James Barnes OneShots

Wait for me, daddy - ALTERNATE ENDING

What if, their story wasn't a happy one?

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2016

Bucky clutched the square piece of paper held tightly in his hands, a faded, black and white photograph of three very happy people. A man, who looked no older than 23, wore a wide grin on his face and an arm around a shorter woman, hugging her close. She looked no older than her early 20's, her y/h/l frozen in time, strands frozen in the wind. The two gazed at each other, looking love struck and wide grins on their faces.

And in the man's free arm, a small boy, who looked no older than 2, was held close. One of his arms were wrapped around the man's neck, the other pointed at the camera. His face shown with curiosity and happiness, his eyes alight with wonder.  The three looked happy, their own little family. Bucky felt tears form in his eyes, ashamed that their names and his memories of them were just out of reach. Bucky could tell the man was him, but he couldn't place the woman's name or the boy's or their relation to him. He could tell they were very, very close to him, but that was it.

Bucky stood up and walked down the hall, up to his best friend's room. He knocked twice on the door and heard a 'come in' from the inside. The super soldier pushed open the door and walked in. "Steve?"

Steve walked up to where Bucky stood, still looking at the picture. "What's up, Buck? Whatcha got there?"

Bucky took a breath and looked up, faint tear tracks painting his cheeks. "A picture, from the 40's," he flipped it over, and in black pen it read 1942 - Barnes Family. "It says '1942, Barnes Family. Wh-Who's in this picture? Where is it? Why does it say 'Barnes Family'?"

Steve looked at the floor and back up at Bucky, and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out what looked like a necklace with metal and rings on the chain, a piece of paper and another photograph. "Those two people, are William and Y/N Barnes. William, we would always call him Liam, was your son. He had blue eyes just like yours, and Y/N's hair. He was the perfect mix of the two of you. And Y/N, well she was your wife. You got married in '39, and Liam was born in '40. You two were so happy together, and perfect for each other," Steve brought the items to Bucky, and handed them to the super soldier. Bucky took them in his hand carefully, examining the metal and papers. The chain was Bucky's old dog tags, and 3 gold bands were on the chain. One was a thicker gold ring, one was a thin gold strip, a single diamond resting on the metal. The third and final one was the same thickness as the last one, but held three smaller diamonds in the band. Their wedding rings. Bucky slightly gasped as bits and pieces of his past came back, slowly filling the hole the Hydra dug so deep.

Bucky walked to Steve's bed and sat on the edge, placing the chain and the picture he brought in on the bed next to him. He then looked at the picture Steve gave him, looking at the photo itself and then the writing on the back. The picture was a black and white portrait of Y/N, a soft smile gracing her lips. She looked off to the side of the camera, eyes lit up. On the back of the picture it read, My love, my light, my doll, my Y/N. I'll be home soon. A memory returned to Bucky in an instant. It was the night before he left for training, and he wrote those words on the back of the picture and placed the photo in his suitcase, tucking it on the inside to where every time he opened it, her face shined towards him.

Next he picked up the paper, carefully unfolding the faded and yellowed paper. Three letters were folded together, and Bucky read the first one, which was addressed from him.

"To Liam and my Y/N,

Training is complete, so that means a few things. First off, I'm exhausted after these 16 weeks of basic training. My body aches-my left arm is KILLING me, my brain is mentally exhausted, and I've, sort of, gotten used to the lack of food. Boy, do I miss your cooking, doll. But not as much as I miss you, both of you. There's so much I miss and so much I want to say, but I can't. And I'm sorry for that. Second, I'll be heading out soon to the battlefields so chances are, letters will be less and less. I'll try to write as much as I possibly can, even if they are only 10 words. I love you guys.