...

"I'm pregnant."

—————

80 years later

—————

"Don't do anything stupid until I get back."

Bucky gave Steve a weak smile. Being reminded of Brooklyn and their pre-war days was still hard for him. Would they ever stop fighting ?

"How can I ? You're taking all the stupid with you."

Steve smiled and briefly hugged his best friend. Bucky felt something weird about this embrace. He felt something...out of place. As if it was shy and full of doubts and remorse. Or maybe he wasn't used to hugs anymore. Yeah, that's probably what it was. He shook his disturbing thoughts away and watched Steve climbing on the platform. Bucky still found the idea of time travel completely insane : how could anyone possibly travel through time ? Adjusting to modern life was harder than he expected, after going through H.Y.D.R.A.'s treatment. But most of the time he thought about this new kind of technology, the invention that saved the world, he only had one thing in mind. And yet, he knew it was impossible. Anyway, it's not like Steve was going to come back anyway. Bucky felt, deep inside him, that someone was preventing him from letting go of his past. How could he blame him, though ? He was in the exact same situation.

"Going quantum in three...two...one..."

————

Steve didn't know this place. It was crazy enough that he'd managed to find it. And yet, he knew he was at the right place. He walked up to the door and knocked. Would she open the door ? He hoped so. He had to see her one last time. After Tony and Natasha's sacrifices, everything around him collapsed. Maybe seeing her would make him feel better. That's what he told himself until she opened the door. She frowned. So did he. Something about her was different of the memory he'd been keeping all those years. Maybe he had truly moved on, after all. Peggy Carter started crying gracefully. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she shyly held Steve Rogers against her body. She pulled away quickly and gestured him inside.

"How ?" She asked.

"I know it hasn't been a long time since I...since I took that fall," he explained carefully. "I also know this must be very disturbing for you."

"I thought you were dead, Steve."

"I know. And I was, kind of."

Peggy frowned even more and crossed her arms on her chest.

"How is it you are here, then ?"

"Seventy years after I fell into the ice, I was...woken up."

"Wait...you're telling me you're..."

"From the future."

The woman in front of him started pacing and rubbing her forehead.

"It's impossible. I must be dreaming again."

The 'again' made Steve's heart ache.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but... Tony said I shouldn't tell anyone from my past. I decided to see you anyway. I- I had to."

"Who's Tony ?"

"Howard's son." Steve immediately realised what a mistake he'd just made. "Crap, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

"So you are Steve," she said with a smile. "Why are you here ?"

"We took some stuff from the past and I had to put everything back where it belonged."

"Then I'll ask again : why are you here ?"

"I-" Steve stopped. What did she mean ? "I have no idea."

"Are you happy in the future ?"

"I guess I am. Was. Before I... I lost two of my closest friends this week. They were my family."

"I'm sorry, Steve." She patted his back and smiled. "Do you have anyone left back there ?"

He didn't have to think twice. Of course he still had people in the future. He loved them.

"Bucky and Sam."

"Wait, Sergeant Barnes is alive as well ?"

"It's a long story but that's not the point. I wanted to..."

Peggy immediately started pacing again, this time more excitedly.

"You don't understand, Steve. I have no idea what you're doing here because it's obvious you don't belong here anymore. I... I love you, you know that. But we can do better than be selfish. Were you here to take me with you ?"

"I- Actually, I thought about staying here. I don't know if it-"

"Are you out of your mind ? Please tell me you have a way of bringing someone back with you."

Steve checked his bag. He did, actually.

"I only have two of these things left," he said, holding a Pym particle in front of his eyes. "One for me and..."

"One for someone who really needs it. Follow me."

She took him through the kitchen and the living room and then made him climb some stairs. She knocked on a door and quietly asked permission to go in. Steve didn't hear any response but Peggy probably did since she opened the door. Steve followed her slowly, unsure of who he would find. Well, part of him knew, of course. He just couldn't believe he hadn't even thought of that possibility.

"Don't be afraid, okay ?" He heard Peggy say. "Just don't freak out and we'll explain everything. I believe you'll be happy."

"I highly doubt it." Steve thought he recognised that voice, except that it was way colder than it used to be. It sounded almost broken. When he finally saw the pregnant woman sitting on the bed, a few tears escaped from his eyes.

"Steve ?"

"Jane."

Steve hurried to her and held her tight against him. God, he'd missed her so much. Jane didn't hug him back, though. She pulled away and looked at him weirdly.

"Peggy, am I... am I dead ?"

The look in her eyes broke Steve's heart. Was she that devastated ? It's true she had lost the love of her life but he never thought she could ever get this low. He had always seen her as the strong pillar of their friendship. Maybe she was and he was just too tired and sad to realise it was normal to grieve.

"Jane, I can explain," Steve calmly said. "I know you won't believe it at first, especially since you heard me crashing that plane on the radio, but I can prove you it's really me. You just have to listen to me."

She gave Peggy a quick look and the agent nodded. She then looked at Steve and asked him to proceed.

"I didn't die in the ice. Actually, I was frozen and I- I woke up years later, thinking everything, everyone I knew was gone. I didn't have you, I didn't have Peggy and I- I didn't have-"

"Don't say his name."

"Please, Jane, what I'm about to-"

"If you really are from the future, that means you got to live, Steve. He didn't." She placed her hands protectively over her swollen belly and closed her eyes. "I don't wanna hear about how you got to be happy and he didn't. So you can either shut up or I'll make you. I advise you not to underestimate a pregnant-"

"He's alive."

She opened her eyes, looked at him and then closed them again.

"You're lying."

"I'm not." He took a risk and placed his hand over hers. She didn't move. "He's alive. Different, but alive."

Steve could see she wanted to cry. She was trying hard not to. However, her tears were stronger and they still found their way on her face.

"Well, he's not here, is he ?"

The small glimpse of hope in her voice gave him strength to carry on.

"No, but I know where he is."

"I'll leave you two alone," Peggy said. "I'll make us some tea."

Peggy quietly closed the door behind her and Jane rubbed her fingers over her gown, on her huge baby-bump.

"Tell me more," she simply said. "What do you mean by different ?"

"The day he fell off that train, I- I truly believe we'd lost him, you know. But we didn't. The organisation we were fighting at the time, H.Y.D.R.A... They got him, Jane. They..."

"They hurt him, didn't they ?"

"Yes."

She lowered her head and cried some more.

"And I wasn't there," she whispered.

"Neither was I."

They looked at each other for a few seconds. Steve tried showing how sorry he was, sorry he had waited all those years to help his friend. Jane, well... She still didn't want to believe it. What if she was dreaming ?

"Anyway," Steve resumed, "they...they brainwashed him. He wasn't the same anymore and even though he fought against them for years, they...they still got him. He was turned into a weapon against his own will."

"Stop. I don't want to hear that. It's..."

"Awful, I know. I wish I had known then, you know. I would've gone after him, I would've...saved him."

"You still blame yourself for that day on the train, don't you ?"

"I-" Steve shook his head. "Yeah, I do."

"I told you it wasn't your fault." She rubbed her belly once again. "Why are you telling me all this ?"

"Because he's doing better now." Steve smiled and squeezed Jane's hand. He's back to being himself. I mean, he's...he's done things when he was under H.Y.D.R.A.'s control but...he's starting to understand it wasn't really him."

"I'm glad he's okay," she said as if the words had trouble getting out. "When you go back..."

"I won't go back."

"Steve..."

"Both of us will."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she said. "What if he..." She closed her eyes. "What if he's forgotten about me ?"

"He hasn't. Trust me. The only thing you might find really frightening is the Internet."

"The what ?"

Steve laughed slightly. "Never mind. A lot of things changed but if I got used to it, there's no doubt you will too."

"Steve, I can't come with you." She looked at him with sad eyes and a slightly tilted head.

"Why not ?"

"How would you feel if Peggy came back to you with an almost nine-month old foetus in her uterus ? Wouldn't you freak out a little ?"

"He loves you."

"But he hasn't seen me in years. He probably got used to the idea of having kids with someone else, I can't... I can't ruin that for him."

"But you miss him."

"I do. But... I also want what's the best for him. I love him, Steve, and I'll never love anyone else." She gave the metal ring on her finger a quick look. "But I won't come back if it means making him miserable or even a little unhappy."

"You said you wanted to do the best for him."

"I did."

"How can you know that you coming back isn't what he wants ?"

"Steve, I-"

"You have ten more minutes before I have to go back. Choose."

————

"Do you think he'll make it ?"

"Yeah, I think so," Bucky told Sam. I just don't think he'll come back.

Bruce's voice interrupted him in his thoughts once more.

"Coming back in three...two...one..."

Against all odds, Steve actually popped up in front of them. Bucky frowned as he took a closer look at his friend : what was in his arms ? The cloaked silhouette in his arms laid a foot on the ground and Bucky took a step closer out of curiosity. He really thought Steve would've stayed with Peggy. Maybe he'd brought her back ? The mysterious time traveler was facing Steve and Bucky couldn't see their face. Steve had his hands on the person's shoulder and a comforting look lit up his face.

"You're ready ?" Bucky heard him ask.

The silhouette nodded. Two delicate hands showed themselves and took down the hood of the cloak. By the look of her hair, Bucky could tell it was a woman. That shade...he knew it. But there was something different about her body and he was almost a hundred percent sure he knew exactly what she looked like, smelled like, sounded like. He knew her by heart, even after all there years. So if there was even the slightest thing that didn't look like her... His shoulders fell down at the spike and crush of his hope. She turned around and there was no possible mistake anymore. Her smile was just how he remembered it : radiant, beautiful, bright. Something about her eyes made him understand she wasn't the same as she used to be. But then, neither was he. He laughed in disbelief as he ran up to her. He hugged her tight and noticed there was more space between them now. He looked down at her stomach. It was huge. He looked back at her and he felt disoriented for a moment.

"What ? Who ?"

"You," she whispered. "Steve came back for me, I- Oh, James." She was crying and smiling at the same time. With her hands around his face, she explored every bit of his skin and ran her fingers through his hair. They were long, now. It was new to her but she liked it. He could've been wearing a weird costume that she would still like it. As long as it was James Buchanan Barnes underneath. She wanted to kiss him so badly but then again, she'd been gone for years in his life. What if he didn't want that anymore ?

"Did Steve...tell you everything ?"

"He did," she whispered. "I- I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should've looked for you instead of mourning you and I-"

He pressed his lips against hers, interrupting her in the middle of her apology. She finally let go of her last doubts and cried some more as he kissed her with all his love and desperation.

"All those years, I... I never stopped loving you, Jane." He squeezed her hand and something cold caught his attention. The ring. "You kept it..."

"And I'll wear it to the grave. Actually, I...I only brought one thing," she explained as she got something out of her pocket. She gently laid it in Bucky's hand.

"Is that...?"

"Yes."

Bucky could've recognised that piece of fabric among thousands. He let Jane slide it on his finger and tears rolled down his cheeks too.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

————

"Are you sure you're okay with it ?"

"Of course I am. I'm just... I don't know if I'm ready to be a father yet," Bucky confessed.

Ever since she'd come back, Jane had been staying in Wakanda with Bucky. All the technologies that surrounded them was still intimidating, but at least Wakanda's peaceful, natural landscape could soother her. She was worried sick about her decision to come back. What if it was a bad idea ? She felt horrible for forcing that child on Bucky.

"I'd get it, you know, if you didn't want to...raise her."

He squeezed her hand slightly and looked up.

"Her ?"

"I- I don't know. I just feel like it's a girl." She smiled. "But that's not the point. I don't want you to force yourself to do that for me."

"We always talked about having kids, one day," he remembered with a smile. "To be honest, this is not how I imagined it. It's just... I want to be a father, Jane, I really do. But I don't know if I can."

"Why ?"

"If Steve told you everything, then you know I've...done things. I'm not a good role model."

"I don't care about those things, James." She cupped his face between her hands. "Look at me. You are a hero, do you hear me ? You served your country well and you fell fighting. Everything that happened after that wasn't your fault. I get that you don't fully realise that. It's perfectly normal, I think. But I'm here, now. We...we can be together, if you want to."

"Of course I want to."

"Then we can face everything. What H.Y.D.R.A. did to you was horrible, do you hear me ? You didn't deserve it."

"I don't deserve you either," he sighed. "You're too perfect for me."

"I'm far from perfect, James, believe me. If it weren't for Peggy, I... I would've... What I mean is that nobody's perfect, but we're better when we're together. So we're gonna stick together and help each other. How does that sound ?"

"Music to my ears." Bucky smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "There's just one thing I'm afraid of," he admitted.

"I'm afraid you'll feel, I don't know...out of your time, here. If that makes sense. I don't want you to go through all those changes for me."

"You're right. This isn't the era I was born in. But it is my time. Because my time is whenever and wherever you are, James Buchanan Barnes, so don't you try to chase me away like this." She giggled like she used to do when she wanted to cheer him up. It didn't work as well as it used to, but it did a little. She kissed him again and kept her forehead pressed against his.

"When Steve stopped by Peggy's, he gave me something I thought would kill me on the spot," she whispered. "He told me all those things that I couldn't dare believing. But he tried his hardest to prove me he was right. He gave me the only thing I needed but feared : hope."

"Hope," Bucky repeated with a tender smile.

"Yes."

"Hope would make a beautiful name."

His eyes sparkled and Jane didn't wait any longer to wrap her arms around him and hold him tight. Hope. That would indeed make a beautiful name.