Steve was at the park when he saw Bucky and Sam there and was confused about why they'd be there so walked over to see a child and froze.
"Come on mama!" the child said and Bucky chuckled.
"Relax, we've got plenty of time for fun. Uncle Sam said Cass, AJ and auntie Sarah will be here in a few minutes." Bucky said smiling.
"There they are." Sam said and waved. "Sarah!" he said and a woman and two boys came over.
"Hey Sam, Bucky. And hello to you Becca." Sarah said smiling.
"Hi auntie Sarah!" Becca said.
'Becca?' Steve thought and it hit him. 'Rebecca. I-it can't be, can it? No. He would've told me. Right?'
"Come on Becca!" AJ said and she looked at Bucky.
"Go ahead. Just be careful and if she gets in to much dust don't forget about her asthma!" Bucky called as they ran off.
"We won't!" Cass said and Bucky shook his head smiling.
"God, she just had to get his asthma and not my allergies." Bucky said making sure he had her inhaler. "I need to refill it actually. Why'd it have to be as bad as his?"
"Relax Buck." Sam said and Bucky looked at him. "It's the twenty first century which means there's plenty of people that can help her unlike Steve. And that's the only thing she has from the both of you. She doesn't have any of your enhancements, any other of Steve's health problems, any of your allergies, she has most of your talents and mostly looks exactly like you so she doesn't have to get all that attention." he said and Bucky nodded.
Steve froze at what he just heard.
He had a daughter, and Bucky never told him.
"He's right. And besides, as she gets older it'll get better and maybe she won't even need the inhaler anymore." Sarah said and Bucky sighed.
"I guess. It's just old habits that are hard to lose. When you look after Steve for as long as I did with all his health problems it's a habit you'll never lose. He was always doing something he shouldn't. Then the war came and he wanted to be enlisted like me. But with all those health problems he was always rejected. I tried getting him dates, telling him to get a job and everything I could think of but he just didn't listen to me. He wanted to do it and when he got into that rebirth thing I was shocked, confused and pissed at the same time."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Because they took away my punk. He wasn't the Steve I knew but I supported him. I joined the team, saved his ass literally every single day just like I did the rest of the Avengers with Thanos and what do I get in return when we return? Steve leaves me and I have to decline the offer because I'm already claimed dead after the fall."
Steve stood there thinking about what he heard and felt guilt coming at him now.
"At least you have me, Sarah, Cass, AJ, Becca and all the people in Louisiana now. Not to mention all the recruits you started training last year. They went to you for help. You didn't go to them for a job, they went to you after reading your record of your training, the 107th and Commandos. They offered you a chance to get back out there on tours and you declined until Becca gets a little older but said maybe when she gets older. You agreed to the training though. And look at how much they had improved compared to before. They used to lose so many but as soon as you started training them the numbers went down. Because you knew what could really happen after being through training and all that wars." Sam said.
Steve looked at them in shock.
'Bucky is training new recruits and would go back out there after everything he's been through?' he thought.
"Oh my god. Those recruits are a pain in the ass. They've gone soft on them all." Bucky said.
"Well now they have you to get them in shape and ready to learn what can really happen." Sam said smiling.
"Yup. I may not be a hero like you but when it comes to military, that's me. You're good with Air Force but not as good as Rhodes."
"Hey!" Sam said while Sarah laughed.
"What? You came back but you're still a damn sergeant even though you're Captain America! Hell I even bumped up to Captain last week!"
"WHAT?!" Sam and Sarah said in shock and he smirked.
"Hell yeah. I was raised to lieutenant right after joining them to train the recruits when they saw what I could do and then they promoted me last week after I showed them what you really need to be ready for when an actual bomb went off somehow. Still don't know where the hell that came from though."
"Damn man." Sam said shaking his head smiling.
Steve couldn't help but smile and feel proud of Bucky to finally find a life for himself and get all the way to Captain and then it hit him.
'He's getting the life he deserves with Sam.' he thought. 'And Sam actually understands more than I do because he has a sister while I was an only child, Sam works for the Air Force and I only got in the army because the serum while Bucky got approved immediately, they both have more experience with guns than I ever did and can live without the shield while I couldn't, and Sam can take care of himself while I relied on Bucky which means Bucky can actually relax now.' he thought and started realizing more and more of a difference between him, Sam and Bucky and the similarities between them.
Then he snapped out of it when he heard something.
"Becca, come here for a minute." Bucky said and the girl came over while he reached over to his backpack.
"Mama! I don't wanna!" Becca said.
"I know but it's this, I do it or the hospital. Those are your options. I have plenty of experience with this miss. Which will it be?"
"Fine." she said, took the inhaler and did as told.
Steve stood there and watched while Bucky did the same.
When she was done she handed him the inhaler.
"Now was that so hard?" Bucky asked.
"Hmph." Becca said and he chuckled.
"Just go back with the boys." he said and she did as told. "Stubborn as Steve. Just as I feared." he said and they laughed.
"I feel so bad for you when she hits high school." Sam said.
"Don't remind me."
"Have you ever thought about dating anyone else?" Sarah asked and he sat there quietly for a few minutes.
"No. I don't think I will."
"Why not?" Sam asked and Bucky looked at him.
"Who would want to date the Winter Soldier? The guy that killed all those people and is over a hundred years old?"
"You look thirty years old! Besides, look at what you've become in the last few years! You were pardoned, my partner, a parent, train new recruits and just got up to Captain last week, the trigger words don't work anymore and so much more."
"The only person I'll ever love left me Sam."
"You don't know that." Sam said gently and Bucky looked at him.
"Yes I do. If I didn't love him I wouldn't have given birth to Becca. I would've gotten an abortion. She's the closest thing I have to him and the best thing I ever got from him. Even after all that pain and exhaustion during that labor and delivery she was worth it and I'd do it all again." Bucky said watching Rebecca play with Cass and AJ.
"How long did it take again?" Sarah asked.
"Uh, I was in labor for about thirty two hours with no pain killers because of the serum and an hour and a half for her to get out because she just wouldn't budge."
"Jesus!"
"Yeah. Very painful and exhausting but very, very worth it in the end."
"Who was with you?"
"Uh, Dr. Cho and that's it. Sam was on a mission and I was on maternity leave. So, I was flying solo and yet I didn't scream, cry or anything during that after all the shit HYDRA did to me. They did all those brainwashing and experimenting it felt like nothing and I would repeat the same thing in my head."
"What?" she asked. "Because, I could never do that with either Cass or AJ." she said and Sam and Steve were curious to.
"Soldiers don't cry from pain and you're a fully trained soldier. Make Peggy and Colonel Phillips proud."
Steve stood there and wanted to walk over to him and hold him close telling him they were already proud of him.
"Do they really?" Sarah asked looking at Sam.
"You gotta remember Sarah, Bucky's a soldier from WWII, not the Force like me and Rhodey." Sam said.
"Besides, I had four sisters to raise after losing my parents by sixteen. So, I kinda had to man up by then anyway. Meeting Steve helped. I went to work after school, Steve watched them after school unless they were with a friend, his mom would offer us some help like money, clothes, dinner, stuff like that since it was just her and Steve while it was five of us. She pulled me aside once and said she saw me as a second son and offered to move in with us. Sell her house and have her and Steve move in because she knows we have such a strong relationship and she could see how tired I was even with all the help she was giving me."
"Did you consider it?" Sarah asked.
"I thought about it. But I didn't want to stress her out, didn't know what it would do to Steve's health problems, our relationship and all that stuff. She was already so busy as a nurse, having Steve to take care of and I was so thankful when she started helping me but I also felt guilty because even though Steve could take care of himself, usually, he was still her son and had a lot of health problems that couldn't be helped unlike now."
"That's why he had you." Sam said and Bucky looked at him. "You are the reason Steve lived for so long before that serum. If he hadn't met you he probably wouldn't have even finished high school because of his health problems or even all the fights he got himself into. I think one of the reasons she helped you so much is because she saw you as a second son like you said and also because she finally found a way to repay you after everything you've done for Steve since you met." he said and Bucky sat there quietly for a few minutes thinking about what he said.
Then Steve finally gave in unable to hold it in anymore.
"He's right Buck." Steve said and they all jumped and turned to look at him. "That's exactly one of the reasons mom wanted to help you so much. She felt like she owed you to much because of what you did for me." he said while they looked at him.
"Steve?!" Sam said in shock while Bucky froze.
"Hey Sam. I heard you've been doing good as Captain America. I'm proud of you." Steve said smiling.
"It's uh, really thanks to Bucky. He's the real reason I'm still alive." Sam said and Steve chuckled.
"Yeah well, that's always been his job. Saving Captain America's ass with either this sniper skills or that strength." Steve said and looked at Bucky. "I couldn't help but hear that Bucky is back in the army a little huh? Getting back out there?"
"Uh, yeah. They called me and wanted to see what the difference between this training and the training we got was. And since I'm physically eligible for it I agreed. After I showed them they saw how soft they've gotten and offered me a job to make them what the recruits should be so I agreed. They offered me to really get back out there but I'm not quite ready for that yet. Maybe in the future but we'll see. Shortly after I started training them they got me to lieutenant and last week they got me to captain. So, I'm officially the highest out of all three of us. You never finished training, Sam is a sergeant even though he took the name Captain America but I actually waited and worked hard on getting that title." Bucky said looking from Steve to the playground and back every few seconds.
"He's right. I'm really still just a sergeant." Sam said a little annoyed.
"You'll get there eventually."
"If I hadn't've left I could be matching Rhodey right now. Or at least Lieutenant Colonel."
"You had just lost your wingman and partner. You were shocked and depressed. You left because you wanted to clear your head and not risk anything else happening and if you got a new partner then that would mean back to square one where you had to teach them how to use the wings, the equipment and all that instead of just getting those missions done." Bucky said and Sam and Steve looked at him. "What?" he said and Sam looked at Steve.
"OK, why does he understand it and you don't?"
"Because I was actually fully trained like you. And know how to fly a helicopter along with having a license to do that while he never finished training and only has a license to drive." Bucky said with his arms crossed.
"Wait, since when do you have a flying license?!"
"Since I was twenty seven? They wanted the Commandos to learn and I was the only one that could actually do it good enough to get their license. I just had to renew it when I was pardoned along with my drivers license. I may have a bit of trauma with heights and trains from that fall but I still renewed it incase something happened."
"He really was the only one that could actually do it. I wasn't bad but Bucky was always better." Steve said and Bucky looked like him.
"You crashed into a tree!"
"What?!" Sam said and laughed. "Oh my god!"
"I got better!" Steve said a little red.
"Thank God. When you flew the Quinjet I was worried it would be a repeat." Bucky said.
"Hey!"
"What?"
Sarah couldn't help but chuckle while she watched amused.
Then they heard laughter come running and Bucky froze.
'Shit.' Bucky thought.
"Mom! Uncle Sam! Uncle Bucky!" Cass and AJ said.
"And who are these?" Steve asked.
"These are my nephews Cass and AJ." Sam said smiling. "Well, now Bucky's to. After he became my partner he went to visit and they stuck to him like glue."
"Mama!" Becca said and ran over to Bucky who bent down, picked her up and put her on his hip.
"What on earth happened to you? Why is their sand all over your air?" Bucky asked and started whipping it away. "When we get home you ma'am are getting a bath."
"I don't wanna!" she said and coughed so he listened closely and sighed.
"Sam, can you?"
"Already on it." Sam said, grabbed the inhaler and handed it to him.
"Thanks." Bucky said and put it in his hand. "Alright, you know the drill. Open up." he said and she did as told.
When he was done he handed it back to Sam and Sam put it back in the backpack.
"There we go. Now, what are you three doing here anyway?" Bucky asked.
"Becca saw this guy with you and we just wanted to know who he was." Cass said.
"Oh, uh,"
"He's just an old work friend of mine from before you two were born. Back when I was a newbie." Sam said. "He was one of the people that wasn't blipped like you guys so he just wanted to catch up since I've been busy. He was just meeting Bucky and Bucky was telling him about his own army experience." Sam said.
"Cool. Did you know uncle Bucky is from WWII?" AJ asked and Steve smiled.
"I did know that. I heard he was a real good sniper too." Steve said feeling his heart break having to say that.
"He is! We've seen it on the news! He's saved lots of people and Uncle Sam cause of that!" Cass said and Bucky smiled.
"Well you know where there's Captain America, there's Bucky Barnes." Bucky said.
"I wanna be a hero to!" Becca said.
"Oh no you don't. The closest thing to a hero you can be is a doctor or a lawyer. You are not doing anything that me, Uncle Sam or the rest of the crew do. You got that?"
Steve couldn't help but chuckle while Sam and Sarah watched amused.
"But I wanna save people like you!" she said.
"And you will save plenty of people. If you become a doctor you can save plenty of people that are sick or hurt and if you become a lawyer you can help plenty of people that are innocent and being blamed for a crime they didn't even do."
"Fine." she said with her arms crossed.
"Good." he said and gave her a kiss and put her down. "Now why don't you guys go back to having fun because we're going home soon."
"OK!" they said and went back to the playground.
Then Bucky and Steve looked at each other while Sarah and Sam watched in silence.
"Who was that?" Steve asked but got no answer. "Buck, who, was, that?"
"Rebecca Sarah Barnes. She's three years old, almost four." Bucky said.
"Oh my god." Steve said and realized his theory was right.
"You were there the whole time listening but didn't come out until you felt ready. I know you punk." Bucky said and Steve chuckled knowing he was right.
"Sorry, I was just trying to figure it out." Steve said. "That day at the restaurant where you only had tea and nothing to eat,"
"I was nine weeks. I found out right before my trial and went to Dr. Cho. She said I was seven weeks along. We don't know whether it's because of the serum or what but she still lived through that fight. She offered me an abortion or adoption after birth but I said no. This is the closest thing to you I have left. Sam was there for me from the trial to the pregnancy. The only time he wasn't was delivery because he was on a mission. While you weren't there for any of it because you left me for Peggy. I decided to hide her from you since you got what you wanted it was time for me to get what I wanted." Bucky said and Steve looked at Sam.
"Thank you."
"One of us had to be there for him. And you're lucky it was me because I have experience with a traumatized veteran like Bucky." Sam said and looked at Bucky. "You mind if I let it out myself?"
"Go ahead."
"Thanks." Sam said and looked at Steve. "You left both of us and leaving Bucky which means I had to pick up the pieces! You did nothing! I did it all! He was in deep depression, PTSD, anxiety, nightmares and the only reason he didn't commit suicide is for the pregnancy! I'm the one that kept him sane! I'm the one that got him to smile until Rebecca came! I'm the one that put all the pieces back together! You broke them while I fixed it! And do you have any idea how hard it is for a black man to become Captain America? It took a while but even Bucky figured it out and since then he's been by my side. If it weren't for him I'd probably be dead by now! I'm not a Super Soldier, I'm not a leader I'm a partner and follow the leader. I'm a soldier yes, but I'm still a goddamn sergeant! If anyone out of all of us, the army or Air Force has the most experience it's Bucky. Rhodey may be the highest rank but after all the fighting and wars Bucky's been through he's got the most experience."
"Some of them wanted to jump me right up to General actually." Bucky said and they looked at him in shock. "What?"
"Jesus!" Steve and Sam said together.
"I'm definitely telling Rhodey about that later! Maybe Carol to." Sam said shaking his head and put a reminder on his phone while Steve looked at Bucky.
"You didn't really look for me or anything, did you?" Bucky said and Steve said nothing. "You went to her, forgot all about the shit I went through and just let me rot with them." he said and Sam looked at Steve.
"Steve?" Sam said.
"You lied about what you said that day."
"No, of course I went to save you." Steve said. "I would never leave you."
"Then what happened to me?"
"You got sick. You, you got brain cancer and even with your serum couldn't fight it. Y-you died at sixty nine." Steve said and they froze. "They did everything they could but with you being a Super Soldier they couldn't really figure out what to do because the medication went through so fast." he said. "They think it was from what Zola did to you when I found you in '43 and '45."
"Oh my god." Bucky said and put his hands on his head. "S-Sam?"
"Already on it." Sam said and hit his phone. "Hellen? Yeah uh, we bumped into Steve and he told us that he saved Bucky and that he died at sixty nine of brain cancer. They think it's from what Zola did all those years ago so could we come over and have that looked at later? Great, thanks. See you in an hour." he said and hung up and looked at Bucky. "She said to go to the Compound now and she can get it looked at. She wants Steve there too so he can explain what exactly happened and what it looked like." he said and they nodded.
"You two go, I'll watch Becca." Sarah said and they nodded.
"Let's go." Sam said and Bucky nodded so they left and headed to the Compound.
When they got there they saw Cho and a few others waiting and Bucky was shaking a little.
"Alright Sam, have him lay down and we can get started." she said and Sam helped Bucky lay down.
While they got started Steve told them from the beginning. When Steve found Bucky, where he found him, what they were doing, when the headaches started, when he was diagnosed and everything.
When they were done with all the tests Bucky, Steve and Sam were standing there looking at the results in horror.
"Oh my god. There's a tumor, in my goddamn head thanks to them?!" Bucky said.
"C-can you do something about it?" Sam asked and looked at Cho.
"Since it's not to big yes. If he had waited more than three years then no but thanks to bumping into Steve we caught it just in time." Cho said. "And with his enhanced healing it should heal quickly. But I suggest having Rebecca stay with someone else for at least a week and Bucky stay here where I can observe him. I'll call Shuri to since they have the advanced equipment that could help." she said and they nodded.
"Call Strange to. He was a neurosurgeon before this so he knows what he's doing better than anyone." he said and she nodded.
Then they got started calling the people they required.
Shuri immediately agreed and Strange did the same saying he would ask Christine to help.
While they got ready Steve and Sam stayed with Bucky.
"Even when they're gone and I'm free, they're still ruining my life." Bucky said staring at the picture.
"It's gonna be fine Buck." Steve said.
"No it's not Steve!" Bucky said and looked at him. "What if I forget everything again? What if I don't make it through this?"
"Bucky calm down!" Sam said and Bucky looked at him. "When you're done with this, and you will survive this, you are going to have a great life with me, Becca, Sarah, Cass and AJ. You're going to watch Becca grow up into a beautiful strong young woman and take her down that isle one day, meet your grandchildren and have a great life. You're going to talk to me as a friend and a counselor if you ever need to, turn all those recruits into strong soldiers and get all the way up to General James Barnes making all the 107th, SSR and Commandos proud. You hear me?" he asked and Bucky nodded. "Good."
Soon everything was ready and Bucky was laying there with Steve and Sam.
"It's gonna be fine Bucky." Sam said and Bucky nodded and looked at Steve who looked back.
"You made it through seventy years of HYDRA, you can make it through this." Steve said and Bucky nodded.
"Alright Captain Barnes, let's get this done." Cho said and Shuri looked at Bucky in shock.
"Captain? Oh we certainly have some catching up to do after this White Wolf." Shuri said and Bucky chuckled then they gave him the anesthesia she brought and he was gone.
"Alright, let's get started." Strange said and took it from there.
For the next few hours Strange and Christine worked together as if his accident never happened while Shuri helped him with the advanced equipment she brought with her and Cho kept an eye on the vials.
Sam kept Sarah posted and Steve just sat there and watched worried and hoping Bucky could survive this.
Then after four hours they heard something they hoped they would.
"Got it. No bleeding or anything anywhere So it looks like we can close him up." Strange said.
"Looks like it." Christine said and Strange did as he said while Sam and Steve sat back in relief.
"He's gonna make it." Sam muttered.
Later they were both sitting on either side of Bucky's bed watching him sleep waiting for him to wake up.
"Mmm." Bucky said and they looked at him in hope.
"Bucky?" Sam said and Bucky opened his eyes.
"Sam?" Bucky whispered and looked to the other side. "Steve?" he said and they smiled with tears of relief going down their eyes.
"Hey Jerk." Steve said.
"How you feeling?" Sam asked.
"My head feels like it just went through seventy more years of brainwashing." Bucky said and they all chuckled. "Did it work?"
"You're all cleared Captain Barnes." someone said and they turned to see Cho, Strange and Shuri there.
"How do you feel White Wolf?" Shuri asked.
"My head hurts but fine." Bucky said.
"Good. I just need to check on a few things now that you're awake." Strange said and walked over to check on his right hand. "Do you feel this?"
"Yeah."
"I want you to squeeze my hand as strong as you can. I know you're enhanced and can break it but I need you to do it." Strange said so Bucky did as told as Strange took note. "That matches what it was before so that's good. Next is the legs." he said and did the same.
Cho had snuck out her phone to call Christine who watched amused seeing Strange never lost the doctor in him.
When he was done Strange shook his head.
"It's amazing." he said.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Even after the surgery he didn't lose anything. It's as if he didn't get it done. Anyway, the healing should only take about a week as Hellen said, two tops but I want you to take some time off work. Actual work and missions with Sam for at least a month."
"OK." Bucky said.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he does." Sam said looking at Bucky.
"Ouch Sam, ouch." Bucky said and Steve chuckled.
"Oh come on Buck, he's just taking care of you." Steve said.
"How's Becca?"
"She's with Sarah confused." Sam said and Bucky nodded. "Sarah said she'll watch her until you're ready to get home if you want."
"Thanks."
"I'll just have her say we were sent on a mission out of nowhere and didn't have the time to tell her." Sam said and Bucky nodded.
"At least you're clear unlike the other you now." Steve said and Bucky nodded getting tired.
"Why don't we let him get some more sleep and you can catch up later?" Cho said and they nodded.
Steve and Sam sat there quietly while the others left as Bucky fell back to sleep.
For the next week Bucky healed and Sam and Steve stayed with him.
The rest of the team came to check on him and were relieved he was doing well and shocked to see Steve there.
Steve allowed them all to yell at him for leaving them and they did letting a lot of emotions come out of them.
One night they were all together in the dining room with Bucky on the FaceTime since he was still in bed but there were to many people to be in the room.
"So what is this about and why am I included?" Steve asked.
"Since you retired along with Clint and we lost Tony, Natasha and T'Challa we need to figure out a leader of the team." Sam said. "I may have taken the Captain America but I already know I'm not the leader. I follow orders, not give them."
"I may be a Colonel but I'm not much of a leader myself. Most of us have been fallowing your orders for years Steve. You or someone else." Rhodey said.
"Not necessarily everyone." Steve said and they looked at him. "And technically, one of you qualifies to be higher than you but won't accept it."
"Who?" Clint asked then it hit them and they looked at Bucky.
"I was a sergeant by the time I finished training. When I got that call asked to start training recruits to get them back into shape most of the staff wanted to shoot me right up to General since I've gone through war after war from WWII, HYDRA, the little Civil War we had going on and then Thanos but I wanted to do it right. So they put me in lieutenant when I started. Then they had me as Captain two weeks ago and when Becca gets older I might go back out there on a few tours but we'll see. Use these skills I've had and gotten for good other than being Sam's partner and working with you guys. Sam will retire one day while after all those years of Cyro freeze I'm stuck with this for god only knows how long so I'm taking the advantage. I'm hoping to get up to General one day in the future. While I adapt to getting back to a job and the military I'll train the new recruits but when I'm ready I'm getting out there." Bucky said.
"That's it. That's the Bucky I know and why I can see him taking my place as the leader. Sam as Captain America and Bucky the leader." Steve said and Bucky froze.
"I'm sorry what?"
"You heard me. You know how to lead people while the others only know how to follow people. Me and Tony worked together because I was the leader of the Commandos and then the Avengers while Tony was the CEO of Stark Industries. The others, they're used to having a boss while we're used to being the boss. You said you were second in command of the 107th and were first in command quickly after getting to England. Then often you had to take my place at the Commandos, and I'm guessing if it was group missions with HYDRA you were in charge because you were their weapon. Right?"
"Yes." Bucky muttered.
"Then you know what to do. You know how to lead people and have the skills it takes to do it." Steve said and Bucky sighed.
"Fine. I'll do it but I'm not moving anywhere. I'm staying in my apartment and sticking with my job and plan."
"Sounds good to me. What about you guys?" Steve asked and everyone nodded.
A few days later Bucky was home holding Rebecca close.
"Were you good for auntie Sarah?" Bucky asked.
"Uh huh!" Rebecca said.
"Good. Now how about we order some pizza, watch a movie and relax tonight?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright. Go pick what to watch while I order the food." he said and she did as told.
Soon they were in the living room eating dinner and watching a movie as planned.
