till the end of the line

16 Cap and Kat

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize."

Nick shook his head as he clicked his tongue, "He said peace was not an achievement, it was a responsibility."

Sitting beside Natasha, she held her arm around me as she pulled me close. Steve stood behind me before we all turned to Nick, "See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

Natasha sighed and nodded, "We have to stop the launch."

"I don't think the council's accepting my calls anymore."

Sam looked up and cocked his head, confused as Nick showed us a case of what looked like three data chips, "What's that?"

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized," I turned to Hill as she spoke, showing us an example on the screen, "We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own."

Agreeing with Nick, Hill shook her head as she glanced between all of us, "One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die."

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get past them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left-"

Behind me Steve balled his fists, shaking his head, "We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it."

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed."

"And how many paid the price before you did?" I reached my hand over and placed it on Steve's arm as I looked over at Nick.

He sighed and shook his head, "Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

"Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes."

I nodded and agreed, as I met the man's eye, "He's right. You would've done it either way."

Nick took a deep breath before looking at Natasha and then Sam. Which in return he received a confused but pointed look from Sam, "Don't look at me. I do what Steve and Kat do, just slower."

I let out a chuckle as did Steve before Nick turned to us, "Looks like you're giving the orders now. Both of you. Would you look at that, Cap and Kat. Nice ring."

I smiled softly as I looked up at Steve who was already looking at me.

~

I was soon sitting over the railings of a bridge as I watched the water pass under me. Steve sighed behind me and I turned to him and titled my head, "You okay?"

"I- I was just thinking about the time when my mom passed."

I nodded understanding, "About what happened after?"

He gave me a nod as I motioned for him to help me, "Come here, let me show you something."

He helped me down and I then turned to him, "I don't want to remember what I saw then, I want to remember who he was then."

"Yeah, me too."

I held out my hand and Steve took it unknowing of what I was going to show him. Yet before we knew it, we were standing in a memory.

***

We walked up to the old house as our younger selves walked up the stairs.

"We looked for you after. My folks wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery."

Stopping in front of the door, my younger self wrapped her arms around the younger Steve, "You know, we're always here for you, right?"

"I know, I'm sorry. I just kind of wanted to be alone."

Bucky and I nodded as we shared a look. I went and leaned over the railing as Bucky turned to Steve, "How was it?"

Sighing, he lowered his head, "It was okay. She's next to Dad."

Bucky then tugged on my younger self's arm, "We were gonna ask-"

"I know what you're gonna say, Buck, I just-"

"We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids. It'll be fun. All you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash."

I smiled softly as Steve and I watched Bucky recite the memorable line. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in, sighing.

As the younger Steve searched for his keys, Bucky kicked a brick and picked up a spare key from underneath, handing it to Steve as he nodded in thanks, "Thank you, Kat and Buck, but I can get by on my own."

"The thing is, you don't have to," Bucky placed his hand on young Steve's shoulder as my younger self held his hand.

"We're with you to the end of the line."

***

Nodding, I pulled us out of the memory and then pulled Steve into a hug, "We were with you, and now we have to return the favor to Buck."

Embracing our hug, he then pulled away as we both looked up to the sky, taking in a deep breath.

"To the end of the line."