"Look, I don't know about many of the others... but at the very least, one person we should never allow to be anywhere but in the most secure of a prison cell, is Zola. I don't care what advances HYDRA has made; they can all die with them.", Peggy gritted her teeth as she said that.
Phillips looked at them both, "Is this your common sense or your parental instinct talking?", and Steve replied, "Both, sir. We cannot let the evilest people of them take anyone's lives when they don't deserve to live, and our friends, our people here in the army and back home, they deserve to have peace of mind without fear of an enemy threatening their families in thoughts of kidnapping or worse...For us, we have more worry than any other family as our daughter is unique as you may have noticed, and for them, leverage...and worse...", as he moved to squeeze Peggy's hand.
"Well, I certainly promise you, that you're still very safe here; I get a good feeling that even HYDRA is unaware of your child.", Phillips said. "Yeah, well, the sooner they're all dead and buried, the easier I'll sleep and not worry.", Peggy sighed.
Steve looked at Phillips, "All the same, I'd feel better if I and you talk to Roosevelt, sir...And it's about time that Brookyln deserves to know the other half of her origins...".
Phillips looked at them, frowning, "Well, Hydra is looking to be in the waiting game, but sooner or later, Schmidt will have to risk things without his lead scientist in Zola...And if you are determined to help Barnes out in finding a replacement for his arm, Stark is always around, or, of course, Ramirez to work it out with Whitmore's money and such...And I suppose I haven't exactly given you a well-deserved break, Rogers, as you have been really wrought out and tense all week since the train, even with Carter and your kid to distract ya, and of course, Carter was worried all month during the mission...I'm your general, and the Howling Commandos is in your command...next to mine, of course...".
Peggy looked at him, "Sir?", and Phillips replied, "Since this is around the end of June into July, I suppose I'd give you and the others two months to recharge and all, and I will pop in for Washington when you are ready to talk with Roosevelt one of those days. Perhaps the War Department will be convinced, but I cannot promise that as it's in the planning stages, not into reality yet...".
"Sooner or later, it's going to be brought forward...", Peggy sighed as she looked to Steve and smiled. "Well, how about it, Steve? I think you certainly could use some time off.".
Steve smiled, "Yeah, I could definitely use it...Perhaps we can invite your parents along as I don't think they hadn't visited America as far as I know.".
"You are right on that, and they'd feel at home within our cottage. Good thing that we have plenty of room. And of course, Whitmore would be happy to host our friends again, and be of some assistance for Bucky.", Peggy chuckled, referring to the technology of Atlantis and of course, the big evac-sub.
Phillips replied, "Marvelous. You two prepare to pack over the next few days, help your kid get used to riding in a plane since it'd be loud, and call your parents to join you, and you will be down in Paris on the 4th of July, to pay your last respects to Mole, and have a night in the romance of Paris, and be sent together in a leave-bound plane with Barnes and the others on the 5th back to America, alright?".
"Sounds perfect.", Steve smiled before his mood changed. "I mean, you know, with Mole... not exactly perfect but...". Peggy chuckled. "Even after everything, you still can be so bashful.", she teased.
Steve caressed her hand with a blush and a small smile, and Phillips then sipped the last of his coffee, "Then it's settled. Thank you for the coffee, and I'll see you at the send-off.", getting up from his seat, with a nod.
"Thank you, General.", the couple nodded as Phillips made his leave, leaving the table and the apartment altogether, and Peggy smiled wryly, "You have to admit that Mole would be leaping for joy that his friends would experience the romance of Paris; us, my parents, and of course, Bucky and Audrey.".
Steve smiled, "A last gift from him. That's Mole, alright...And to make it even better, on my birthday too...", and Peggy kissed him on the cheek, "We could have Brookyln being looked after Sweet, as he'd appreciate the distraction since Nola's waiting for him in Atlantis.", with an excited smile.
"Good plan, my love...", Steve kissed her on the lips, and so, they went to have a few busy days between packing, calling Harrison and Amanda, and acclimating Brooklyn to the idea of flying.
And so, early on the 4th, both sets of parents, and a tentative, curious Brookyln was sent off after handshakes, salutes, and even a rare hug to Phillips from Brookyln, and landed not too long then, landing in one of the airport bases within Paris, reuniting with Bucky, Audrey, Sweet, with the other Howling Commandos working on unstrapping the coffin of Mole from their own plane from the other airport.
Bucky is almost fully back to himself, only having a cane to fool people in having a limp when he doesn't have one, as his sprained leg is healed, back to normal, with his crushed hand becoming healthy and normal again, yet his arm stump is now sealed in a sleeve to keep the bandages and such from flying away for people to assume that he's in pain and all, but he isn't, as it's fully a healed stump, thanks to Sweet's remarkable ingeniousness with his crystal.
"How're you holding up?", Steve asked the moment he saw Bucky as the other man sighed, "A bit upset; to be honest... losing the arm, which I guess was making up for managing to save it some months ago if you recall during our raid with the resistance. But it's not the whole fact of losing it rather than Mole still might be here if I wasn't as injured or anything...".
"Yeah; so, I heard. Still, Mole did what he felt was right and honestly, we've all owed him so much these past years...", Steve replied with a gentle sigh.
Bucky nodded, having heard stories from Sweet and Audrey over the past few days, and exhaled, "Audrey is stubbornly convincing me that arm or no arm, I'm her only and first love, and that she wouldn't dream of abandoning me...", with a soft, awed smile as he glanced at Audrey who is taking her first look, cooing over Brookyln who is in Peggy's arms, while introducing herself to Harrison and Amanda.
Steve chuckled, "She is a determined woman, and I know her longer than you had, and when she has something, she will never let go of it, and with you, it's even more meaningful for her.".
"I've noticed...She said yes, can you believe it?", Bucky smiled widely, and Steve smiled sheepishly, "Are you going to kill me for spilling it out even if it wasn't exactly a secret, and you hadn't made us promise to keep it?".
Bucky smirked, "Nope, but I'm going to make you to cook for the reception party besides being my best man, considering that I got three sisters, and Audrey got a lot of cousins and her olde sister.".
Steve dramatically groaned, "Oh, alright, I'll do that, but only for you, my brother and new sister-in-law.", with a smile, and Bucky grinned, "Good man.", before chuckling, "That cannot be Brookyln...She's bigger than she was in the picture...", as Brookyln was trying to reach for Audrey's newsboy cap.
"Well, you know how it is with what you've been told... those special genes... hopefully, she's not going to grow too fast though, we don't need questions raised.", Steve said.
Bucky nodded, and reassured him, "I think perhaps the change of environment would steady her as she must have felt all the anxiety, excitement, and such on the Britain base.", and Steve smiled, hoping that he's right.
Audrey laughed softly as Brookyln is grasping her black hair, curious and babbling, trying to reach the cap, and Peggy chuckled, "Gentle, Brooke. I think she wants to try on your cap, through it would be too big for you, sweetheart.".
Brookyln babbled, pouting, and Audrey chuckled, "She's an inquisitive one, alright...", taking off her cap, and smiled as she put it over Brookyln's head, and indeed, it was too big, but Brookyln didn't care, giggling as she looked so cute and adorable in it.
Audrey laughed, "Aww, I sure wish Packard was here to take a picture of this...You are too cute, Brookyln!", and Brookyln squealed happily, looking proud of it, as Peggy chuckled, "Indeed. But I bet Steve would sketch this as he has a really good memory now.".
Her parents chuckled nearby, as Steve and Bucky came closer, and Brookyln gurgled, smiling at her daddy, tilting her head, and Steve laughed, "Aw, shucks, now you are even more adorable, eh, right, Bucky?".
Bucky was silent for a moment, having seen an idea of a beautiful baby over Brookyln as she wiggled in Audrey's arms, wearing the cap with a smile, his heart skipping a beat as Audrey looked radiant and beautiful in the idea of being a mother, and shook his head, clearing his throat, "Yeah, she is sure adorable...Hello, Brooke, I'm your daddy's brother, Uncle Bucky...".
Brookyln blinked in surprise and curiosity as she heard about Bucky from her daddy and mummy in stories, and she then gurgled, reaching out for Bucky, and he stammered, "But I...I don't know how to...", gesturing to his stump, as he was used to having held his sisters with two arms when they were babies.
"Here, would it help if I gave you some support?", Audrey asked as she moved over a bit. "Be an extra arm for you?", she asked.
Bucky exhaled as he smiled softly, seeing that Audrey is facing him, with her left arm intertwining with Bucky's left arm as Brookyln squealed happily, looking at him, reaching out, and Bucky lowered his face, and Brookyln hugged his face, patting his cheek, blinking.
"Hi...Boy, you really are a mix of your folks...I pray that your daddy wouldn't be too overprotective when you turn out to be marvelous as your mum, eh?", Bucky chuckled, and Brookyln giggled, smiling.
Steve pouted, "Aww, come on, you're supposed to be on my side, Bucky!", and Bucky glanced up, smirking as Brookyln played with the cap, "Sorry, bro. You have to admit that Peggy did the hard work, and being fantastic as she is, why not since Brooke is practically like you in appearance, yet having a personality like Peggy, eh?".
Peggy chuckled, "He's not wrong, luv.", as she leaned on her husband's shoulder, letting her daughter know her uncle and future aunt, smiling.
"Well, you ought to see some things... it certainly proves she's gotten more than just appearances from me.", Steve chuckled as Bucky raised an eyebrow, "Oh, this I've got to hear.".
Audrey laughed warmly, "Me too...But first, there's something we have to do...", seeing Sweet return, and he looked at the group, taking a deep breath, "His...his coffin's secured in the funeral car...We got the cemetery to us for a few hours before the crowds come in at the official hours of the place...".
"Probably going to be busy soon...", Bucky nodded. "The widows and the broken families from the war; I'm sure that cemetery's been seeing a lot of activity as of late...".
"Those that start the wars never truly think of the costs...", Steve said. "Or they know full well and just see it as culling the weak from the strong.", Peggy crossed her arms. "Nazi ideology summed up in a few words.".
Audrey held Brookyln as she cooed, looking around, feeling the sadness and bittersweetness, and she replied with a deep sigh, "Let's get going.", and everybody nodded, even Harrison and Amanda as they had heard some stories about Mole as well, even if they hadn't met him.
They got into the given cars on the base, and headed out, following the funeral car, going to the cemetery through the private gates, and after they made it to the spot which is under a beautiful oak tree with a crazy yet organized pile of rocks, most of them went to dig, with Bucky carving words into a sign, and using his crystal as he sat down, using his knees as leverage, while Harrison and Amanda is distracting Brookyln, with Sweet asking Jones and Dugan to buy caviar and escargot, even if it was only small tins or something, intending to help Mole's soul be appreciated of the gifts, while he held into Mole's other precious possession which was his unique stuffed toy which is ironically a mole.
It took Sweet a lot of restraint while he cleaned, got out the bullet, and everything over the past few days as it was his friend, not a stranger.
"How're you holding up?", Steve asked Sweet; considering that amongst all the group, Sweet knew Mole the longest. "I can't imagine what you've been going through as of late... Bucky came back, you had to watch Mole...". He bit his tongue as he decided now was not the moment to say more there.
"It's strange...I...I, and Manuel, Audrey's father was the closest to him, as Manuel liked to listen to his stories of Paris, and I liked to enjoy his pranks, even if I didn't appear to be happy when he did his pranks, but somehow, I liked hearing his laughter and his antics...And with Cookie, Mole never cared about the quality as long as he ate, and he was scared of Packard after she pranked him back one time, and since then, he never dared to prank her again...", Sweet said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
"Really hard to believe sometimes. Especially after all that we went through. You know, you just get the feeling that after everything that you go through, that somehow, you'll make it no matter what.", Steve sighed.
Sweet nodded, "I know the feeling...then this happens...Hits you in the gut...", and Steve exhaled, "That's what I experienced when I thought Bucky was gone, and...now...At least Mole died peacefully here in his homeland, not in Germany or anywhere else, even no man's land...".
"He did...He suffered pain, but somehow, when he knew it was coming, he didn't fight as it was truly a lethal hit, and he just wanted no fuss...He was gentle to push me away, no yelling or anything...", Sweet sighed.
Steve replied, "At least he fought to come home with Bucky in tow, and that's more than anything he'd do in pain...He died a hero, Sweet.", and Sweet gave a small smile, "Yes, he did.".
After the digging was done and the gravestone sign hammered in, while Dugan and Jones returned with tins of escargot and caviar, the men carried the coffin which wasn't fancy or expensive, but rather rustic and sturdy, and once it's close to the grave, Sweet tucked Mole's stuffed toy mole by Mole's body, with Jones and Dugan tucking the tins as well, and Steve putting a beautiful sketch of Mole's beloved Digger machine that was lost in the volcano and all, under one of Mole's hands, and both Audrey and Peggy tucking a folded French flag after kissing the corners of the flag, and Bucky putting a rock and a hand-size pile of dirt from nearby, under Mole's other hand.
And then with careful rigging, the coffin was then put into the grave, and everybody went to fill in the grave, with Brookyln surprising everyone by crawling to the nearby patch of flowers, and pulled out a Poppy flower, crawling back with it gently intact with the roots and all, making it to Bucky, cooing as she looked up at her uncle.
Audrey smiled sadly, "I think she wants you to say a simple, wonderful eulogy for Mole to represent all of us, and she wants the flower to be planted right here at his gravestone sign as she may not have known him but wanted to be like us by giving something for him...".
"Are you sure?", Bucky asked. "I mean, am I the right person? I'm actually the only one here who knew him the least when you think about it. I'm not sure if I could…", he bit his lip in nervousness.
Audrey replied softly, "He was the one who personally saved you, Bucky...brought you back to me, and he wouldn't have done that if he didn't believe in friendship and love, yet he did...", looking at him.
Bucky sighed for a moment before he nodded, "Alright, I suppose that makes sense. I just hope what I think of will be good enough for the rest of you, not to mention him.".
Audrey squeezed his good hand, smiling softly, "I'm sure he will. Just don't make it long-winded, eh?", and Bucky laughed softly, remembering how Mole hated being still during long-winded speeches and such, always fidgety and all.