I'm baaaaaack from the depths of work stress to give you Baby Roger's cuteness and Other Avenger Kids' Cuteness. Please enjoy the fluff and mild angst (because there is always mild angst, it's Infinity War/Endgame).

Shoutout for the 50 millionth Hamilton Quote Title. If you are keeping score at home that's Way Too Many Times I've done this ahaha, with no plans to stop, ever. They're far too relevant! ;)

Chapter Six: A Legacy to Protect

Almost as though he could sense the anxiety and chaos that surrounded his world, baby James Samuel Carter Rogers entered the world with little fuss and tears.

He cried, as all healthy babies should. But he was soon calm, gazing around at the world with big, saucer-like blue eyes.

Unlike the last Avenger child born, Christy was actually able to see this birth-with the option to leave if things got too graphic and bloody. Thankfully, it never progressed to that point, and she gasped excitedly as her new brother entered the world.

"Oh, look at his hair!" she cried. "It's so blond! He looks like Dad!"

Bucky squeezed her shoulder, a sad smile creeping across his face.

You've got a son, Steve...damn, he's perfect. I'll make sure he's okay.

Sam caught his eye and gave a sympathetic nod in understanding. "He looks great, Sharon. And healthy…"

Sharon sighed in relief. "Yeah, very healthy. Thankfully."

That had been a fear of them all, that Steve's son might have inherited some of his genetic weaknesses. Fortunately, he seemed to be large and strapping, with no breathing issues at all.

"No asthma, hopefully." Bucky added. "But now they got inhalers, so he'd be okay."

The baby was briefly taken away to be cleaned and wrapped up by a nurse, before being returned to Sharon's very eager arms.

"Hi, bud." she whispered, smoothing his thin strands of hair. "I'm your mommy. That's your big sister right here. And over there are your uncles. They already adore you. And I wish you could meet your daddy...he would have loved you, too."

Bucky cleared his throat weakly. "So, uh...you never actually did tell us the name you picked for a boy."

"Yeah, make us die of suspense, why don't you?" Sam muttered, a small amount of salt in his tone.

Sharon smiled. "Christy, would you like to do the honors?"

Christy nodded, and took a deep breath. "This is my brother. James Samuel Carter Rogers."

For a moment, no one could speak.

Bucky could feel actual tears well up in his eyes that he angrily swiped at with the back of his hand. Sam looked floored.

"I...me, too?" he whispered. "Are you sure…?"

"Steve would have wanted it." Sharon said firmly. "And I did. And Christy. My son is named for the two men that will always have his back. And with a little bit of the passion of my family, too."

"H-He's got a lot of shoes to fill." Bucky muttered. "But ya coulda named him Steve…"

Sharon shook her head. "He'll have enough of that to deal with. He's going to be his own person, not some reborn clone of Steve. No one deserves to live trying to live up to someone else."

Breathing deeply, Bucky nodded. "So what are we gonna call him?"

"Jamie." Christy said promptly. "Then it sounds right with my name."

Sam grinned, and gently stroked one finger over the baby's head. "Jamie, huh? Well, welcome to the world, little Jamie Rogers. Hope ya like it here. We're currently trying out a new phase called the apocalypse. Hope it doesn't last too long."

Sharon laughed a bit, and cuddled her son closer. "He'll come of age with a new world. But with a bunch of people fighting to make it better, too."

A parade of people streamed through the room over the next couple of days. Sharon slept, when she wasn't feeding Jamie or holding him.

One afternoon, Natasha stopped by and found Bucky holding Jamie by the window and Sharon dead to the world.

"Hey, stranger." she called softly.

Bucky whipped around, imperceptibly tightening his grip on the baby before he saw who it was and relaxed.

"Ah, hey, Nat." he said. "Who's got the kids?"

"Tony and Pepper. Who's got Christy?"

"Wanda. She took her shopping." Bucky shifted Jamie's weight. "Sharon nodded off a bit ago. I told her to get some rest."

Natasha nodded and peered down at the quiet baby.

"He doesn't say much, does he?" she quipped.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "He's got some lungs on him, just not right now. But he definitely inherited the unnerving calm stare."

"He's bigger that Steve was already, right?"

Bucky shrugged. "Didn't see him as a baby, an' no pictures. Those were too expensive. But according to his Ma, yeah. He was a scrawny li'l thing. Whereas this guy looks like he already ate his spinach for the next year."

Natasha grinned. "Possible serum leeching? We're breeding the next superhero over here. Red Skull would rejoice."

Bucky frowned, even though he knew Natasha was joking.

"Nah, he ain't gonna be like that. Not some poster child for a dad he won'...won' even know. He's gonna be whatever he likes."

"He will." Natasha soothed. "I was just kidding."

"Nat...were you scared when you finally signed the papers for Shanta and Anish?"

"Terrified. Why?"

Bucky swallowed. "I feel it now. And it's not even my kid. It's just...I always thought I'd be so proud, and I am, but I feel like everything is way more important now. This guy's got his whole life ahead of him, rife with possibility. I just want him to grow up t' be good and just and decent. Like Steve, just not...Steve's clone."

Natasha sat down in the uncomfortable hospital chair and nodded. "I know. Everything that goes wrong hits worse when the small people you're responsible for are around. But even the other day...Shanta was saying she was glad she got to know Bruce, even for just a little bit. She was glad to have a dad, even if he's not here now."

"And you?" Bucky pried. "Would you say the same about everything?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Natasha nodded. "I wouldn't trade it. Not for anything in the world. I have never been so happy. And even now...I'm still happier than I would ever be alone."

"We all miss them." Bucky whispered. "I feel bad for the kids, all kids. Growing up with so many ghosts. There's gonna be so many kids with Dead Guy Junior names. So many sort-of replacements."

Natasha sighed heavily. "Well, they didn't exactly leave any instructions, you know? Just a legacy."

" 'Legacy. What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.'" Bucky quoted, a sly look in his eye.

Natasha rolled her own eyes, but added soberly, "It's like...trust, I guess. Trust, to put your whole life into something you might never see the end of."

"Faith. If nothing else, Steve had faith. Believing in something more than what you can see." Bucky smiled. "That's his legacy. Faith that life can get better, and that brave people will stand up when they need to. An' that's the legacy I wanna protect. For Christy an' now Jamie…"

Natasha clapped his shoulder. "Can I hold him? I haven't held many newborns besides Cooper and Morgan…"

Bucky carefully transferred Jamie into her arms. "Just be careful."

"Hey, little guy." Natasha said, giving the baby an experimental bounce. "You wanna hear the story of the time your dad was a complete idiot?"

Bucky snorted through the tiny pang of sorrow in his heart. "Which one?"

"Well, it all started on a dark and moonless night, with no parachute…"

Pepper glanced at Sharon, who was juggling a baby carrier and a picnic basket.

"Ah...you want some help?"

Sharon laughed. "Thanks, I would. This little guy is heavy!"

Pepper took the picnic basket. "Tony has Morgan, and I assume Shanta and Anish are off with Christy already."

"I think they are attempting to show Nebula how to set out a picnic blanket." Sharon replied.

"Well, then we have plenty of time to catch up to them."

The two women exited the lake house into the bright July sun. It was Morgan's second birthday, which, according to her father, "called for a party of special magnificence". Pepper was mostly just happy to see her husband throwing his energy into something that didn't involve mourning Peter, so she was going along as well.

They had settled on having a picnic.

The area around the lake was perfect for that sort of thing, with the water even being warm enough to swim at this time of year.

"Like this!" Shanta chirped, smoothing the edge of a checkered picnic blanket over the grass. "Then you sit."

Nebula cocked her head in her usual bemused fashion, as Drax smirked nearby.

"...does the pattern have any significance?" she asked.

"Nope!" Christy said cheerfully. "It's just pretty."

"Pretty…" Nebula repeated. "Interesting."

Drax surveyed the blanket and nodded. "You are learning children, Nebula. Next you will be partaking in hot ostuma from fancy cups. Kamaria often asked me to do so."

"What's ostuma?" Nate asked suspiciously.

"Tea, I think." Anish answered. "Aliens have tea parties?"

"I do not know of this 'tea party' but if it involves drinking a hot beverage while wearing crowns, then yes." Drax said.

Christy shook her head. "Get out your tea set later, Shanta. I gotta see this."

Shanta frowned. "Tea parties were for Baba. But I do miss them…"

Drax smiled, in a way that none had ever seen before, even the Guardians. "Then, may I have one with you, in his stead?"

Shanta considered the giant, orange-veined alien, and then nodded. "Okay. I guess so."

Meanwhile, Tony was busy attempting to tie balloons on various tree branches while Pietro (literally) ran around spraying silly string.

Wanda glanced at the two so-called men in pretend scorn. "Natasha...what are they doing?"

Natasha laughed, and then sobered. "They're having fun. Don't we all deserve that, at this point?"

Bucky was manning a grill teaming with hamburgers and hotdogs, while clad in only his swim trunks. Wanda caught a glimpse of the sight, and smirked.

"I intend to have fun. I bought a new swimsuit last week."

Natasha grinned, like the cat that caught, barbecued, and ate the canary. "Be nice to him, sweetie."

"Me? Be mean?" Wanda's smirk grew. "Don't you trust me?"

"Not a bit."

Clint and Sam, the remaining 'only sane men', were in earnest conversation while building up a bonfire.

"You should just go for it." Clint insisted, throwing a fire starter onto the waiting wood.

Sam sighed. "I dunno, man. The end of the world isn't exactly the best time to ask a lady on a date."

"The end of the world is the perfect time to ask a lady on a date!" Clint shot back. "Besides, you already showed her that you're a good guy. You watched her niece and nephew for almost a month, with no hint that she'd turn up. If that doesn't scream "good guy to date," I dunno what does!"

Sam turned away. "I don't wanna drag someone else into this life. I chose the superhero game. But Lily's on the outside, still. She could get hurt."

"Sam, c'mon, give her some credit. Be up front with her, yeah. But women are strong." Clint's smile grew bittersweet. "Laura never complained. We were both scared, it was tough, we had fights-but we stuck it out and it was okay. Don't...don't waste a chance."

There was a pause. Clint stood, head bowed. Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, man. I'll ask her if next weekend is free."

Clint lifted up his head and grinned. "Good man."

The guest of honor sat on her mother's lap, clad in a flowered sundress and white hat. She was not thrilled about the hat, but Pepper was not thrilled about her daughter getting sunburned. So the hat remained.

Sharon had laid Jamie on the blanket, where Christy sat watching him like a mother hen.

"I can watch him, sweetie." Pepper insisted. "You should go play."

Christy shook her head. "Uncle Clint's teaching them frisbee and I don't like frisbee. I'd rather hold Jamie."

Pepper nodded in acceptance. Morgan babbled happily and reached out to grab a fistful of Jamie's hair.

Jamie made a tiny mewling noise of displeasure and scooted further back into his sister.

"Touch nice, Morgan." Christy admonished. "Otherwise, he won't want to play."

"No, no!" Morgan shrieked, while still retaining a smile.

Pepper sighed. "She likes saying 'no' even when she isn't unhappy. I swear, she gets more like Tony every day."

Christy gave a wicked smile. "Maybe when they're big, they'll get married. Unite two great houses and have an alliance, like in the Medieval times."

Pepper burst out laughing. "Where do you learn these things? Have you been reading Lord of the Rings again?"

"Actually just real history." Christy said sheepishly. "But I need a new fantasy series. I've read Lord of the Rings and Narnia, and Sharon says Game of Thrones would undo everything I've worked on in therapy."

"I'd say so. Well, keep looking. I'm not much into fantasy myself." Pepper paused. "How is therapy?"

Christy looked away. "I don't cry as much. And I've stopped being so anxious about things all the time. My therapist says I might have tendencies all my life but I know how to cope better now."

Pepper leaned in and gave her a hug. "I'm so proud of you. You've been through so much and you still keep going. Your dad would be proud, too."

"I think I've always known Dad would be proud." Christy said slowly. "He was proud of me no matter what. But now I think I'm finally starting to be proud of myself."

"That's a skill a lot of adults have yet to master. But if you can, you'll be leagues ahead of many." Pepper broke the hug and cupped her niece's face. "Keep pushing."

"I will. I promise. I wanna be okay for Jamie." Christy lifted the placid baby on to her lap and snuggled him. "He's the future."

"So are you." Pepper intoned firmly, gazing around at all the children present-including the one in her arms.

"Darkness can only be scattered by light. Hate can only be scattered by love."

In a world full of darkness and hate, this was the answer. To love-and to raise a new generation with that love and sacrifice as their legacy.

"You know." Christy said. "I was thinking the other day that we're the best generation to have this happen to. We have lots of stories about the end of the world, or the zombie apocalypse, or aliens invading. We're the generation of the apocalypse. But we'll survive this."

Pepper laughed. "But how can you be so sure?"

Christy shrugged. "Humans are stubborn. Thanos forgot that part. We have like fifty million stories of rebellions against unjust people. We don't give up. That's why we'll win."

At that moment, Anish came over to tug Christy into playing frisbee, despite her protests that she couldn't throw well.

"Get over here, Mini-Cap!" Clint yelled. "You need to practice your throwing if you ever want that shield!"

"Who says I wanted the shield?" Christy grumbled. But she let herself be dragged over nonetheless.

Pepper put Jamie back into the carrier, as the little boy cooed softly.

"Don't worry, Steve." she whispered. "Your legacy is very secure."

"Dog!" Morgan squealed happily, one morning at Avengers' HQ Common Room. The headquarters was less frequently a meeting space, but it was the easiest place for Tony to get work done. Pepper had insisted he take Morgan along for 'bonding'.

Tony, busy tinkering with something, looked up in curiosity. "What dog, Maguna…?"

"Dog!" the toddler repeated, pointing very clearly at Rocket. He, Drax, and Nebula were back on Earth to 'check in'-though everyone knew it was more like 'coming home' for the three displaced Guardians.

Tony glanced at the furry Raccoon. "Uh, sorry...she can't quite say Space Raccoon yet."

Rocket shrugged. "It's whatever. She's, uh...cute?"

Tony rolled his eyes and went back to his latest upgrades to Bucky's arm. He was in a minor competition with Shuri over it.

Morgan, however, was not going to be distracted from her newest target. She pulled herself up on the side of the coffee table and gazed at Rocket with an intense fervor.

"Doggy." she said firmly.

"I'm not a dog, kid, I'm a raccoon." Rocket protested. "See my paws, an' the stripes, an' the thick, furry tail?"

Morgan pouted, and reached out a chubby hand to pet the 'doggy'.

"Aw...da-dang it, kid!"

"I think she likes you." Nebula replied.

Rocket glared in her direction.

"Down, doggy!" Morgan commanded.

"Uh, Morgan, no." Tony piped up. "Nice voice, please."

Morgan frowned. "P'ease, doggy?"

Her eyes were the same deep-dark-coffee shade as her father's when he wanted something badly. So Rocket lay down on the rug. Morgan snuggled up to him immediately.

"Good doggy!" she crowed, kissing his head with a slobbery wet mouth.

Rocket gave a token miserable look at Tony, but he couldn't deny that he was kind of enjoying himself.

Maybe. Just a little.

"Terran children are so odd." Nebula said, taking in the admittedly bonkers scene before her.

"Childhood's great. Don't knock it till ya try it, Blue Meanie." Tony quipped.

"And were you like this as a child?" Nebula asked.

Tony paused and looked furiously into his data pad.

"...no. I wasn't. That's why I let her do it. I'm around, see? I actually talk to her and hold her and tell her I love her. That's what a dad's supposed to do."

There was silence for a moment.

"I think the closest thing I've had to a dad is Drax." Rocket said. "That's just sad."

"Well, he's currently having a tea party with Shanta. Seems like he must've been a good dad before, y'know...Thanos." Tony replied.

"My father just used to disassemble me." Nebula muttered, her voice even huskier than normal.

Tony frowned and looked up from his work. "I guess you have to decide what you're passing on. What stuff the people that came before you did well, and what was crap that you need to never do again."

"Yeah, like not experiment-ow!" Rocket yelped, as Morgan squeezed him a bit too tightly.

Tony gave up and went to rescue Rocket from his daughter's grip.

"Here, you babysit her." he said, dropping the toddler on Nebula's lap. "Save your teammate from Death By Hugs."

Nebula started to protest, but Tony's back was already turned.

"Ma-ma?" Morgan questioned uncertainly, gazing into Nebula's split blue face.

"Not exactly." Nebula replied. Her face split with a wry smile.

Morgan seemed to understand, and snuggled against her new friend. "Night-night."

"It is...not night."

"She means she wants a nap." Tony explained. "So when you get sick of holding her, just put her on the couch with a blanket."

Nebula nodded in understanding. But Morgan stayed right where she was, until she woke up an hour later.

It was a dark and stormy night, and Bucky Barnes could not sleep.

The Mansion, as the old house adjacent Clint's farm was still dubbed, was playing host to Sharon, Christy, and Jamie for the weekend. Wanda was loving the chance to have 'girl time', and Bucky was enjoying spoiling his niece and nephew.

Bucky hadn't had as many bad dreams as he had expected since the Snap. In fact, he and Wanda had been split pretty equally between nightmare experiences. But there were some nights he would wake up from dreams he couldn't quite remember, with an omnipresent feeling of sadness and guilt.

These were the nights he made hot chocolate.

Sometimes Wanda would wake up as well, and they would sit in the still dark, not speaking, but simply enjoying that they were still alive, together.

But most of the time he would drink the sweet beverage and go back to sleep. It was a comforting ritual.

Tonight, Wanda was still asleep. But a cry from the guest room told him that he wasn't the only one having a rough night.

He padded into the room to find Sharon trying desperately to soothe a fussy Jamie.

"Bucky...oh, did he wake you up? He's teething, and he's been so loud lately…"

Bucky shook his head. "I was already up. But let me have him, I've had practice with teething kids, an' you look bushed."

Sharon tried not to look too grateful as she handed her son over. "Just put him in the travel crib when he falls asleep…" she slurred, already falling back onto the bed.

"Yes, ma'am." Bucky said, trying not to grin at the sight.

He got one of Jamie's teething rings from the freezer and let the little boy gum on it while he heated milk on the stove. It was faster to make it in the microwave, but it never tasted right.

Whisking chocolate chips into the heated liquid, he bounced Jamie on his hip. Jamie gave a sleepy little whimper.

"Yeah, I know, buddy." Bucky muttered. "Life's hard. Yer teeth hurt. My heart hurts. Everything hurts. But we keep going."

He ladled the hot chocolate into a waiting mug and sat down on the couch. Jamie was still happily ensconced in his teething ring.

"You feel better?" Bucky whispered. "Me, too. Your sister's smart, she's the one that figured out hot chocolate cures everything. Once you're big enough, you'll love it. But the ring's the best thing for now. I got two more in the freezer if that one gets too warm."

Jamie was leaning sleepily against Bucky's knee, his fine, blond hair rippling like corn silk. His blue eyes kept popping open and then slowly drooping shut.

"Ugh, you're too cute. It should be illegal for a kid to be so cute. Dammit, ya got yer dad's puppy eyes, too. Ooops...yeah, don't say that word."

He picked the little boy up and started to rock him gently to sleep.

"Golden slumbers, kiss your eyes.

Smiles await you when you rise…

Sleep little baby, do not cry…

And I will sing a lullaby…"

It was an old song, but still one of the best. It had been passed between all of them, starting with Steve. It was only fitting that it be sung to his son.

A combination of gentle movement and a familiar voice sent Jamie off into dreamland. Bucky sighed.

"You see this, Stevie? I hope so. Never was sure if you could or not...but I really hope ya can. See, we're all doin' fine over here. No worries."

He paused.

"Well, we miss ya. That's a fact that won't ever go away. But it hurts a little less. You'd be proud of Sam. He's got his own counseling center now. Has lotsa support groups. His biggest one is still all us messed-up sad sacks. But Christy doesn't have panic attacks anymore. And she's not sad every time she talks about you. She goes to school and plays guitar an' still wants to be a therapist superhero."

Jamie shifted a bit in his arms. Bucky moved him a bit, to be more comfortable.

"As for your son, he's a li'l angel. It helps that he hasn't started walkin' or talkin' yet...but still an angel. He's bright an' cute an' determined...like you. I'm sorry he won' ever know for real how much like you he is. But I'll make sure I'm always around to tell him."

His throat closed slightly and he gripped the sleeping baby a bit tighter.

"I swear, Steve, I'll be here for them both. They don' got a dad anymore, but they got the best uncle in the history of the world. But, God...I still wish you were here."

He bowed his head a bit, his body shaking lightly with a sob. Jamie stirred, but thankfully didn't wake. It took everything in Bucky not to burst out with tears right then.

"I-I still...I still wish it. But you're gone, an' I'm not, an' I gotta be okay with that. Maybe I will, someday. Maybe I won' think Thanos took the wrong guy. But right now, I miss ya, punk. I miss ya more than anythin'."

Through tears, he took in Jamie's sleeping form. This was it. Steve was gone, and he would maybe never be okay with it. But from here until forever, he had the legacy of the best man he knew laying safely in his arms, and down the hall.

And it was a legacy he would protect.

Merry Christmas, Order, here's your obligatory "Bucky comforts baby" scene ;)

Tune in next time for STUFF GETS REAL, AKA: Scott is brought back by someone besides a rat, Tony and Shuri bend time to their will, and the Avengers assemble to track down some Stones. Nothing will go like you think, ahahahahahahahaha *insert evil grin here* See you theeeeennnn!

Reviews are always appreciated, like hot chocolate and baby smiles.