Chapter 35. What Should Have Been
The next morning Rosie jumped on the bed and licked Bucky on the nose, while making soft trills in her throat. As Ariel stretched, he opened his eyes to the ginger cat.
"I suppose you're hungry," he said to the feline. "We do have food, don't we?"
"There was some already here and a litter box," Ariel replied as she yawned. "Maybe Will got them for her."
Neither one of them made a move to get out of bed, until Rosie touched Bucky's nose tentatively with her paw.
"Alright, I'm getting up," he complained then he looked at the clock. "We do have to get going soon. Up you get. You can have the bathroom first."
Patting Ariel on the rounded outline of her bottom he stood up and pulled on his briefs. Heading to the kitchen he looked for the cat food that was supposedly already there. Finding it he put a serving out for the cat, then started the coffee up. He slipped some bacon into a pan and pulled out the bread and a carton of eggs. By the time the bacon was done, Ariel was downstairs, looking amazing in a sun dress and carrying an overnight bag. She took over while he took care of his necessities. When he got back down with his bag breakfast was on the table.
"I like your kitchen," she said, then corrected herself. "Our kitchen. Did you do the renovations from what it originally was?"
"Yeah, I did a lot of research on the internet and at the library," replied Bucky. "Sam and several of his neighbours helped me demolish the old kitchen and we took out some walls, replacing them with overhead beams to increase the space. It's a small community but they're very welcoming. It's why I moved here."
"It feels right to be here," she said, as they sat down to eat. "Can I ask you something?"
"Always," he replied.
"After the rescue, Sam told me you waited outside the antique store on the day of the Stark Expo. Why?"
"I almost ran after you at Walt Whitman Park when you walked away. I knew I had hurt you, but I was hurting as well. I had opened myself to you like no other woman. Instead, I went and got stinking drunk. After I sobered up a bit, my dad told me that bending to the one you love was part of being in a relationship and by Friday I was ready to bend. I put on my dress uniform, and I stood across the street watching you through the window. Kept telling myself that if you looked up, and our eyes met, I would cross the street, enter the store, and beg your forgiveness."
"But I didn't look up, did I?" asked Ariel. "I was trying to keep my mind busy and with Merton selling the store we had a lot of customers that kept me occupied." She put her hand on his. "If you had come in, I may have said to hell with it and married you. I would have thrown it all away for you, Bucky." She took a deep breath. "I would have told them all that HYDRA had you and that you had to be rescued. I wouldn't have left you there."
"They would have arrested you for interfering with the timeline."
She nodded and swallowed as it was true. Her doing that would be a crime equivalent to what Lowell Pierce Mason did. Standing up with her dishes she placed them in the sink and ran the water. Bucky brought his dishes over, placing them in the warm soapy water. He didn't move away from behind her, still knowing her so well that he knew what was coming. When she started to cry, he turned her around and held her.
"I'll never lose you again," he whispered. "No one ever measured up to you, Ariel. No one."
They didn't move from there for several minutes then almost as if they were speaking telepathically, they split apart and washed the dishes together, with Bucky drying them and putting them away.
Half an hour later they were on the road with Rosie in a cat carrier and Sam in the back seat. While they drove Sam looked on his phone for a short-term vacation rental with two bedrooms that allowed pets. He kept showing Ariel the places that came up until they agreed on the one to book. As they listened to music, Ariel asked questions about living in Delacroix. After a brief stop in the Florida panhandle, Sam took over driving for a while and Ariel laid down in the back seat to have a nap. When they pulled up to the rental place in Tampa, Bucky opened the door to the back seat and gently brushed Ariel's cheek.
"We're here," he said softly. "We'll get settled then Sam and I will pick some groceries up and get something for dinner."
Yawning, Ariel sat up and stretched, smiling self-consciously at Bucky before getting out of the truck. It was almost sunset and still quite warm outside, but the rental had air conditioning. The two men left to get some food while Ariel fed Rosie and set up a litter box for her. While she waited, she figured out the remote control to turn on the television. After browsing the listings, she picked a game show and watched in fascination as people tried to guess prices on everyday things to win a big prize. Then three contestants got to spin a wheel to determine who got to play the final pricing challenge. It was loud, brainless, and completely enthralling to her. When Bucky and Sam returned, she wanted to see who won so they sat with her, making their own guess on the final showcases. Both men's guesses were over the right prices but the one lady on the show guessed close enough to win both showcases and Ariel clapped at the obvious skill in guessing correctly.
"How do you get to be there to watch that in person?" she asked.
"You have to go to Los Angeles and line up outside the studio," said Sam. "Then they let so many people in and choose the ones who get called up to try and guess the prices. It's been on television for years. I remember watching it when I was home sick from school."
"They don't have anything like that in 2142," said Ariel. "They have game shows, but you have to have knowledge."
"Like Jeopardy?" asked Bucky. "I watch that."
"Yeah, I think I saw some old video of that," she replied. "It's similar but a lot harder. This one was so much more exciting."
After eating Ariel curled up on the sofa next to Bucky, watching more TV with them. It was a quiet evening that reminded Ariel of sitting in the parlour of the apartment above the antique store, except for watching the TV screen. Before they went to bed, they planned out the next day, deciding to leave Rosie at the rental while they made contact with Rebecca first.
The following day it only took them 20 minutes to drive to the senior's home. From the outside it looked like a pleasant place, with lots of trees on site. The pale-yellow exterior had many windows making it seem light and airy inside. They stopped at the reception desk, waiting patiently for their turn. When the receptionist saw Bucky and Sam her face lit up in recognition.
"Well, hello," she smiled. "My goodness. I wasn't expecting Captain America and Bucky Barnes to show up here. Is there someone you're looking for?"
"Yes, we would like to see Rebecca Proctor," said Bucky, smiling back. "I only just learned she lives here. She's my sister."
"You're serious," she said then her face changed again. "We always thought it was her imagination that made her say that."
"She spoke of me?" asked Bucky. "Why didn't you believe her?"
"Why don't I call an administrator, and someone can come down to speak to you before you go up," said the receptionist sympathetically.
They waited in the lobby for a few minutes then were approached by a pleasant looking woman in a suit. She gestured to them to sit.
"Could you provide proof that Mrs. Proctor is your sister?" she asked abruptly.
"She was born September 27, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York," said Bucky, not sure why she wouldn't accept him as Rebecca's brother. "The only daughter of George and Winnifred Barnes. I shipped out June 6, 1943, and never saw her again. I thought she was dead until a friend did some searching and located her here."
"When did you go missing?" she asked.
"I was taken as a POW in October of 1943, rescued by Steve Rogers, and was with the Howling Commandos until I fell from a train on February 1, 1945, a Thursday. I was declared dead at that time."
"Well, everything you've told me has been said by Mrs. Proctor, but I just don't know," she said, reluctantly. "There have been several attempts by scam artists to impersonate you and most of what you just said is in the public record. Do you have proof of who you are?"
With a sigh Bucky stood up and took his gloves off, then his Henley shirt, revealing a short-sleeved T-shirt underneath that exposed his vibranium arm. Going over to an empty sofa he picked it up with one hand, holding it over his head before gently putting it down on the ground.
"Is that proof enough that I am Bucky Barnes?" he asked.
"Isn't it true that elderly patients often remember their past better than their present?" asked Ariel. "Surely, she would recognize Bucky since he's only aged about ten years in appearance since the 1940s."
"I can vouch for his identity," said Sam. "You accept who I am, right? You can even accompany us to her room. The man just wants to see the sister he hasn't seen since 1943. She's his only family."
"I want to but access to her has been restricted by her children," said the woman. "They just want to protect her from people taking advantage of her desire to see you. Would you be willing to wait for one of her children? Her oldest does live in Tampa and has responsibility for Mrs. Proctor's welfare."
Bucky accepted the compromise and sat back on the chair after putting his Henley shirt back on. Ariel held his hand, feeling his frustration at being denied access to his sister. Knowing the reason for the delay was legitimate didn't stop making it feel like he was being compared to scam artists. While they waited, several residents recognized the two men, asking for selfies. Even as Bucky swallowed his pride, allowing the interaction with the other residents, Ariel could tell his heart wasn't in it. With Sam's support he got through the twenty-minute wait before an almost white-haired woman with bright blue eyes walked in, accompanied by a man in his forties, still dark-haired and also blue-eyed. Right away they came up to the four of them, with her standing in front of Bucky with a longing look on her face.
"It really is you, isn't it?" she said softly. "You're Bucky, James Buchanan Barnes, born March 10, 1917."
Bucky's eyes began to tear up. "I'm Rebecca's brother. I didn't even know she was still alive until two days ago. We came here as soon as we could, but they wouldn't let me see her."
She looked at Sam in acknowledgement then looked at Ariel, with confusion at first, then held her hand out to both of them.
"I'm Winnie Peterson, the oldest," she said. "This is my oldest son, Barry." She looked back at Ariel. "Are you Ariel Black? You are, aren't you? Ma had a painting of you, and you look exactly as you did in 1943, except your hair is different."
"Yes, I am," said Ariel carefully then looked around. "I'm not at liberty to say anything more in a public setting like this. Bucky really wants to see her. Can we do that then find somewhere more private?"
"Absolutely," smiled Winnie, then she looked at the administrator. "I'm satisfied that this man is my uncle, Bucky Barnes. He and his friends, Ariel Black, and Sam Wilson, are to be given access to Rebecca any time on my authority and confirmed by Barry."
The younger man nodded his approval and the administrator left to enter the information in the records. Taking Bucky and Ariel by their hands Winnie took them to the elevator. Barry pressed the button, smiling at everyone.
"How did Rebecca end up with a painting of Ariel?" asked Sam.
"When Steve Rogers joined the army everything he owned was stored with George and Winnifred Barnes, including a small painting of Ariel," said Winnie. "They kept it after he was declared dead. Then when he was found in 2011, he sought out Ma and told her to keep it safe. I think he was in love with you, Ariel, but he knew that you and Bucky were meant for each other."
"He never told me that he found Rebecca," said Bucky, a frown appearing on his forehead.
"I'm sorry about that," said Winnifred apologetically, as the doors opened, and they stepped inside. "When you were identified as the Winter Soldier, it really upset her. She reacted strongly to anyone who made disparaging remarks about you. They were ready to diagnose her with dementia because of how vehement she could be but she's sharp as a tack."
Bucky watched his niece's face as she described how passionate Rebecca could be in defending her big brother against his detractors. There was admiration but also distress at what his sister went through.
"So, you told him not to tell me?" he asked.
She nodded, then squeezed his hand. "You were in such bad shape, and everyone was looking for you to arrest you or worse. Then you needed to focus on yourself and get better when you were in Wakanda. Steve told us you disappeared in the Snap and then when you and the others returned there just wasn't time, I guess. We've wanted to reach out to you, but it just seemed to never be the right time, you know? The scammers started showing up while you were involved in the Flag Smashers, and I'm sorry, it was hard to know what to do but now that you're here it's obvious that you need to be with her, and I know she needs to be with you." The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out. Winnie faced Bucky, looking up at him. "Please forgive us, Uncle Bucky. We only ever wanted to protect Ma."
A mass of emotions flew over his face as he looked at the elderly face of his oldest niece, her eyes just like her mother's. He swallowed and hugged her.
"No more secrets," he said firmly. "I want to be involved, not just with her care but with all of you. You're the only family I have."
"We promise," said Winnie. "How long are you staying here?"
He looked at Sam, who shrugged. "A few days at least, longer if I'm not called for a mission."
"Alright, we'll put out the call and get everyone here as quickly as we can," said Winnie. She looked down the hall. "Let's get you reunited with Ma." They approached the door and stood outside for a moment. "I think we should just do Uncle Bucky first, then gauge her reaction to him before springing Ariel and Captain America on her."
"There's a small lounge where we can wait," said Barry, gesturing with his hand. "Good luck, Mom."
Winnie took her uncle's hand and walked through the open door into a large suite, with a sitting room, bathroom, and bedroom. An elderly woman was bent over a table filled with plants, watering them. Leaving Bucky just inside the door Winnie went to the older woman.
"Ma?" she asked. "Ma, I brought someone to see you."
"No," muttered the other woman. "I don't want to. I'm busy."
"I think you'll want to see him," persisted Winnie. "Ma, he's here. Bucky is here."
Rebecca stopped and looked at her daughter. "You won't let him see me. You think he'll hurt me."
"No, Ma, that's not true. We were trying to protect both of you from con artists. It was wrong but Bucky is really here, look."
"Bucky, here?" she asked, then she looked back towards the door and saw him.
Bucky could feel his lips tremble at the sight of his sister searching his face. It had been only days for him since her younger self had called him by name at the Brooklyn grocer. For her it had been over 83 years.
"Hi Rebecca," he squeaked, then coughed to get his voice back to normal. "I'm finally back and I'll be here for you from now on."
"It was you," she replied. "You were there at the apple sale."
"I wasn't allowed to tell you," he said, "but you were right. I was there to keep you and Ariel safe. HYDRA was trying to hurt you and they sent me from now to the past to protect you both. You were so smart to recognize me."
In the moments it took to say those few sentences Bucky strode to his sister until he towered over her, then gently touched her hair and cheek before wrapping her in his arms, both of them crying over the lost years. Winnie beamed at both of them, wiping away her own tears of joy at this reunion.
"Why didn't you come before?" asked Rebecca when they finally pulled apart. "I waited and I waited."
"I didn't know about you," said Bucky. "Steve didn't tell me. It was probably safer for you. I wasn't myself for a long time."
"You would never hurt me," replied his sister. "The other man with you at the fireworks. Who was he?"
"He's here," answered Bucky. "Along with someone else. Winnie, would you go get them?"
Gently he guided Rebecca to the sofa in the sitting room, sitting with her and holding her hand. They didn't speak; instead, they just gazed at each other. Winnie returned with Sam, and he slowly approached Rebecca before kneeling before her and offering her his hand.
"Winnie said you asked about me. I'm Sam Wilson, Captain America. That was me with Bucky at the baseball diamond and the World's Fair."
"You weren't at the store," she stated, frowning slightly.
"I worked at the fishmonger's next door but I got hurt," he answered. "I was beaten up badly and had to come back to a future time to get better."
"You're okay now?" she asked. "You and Bucky are partners, right?"
"We are." He laughed at Bucky rolling his eyes. "Your brother says we're just co-workers, but we're partners and best friends. I trust him with my life."
Rebecca grinned and pushed Bucky's arm playfully. "Still a tough guy." She looked past Sam. "You said there was someone else."
"We weren't the only people from the future in 1940," said Bucky. "Some other people from even further in the future were there to keep an eye on things and make sure they weren't changed by HYDRA. They were just supposed to watch and report but sometimes they fell in love with people from that time. It happened to me, Rebecca. She fell in love with me."
Ariel walked in and approached Rebecca before kneeling before her, beside Sam.
"Ariel? You're from the future?" asked Rebecca, recognizing her.
"I am," she replied. "I was born in 2119 and was sent back to watch Bucky. When I fell in love with him, I wanted to stay and marry him, but I wasn't allowed then. It would have changed the future of the world."
"You broke his heart," stated Rebecca. "It broke yours, too."
"It did. I almost wanted to die. But HYDRA wanted to take me away. This Bucky and Sam kept both of us safe from them doing that."
"Is that how you found each other again?" asked Rebecca, looking between Bucky and Ariel. "You are together again, right?"
"They brought Bucky to 2142 because I wasn't doing well," said Ariel. "He told me he still loved me but I didn't believe him. Other things happened and then I realized I still loved him, too."
"She's staying with me in 2024 and we're going to get married," said Bucky. "I knew when I first saw her in 1940, she was the one for me and she still is."
Rebecca smiled and looked at her daughter. "Winnie, in my safe deposit box at the bank, there are two small boxes."
"I know the ones you mean," she said. "Are they ...?"
"All these years I've kept them, hoping that somehow they would find each other again," said the older woman. "You haven't sold them?"
"No, Ma, they're in the bank," she smiled. "I'll go get them right now. Barry, let's leave them to catch up."
While the two were gone Rebecca wouldn't answer any questions about the two small boxes, although Bucky had his suspicions. They talked about the fireworks and Bucky told her how there were two men there who were supposed to kidnap Ariel. Then he told Rebecca about how afraid he was when the men at the World's Fair took her instead of Ariel.
"Didn't they know who they were supposed to take?" she asked. "They couldn't have been very smart."
"They weren't," replied Bucky. "They were locals, easily convinced to break the law."
"I was so angry at you two when you broke up," said Rebecca. "I wanted you to get married, have kids, and be happy." She looked away for a moment. "Ma and Dad were so sad when we heard you were killed. Ma didn't go to church for over a year. Said she couldn't believe in a God who took you away from her."
"It was better they believed I was dead," said Bucky. "What HYDRA did to me was terrible and it took me so long to get away."
"Why didn't anyone look for you?"
"They all thought I was dead. Steve saw me fall and couldn't believe I survived. No one did."
"I always thought you were alive," she declared. Tears filled her eyes as her lips trembled. "It was hard holding on to that. I couldn't even say anything about you at the store as that man who looked like Mr. Burnett said I had to keep it a secret."
"Andrew Smith came to see you?" asked Bucky. He looked at Ariel. "He came to 1940 with us, but he looked younger. Merton Burnett is actually Ariel's father."
"He is?" asked Rebecca. "Ma and Dad knew he was gay, but he was a good friend to you and Steve. Did he use a surrogate or something?"
"Your ma said something to that effect," confirmed Ariel. "He helped his friend have me through IVF then when I became a historian, he was my first supervisor. I didn't know he was my father until I got back to my future. Looking back, it was kind of obvious he loved me. He helped me through so much."
"When are you getting married?" asked Rebecca, looking from her brother to Ariel and back. "Do you think you would do it here, in Florida? I'm not strong enough to travel."
Sam pulled out his phone and looked something up. "You can get a licence, take a quick marriage course and have the ceremony a day later," he answered. "They got you valid identification, right?"
Ariel nodded and patted her small purse. "It's all in here. Could we do it on the beach? Rebecca, are you strong enough to be my matron of honour for a beach wedding?"
A small giggle escaped the elderly woman's mouth and she beamed at both of them, saying nothing more about a wedding until her daughter Winnie arrived with the two small boxes, one square and one heart-shaped. With her mother's permission Winnie gave them both to Bucky and he smiled when he opened them, his suspicions confirmed.
"You kept them," he said. "Why?"
"Hope," answered his sister. "You and Ariel loved each other so much that I kept hoping that somehow you would be together. You were older when I saw you those times in 1940 so I had to believe that you made it out of the war somehow. Even though it didn't make sense when we got the telegram about your death, I still had hope that you were alive somewhere. Ma and Dad didn't want to sell them either, because they belonged to you."
Bucky took the engagement ring out of the heart-shaped box and looked softly at Ariel.
"Would you marry me, Ariel?" he asked. "Would you accept me now, after all we've been through?"
"Yes, I'll marry you," she smiled, holding her hand towards his.
He placed the ring on her ring finger, then stood up with her, kissing her in front of everyone. They both decided to accept Rebecca's suggestion to get married in Tampa, taking several days to arrange it, starting with a quick trip to the clerk's office to apply for the licence then finding someone to perform the ceremony. As the rest of Rebecca's children and grandchildren arrived, eager to meet Bucky, the ones that lived in Tampa called in some favours so that there were flowers, a cake, and a place to hold a party rather than a reception. Will Greene was called to contact Merton. He made the long drive with Ariel's father and also brought Sarah Wilson and the boys, to Sam's consternation. The first thing she did was corner both Sam and Bucky, demanding to know the truth about Ariel. When the two women met, they became friends within the hour. Merton, when he arrived, had a very pleasant reunion with Rebecca, after assuring her that his current appearance was correct.
The wedding itself was very informal, with the ceremony held just before sunset. Rebecca stood up for Ariel, while Sam did the same for Bucky. After they were announced as husband and wife the couple took their shoes off and walked into the water, remembering when they did it at the beach on their first date, back in 1940. At the party, the music was a mixture of old and new, with their first dance as a married couple made to the Ella Fitzgerald version of The Man I Love. Bucky danced with all of his female relatives, even the younger ones, when they saw how well he took care of Rebecca on the dance floor. Will, always willing to dance, also spread himself around, although Sarah seemed to be his favourite partner.
At one point, Bucky couldn't find his sister or Ariel and had to ask around, finding them outside on the terrace of the facility they were in. The two women were deep in conversation, while they held hands. He listened for some time before he interrupted them.
"You still going to work in a library?" asked Rebecca.
"That's my plan," replied Ariel. "But we also want to start a family. I'm still only 26 but I know he always wanted kids."
"Not until you," smirked his sister. "You know he had quite the reputation. No steady girlfriend before you. I don't know how many girls kept asking me how to get him to commit. I was a kid, for crying out loud. I didn't know. But you never did. I wanted you for my sister right from the moment I met you."
"I liked you, too," said Ariel. "Remember how we giggled under the towels when we tried to get warm at the beach? I never had any siblings, but I would have loved for you to be my little sister."
The two women embraced and Bucky stood in the dark, smiling at the bond that was still there so many years later. They were quiet for a moment and Bucky was just about to make his presence known when Rebecca said something else.
"I don't have long," she said quietly. "I have terminal cancer. Ma had it as well, a type of ovarian cancer. I've done pretty well managing it considering my age but I do regret that I didn't see Bucky sooner. You'll help him grieve when I go?"
"I will," promised Ariel. "I'm sorry you were apart for so long."
"So am I," said Rebecca, "but it can't be changed. I'm just glad I got to see Bucky marry you. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll still be around for your first child. Just promise me that you'll love him with all of your heart. He lost so much when he fell and was kept by those criminals. It wasn't fair as he was one of the best men I ever knew."
"I promise," swore Ariel. "I do love him with all of my heart, Rebecca and that will never change."
Bucky coughed then as if he was just walking outside. Both women shifted to see him, taking his hand as he helped them up. Then he hugged them both, kissing them on top of the head before he put his arms around them and took them back inside, never once indicating he heard their conversation. He could have been upset at Rebecca's revelation, especially after Winnie promised no more secrets, but he chose not to be. Some things were just that way and he refused to let the lost years take away from the fact that he had just married his only love and had reunited with his sister, after believing she was already dead. Love was going to guide him from now on, and he was going to make every moment count for these two important women in his life. He owed them and himself that much.
Author's note: This is the end of Assignment Bucky Barnes. There will be no epilogue because, even though Bucky and Ariel knew they would have descendants, they also didn't have specific knowledge of their future together. They got married right away so that Rebecca could be part of the marriage that was expected to occur in the 1940s. The rest of their life together was up to them, as it should have been from the moment they met, when a beautiful young woman showed a bit of her leg in 1940, receiving a whistle of appreciation from a handsome young man known for his ways with the ladies.