Our Finest Hour (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 16: Forget Something?

As Steve and Bucky walked down the hallway together, the ease of tension was apparent. They had worked everything out, as they always did. Coming to a mutual agreement on boundaries and exactly what their arrangement was. Both had made some compromises but nothing Steve wasn't already willing to compromise on. As always, he was in charge and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to come out on top in this situation, especially since it was his own wife they were talking about. When they reached the door, eagerly opening it to tell Cara the news, Steve and Bucky stood suddenly silent watching her sleep peacefully, Evan fast asleep next to her. Steve smiled proudly at the sight of them. But just before either he or Bucky could leave them to sleep in peace, suddenly a swirling orange sparking circle appeared, growing larger before Dr. Strange stepped through.

"Captain Rogers-" he started but was quickly interrupted.

"SHHHHH!" Steve and Bucky said at the same time.

Bucky ran a frustrated hand over his face as Steve gestured toward the bed where Cara and Evan were still sleeping. Strange looked at them before looking back at Steve and Bucky in apology. Steve motioned for them to go back to the hallway, Strange nodding in agreement. The three of them went out into the hall as quickly and as quietly as possible, Bucky shutting the door quietly behind them. Steve looked at Strange sternly, brow furrowed, a finger raised in warning.

"First of all, I'm not sure how privacy works where you live, but here we don't just appear in peoples bedrooms." Steve said firmly.

Strange raised his hands defensively as he looked at Steve eyebrows raised.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to intrude-" he began.

"Second, any business you have or information or whatever, you could have just called." Bucky chimed in.

" Again, I realize the error I've made and it won't happen again, but this is urgent. It's about the other Rumlow and other Winter Soldier." Strange pressed.

"I'm not the Winter Soldier anymore." Bucky said narrowing his gaze at him.

"Whatever! The other reality people then. The other Rumlow is in custody awaiting transfer to The Vault and we have to stop that from happening." Strange continued.

"Excuse me?" Steve asked bewildered.

"What about the psycho that has my son!" Bucky asked almost at the same time angrily.

Strange hesitated looking from Steve to Bucky before answering.

"He's gone. I've searched everywhere in this universe for him and there isn't a trace of him or your son. I'm afraid he may have gone back to his reality." Strange said carefully.

Bucky's fists clenched as his jaw tensed.

"So let's go get him then. He went back, so can we, right?" Bucky pushed.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Strange started.

Bucky went to take a step forward but Steve stopped him with a hand on his chest, not looking away from Strange.

"Why do we have to stop a SHIELD prisoner transfer? He's in custody, they'll get the information we need and he'll pay for what he's done." Steve said.

"He can't stay here. We need to get all of the information out of him that we can, and then he needs to go. Either die or send him back somehow  because the longer he is here, the thinner the barrier between our realities gets until they collide. If he stays here much longer this reality will cease to exist." Strange concluded.

"We can't steal him just to kill him." Steve said arms folded.

"Watch me." Bucky said shoving past Steve.