September 28th
Nineteen days after Thanos.

Steve pulled up on his motorcycle with Mary holding onto his tightly to the Sanctum where Stephen now resided along with Evelyn. She was their first priority before anything else in this moment. The need to make sure Stephen and Evelyn were alright weighed heavy on Mary's heart. They were sort of her foster children she had taken in and mentored. Evelyn was a sister to Mary in more ways than one and Stephen felt like a son to her. He even would call her mother when it was only the two of them alone.

But for Steve? Evelyn was his world outside of Mary and their family. She was his sanctuary from the harsh realities of the world and all those that wanted him imprisoned. He loved the Erskine woman more than he could fathom.

And he wanted to marry her.

"She'll be here, Steve. Evelyn's family has lasted through so much." Mary says, reminding her brother about Abraham and their life in Austria and then the Nazis. The Erskine bloodline laid solely on Evelyn's shoulders and it was a burden Steve wanted to help carry. He had felt that burden for a long time, being the only Super Soldier created from Abraham. Steve felt immense weight to carry that legacy, but Evelyn showed up seemingly out of nowhere and the two felt the connection of a shared experience. Steve never would find anyone else like Evelyn. His beloved Austrian.

Her proud Austrian roots would always soothe him in his worst fears and nightmares. He would often wake up to Evelyn singing to him to calm him down. A favorite of hers was Edelweiss and it seemed to soothe his nerves and fears. She would sit in their shared bed and would hold him as he cried over everything he had lost during his time in the ice. His friends who had passed on thinking he was dead, his sister being alone for so many decades. His duty to his country. It all was poured out to Evelyn and she accepted the Captain with open arms.

Steve showed Evelyn a side not even his sister saw.

And to think she was gone because he couldn't stop Thanos. He couldn't bear the thought and anguish.

"She has to be." He whispers back to his sister as they rush up the steps to the sanctum and an asian man opens the double wide doors.

"Who are you?" The man asks harshly and Mary forces a smile onto her face as she steps in front of her brother.

"I'm Mary Rogers-Barnes, Stephen's mentor." Mary states, "And this is my brother, Steve."

The asian man's eyes widened and he stepped backwards. "Stephen spoke highly of you, Doctor Barnes. I'm Wong." He states and Mary hesitates, glancing at her brother before the two siblings enter the Sanctum.

"He spoke of me? He never once mentioned this place to me when we would talk after his accident." Mary mutters, "He was in such a dark place then." She adds and then tears footsteps at the top of the huge staircase. The brunette haired girl with big brown eyes that Steve had fallen in love with stood atop of the staircase with tears in her eyes as her hand covered her mouth.

"Steve?!" Evelyn shouts and Steve breaks into a sprint up the stairs and wraps Evelyn in his arms tightly.

Wong clears his throat awkwardly as the Captain and his Austrian woman reunite. Mary smiles softly, happy for her brother but the pain and jealousy she feels knowing his love was still alive while hers was not. It was a cruel fate Mary had been forced to live in.

"How do you know Stephen?" Mary asks Wong, letting her brother and apprentice have their alone time. The friend of Stephen turns to the famed doctor with a small smile.

"We work together. He is the Master of the Mystic Arts now and i help out around the Sanctum doing research and aiding the training of other Mystic Art wielders." Wong explains and Mary's eyes widen in shock. The Mystic Arts? She had never heard of them before and it piqued her curiosity immensely.

"Mystic Arts? How on Earth did Stephen wind up involved with that? He was always a skeptic." Mary says with a chuckle, then looks around the Sanctum, "Is he here?" She asks softly.

Wong chuckled but then glanced down at the tiled floor, "He is not. He was among those that passed." He states, "The protection of the Sanctum now falls on me and the remaining warlocks. Stephen had granted sanctuary to Doctor Erskine, she had been with him throughout all of his journey."

"Really?" Mary asks, her heart ached knowing that her first apprentice was gone, but was impressed with what he had done with his life after the car accident that destroyed his hands. Evelyn had left Wakanda when they heard the news of his accident and had been with him ever since.

"Mary!" Evelyn said as she ran down the stairs with Steve trailing behind and the apprentice wrapped her arms around her mentor. Mary returned the affection instantly and both women did not even try to hide their tears. "I was so scared you and Steve had been a part of the dusted." She whispers, "And Jamie! Steve said he's okay too, but Bucky.. Oh, Mary, i'm so sorry." The apprentice rambles through her tears as the two women hold each other tighter.

Mary could only nod and cling to Evelyn tighter as they found a smidge of happiness knowing Evelyn was okay. At least there was that.

October 3rd
Twenty three days after Thanos.

Mary knew she needed to check in on people she knew, her friends from the decades. And her first stop was Westchester. The mother needed to talk with Charles, she wanted him to meet Jamie. But she needed to know he was alive. She hadn't seen Charles since the seventies. She needed to help him through the new wave of loss he was going to be pushing through.

"So big!" Jamie said as the car pulled up to the Institute. It hadn't changed since Mary was last there and her heart was happy seeing students lingering around the mansion in the forests around it, practicing their powers with one another.

"It's very big, Sunshine." Mary says as Happy pulls up to the mansion driveway. The driver and Pepper were those that had survived the snap. Pepper had seen Mary when the Avengers arrived back at the compound. She was the first to greet the team as the quinjet landed. Tears in her eyes as she hugged Rhodey tightly and then Mary. She had asked about Tony and didn't know what had happened with him since Stephen had opened a portal in the middle of Central Park during their morning jog.

When Happy opened the door for Mary and Jamie, the young boy bolted out of the car and sniffed the air with a small smile on his face. "Air smell cwean, Umama."

Mary chuckles, as does Happy, when she watched her son look around the lush scenery. It soothed her aching heart slightly, but something was different. The sun didn't shine as brightly anymore, the birds didn't chip like they had before. Everything was eerily quiet with the exception of some students clearing out a small field of trees.

"Liz?" A gruff voice pulled Mary from her thoughts and she turned to see cigar smoke and a smirk walking towards her, "I'll be damned, it is you." Logan mutters with a faint smile.

Mary sighed as she waved at Logan, "Hi, Logan. It's been awhile." She greeted her other immortal friend. Logan and Mary got along in a rather odd way, they were the only two people they knew of that were immortal. Logan had been around since the 1800's. He had lived so much longer than Mary and he was curious as to how she was still alive. Hank had tested their DNA but it proved invalid, Logan was a mutant with an incredible self healing ability that stopped him from aging while Mary was simply immortal because of a serum. She was human.

"You look the same, 'sides the hair." Logan points out with a smirk. They always teased each other over their looks because they didn't age.

"Such a way with words, Logan." Mary teases as Jamie walks up to Logan with a curious look on his face. "Logan, this is my son Jamie."

"No sh- kidding?" Logan caught himself before swearing in front of the three year old. "Where'd you get a kid?"

"My womb." Mary states bluntly, she and Logan had their own sense of humor when they were around each other. "Birds and bees." She teases with a small smile. "Did Charles tell you my husband is actually alive?"

Logan nodded as he eyed Jamie, the two seemingly having a staring contest now. "He did, said you'd been living in Africa too, right? Bet you and Ororo would have some fun."

Mary nods then hesitates, "Is.. Who's.."

"Chuck, Hank, Ororo and myself are still kicking, kid." Logan says with a sigh as he looks at the students behind them clearing the trees and then glances up at the sky. "We lost a lot. Chuck isn't doing so good with it so it's good you're here."

Mary nods, "And everyone else? How are Ororo and you?" She asks, smiling slightly at the thought of her friend and his longtime girlfriend. "Are you ever going to ask her to marry you?"

Logan simply rolls his eyes and turns around to walk back to the doors of the mansion, "She and I are good, we're coping with what happened but helping the students that are still here helps deal with our own losses." He replies as Mary and Jamie follow the one hundred and ninety-seven year old man.

"And Hank?" Mary asks curiously as they step into the mansion. The look, smell, feel, everything was the same, only slightly different. She felt at home.

"Threw himself into books and work. He was the one that suggested clearing that small patch of trees as a graveyard for those we lost." Logan explains, "He's overseeing all of that while Chuck copes and tries to handle the sudden loss of voices in his mind."

Mary could only imagine the loss Charles must've been feeling right now. The sudden loss of voices, the drop in students and faculty in an instant. His mind was one of the strongest in the world, he could hear every thought with Ceribro, feel every emotion.

"Mary? Is that you?" Hank's voice appears as the two immortals and the little boy turn to see Hank in his normal clothing attire minus shoes like always. "It is!" The blue, fuzzy man smiles as he closes the book in his hand and walks over to his old friend.

"Hi, Hank." Mary smiles as Jamie is lifted into her arms, "This is Jamie, i told you about him over the phone before all of this happened." She says as Jamie shyly waves at Hank, he'd never seen someone like Hank before. The Beast as he was dubbed by his teammates and the public as a founding member of the X-Men. His mutation had caused him to turn blue, fuzzy and for his feet to become like secondary hands. Hank was also the main scientist in the mansion.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Jamie." Hank says with a smile.

"You fuzzy." Jamie blurts out as he stares at Hank.

The Beast laughs and smiles at the boy, "Why, yes, yes i am. A wonderful observation. Everyone here in this mansion has a power, a gift you might call it." He explains.

"Hank, he's a toddler." Logan points out as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Mary chuckles, shaking her head, "It's alright, Jamie has a photographic memory, only it's much more advanced than you might see in other people." She explains and she could see the curiosity piqued in Hank's eyes. "He remembers everything from the day he was born."

"Fascinating!" Hank beams, then clears his throat as he regains his composure. "I think the Professor needs to see you, Mary." He states, the emotions of the three adults turning solemn as they all remember what had happened just over a week ago and why she was here in the first place. For Charles.

Mary nods and shifts Jamie in her arms as she sets him down and takes his hand into her own, "Is he in his bedroom?" She asks and both men nod. As she walks up the stairs she catches a glimpse of Ororo's snow white hair as she walks over to Logan and Hank. She wanted to see the African woman but Mary was here for a reason. "I'm coming, Charles." She whispers into her mind, hoping he hears her.

When she walks up to his bedroom, she knocks on the door softly. A faint voice grants her access and she pushes the door open. She's cautious as her and her son enter the master bedroom of Professor Charles Xavior. He sits in his wheelchair behind his desk, his head in his hands as he openly weeps in front of his close friend.

"Mary." Charles mutters as he looks up. Her friend had aged into a fine grandfather figure to many of his students. He had lost his hair and became bald in the eighties, his voice, though it deepened and grew old with him, never lost it's caring tone. "You're here." He whispers.

Mary rushes over to Charles and wraps her arms around him, Jamie stands in the room taking it all in as he does with new surroundings. His mind taking in the new information.

"Of course i am." She whispers, "I had to make sure you and the others here were okay." Mary tells him, "Even though i know none of you are."

"I saw in the news of the passing of your husband and the others in your team. I'm so sorry, Mary. You had said you just got him back." Charles says sorrowfully, he was dealing with immense grief and anguish but he still found the will to care for Mary's loss.

"I- I'm not doing good, but i have to be for Jamie." She replies and her eyes look over at her son, Charles's eyes follow and his eyes widen.

"Your warning prevented any of our students from passing away from the mansion. I thank you for that." Charles says as he wheels himself towards Jamie and the young boy looks up with a small smile.

"Hewo! Me Jamie." The precious son of Bucky introduces himself, "Who you?"

Charles chuckles as he glances back at Mary who nods to introduce himself. "I'm Professor Charles Xavior, child." He says with a small smile.

"Chawes." Jamie mumbles and then smiles.

Charles lifts Jamie into his lap and smiles as he turns his chair to face Mary, "I see your husband in him."

Mary's eyes widen and then nods, fighting back tears as she looks at Jamie. "He's my hope." She tells him, "As is my daughter if we find out she's alive."

"You don't know?"

"She's off world with Tony. My friend is looking for them right now in space hoping to bring them back." Mary explains and Charles nods in understanding. He knows it's difficult to bring up topics right now that contain family members who are no longer with them all.

"What happened, Mary? Let me in."

"Are you sure? You're already in so much pain, Charles." Mary says but the professor nods, he needs to know what happened for himself. Mary sits on his bed across from him and her son as Charles leans towards Mary and with his two fingers, touches her temple. Memories of the battle flood both of their minds. The emotions come back in full force as Mary cries out in anguish. Charles weeps with his friend as he feels the emotions she was and is.

Jamie crawls into his mother's lap to try and calm her down. He doesn't know what's happening but it's making his mom cry. He wraps his arms around her waist and her arms fly around him as she relives the most painful memories of her existence.

When Charles pulls his hand away from Mary's temple, they both look at each other. Charles is the only person who could truly know how much she is in pain and mourning her husband. No words are said between them because none need to be. They both know. They both feel it.

"You kay, Umama?" Jamie asks as he looks up at his mother, his hazel eyes full of concern. Mary nods at her baby boy and holds him tight.

"I will be, Sunshine. Maybe not now, maybe not in a few days, or weeks, but one day i will be." She tells her precious beam of sunshine. Her hope, happiness, and everything that's good in the world.

"You miss Baba?"

Mary nods, kissing Jamie's forehead and brushing his bangs out of his face, "I do, very much." She replies honestly. "You miss him, Sunshine?" She asks and suddenly her mind is brought back to when she asked her own mother the very same question. When Mary and Steve's father passed away they both had asked their mother if she missed him. She remembered being given the very answer she just gave her own son, and Sarah asking Mary the question she just asked Jamie. It drove her into stunned silence.

"I miss Baba lots and lots." Jamie mumbles softly, "I want Baba back." He says softly and Mary sees her baby boy finally, after so long of him not showing emotion for reasons unknown to the mother, her son finally is letting himself grieve his father. "I want Baba back!" He exclaims as he cries into his mother sweater.

Charles can only watch his friend as she shifts her baby boy into a better position on her lap and rubs his back.

"I know, Sunshine. I want him back too." Mary whispers, unable to make her voice sound strong for her son.

"Why Baba hab to leab!" Jamie wails into his mother's chest, soaking her sweater in his tears.

"I don't know, I don't know why Baba had to leave us, or Utata. I wish they were here, they should be here. But sometimes things happen that are not in our control." Mary replies to her son softly and calmly as tears stream down her face once again.

"Stay for dinner, Mary. It will give you and your son time to grieve." Charles suggests and Mary nods in thanks. "I know Hank and the others will enjoy knowing what's been going on in your life as much as i do." He says as Jamie's wails and cries cease for the moment as the young boy hiccups as he sobs more.

It was the middle of dinner at the Institute when Mary received a text from Nat saying that Steve wanted them back at the Compound. The sister understood and said her goodbyes to her old friends as she exited the mansion and saw Happy waiting for her with a small smile on his face.

Ever since the snap, Steve had become protective more so than normal with his family. He couldn't fathom anything happening to his sister and nephew after just losing half of the world's population. They had already lost so much and they all understood where Steve was coming from.

When Mary and Jamie returned to the compound, the mother felt a little better about her grieving of Bucky and those they had all lost. Charles always helped her even when she didn't know she needed it. And Jamie, he had finally let his emotions out and his own grieving of his father. He still hiccuped every now and again on the way back but was overall okay for the time being which Mary was grateful for.

Evelyn greeted Mary and Jamie and the little boy squealed at his Auntie Eef. He ran into her arms and smiled at his aunt whom he loved very much.

"Where's Steve?" Mary asks and Evelyn sighs softly as she stands with Jamie in her arms.

"Shaving."

Mary's hazel eyes widened in shock and stared at her soon to be sister in law. Steve had legitimately asked her to marry him when they reunited in the Sanctum. Everyone was ecstatic for the couple, they needed something happy to focus on right now. They needed this small bit of light in the darkness.

"He's doing what?" Mary asked in disbelief.

"He's shaving his beard, I already trimmed his hair." Evelyn explains, her hands going around her waist as she looks down, "He said he needed to feel normal again, and the beard reminded him of the defeat."

Mary hesitates, then nods slowly in understanding. She and her brother were similar like that where if something tragic happened, they wanted to change something of their physical appearance to help get rid of those memories or at least bury them.

But before Mary can say anything, the ground shakes violently. New York didn't get earthquakes, so something was happening, and it was happening now.

The team filed out of the compound as they looked up to the sky and saw a bright light and a giant spaceship hover down onto the grassy lawn of the compound. Rhodey, Nat, Mary, Steve and Bruce made the trek outside the compound behind Pepper, leaving Evelyn and Jamie behind with Rocket. Nothing was new or phased the team anymore since Rocket and Groot's appearance in the Battle of Wakanda. Rocket was a spitfire and feisty, and temperamental, but everyone knew he was grieving the loss of Groot and quite possibly, the team he had come to love as his family. The team Thor spoke about when he wasn't sulking in the corner of the compound's main meeting room.

Mary held onto Steve as he wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm, they knew Carol had found Tony, Becca and whoever was with them. Mary was praying they were alive, that they were okay.

As Carol landed the giant spaceship, Mary clung to her brother, tears threatened her eyes to finally know the truth of what happened to her son and daughter. And when the doors opened and stairs descended from the ship, Steve, Mary and Pepper raced over when the team saw a blue woman helping a very frail and skinny Tony Stark.

Mary and Steve both took Tony into their arms as the blue women helped him down the stairs. The look of Tony scared the mother to her very core. He was starved and dehydrated, he was desperate for help and love.

As Tony walked in between Mary and Steve, the first words he said to them shattered her heart, "I couldn't stop him." He pants out. Mary kept glancing back at the ship, hoping for her daughter to walk out with the blue woman next.

"Neither could we." Steve says in reply and Tony stops walking, making his mom and Steve look at him.

"Hang on." Tony whispers. Mary stares at the ship with her hazel eyes pleading for her daughter, but Tony's frail hand on his mother's wrist pulled her from the ship to look at him. "I lost the kids." He whispers as he fights back tears, "I couldn't protect Reebs, Mom." He states, ashamed he couldn't protect his beloved sister.

"Wh- What..?" Mary mutters in disbelief as she watches Tony try to explain what happened on Titan during their battle with Thanos.

"Reebs, she.. she turned to dust in Peter's arms. He screamed at her to stay with him, that he loved her and that he was sorry for everything." Tony states as tears run down his face as he remembers every single detail of his sister's death. "And then he turned to me as she faded to dust, he kept repeating how sorry he was for not protecting her, for letting this happen to her, and then he turned to dust in my arms." Tony explains and Mary lets out a sob of agony.

Natasha races to Mary as the grieving mother begins to fall to her knees but the spy keeps the mother on her feet. Steve lets a tear escape his eye as he fights his emotions. "Tony, we lost.." Steve trails off, not knowing how to finish his sentence.

"Is, uh..?" Tony breathes out, having explained what happened to his mother took a lot out of him. He had no energy left, he was ready to die in the Benatar. He gasps and breathes out a sigh of relief as Pepper wraps her arms around Tony. All Pepper can do is cry in relief knowing her fiance was okay. Tony holds onto Pepper tightly as he presses a kiss to her temple and then looks at his mother as she grips onto Natasha for support.

Mary's eyes glance up to see Rocket sit down next to the blue woman on the steps of the ship. Both of them must've been a part of the same team, the same family. Both suffering incredible loss of their own.

Mary staggered as Natasha held tightly to her, "I have you." The spy vowed to her sister, the woman she was closest to. "We'll get through this... somehow..."