T'Challa was the first person outside of Mary's immediate family to hold James Steven Barnes. The advisor demanded that he would be, and no one was going to tell her no. The king was so careful with the infant, so gentle. It made Mary smile proudly at her best friend as he held her son. The son that they had all strived to protect when Killmonger tried to destroy Wakanda and what they stood for. She still had to tell Everett but when she had more energy.

"So?" Mary asks as T'Challa sits on the edge of the bed with her son in his arms. A smile never leaving either of their faces. "What wolf is he?"

T'Challa chuckles, "The Ingcuka yegolide." Golden Wolf. He says with a smile, "When you look at him, what do you do?" He asks.

Bucky chuckles, "You smile." He says, "Everything about him.. just makes you feel happy." He adds with a smile of his own. He was afraid to hold his son, his past mistakes and what he was forced to do made him worry that he would accidentally harm his son. But Becca proved to her father that he wouldn't harm Jamie, that he couldn't.

T'Challa nods in agreement, "The moment i saw him, even before i held him, i was smiling. I was filled with such joy. That is why he is the Golden Wolf, he is the sun to our darkness, he lights up the room with his light." He explains proudly. "The world is lucky to have him and i know he will do great things in his life."

Mary wipes her eyes as tears fall from her hazel eyes because of T'Challa's words but also because of her hormones due to the birth. But she didn't care, her son was a light in the darkness that surrounded the lives of most of her beloved family. She already knew that he would light up a room with his smile, his actions. He would bring warmth people desperately needed with a simple touch of his hand on theirs, a hug.

"He looks good in your blanket, T'Challa." Mary states as she watches Jamie begin to squirm in the king's arms. The African King reluctantly hands the newest Wolf over to his mother.

The king nods, humming in agreement, "He does. I'm glad my Mother kept it safe all these years." He states, watching the infant boy snuggle himself into his mother's arms and Mary held onto her son with such care and devotion. He knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do for her son, for her children. Even if it meant costing her everything else.

"I'm going to teach you baseball, and who's the better team, and I'll take you to my favorite places to eat in New Orleans someday, we'll get sick on beignets and powdered sugar." Sam says to his nephew who only coos in his arms as a response.

"My son will know the best team." Mary states with a smirk on her face as she rests against Bucky who lays beside her in her bed. It was big enough for the two of them and Becca but Bucky didn't want to overwhelm his wife with the invasion of people on her bed where any jostle could harm her.

"Dodgers, obviously." Steve quips and Bucky and Mary both nod in agreement. You couldn't tell the family otherwise, they wouldn't hear of any other team being better than their Dodgers. Mary was proud of her Dodgers, the first Major League Baseball team to have a african american on their team. She remembered taking Becca to the first game Jackie Robinson played with Dum Dum, he wanted to treat his precious Baby Barnes. It was something she'd never forget.

"I forget you three were born and raised in Brooklyn." Sam comments with a groan but also a playful smile on his lips. Steve laughs at his best friend as he kisses his sister on the top of her head, one of his hands caressing his nephew's head before stepping out of Mary's room.

"Becca's first baseball game was in 1947. I took her to the first Dodgers game of the season and Jackie Robinson's first game on the team." Mary says proudly and Sam gapes at his friend.

"Well don't rub it in, Shortstack." Sam teases as he looks down at Jamie who lays comfortably in the arms of his Uncle.

Mary only gives her friend a wide smile, "Wouldn't dream of it, Wings." She quips back. Sam smiles but Mary knows something is troubling him, she knows her friend too well. "Sam, what is it?" She asks concerned.

"Princess told Stark about Jamie." Sam says and the atmosphere of the room takes a solemn turn as Sam hands Jamie back to his mother. "She actually stood up to all of us and let us have it for him not being here, for him not knowing about your pregnancy in the first place."

Mary looks down at Jamie, her heart hurting because her eldest son wasn't with them to celebrate the birth or her birthday. Instead, he was probably in the Compound feeling depressed because he wasn't able to be with his mom on such a special day. She knew it was wrong to not tell him, and it ate away at her every time she thought about it, which was everyday.

"Mary?" Bucky mutters softly, drawing her from her thoughts as his arm rests around her shoulders to try and comfort her. "You had your reasons." He tries to understand her reasoning for not telling Tony. "Right?"

Mary sighs, leaning into Bucky's chest, "Stupid reasons." She mumbles, "I hate myself for doing that to him." She says to them, "There's so much wrong with the world right now.. he should've been here."

"He still hasn't forgiven Steve and I yet though. He'll never forgive me." Bucky comments, giving his side of the coin for his wife to ponder. "That's not something you can easily dismiss out of hand."

"I- I know, but he's still my son. I raised him, James." Mary says softly, tears clouding her hazel eyes, "He's been with me through so much, and i was right there with him through everything in his life."

Sam sighs from his spot beside the bed in a chair, "Princess is right, no matter what's happened. Stark still had a right to know." He says quietly. He stands from his chair and gently rubs Jamie's head before walking towards the door, "I didn't want to bring the mood down, but you had a right to know that Stark knows now."

"Thank you, Sam." Mary says softly, the weight of not knowing how her eldest son is taking the news slowly kills her inside. She wants to make amends for it. But she needs a conversation with her husband and then her daughter first.

"I'll support whatever you want to do, Doll. You know that." Bucky says after a few minutes of silence between the married couple. "But he still hates me, he might always hate me."

Mary nods in agreement, "That's something we'll have to work through, but he's my son. I need him in my life, and i know he needs me. He's always needed me in some way." She points out, her chest hurting slightly at the thought of Tony hating her for choosing her husband over him. "I can't have him hating me." She whispers. "I can't."

"Then don't let him. You two have been through a lot that i still don't know about." Bucky says in reply, "Like you said, you raised him. You know him probably better than he knows himself. Just like he knows you, he won't hate you. I don't think he physically could after what you and Steve have told me about him." He wanted his wife happy, that was all he ever wanted for her ever since he knew he loved her. And he knew she would never be happy unless Tony was back in her life.

Jamie squirms in Mary's arms, beginning his stages of starting to cry and the mother is snapped out of her thoughts. Bucky watches in amazement as his wife easily undoing her button up sleep shirt and shifts Jamie in her arms as he latches on to begin feeding. Mary nods slowly in agreement from what her husband had told her. A small smile on her lips as she remembers Tony when he was a baby, helping Maria nurse him. "Can you get our baby girl in here?" She asks her husband who nods.

"Absolutely." Bucky responds, kissing his wife on her lips before he leaves his side of the bed.

Mary smiles when she sees her precious baby girl walk into the room in front of her father. "Baby." She says as Becca sits on the chair she sat in earlier. "I'm sorry I wasn't awake earlier to see you." She states and Becca shakes her head.

"Don't apologize, Mama. I understand." Becca replies, smiling as she watches her baby brother eat, "You were exhausted."

The mother nods slowly, "I was. But i do need to apologize to your older brother." She says and Becca blinks, taken aback by that her mother had just said so suddenly.

"To Buddy?"

"Yes, it was wrong of me to keep Jamie from him. Sam told me everything that happened when you were all waiting." Mary explains herself as best she could to her daughter.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Becca asks, she clearly didn't understand why her mother would keep something as big as Jamie from Tony, but she wanted to understand.

"I want to say it was because I was scared, or because he could still be mad at me. But that's a half truth, but it's still a lie." Mary says, her emotions finally making sense to her after talking it through with her husband and now her daughter. Jamie unlatches himself and Mary breaks away from the conversation to place him on her chest, his small head resting on her shoulder as she begins to burp him and Becca leans onto the bed, helping her mother button up her shirt. "I was mad at him still. He had tried to kill my husband, my brother.. that's not something i can easily forgive. And i don't normally hold grudges, but i was mad. But it was wrong of me to keep my pregnancy from him. It was petty."

Becca nods in understanding, seeing her mother's side of it made sense, it wasn't right, but it made sense. "I understand, Mama." She says, "You should talk to him."

Mary nods, a smile breaking out on her face when Jamie burps, then looks at her daughter, "I will. I promise."

Bucky smiles from where he stood in the corner of the room, letting his two girls have their conversation. He loved nothing more than seeing his family in front of him. His family, that was something still so foreign to him, Hydra had instilled into him that he was never to grow attachments, to always be alone. Never having weaknesses. But in front of him were his three biggest weaknesses, but in his eyes, they weren't weaknesses. They were his strength. They were his reasons for getting up everyday, to continue his progression with healing his mind. They were his reasons for living.

He steps over to his wife slowly, "We still need to celebrate your birthday, моя любовь." My love. Bucky points out with a slight smile as Mary chuckles. It felt as if a weight had been semi lifted off her shoulders from speaking about Tony with her daughter. But she knew there was still work to be done, and that the weight would only completely lift from her shoulders when her bond with Tony was mended.

"I think that'll have to wait until later if not tomorrow." Mary says softly, she was still recovering from giving birth and it would be an uphill battle to fully recover. But with Shuri and Evelyn's help, Mary knew it would be easier than she was picturing. "But don't stop on my account. If you and the others had things planned.. i don't want that to go to waste." She says quickly.

Bucky breathes out a small laugh as he sits beside his wife on the bed, he plants a kiss on her bare shoulder, the shirt she was wearing loose on her. "Steve and Sam had some things planned but they can wait until you can celebrate properly. We have time."

Mary nods, then looks over at her daughter who was clutching her Midtown High sweatshirt. Peter's, the mother instantly thought. Becca missed her boyfriend and Mary could understand being a part from the person you loved was difficult. "And Becca needs to go home. She'll stay today but then she'll have to go home tomorrow." Bucky knew his wife was right, Becca belonged in Queens despite her want and their want for her to stay.

"Then let's make today special." Bucky states with a smile.

"Are you sure you can't stay longer? It feels like you just got back." Mary asked her brother and his team, their friends, as they all stood in front of the quinjet. Steve, Sam and Pietro were needed back in the world once again. It had been a year already since Mary had given birth to the beloved golden wolf of Wakanda. The small team would take breaks from living in the real world, fighting the injustices of the world to see Jamie and his parents. To check up on Mary and Bucky.

Steve sighs as Jamie clings to his uncle. He hated saying goodbye every time because Jamie was starting to understand why his uncles and playmate were leaving again. Sam and Pietro hated it as well, but the world needed them. They couldn't avoid it no matter if they wanted to or not. But Jamie only knew they were leaving him, and he didn't like it.

"No!" Jamie shouts to his uncle. Mary smiles weakly at her son, he knew what he wanted and didn't want. And he wanted them to stay. "Stay!" Their birthday had just been celebrated, and now Jamie was saying goodbye to some of his family. No one was happy in this moment.

Steve chuckled heartbrokenly at his nephew, a sad smile graced his bearded face. "I know, bud. I want to stay, we all do." He says softly, lifting his nephew off of him and setting him down on the floor, Mary holds onto his hands to help him stay upright on his tiny feet. "But i have a special job for you. I need you to help your Pa in taking care of your Ma, alright? Can you do that for me while i'm gone with Uncle Sam and Roo?" Steve asked his nephew, the men mentioned smiling softly. When Jamie started speaking, Mary wanted him to know the names of his extended family. Pietro was then nicknamed Roo because Pietro was a hard word for the one year old to say.

"Yeah!" Jamie says proudly. He could say single words and was getting better at saying short sentences but Mary and Bucky were simply happy that he was growing and living life to the fullest.

Every morning he would greet the goats in his own way and language of baby gibberish, he would help his father feed them and restock the hay bails until it was time for Mary to head into the city for work. Then he would go with her, and every chance he got, he wanted to be with his best friend. Teetee.

Jamie would squeal and dance in Mary's arms, bouncing until he was in the arms of his beloved Teetee. The King of Wakanda. It made Mary's heart swell, T'Challa would hold meetings with Jamie on his lap, hugging and playing with the black panther stuffy T'Challa had gifted the boy just a few days after his birth. Nothing made Mary happier than seeing her son be so loved by everyone.

Mary had also done her best in making amends with her eldest son, she had contacted him, talked with him. And soon hopefully she would meet up with him and introduce Jamie to his older brother.

"I'm proud of you, bud." Steve says before he kisses Jamie's cheek, the boy squealing because of his uncle's beard tickling his face.

"Ick." Jamie mumbles, wiping his face with his hands after Steve stands upright.

"Please stay safe." Mary pleads with the three of them. "I need you guys." She says as she lifts Jamie into her arms, his little hands clinging to his beloved panther.

Sam scoffs with a smile as he gives Mary a side hug, "We need you to, so stay out of trouble." He teases.

"Goodbye, little man." Pietro says with a smile as he ruffles Jamie's brown hair, the same as his father's. "Keep Wakanda safe for us for when we return, yes?" Jamie nods eagerly at his friend, then leans into his mother as he yawns.

"We need to go." Steve mutters and Mary nods, "Tell Buck that i'll contact him when we land." He says and his sister nods again. She hated watching her brother and friends leave, but that was the life they were living in now.

"I will." Mary responds. She and Jamie wave goodbye as the three men walk onto the quinjet. Tears threaten to fall from hazel eyes as she and her son watch the quinjet take off and fly out of their sight. She looks down at her precious little boy, "Don't cry, sunshine." She whispers to him, using her thumb to wipe his cheeks as his hazel eyes fill with tears. "Uncle Steve, Uncle Sam and Roo will be back before we know it." She tells her precious son as he sniffles. "How about we go check on Pa, Teetee, and maybe Uncle Bakky will be there too, hm?" She asks, receiving a sad nod from her son.

Mary kisses Jamie's forehead as they walk out of the hanger and landing area. She holds her son close as he wraps his small arms around her neck, his panther stuffy still in his clutches. She didn't know when she would see her brother again in person, it could be months, or it could be a full year. Steve tried his best to never be away more than months at a time. He was afraid of missing too much if he was away for longer than five or so months.

The mother's life was normal once again. Her stable lifestyle was something she was worked for, her precious husband was doing his best in what he was doing in Wakanda. He had started helping Okoye train the Royal guards and he was enjoying it. Their life together in Wakanda was as normal as they were going to ever get.