"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Marlena's voice was quiet. Miranda looked over at her, her green eyes filled with tears. Not only was Marlena dealing with the existence of a twin sister she never knew she had, she was dealing with the fact her mother wasn't her mother. It was something that'd taken a while for her to process on top of everything else going on, and even now she was still struggling tremendously. She just hoped Miranda would be able to help her understand whatever was going on.

"You were my daughter regardless of whether or not I'd given birth to you," Miranda answered quietly. "I didn't want to risk losing that bond by telling you."

"How could you even think something like that would happen?" Marlena asked her.

"I didn't want you to think of me as anything less than your mother." Miranda wiped her face and sat up. Marlena sat up beside her, scooting herself backward to sit against the headboard. The two were in the spare bedroom at Marlena's apartment, the one in which her mom and Greyson currently resided as they continued their search for a house.

"You were my best friend growing up," Marlena chuckled quietly. "You took care of me, you were there for me, and you did that alone for majority of my life. There's no logical reason for me to ever think of you as anything less than my mother. I am so proud to have been raised by you, Miranda Claire."

Miranda smiled and placed a comforting hand to Marlena's cheek. It'd been so long since Marlena had been able to share a moment like this with her mother; she'd almost forgotten the feeling of long nights spent talking with her mother growing up. "No matter what, you're always gonna be my baby."

"Even though we're technically only a decade apart now?" Marlena grinned and grabbed her mom's hand, squeezing it gently in her own. "Still, you look so much better than I do."

"Shut up, Marlena," Miranda laughed and wiped her face dry of tears. "You've had a rough couple of years, and you're also pregnant, so I think you deserve a hall pass."

"Tell me about it."

"Tell me something, baby."

"Yeah?"

"Um, what are you planning to do about your...sister?" Miranda spoke slowly, her green eyes filled with curiosity. Knowing her daughter had a twin sister was a bit unsettling for Miranda. There was another half to the woman Miranda had known since she was merely days old, and she didn't know what to do or think about it. There wasn't a doubt in her mind Alena would've been a welcome part of the family had her birth been discovered, but it was much the opposite, and Miranda wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"She has no one, mom, and that's the reason she lashed out in the first place," Marlena began tinkering with the fabric of her comforter. "She did some shitty things, and I don't know how long it'll be before I'm able to forgive her for removing me from a huge chunk of my children's lives, but she at least deserves a second chance. If I can't give her anything else, I can give her that."

"And how do Bucky and Steve feel about this?"

Marlena shrugged and bit her lip. "They're not exactly the happiest about it," she answered.

"I don't blame them, Mar." Miranda moved to lean against the headboard beside Marlena and pulled her knees to her chest, looking at her daughter with a serious expression on her face. "You and Bucky aren't together anymore, but he's still the father of your children, and you're willing to let them around the person that took them away from him."

"I have no intentions of letting her anywhere near the twins," Marlena quickly assured her.

"Well, what I'm trying to say is not everyone sees people the way you and Wanda do, and you have to take that into consideration. Talk to them about it; tell them the way things look from your perspective and help them understand."

"I don't know if I wanna talk to either of them about anything right now to be honest with you," Marlena replied quietly.

"Why?" Miranda asked her. "What happened?"

"There's a lot of tension between the three of us at the moment, and I don't really feel like making it worse."

"You can't hide from them forever," Miranda chuckled.

"I could for at least one night," Marlena suggested with a grin. "I haven't had a girl's night in ages, probably because all my girl friends have died."

"Yes, but we're not dead anymore," Wanda's voice sounded, attracting the attention of Miranda and Marlena. Wanda was standing at the door with Charlie, who was more than excited to see her mother; one thing Alena hadn't been capable of doing to the twins was making them forget their mother. Charlie loved Marlena just as much as she did the day Kellan had taken her, as did Jay. "I hope that girl's night can include Charlie and I."

"Of course it does." Marlena moved to sit at the edge of the bed and she held her arms out to Charlie, who ran into them without hesitation. "Hey, big girl."

"Hey, Mommy."

"She's been asking for you since Bucky walked her and Jay through the door," Wanda informed Marlena.

Marlena only smiled and hugged Charlie tighter, never wanting to let her go again. There wasn't a love greater than the love she had for the three lives she'd created; there never would be. "I'm perfectly okay with that," she said to Wanda.

"I just thought I'd bring her in here to you and tell you goodnight," Wanda said tiredly. "I'm serious about the girl's night, though, but tonight is not that night. I gotta squeeze in about three years worth of sleep before I leave for Clint's tomorrow."

"How are you adjusting to being back?" Marlena asked as she pulled Charlie to sit up in bed with her.

Wanda shrugged and looked down at her hands, a frown evident on her face. "It's been hard, but I'm adjusting," she answered her cousin.

"Whatever you need, you know that I'll be here for you," Marlena reminded her, a small smile on her face. She could see the sadness lingering in Wanda's green eyes, and the sight broke her heart. To be back was a blessing, but to have lost something so important in the process of getting there was absolute torment for Wanda. Things were so different now, and finding a way to deal with that was a lot harder than Wanda anticipated it would be. Nevertheless, she'd find a way to push through. She was resilient.

"Same to you, Mar."

Wanda bid her goodbyes to the three inside the room before taking off. Marlena looked down at the young girl wrapped in her arms and let out a breath of relief, while Miranda smiled at the two. Marlena was a beautiful mother, just as Miranda always knew she'd be.

"What have you been up to lately?" Marlena asked Charlie.

"Me and Jay just got back from eating with Daddy, Uncle Mason, and Pawpaw Grey," she answered happily. She acted almost as if it hadn't been half a decade since she'd seen her family.

"Oh, yeah?"

Charlie nodded her head.

"Where's your brother at?"

"He said he wanted to hang out with the boys."

An idea popped into Marlena's head, and she hopped off the bed with Charlie in her arms; she definitely wasn't the three-year-old Marlena remembered her being, and the fact was so bittersweet. She was still light enough to carry, though, and the fact of it made Marlena never want to put her down again. "How about we go crash their party?"

"I don't think they'll be very happy about that, Mommy," Charlie giggled.

"That's what makes it fun," Miranda chimed in, a quiet laugh escaping her as well. The thought of spending time with her family was a welcoming thought, especially considering they were all under one roof, something of which hadn't been possible in years. "I think we could all use a little family night."

"I do, too."

Marlena smiled softly at her mom and started out of the room. Soft chatter could be heard in the living room, so Marlena continued on with Charlie in her arms and Miranda following behind her. In the living room, Steve sat with Bucky, Mason, Greyson, Jay, and James, the latter of whom seemed to be getting along well with the rest of the men, including Greyson. Marlena had almost forgotten the two knew each other prior to Miranda's relationship with Greyson.

"Well, if it isn't the Claire I've been waiting for," Greyson's loud voice echoed throughout the living room. The men turned their attention to Marlena, whose expression had changed since Greyson's words met her ears.

"Wait, what?" Marlena put Charlie down and sat down on the couch between Mason and Steve, while Miranda worked her way over to Greyson and Bucky on the loveseat. James was in the corner by Miranda playing with Jay, and within seconds Charlie found her way over to the two of them.

"I need a few bath essentials," Greyson said to Marlena, a grin on his face. "And some new clothes."

"Why are you telling me this?" Marlena made herself comfortable in between the two men, pulling her legs onto the couch beneath her.

"Because you and Steve are the only two in this room with access to funds," Mason told Marlena. "We've all been dead for five years, remember?"

"And dead people don't get paid, Marlena Claire!" Greyson exclaimed.

Marlena couldn't help but roll her eyes at Greyson. He was still just as extra as he always had been. "You still haven't gotten your bank account situated?"

"I disappeared with a hundred grand in the bank, so all they're trying to do is make sure I'm really me," Greyson informed her. "It's gonna take more than just a few days."

"So, all of you need something?" Marlena asked, looking around at each of her family members.

"Pretty much."

"I wouldn't say no to some new socks...and some underwear."

"Yeah."

"Your mom spilled coffee on my sweatpants."

"Do you really not know how to use a washing machine, Greyson?"

"Do you really not know coffee stains, Mason?"

Marlena shook her head at the two of them and glanced over at Steve, who only chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. He had no issue helping them, nor did Marlena, but it'd been almost two weeks since the "Blip," as others were referring to it as. Marlena wondered what they'd been needing for two weeks that they hadn't spoken up about. She hated the thought of them going without.

"Well, I have to go to the tower in the morning and talk to, um, Alena, but we can go into the city afterward and go shopping if you guys want?" Marlena suggested. "I'm desperate to do something normal."

"As opposed to what, Marlena?" Mason teased his sister. "You don't do anything anyway."

"Oh yeah? Have you ever been to space, Mason?" Marlena asked her very smug brother with a raised brow. "Have you ever been to another planet? Have you ever traveled back in time? Or fought off an alien army? I'm pretty sure I've done more at this point in my life than you ever will."

"She may be right about that," Greyson chuckled to himself, while Mason only rolled his eyes. Marlena didn't miss the smile on his face, however. She'd missed picking at her little brother.

"Wait," Miranda leaned forward in her seat, her eyes on Marlena. "Can someone explain to me how time travel works? I've got some unfinished business I need to take care of."

"Like what?" Mason asked with a chuckle.

"Like that man with the nasty burns that killed me way back then," Miranda scoffed; the words sounded strange coming from her mouth, but she was just thankful she was alive and capable of saying them. "I'd really like to jerk a knot in his tail."

"He's been dead for years," Steve told her.

"How'd he die?"

"Little miss over there," Greyson gestured to Marlena, who only shrugged her shoulders innocently. While killing Rumlow was something Marlena longed to do at that point in time, the situation had escalated beyond her control, leaving numerous civilians dead. It wasn't a memory she enjoyed talking about. "Her and Wanda blew him up, or so I was told."

"I wish I could've been there to see that."

"Same," Mason added.

Greyson laughed and shook his head. "The Claire family just might be the scrappiest family I've ever met."

"We're a military family, what do you expect?" Mason replied nonchalantly, though his tone shifted quickly. "Speaking of the military, though, I think I wanna join."

Mason's words practically silenced everyone in the room. Even James was forced to avert his attention away from the twins and to his son, who was now wondering why he was being scrutinized. Surely, his words couldn't have surprised them that much he thought. He was sitting in a room of three Army veterans, and three others who knew all too well what living a military life meant.

"Why?" Marlena finally broke the silence. His words, of course, shocked Marlena, but they also made her proud. Her little brother wasn't so little anymore, and it was bittersweet.

Mason shrugged his shoulders and gazed around at his family. "I'm in a room full of veterans and doctors and Avengers. You've all made a life out of protecting the people that can't protect themselves and I want that. I want to be that person for someone else. I don't have Avenger-level powers and I can't operate on someone's brain, but I can be something."

"You most certainly can, Mase," Miranda assured her son. It made her so happy to hear he was the same man his father was. He was good and kind and determined, just as the Claire family was.

"It's a big decision to make, though," James spoke up, his serious eyes on Mason.

"He's right," Greyson agreed. "Human beings, enhanced or otherwise, aren't always the easiest to deal with. Sometimes I've had patients who've genuinely left me desperate to jump out a window, but it's that flatline that changes everything. I didn't like the guy, so what? He was still a living breathing soul I was responsible for protecting, and I didn't. You've gotta be prepared to set your entire life aside to save someone else's, Mason, and you've gotta be prepared for what happens if you can't."

"I think that's the most inspirational thing you've ever said to me," Mason replied with a quiet laugh. "But do you really think I don't understand every downside to a job like this? I see what it does and what it's done to all of you. I mean, you look disgusting and tired 97% of the time."

"You're a real pain in the ass, Mason," Bucky remarked.

"A pain in the ass that's just tryin' to make a difference like you, Buck."

"What branch are you thinkin' about?" Steve asked him.

"The Army," Mason answered with a smile.

"I guess the fight's in our blood," James said with a chuckle. "You're gonna be a great soldier, Mase."

"He is, isn't he?" Miranda said to James with a smile on her face. They were getting along so much better than Bucky and Marlena currently were, and while the sight warmed Marlena's heart, she was also quite envious. "Y'know, I'd like to say we made a pretty kickass family."

"We definitely did." James snickered and held a fist out to Miranda, who bumped it without hesitation. "Good job, 'Randa."

"You too, James."

"So, who all is going into the city tomorrow?" Mason asked the group. "I just need to know so I can work out what car I'll be riding in. Hopefully that'll be one with adults."

"You're nineteen," Marlena reminded him.

"Technically, I just turned 25," Mason remarked, eliciting an eye roll from his sister.

"Would it be okay if I passed on this day in the city?" Bucky chimed in, attracting Marlena's attention immediately. The two met eyes, and Marlena could just tell he was still unhappy about the way the two left things earlier in the day, but he wasn't the only one. "I don't really feel like being trampled by millennials."

"I'm sure they feel the same about you, too, boomer," Marlena retorted and stood up, holding her hand out for Bucky to take. She wanted to take him somewhere they could talk about everything going on and hopefully work things out. She wanted them to be okay the way her mom and dad seemed to be okay, but Marlena was sensing the opposite from Bucky. While it hurt considering how well things seemed to be at the beginning of it all, she understood completely. "C'mon, let's take a walk."

"I'd really rather not."

"Bucky, please." Marlena glanced over at Charlie and Jay, who were in the corner with her mom and dad. Bucky followed her eyes and looked back to her with a frown on his face. He simply got up from his seat, ignoring her hand, and made his way out of the apartment.

Marlena sighed and turned back to her family, all of whom were watching her with curious eyes. "I'll be right back," she said, glancing to Steve before heading out of the apartment, leaving him to wonder what was about to happen. He knew the two of them hadn't been in a very good place lately, and he understood Bucky's need to grieve what he'd lost, but he needed the two of them to find a way to be okay. Regardless of his relationship with Marlena, Bucky and Marlena had been two of his closest friends for years. He hated seeing them struggle, especially with each other.

"How does that make you feel?" Greyson's voice sounded, and Steve turned to look at him. "Like, how does it make you feel seeing the two of them run off together? Y'know, since you and Marlena are a thing now."

He wouldn't have been Greyson if he didn't ask.

"They didn't even 'run off' together," Miranda rolled her eyes.

"It's the fact of the matter, babe."

Steve only shrugged in response to Greyson's question. "It doesn't bother me the way you think it does, Greyson; I knew exactly what would happen once we got you all back, and I knew it wasn't gonna be easy to deal with. They've got things they need to work out, and I'm gonna let them work it out."

"Yeah, I would've fallen in love with both of you, too."

"Yes, thank you, Miranda," Steve replied with an amused grin on his face.

Downstairs, Marlena finally managed to catch up with Bucky. He was outside leaning against the side of the building, and Marlena was immediately thankful for the large cardigan sitting over her shoulders. Autumn in New York City wasn't too much different from autumn in Washington DC, but regardless, it was still pretty crisp.

"Can you really not see I'm trying to make things better?" Marlena said to Bucky once she had approached him. She pulled her cardigan tightly over her body as if to ward out the cold, and she stepped closer to Bucky. "The last thing I want for the two of us is this uncomfortably awkward tension."

"Yeah, me too." Bucky glanced down at Marlena. "And I wasn't lying to you when I said I just wanted you to be happy, because I do—with everything in me I do, Marlena, but this is gonna take me a lot longer to get used to than I thought."

"Buck—"

Bucky sighed and grabbed Marlena's wrists, pulling her closer to him, but not so close as to make her uncomfortable. In that moment, as he stood there watching the way the autumn breeze whipped through the loose strands of Marlena's hair, he was desperate to cross the boundaries he'd been forced to create for the sake of his love for not only Marlena, but Steve as well. For weeks he longed to kiss her lips and trace the soft skin of her body, but he couldn't. He missed her in more ways than one, and the pain of it—the pain of losing someone so crucial to the foundation of the family he'd built so many years ago threatened to drive him away. In fact, there was only one reason Bucky hadn't left New York yet, and they were upstairs with their grandfather.

"I just—" Bucky took a nervous breath and squeezed her wrists gently. "I don't know how to handle watching you love someone that isn't me. I don't know how to fall out of love with you, Marlena."

Bucky's voice was soft, but Marlena could hear the emotion seeping through his tone. His blue eyes met her hazel eyes, the intensity of his gaze locking her in place. She wasn't sure how to react to his words, nor was she too sure how to help him. She couldn't give him what he wanted, not this time.

"I'm so sorry."

Bucky didn't want Marlena to apologize. What he wanted was to press his lips to hers without caring who was around to see; what he wanted was to take her back upstairs, grab the twins, and together the four of them would find their way back home. As he looked into Marlena's eyes, though, he found that the woman who used to dream of that with him was gone. That Marlena had disappeared with him five years ago, and he knew she wasn't coming back.

"I know this can't be easy on you, Bucky, and seeing you like this kills me, but I want to help you. I want us to figure out a way to make things okay again," Marlena said to him, gently removing her hands from his grasp. "You know I love you, and you know how much I love you, and I'm so sorry things between us can't be the way you want them, but that doesn't mean it has to be this way."

Bucky chuckled dryly and turned away from her; his eyes filled with tears and he wiped his face quickly. "I'm gonna need some time," he said; Marlena was hoping he wasn't about to say something she didn't want to hear.

"Don't go, please..."

"I'm not," Bucky assured her. "I just need some time to find a way to get through this."

"I can give you that," Marlena assured him, and he turned back around to look at her. "Take all the time you need, but please don't disappear on me, Bucky. I know you want to, and I know why you haven't, but please don't let it get to that. Our kids need a father, and no matter what happens that'll always be you."

"Mar—"

"You don't have to say anything to me right now," Marlena cut him off and let out a quiet breath. "We can talk whenever you're ready."

Bucky gave a slight nod, and Marlena smiled softly before turning to head back inside. It was becoming much too cool for her to stand as the evening passed. A hand pulled her back, though, and she turned around to see Bucky standing over her. He pulled her close, electing to ignore the boundaries he'd created for only a moment. With a quick motion, Bucky pressed his lips to Marlena's, catching her in a gentle, yet unexpected kiss. He pulled away before Marlena could and let out a deep breath, not at all apologetic over the gesture he'd made.

"I haven't changed my mind." Bucky's voice was low, as he was attempting to mask his emotion, but he couldn't hide from her. "I just needed that—I needed you," he admitted, completely releasing her only seconds after the words left his mouth.

"I understand," Marlena responded quietly. She hadn't been expecting the kiss, but she was not at all surprised it happened, nor was she upset with Bucky because of it. She couldn't be. In fact, the gesture had left her quite conflicted, and she wasn't too sure what to make of the thoughts now running around inside her head. "I'll be upstairs, okay, Buck?"

Bucky nodded and shoved his hands into his pocket. Marlena smiled at him and started back inside. She was ready to be upstairs wrapped in the warmth of her family's presence, and she could only hope a certain member would make his appearance. Marlena respected that Bucky needed his time, but without him, the Claire family wasn't complete, and she was only one among several who believed that to be true. She'd be lost without Bucky, something proved once before after losing to Thanos five years prior, and she was desperate to find a way to prove it to him.