As Time Goes By

3: 04

BUCHAREST

Bucky and Katherine, holding a baby boy, were in civvies at a fruit store. He bought some plums and spoke in Romanian.

(assumed translation: How are they? Are they good? Give me six, thank you.)

The baby, Nicolas, looked around.

In a black cap and casual jacket and white cap and dark blue shirt, Bucky and Katherine walked along, scanning around. Across the street, they spotted a twenty-something vender at a news-stand watching them. Bucky and Katherine glanced away, then looked back at the vender who was still watching them. The vender ran from his kiosk. Bucky went over, followed by Katherine, still holding Nicolas, and picked up a paper. On the front page there were surveillance-photos of a man and the headline: 'Winter Soldier cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena'. Bucky and Katherine glanced around tensely.

The couple exchanged a worried look.

"Bucky-" Katherine began softly.

"I know, doll," he said. "Whatever's coming, keep Nick safe, okay?"

"You know I will."

---

In his dark blue armored suit with his shield on his arm, Steve was in a small apartment. He looked around. There was a mattress with disheveled covers and various bits of cheap looking furniture. The kitchen and bedroom were in the same room. Steve found a notebook on top of the fridge. He picked it up and opened it. There were tabs of varying colors sticking out from amongst the pages.

Sam over the radio said, "Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve replied. Bucky and Katherine, holding Nicolas, were standing behind him. Steve slowly turned around to face them, focusing on Bucky. "Do you know me? Who's the baby?"

Bucky stared at him and replied, "You're Steve. I read about you in a museum." He glanced at Katherine warily before saying, "Katie's and my son Nick."

"They've set the perimeter," Sam warned.

"I know you're nervous," Steve said. "And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna," Bucky told him. "I don't do that anymore."

"They're entering the building," Sam informed.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now," Steve stated. "And they're not planning on taking you alive. I don't know if they'll spare Kat or the baby."

"That's smart," Bucky commented. "Good strategy. They best spare Katie and Nick."

"They're on the roof," Sam said. "I'm compromised."

Armed cops ran upstairs.

Steve shook his head and said, "This doesn't have end in a fight, Buck."

Outside the door, a cop readied a battering ram.

"It always ends in a fight," Bucky replied.

"Five seconds," Sam warned.

"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Bucky answered.

"Three seconds!" Sam cried.

"Yes, you do," Steve said.

"Breach! Breach! Breach!"

A grenade crashed through the window. Bucky grabbed Katherine, who was shielding Nicolas, and kicked it to Steve who smothered it with his shield. Nicolas began crying and buried his head in his mother's chest.