Post-Blip Six

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Five months after Endgame/One month before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Irina began humming softly and sang, "Танцующие медведи,
Раскрашенные крылья,
То, что я почти помню,
И песню кто-то поет,
Однажды в декабре.
Кто-то держит меня в безопасности и тепло,
Лошади скачут сквозь серебряную бурю,
Фигуры изящно танцуют в моей памяти."

(Dancing bears
Painted wings
What I almost remember
And someone sings a song
One day in December.
Someone keeps me safe and warm
Horses gallop through a silver storm
Figures dance gracefully in my memory)

"Mama!" Callie called, causing Irina to jump.

Irina smiled at the little girl. "Hi, sweetie."

Bucky set Callie down and the girl ran to her mother.

He moved to sit next to Irina and said, "You don't often speak your first language. Or sing in it for that matter."

Irina shrugged. "I came upon the song and figured I'd try my hand at it."

"You certainly succeeded. That was beautiful, Rina."

Her face flushed and she looked down. "Thank you."

Callie pulled her thumb from her mouth and said, "Pitty, Mama."

Bucky nodded. "It was pretty."

Irina covered her face. "Okay, stop. You're both embarrassing me now."

"Mama no wike?" Callie asked.

"Mama just gets red when she gets compliments. When people tell her good things about herself," Bucky explained.

"Why?"

"It's just something Mama does."

"Why?"

"Rina?"

Irina ran a hand through Callie's hair. "Because some people don't like compliments. And Mama is one of those people."

Callie, seemingly satisfied with that answer, put her thumb back in her mouth, stood, and grabbed her Captain America plushie.

The little girl pulled her thumb from her mouth and said, "Unkie Steve."

Irina nodded. "That is Uncle Steve. He was a good hero and a good man."

"Mama know?"

"Mama did know him. Your dad did too. You know, he and Daddy saved me years ago. And he kept saving me and Daddy once he knew the truth." Callie's brow furrowed and Irina searched for the right explanation.

Bucky knelt in front of Callie and said, "Uncle Steve saved me and Mama when something really bad happened to us. He reminded us that we were best friends."

Callie held the Captain America plushie in front of her. "Unkie Steve save Mama Dada?"

"That's right. He did."

She hugged the plushie and said with a smile, "Tank you."

Bucky and Irina laughed and she agreed, "That's right. A big thank you."

"The biggest," Bucky added, glancing between his girls with a soft smile.

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