Four years later...

There was a somewhat cruel irony in the huge marble memorial stones that had been erected for those loved ones lost to "The Snap". Each stone engraved with a name of a person lost, standing there with its youthful glow, strong and ready to last proudly for hundreds of years. Yet like so many others, James Buchanan Barnes was now gone from this world and after four long painful years for his family, that emptiness was still as raw as ever. Every visit to the stone bearing his name now symbolising a place to visit when they couldn't bear the forced separation no longer. The world may of changed now, continuing with its deep emotional turmoil but these stones bearing the names of each loved one lost would stay. Brogan knew it was ridiculous but somehow being here steadied her and gave her somewhat of a comfort.

5 years had now passed since the decimation and a lot had changed for Brogan Barnes and her young family. The biggest change coming in the form of little Rebecca. With the super soldier serum she had inherited from her father still flowing in her veins, its effects were becoming even more apparent now in the five years since her father's supposed "Death". The little girl had just recently turned 8 now but to look at her and hear her speak you wouldn't think of her so young. She could now read on a level higher than that of her big brother, understand and speak numerous different languages (just as her father once could) and was intellectually on par with that of a teenager. Those early characteristics from the serum that appeared when she was a toddler had also grown or expanded. Leaving her now extremely athletic, incredibly fast and her instincts to her surroundings were now fully heightened. Also Rebecca had developed a knack for picking up on other peoples feelings and emotions. She also was looking more and more like Bucky everyday...

Clinging onto her son's hand, Brogan bent down low and ran her fingers over the gold italics bearing the full name of her beloved Bucky. Her eyes fixed on each and every letter as James lay a single red rose at the bottom of the plinth and Rebecca placed next to it a tiny Teddy bear. Standing to their feet, the three held each other staring down proudly at his name below. They spoke aloud to him as if he was right there with them just as they always did when taking a trip to the memorial. Filling him in on what daily life was like life living at avengers HQ,telling him of the time James nearly set fire to the kitchen when he attempted to make everyone breakfast and to the fact that Brogan had decided it was time to stand on her own two feet and finally have her own place again. Brogan knew she was just talking to concrete yet coming here was the only place she felt closer to him to talk to and have it mean something rather than just think it. There was always that little thought at the back of her head that hoped her voice was travelling to wherever he was and that Bucky could hear her. Saying one final goodbye, the family blew a kiss to the plinth before heading back to join an awaiting Steve in the car.

"how'd it go?" whispered Steve pulling the car back onto the main road. He glanced back at his rear view mirror and could see little Rebecca silently staring out the window "Sure you're OK?"

"fine...wasn't as many people there this time. I guess people are moving on now" she sighed, gazing down at hand and adjusting her wedding band that even after five years she couldn't bring herself to remove "Not us though right? You never get over it Steve. You just learn how to cope better. Even now I still feel guilty bout leaving Wakanda. I can't help but wonder what might have happened if I didn't keep it from him that I was pregnant that day before he went under. Maybe things would have turned put differently if he knew then he was going to be a father that early on. And now I'm moving home again...what must he think of me?"

"if you told him back then Hydra would have had still control of his mind. Plus keep telling you that he would never hate you. All Bucky would want is for you to be happy. Like I keep telling everyone its all about making those little baby steps in moving forward. Bucky would be so proud of you all and how far you've come since he.." Steve let out a deep heartbroken sigh as it began to dawn on him that he'd infact seen Bucky die twice now and there was nothing he could have done about it in both circumstances "Don't feel guilty Brogan. If anyone should feel immense guilt its me. I'm supposed to be this symbol for hope and survival. People look to me for answers about what to do but my guilt is that I don't know what to say to them. I'm Captain America, I'm not allowed to move on" he continued, deep sadness etched in His words "That's partly why I set the support group up. I can't sit around no more and do nothing. I want to help people but I feel so helpless"

"You do an amazing job Steve. Nobody could have known what was going to happen and how drastic things would change" with the Car stopping at a red light, Brogan leaned over and kissed his cheek "You're a good man Steve Rogers and I totally couldn't have got through any of this without you. I know it and I bet every single person you talk to at your group does too"

"Thank you. Talking of which I had a call earlier about that I left some reports in the office. Someone else is running it tonight but you mind if we swing by?"

"Course.."

Steve first decided to set the support group up after being inspired by the One run by his good friend Sam when they first met all those years ago. He remembered feeling motivated and in awe at hearing stories shared of the veterans struggle and how good a feeling it was to know that those experiences you thought only you had was shared by so many others. At first the group was high in demand but as the years went by the numbers slowly began to drop as many people just accepted the heart-breaking aftermath of the decimation and try to get on with their lives as best they could. Yes Steve still kept the group going for those who needed it regardless of how many actually would attend. In his heart he hoped that as long as he could help just one person take those small baby steps in moving forward with their lives It totally would have been worth it

"Ah Steve, thanks for coming back. I hope you didn't mind me giving you a call like that" Brogan and the children watched on as a man similar build to Steve with brown hair and blue eyes emerged from an office and shook his hand "We've got 10 people expected to attend tonight so that's amazing" the man looked up and instantly caught Brogan's gaze and smiled. She said nothing but couldn't help but feel her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson as the man stared at her "Oh I'm sorry I didn't realise you had company"

"Its ok Daniel this is my good friend Brogan. Reaching forward she took his hand gently in hers "Brogan this is Daniel Kennedy, he runs the group when I can't make it. He started off as an attendee himself but now and he helps me run things around here"

"well I'm sure Steve would be lost without you" Brogan cried continuing to smile warmly at the man "It truly is amazing what you guys do here..all the people you've helped"

"Thank you. It's like Steve says the world is ours now so all we can do is move forward" said Daniel handing Steve the reports "I take it you lost someone special too? I did... My fiancée Amanda"

"YES. Our Papa" piped up Rebecca. Already getting a feeling about this guy and his intentions towards her mother "Bucky Barnes.. "

"Barnes? Oh my God" the man quizzed as it hit him where he'd heard that name before "You mean the Winter Soldier right!? That guy that assassinated all those people.. You were married to the Winter Soldier? Wow"

"The winter Soldier may of been a bad guy but that wasn't my Papa. My Papa is and will always be a good man" snapped Rebecca ignoring her mother's pleas to calm down and tugs on her arm "and what do you mean by was married? Mama still is and he will come home to us just like he promised...you don't know anything"

"sorry little girl if I upset you. Its just that I read all the stories and news reports on what he did and who he killed" Daniel began to squirm awkwardly "I never realised that he was one of the lost too and not only was he married to such a beautiful woman"

"Well now you do.. " cried Rebecca. The anger in her words began to burst now "Besides it wasn't him that done those things. It was all the bad men's doing. Sooner people like you realise it the better "

"Rebecca Alice Barnes that's it...will you just please calm down" Brogan turned to the equally stunned Steve and sighed "Steve can you just take Becca and James to the car please!? Thank you ..Give me a minute" Steve took he still irate Rebecca by the hand and quickly soon led both children back to the car, leaving Brogan now alone with Daniel "Im so sorry about Rebecca. Bucky missed so much of her life when she was a youngster and the fact that she's lost him again through no fault of her own is breaking her heart. She feels and understands it more now she's older" slowly Brogan reached for his arm "its taken me 4 years to finally move forward so its most probably the same for her. Don't take it personally. Steve and her brother are the only two male figures she's comfortable me being around since we lost Bucky. Anyway I must go and calm my own Winter Soldier down now. Lovely to meet you Daniel"

"likewise.. Brogan you will stop by the group again won't you?" he looked over at her with almost pleading eyes. He'd only been in this mysterious woman's company for a few minutes but he already felt himself bewitched "maybe it will help little Rebecca"

"There's only one thing that will help her and that's her father coming home" Brogan smiled "But ill try...nice to meet you"