a moment, her fingertips hit a rough piece of leather, Astrid froze a broad smile stretching across her face.

She reached her arm further into the wardrobe and pulled out the leather-bound object. With a smile she scooped the mess off the floor and shoved into the wardrobe, and slipped out the front door. And from her mother's usual hazardous attempt at cleaning, she knew she would not notice that she was there.

Astrid pulled her the dark hood over her head and walked down the road, the satchel strapped firmly to her back as she went. After a few minutes she made it to her small cottage, the door creaked in protest as it always did. Astrid closed the door behind her before making her way to the small kitchen table.

She placed the satchel on her table, her hands shaking at the anticipation. She untied the leather covering and pulled out the rolled parchment. Her hands shaking as his face was revealed to her, she hadn't seen that face in decades.

His pale face was lit by a bright smile, as if the moment was captured in the middle of a laugh. His cheeks were bathed in warmth giving off a soft pink hue, and his eyes were the same as her own. While Astrid had bright gold eyes, his were a vibrant green pulsing with warmth and kindness.

Astrid traced her fingers over the portrait of her father her mind flashing back to her research. The nagging in the back of her brain about the stones, truly her work was theoretical at best, but it was a damn good thesis. Although proving it nagged her for the past thirty years, everything was connected in some ways, the energy given off.

A tear fell down her face at the wish she didn't dare to utter aloud. That her father was connected to this, that he could return through the power of those stones. That her mother's pain could be eradicated, that Loki's hunger could be satiated… Astrid sighed rerolling the parchment and encasing it again in its leather case.

It was the anniversary after all, over fifty years since his death. Now approaching her 52nd birthday it wasn't so much pain that plagued Astrid but sadness at what she witnessed. Her mother would hide herself away on the day every year, and by the Allfather's she never knew where she'd go.

But if she could ease that pain for her even for a moment she would, it was then Astrid decided to do what she always did when she needed comfort.

Heimdall tried to be stern but Astrid's face always warmed his heart, she strolled into the room her hands lightly tracing the walls as she eyed his sword. Not much had changed from her childhood, she always had a fascination for what he did.

But today of all days he knew he needed to be gentler with her, because she hated feeling helpless.

"Have you come to harass me?" Heimdall asked the beginnings of a smile threatening to break his usual cool expression.

"Uncle, are you suggesting that you do not enjoy my presence?" Astrid asked feigning hurt, her hand flew to her chest and she sagged against the wall in jest. Heimdall rolled his eyes the smiling slipping through as he shook his head.

"Alright little one, I'll admit it you're a joy." Astrid rolled her eyes at the nickname, but a smile still played on her lips. The same crooked one that often got her in trouble, Heimdall had to admit that he was glad to see it.

"Would you help me with something uncle?" Heimdall tilted his head in invitation, she stepped closer her eyes trained on his hands. Her eyes traveled from his hands to the sword and back up to his face, with such a look of such concentration it unsettled him for a moment.

"I feel something…a precipice of sorts. Like all of the energy within me is finally settling, and coming together. I've tried honing it for years, but since I've started this work with the infinity stones."

A chill seemed to spread in the air at the mention of the infinity stones. Heimdall wasn't sure why it did but something inside him jolted at the sounds of the words. He shook the feeling, he knew that it was the memory of the power. The feeling of it in a room with him, that raw energy was enough to steer him from those stones.

"It's like something is awakening…or trying to tell me something." Astrid looked at him suddenly, and what would haunt Heimdall in the future was his response to her concern.

"I don't know what it could tell Astrid, but I am certain your worries are for naught."

1930 AD – Brooklyn, America

James Barnes (although he detested being called James, and was willing to fight on it) was freshly thirteen years old. And it was in his best interest to mind his business, something he thought to remind himself on the walk home from school.

His mother had been trying to drill it into his thick skull for years, but it never seemed to stick. But this week he promised he wouldn't get into another fight, and he intended to keep it. Because no fights meant that his mother was going to try to make cookies for him and his sisters and he was not going to miss out.

But as if a stroke of misfortune, on his walk home he heard the muffled sounds of a fight. As he rounded the corner a small blonde boy was being roughed up by two burly looking kids. The boy was painfully thin and hunched over from a blow to his stomach.

Bucky clenched his fists before stalking forward, as he got closer, he heard a voice. The kid had straightened out and a nasty bruise was beginning to bloom on his cheek, but he didn't seem too bothered. Bucky had never seen defiance like that, the kid held up his fists and in the most awkward stance he had ever seen, tried to square his shoulders.

"I can do this all day", he rasped, his breath beginning to come out like that old man that lived down the block. The two kids laughed at his wheezing and lunged forward again, Bucky swore because not even a second later he found himself grabbing the kids arm whirling him around and socking him right in the face.

The kid howled in pain, the other kid looked at him in surprise and then noticed who it was. It was the big and bad Bucky Barnes and there was no way he was going to fight him. Grabbing his friends arm the two kids ran off, leaving Bucky and the kid in the alley.

Bucky lent out a hand to the younger kid, he took it gratefully, wincing a bit as he got to his feet. "I had it covered."

Bucky raised an eyebrow, but the kid didn't say anything he only winced at the bruise on his cheek, and kept poking at it. With a sigh Bucky held out a hand to the blonde, "I'm Bucky."

He stared at his hand for a moment before taking it and giving him a firm handshake.

"Steve."

Bucky nodded, "Why didn't you just let them take your money, it's better than a beating?" Steve snorted at that, his blue eyes sparkling with something that Bucky knew was going to cause him trouble later.

"Says the one who starts all the fights at school." Bucky laughed at that, the two started heading back down the street towards their respected houses.

Bucky had the feeling that this wasn't going to be the last time he picked this kid up after a fight.

1937 AD – Asgard

Astrid was yet again the only one in the academy, she was often shut in her shared space her partner always teasing her of it. Hilde was a brilliant woman and sorceress, but Astrid had to admit that it was far easier to focus without her.

Astrid laid her hands flat against her desk, her gold eyes looking straight ahead of her. But she was not seeing the crowded office in front of her. Instead, she saw the streets throughout Asgard, she pushed further her sight taking her where it wanted.

Sweat began to bead at her forehead as she pushed forward, demanding that dark magic to flow through her. She clenched her jaw at the strain before she felt the whisper of something against her inner eye, something brush softly against the center of her forehead. Astrid let out a gasp in surprise before indulging it allowing the cool darkness to flow.

A strong pulsing gold light flooded her vision, Astrid didn't feel pain instead something cold rushed across her skin. She felt a deep sense of dread in the pit of her stomach before a blinding pain in her chest.

Astrid cried out, the energy rushed out of her body sending books and papers flying from her desk and around her office space. Astrid gripped the desk so hard her fingers cramped, her breath came out in short rasps as she leaned heavily on the desk all the strength suddenly leaving her.

With a groan she fell to the floor fumbling for the waste bin and emptied her stomach. She didn't know how long she was on the floor until the door creaked open. Astrid sat up a bit too quickly to find her mother looking down at her, concern filling her beautiful gold eyes.

"Astrid!" She rushed forward, her hands hovering over her much like they did when she was a child. Astrid gently took her mother's hands a crooked smile on her face, "I'm fine mom, just exhausted myself."

Her mother's dark brow furrowed, the look marring her beautiful face with concern. After surveying her for a moment she nodded to herself and returned to her feet taking Astrid's hands with her as she did.

"Come we only have three hours till the festivities begin!" Astrid's mother looped her arm through Astrid's and lead her from the academy and to her home. Astrid rolled her eyes, but a smile was already beginning on her face. And while she was still annoyed at her failure to access the sight, she could use the distraction.

It was after all Queen Frigga's name day, and Odin threw the most elaborate party (as he had done every year since long before Astrid's birth). Frigga always thought it was too much, but it touched her that her husband was so thoughtful, and truthfully no one was going to argue when the taverns stayed open longer than usually and offered rounds of free drinks. If anything could unite Asgardians it was a good celebration and free spirits for the night.

And Astrid had to remind herself of the promise of alcohol to get through her mother's primping. Astrid's thick black hair was released from its usual braid, her mother weaved her hands expertly through the hair into an elaborate crown of braids. The rest cascaded down her back in a ripple of tamed curls. Her mother had lined her eyes with black kohl and swept a gold shimmering powder on her eyelids making her golden eyes shine brighter than usual.

She looked ethereal and even Astrid had to admit that she looked beautiful, her mother had made her trade her usual trousers and tunic for an emerald green gown with a sheer green cape at her shoulders.

"Your eyes look like your fathers in this dress, almost green." Astrid turned at the sound of her mother's voice and smiled at the image in front of her. She looked breathtaking in a navy gown, the fabric transitioned to almost a black color at the bottom with white jewels twinkling from the bottom that gave the illusion of stars when she walked.

Astrid wouldn't brave another glance at her reflection to check for herself, she instead held out her arm to her mother. Wanting instead to banish the mist beginning to cloud her eyes, she gave her the most wicked grin she could muster causing a bubble of laughter to escape her.

"Come, we have a party to attend." With laughter following them they made their way to the celebration.