A/N: I did a lot of research when writing this. Trying to get the parts as close to the movie timeline as I could. Man that's such a pain in the butt.

Bucky POV:

It was over. I looked around me as people reunited with loved ones and others assessed the damage around them. But my eyes went back to the man who gave it all to get all of this back.

His wife crying at his side and the kid crying beside her. We'd all kneeled, honoring Tony as he took his last breaths. We all owed him more than we could ever repay and I swore in that moment that his family would never be in danger. If they needed anything I would do what I could to protect them. They had earned it, Tony had earned it. Steve slowly made his way over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"It's over." He whispered and I nodded.

We stood there together for a while, others cleaning up or leaving until Pepper asked us to help get Tony over to an ambulance waiting at the edge of the damage.

Together with Thor and Banner we carried Tony's body to the stretcher and watched as Pepper got in the back with him.

Once they were gone Steve turned around, looked at everything around us.

"I'm so glad they left."

I stared at him and he sighed. "Lily and Cora. If they had been in the compound when it…"

He stopped and I nodded. Then we both looked at each other.

"We have to find them." I said and he nodded before taking off towards the cars waiting at the edge of the damage.

When I finally caught up he was on the phone with someone and he was smiling. He quickly hung up and walked towards me.

"They're okay. Lily got in touch with Happy and he got them taken care of. They're at a hotel about an hour away." He sighed and I smiled.

"They're smart Steve."

"I can't even imagine what they're going through. I don't even know if they know what happened."

"Knowing Cora, they figured it out."

He laughed. "True. Uh Happy said they went to the hospital, he wanted them checked out to make sure they were okay."

"Are they?"

"He didn't say. But he is sending someone to take us."

"Lets just ask strange to-"

"No he's done enough today and plus I think he already took off."

Steve walked towards a rock and sat down.

"You okay?"

"I don't know," he sighed then looked up at me, "Tony and I weren't the best of friends. Hell we were enemies more than we actually got along. After that fight with you, and I chose you, we were never the same. Hell we didn't talk for a long time after that. I just wish I had told him I was sorry you know? He was a good guy, a little misguided at times, but a good guy. He didn't deserve to go out like that."

"He gave up his life to make sure his family was safe Steve. He made sure his kid would have a good life, that's a hero."

"You're right. I just don't know what a world looks like without Tony Stark in it."

I laughed. "It is going to be weird."

We waited until finally as the sun was setting a driver walked towards us, we got in the car and he started the long drive to the girls.

When we got there he told us that reception would help us get to where they were before driving off. We finally got up to the girls room and Steve took a deep breath before putting the key in the lock and opening the door. It was dark as we walked in and Steve paused when he noticed Lily sleeping in the bed closest to the door. Tears streamed down his face before he slowly made his way to her. I looked towards the bathroom, then the other bed, but couldn't find Cora anywhere.

"Outside," Lily whispered as she sat up.

I looked at her and she sighed.

"She's outside Bucky, I've been trying to get her to come back, but she's...just go see." She said sadly before burying her face in Steve's chest again. I slowly made my way to the balcony doors and my breath caught at what I saw. Cora was sitting on the ground, her legs crossed, her arms hanging at her side and her back to me. I walked out quietly and crouched down beside her before falling back. Her eyes were completely lifeless and had a slightly purple glow behind them. This is what Steve had been trying to tell me. Her eyes, these were soldier eyes.

"Cora," I whispered as I tried to break her out of it. I watched as her eyes moved rapidly back and forth, her breathing rapid as her eyes. I was worried she was going to hyperventilate when suddenly she stopped and gasped.

"Bucky?" She said then her eyes rolled into the back of head and she collapsed in my arms.

"Cora!"

After laying her down on the bed next to Lily's I checked her pulse and sighed when I felt it strong and steady.

"She's okay," Lily whispered and I looked at her, "Sometimes this happens to her too. She gets caught in her head and it can be too much."

"How often?" I asked, as my hand brushed the hair off Cora's face.

"More so since we went into hiding with Steve this past year...shit i guess it's been longer than that now." She laughed and Steve wrapped her in his arms.

"What happened?" I asked and she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry we left the compound. Cora didn't want to and she made sure I knew it the entire way to the store."

"Store?" Steve asked.

"I needed something from the drug store and Cora wasn't about to let me leave by myself. We weren't going to be gone long just long enough to get what I needed, maybe breakfast. The thing about us is we take turns taking care of each other, and that morning Cora was taking care of me. She was having an episode even that morning, I could see her mind running a mile a minute. When we got to the drugstore I had no idea what even to get but Cora knew. She just grabbed it and made fun of me a little. Normal Cora stuff. She was a little mad that I had woken her up. She was pretty tired." She said as she gave me a pointed look.

I shook my head, not sure why she was looking at me like that. "What?"

"Well i mean she said she didn't get much sleep in Wakanda." She smiled and I sighed, memories of that night with Cora coming to my mind.

"I would say I'm sorry, but we both know that'd be a lie."

"Yeah it sure would be. Honestly, She deserves any moment of happiness and I think the lack of sleep was worth it for her. But she was tired. Between that and helping Vision we were both just drained. But she was tired and in desperate need of coffee. We went to the shop a couple blocks down the street and we got out, but as Cora grabbed the door we heard this scream. We both watched as this man just turned to dust right in front of us. Just gone. And I looked at Cora," she paused as tears started falling from her eyes and she started sobbing. Steve held her as she shook her head, "No I need to. Bucky, her hand it was falling apart, I called her name and she looked at me. I watched my best friend turn to ash in front of me. She was gone, like she never existed at all. Then I noticed my hand, it was doing it too and my head hurt so bad then nothing." She paused, her tears falling as Steve rubbed her back. She looked up after a couple minutes, her eyes hardened. "Coming back to life hurts just so you know. It's like someone slams the breath back into your lungs and your mind is trying desperately to put itself back together again. I came back before Cora. I was trying to catch my breath when suddenly she just appeared in front of me. She grabbed her chest and was wild eyed. We didn't know what had happened and we didn't have time to really process it," She paused, "We both felt the ground shake shortly after we came back." She turned to Steve, "That was Thanos wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Yeah he was coming back for a second go."

She nodded and looked down. "We saw the sky get dark over there and we knew. Cora suggested that we go across the street and call for help. After that I took over, and I got us some help. We figured out the time difference and Cora started her episode right there. Right before my very eyes I saw my best friend start to slip. So I got us going, we got a car and we got a plan. But Cora remembered something, something I hadn't even thought of. She remembered why we were going to the store in the first place." She turned to Steve and he looked at her confused.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant and that's why we were going to the store. I wanted to make sure while you were gone so I could surprise you when it was over. It's why I agreed to stay at the compound, it's why Cora wouldn't let me go alone and why we ended up going to the hospital instead of straight here."

"Pregnant?" Steve asked and she nodded.

"Cora got me to the hospital and they made sure everything is okay. Doctor says it looks good, like any normal baby at six weeks." She laughed, "Except it's not six weeks. I'm pregnant with a child we conceived five years ago Steve. Five years ago and I was terrified. But Cora stepped up. She helped me get my mind clear and got me here. But I could see, she was shutting down, rapidly and I was so tired. I'm sorry Bucky," She said as she looked at me, "I couldn't stay awake and I just wanted to sleep. But I watched her go on the balcony so I knew she was okay. But I woke up a little bit later and she wasn't in the chair anymore. She had moved to the ground and her arms were just lifeless at her sides. I went to check on her and her eyes."

"They were purple." I said and she nodded.

"She wasn't there either. I tried to pull her back normally just talking to her will shake her out of it, but she wouldn't budge. And I was so tired and scared, I just came back in here and I fell asleep. But i could still hear her, she kept saying things like plans or your name. It wasn't clear at all but she kept doing it. Then she just stopped and I fell back asleep."

She stared at Cora before taking a deep breath. "I don't know what this is or how it happens. But this is honestly the worst it's ever been. I don't know if it's because technically this episode started before we vanished or if it's the intensity of everything. But it's never been this bad and I have no idea what it even is."

"I do." I said as I stared down at Cora.

"I have an idea." Steve said.

We both looked at him and he laughed. "You think I was really just sitting around these last five years Buck?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Well you weren't punching everything that dared to look at you so yeah."

He laughed then turned to Lily. "Honey, your name is Lilja Jensen and her name is Cora Bernard. Your parents were shield operatives and you were born in Sweden. Cora's parents were shield operatives in Paris where she was born." He looked at me as he said this last thing.

"Sweden?" Lily asked and he nodded.

"Your name is the Swedish pronunciation of Lily. It should have been my biggest clue."

She laughed and smiled up at him. "You found me."

"I did honey. I promised you I would remember?"

She nodded and Steve took a deep breath.

"I don't know how you ended up where you did or what exactly happened, but both of your parents are dead as well as Cora's. Somehow you both ended up in that orphanage at two years old."

"Somehow we ended up in a tiny rundown orphanage in the middle of Brooklyn." She whispered and he nodded.

"I'm not even sure how-"

I looked at them and sighed. "I do. I need to look into it but I have an idea." I turned to look down at Cora again. "She has soldier eyes, that lifeless nothing look. It's the same thing that used to happen to me. We might be able to find out some answers if we look in the right places."

Steve looked at me and nodded. "Then we look."

Cora POV:

My head was throbbing and I groaned lightly.

"Baby go slow." I heard in my ear as I opened my eyes. I turned to see who was talking and found Bucky laying next to me.

Tears flooded my eyes as I stared into his blue eyes. "Bucky?" I rolled into his arms and he wrapped them tightly around me. I cried into his chest and he held me even tighter.

"I missed you so much doll."

"Oh god Bucky I was so scared." He held me as I cried my eyes out, letting go of all my fear and confusion since the moment I'd reappeared on the sidewalk.

"I know baby I know. I'm so sorry." He stroked my hair and soothed me until the tears finally stopped falling.

I looked up at him and smiled. "You're really here."

He smiled down at me. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere ever again."

I leaned up and kissed him as his hand went to my cheek.

"Cora?" I heard behind me as we broke apart. I turned to see Lily standing beside the bed with Steve beside her.

"Lily," I shot out of bed and wrapped my arms around her, "Are you okay? I am so sorry I didn't mean to fall apart I just couldn't-"
She pulled back and shook her head. "No you are fine. How many times have I gotten so angry you had to pull me back? You are fine Cora. Don't be sorry I was okay. You made sure of that."

I nodded and felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and Steve smiled at me.

"Thank you. I owe you more than you know Cora."

"She's my sister, remember?" I asked and he laughed.

"Oh, I remember." He smiled at me, "I kind of missed you Cora."

"See I would say the same but honestly I feel like I just saw you." I laughed and he rolled his eyes.

"See this is why she's perfect for you." He looked at Bucky who was laughing on the bed behind me.

I looked at Lily and smiled. "You okay?"

"Yeah I told him and we talked. I'm going to be okay Cora I promise. It's weird and unheard of but I'll be okay."

"I'm here, remember? You've got me okay?"

"Always."

I rubbed my head, the pain making itself known again.

"Baby you need to lay back down." Bucky said as he gently grabbed my arm. I nodded and fell back beside him, my eyes already closing.

"Sleep Cora, we can talk later." Lily said as she kissed my forehead and I drifted off.

I held Lily's hand in mine and Bucky's in my other as we watched Pepper lay the wreath in the lake. I couldn't wrap my head around everything we had lost to get back to this. My eyes fell on Clint, who was standing next to Wanda. Both of them barely holding it together as Clint's wife clung to him. They had lost so much. Wanda who had barely gotten past the loss of her brother now had to deal with the loss of the person she loved. And Clint, who had lost his best friend that he loved like a sister. Then there was Pepper, the woman who had begged her husband to walk away from this life. My heart broke as she held their daughter in her arms staring at the lake. I had gotten so much from their sacrifices and I would never forget them. They had given everything just to help bring me and billions of others back into this world. They were heroes.

"Baby," Bucky whispered as I shook my head. I noticed that Lily was no longer holding my hand, but had moved across the yard with Steve.

"Oh I'm sorry."

He pulled me around to face him and stared down at me. "Where did you go?"

"I just started thinking about all of this and how much we lost to get back everything."

He nodded to me and sighed. "It's wrong i know but I'm grateful because all of that brought you back."

"That's the rub isn't it. We got everything back, a life and a new start but they," I said looking at Wanda and Pepper, "They lost everything."

He sighed. "I know. I don't know what to do or say about it, but I know."

He pulled me against him before we went to join the others. I laughed as Rocket told him that he would be coming back for that arm someday and others promised to come visit in the future. I was introduced to the woman Bucky referred to as a 'Glowing Goddess' named Carol. And as the day went on more people left. Until there was only the core group of avengers and a plan.

"Why do you have to do it?" Lily asked as she glared at Steve.

"Well because honey I'm the only one who can do it right."

"I resent that." Bucky said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I laughed as Sam elbowed him. "What he means is why you got to do this alone?"

Steve looked up at them and rolled his eyes. "Because it has to be done right. There cannot be a single thread not clipped, right Bruce?" he looked at Bruce who nodded.

"I made a promise and honestly Cap is the best person to do it."

"Fine, but you," Lily said as she pulled Steve down by his lapel, "better come back or I swear on everything I will find you."

He stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay honey, I will come right back I promise." He kissed her lightly before turning to walk to the platform.

"So I don't get why now though?" I asked and everyone looked at me.

"Might as well get it done." Bruce said as he prepped the machine to take Steve back in time.

"Well good luck Mr. Perfect." I said and he rolled his eyes.

"That's not going away any time soon is it?"

"Nope."

"Damn!" He threw his head back and I looked at Bucky who looked at Sam.

"LANGUAGE!" We yelled and he groaned again.

"When I get back we are going to discuss never doing that again." Steve said as Bruce started the countdown.

"Okay in 5,4,3,2,1." Steve disappeared before our eyes and Lily grabbed my hand tightly.

"Okay when do we get him back?" She asked, her eyes crazed as she stared at Bruce.

"Bringing back 5,4,3,2,1." But nothing happened.

She looked at me then back at Bruce.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know he blew right past his time."

"Well get him back!" She screamed as she ran over to the machine.

"Honey don't beat up the scientist."

We all turned around and saw Steve standing beside a tree.

"What the hell? How?" She asked before running over to him. He pulled her up into his arms and crashed his lips against hers.

I didn't bother asking how the hell it was all possible. All I cared about was that Lily got her happiness and things were back as they were meant to be.

It turned out the one person we should have been talking to about our past was the one I had gotten the closest to.

"So you know why we were there?" I asked as he nodded.

"Doll, it's look... I know why and I know who, but it's not good. And your episodes and Lily's make me think that what happened is exactly what I fear happened."

"That sentence makes no fucking sense Bucky. What are you even talking about? What did you fear? What did you know? And why are you not just telling me what the fuck you're talking about?" I asked as I stood up.

He stared up at me, his eyes wide. "Cora,"

"I suggest you start answering her." Lily said, her eyes red as she came up behind him.

"Steve," Bucky called and Steve shook his head.

"She heard you guys and just snapped. I cant shake her out of it. You're gonna need to just tell them."

He looked at both of us and cringed. "Steve it's not good. They, if they are from where I think they are, right now is not a good time to be telling them this."

Steve tried to grab Lily but I walked towards him and grabbed his hand. "Touch her again Steven."

He stared at me and cringed slightly as I squeezed.

"See what I mean." Bucky muttered and I dropped my hand.

Steve went to sit beside Bucky as they stared at us.

"Look I get what you mean, but they need to know. Just tell them."

Bucky stood up and walked towards me.

"Doll," He whispered and I looked up at him without raising my head, "I think you and Lily were part of the orphans hydra project."

"Hydra?" I asked without moving.

"They used to talk about it and when I was hiding I did a lot of digging into Shield to try to find some way to get myself out of all of it. But I stumbled into something more. Hydra had a project where they took orphans and they ran experiments on them. Most of the kids died, but some of them. Some of them survived."

I shook my head, slightly pulling myself back together. "Are you saying we were some of those orphans?"

"I'm not sure, they had so many I would need to look more."

Lily visibly relaxed next to me and Steve had her in his arms immediately.

"Our parents, why would they just give us to someone so they could experiment on us?" Lily asked as I stared at Bucky.

He cupped my face in his hands, his blues eyes staring down at mine, "I don't think they did, but baby I'm going to do everything I can to find out what happened. I promise you."

I nodded and he kissed me before pulling me into his arms.

"Cora," Steve said as he looked at me, "Did you know you were that strong?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I think something is wrong with me. I don't feel like myself anymore. I don't think I came back right." I whispered and Lily nodded.

"I feel the same way Steve." He looked down at her and then up at Bucky.

"We have work to do." They kissed us then left the room.

Within weeks Bucky and Steve were able to find out more information than we had in years. They not only had the information about what our orphanage truly was but they also had confirmation about who our parents truly were and why they gave us away.

"They were killed for betraying Hydra." Bucky said as I stared at the files in front of me.

"They disagreed with what was being done so they were killed for it?" I asked as I looked through the file on my parents.

"Yes, both your parents and Lily's were friends and they tried to turn the information in to the United states government to stop the experiments but Hydra found out. They had them killed and took both of you into the program when you were two."

"What did they do?" Lily asked and I sighed. I grabbed the file marked confidential sitting in front of Bucky. I'd read it three or four times now and I couldn't believe what was detailed inside of it.

"Well Lily my lovely friend you have what they only called mind abilities. Apparently at the tender age of 10 you were able to manipulate someone into getting you junk food then throwing themselves down the stairs."

"Jesus." She muttered and Steve nodded.

"What about you?" Lily asked and I sighed. "Cora?"

"I apparently have the ability to see every possible outcome of a single choice. Yay I get to be Doctor Strange." I muttered as Bucky pulled me to his side.

"We probably could have used some of that against Thanos." Steve said and I laughed.

"The more you know huh?"

"So what else? What triggers these or how did we get them?" Lily asked as I grabbed the file again.

"Yours are triggered by anger Lily. Which makes complete sense as a kid I remember you being mad more than anything at everyone except me. But mine they said," I stopped rereading the notes once more, " It doesn't specify it just says thinking, this one thinks all the time and never talks."

"Huh that makes sense. I don't think I ever heard you talk outside of our little room until the day we left Cora."

"But why don't we remember any of this? Where did those memories go?" I looked at Steve then over to Bucky.

"They most likely wiped it from your mind somehow."

"Like your activation phrase?"

He nodded.

"So we might have one too?" Lily said and Bucky nodded.

I stood up and started pacing. "So you're saying that somewhere out there someone might know the key to activating us and we have no idea who they are or even what this key is. So we're just supposed to what, keep going on pretending like everything is okay?"

"Cora," Bucky said as he grabbed my arms, "We will find it. I promise or we can just go to Wakanda and have Shuri help us."

"Yeah that's a good idea Bucky." Steve said as Lily nodded.

"It's worth a try. I want this out of my head." Steve pulled her down to his lap and she curled into him.

"I need some air." I said as I pulled away from Bucky.

"Let me come-"

"Just Bucky let me be okay. I need to think just please." I pleaded with him and he nodded.

"Fifteen minutes then I'm coming to get you. Got it?"

"Got it Soldier." I said before walking out the door.

We had managed to get back to the safe house in Connecticut and had decided to lay low while we figured everything out. Bucky had received a full pardon from the government as long as he continued with therapy and followed their strict rules. He was willing to play along if it meant his freedom and ability to stay with me. Steve had been forgiven of all the supposed crimes from the accords and was reinstated as Captain America. Not that he wasn't ever in our eyes, but it was still nice to see him get that recognition again.

I walked around the block twice and smiled when I saw Lily waiting for me at the curb. I sat down next to her and put my head on her shoulder.

"Hey pretty girl." she whispered and I laughed.

"Remember the first time you called me that at the orphanage?"

"Yeah that moron Nick asked if we were lesbians."

We laughed and stared at the street in front of us.

"Lily, I don't remember much of that place. It's really just fragments with missing time."

"Me too Cora. I think that's part of the brainwashing. Steve thinks they activated us whenever they would experiment on our minds, but then deactivated us when we were placed back on our rooms."

"Give off the impression we're just regular kids huh?"

"Pretty much."

"What are we gonna do?"

She sighed and rubbed her still flat stomach. "Well I plan to have this baby, marry that sometimes crabby captain in there and live happily ever after."

I sat up and smiled at her. "He can be kinda crabby cant he?"

"Oh lord don't wake him up if he hasn't gotten his full 8." She said mimicking his voice.

I laughed as she smiled at me. "His full 8." I fell over laughing and she smacked me.

"What about you dork?"

I calmed down and sat back up. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try some of that too. I kinda like Bucky a little bit. He might make a nice husband some day."

"Oh Jesus." She said and I laughed.

"No I'm kidding I kinda think that's what I want. Put all this shit behind us and move on. Maybe Shuri can help us like she helped Bucky. Maybe she won't be able to who knows. But I don't want to stop living my life because I'm scared. I've been doing that for as long as I can remember. And I'm honestly sick and tired of it." I looked at her and she nodded.

"We deserve more, we deserve this." she whispered as she rubbed her stomach.

"Well maybe not all of it." I said and she laughed.

"As much as vanishing sucked, I'm glad it was with you. I can't imagine having gone five years without you."

I nodded to her. "Same. Even if I had Bucky it wouldn't have been right. Not without you here."