January first, nineteen forty-six.
Steve knocked on the door to the Barnes house, and stepped back.
Bucky's younger sister, Rebecca opened the door, and started when she saw Steve and Diana.
"Steve!" She said, surprised. "What brings you here?"
The last time Steve had seen Rebecca was before he joined the army. Rebecca was twelve years younger than Steve, and she'd grown quite a bit in the last three years. She was now almost as tall as Bucky.
"I just wanted to see how you guys were doing." He said. "Is Winnifred here?"
Rebecca went pale. "Mom died two months ago. She was already sick when she got Colonel Fury's letter, after that she kept getting worse."
Steve went pale, and Diana's eyes went wide.
"I'm sorry." Diana said.
"Is there anything we can do?" Steve asked.
Rebecca shook her head. "I don't want to bother you on your honeymoon."
Steve looked inside, and saw a stack of bills on the kitchen counter. "Rebecca, what's going on?"
Her shoulders slumped, and she gestured for them to enter.
Once they were in the living room, Rebecca broke down. "We're maybe a month away from losing the house." She said, sobbing. "The water was shut off last month and the electricity is going down next week. If we get kicked out, we're probably going to the orphanage. I don't know what's going to happen to us."
Steve thought for a second, then spoke. "What bank owns the mortgage?" He asked.
National City Bank, later that day.
"Captain!" A representative of the bank said with an insincere grin. He extended his hand, and Steve shook it. "We at National City Bank are happy to serve whatever needs or desires two great American heroes such as yourself might have!"
"We're glad to hear it." Steve replied.
"We were looking to purchase a home." Diana said.
"Wonderful!" The banker replied. "Please, have a seat in my office and we can discuss exactly what your options are." He said as he escorted them to his office.
Once they were all seated, the banker pulled out a book of pictures. "Now, while we don't exactly specialize in Real Estate, I happen to know of a few places a young couple such as yourself might enjoy, and at an affordable interest rate!"
Steve nodded. "Thanks, but we weren't interested in buying something on the market."
The banker's eyes lit up. "Oh?"
"You're familiar with the members of my team, the Howling Commandos, correct?"
The banker nodded, confused.
"My best friend, Bucky Barnes... He died on one of our missions, saving my life." Steve said. "I happen to know your bank owns the mortgage for his family home, and they're on the verge of defaulting on their loan... We wanted to buy the mortgage from you."
The banker stared at him, eyes wide, and a look of bewilderment on his face. He clearly didn't know how to respond to that request.
"One moment." He said, and got up from his desk and left the office.
Steve and Diana exchanged an awkward glance.
"Is this... A usual occurrence in your negotiations?" Diana asked.
Steve shrugged. "I don't know. I've never done anything like this before."
The young banker showed an older man with a broad nose and a much more expensive haircut and suit into his office.
"Captain Rogers?" The man asked.
"Yes?" Steve and Diana replied.
"I'm William Gage Brady Jr., Chairman of the National City Bank of New York. Could I see the two of you in my office?"
The man showed them into his large, luxurious office, and seated them in expensive high-backed leather armchairs in front of an opulent mahogany desk.
"We're perfectly willing to accommodate your request to acquire the Barnes residence, at five-sixty-nine, Leaman Place in Brooklyn Heights." The chairman said.
"That's wonderful." Diana replied.
"How much?" Steve asked, internally dreading the answer.
The chairman fiddled with a pen in his hands before responding. "Mister and Missus, or perhaps I should say, Captains Rogers... Given the nature of your request, and your service to this great nation, we at The National City Bank of New York are prepared to give you the property, free of all charges and obligations," Steve raised one eyebrow. "...Outside of maybe giving a statement to the Daily Planet about our generosity, if you so choose to do so."
"Where do we sign?" Steve asked.
Steve placed the deed to the house on the table. Rebecca nearly broke down in tears when she saw the document.
"Oh no, no... How much did it cost to do that?" She wondered aloud.
"A few words and some time... And maybe an interview with my old newspaper thanking them for their generosity." Steve replied. "You don't have to worry about anything, now."
"Oh my god, thank you so much." Rebecca said. "I might have to leave school, but at least we're a little better off. Thank you, both of you!"
"Maybe you won't have to leave." Diana said.
"What?" Rebecca asked, confused.
"Diana and I talked about it on the way here..." Steve said. "If it's alright with you, we'd like to take you, Chris, and Joe in..." A wry smile grew across Steve's face. "Or, since you're already living here, we'd like you to take us in, if that's what you want."
"Steve, I don't... I-" Rebecca was close to breaking down, but she rushed in to hug Steve and Diana, and buried her face in their shoulders. "Thank you so much." She mumbled through their shoulders. "I'm sure Chris and Joe would love to!"
And so, the newlyweds had no sooner been married than they had three children to care for. They moved their things into the house, and while unpacking, they found a letter in Steve's footlocker.
Inscribed on the envelope was six words, in his father's handwriting. "From: Joseph. To: Sarah and Steve."
"Isn't that the letter Stark found in the box?" Diana asked.
Steve nodded. "He gave it to me right after Bucky died... I didn't want to open it. I..." Steve shook his head. "I was afraid of what I might find."
Diana placed a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Do you want to open it now?" She asked, softly.
Steve stared at the handwriting on the paper for what felt like an eternity... Then he nodded.
They sat down on the bed in their new bedroom, and Steve opened the envelope with a knife.
"My dearest Sarah, and my beloved son, Steven. I fear this letter may never reach you as much as I fear this may be the last thing you know of me on this earth. Our position has been compromised, and the enemy closes in on their prey as quickly as a cat on a wounded mouse. As much as I regret the knowledge that I will not be there as my boy Steve grows to a man, as much as I regret not being there for my beautiful Sarah in the good and hard times yet to come, I also know that if I were not where I am, a great power may fall into the hands of those foolish and merciless enough to use it on the innocent. I know not the exact nature of this device I am to protect, but I know that if it were to fall into the wrong hands, the very world may come to be at risk. As much as I've wanted to do otherwise so I could be with both of you, I could never allow such heinous crimes to go unchallenged. I beg of you not to think me selfish for this thought, but I've always thought that if one can help, one must. When there's something wrong in the world, one can either do nothing, or try something, and I've already tried nothing. I'm so sorry it came to be this way, and I love you both.
Love to the both of you, Joseph."
To be continued in Tales of the Cold War.