Steve looked back up, seeing Bucky's terrified expression as he clung to Captain America with his metal hand. Steve tried to wiggle free, but Bucky wouldn't let go, holding Steve's wrist until the helicarrier crashed into the water with them still clinging to it.

Bucky looked around, struggling to see anything in the murky, debris filled Potomac. After a few seconds he saw Steve trying to swim deeper into the water, and Bucky grabbed him by the back of his suit and tugged him back to the surface.

The men gasped for air when they broke through, but Steve was about to go back under when Bucky yanked him towards the shore, "I have to go after her."

"She's gone." Bucky grumbled, easily dragging Steve once he got his footing on the bank, "You gotta let her go."

"No. I can't-"

"She told me to take care of you!" Bucky screamed and Steve stopped struggling to stare at his best friend. There was no recollection in his best friend's eyes, but Steve saw resignation, "She asked me to make sure you were okay, and that's what I'm gonna do."

"Buck."

"Don't call me that."

"That's your name." Steve answered, looking past the water at the burning Triskellion, "Your name is Bucky Barnes, you're my best friend. I can prove it to you." Steve paused, panting as he looked at the sinking wreckage, "She said I'd help you put together the pieces, and I will."

Bucky tossed back his wet hair, looking towards the distant sound of sirens nervously, "I should run."

"You told her you'd take care of me and her sister." Steve reminded his friend, needing Bucky to keep his promise. Steve needed something good to come from today. If he lost Brooklyn and Bucky, he didn't know what he'd do. "It was the last thing she asked of you, please don't run away." Steve raised his head and sniffled, trying to hide his devastation, "I loved her. And now she's gone, because of you."

The Winter Soldier collapsed to his knees, bending over, and weeping into the ground as a helicopter began to descend nearby. The man sobbed out words in Russian, but Steve didn't need to understand him to know that he loved Brooklyn, too.

The helicopter was missing its doors, so before it could land, Dallas had leapt out and was sprinting towards Steve and Bucky. She slid to a stop, causing rocks to spray out from her boots as she looked around in panic, "Where's Brooklyn?"

A pang of guilt burned in Steve's chest as he looked up at Dallas. He didn't have to speak for her to know what happened. She shook her head quickly, tears beginning to stream from her eyes, "No… no no, please God no! NO!" She wailed as Steve quickly enveloped her into a hug, holding her messy hair as she wept into his chest. Her knees buckled as she sobbed and Steve clenched her tighter to keep her upright.

"What happened?" Natasha asked with a shaky breath, and Steve looked over his shoulder at Bucky. When Natasha realized who it was, she quickly drew two guns, but Steve removed one of his hands from Dallas to raise it in defense, "It's okay. He saved my life."

Dallas pulled away from Steve to glare at Bucky, and Steve held her back as the Winter Soldier pushed himself to his feet. His eyes were rimmed red and his face was pale, but he faced Dallas bravely as the woman snarled, "What happened to my sister?"

"I shot her." Bucky said gently and Dallas gasped as she leaned back into Steve's arms. "It was an accident." Bucky added quickly, clenching his metal fist as he stared at it, "I was taking aim at- at him… she grabbed the gun and it discharged before I could stop." Bucky took a tentative step towards Dallas, but Natasha came up beside Steve with both of her guns drawn. Bucky put his hands up and said, "Я бы никогда не причинил ей боль специально."

Natasha nodded and lowered her guns, "He would have never hurt her on purpose."

"So that's it? She's dead somewhere in all this mess, what happens-" Dallas began to shake, and her knees began to give out, "What happens now?"

"She told me to take care of you. And him." Bucky said cautiously, but Dallas just snarled at him as he approached. "I'm so sorry."

"You better be. You have no idea what you've done. Who you've taken away," Dallas spat back as she shoved Steve's chest and stomped back to the helicopter.

Steve looked back to Bucky and pulled him into a hug, "Thank you for saving me."

Bucky patted his back awkwardly, still not having a clue who this man was, but Brooklyn had asked him to stay by his side, so Bucky would. She'd called him Bucky, so that must be his name. Brooklyn wouldn't lie to him.

It took two days for the police to find Brooklyn's body. The coroner said the bullet had gone clean through. She would have survived the bullet wound, but it was the impact on the water that killed her. If Steve had caught her, she'd still be alive.

After everything that had happened, the last thing Steve expected to do was plan Brooklyn's funeral. Dallas couldn't bear to do anything. She flew back to New York and ignored all of Steve's calls. He wasn't sure she'd even come to the funeral, but she did.

Dallas arrived in a black pant suit. Her short hair was gelled back over her head away from her eyes, which lacked their usual sparkle and life. Her lips were painted blood red, and Steve's heart clenched because it reminded him of Brooklyn.

When they found her body, Steve had wept against it for half a day, until Natasha and Sam had to force him away from her so the funeral home director could make preparations. As Steve expected, Dallas didn't want to see her sister. When she arrived, the priest offered her a chance to see her before the casket was closed, but she told him no.

Steve knew Dallas was angry, but he didn't know if she was angry at him for not being able to save her sister, or angry that her sister had put herself in the line of fire. Either way, Dallas was fuming, and she couldn't spare so much as a look towards Steve or Bucky, who didn't want to come to the funeral in the first place.

Natasha, though, she greeted.

When Natasha arrived dressed in a black dress and heels with her hair pulled back into a neat bun, Dallas practically collapsed against the assassin, sobbing into Nat's shoulder for at least five minutes. Steve kept meeting Natasha's gaze, and she just smiled weakly at him and continued to pat Dallas's back until the woman finally stood straight and brushed herself off.

Once Nat joined Steve, Bucky, and Sam, Dallas ignored her, too.

"I feel terrible." Bucky mumbled, rubbing the leather glove that Steve had loaned him to hide his metal hand. He'd let Natasha to him get a suit, and even allowed the Black Widow to help him style his hair so he looked presentable. He had begged Steve to let him skip the funeral, but Steve refused, saying Bucky knew Brooklyn longer than he had.

That wasn't saying much to Bucky, who, up until last week, didn't even know his own name.

While Steve was planning the funeral, ordering flowers, and picking out the casket, Bucky had checked out the Captain America museum with Natasha. He found an ally in the Russian assassin. If anything, he felt comfortable venting to her because nobody else could understand them. She'd shown him the display about his life and showed him everything in the exhibit related to him. He had a mirror. He knew the man in the video clips was him.

Natasha helped him start a journal and encouraged him to write down what little he remembered. Steve was thankful that Nat had taken to helping Bucky. Steve wanted to help him, but he couldn't get his mind off of Brooklyn.

He'd found his mother's ring where Brooklyn said she'd left it. He took that, his sketchbook, and whatever clothes he was fond of and moved into a hotel for the week. Steve had already made arrangements to move into Avengers Tower after the funeral, and even had asked Stark that rooms be made up for Bucky and Sam. He didn't know if they'd come, but he hoped they would.

Steve turned to look at his friends as they sat beside him in front of the casket while the priest spoke. Natasha sat between Steve and Bucky, holding the latter's gloved hand as he listened tearfully. Brooklyn's old roommate Shanna sat behind Steve, next to Maria Hill. Dallas, and an older woman Steve assumed was their Aunt Jenna, sat in the back.

Once the service was over, the agents left quickly while Steve spoke with the priest. He looked at the coffin, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't want to watch them bury her, but he owed her that much. He could have saved her, but he wasn't fast enough. Bucky should have grabbed her instead of him, but the moment had happened too quickly for either of the super soldiers to save Brooklyn.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Steve to turn, seeing Dallas standing behind him with a dark book in her hands, "The service was nice."

Steve nodded, grabbing his wrist as he looked back at the coffin, "Wish it wouldn't have had to happen at all."

"Don't we all?" Dallas asked weakly, sniffling a little, "I, uh, I'm sorry. For how I've been acting. I've been having a hard time."

"No, no I completely understand, I'm sorry I couldn't…" Steve trailed off, seeing the tears begin to form in Dallas's eyes again. He decided not to finish his thought, "I'm sorry."

Dallas took a step to stand beside him, looking over the coffin sadly, "She was complicated. She… made a mess of things, but she meant well? I guess?" Dallas shook her head a little in frustration as she sighed, "In the end, I think she just wanted to get through the launch. She had a lot riding on getting through it."

Steve nodded, reaching out and touching the smooth wood, "I just wish I would have known her. I feel like it was all a lie."

"It wasn't." Dallas argued, looking up at Steve, "She loved you, Steve. Don't doubt that. It wasn't an act."

"Then why did she lie?"

"Because she was scared. Wouldn't you be?" Dallas sucked in a shaky breath, "Listen, I know this has been hard, and I'm really impressed by how you stepped up and took care of all of this." She gestured around, then shifted the book in her hand, "I have something for you. Well, two somethings. You can figure out what you want to do with the second thing after you've read this, okay?"

She thrust the book at Steve, and he took it tentatively as Natasha and Sam sidled up behind him. Dallas looked to Sam and Natasha for a moment before looking over her shoulder nervously.

"What is this?" Steve asked as he flipped through the pages, seeing the whole notebook was filled with handwritten notes.

Dallas groaned softly, clearly trying to keep her cool as she fidgeted, "It's Brooklyn's diary. From when she stayed with me. She had every intention of telling you the truth, but," Dallas paused, looking down at the book for a moment, "she needed to get through the launch first. She wanted to make sure you survived before she gave you this. I know for a fact she'd hoped to give it to you in person, but here we are."

Steve furrowed his brows and opened to the first page, recognizing Brooklyn's scrawling handwriting on an index card paperclipped to the inside. He struggled to focus as he worked through what Dallas had said. Brooklyn had written this while she stayed with Dallas, which Steve didn't realize she'd done, and that she'd hoped to give it to Steve in person.

My Darling Steve,

If you're reading this, it means we've made it through the launch of Project Insight. Perhaps you've realized the truth about me, and perhaps you want nothing to do with me, but you deserve to know the truth. Or, God forbid, maybe I'm gone. If so, this will serve as more of a guide than a story, and I'm sorry for that. I pray that when you get this, it comes from me and that we're on good terms. If we're not, I hope we can figure something out.

"What the hell is this?" Steve asked quietly as he looked up at Dallas, but the woman just swallowed hard at his question. "Dallas, I don't understand."

"You gotta read it. We'll stay in town a few more days, give me a call when you're done."

Suddenly, a small girl ran up to Dallas and began to tug on her pant leg. Dallas quickly scooped her up and nuzzled her nose, pushing back her blonde hair, "I thought I told you to stay with Jenna?"

The little girl looked over her shoulder at Steve, Natasha, and Sam before gasping loudly and leaning into Dallas's ear. Dallas pressed the child against her chest as she took a step back from the Avengers. Aunt Jenna came jogging up, panting as she looked at Dallas in terror, "I'm so sorry, she's too strong for me."

"How old is she?" Natasha asked quietly because Steve's mind wasn't able to form words.

"She'll be one on the seventeenth." Dallas answered gently as she rubbed the child's hair.

Sam and Nat shared a look, but it was Sam to speak up, "There's no way that child is only a year old…"

"When's Mommy coming home?" The little girl asked, and Steve felt his heart crack open in his chest.

Dallas looked at Steve cautiously before turning to the child, "She's not coming home, Denny. She had to go to Heaven."

"Is Heaven far away?"

"Yeah, it's pretty far." Dallas said as she hiked the girl up a little. The toddler was clearly heavy, "It's like when she goes away for work. She can't talk to us right now, and she's gonna be gone for a really long time. But we always keep her in our heart, right?"

Dallas turned, just enough for Steve to get a better look at the child. He saw her little fist holding something tightly, and he followed the gold chain to her neck before he realized what she had. Dallas leaned her forehead against the child's, and the little girl released her grip on the locket, confirming Steve's suspicions.

His breath caught in his throat and he took a step closer, then stopped abruptly. "Is she…" Steve started, looking over the little girl. She had white hair that curled around her head, and the biggest, bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Those were his eyes. "Is she mine?"

The child seemed to shrink away from him as he took another step forward, and Steve stopped again, turning to hand off the journal to Natasha before looking back to Dallas and the little girl.

"Hey," Dallas said softly as the little girl played with the locket, "Open that sucker up. I wanna see the inside."

The child giggled and Steve felt weak in the knees, wanting to know the answer to his question but not wanting to press Dallas, seeing as the little girl seemed to cling to her. She popped open the locket and Dallas shifted the girl to one arm and pointed at one side, "Who is that?"

"That's Mommy."

"And who is that?" She pointed to the other side, looking up at Steve with a knowing smile.

"That's Daddy!" The girl yelped loudly as she dropped the locket and threw her arms to the side.

Dallas took a step closer to Steve and the soldier's eyes widened, "Who is this guy? He looks kinda familiar, right?" Dallas asked and Steve's heart beat so fast he thought he could pass out.

The little girl looked at Steve for a moment, then picked up her locket and stared at it for a second before looking back to the man in front of her, "That's Daddy!"

"That's right." Dallas cooed as she hooked her other arm under the girl's bum to hold her up easier, "Can you say hi?"

"Hi."

Steve gasped, pushing back his hair, and looking over to the coffin for a moment as he panted, "What did you do?"

"If you read the journal, like I told you to, you'd know." Dallas hummed tauntingly as she carried the child away from her mother's grave. When she got to the edge of the chairs, she whipped around, holding the little girl's head against her collarbone, "I told you. You read that, and then we'll talk."

"But she's my daughter." Steve said breathlessly, jumping over the chairs to reach Dallas. The woman rolled her eyes, but the little girl clapped at him. "Please, I didn't know she existed. At least let me get to know her."

Dallas snorted, nuzzling the little girl with a coy grin, "I'm not taking your daughter, Steve. I have every intention of sending her home with you." Steve paled at this information, and Dallas sighed, "I want you to really take time and think about this. It's a huge decision, and it's a big risk for her. That's why Brooklyn didn't tell you. She wanted to make sure it was safe for her." Dallas smoothed the girl's curls against her head, "The journal explains everything. It'll make more sense if you read it."

"Can I hold her?" Steve asked weakly, reaching out for the little girl, "Please?"

Dallas leaned away from the child and asked, "Can Daddy hold you? He's waited a really long time to meet you."

"Who is Daddy?"

"He's Captain America." Dallas said simply, "We've talked about this. He's a superhero. Bad guys like to chase him, and that's why Mommy had to hide you. But now that Mommy had to go to Heaven, Daddy is gonna help protect you. Just like I do."

The child seemed to consider this, and Steve didn't believe for a minute that she understood what Dallas had told her, but she reached out for him, and everything else fell away. Steve took her carefully in his arms, shifting her uncomfortably as he tried to get a good grip. Dallas just stared at him blankly, trying to hide her amused expression at how clueless he was.

"Hey." Steve said as the girl pressed her tiny palm to his shoulder, "It's really nice to meet you. I'm Steve."

"I thought you were Daddy?"

"Good job, Cap." Natasha deadpanned, and Steve shot her a dirty look before turning back to his daughter.

"I am Daddy." He corrected, "I'm sorry we haven't met yet, but it's nice to meet you now." Steve looked her over, taking in her round baby features as she played with the fabric of his suit, "What's your name?"

"Denny."

"Tell Daddy your real name." Dallas scolded before looking to Steve, "We didn't name your daughter Denny."

"Denver." The little girl told Steve, grabbing both sides of his face between her palms, "Daddy."

Steve's eyes began to well up as he nodded, leaning forward to carefully press a kiss to Denver's forehead, "Yeah." He said breathlessly, "It's so nice to meet you, Denver."

Denver collapsed against Steve's chest, burying her face into his neck and scratching at his suit behind his shoulders. Steve chuckled and rubbed her back gently. He kissed her cheek and hummed softly as he swayed back and forth, rocking her until her scratching slowed and her breathing got heavier, telling Steve she'd fallen asleep.

Her aunt nodded, wiping a tear away from her eye, "She's worth the wait. You're gonna love her."

Steve leaned his head against his daughter, smiling softly at his friends and Dallas as he continued to hum near her ear, "I already do."

Author's Notes: This is the end of Part 1 of Nodus Tollens! At first, this was going to be the end of the story- but I wanted to write Steve's adventures with Denver, so Part 2 will be coming soon! Get ready for some fun, some fluff, some angst, some absolute ridiculousness, and a whole lot of love. For those of you who wanted to see what Brooklyn was doing in Belarus, you'll find out what she was up to and why Steve didn't know. She may be gone, but she's still a main player in this story. Please review and let me know if you're excited for Part 2! Thank you all for reading! XOXO Cash