Jamie sat on the couch in the living room of his mother's apartment with his book perched in his cross legged lap. It was quiet. But silence was normal to him. The world was always silent now. He had been born the day the world had died. The day his father, his sister and many other family members had passed, durned to dust after one single snap of the fingers. Though his birthday was not much for celebration, he always tried to get his remaining family to be happy. Not for him. But for the sake of the world that was still trying to live around them. The world that was struggling to move on even after so many years. Everyone was broken in someway. His mother was broken beyond repair it seemed somedays. She could barely move from her bed without breaking down. The only time Jamie ever saw his mother smile was when he would show her something from his book. The book his big brother had gotten him. A book about heroes.

Heroes that came from every walk of life. Every realm. He knew about Thor and his adventures through the stories he would read from his book, but also from the stories his remaining family would tell him. His family had lost their hope. They stopped believing that they could save the world. Even after all the stories he had read about their heroism in the past. His book was full of the events that happened before he was born. And he loved every one of them.

A soft knock pried Jamie from his book, his hazel eyes looked up at the front door as keys jingled in the lock. The boy smiled widely at the man he had read about as he entered the living room, keys in hand and a sad smile on his face. Captain America. "Uncle Steve!" He exclaims, shutting his book as he climbs off the couch to greet his uncle. "I didn't know you were coming by today." He mutters as he wraps his arms around his Uncle's waist. Jamie was tall for a seven year old, but that was most likely due to the serum in his DNA. His father's serum.

Steve lifts Jamie into his arms, smiling softly at the boy, ruffling his brown hair that matched his parents. He was every inch Mary and Bucky's son, while Becca had Bucky's eyes, Jame was graced with his mother's hazel ones. Her fair complexion as well. His toothy smile could light up any room he was in. It was his gift. "I felt liked i needed my spirits lifted." He says softly, "Your Ma still in her room?" He asks quietly as he sets Jamie down onto his feet.

The boy nods, "Yeah, i was gonna read to her. That always seems to make her smile." He mumbles, his fingers twiddling with the edge of his shirt. "She talked about going to the compound.. and staying there." He states, looking up at his Uncle, "Did you know?"

Steve hesitates, nodding slowly in conformation, "I did. We had talked about it over the phone. It's not healthy for her to be alone.." He mutters to his nephew. Jamie opens his mouth to protest but Steve holds out his hand, indicating he was finished speaking, "She's not alone with you, i know. But the two of you should be with me at the compound." He finishes.

Jamie hesitates, taking in his home. The walls littered with photos of family members he had only ever read about. Many of them lost in the Snap. "What about Tony?" He asks softly, asking about his big brother. "Why can't we stay with him and Peppy." He asks, "I miss Morgie." He mumbles softly and Steve sighs, squatting down to Jamie's height. His big hands resting on Jamie's tiny arms.

"Maybe you can. But for right now, until that possibility is a reality. You and your Ma should be with me." Steve says, "And Tony's not one to take my calls."

"Because of Siberia." Jamie says, knowing his brother and uncle haven't spoken since a few days after his birth. But before that, the two men hadn't spoken since 2016 when it was revealed that Jamie's father had murdered Tony's parents.

Steve nods, "Yeah, because of Siberia." He mutters. He and the others that know Jamie always forget that the boy has a wicked smart memory. He remembers everything he reads. Especially if they involve his beloved heroes. Jamie knew everything there is to know about the Avengers, the Guardians. Everyone who has saved the earth and the galaxy. Jamie Barnes was a walking hero encyclopedia. But the hero he loved the most, was one he never got a chance to meet.

His father.

Jamie was born the day the world died. The day Thanos snapped his fingers, obliterating half of the universe's population. Bucky Barnes was the first casualty. The first to fall. Never to meet his son who was being born at the same time.
Jamie would often times hear a man's voice in his dreams, the voice was gruff but calming to him. He knew that it was his father's voice, he just didn't know how. He didn't tell his mother about it, but he wanted to so many times.

"You know that's in the past though. Tony is different now, Uncle Steve. He has Peppy and Morgie." Jamie tries to remind his uncle. Hoping it would convince him to believe in himself again, believe in the team Jamie loved. The team his mother built.

Steve shakes his head, "It's not in the past for him though." Steve points out, sighing. He looks at Jamie, "I know you want us to believe that there's hope. And i want to as well-"

"You can!"

"No. Jamie. I can't, not anymore." The uncle states softly, not once raising his voice when he spoke to his nephew. "Come on, Evie is waiting for us at the compound with Nat." He says, changing the subject to deflect the disappointment radiating from his nephew. The only other happiness that came from the snap besides Jamie and Morgan, was Steve's marriage to Evelyn Erskine. They found each other after the Snap. Steve praying to anyone who would listen as he searched for his dame that she was still alive. And she was.

Evelyn had been in New York when it happened. In the Sanctum Sanatorium on Bleaker Street. Stephen Strange's home. She and Wong were keeping the sanctum safe while Stephen was away when Steve walked through the double doors with Mary by his side. The siblings knew Stephen was gone. Mary's first apprentice was gone, but her second one was not. It only took one year for Steve to become engaged to Evelyn, his life had been turned upside down for what seemed like the fiftieth time in his life. But this time, in a good way.

They were married on Christmas Day 2020. The ceremony was small, only the remaining members of the Avengers and their families were in attendance. That seemed to lift everyone's spirits for a little while. Steve had finally found his happiness in the darkest of times. The young couple agreed that they didn't want to bring a child into this new world, not when their families were gone. How could they have happiness together when so many others were grieving.

"Okay." Jamie mumbled softly, he loved his Aunt Eve and Aunt Tasha, but he didn't like how empty and quiet the compound was. He had read that it was once full of life and booming with energy. But now it was abandoned. Only Natasha remained and Steve and Evelyn had just recently moved into his old room there.

Steve walked cautiously into Mary's bedroom, he had a small feeling of what to expect from his sister. The mother had reverted back to her depression, when she starved herself after the loss of her daughter Winnie. "Lizzie?" He questions, taking in his sister's state. "How're you doing?"

Mary looks up from her book. She was seated in the window seat of her bedroom, much like the one she had in Avengers Tower."Stevie?" She questions softly, "What're you doing here?" She asks, not answering her brother's question, giving her own instead.

Steve sits down on the bed, looking at his sister, "We talked about you and Jamie moving into the compound. I came to help pack and move the two of you." He sates softly. He wanted nothing more than for his sister to be under his care. All he wanted was to take care of her just like she had done for so many years of their lives. It was finally his turn. "Jamie seems adamant about you two living with Tony."

Mary hesitates, looking out the window. The streets of Brooklyn used to be busy, full of action and life. And now they were dead, littered with abandoned cars that grew weeds under them. The sky was always dark now, or so it seemed to the sister. The sun didn't like coming out anymore. "And what about here?"

"Here will still be here." Steve mutters, "Come on, Lizzie. I need my sister, Jamie needs his mother."

"And i need my husband." Mary snaps harshly, turning to look at her brother with red stained eyes. "We were suppose to finally be happy. Finally be together after so long of being apart. Jamie was suppose to be our fresh start. Our new beginning." Mary reminds her brother. "While you were off being Nomad, i was back home in Wakanda with him. We were suppose to finally get our happy ending. But that was ripped away from us. Like it always has."

Steve looks down at his booted feet, his arms resting on his knees with his hands clasped together as he thinks of what to say next. His sister had changed. And not for the better. She was distant and cold now. She was bitter and angry. "I know you're angry. We all are-"

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Well, you don't ever act like it."

"What do you mean?" Steve asks hesitantly.

"You have been cool and collected since you and everyone else watched Thor behead Thanos." Mary snaps, "I haven't seen you get angry, or scream to the world. Or cry out. I've seen none of it."

Steve didn't know what to say to his sister. He was trying to be strong for her, for everyone. But he had nights that he'd lay in Evelyn's arms and cry his heart out. Wishing it had been him that had been taken, not Bucky. Not Becca. "Have you talked to Evelyn?"

"Yes, she says there are nights when you don't bottle it up." Mary responds, picking at her nails, refusing to look at the dark world to her left and her brother to her right. "But you keep saying we gotta move on. Well i can't. I refuse to move on. If i move on, then who remembers them. Huh? Who."

"Moving on doesn't mean forgetting them, Mary. I never meant it like that. We just can't keep being like this. We gotta accept that it happened."

"Do you accept it?"

"What? Mary, I-"

"Do. You. Accept. It?"

"Yes."

"Bull." Mary snaps, "I know you better than that."

Steve stands up, beginning to pace in her bedroom. His hand going through his hair. He shakes his head as he tightly closes his eyes, "I have to."

"No you don't."

"I have to or else i'll never see the point in getting out of bed!" Steve shouts, his resolve crumbling before his sister, "I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Reliving what happened, over and over again. I have to move on." He states as he looks at his sister with tears welling in his eyes, "You don't think it's hard for me? I was the one who had to tell you Buck was gone. Again." He states, "And then i was there by your side as Tony said that Peter and Becca both were lost on Titan." Mary just watches as her brother finally lets it all out. Letting his emotions finally take over and release like they had been wanting to do for years. But Steve always wanted to be the strong one for his loved ones. Because there was a time when he couldn't be the strong one. "Do you know how hard all of that was? To lose Buck and then to find out we also lost Becca? I wanted to die, Mary. I felt like my chest was imploding. But i couldn't. I had to be the one to pick the pieces back up for everyone else. For you."

"Steve-"

"I'm not done. You wanted me to let it out, i'm letting it out." Steve cuts his sister off abruptly, "And when you told me that you hadn't heard from Evelyn? I felt my heart snap in two. I couldn't bare to lose anyone else. I had to find her. I needed to know she was okay. That she was safe." He pauses, a small smile appearing on his lips as he remembers opening the double doors and seeing Evelyn walking down the stairs beside Wong. "So when i saw her in the Sanctum.. i had hope again. She is my hope in all of this, Mary. Evelyn is why i continue to go on about my life as normal as possible. For her."

All Mary does is stand up, walking towards her brother. She wraps her arms around him tightly, Steve doing the same, feeling the sense of comfort she had so dearly missed from being held in her big brother's arms. She felt for the first time in a long time, safe. She felt safe.

The bedroom door creaks slightly, "Hugging? I like hugging." Jamie's small voice breaks through the silence of the siblings embracing each other, crying together. The young boy walks over to his small family, wrapping his own arms around his mother and uncle. He smiles wider as Steve wraps his arm around Jamie's shoulders.

"You'll help us pack?" Mary asks Steve quietly, stilling leaning into his chest.

Steve chuckles, nodding slowly, "Of course."

Mary, Steve and Jamie heard crying as they entered the compound's main living room. Mary knew who it was. And her heart broke. She went to move towards Nat but Steve stopped his sister, shaking his head, "Let me." He says softly, and the sister nods, taking a step back.

"We'll go unpack." She says, leading Jamie down the hall to her old bedroom.

Steve looks back over at his best friend, crossing his arms as he leans against the shelves beside him, "You know, I'd offer to cook you dinner.. but you seem pretty miserable already." He teases Natasha. Wanting to get a smile from her, he looks over when the elevator dings and the doors slide open, revealing his wife. His Evelyn.

Evelyn smiled softly at her husband, and at Natasha as the redhead looks over at the couple after she composes herself, "You here to do your laundry?" She asks them.

Evelyn sits beside Natasha, taking her hands into her own, "And to see a friend." She says. The two women had grown close over the last seven years. Natasha being one of Steve's closest friends and Evelyn being his wife gave the two quite a bit in common.

Natasha smirks softly, "Clearly, your friend is fine." She quips.

Steve messes with his keys in his hand before he speaks again, "You know i saw a pod of whales when i was coming over the bridge." He states, Jamie had spotted them, his little face brightening up with the biggest smile on his face.

Evelyn looks over, smiling softly, "In the Hudson?" She asks and her husband nods.

"Fewer ships.." he trails off and Natasha stops him.

"If you're about to tell me to look on the bright side.. um.. I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich." Natasha states, clearly not in the mood to have fun despite the circumstances.

Steve shifts his footing before he walks over to the table Natasha and his wife are sitting at. "Sorry. Force of habit." He says as he tosses his keys onto the table. Evelyn moving to sit on his lap to keep him calm and comforted. His arms wrapping around her waist. The young couple were not big on PDA but Steve needed contact. He needed that sense of security of knowing those he cared about and loved were safe within his grasp. Ever since he watched Bucky collapse from his grasp into dust on Wakanda. Evelyn knew that he felt in control when he could touch her, even just holding his hand was sometimes enough. But other times called for more physical contact. He leans back in his chair with Evelyn still seated comfortably on his lap. He pauses before saying anything further, taking in the physical contact his wife if providing him. His hand rested on her thigh as he continues speaking, "You know, i keep telling everyone they should move on and grow. Some do." He states, looking at Natasha and Evelyn, remembering his confrontation with his sister just hours prior, "But not us."

Evelyn looks at her husband, for the longest time, he wouldn't admit to not being able to move on. She knew Mary had something to do with his revelation. "If i move on, who does this?" Natasha asks quietly, as if her voice was going to crack if she spoke any louder.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be done." Steve states plainly, placing a kiss to Evelyn's shoulder gently as Natasha shakes her head. The redhead was never bothered by her friends display of affection, she knew that's how they coped with their own grief, how they showed their partners they loved them.

Natasha fights back tears in her eyes, "I used to have nothing. And then Mary gave me this. This job." She pauses, looking down, "This family." She adds, trying not to cry and lose her composure, "And i was better because of it." Steve watches his friend carefully, "And even though they're gone, i'm still trying to be better."

Evelyn looks between the two, "I think you both need to get a life." She teases them, causing her husband to chuckle deeply, planting a gentle kiss to her temple.

Natasha looks at the two of them, "You first." She says softly to them. The couple smiled weakly. They both knew what Natasha meant. To stop putting off having a child. To give the broken team another reason to keep fighting.