A Hero Will Rise // TFATWS

24

Bucky and Audrey, after getting Jace, made their way back to Brooklyn, New York.

Audrey glanced at Bucky. "Are you ready?"

He shook his head. "No. But Sam was right."

"I'll be waiting here with Jace."

He nodded and walked up to Yori's front door, then knocked on the door.

Yori opened the door and asked, "Hey, what are you two doing here? It's late, come in before someone call the cops." Bucky entered and Yori closed the door behind them. "What are you two doing here? It's not Wednesday."

Bucky replied, "I, uh, I have to tell you something. About your son." He sat, pulled off his glove to reveal his Vibranium hand. Yori sat as well. "He was murdered."

"What?"

"By the Winter Soldier." His voice shook as he whispered, "And that was me."

"Why?"

Bucky inhaled before replying softly, "I didn't have a choice."

He left and Audrey immediately walked up to Bucky. "I'm proud of you."

Jace hugged his father. "Mommy would be really proud. I'm proud too."

Bucky gave him a small smile. "Thanks, bud." He met Audrey's eye and the two shared a long gaze before turning away.

Bucky met her eyes and his expression turned to one of extreme guilt.

"This is the first step," Audrey said softly.

After a moment, Bucky said, "Thank you, Audrey."

---

The next day, after dropping off a gift bag and card for Dr. Raynor, Bucky, followed by Jace, walked the streets of Brooklyn.

They passed Izzy's and Bucky looked in the window to see Yori and Audrey sitting at the bar.

Jace looked up at his father and asked, "Do you wanna go in?"

Bucky stared at Yori and slowly shook his head.

Audrey, who had happened to see them, excused herself and ran up to Bucky and Jace.

She paused a moment before saying, "Call me crazy, but is there something here? I understand the weirdness of all this, but..."

Bucky faced her and nodded. "Yeah, there is something here. I don't want to force anything on you."

"You don't mind me being your son's teacher?"

"It is a little weird, but no, I don't mind."

Jace looked up at his father. "Can we go see my friends AJ and Cass?"

Bucky nodded. "Sure, bud. Audrey, I'm sure Sam and Sarah would welcome you if you decided to join."

Audrey gave a light smile. "Maybe for the weekend. But I do have work to catch up on."

"Bring it with you if you can."

She chuckled. "You really want me to come, don't you?"

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all."

---

Sam made his way to Baltimore to make a visit.

He walked down a familiar street in Baltimore and up to a front door. He knocked on the metal screen door of Isaiah's home.

Eli opened the door and asked, "What do you want, Black Falcon?"

"Hey, you need to learn some manners," Sam told him.

"He ain't a Falcon anymore, but he's still black," Isaiah said, motioning for Sam to follow. Sam sat in the garden as Isaiah tended to his plants. "I saw what you did out there. And it seems, so did everyone else. I heard the GRC was standing down on those plans of theirs, so you must have done something right. I ain't gonna lie. You're special."

"Thank you."

"I mean, you ain't no Malcolm, Martin, Mandela, but..."

"No argument there." Sam chuckled with a nod. "But I know what I've gotta do."

"So, a Black Captain America, huh?"

"Damn right."

He chuckled lightly. "The fight you taking on ain't gonna be easy, Sam."

"Yeah, I might fall. Shit, I might die. But... We built this country. Bled for it. I'm not gonna let anybody tell me I can't fight for it. Not after what everybody before me went through. Including you."

Isaiah's voice shook as his expression softened. "Shit. I almost bought that."

"Man, do you ever lighten up?"

"Nope," Eli replied, standing on the back porch. "Mm-mmm."

Sam chuckled and gently hit Isaiah's shoulder. "Hey, why don't you clean up. There's, um... somethin' I wanna show you."

Isaiah glanced at Sam and made his way inside.

Eli leaned over the railing and asked, "So, uh, where we going?"

Sam shook his head, keeping his plan a surprise.

As soon as the two were ready, they made their way to the Smithsonian exhibit.

---

Isaiah and Eli remained quiet as they strolled through the exhibit.

Sam led them to another room where he'd had them place a statue of Isaiah and the history of what he'd done for the country. Isaiah and Eli looked around while Sam stood back and waited.

After a moment, Isaiah walked up to Sam who nodded and said, "Now they'll never forget what you did for this country." The two shook hands. "Never." Isaiah hugged Sam tightly and Sam smiled.

---

Bucky, Jace and Audrey made their way to Sam's. Bucky held a cake and the kids ran up to him and pretended to fight him. Bucky ducked with a smile. Audrey glanced at Bucky and smiled.

"Oh! There they are!" a man said.

As Bucky, Jace and Audrey walked up, the former asked, "Where is everybody?"

Sam hugged Bucky, then Jace, then Audrey.

They enjoyed an afternoon of food, drink, and conversation. Jace kept glancing at his father, happy to see him smiling. Audrey caught Bucky's eye and he smiled softly.

Bucky and Audrey spoke with Sarah and the kids hung on Bucky's Vibranium arm, which he no longer had covered. Jace was running around with some of the kids.

Sam, Bucky and Audrey stood on the dock, watching the sunset. After a moment, they walked back to the others. Sam placed an arm around Bucky's shoulders.

Bucky glanced at Audrey and said, "You seem deep in thought."

Audrey shrugged. "Nothing really on my mind."

Their eyes met again and they moved closer together. Audrey reached out and Bucky took her hand. The two stood face to face, never losing eye contact.

Sam cut in. "Before this gets any more of a Hallmark cliché, let's join the others."

Bucky and Audrey shared a mildly annoyed expression before they smiled lightly and continued holding hands as they followed Sam.