Chapter 21. Insights

Lots of dialogue in this chapter as Bucky demands Steven Grant come completely clean.

The first thing Dr. Erskine did when he arrived at Howard Stark's penthouse was to apologize to Bucky for not letting him know in advance about the misinformation campaign on Steve's recovery, nor about the rumours about him that were coming. The younger man accepted the apology but by the way he held his jaw tightly and the flicker of a muscle on the side of his cheek, the doctor knew he had likely undone some or all of the trust he had built with the young sergeant. All through the radio meeting with Howard Stark, and with the addition of General Phillips using a secure telephone line connected to a speaker, Bucky glowered. It was only after the meeting ended and Bucky went out onto the terrace to get some fresh air did he finally get an official explanation from one of two men who was behind it all.

A glass of scotch was placed on a table beside Bucky where he was leaning against the terrace railing, looking out over the view of Manhattan that had so impressed him upon his arrival at the penthouse. He looked up from the hand holding it to see Steven Grant.

"Don't be angry at Dr. Erskine," he said bluntly. "It was my decision not to fill you in. General Phillips concurred."

"Why?" Bucky didn't touch the glass. "After all we went through in Austria, you think I'm a security risk?"

"No, not at all," replied Grant, emphatically. "Are you going to drink that? It's 30-year-old scotch and meant as a peace offering."

"Haven't decided," answered Bucky, looking back over the skyline. "So, once again. Why was I kept in the dark?"

"For your own protection. I know it's not much of an answer. We wanted you to focus on getting better, not worrying about the search for Steve."

"He's my friend," answered Bucky. "I worry about him often. You knew this would happen."

"So did he," said Grant. "He was prepared for it and Howard was as close as he could be to the site. Besides, I was a bit worried about you."

"Me," smirked Bucky. "I'm fine."

"Buck, something I never really understood in my timeline after you were a prisoner in the Austrian factory was that the experience changed you. It messed with your head, affected your confidence, made you more reckless."

Bucky snorted. "Says the pot calling the kettle black. I just followed Steve, because he was still the guy sticking his nose into the thick of the fight and I still felt protective enough over him to try and keep him out of trouble. Tell me something, Grant. Why did you really come back in time? The me in your time wouldn't be affected by what you're doing now, right? I've read enough science fiction to know that you can't change the past to change your present because when you do that starts a new timeline. The old one still goes on, just without you in it. So, we're in a new timeline, while your friend Bucky in 2023, still has a metal arm, still was the HYDRA assassin trying to forget what he once was, and he's living in a new century without his supposed best friend by his side. The Steve I grew up with wouldn't have left me on my own."

Bucky watched the face of the older version of Steve. His fair skin couldn't hide the colour that covered it in a pink glow. He didn't answer and Bucky started to turn away, not willing to listen anymore.

"Guilt," said Grant suddenly. "That and I didn't fit in. I tried, God knows I tried, but I felt out of place there. I felt lost there like I didn't belong. I asked you to come back with me, but your arm would have set you apart even more here than it did there." He turned his back on the view, leaning back against the terrace wall. "I always blamed myself for what happened to you because I didn't try to find your body. Perhaps if I had I would have found you first and kept you out of their hands."

"Bullshit," replied Bucky. "What are you not telling me?"

"That's the truth, Buck. I swear." He looked away again and Bucky grabbed him by the collar.

"There's more. What the hell are you keeping from me?"

"I lost you again!" Grant pulled away. "We ... the people I worked with ... the Avengers, kind of a Howling Commandos unit but made up of extraordinary men, women and a god, were up against an extraterrestrial force. We lost and their leader literally snapped his fingers to make half the population disappear. You dissolved in front of me, Buck. After all I went through to get you out of HYDRA, to find someone who could fix you, and then you were gone in seconds. Five more years of guilt from losing not just you, but other friends, and half the population of Earth. People were angry at me and the others who survived, even though we fought as hard as we could ... it wasn't enough. I gave up until we got another chance to bring everyone back. Except, fate had other plans and we had to fight that extraterrestrial guy again. Even though we won this time, we lost some good people in the process and I was done. I couldn't stay there anymore. It just became too hard, and I wanted simple. At least, I thought I did."

"But it wasn't simple, was it?" asked Bucky, quietly. "The universe doesn't like it when someone tries to change it, and it fights back. Must be a thing of the serum that I can remember the exact words of conversations I wasn't meant to hear."

"You heard us talking?"

"Yeah, I heard. I was in too much pain to really understand what Rose was saying at the time but in the last few days I've wondered why I feel the way I do, why I'm not fine. Other guys lose a limb, and they get back up on their feet and go on with life but I'm still struggling. You grew up struggling with your health issues so when you got this new body it was like everything was suddenly easy for you. I grew up not having to struggle much and the first time I experience a setback I can't get past it, no matter how much you or Steve, or any of the others try to help. So, either I'm not really that good of a person, or fate is trying to restore what you've changed." He shrugged, grimacing a little. "Or maybe a combination of the two. Then to find out that I'm being left out of the loop on things that affect me, because the guy I thought had my back is trying to protect me ... how else am I supposed to feel?"

Grant sighed audibly, turning back to look over the view.

"In the future they call it PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder," he stated. "I have it, so did you then and now. It's all part of how a soldier, or anyone really who has experienced a traumatic situation, deals with it. Everyone is different but it all comes from the same place. Some people drink to handle it, like your dad did. Others get angry and strike out and push people away. Others talk about it, stop hiding behind the walls they put up and eventually find a way to live with it. In the 21st century I dealt with it by myself, hitting a punching bag over and over until I broke it. I think I went through 20 bags in the first week after I woke up in 2011. Then I was convinced to join the Avengers and that kept it at bay, until those five years after we lost. I was in my own head a lot and I thought if I came back here, took up with Peggy, have the life I thought I always wanted that I would feel better. Except it was an endless loop because it seemed that I let the Steve that froze in the ice in 1945, stay there until he was found in 2011, and he kept going back, never trying to change anything, so the timeline never changed, until I learned something. I found out that on the last return here before this one, we succeeded in having someone near you while you were in HYDRA. It was Eva, as she was part of the team that transitioned you in and out of cryosleep. She was there because HYDRA killed her sister, Anya, for being kind to you. I guess Eva was a SHIELD agent, the successor to the SSR, but because it was already infiltrated by HYDRA, she never really had a chance to get you out. She was betrayed, they ordered you to kill her, and you did, not willingly, but quickly so that she wouldn't suffer."

Bucky's horrified look stopped Grant for a moment, but he shook his head, not showing any blame for what that Bucky had to do.

"You decided this time to change everything?" asked the younger man.

"It started with keeping Dr. Erskine alive, but I needed Howard Stark's help to do it, so I had to tell him what your future self did to his parents to get him to cooperate. I was going to try and get Peggy back, but when I saw her, I realized I didn't love her the way I did then. Plus, I'm a lot older than her now, not just in calendar years, but in how I look at things. She and Steve deserved to have each other the way it should have been. Then it seemed to snowball from there. Bradley, Eva, Anya, Sousa, even Rumlow are all people who were affected by HYDRA or by the serum in one way or another. Rose is helping because the future Bucky who escaped from HYDRA helped a Roma community against some Russian mobsters and his clairvoyant aunt told him he had to help me. Raines was a lucky find; an American who could speak Polish, German, and Russian, and he joined the British Army before the Americans got involved in the war. He was also at the same factory and saw firsthand what HYDRA did to people. The four pilots that were in cryosleep weren't in my timeline so part of me believes we found them because they were needed. Howlett was present in my timeline, but I didn't know about him as he was part of another group, the X-Men, a team made up of mutants. I figured with his background and war experience he would agree to be involved. He was a tough one to convince but he's the right man although I'm going to miss him when we lose him."

"What happens to him?" asked Bucky.

"He'll be killed," said Grant. "Not sure when or how, but I'll have to leave him because it takes time for his body to regenerate, and he won't remember who he is for some time. I'll leave his file with him, so he has a starting point. Hopefully, he can stay away from a certain person and change his own future a bit to something he has more control over."

"That's a lot of responsibility for a guy who came back to a simpler life," commented Bucky wryly.

Grant smirked. "Tell me about it. You're still my priority, Buck, but I have to keep HYDRA out of SHIELD. I have to end them before the year is out. If they get a deeper foothold I don't know if I can stop them. Even though we stopped them in 2014 they did so much damage to the world in the interim, and their remnants kept on doing damage for some time. I never wanted to kill anyone when I first got the serum, but HYDRA ... they won't go away if they're just defeated. They'll lick their wounds, and hide in the darkness, growing like a toxic fungus until they burst out again."

"How did you find out about Eva and the others?" asked Bucky. "I mean, you have all this future information, but you have paper files as well. I saw the one with Sousa's name on it, on your desk and you just said you have Howlett's files. Were you able to bring it all back with you?"

"In a way," replied Grant. "Information in the future is stored electronically. A device about the size of my thumb can hold thousands of pages of information when it's been reduced to its most basic state. I mean thoughts exist, right? But we don't see them ... we just have them in our head, thousands of them, ready to recall. I don't know how else to explain it. I gave the device to an organization that is so secret I can't really tell you more, but they have the ability of turning that information back into paper files. They gave me some more information as well, in the future. That's how I found out about Howlett. HYDRA documented almost every single thing they ever did to you and to everyone else, including Eva and Anya. I guess it was because of their Nazi origins because they did the same. It's how the Nazis were prosecuted for their war crimes after the war because it was all there. They thought they were documenting their greatness, but they were actually keeping the evidence that would convict them."

He stopped for a moment, unsure whether to continue but Bucky stood firm.

"Keep going," he said. "You've told me this much. You might as well tell me everything."

"The future you, the one I left behind still managed to have an effect on some people while you were on the run. A man who helped you ... another Grant, Grant Allman, was a veteran who wasn't doing so well. You gave him a list of HYDRA safe houses, places with money, and information. He used the money to get himself squared away and help other vets. The information he found ... it was all about what HYDRA did to you and he sought me out. Shared it with me during the Blip, those five years when you were gone. It gave me a purpose and I learned it all, not just the few things I had learned before then ... I learned about all of it."

He reached for the glass that Bucky still hadn't touched and picked it up, taking a good-sized swallow of it to Bucky's amusement. As he watched how Steve's face remained grim, he understood the drink was needed to steady himself.

"It was bad, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I read how they sliced your skin open in the factory in Austria and watched it close up and heal," he said, not looking at Bucky, but feeling his body tense up at the moment he said it. "What the guards did to you there ... Zola knew what they made you do. That was the beginning of it and when they got you back, it was worse. Everything they did was to break you and destroy everything that was Bucky so they could control the being that was left to do their bidding. There was one thing they didn't know or realize but Eva did." This time he did look at Bucky. "Everything they did to your mind and your brain was repaired by the serum. She realized that putting you into cryosleep would give your body more time to fix the damage. Your memories would come back, your free will would return, and although you wouldn't be the same Bucky because of what you went through you wouldn't be their killer either because it went against everything that was the real you, Buck. You might have been their Winter Soldier for a time, but you were never their man; Bucky Barnes was always there, always fighting to get out."

"So, that's when you decided to come back?"

Steve smirked, shook his head, and took another swallow of the scotch.

"No, I didn't decide that until after I went to see Rebecca." He straightened up. "I had reconnected with her a few times, but apparently, she didn't tell me everything. Grant told me some things, which led to the Roma leader giving me access to more files and admitting they kept tabs on her. Because she was your sister, she was like family to them. She finally trusted me enough to show me something. Someday, I'll show you a copy of it. At some point, in that previous past I was in before this one, I wrote and mailed a letter to Rebecca. I told her that you survived as a prisoner of HYDRA, and that we tried to get you out but failed. I didn't sign it, but I didn't have to because she recognized my writing and showed it to me after I asked her about it."

"Jesus, you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried," said Bucky, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I had to come back and hopefully, this time get it right and stop the time loop from repeating." Steve finished the scotch and looked at the empty glass before putting it back on the table. "That was good stuff. You should have taken it. I'll have to make a brief visit to the future original timeline, to set something in motion then, but other than that I'm locked into this one. Maybe, just maybe, we all get the life we deserve."

He looked at Bucky, who was not quite smiling, but wasn't angry or disappointed either. Maybe, he was meant to tell Bucky everything. Certainly, they had known everything about each other as they grew up. For the first time since he got back, Grant felt a little lighter, as if he didn't have such a big burden to carry anymore. Bucky looked up at the sun, then out over the city, before settling his gaze at Grant again. This time he smiled.

"So, we all get the girl? Steve with Peggy, you with Eva, and me with whoever. I guess you don't know whose heart I win."

"No, we're in uncharted territory now, at least for personal relationships," said Grant. "I know the world's history to come. Not sure how I'm supposed to proceed on that because a lot of bad stuff goes down. Although, if we stop HYDRA for real this time, there will likely be things that won't happen because they weren't there making it happen." He put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Don't shut anyone out of your life. You never know."

Bucky shook his head. "I don't think the right woman will be anyone I know. They all look at me with pity and I don't need that. Do me a favour. If you meet someone that I might like, point her in my direction."

"Deal," smiled Grant. "Don't be angry at Dr. Erskine. He wanted to tell you about Steve and the rumours right from the moment he knew but we overruled him, thinking it was more important that you focus on recovering."

As Bucky nodded his head and looked out over Manhattan again, he had another thought. "My parents, in your timeline. What happened to them?"

"They thought you died and a part of them died with you. Your dad died in the 60s and your mom died in 1991, shortly after receiving a posthumous Medal of Honour awarded to you. One of the men there at the presentation was your HYDRA handler. He offered his condolences to your mother on your sacrifice. A colleague of mine killed him in 2014 when we finally realized HYDRA still existed, and it was a righteous kill, well deserved for the pain he brought to people's lives."

"When we find Dr. Zola, he's mine," said Bucky, his face hardening for an instant. "I never wanted to be a killer, but the army made me into a sniper, and I did my duty. If he's as dangerous as you say, then you need someone who can pull the trigger when it's necessary."

The dark look in Bucky's eyes at that moment was all too familiar to Grant but he nodded his head in agreement. Zola couldn't live and now that he was out there, setting up his network again, only one thing would stop him. Grant pulled away from the view, intending to return to the apartment but Bucky stopped him.

"Since we're being all truthful with each other I wanted you to know that my dad knows about everything I went through. I told him about the serum, about what happened before and after you found me. He knows you're a future Steve that came back to stop what happened to your Bucky from happening to me. I even told him about this Steve, crashing into the ice and surviving because of the serum. I had to tell someone, and it's helped us. I know he went through hell in the First World War and now he knows I've been through the same. I think he would like to see you, so, if you're around later maybe stop by for dinner or a visit before you go back."

A warm smile wasn't what Bucky was expecting to hear after telling Grant he had spilled some secrets to his father but it's what the older Steve gave him, along with a squeeze on his right arm.

"It's okay," he replied. "George is the only father I ever knew. If telling him brought you two closer, then it was the right decision. How about your ma?"

"I was pretty angry with her this morning as she's been treating me like a snot-nosed kid who can't take care of himself," replied Bucky. "I think I'll get those flowers home and hug her extra hard. I'm still moving out. Dad said there's a two-bedroom furnished flat across from the house up for rent. If Steve and Peggy are going to be here for a while, we can share the place."

"I think that's a good idea," agreed Grant. "I won't make any promises, but I'll try to get over there. If I don't, I'll see you tomorrow at the SSR. Oh, and Bucky, we're trying to find the "source" of the HYDRA lies but until we do, you're going to have to try your best to ignore the rumours. I'm sorry."

The two men returned to the apartment and Bucky picked up his flowers, leaving. On the subway ride back to Brooklyn, he thought of what he should say to his mother. Not only did he have to apologize to her, but he would also have to prepare his family for the propaganda that would insinuate he was a traitor, a HYDRA stooge. All he could do was stand tall and keep trying to believe that all of this would soon be behind him.

When he did arrive, and opened the door to the house, his mother was bustling around in the kitchen, just beginning to prepare dinner. Rebecca wasn't home from school yet. His father would still be at work for another couple of hours.

"Ma? I'm home." The sounds in the kitchen ceased and he entered it, seeing his mother bent over the counter. "I'm sorry I lost my temper with you this morning. There's no excuse good enough to explain why I was so angry. I brought you some flowers."

He stood behind her, holding the flowers, waiting for something from her. Slowly she turned around, looked at the bouquet and began to cry. Dropping them on the table he wrapped his right arm around her and hugged her as hard as he could.

"I'm sorry that I didn't understand that I made you feel inadequate," she whimpered. "I hate seeing you in pain and you're hurting Bucky, you're hurting bad. I saw Mr. Goldstein and told him you and Steve would take the flat. You're right that you have to be able to look after yourself. At least you'll be close by, and you can always come over for dinner."

"He probably won't be alone," said Bucky. "He's got a sweetheart, a British woman, who's part of the SSR. She's supposed to be in New York by morning. Something tells me they'll be getting engaged pretty quick. The best part is that she loved him before he became Captain America, when he was still a little guy."

"I always knew there was someone for him," she said, "just like..." She hesitated, then continued when Bucky smiled at her. "Just like there's someone for you. These girls you used to date think you're broken. You just got your world shaken a bit. You'll be back to yourself in no time."

He smiled at her, hugging her again, and left her to put the flowers in a vase while he changed into some casual clothes. During dinner, he told his mother and Rebecca the truth about him having the serum and how it saved his life. Then he told them about Steven Grant, the man who came back in time to find him in the mountains, determined not to let HYDRA get him again. That brought up the possibility of him growing back his arm, if he had the full treatment that Steve Rogers did. His mother seemed frightened by it but agreed that it was his decision and promised to support him in any way. Just before he told them the final piece of news the doorbell rang, and his father got up to answer it. When he came back into the dining room, he brought Steven Grant with him and for a moment, Bucky thought his mother would faint, even as she stayed sitting in her chair.

"Mrs. Barnes," he said, kneeling in front of her. "I haven't seen you in 80 years. You look amazing. You all do."

"You're Steve but from the future?" she asked.

He nodded. "I go by the name Steven Grant now because Steve Rogers is still Captain America. I was still that until I left, and a friend took over the responsibility. I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep Bucky from getting hurt but at least we were able to rescue him and keep him from further harm."

"I was about to tell them about the newspaper article," said Bucky.

"I heard about it at work," said his dad, shaking his head angrily. "I've a good mind to file a libel suit against that reporter."

"That's why they didn't use a name," said Grant. "If they say it's Bucky then it is libel. By saying it's rumoured that someone with the Howling Commandos is a plant they can get away with it, especially since they have a new sergeant with Bucky being back here. You might still have a case. I can ask the lawyers at SSR about it, because Bucky is still assigned to them. We'll find out who's feeding the lies and arrest them. I promise."

"Steven, have you had dinner?" Mrs. Barnes looked at him. "I have more than enough. I want to know more about this article and about you."

"Thank you, if it's not too much trouble," he replied.

She went out to the kitchen for another place setting and returned, while Mr. Barnes pulled an extra chair over to the table. As he began to serve himself, he told them about the new set of rumours and how they were being used to focus negative attention on Bucky. He also assured them that the SSR didn't look at Bucky that way at all.

It was an enjoyable reunion with this couple, and the younger Rebecca, who had her whole life in front of her; not at the end of her life when Grant last saw her. There was no doubt that being with them was the right thing. Perhaps, part of Bucky's healing needed them to be informed of what happened in the future that Grant was trying to prevent. When George Barnes went out for his nightly smoke, he and Bucky joined him, although Grant declined the cigarette that was offered to him. Bucky brought up PTSD, and asked Steven to explain it to his father. Knowing that in earlier times it was seen as a character flaw and not an injury, Grant told him everything that had been learned by the 21st century about it. The older man listened solemnly, puffing on his pipe then looked carefully at the kitchen window where Winnie was bustling about, cleaning up after their meal.

"I still said and did terrible things, to her and to my children," murmured George. "This post traumatic thing doesn't change that."

"No, it doesn't," agreed Grant. "But understanding that it's from something that overwhelmed you and has left a permanent mark on you, can help you heal from it. Even now, all these years since then, you can still learn to handle it better. Bucky said talking to you about his own experiences has helped him. Talking to him, or me, and other veterans can help as well. I know that for a fact."

The older Barnes smiled at Steve. "Maybe that's something you can do for people once all this HYDRA business is taken care of," he suggested. "Heavens knows this war has gone on long enough that there will be other men who need to hear that. Are there other wars to come or do we finally get it right?"

With a shake of Grant's head as his answer, there was nothing more to say and the three men sat quietly for a time until George finished his pipe and tapped out the remnants of his tobacco into a pail of sand. He hugged Bucky, put his hand out to Grant, then pulled him in for a hug.

"Thank you for coming back to save Bucky," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Your mother would have been so proud of you. I'm proud of you, son."

With several pats to George's back, Grant accepted it, trying not to cry himself. They returned inside and he took his jacket off the hook, before wishing Winnie and Rebecca a good night. Bucky walked him out the front door where they stood for several moments. Then Bucky sat on the top step while Steve stood on the sidewalk with one foot on the bottom step. He chuckled when he realized it was how they always said good night to each other when they were younger. Bucky looked at him, questioningly.

"It's been so long since I was here, standing in front of your house, saying good night to you, after dinner with your family and you always sat on the top step while I stood on the sidewalk with my foot on the bottom step," explained Grant. "Some things don't change."

"I guess they don't," replied Bucky. "Can I ask you something?" Grant nodded. "This extraterrestrial that you and your future team fought, that's someone from another world, right? Does coming back here change how that fight goes? Does he still come?"

"I don't know," he answered, truthfully. "Didn't think of it. We'll be old then. But with Erskine alive, perhaps we have an army of super soldiers to fight him, if he does return."

"Then let's make sure that if we do have an army of super soldiers that they're good men, and women." Bucky smiled, after adding that extra bit. "No bullies, no one looking for glory or fame. If we're going to have the serum, let's make sure the people getting it are there to protect not to conquer."

Even in the dark, Grant could feel the determination behind Bucky's words. It was true that with Erskine alive, the serum wouldn't be lost like it was before. But it would be harder to keep it safe from abuse. With a look between them, he knew they had reached an understanding, and it would be something they would come back to when the time was right. With a goodnight said between them Grant started towards his flat.

~~~~~~~

The following morning, Grant stood at the heavy wooden door of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum debating whether he wanted to knock on the door. Originally, he wanted to ask the Ancient One about the future of the serum but then he wondered if he should also get her to help with Bucky. It was still clear that Bucky was having difficulties even though he felt some good steps had been taken the previous day. His own talk with Dr. Erskine after Bucky left the penthouse confirmed that he had his own concerns. Bucky's physical healing was almost complete, except for the loss of his left arm. The emotional and mental toll was a different matter. Unless they could find a way to change that, Bucky wouldn't be able to undergo the full serum treatment. He had asked Dr. Erskine about the progress of Howard's prosthetic arms.

"Horrible things," said the doctor. "I saw his inventions at Stark Expo, and they were things of beauty, full of promise. His prosthetics are pieces of metal that look like they belong on a mechanical being. They would draw immediate attention, none of it beneficial to the man wearing it."

Grant was deeply disappointed by Stark's efforts in that regards, wondering if it was a bias based on his wealth, that a working-class man just needed something basic to keep working, rather than something that was aesthetically pleasing. Putting the thought out of his mind he raised his hand to lift the door knocker, surprised when the door opened before he even touched the metal piece.

"Come in," said the young woman acolyte who opened it. "The Ancient One is expecting you."

She led him into what seemed to be a study, except there were no books or anything of value. After making sure he was seated the young woman arrived with a tray that carried a tea pot and two cups. When he turned his head the other way the Supreme Sorcerer was standing at that side of him.

"You have two concerns to discuss with me," said the Ancient One, getting directly to the point, while sitting quickly and serenely in the chair across from him. "The first one isn't something I can answer at this time. The second one is obvious. You care about the struggle your friend James Barnes is experiencing.

"Despite everything, he was still captured by HYDRA, still fell and lost his arm," said Grant. "I know you said I had changed things by arriving early but so far everything that happened to him before has happened to him again, except for the second HYDRA part. He's lost much of his confidence. He lives but he's not happy. If he's not happy he won't be able to undergo the same procedure I did, as it won't take, or it might even make him worse."

"You want that more than anything for him," she stated, watching him carefully. "To see him happy was always your ultimate goal."

"Without all of the pain and suffering first, preferably," grimaced the man. "I feel like I failed him, again, and this time there's no chance to redo it. He won't be the Winter Soldier, but he won't be Bucky anymore, not the Bucky I knew."

She nodded and picked up her tea, sipping it cautiously, then gazed at him with her inscrutable face. "That was inevitable, just as you are no longer the Steven Rogers you once were. If I told you there was a way to restore his confidence and provide a means to ensure his future happiness, would you accept my instructions without question?"

He looked sharply at her. "Yes, for him, I would. What do I have to do?"

She smiled and handed him a slip of paper that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He read it, noticing two dates and two addresses on it. He didn't speak but did look at her expectantly, for an explanation.

"Be at the first address on the first date and time," she said. "When you get there, you will know what to do. Take your team with you as there will be a need for their help. Since Steve Rogers will be here in New York for the second date, tell him to make sure your friend Bucky goes with him to the second address on the second date." She smiled. "It's a dance and nature will take its course then."

He started to ask a question, then remembered what she said, smiled and nodded his head. He had just been given a lifeline for Bucky. The ageless woman stood then, and he realized his audience with her was over. But with that slip of paper in his hand, he felt better, just like he did after telling Bucky everything. That must have been how it was supposed to go, how it was supposed to happen. It was a completely different timeline now, that much was certain.