A day later Shannon and Steve got admitted out of the hospital as Sam took them two to Nick Fury's gravestone. The three of them talk with Fury briefly as he goes on his way. Natasha approaches them as she called in a few favours as she had recovered Bucky's KGB file.
"Finding Nightmare's errr Melly's might be tricky." Admitted Natasha.
"It's alright Natasha," Shannon says to her, "I have a feeling she had a taste of what Bucky went through."
At Steve's place, Shannon gave him a cup of coffee. Shannon was glad she could read Russian as they helped each other translate the files together as she didn't see anything about Melly in them. They guessed these were the older files and her's had to be much newer and stored elsewhere. Shannon got her laptop to search the database to find very little of her in it, just the file of her before she was reported killed in action.
"Find anything?"
"Nothing." She spoke, sadly.
"You'll find her, I know you will."
"Same back at you with Bucky..."
"Thanks Shannon, so Kate was a distant cousin of yours all this time?"
"I knew she was under Fury's orders to protect me but I didn't realise she was ordered to protect you too."
"You were just going along with it."
"Pretty much." Shannon replied, "Her real name is Sharon."
Steve appreciated her being there as she felt disturbed and upset on what she saw in Bucky's file. But she then remembered something Bucky was there for Melly... Perhaps her experience wasn't all that bad, but she wanted to know and find the people who did it to her not just Bucky.
"Shannon, we'll find out what we can about Melly." said Steve, "Besides you and Sam promised to help me find Bucky, it's only fair I help you do the same."
"I think I know how Melly got her memory back so fast." Shannon said as she thought carefully.
"Oh?"
"When we first joined she suggested we get special training to resist brainwashing besides enemy torture, I mean we were dealing with the all sorts of Extremists. That has to be it."
"Smart and tough like you, I like her already."
"Melly always knew when to do the right thing and when to just go along with it." As she then realized it as a smile grew on her face, "That sneaky granddaughter of a gun! That's what she was doing all along."
"Makes sense since you told me someone had been leaving sketchbooks with detailed sketches and notes about targets, and everything else."
"There has to be more to it though," Shannon said.
"There usually is."
Shannon started to think... Her face went white at the realization...
"Shannon?"
"Dee Dee can't have kids. I remember her showing me a photo she printed off. I just realized who their biological parents are."
"Oh?"
"Let's go you have to see them."
"I don't see why but ok..."
Dee Dee's house was outside the city's limits. Shannon knocked on the door as they saw Dee Dee open the door to see them.
"Oh Shannon what a pleasant surprise." said Dee Dee.
"We need to talk about Melly." said Shannon.
"Then come right in," Said Dee Dee.
Steve saw a pair of twins playing... a boy and girl that looked about 3or 4 years old... But they looked familiar... As Steve's memory clicked as if he was seeing Bucky all over again when they were kids... And Melly from the photos that Shannon had when she and Melly were kids. Steve looked at the ladies.
"Melly and Bucky, the twins are theirs?"
"Melly dropped them off here years ago, they were six months then. Ben and I had been raising them since."
"It took me a while to figure it out but Melly said they managed to get a head of them and escape once together. I figured that Melly and Bucky wanted them safe until it was time for them to be a family." Said Shannon.
"It was all she could do," Said Dee Dee, "The Winter Soldier was just going along with her master plan. They didn't have a choice, because Hydra wanted to make sure there always was a Winter Soldier and a Nightmare Soldier. It was the only way they could get Melly to co-operate with them too, because she figured the consequences were much harsher if she rebelled."
"It must have been so hard on her to give them up."
"Melly was right though, Bucky liked kids there was times he lash out if he saw kids being forced to serve, that was when we liberated a concentration camp that Hydra had. He was pissed."
"You didn't stop him?"
"I was about the same, that's why. Well it looks like I don't have to go far to find her friend."
"That's because that friend is right here beside you already," Shannon teased, as Steve smiled.
"You two want to meet them?"
"Yes," they said, following Dee Dee to the twins.
"George, Melissa, this is Shannon Carter and Steve Rogers, they know you're parents."
"Cappy?" said George.
"Yeah I'm Captain America." Steve said with a smile, as the Boy got up to hug Steve.
"Cherie?" said Melissa.
Shannon smiled, "Close enough, yes that's me." Melissa got up as she hugged Shannon too.
"Mommy and Daddy? Where?" George asked.
"We hadn't seen them in a while."
"Bad guys again?" asked Melissa.
Steve and Shannon looked at Dee Dee, "No secret policy, just chose your words carefully."
Steve nodded as he looked at the twins, "Yeah, your father might need more time to remember but you're mom won't take much longer to remember you both."
"But no matter what they will always love you both." said Shannon.
An hour later Steve and Shannon left as they were overwhelmed with happiness that the kids gave them. "I wonder if Melly's folks know."
"They do," said Dee Dee, "Her whole family knows but they know the situation, it's just a matter of time before they get their memories back in order."
"I'll try to visit often Dee Dee." Promised Shannon.
"Oh right I forgot they told me once you two found out about the twins that they wanted you two to be their godparents."
Steve hugged Dee Dee, "Consider it done, Dee Dee."
"Let us know if you hear anything about them." said Shannon as she hugged Dee Dee next.
"Will do, and if I need a babysitter?"
"Call us." Steve and Shannon said together.
Dee Dee laughed, "If only granpie Dum Dum would see you now Steve he'd be laughing his buns off."
"Like you are right now?" He snickered as everyone laughed.