Chapter 35. End of the Line
June 7, 2025
The three old men, Steve Rogers, Steven Grant, and Bucky Barnes, stood there, watching as two of their great grandchildren, James Timothy Grant, and June Gladys Barnes, danced their first dance as husband and wife. June, who looked just like her great grandmother Gladdie, made eye contact with Bucky, blowing him a kiss, that he caught and held to his heart. It was bittersweet that his beloved Gladdie wasn't here to see this, having died five years before.
"She looks just like her, just as beautiful," said Steven Grant. He looked at his watch. "I should get out there. Stephen found a shield that I can take back to the original timeline like I did in all the others, then I'll visit Bucky on his wedding day. Any other incursions would affect their timeline too much and I don't want to do that."
"You have my letter and the picture of me and Gladdie?" asked Bucky. "Do you know who he marries?"
"No, Strange wouldn't tell me, said it would be a surprise. I'll see you here, shortly." He turned then looked back at the man he came back in time for. "Anything else I can tell him?"
"Life is good," said Bucky. "Friendship is better and even though you're not there with him, you're still his friend." He shrugged. "Best I can do on short notice. It's not like I'm writing one of my biographies."
Grant chuckled then headed out the door of the reception hall. On the other side of the parking lot, he could see Dr. Stephen Strange waiting for him, with a round case leaning against a nearby tree.
"You get five minutes, then right back here," he said, as the older man approached, picking the case up and handing it to him. "You give the shield to Sam Wilson, don't speak to Bucky or anyone else. No details for Wilson, either. When the portal opens, you step inside to come back."
"Yes, Stephen," replied Grant. "I'm ready."
The sparkling circle formed, and Steven Grant stepped through, finding himself back at the lake near the repaired Quantum portal. He sat on a nearby bench and listened to Bruce and Sam panic when his younger self didn't re-materialize. Then he heard Bucky's voice and resisted the urge to turn around and see his best friend as he left him in 2023.
"Sam," said Bucky, calmly. Grant heard the two men approach then Bucky's voice again. "Go ahead."
Suddenly, Sam was there, standing beside him. "Cap?"
He looked up at the face of the man who became a good friend his first time around in the 21st century. "Hi Sam."
"So did something go wrong, or did something go right?"
"Well, after I put the stones back, I thought, maybe I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get."
No details.
"How'd that work out for you?"
He smiled. "It was beautiful."
"I'm happy for you. Truly."
Grant smiled again. "Thank you."
"Only thing bumming me out about all of this is the fact I have to live in a world without Captain America."
"Oh, that reminds me. Try it on." He brought the round case forward, offering it to Sam, who picked it up hesitantly, then looked past Grant, presumably at Bucky. "How does it feel?"
"Like it's someone else's."
"It isn't." He could feel a tickle in his ear then Strange's voice giving him a time warning.
"Thank you, I'll do my best." He looked up at Sam, seeing the tears in his eyes. The man always did wear his heart on his sleeve. That's why he was the best man to take over.
"That's why it's yours." He shook Sam's hand, then noticed Sam eyeing his wedding ring.
"You wanna tell me about her?"
"No. No, I don't think I will."
He smirked a little then saw the portal opening in front of him. Just before he stepped inside, he turned so he could see Bucky and almost winked at him but remembered Strange's warning not to have any interaction with him. The portal closed and he was back under the tree with Dr. Strange.
"You alright?" asked the Supreme Sorcerer. "You didn't speak with Bucky, right?"
"I didn't speak to Bucky, but I did look at him before I walked into the portal. Was that permitted?"
He watched as Strange went through multiple permutations before he answered.
"No effect," he said. "Now your second visit. New Orleans, World War II Museum, Barnes / Roberts wedding."
"Roberts?" Grant looked at him. "Who does he marry?"
"You'll know her as soon as you see her," said Strange. "When you asked the Ancient One about finding Bucky the right woman you did just that, except you accelerated the process. Your Bucky married Gladdie and Allan Roberts great granddaughter June. Met her in New Orleans."
"So, she's Gladdie's great granddaughter in that timeline but she goes by June? Okay. I'm ready."
The circle began to form and enlarge then Grant walked through, finding himself in a dark parking lot. There was definitely a loud party going on in the building, and he smiled seeing the sign designating it as the World War II Museum. He could see a woman dressed in white waiting at the curb by herself and approached her.
"Is this the Barnes / Roberts wedding?" he asked, then laughed at his own question when he got a better look at her. "Of course it must be. You look just like your great grandmother."
She was the perfect likeness to Gladdie and looked at him with surprise.
"You knew her?"
"I knew her very well," he replied. "Gladdie was one of a kind."
She proved to be just as warm hearted as her great grandmother as she took his hands in hers.
"What's your name?"
"Steven Grant," he answered. "I first met Gladdie in England when she worked in the motor pool at headquarters. But that's not important. I just wanted to give my regards to you and to your husband. I knew him back in the day as well, although I doubt that he remembers me. It was so long ago, and he's been through so much since then." He looked at his watch and frowned. "I have to be going as I only have a few minutes."
"Bucky will just be a moment," she pleaded, then looked behind her as if she was willing Bucky to come out.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I really have to go," said Grant, sad that maybe he wasn't meant to reconnect with Bucky, then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out the envelope. "But if you could give him this, I would greatly appreciate it."
She took the envelope from him and turned again to see if Bucky was coming. Grant was already walking away from her, as he expected the portal to arrive any moment.
"Wait, please!" He could hear her call out to him, but he just waved his hand and walked towards the part of the parking lot that was in shadow. Then he heard her speak behind him and slowed down. "He knows you, Bucky. He said he knew my great grandmother."
He could hear footsteps running after him then Bucky's voice called out, almost making Grant cry at how good he sounded.
"Hey, mister, wait!" he yelled, before pulling up just a few feet from him.
Grant turned around and reacted to Bucky's face with the biggest smile he had. Bucky lifted him up in a hug then gently put him down.
"Steve? It's really you?"
"Yeah, Buck, it's really me. Sorry I wasn't allowed to talk to you when I brought the shield to Sam, but I had to close that loop for good and make sure to do exactly what I did for him all the other times." He looked past Bucky to where his new wife stood. "I gave your wife a letter to say everything I don't have time for, but I wanted you to know that you didn't get taken back by HYDRA. We fought against them and won, with the Howling Commandos and another team that I formed. We beat them Bucky. No Zola, no Pierce, no Brock Rumlow, at least not the same one who hurt you. We changed a lot of things."
In his ear he could hear Dr. Strange. "You only have a minute, Grant."
"I missed you," said Bucky, his eyes going glassy. "It was hard, really hard."
"But you're good now?" asked Steve. "You and Sam?"
"Yeah, we're good and I have June. She's amazing."
"Thirty seconds, Steven." Dr. Strange wanted him to wrap it up.
"You have a great life, Buck," said Grant, his voice quavering. "You're worthy of it. You always were. He gave me some words to tell you how much you mean to me. Life is good. Friendship is better and even though I'm not here with you, I'm still your friend. I love you, buddy."
"I love you, too," replied Bucky.
The dark-haired man stepped away from him and stood at attention, prompting Grant to stand straight and tall, then Bucky saluted him, a salute he returned. The sparkling circle of the portal appeared behind Grant, growing in size until it was larger than him. With another wave of his hand to his friend, he stepped inside the circle, back into the timeline he changed. Dr. Strange looked at him with compassion.
"Are you alright?"
Grant smiled at him. "Yeah, thank you for arranging that. You knew he married the same girl? She was the spitting image of Gladdie."
Strange shrugged. "Those two were always meant to be with each other, no matter which timeline it was. You just made it happen sooner in this one, since you prevented his recapture by HYDRA."
"What now?" asked Grant.
"Now, you're completely free of any more obligations," smiled the Sorcerer Supreme. "If I were you, I'd get back to the party and enjoy yourself. You've earned it."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Would we have beat Thanos in this timeline if I didn't keep Bucky safe? We had a small army of super soldiers in this timeline because of all the kids they all had, kids that joined SHIELD to prepare for him. There was only Bucky and I for super soldiers in the other, although we had other enhanced people for help. I thought ... when you calculated it for Tony in the other timeline you said there was only one chance and that involved him dying."
"That was the only option in that timeline," said Strange. "With all the changes you made to this one, finding the four pilots, rescuing Bradley, the other super soldiers you rescued, even getting the help of the X-Men because of Logan remembering you, it changed how the fight against Thanos went in this timeline. The odds were still against you, but you had the experience of fighting him before and this time, your knowledge made the difference. You made sure Thor knew to take the head shot in Wakanda. The moment you arrived here and told Howard Stark about his death, you changed this timeline and set it on a different path. That's how it was meant to be."
"Well, for what it's worth I couldn't have done it without your counterpart in my universe and the Ancient One in this one," said Grant.
"It was meant to be," repeated Dr. Strange.
With a nod to the sorcerer, Steven Grant returned to the wedding where he was pulled onto the dance floor by his great grandson's new wife. Bucky watched them with a drink in his hand, remembering the day he first saw Gladdie at the dance in Queen's. She truly had been the love of his life, but he wouldn't have found her if it weren't for Steven Grant, the man who came back in time to save him, and in the process saved the lives of so many others. If ever there was truth to the saying that one man could make a difference, Grant was the proof of it.
New Orleans, original timeline
It was late when Bucky woke up, his arm around June, as he was the big spoon to her smaller spoon. He kissed the back of her neck, then felt her hand on his arm.
"Good morning, Mrs. Barnes," he murmured. "How is my beautiful wife this morning?"
She shifted so that she faced him, kissing him back.
"Pretty good, Mr. Barnes. I must get up and take care of something. Feel like some coffee?"
"Only if you're making some for yourself as well," he replied.
She slipped out from under the covers, and he watched as she walked away from him towards the ensuite bathroom. God, she was beautiful, and he was an incredibly lucky man. When she came out of the bathroom, she had covered herself up with a red robe with polka dots, smiled at him then proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. He laid there for a moment, thinking back at the surprise of seeing Steve appear outside the reception. Getting out of bed, he took care of some necessities himself, then pulled on his boxers, as he picked up his jacket and pulled the letter out. He sat against the headboard, looking at the envelope, until June arrived with a mug of coffee in each hand. Taking the one from her he transferred it to the nightstand then picked the envelope up again and opened it. A picture fell out, landing face down on the rumpled bedclothes. June picked it up and gasped.
"Bucky, look at this," she said.
It was a picture of him and a woman who looked just like June, standing with the Brooklyn Bridge behind them. A black and white picture, it showed him in his sergeant's dress uniform, and her in a suit. She was looking towards him, while he looked at her with a tenderness that was evident. On the back was the notation: James Buchanan Barnes married June Gladys Norton, April 6, 1945.
"That's my great grandmother, but she married a pilot on that date, Donald Major," said June. "He worked with her father. It wasn't a good marriage, and they divorced after only a year of marriage. She met my great grandpa, Allen Roberts, a year later and they were much better suited to each other. My grandma thought it was because she was already pregnant when she married Donald, but he wasn't the father. He always bothered her about it because she wouldn't tell him about the father."
"There's a letter from that Bucky," he said, finding it strange that his handwriting was the same as his own. "Do you want me to read it to you?"
June nodded.
Dear Bucky,
Looks strange to be writing a letter to myself but although we are the same man who was born on March 10, 1917, our paths diverged when you were recaptured by HYDRA in that snowy ravine. I still fell, because I was stupid and reckless, but Steven Grant, your Steve Rogers, got to me in time to change my future. It wasn't easy. It seemed the universe didn't like being changed and made it exceedingly difficult for me to escape the same fate you suffered. I still suffered but much of it was from my own issues and injuries, and not from the efforts that others inflicted on me. Although I lost my arm, I was destined to be the second man to undergo the Project Rebirth process that Steve did. It was a miracle, regrowing that which I had lost. It allowed me to rejoin the Howling Commandos and the Phantom Patrol in our hunt for HYDRA. We routed them, all of us. Steven said the Commandos were the same (except for the addition of two pilots who were given serum by the Germans but rescued) but the Patrol was a different group of men that he found: David Rose, a Roma from New Jersey, James Howlett, a Canadian mutant with a surly attitude until you got past his defences, Isaiah Bradley, a super soldier who suffered much until Grant got him out of military prison, Arthur Raines, an American who was in the fight long before the United States were (he's Steven Grant's brother-in-law, having married his wife Eva's sister, Anya), Benjamin Rumlow, a safecracker from Hell's Kitchen who was kind of a two-for-the-price-of-one deal with Bradley (they both joined the SSR after the war, and proved their worth many times over), Danny Murphy, and Gus Costello, two pilots who were given the serum by the Germans, rescued when we invaded their base. That's how we found Eva Waslewski, one of the doctors forced into the German army to work on the cryostasis project. She was also part of the Resistance and invaluable in our fight, plus Steven Grant fell quickly for her, marrying her in early 1945. There was also Daniel Sousa, an Army lieutenant that he seconded who went back to his unit and eventually headed up the west coast office of the SSR. His final acquisition was a former HYDRA conscript who provided us with some valuable intelligence, a Russian cook named Leonid Antonov. Grant helped him find his family, then helped him get into the United States. He took over his uncle's restaurant in Brighton Beach. Anyways, I
I wanted you to know that Steven Grant made a big sacrifice coming back for me while leaving you behind. When it seemed that I would still face the same fate that you did, he felt like he had failed both of us. Not that it stopped him; he just got back up, dusted himself off, and tried again. Sound familiar? I'm glad he did because I wouldn't have had the life I did. I wouldn't have met Gladdie, my wife, who was everything I ever wanted in a woman. I hope you find someone just like her because our life together was wonderful; every moment of it. Without Grant, we wouldn't have had the five kids we did, nor the seventeen grandchildren, or the ten great-grandchildren that we have. George, Winnie, Steven, James, and Sarah, the baby, were our children. Can you imagine us being a father to five? It was the best time of my life. Gladdie and I wouldn't have opened our own garage in Brooklyn, fixing cars and motorcycles together for 35 years. When we retired, I wouldn't have become a writer, given clearance to write about the exploits of the Howling Commandos or the Phantom Patrol, an honour for me as I paid tribute to those brave men.
Steven never forgot you, never forgot what he asked of you when he decided to come back. I hope you live a good life. I hope you meet the girl of your dreams and have the life you deserve. You do deserve it, Bucky, all of it. No matter what HYDRA forced you to do, they're the villains in this intertwined timeline, not you. So, live your life as if you had returned home after VE Day. Get married, have kids, and live.
With all the best,
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
June 6, 2025
For several long moments Bucky stared at the letter, then he looked at the picture of his younger self and the woman he married, June's great grandmother, Gladdie. The resemblance between her and June was incredible, leading him to wonder if his life would have been different if he had met her back in the 1940s. Maybe, with someone like her waiting for him he would have been more careful.
"She's beautiful, just like you," he said. "How old were you when she died?"
"I wasn't born yet," she said. "I only knew about her from my mom and grandmother. My grandma said her dad didn't treat her older brother any different than her and her younger brother, even though he wasn't the biological father. Their marriage was good."
Bucky shook his head. It was likely she got pregnant from some guy who abandoned her, and her parents arranged for her to marry someone else. It happened. Some guys never let the woman forget they were saving her reputation. He was glad she found someone good to share her life with. Inside the envelope was another letter and he opened it, recognizing Steve's handwriting.
Dear Bucky,
With only a few minutes to visit you on the day of your wedding I wrote this letter ahead of time and asked the Bucky of this timeline to write one to you as well. Hopefully both letters will fill in the blanks.
Without going into too much detail, I changed a lot in this timeline, starting with saving Dr. Erskine's life and bringing Howard Stark into the plan. I had to tell him what happened to him in our original timeline. Apparently, those two actions changed almost everything even though some things still happened the way they did in that original timeline.
The Bucky in this timeline was still experimented on by Zola, and he still fell from the train, but I got to him first with my team and we got him back to England then to New York to heal. No doubt he told you about being the second man to undergo the Project Rebirth treatment, which was possible because Dr. Erskine was still alive. Steve still ended up with Peggy, marrying her after he was rescued from the wreck of the HYDRA aircraft. They had four kids, Sarah, Joseph, James, and Maggie.
I married Eva Waslewski, the doctor who tried to help you in Siberia. We got her out of Germany before she was reassigned to HYDRA. There was a project called Geisterkinder that she was on before we found her, that she wanted me to tell you about. It was a Lebensborn project involving children, borne from mutant mothers who were given the serum while they were pregnant. Dr. Mengele was in charge of the project ... yes, that Dr. Mengele. There were seven of them, sweet children, she said. Because they were also mutants they reacted strangely to the serum, immune to pain response, turning cold and ghostlike in appearance but warming up and becoming normal in appearance (except for their white hair) after eating. She was tasked with designing the cryostasis chambers for them and felt great guilt for her part in their treatment. Dr. Mengele wanted to euthanize them and study their remains, but HYDRA took them in 1938. Eva didn't know where they were taken or what happened to them. If you ever come across them or their remains, you'll at least know that much about them. One of them was called Irene and Eva said they were simply scared little kids.
Bucky stopped reading, placing his hand on his mouth, and running it down his chin. He looked at June, who put her arm around him.
"Well, you know more about them now," she said. "For what it's worth, at least HYDRA didn't kill them."
"No, but they weren't good to them, either," he said. "I remember the woman doctor who helped me in Siberia. She kept telling me my name so that I would remember. Then she was betrayed, and I was ordered to kill her." June kissed his head, murmuring against it. "I made it quick, so she didn't suffer. I'm glad they found her sooner. She was a very nice lady and tried her best to make sure I was treated humanely. Not that she was able to do much, but she tried."
With a sip of his coffee, he began reading again.
"After the war officially ended, we stayed in Europe, searching out all of the HYDRA bases and hideouts. We saved a few more soldiers who had been given weakened serum. Then we found where Dr. Zola was and attacked that base. He had already been tried in absentia for war crimes and we had a number of volunteers to carry out the sentence of death by firing squad, but the little rotter demanded a retrial. Supreme Command granted it, but the verdict was the same. Two men were given a rifle with a bullet in it, six were given a rifle with blanks. They fired, all of them hitting the target that was placed over his heart. His remains were cremated and scattered in the mountains. In December of 1945 we destroyed the final European base of HYDRA, rescuing a significant number of prisoners who had been given the serum. Most of the two squads returned to New York on the Queen Mary in January 1946. I was delayed, undergoing a more detailed debriefing of what we did. The fight continued on for several more years as the SSR located bases in South America and Russia. The HYDRA followers in the military, government, and industry were hunted down and charged with war crimes, facing the Nuremberg prosecutors. Of those who didn't kill themselves first, most were executed; those that weren't died in prison.
On my return from Europe, I retired from active service, although I stayed on as a consultant, giving advice on certain historical events that happened in both timelines. I did what I could to minimize damage to life. Steve Rogers continued with the SSR, then SHIELD, along with Dum Dum, Bradley, and several others from my squad including Benjamin Rumlow. Yes, he's Brock Rumlow's grandfather. He was imprisoned in the same military prison as Isaiah Bradley because he broke into a filing cabinet to help a fellow soldier. I didn't want to take him, but it was pointed out to me that I could change anyone's future, including his, or his descendants. Ben readily joined the SSR after the war, becoming an effective agent as they continued the hunt for HYDRA cells around the world. His son Blake was also a SHIELD agent. Brock was never abandoned by his parents, never brought up in a foster care system that beat him down and made him mean, was never subject to the influence of Alexander Pierce (who had no influence at all). Brock was a different man in this timeline, a decorated agent of SHIELD, who died saving a dozen hostages during a terrorist attack. His wife and sons received the Congressional Medal of Freedom, awarded to him posthumously. He never became the man he was in our timeline.
Bucky stopped again, looking at that last bit. It was hard to believe but it appeared that Steven Grant didn't just save some good people, he changed the lives of some not so good people.
Eva and I married in early 1945. She gave birth to our son, James Samuel Grant, on October 29, 1946. Our daughter, Sarah Josephine was born in 1948, and a second son, Thomas Edward (after Eva's father) in 1950. She continued working with Dr. Erskine as a researcher in both the serum and the use of hypothermia as a treatment for critical injuries, while providing free medical care to women in a clinic she started in 1945. She died in 2011 at the age of 99.
There were times that I despaired that what I was doing would make a difference but the men of the Phantom Patrol and Howling Commandos never let me forget what our ultimate goal was; to wipe HYDRA out. We did that and many things didn't happen the way they did in my original time. Bucky, Steve, and I have remained good friends. Our shared experiences have made that possible, helping me deal with how much I regretted leaving you in 2023.
I hope that you found someone who loves you for you, the best man I ever knew. You were the brother I always wanted, the friend I never deserved, and the reason I kept trying to do the right thing. I do miss you, even now, but that is tempered by the fact that the you in this timeline was able to live the life you deserved. It has been a good life, Bucky. Your wife, Gladdie, was a gem, and you fell in love quickly with her, marrying her less than a week after you met. It was beautiful to witness your marriage as you were truly meant for each other. The times we shared with you, Gladdie, Steve, and Peggy will remain in our hearts and minds forever, culminating in the marriage of my great grandson with your great granddaughter June, who looks just like Gladdie.
Goodbye, dear friend. Be happy, without guilt, or shame, or doubt that you deserve it. You deserve it, all, Bucky, and I hope you live a long time, believing that.
Always your friend, 'til the end of the line.
Steve
With an audible sigh, Bucky looked at the letter for several long seconds before folding it and placing it back in the envelope. He blinked his eyes several times then looked at June. Leaning into her, he accepted her arm around his shoulders as she ran her hands through his hair.
"You, okay?" she asked, kissing him gently at the hairline.
"Yeah, I am now. He was able to change a lot of things by going back. Even though I told him I was okay with it, part of me always felt abandoned even though I wouldn't say that to anyone."
She gestured to the letters and the wedding picture of the other Bucky, the Bucky that should have been if this timeline had gone differently.
"He didn't know about me," she murmured. "He recognized me outside the reception, but in this letter it's obvious he didn't have advance knowledge of what would happen to you after he left."
"No, I guess that once he left for the past his ties to this universe were cut."
"Yet, he came to see you one last time and to give you these letters," she said gently. "That seems like someone looking for closure." She shifted so that she was under his arm. "I say we live our lives the way they all did." Her hand cupped his face as she looked up at him. "All in, devoted to each other, supporting each other fully and completely. It's a blueprint for happiness, Bucky, and he wanted that for you after all that you went through."
For so long Bucky had lived his life in an eternal winter of isolation, some of it self-imposed. Even after he escaped from HYDRA it had been difficult to accept that he could change that, believing he really didn't deserve to live a life in the warmth of love and friendship. Meeting June had changed that, as she accepted him even with all that he had done in his life. Maybe stopping winter and embracing summer was a blueprint for happiness, figuratively speaking. Certainly, with her by his side, he felt like he had a new life in front of him. Accepting her into his heart had been the start of that new life. Letting go of the past was giving himself permission to enjoy it without reservation.
Putting the letters aside he gazed at her, playing with her blonde hair, before kissing her tenderly. With her own smile mirroring his, they slid down under the covers and began implementing their plan to fill their house with the sound of children. It was a good plan.
Author notes: Dialogue between Steven Grant and Sam Wilson is verbatim from Avengers Endgame. It was always my intention to finish this story by messing with canon and tying the older Steve's appearance at the end of Avenger's Endgame, to Steven Grant reappearing to close the loop that continually sent his younger self back to Peggy Carter, while not interfering with the timeline. If you have read the collection of connected one shots, From There to Here, Bucky Barnes One Shots, there is an appearance by Steven Grant in the final one shot told in June's POV, when he shows up at Bucky's wedding, leaving an envelope with her. The final part of this last chapter was meant to provide closure to the original timeline Bucky Barnes. Yes, his friend left him behind, and nothing will change that fact. But Steven Grant found new inspiration by going back to save Bucky, then to stop HYDRA from ever becoming what they became in his original timeline.
I hope you enjoyed this story. There were times I almost tore my hair out trying to tie in various things that happened to later events. It was hard to keep it straight sometime and I experienced a certain degree of writer's block at times. Thank you to those who kept up with it and contributed comments.