I hope that you all enjoy this latest chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks again for your continued love and support.

-Ecorley

EDEN

I could feel the warmth from the sun on my bare shoulders and looked down to see myself dressed in a strangely familiar white dress. My eyes lowered furthered to see that my feet were bare and I flexed my toes, smiling to myself at the sensation of the cool, green grass between my toes. I closed my eyes and tilted my back, enjoying the warmth on my skin and then opening them again to the see the clearest, bluest sky I had ever witnessed. I listened closely and heard the sound of wind rustling through leaves. I glanced to my left and gasped when I saw the huge tree, obviously old; its branches reaching so high into the sky. I raised the back of my hand to my forehead to shield the sun from view and let my eyes drift up the massive tree, its thick trunk showing its age. The lower branches drooped over the side, providing a shaded area at the base, the ground at the bottom lush with green grass and yellow daisies.

"So beautiful" I whispered to myself as I took a step towards the tree.

Peace.

That is what I felt as my bare feet took me closer and closer to the majestic tree that lay before me. The feeling was so familiar, in fact, everything about this place felt oddly familiar. I tried to think...tried to remember where I knew this place from...I stopped walking and squeezed my eyes shut as I wracked my brain.

"Eden"

I opened my eyes when I heard my name called...it was said so softly, like a whisper carried by the wind.

Who said it?

That strange familiar feeling was there again. I knew that voice. I loved that person. Who was it? I turned my head from side to side, searching for the owner of that voice. I spun in a complete circle, nothing but green grass for as far as my eyes could see. The only other thing in the sight was that tree...that huge, old tree reaching up to the heavens.

I shook my head and began making my way to it again. It was my ultimate destination...I knew it was where I was supposed to go...where I supposed to be.

"Eden"

There it was again! That whisper on the wind like a soothing wave of peace that went straight to my heart. I trusted that voice...who? Who was it? It was a male...the comforting, deep timbre of his voice piercing the silence of the day. I felt goosebumps on my skin and a warm shiver go down my spine.

"Hello?" I called out softly, my voice seeming to echo in the openness of the day.

"Eden"

I heard my name called, more solidly this time but it wasn't coming from the person I was searching for. No, this voice was female...soft, like the tinkling of bells...still familiar though. I knew her voice.

It's not possible Eden. That voice...it's been so long...she's been gone so long.

"Eden"

The voice was coming from directly behind me...from beneath the tree. I turned slowly, a smile sliding across my face as I finally saw the person the voice belonged to.

Sweet, innocent Beth...dressed in a white flowing dress similar to mine, her feet also bare.

I hadn't seen her in years...my last memory of her being cold and still in the small wooden coffin at her funeral. The red dress her mother had chosen looking so bright against her pale flesh. Her eyes were closed and as I stood next to her coffin saying my goodbyes I remembered thinking to myself that none of it could be real. The young and innocent weren't supposed to die...and I knew if I just willed it...just wished hard enough, that her eyes would open again and I would see what the future had in store for her. Surely someone like Beth...so virtuous, so angelic...was meant for great things. She was supposed to change the world.

"Eden" she said again, snapping me from my thoughts. Her smile had faded and she raised her hand as if she was reaching for me.

And like magic, it was gone...those memories of her funeral...the red of the dress...the pale of her flesh...the overwhelming feeling of loss...they faded further away until they completely disappeared altogether. I was left at peace.

She noticed my reaction and her frown was replaced by a smile, one that reminded me so much of Brooke that I instantly broke out in a grin of my own.

She looked at her hands, "I'm getting better at this" she said to herself.

I was about to ask what she meant by that but she motioned me closer and I was drawn forward. It wasn't me moving myself closer to Beth, but by her will alone. As I stood in front of her, our eyes locked on each other, a flash of something hit me.

A memory? A dream? The feeling that this wasn't the first time I had seen her since the funeral rushed through me and I once again squeezed my eyes shut and tried to remember.

A cemetery...headstones...an epitaph...

"Stop Eden" I heard Beth say clearly...a moment later I felt her hands on my bare shoulders and once again, the memories were gone and I was left in peace.

Beth navigated me to the base of the tree and then took my hand, pulling me down into the grass with her. She propped herself up against the trunk of the tree and reached out, plucking a perfect yellow daisy from the ground and handing it to me.

I reached out, taking the flower from her and watching as she picked another for herself. She started to pluck the petals off, letting each one fall gracefully down before they disappeared into the lush, green grass.

We sat in silence, Beth plucking off each delicate petal while I twirled my own daisy in between my fingertips.

"This isn't the first time I've seen you is it?" I asked finally.

Beth didn't stop plucking, "Nope" she said, not glancing up.

Silence passed between us again. I was so comfortable, so content, that I'm not sure how much time even passed before I spoke up again.

"Why?" I asked, "Why am I here? Why are you here?"

Beth didn't look up, but I saw the smile slide across her face.

"It's part of the plan Eden...always was" she said softly, plucking another petal from her flower and tossing it into the wind. "This..." she said, waving her hand around at the scene before us, "...was always supposed to be my destiny"

"No Beth, you were meant to live. You deserved a future" I said insistently...I could feel a wave of nausea hit me suddenly. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair...her death, the sadness it left everyone feeling wasn't fair.

She finally dropped her flower and raised her hand to me and an invisible wave of comfort washed over me.

Peace.

Beth suddenly cocked her head to the side like she had heard something...like she was listening to some voice that I was unable to hear. She closed her eyes and smiled before nodding her head and turning back to me.

"You must listen to me Eden...you must listen closely to what I'm saying" she said delicately.

I nodded my head for her to continue.

"Something's coming Eden..." she started.

I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what it was but she held her hand up to stop me.

"Do you really need to ask Eden? You already know." she replied.

My mind couldn't focus...I knew what she was talking about. I did know what was coming but at that moment in time, my brain wouldn't let me think on it...like it was protecting itself. I couldn't say the words. I only knew that she was right, something was coming. I knew what it was, even if I couldn't consciously say the words out loud.

I nodded my head.

"As all of this plays out Eden, sacrifices are going to need to be made. Whether they are right or wrong, fair or unfair, it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is if you are you willing to make those sacrifices for him?" Beth asked.

Him

An image of him popped into my head.

Blue eyes...

Dimpled chin...

That smile...

It was his voice that had been calling my name earlier. I couldn't think of his name. I couldn't even remember how I knew him. I only had the quickest glimpse of him in my head and a swell of love filled my heart. The only thing I knew was that he was important...he was special.

"You know of who I'm speaking about?" she asked. When I nodded she continued, "Are you willing?"

I didn't need to think about it and without hesitating I answered, "Yes"

Beth nodded, a mischievous grin on her face, "Very well"

She picked another flower and began plucking the petals off again before speaking up, "When it comes..."

I stopped her, holding on my hand to stop her from filling me with that wave of peace. I needed to know what "it" was...I needed to remember what evil was lurking in the shadows.

"Eden..."she started.

"Beth! I need to remember, it's important" I insisted.

She let out exasperated sigh and muttered, "Apparently Brooke has been rubbing off on you"

I eyed her for a second and she threw her hands up in the air, "Very well" she said, before pointing off into the distance.

I stood and looked in the direction she was pointing and instantly saw the figure. It was so far off that I couldn't make out who it was but a sense of foreboding hit me and I shivered despite the warmth from the sun.

Kaine.

It hit me so suddenly that I backed into the tree, dropping my daisy and putting my hand over my mouth. I remembered everything.

Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes...Bucky...the Winter Soldier.

Everything thing I had been struggling to remember hit me with such clarity suddenly.

"What's going to happen Beth?" I asked shakily, tearing my eyes off of the blurry figure of Kaine to glance where Beth was still sitting. Her eyes were still on the man standing off in the distance, her face completely clear of emotions.

She looked up and motioned for me to sit back down and once again, completely against my will, I sat.

"You know that's against the rules. I can't tell you what's going to happen. I can't show you" she said, patting me on the back before going back to plucking yellow petals off her daisy.

"Besides..." she said shrugging, "...nothing is set in stone. Every decision you make from now until then can change the outcome. Ultimately Eden, you have the power to choose your destiny" she said, glancing over at me.

I plucked my own flower from the grass and stared at it, letting her words sink it before I spoke again.

"You said this was your destiny...what did you mean?" I asked.

A moment passed before she answered, "Everyone has a purpose Eden...this was mine. We all play our part and mine..." she said smiling, "...was to be part of your destiny. Your future...his past...well, it was always going to be a difficult situation. I was placed here to guide you through it. I'm only here to give clarity...to give peace" she said gently, letting her fingertips touch my arm lightly.

"What if I do the wrong thing?" I asked.

"There is no right or wrong thing Eden. There are just different paths...different ways for this to play out. Look at the trunk of this tree...one solid piece of wood shooting straight up towards the heavens. Now look at the branches...each one an off shoot of the original part of the tree. They are still a fragment of it, just a different piece of the thing as a whole. That is how your destiny is Eden. There is no wrong branch...just some that are better than others" she finished.

I lowered my head and sat in silence as I pondered what she had just said. I could control my destiny. I could choose my path based on my decisions...based on my willingness to sacrifice.

"Can you show me the outcome of one of the decisions that ends up in a good way?" I asked hopefully, not looking up.

Beth huffed, "You know it's against the rules Eden"

It was worth a shot!

Silence passed between us again...the only sound coming from the rustling of the leaves in the wind.

My head popped up when I heard Beth let out a low growl, "Fine!" She wagged her finger at me, "You Eden Page, are slowly becoming just like my cousin"

I gave her a triumphant smile and laughed.

She stopped smiling at me, tilting her head like she was listening to a voice once again that I could not hear.

After a moment her eyes fell back on me and she spoke, "If I show you a good one than I have to show you a not so good outcome as well. That's the deal"

"Okay" I said, nodding eagerly.

"Very well" she said. She looked down at her feet, her eyes skimming over the different flowers tucked away in the grass. She picked one up, lifting it up to her nose to smell and then shaking her head before tossing it back on the ground. She repeated this several times, hushing me with a sly smile when I tried to ask her what she was doing.

She would pick a flower, examine it and then toss it aside.

After several attempts, she finally reached down and picked up one, holding it close to her face before nodding her head and smiling, apparently satisfied with her choice.

She stood up and then reached her hand down to me. I slipped my hand into hers and allowed her to pull me up into a standing position.

She held the daisy up to her lips and opened her mouth, blowing gently onto the flower. I let out a surprised gasp as the petals of the flower suddenly broke free of the stem and began floating into the air, dancing into the nothingness.

I looked over at Beth confused and she smiled and pointed, "Watch" she prodded. My eyes flew back to the yellow petals floating in the wind and I watched as they drifted further and further away. I was so focused on them that I almost didn't notice the figures standing off in the distance.

There were four of them, two of them much shorter than the others. I strained my eyes and caught a flash of metal in the sun coming from one of the figures.

Bucky!

Yes, the tallest figure was definitely Bucky, his metal hand wrapped tightly in the hand of the figure to his left.

Me.

I recognized myself standing next to him, leaning against his arm, my curly hair flowing in the wind...looking up at him first and then down at the smaller figure to my left.

A curly brown haired boy, his face turned so that he was looking up at me.

I remember. Beth showed me a little boy! This is him...this is my baby boy, our baby boy!

I raised my hand to my mouth and let out a choked sound, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. I looked over at Beth and she was nodding at me, smile wide, looking so much like Brooke that it almost broke my heart for a second.

"I think you missed one" she said, pointing back at the figures in the distance.

I once again locked my eyes on the scene before me, suddenly remembering that there were FOUR figures.

I looked to Bucky's right and let out another choked sob when I saw the tiny fingers holding onto Bucky's large ones.

This one was shorter than the boy that was gripping my hand...daintier and smaller. Bucky was looking down and smiling. I watched as he released my hand and bent down to pick the figure up, kissing the child on the forehead and then brushing long blonde curls out of her face.

Her! A girl...our baby girl!

I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. From my family...or what could be my family one day. This could be mine if I made the right decisions...they were right there in front of me...so beautiful but still so far away.

"That's what I want Beth" I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks. I stared at Bucky...seeing the devotion in his eyes as he looked at the little girl in his arms and then down at the boy who was now clinging to his leg. I watched myself watching them, a smile etched onto my face.

"That's what I want for him" I said softly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Bucky deserved that life. He had lived in hell for 70 years and was tormented by more guilt than any man should have to bear. That was the life he should have had all those years ago.

I felt Beth wrap her arm around my shoulders and pull me in for a gentle hug, "I know Eden"

The figures in the distance suddenly began to fade and I stood there staring at the spot where they had stood long after they were gone.

"...but what if you can't be a part of that future Eden?" Beth said.

I jerked my eyes away from the distance and looked directly into her eyes, "What do you mean?" I asked tensely.

Beth gave me a gentle smile and placed her hands back on my shoulder to calm me down...the sudden anxiety I had felt vanished.

"What if you aren't in Bucky's future Eden? Would you still want that for him? Even if you can't be a part of it?" she asked.

I jerked away, pulling myself from her grasp and feeling a wave of unease rush over me again.

Life without Bucky? Him and I not together?

I opened my mouth to speak but I was so confused, so torn, that I couldn't utter a word.

"Come Eden, let me show you something that will help you understand" Beth said.

I didn't take her hand but I followed beside her as she headed off in the opposite direction. We walked in silence for a long time before finally Beth stopped. I saw nothing. I turned around in a circle, searching for a reason as to why she had stopped but saw none. I looked over at Beth and she gave me a grim look before pointing down.

Out of nowhere a headstone had appeared and I felt my heart sink as I read the words engraved on it.

In Loving Memory

Of

Eden Nerys Page

"If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever"

I slid to my knees and reached my hands out to touch the words etched into the cold stone. I had a sudden flash of my own funeral...a memory Beth had already shown me months ago during my attack from Deacon Lister. The sudden sound of a gunshot echoed in my head and I remembered what else she had shown me...the photo of myself, the ring, Bucky's shaking hand, the gun...

"...Bucky..." I started.

Beth stopped me, "No Eden. This scenario does not end with that way..." she said, clearing her throat, "...Bucky doesn't ki...well, Bucky doesn't die" she replies, stopping herself before she says the words that she knows I'm most scared of hearing.

"Then what happens?" I ask, looking back down at my headstone.

"Bucky lives" she says softly, "You have already helped him so much Eden...helped him heal more than we...umm, more than was ever expected. If you make certain decisions, this is a potential outcome. You will die Eden...but Bucky will live. You will always have his heart but someday he will move on and still have that life you saw. It just won't be with you Eden"

Another tear slipped down my cheek and this time I let it remain there. I loved Bucky...loved him with every fiber of my being. Imagining him being happy with someone else, having that life I saw with someone else, made both my head and heart hurt.

...but he would still be happy Eden...he could still be happy.

I knew when it came down to it that in the end, Bucky's happiness was all that really mattered to me...whether it was with or without me, I needed him to have that life I saw.

I looked down at my own headstone again, "Will it hurt?" I whispered.

Beth slid her arm around my shoulders again, "If it results in him being happy, does it really matter?"

I thought about it for a second before shaking my head, "No it doesn't. I'll endure whatever I have to for him"

It was true, every word. It didn't matter what pain I may or may not have in store for me. Yes, I wanted us to end up together in the end but when it came down to it, the most important thing was that Bucky survive, even if I did not.

"When the time comes Eden, I'll be right there with you. You may not see me, but I promise I won't leave you" Beth said reassuringly.

I jumped when a low rumble of thunder suddenly pierced the quietness. I looked up to see clouds were rolling in and the sunlight was quickly fading.

"Our time is nearly up" Beth said, looking around and then letting her eyes fall back on me.

"Will I remember this time?" I asked, motioning to the tree and then the headstone, "..any of this?"

Beth smiled and shook her head, "...when the time is right Eden, it will all come back to you...but for now...no, you won't remember"

"Eden"

I heard my name being called faintly...Bucky's voice sounding panicked.

I turned to Beth one last time, willing myself not to forget but knowing it was inevitable.

"Your decisions Eden, your sacrifices, will determine what your future holds...choose wisely old friend" she said before fading away.

...and then everything was gone...

I was in a deep sleep but I could hear Bucky calling my name and a warm hand brushing hair from my face. I woke up suddenly as my body was jerked from the bed and pulled into muscled arms, Bucky's arms.

I was confused, the dream I had been having was completely gone...vanishing the instant I had woken up. Bucky pulled me away from his body and was staring down at me with a look of panic etched on his face.

"What?" I asked, my voice full of worry, "What's wrong?"

The tips of Bucky's fingers ran down my cheek and he let out a deep breath, shaking his head and letting his eyes close.

"Nothing" he finally grunted, "I thought...I mean you were sprawled out on the bed like that...I called your name...I..." he was still shaking his head at me, unable to get the words out.

I reached my hands up to his face, one on each cheek and sat up on my knees so that I was face to face with him.

"I just fell asleep" I said reassuringly, rubbing my thumbs over his temple gently before smoothing his hand back from his face.

"...I called your name...you weren't moving..." he was breathing heavily and for a moment I thought that maybe, just maybe, my super soldier boyfriend was having a panic attack.

I shushed him, "Shhhh, it's okay. I'm fine...just had a really busy day and fell asleep...that's all"

He lowered his head, his eyes closed as he took deep breaths to calm himself. My right hand went to his chest and I felt his heart beat racing under the tips of my fingers.

"Bucky...baby look at me" I said firmly, waiting until he raised his face and met my gaze, "Calm down okay? I'm right here and I'm fine"

Bucky took another deep breath and leaned forward, burying his face in my chest and wrapping his arms around my middle. I laid my chin against the top his head and rubbed my hands gently down his back until I felt his rigid body relax against mine.

I closed my eyes as I comforted him, trying to my hardest to remember the dream I had been having before Bucky had woken me up. It was gone...I could not recall one single fragment.

I gave up trying and finally let out a soft sigh before leaning down and kissing Bucky's head as I continued to comfort him.