The Captains Granddaughter (Bucky Barnes FanFic)

How do you take your coffee?

~~~Maggie~~~

I wasn't expecting James to show up for dinner. I should have known when Grandpa said one of his old Army friends was stopping by for dinner. There weren't many of them left. I attended the funeral of one of the Howling Commandos after grandma died. After that funeral, Grandpa and I walked most of the length of Boston as Grandpa mourned. Grandpa was genuinely happy to see James here, it was like a part of him was back from the dead. It was weird hearing grandpa call him Bucky, while I kept calling him James. After we finished dinner, I started clearing the table as the two of them chatted. They were talking about the war, the stories turned from things I'd heard a thousand times, to things that weren't meant for me.

From the kitchen I kept listening while fussing with the dishes and leftovers, it was as I was about to come back in that the conversation turned from the War and the Avengers, to me.

"Steve, I got to ask you something." James lowered his voice.

"Sure, but ya know, these ears don't work as well as they used to. So you might need to speak up." Grandpa knew I was listening, and wanted to make it easier for me. There's nothing wrong with his hearing, never has been.

"How did you do it? How did you survive Peggy and Maggie?" James laughed.

"They are part of the same coin aren't they."

"We told her to run, and she started firing and tossing your shield. She did her part to get people out. And pretty much told Sam to go to hell when he told her to get out." Grandpa chuckled. "Is that what drew you to Peggy? That attitude?"

I started the coffee to keep busy and to not appear to be listening. "Peggy had this sort of grace and confidence that was forged by war. Maggie idolized Peggy and learned her ways. Peggy taught Maggie everything she knew."

James leaned back in his chair. "I wish I got to know Post War Peggy. I'm sure she was something." The two sat there in stony comfortable silence.

"Are you going to ask me something or are we going to ignore it?" Grandpa asked in his 'I already know what you're going to say but I'm going to make you say its tone. He's been using this tone on me since I was a kid. 

James ran his metal arm through his hair with a smile. "I'm thinking about it." The two men smirked at each other for a long beat. Grandpa topped off our wine glasses and leaned back. Waiting. He could wait James out.

I pulled down coffee mugs and plates and brought them to the table. "Coffee is almost ready, James, how do you take your coffee?"

"Cream and sugar please." James smiled, breaking eye contact with grandpa. I smiled and went back to the kitchen and checked grandpa's fridge for milk. Grandpa usually takes it black, I usually just use sugar. Unfortunately, he's out of milk. I have some upstairs I can grab quickly.

"Let me run upstairs and grab some from my fridge. Grandpa doesn't have anything." I excused myself for the moment to run upstairs. Whatever they're avoiding I can give them a minute to get there.