Hello Sergeant (Bucky Barnes)

new territory

James' POV

I wasn't expecting that amount of energy and excitement after just walking in the door. I'd been warned they were curious, active boys, but I really didn't have any experience with children. Sarah put her arms around me, just holding me for a second to give me a chance to get my bearings again.

"Are you all right, James?"

I nodded, pulling her close, her light scent comforting me. "I just wasn't ready for all that."

"Sorry, they get a little excited when they haven't seen us in a while." She rubbed her hands up and down my back before kissing my cheek. "Ready? You can do this, James. Steve and I are here with you."

I rested my forehead on hers for a moment, closing my eyes. "Okay, but stay with me?"

"Sure," she said, taking her arms from around me and slipping her small hand in mine. I let her lead me into the room, seeing that Steve was sitting on a small couch that was just big enough for the three of us. We sat down, and Steve met my eyes, smiling at me. Jace made the introductions, grinning widely.

"Where did those boys go?" I asked, not seeing them in the room.

"They went to go get your brother John from upstairs. Jace said you went to go see Rebecca already."

I nodded, finding my voice. "She'd been waiting to see me since she met Steve again a while ago."

"Well, if Steve was still alive, it was only fitting that you'd be as well," Roger said. "The way my father and Uncle Ben told the stories, you two were always inseparable. I hear we have Sarah to thank for finding you? Jace said you had a pretty nasty case of amnesia."

I nodded. "I don't remember a lot of things yet. Things have been starting to come back more and more, but mostly in bits and pieces. Sarah and Steve have been helping me a lot with things."

"I'm sure they have."

The thuds of small feet on the stairs alerted us to the boy's return. Jace intervened thankfully and collared them, bringing them over to stand in front of me.

"James, this is little James Barnes and this is his twin, Grant. Boys, this is your great-uncle James Buchanan Barnes."

"No way!"

"For real? You're really Bucky Barnes?"

Jace put his hands over their mouths when he realized they weren't going to pause for breath. "Yes, he really is Bucky. Call him James, though. Now if I let you go, will you slow down and give him a chance to answer your questions? He's not used to being around kids and I had to get him to promise not to kill you for annoying him."

I smiled at his empty threat because it was clear that he adored his little brothers. They both nodded, wide eyed and he uncovered their mouths.

"Did he really make you promise that?" One of them - little James, I thought - asked, staring at me.

"Yes," I said with a small smile. It was the truth, actually. "I used to be an assassin – a damn good one, too."

Sarah elbowed me and switched to Russian to speak quietly while the boys looked at each other. "<You shouldn't have told them that. Now they're going to want to hear all about what you used to do.>"

"<Then it's a good thing I don't remember much,>" I replied, smiling at her.

"<She's right, though. Don't give them ideas, please. They come up with enough on their own,>" Jace said, earning a wide eyed look from his brothers, who must not have know he could speak Russian. "Behave, boys." He said to them, switching back to English and going back over to the the stairs to help an older man down the last couple steps.