It's Been A Long, Long Time // Steve Rogers

Chapter 26

Bucky's POV

"This is a really bad idea..."

I glared at Sam and rolled my eyes, "it'll be fine. Bruce?" I looked at Bruce who gave me a thumbs up. "We can do this without him. He's not gonna want to come back." Sam said, trying one last time to get me to change my mind. But I didn't care. He gave up the shield and now that asshat John Walker has it. "I don't care Sam. He doesn't have to come but I'm going to talk to him. Plus, he's my best friend. He'll at least be thrilled to see me." Sam ran his hands over his face and stepped up on the platform. "Fine."

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm coming with you."

I rolled my eyes, "I don't need you."

"Yea, like I'm gonna let your dumb ass go alone. Steve would kill me." I shrugged and waited for Bruce to finish configuring the quantum tunnel. "We're ready!" Bruce yelled. I activated the quantum suit as did Sam. "Do you even know where he is?" Sam asked. "Nope." "Wait wha-"

In a flash we were back in 1950. I had told Bruce to drop us a few years in the future, just in case. He would be here. He had to be here. "Holy shit that was awful...I'm gonna..." Sam leaned over into a trashcan of the alley we appeared in and threw up. "Really?" He glared at me and stood up straight. "Okay genius, where now?"

"I don't know. I didn't really think this far ahead." I mumbled. "You didn't?! Barnes!!"

"I wasn't expecting you to join!" I snapped back. He rubbed his temples and looked around. "Great. This is just great. Where the hell even are we?"

"Chill out, Sam. And change out of that outfit. You look ridiculous, this is 1950." I motioned to his outfit and he glared at me once again. "Excuse me for not knowing what decade we were traveling to until just a few minutes ago." He huffed and put his hands on his hips. "And where am I supposed to magically just get new clothes, cyborg?" I raised my eyebrows and looked around. We were in Brooklyn. That was clear. "Come with me." I grabbed his arm and pulled him in the direction of my old apartment. That would be the best bet to lay low and possibly get Sam and change of clothes unless it got cleared out and someone else lives there now. Which was probably the case because it's been over 5 years since I was technically declared dead.

We walked up the street and I pulled Sam into another alley as we approached the brick building. I was surprised to see it looked decently well taken care of and not run down. "Wait here." I instructed him and looked up the side of the building where a fire escape sat.

"Where are you going??"

"I'm going to break in. There's a window in the kitchen. It's broken. So unless it got fixed...shouldn't be a issue." I shrugged and his eyes widened. "Bucky!" He whisper-shouted. "It'll be fine." I waved him off and climbed up the fire escape before walking towards the specific unit, looking inside the kitchen window first. It didn't appear that anyone was home. I opened it enough to climb through. The kitchen looked the same. Except for a new looking stove top. That definitely didn't look like that when I lived here. It much much older and crappier. Suddenly I heard a grunt and turned around to see Sam crawling through the window. I rolled my eyes and pulled him through. "What are you doing?" I whispered. "I'm a black man in 1950. Don't leave me alone in an alley like some kind of creep." He snapped. I guess that was a valid point.

I noticed a pot of tea on the stovetop and touched it. It was still warm. There was also two dog bowls off to the side, one filled with water.

"Someone lives here." I said. "Well, no shit." Sam mumbled, motioning around. "Look around." I whispered. "This is breaking and entering!!" Sam whisper shouted. I ignored him and walked into the living room. I looked around and it looked mostly the same as it did when I lived here. Weird. Except it had feminine touches like a rug and throw pillows. I definitely didn't have those. A woman definitely lives here. That could make this seem really bad now that I think about it.

"Bucky this is someone's home!!" I ignored Sam again and kept looking around. For photos or something. That's when I saw something on the mantle. Photos. I walked towards the mantle of the fireplace and picked up one of the framed photos. "Oh my god." I whispered. "What?" Sam walked over to me and looked at the photo in my hand. "Holy shit. Is that you and Steve? Damn he really was skinny and small." He pointed at the photo. It was the day I turned 20. Right before my parents died and my sister, Becca, went to live with our grandparents. This was the last family photo we ever took together. "Yea." I mumbled. "Who are they?" He pointed at the other people in the photo and I smiled. "My parents and my sister..." I set the photo back down and looked around once more. That's when I realized.

"My sister must live here. She's still alive at this time." I felt tears form in my eyes. It would make sense that she lives here. She was my next of kin. I tried to blink the tears away quickly but Sam noticed. "Are you crying?" "No." I cleared my throat and started walking forwards. "What happened to her?"

I took a deep breath and looked over at him, "I don't know." I lied. Truth was, I did know what happened to her. She was captured by Hydra. The guilt ate away at me and was constantly one of my recurring nightmares. I saw the files on her at one point during my time as the winter soldier with 'DECEASED' in big red letters written across it. I vividly remember burning the files about her when I was on the run trying to get my mind back. And then at that point...it was too late and didn't matter. Her death was never recorded, Hydra made sure of that.

He nodded and walked away and into the bedroom as I stayed out in the living room. I saw a few pairs of shoes, a couple too big for her feet. These weren't her shoes. My blood unintentionally boiled at the thought of a man living here with my baby sister. "Uh...Bucky!" Sam shouted. "What!" I snapped. "You're gonna want to see this..."

I walked across the living room and into the bedroom where Sam was standing in front of a dresser, his back to me. "What are you talking about?" Sam spun around and held out two framed photos. I stopped immediately as I saw what he was holding. Framed photos of my sister...and Steve. In one hand a photo of them together with a puppy. A normal photo. But in the other... a framed photo of my little sister and Steve kissing in the snow at what appears to be Christmas time. I clenched my fist and glared at the photos. Steve was here...and he was dating my little sister.

"I'm gonna kill him."

Sam and I froze when we heard a key twist and the front door creaked open. "Shit!" Sam whispered. He quickly set the photos down and looked around frantically. It was no use because soon there was the sound of nails on the floor and a golden retriever came barreling into the room, growling at the pair of us. "This is bad." Sam whispered.

"Scout?" Steve's voice floated through the small unit.

The dog continued growling at us until Steve appeared in the doorway, looking like he had just gotten back from a run. His eyes widened and he called the dog back to him. "What the hell are you two doing here?!"

A/N: well well, look who showed up in the past 👀