Tangled Hearts

Four

Steve wastes no time hopping out of his pickup-truck, the second it's safely set in park. Ignoring his mothers fifth plea for him to calm to down, Boots crunching against the long fallen leaves that coat his parents driveway as he barrels way toward the yellow house.

"Where's the fire?" Bucky calls out, successfully gaining his stepbrothers attention.

Shock, frustration, And a dozen questions continue to race through Steve's mind as he changes course from the front door, to where his brother and sister in-law are instead.

Bucky eyes Steve cautiously, awaiting an explanation as he continues to stack another bale of hay beside the white picket fence. His wife carelessly swaying her legs against the breeze.

"Is Becca inside?" Steve asks, a hint of panic in his voice.

There's no way his sister — okay, stepsister — would have kept this secret from him. Would she? The thought alone churns his stomach. She and Savannah used to be extremely close.
So much so, that she'd often take Savannah's side in arguments, and even berate her brother for being a 'selfish jackass' long after Savannah would forgive him herself. But she wouldn't have kept him being a father a secret, She couldn't.

Could she?

"Yeah I'm pretty sure she's up in her room, why?"  Bucky replies, adding a third bale of hay.

"Savannah is in town." Steve says, her name souring his tongue. The sight of Pietro towering behind the redhead replays in his mind, and his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles turn white.

Natasha hops off the fence, a wicked grin spreading across her heart shaped lips. "Savannah Sheppard is back in Story Haven?"

Peering down to meet the olive green eyes of his sister-in-law, Steve adds. "With a kid."

"Holy shit." Bucky blurts out, his stubble covered jaw going slack as he drops the fourth hay bale back onto the ground.

Sarah finally catches up to the three adults she still views as children, arms folded tightly across her chest.

"Your brother seems to forget that he hasn't seen the girl in six years. Someone please tell him the adorable little boy Savannah Sheppard had with her is no where near six years old, and therefor not his son. He was all of this tall." She explains, leaning over to hold her palm only a few feet above the ground.

"Ma, when was the last time you were around a toddler?" Steve asks, softening his tone when his mother flashes him a raised brow. "He spoke just fine, He's got to be at least five or six."

"It would explain why she fled town town like a bat outta hell right after graduation." Natasha chimes in, the wheels in her mind visibly turning.

"Don't go getting him all riled up." Sarah scolds her, turning her attention to Steve as he charges off toward the house. "Where are you going?"

"I gotta talk to Becca." He shouts over his shoulder, "They used to be inseparable. She's gotta know something!"

Bucky grins up at the woman who raised him, "So, what happens if I start calling you Grams?"

"I'll give Natasha your slice of freshly baked pie from Happy's Place."

"She's my wife," He beams, draping an arm affectionately over Natasha's shoulder. "She'll give it to me anyway."

Natasha darts one eyebrow up, her right palm resting on her husbands chest as she glances between the two. "Did they put the caramel drizzle on top?"

"With the crumble." Sarah dips her head with a smirk, the same one Steve gets when he's done something he shouldn't.