Carousel of Time - An Alternative Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 13. Reunion

The roads were clear on the return trip to Brooklyn and Jarvis made good time.  When he dropped Bucky, Kate, John and Goldy off he promised to let them know if he heard anything.  Bucky phoned his parents to say they had returned a day early from the honeymoon.  His father informed him that Steve Rogers had gone missing and a search was underway.  He brought over the newspapers from the day of the wedding onward and they saw for themselves the speculation on Steve's fate.

"Dad, Kate figured it out," he said. "In her timeline Steve went missing about a week after I fell.  She realized that something happened.  Jarvis told us the truth.  Howard wanted to spare us that knowledge so close to our wedding."

Bucky looked at Kate and she nodded her agreement to tell his father everything.

"Stark has a wireless station at his beach house," said Bucky.  "Kate remembered from the future where the aircraft was found.   Jarvis sent the information to Stark's ship and they found him, alive.  They're on their way back but it will be a couple of days.  We can't say anything yet, Dad, but it should break soon."

A big smile burst over the older Barnes' face.  He shook hands with his son, tweaked his grandson's nose and hugged Kate.  Then he offered to drive Kate to the grocer's so they could have food while Bucky stayed behind.  While he was home Bucky gave thought to what Kate had told him about enriching themselves.  She knew the good things that could happen in the future but all the bad things as well.  Perhaps if they invested in preventing the bad things that would be beneficial to them and the world.  He wondered if he should talk to this Ancient One as well. 

As he carried his luggage up the stairs while holding John in his free arm he was amazed at whatever it was that Dr. Strange had put into the cast so that he could walk on it.  How much easier it had been to move around without the crutches.  The thought hit him.  Medical innovations and new medical treatments were always coming out.  Things like insulin and penicillin had changed lives.  Perhaps new treatments for polio, smallpox, even mumps could revolutionize medicine.  He just needed to find who was working on what and invest in them.  He began to formulate a plan.

He heard Kate return and call up to him.   Coming back down down with John, he kissed his wife, noticing her nose and cheeks were cold.  She had a newspaper with her.  CAPTAIN AMERICA ALIVE!!  Screamed the headline.

"They dropped it off just as I was paying for the groceries," she said.  "People were laughing and hugging each other.  It was like the pictures and newsreel footage of VE Day."

"So we do defeat the Nazis," said Bucky, smiling.  "I know, you can't tell me.  But its nice to know it's coming."

As she put the food away he read the newspaper article that accompanied the headline.

Exclusive

Military sources today confirmed that Captain America, Steve Rogers has been found alive.  He bailed out shortly before his aircraft crashed into a Greenland glacier.  A special research ship captained by millionaire scientist Howard Stark located Rogers and is now en route to New York.  More to come when the ship docks.

"That's it," he said. "That's all that it is.  Look, I'm Howard Stark and I found Steve Rogers.  What an ass."

"Be fair," said Kate, "he couldn't really say a woman friend from the future gave him the location.  The important thing was finding Steve and bringing him home, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," said Bucky, turning to watch her put things away.  "Come here."

She turned and saw his soft face.  When she was closer to him he pulled her into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.  John was crawling on the floor but watched his parents.  Opening a cupboard he pulled out several pots which hit the floor with a clang.  Kate and Bucky both jumped while John giggled with glee.