A/N: This is it guys, the moment I hope you've all been waiting for. Just one more after this. Thank you all again and I hope to see you at the end!

She wasn't as cold as she should've been. The window was a gaping hole and it was raining. The takeout menus she'd grabbed at the front desk were scattered all over the floor. Her suitcase was on its side. It looked like someone had tripped over it. Maybe that was what woke her up, though it could've always been the wind.

His eyes flicked all around, like a dog in a new place. They shined bright against the darkness like they hadn't in so many years. He wasn't wearing the armor anymore. He'd traded them out for a heavy brown coat, blue jeans, and a baseball hat. They were old and ratty like he'd pulled them out of the dumpster behind Goodwill. Even his shoes were ill-fitting and she thought she saw a toe sticking out.

Jane swallowed, pulling herself upright against the pillows. It was a slightly more comfortable position, but she couldn't truly relax. Not with the air suffocating her.

She took far too long to speak, even though she knew what to say. "Couldn't do what?"

"Leave," he whispered. She almost missed it. "I tried… I couldn't."

"Why not?" she asked. She leaned forward, reaching for his hand. He didn't pull away.

"I don't know," he said. "I wanted to. I should've. I should've left."

"No, no…"

He finally looked her in the eye. "That man said he knew me. You said you knew me. I don't know… anything. I don't understand…"

"It's okay," Jane said. "I haven't really understood anything for a long time."

Bucky nodded. His lips were chapped and she wanted so badly to give him something for it. Chapstick, herself. "I left him on the beach, and I started walking. I didn't know where I was going, I just wanted to… go. Just go."

'Please, don't go,' she wanted to cry out. She pressed her lips together and forced the words down.

"I went back to base and I told them the mission failed and they looked terrified. I don't think they meant for me to come back… I almost killed them. I destroyed the- the chair." He retched, but nothing came out. Jane started to reach for him, but he put up a hand. "And then I found those men who were holding you that day. I- I remembered it, and I don't think I was supposed to."

He had never put his hand down. Instead, he reached for her, fingers twitching like he didn't know what to do with himself. He might just be getting used to the idea that his body was his own. His eyes alternated between her face and his arm covered in faded leather. Almost like it used to be, before the metal whine.

"I remembered holding you," he said. "I remember… you talking to me and touching my face. And crying. I didn't like you crying."

The gap between them closed as he wiped a stray tear from her eye. Jane gripped his hand, soothed by how solid it was. Even if it wasn't flesh and blood, it was still him.

"I don't like you crying," he said, firmer. "I don't like making you cry."

"It's okay," Jane croaked, her throat aching in the best way. "I don't mind crying a little."

"Are you sad?"

"Not anymore."

"Then you're happy?"

"I am," Jane said, kissing his knuckles. "I've never been happier in my life."

He seemed to think that over, his eyes growing brighter with more and more thoughts breaking through the haze. A smile came with it, soft and understated, but more real than anything he may have known for years. If she had her way, he would smile like that for the rest of his life, just like she would.

"I make you happy?" he asked.

"So happy," Jane said.

His fingers ran from her eyes to her cheek, down her neck, and then moved to her hands. The ring gleamed as he ran a finger along the line of gems. Like twinkling stars in the night. "I want to make you happy… Jane."

It hit Jane right as she threw her arms around him that this was something out of a movie. She could hear the song that would play over their kiss in her head. It should've been some poppy top 40 number, but all she could think of was the triumphant swell of the Back to the Future score, and she almost laughed outright against Bucky's lips.

He kissed her back, pushing her down onto the bed. God, he was so huge. He could crush her like this. He hadn't been this big before, and when he immediately picked himself up, she knew he was aware of it. Jane pulled him back down. It took all her strength. She didn't care how much bigger or stronger he was. He wasn't a monster. He was her Bucky, and she'd remind him of it every day in every way she could.

They rolled around, breathless and unsure of what they were even doing. The pillows fell off the bed and the sheets tangled into a bunch. Bucky threw aside anything that got between them, and if he started working on her clothes next, well, that would be just fine in her book.

"I love you," he said through feverish kisses. "I love you, Jane Cinderhouse. I love you."

"I love you, too, Bucky Barnes," she said, "but um… do you think you can get used to Jane Foster?"

He looked down at her, a moment of calm amid the storm, still smiling in that beautiful way of his. "I'd rather get used to Jane Barnes."

"Yeah," Jane said before pulling him down. "Me, too."

Of course, nothing happens overnight. Not under their circumstances.

It was a few days before Bucky was ready to go anywhere. Jane extended her stay at the DC hotel for another week and they holed up together with a thousand stories about their past, Jane's life, and all the things she'd waited years to tell him. Bucky soaked in every word, gaining a few of his own in the process. Halfway through the story of the ambush on that base, he interrupted her to finish it and scold her again for being there that day.

That night, as they snuggled in bed with pizza crusts all over the floor and swing music playing from Jane's phone, she whispered in his ear. "Do you want to see him?"

Sometimes, when she asked, his muscles tensed and he refused to speak. Sometimes, he rolled on his side like he was ashamed to look at her. This time, he took a steadying breath and then nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The next morning, Jane called Steve. It rang five times and went to voicemail.

"Hey, Steve," Jane said cheerfully after the beep. "Sorry I missed you. Just wanted to see how you were doing. Also, I'm having some friends over for dinner tonight if you're interested. We're having steak. Anyway, talk to you later."

They had worked out this code with the help of Sam and Natasha the last time they were together, just in case any of HYDRA's or SHIELD's leavings decided to pry into their business.

Two hours later, Steve was at her door, completely out of breath, but smiling like Jane hadn't seen in years.

From there, it was a lot of rehabilitation. Only a select few knew the Winter Soldier had been found. To the rest of the world, he was just some random guy who appeared in public next to Captain America and Dr. Jane Foster. Jane didn't know who was pulling what strings to keep their faces out of the news, but she hadn't seen any of their names in any cheap gossip rags in weeks. She couldn't have been more grateful.

They had no way of leaving the country. Getting a passport for Bucky wasn't impossible, it was just a matter of getting him every other form of identification first. While Natasha worked on that, Jane sublet her London flat and rented a house in Bethesda. It turned out to be a nice change from the big city chaos she'd gotten used to. She could even see a few stars at night. Plus, they had amazing cafes.

Bucky loved to take walks in the evening. Her days were full of research and back and forths with colleagues who didn't understand the meaning of 'vacation time.' His were filled with therapy sessions with the counselor Sam had found for them and training at the gym with Steve. Whenever Jane questioned the latter, he said he didn't want his hands going soft. It sounded more like he wanted to be ready in case someone came after them. More than once, she'd woken up to find herself alone in bed and him wide awake at the front door, staring out the window with a kitchen knife tucked into his pants.

Technically, it was more ideal than all the other nights he woke up screaming from nightmares, but Jane still guided him back to bed, whispering that it was okay. They were safe now. Whether they really were or not.

Evenings, though, right as the sun was setting, that was the one time of day they could both just… be. Alone. Unimportant in the grand scheme of the universe. They'd walk to the park half a mile from their house and cuddle under a tree. Sometimes Jane would tell another story. Sometimes Bucky would. Most of the time, Jane would sit in Bucky's lap, the two snuggling close and just breathing together.

Nearly seven months passed like this. Jane taught Bucky to drive and he now had a perfectly legal driver's license in the brand-new wallet that Jane gave him for Christmas. He'd been reissued his old social security number. They had everything they needed to go wherever they wanted. No vague yet menacing government agents had blown up Jane's phone in months.

When she brought up possibly moving, Bucky shrugged. "I like it here."

And Jane had smiled and sighed in relief. "Yeah, me too."

One day, halfway through January, Jane was flipping through Netflix looking for something to watch while Bucky made them sandwiches in the kitchen. She paused on a show about construction work just as he walked in with the plates. He stopped, staring at the screen and clicking his tongue.

"What's up?" Jane asked.

"Nothing," he said, smiling to himself, "but I still have to build you that cabin with a skylight."

That was when Jane knew they were ready to go.

Darcy did her hair while Sharon helped her into her dress. They had arrived hours ago, but finding a spot to get ready that wasn't covered in cobwebs or mold was harder than they'd hoped it would be.

"See, when I get married, I'm not bothering with all this planning and organizing shit," Darcy said as she fastened the headpiece to Jane's newly wavy hair. "Me and my guy are jet-setting off to Paris or Rome or wherever and grabbing us a justice of the peace. Then we're off backpacking or something."

"Darcy, no offense, but you've never struck me as the outdoorsy type."

Sharon pursed her lips. "I don't know, she might have it in her. Ever scaled the underside of a cliff face? Because I was thinking of going next week."

Darcy blanched, and Jane and Sharon were left to fight off giggles. "Uh… maybe just a nice tour of the city would be better. I'm just saying, this isn't exactly the place I would've chosen for you to get married, Jane."

"It was cheap," Jane said.

"Dirt cheap," Sharon said. "You basically bought the whole building, didn't you?"

"I thought Bucky would like it," Jane said, dusting her already made-up cheeks with a light blush.

Flying to Brooklyn for the wedding and gathering their minuscule, but far-spread guest list together had been the easy part. The real trouble came when Jane's fears were confirmed and almost all of Bucky's favorite places were little more than decaying buildings. If they were lucky, his old pizza place had simply been replaced by a fancy boutique. Everything else was just a memory now.

Goldie's Gym had folded over fifty years ago. The building had been vacant ever since. It took Jane weeks to track down the owner and make her case for turning it into a temporary event venue. His reply had been to hand her a deed and request what amounted to a handful of pennies. Jane had paid it without question, and now the walls were covered in flowers and streamers. Chairs were lined up before a makeshift altar and ribbon-wrapped arch.

It wasn't a lot of people's ideal wedding. Hell, probably no ones. For Jane and Bucky, nothing in the world could've been more perfect.

As their guests began to arrive, Darcy stood by the door with her phone in hand, playing some kind of British pop music that didn't sound exactly wedding oriented. At least it was good for bobbing your head.

"Hello, welcome to the Barnes-Foster wedding," she said, "are you here for the bride or the groom?"

"Technically the best man," Sam said, adjusting his tie, "but the bride and the groom are growing on me. Mostly the bride."

"Yeah, she's pretty great," Darcy grinned. "Slightly questionable preference in locale, though."

"Aw, I kind of like it," Sam said as she walked with him to his seat. "It's sentimental."

"Yeah, but the Plaza has nicer rooms," Darcy shrugged.

Sam chuckled. "Well, maybe one day you'll get married over there."

"Married nothing, I'd just take a night."

"So would I," Sam said.

He smiled and Darcy blushed. She pretended to stretch, showing off another half-inch of cleavage. "Yeah, if only I wasn't newly single and all. We decided to be just friends."

"Never hurts to have more friends," Sam said.

"Indeed," Darcy said. "You want to sit together?"

Sam furrowed his brow. "Aren't you supposed to be up at the altar?"

"Oh, I'm not the maid of honor," Darcy said.

"No? Then who is?"

When the ceremony began, Bucky stood at the altar beside a newly ordained former SHIELD agent who owed Natasha a favor. The main room of the gym was devoid of a boxing ring or punching bags. Everything was different, and it was in his eyes how ill-suited he felt to so much of the world around him.

Here, though, there was a level of peace that flowed through him to Jane. Even without the steady thuds of gloves on flesh or the stench of sweat permeating the air, there could still be a home for him here. Maybe one for both of them.

As Darcy switched to the wedding march, Steve appeared at the end of the aisle, wheeling in Peggy Carter, fabulously dressed in a red sequin gown. Her hair was newly cut and styled. As they passed the second row, she winked at Sharon.

They moved slowly, Steve didn't want to jostle her. At the end of the aisle, he walked around Peggy's chair and knelt in front of her. He seemed to be checking her, making sure all her tubes were still connected and her eyes were clear. She took his hand and they looked into each other's eyes, the altar protruding over their heads. Sharing a moment to wonder what could have been.

Once they had taken their places, everyone stood. Jane walked out of the locker on Erik's arm. The music faded from her ears as she spotted Bucky, and she almost laughed at the look on his face. Like a twelve-year-old whose crush had just talked to him. Darcy had said this dress would knock his socks off and it looks like she was right again.

She kept her eyes on him the whole way down the aisle. Even as Darcy gave her a thumbs up and Peggy mouthed at her, 'you did it.'

Erik hugged her and kissed her on the cheek before sitting down. He nodded at Bucky, reassurance possibly tinged with the old 'I'm watching you' way of a loving father. Then Bucky took Jane's hands and they were the only ones left in the world.

"Dearly beloved," the agent said. "We are gathered here today in the sight of God and all you lovely people, to join in matrimony this man and this woman. Love is the thing we all strive for in life, not always in the same way, but always with joy and hope for a brighter future. It may seem strange to know how long these two waited for their happy ending, but marriage is not so much the end of a story as it is the start of a new one. Having finally found the person to write that story with."

He went on, but Jane missed most of it. There was still a sense of unreality to standing in this spot with Bucky in his fitted suit and his hair tied back. The metal hand uncovered and holding hers with such tenderness. She never thought she'd be here. That anyone would ever say to them,

"Do you, James, take Jane to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And do you, Jane, take James to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

That they would ever pick out rings and place them on that little pillow. Slide them on each other's fingers in an eternal promise.

That they would finally hear, "Then by the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And that when they kissed all their closest friends would cheer. Music would play, and it would be just like she hoped it would be as a child. Even when she never would've admitted it.

It was a gorgeous night, and if it wasn't freezing out, Jane might've insisted on having the reception on the pier. Opening the windows to let the moon in would have to do, and it bathed the room in a healthy glow that chipped away the old paint and rotting signs they hadn't been able to scrub off the wall.

Jane sipped her cocktail and relaxed in her plastic folding chair. She'd excused herself from Steve and Bucky's conversation to take a moment alone by the refreshments. Dinner would be arriving soon, assuming Darcy had given the pizza guy the right address. He'd said twenty minutes at least half an hour ago.

"So," Peggy said, rolling up to her. "How does it feel to be a married woman?"

Jane looked at her engagement ring, now joined by a plain gold band with their names engraved on the inside. "You know, it's not so bad."

"I would hope so. That's quite a firm man you have there."

Jane nearly snorted her drink. "Wait, seriously? That's just dirty of you."

"How so, I don't think I said anything outside of propriety," Peggy said coyly.

"Okay, old lady, keep your eyes on your own man."

For a moment, Jane regretted saying that. Then she saw the cloud of longing pass over Peggy's feature, not quite as bittersweet as it once was. Steve glanced over at them and smiled. He'd probably come over soon and wheel Peggy out onto the floor. It might not be the kind of dance they were used to, but it would do.

"I'm so happy for you, Jane," Peggy said, squeezing Jane's hand. For all that her grip had weakened with age, she was still as radiant as ever.

"Thank you," Jane said. "Thank you for being here."

"Come now, I've been waiting seventy years for this."

They clinked their glasses together and then Peggy wheeled herself away to get some hor d'ouves. Jane took the time to refill her glass and talk to a few more guests. Darcy had kept the music up during the cocktail hour, which was more like a cocktail twenty minutes, but who was counting?

There weren't too many people left for her to greet. By the time she got to all of them, Erik was at her side, pulling her into a bear hug.

"I can't believe you're married," he said, only the slightest bit tipsy. "I'm so proud of you."

"Even if you're still confused?"

"Oh, so very confused."

Jane giggled and hugged him back. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything," he said, looking sheepish, "I know I've been… absent the last few years. Never should've gotten in with those creeps."

"Hey, you couldn't have known," Jane said. "You're looking a lot better now."

He really did. The bags under his eyes had vanished and he'd put on at least ten pounds since she last saw him. There was a lot of hair missing from his head that would never come back, but Jane was happy to have her old friend back as whole as he could be.

"So," he said, dropping his voice, "did you ever figure out how it happened?"

Jane sighed. "I've thought about it a thousand times, everything that had to come together for the bridge to malfunction like that. Could've been so many things. The weather, a design flaw… I don't think this is an experiment I can repeat."

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

"Maybe at first," she said, looking out at the moon. "Only a little. I think you may have been right when you said we all have a path. Maybe this was just my path. You could even call it destiny."

Erik chuckled. "I wouldn't have thought you believed in that."

"I didn't," Jane said. "I don't really know what to believe anymore, but that's okay. That means there's a world of possibilities. And you know, if there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that it's never too late. You always have a chance to be happy."

"That's a beautiful sentiment," Erik said, "even if it is a bit sappy."

"A bit?" Jane laughed, then she glanced over Erik's shoulder and grinned. "I mean it, though, Erik, it's never ever too late."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Hello, Erik."

Erik turned around to face the woman behind him. She had brown hair with grays at the root and aging, yet pretty features. She wore a long pink dress and flashed him a sunny smile. Surprise turned to shock as Erik's eyes bugged out and he fumbled over his tongue. "E-Emily? Is that you?"

Jane stepped back. It wasn't like they'd notice.

"Your goddaughter invited me," Emily said. "I'm sorry that I'm a bit late."

"No uh… that's great. Wonderful. Uh…" Erik swallowed. "How is- How is Richard?"

"He passed. Six years ago, actually."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It's all right," she said, her smile returning. "My children are all grown and living their lives. I'm mostly at work these days. I run a botanical garden and greenhouse in Rochester."

"That sounds amazing," Erik said. "I've been traveling mostly… but I'd love to hear about the garden."

"That's great because I'd love to hear about the traveling."

They walked off together, and Jane didn't fail to notice when Erik reached for Emily's hand and she took it.

Jane closed her eyes, taking in a breath. She could let this moment carry her away. It helped that a pair of strong arms had wrapped around her. A hot puff of air warmed her ear as Bucky kissed it.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"How do you feel?" she replied.

She turned to face him, sinking deeper into his embrace. The smell of him was everywhere, deep and sweet and just so wonderfully Bucky. Exactly like the day they met.

"Never better," he said into her hair.

"Never better," Jane repeated.

They would sleep peacefully tonight.

"All right, everyone! Looks like the Bride and Groom are on the verge of some PDA," Darcy shouted through the mic. Where she had found that thing and how she hooked it up to her phone so quickly was anyone's guess. "What do you say we get them out here for their first dance?"

Everyone applauded and Steve fixed them with an impish grin that made Bucky growl in annoyance. "Should punch him later."

"Hey, we started it," Jane said.

She led him to the spot where the ring used to be. It made for a decent enough dance floor. Everyone gathered around, forming a circle.

"So, when I asked Jane what her and Bucky's song was going to be, she said they hadn't picked one," Darcy said. "I took that as carte blanche to do whatever I wanted. Don't worry, I picked a good song. In fact, I picked a very fitting song, so as your official unofficial DJ for the evening allow me to say congratulations to Jane and Bucky. And, in the words of those great philosophers, Bill S. Preston and Ted Theodore Logan, party on, dudes!"

The music started. It was brimming with eighties from the first note, but while that might've sounded strange to Bucky's ears, he took her hand and bowed like a Victorian gentleman anyway. Jane tried to curtsey, but she was snickering too hard. They skipped that part and got right to the dancing.

In rehearsal, Jane had stepped on Bucky's foot three times. They always laughed it off, but she was glad when it didn't happen this time. They glided around the room, led by a synth and a guitar, and a voice serenading them.

'In time, we'll be dancing in the streets all night!
All night, all night'

"In time, yes everything will be all right," Jane sang to herself.

Bucky held her tighter. Their dance had devolved into little more than swaying, and it sounded like a few other couples were about to join them. Jane closed her eyes, focusing all her senses on her feet and their arms around each other.

They fell into a rhythm with the music, every high and low it reached until the song faded out and an atom bomb of horns knocked Jane out of the moment.

"What the-"

It took her a moment to recognize the new song. Huey Lewis and the News. Darcy was grinning like a fool. "Sorry, Jane, had to do it."

As the dance floor filled with all ten of their guests, Jane rolled her eyes. "Sometimes that girl drives me nuts."

"I don't know," Bucky said, tapping his foot. "I kind of like it."

"Of course you do."

They fell back into the groove, forgetting about steps and just jumping up and down with their friends. Sam and Darcy. Sharon and Natasha. Even Steve and Peggy were getting into it. Some of them sang along, mostly those capable of getting drunk. Even though Jane had stayed mostly within her two-drink limit, she couldn't help singing along. Slowly, so Bucky could read her lips and learn the words.

'So take me away, I don't mind,
But you'd better promise me I'll be back in time!'

They sang and jumped and made mock trumpet noises until it became too ridiculous and they were laughing too hard to kiss properly. They tried a few times, then went back to dancing. Losing themselves in the music, as the party carried them through the night.