Come Back With Me

One Last Time

Both couples soon began moving into the new house but Steve and Lizzie wanted to spend one more night in the old house.

They had grown up in this house and they had so many great memories of the house. Lizzie has lived in the house everyday of her entire life. She's known nothing else but this home.

Bucky and Peggy have also lived in this house for many years. Bucky spent a large part of his childhood in the house as well. They have both laughed and cried in this house.

As excited as the all were about moving into the new house, they couldn't help but be a little sad that everything was ending.

They decided that they were going to enjoy their last day in the house as much as they could before leaving the next morning.

They had all forgotten that Peggy never got to experience a Rogers Sibling Cook Off so they knew that they had to do that.

Bucky had brought up to Lizzie that he wanted to learn how to cook and Lizzie agreed to help even though she has tried to teach him in the past. Therefore, Bucky was allowed to participate with a lot of supervision.

He managed to make a meal that was at least edible which was definitely progress. However, everyone mostly ate what Lizzie and Steve made.

After dinner, they talk about all the life they have lived inside these four walls. The heartbreak, the triumphs, and the moments they will never forget.

When it's time for bed, they don't go to their respective bedrooms but they spend one last time in the living room like when they were kids.

Bucky and Peggy soon fall asleep but the twins can't fall asleep. Their thoughts inevitably gravitate towards their parents.

Their parents bought this house shortly after they married and the twins came along a few years later. Sarah worked herself to the bone to keep this house and make sure that they twins were taken care of. When Sarah died, the twins stepped up so they could save the house as well. Their family fought so hard for this home that it almost felt wrong to give it up.

Steve is laying awake with his thoughts when he notices Lizzie walk towards the back door. He grabs a blanket and decides to follow her.

When he finds her, she is sitting on the back porch with her knees up to her chest. Steve is glad he brought the blanket because she is not wearing proper clothes for the cold night. She doesn't even flinch when he places the blanket around her shoulders and takes a seat next to her.

"Do you think they'd be upset with us for letting go of the house?" Lizzie asks.

"I think that the most important thing to them was always our happiness. If we're happy, they would be happy," Steve says.

Lizzie was happy. She was happier than she's ever been in her entire life but there was always just one thing missing.

"I miss them. I almost feel selfish for missing them when the universe already gave me so much back. I just wish they were here to see us through these big life changes. I wish daddy could have met Jaime. I wish both of them could've met Peggy. They weren't there for our weddings and they're never going to meet our kids. They're going to miss so much of our lives and it isn't fair," Lizzie says.

Lizzie starts to cry and Steve wraps his arms around her.

"They are here. I see them in both of us. I see mom in your love for helping people and I see dad in your bravery and perseverance. They live in both of us and I know if they were alive they would be so proud of the people we've become," Steve says.

She has missed her brother's pep talks. He has always known exactly what to say to get her through whatever she's going through.

"I haven't thanked you Steve for coming back. I know you didn't come back for only me but thanks for coming anyways," Lizzie says.

"You know I would've come back even if Peggy wasn't around, right? Ever since you had died in the future, nothing ever felt right. We were always meant to be together and I missed you so much. When I got back to this time, I felt complete for the first time in over a decade. No matter what happens Lizzie, I will always want to be by your side," Steve says.

She breathes a sigh of relief that she didn't know she was holding in. She didn't realize she was concerned about Steve's justifications for coming back but she was. She was so glad that after all these years apart, they were still connected beyond comprehension.

She rests her head on her brother's shoulder. Her twin's arms have always been a safe place for her. Even when he was small, she never failed to feel protected when she was with Steve.

"I love you, Stevie," Lizzie says.

He plants a kiss to the top of her head and they sit in silence for a long moment.

"We should get to bed. We have a really big day tomorrow," he says.

He helps her off the porch and they head back to the living room. Lizzie lays down next to Bucky and he reflexively pulls her to his chest in his sleep.

She was always so scared of change but surrounded by the three people she loves most in the world, for the first time, she feels like she is ready to move on.

In the morning, they pack up their last boxes and get ready to leave the house for the last time.

Lizzie can't help but linger on the wall of the entrance hall. When they were growing up, their parents would mark their heights every year on their birthday. In 1931, Steve asked their mom to let Bucky in on their tradition. They followed that tradition every year until the turned 18. After that, they were done growing so they stopped doing it.

"Wait!" She says as Peggy opens the door.

Lizzie searches her bag and produces a pen.

"Peggy, come here," Lizzie says.

She looks confused but does as Lizzie asks.

Lizzie directs Peggy to stand against the wall and marks her height. Lizzie writes next to the mark: 'Peggy Carter-Rogers'.

Currently, Peggy's mark is the second highest following Bucky's because the last time Steve got measured, he was Lizzie's heights.

Lizzie gestures for Steve to line up next but she hands the pen to Bucky. He laughs because he knows there is no way that she would be able to reach the top of Steve's head.

She next has Steve repeat the process with Bucky who is practically the same height.

Finally, she has Bucky mark her height off. When she looks at the mark, she realizes that her height is not even a centimeter taller than the last time she was measured.

She takes the pen and writes next to the tick: 'Lizzie Rogers-Barnes'.

She stands back and takes in the marks that signifies their growth.

"Alright, I'm ready," Lizzie says.

The four of them get in the car and Lizzie and Steve climb in the backseat. They watch through the rear view window as their childhood home grows smaller in the distance.

They will always remember their first home and all the amazing things that happened but it was time to make some new memories. In the end, it didn't matter where they lived because the most important thing to Steve and Lizzie was that they were together.