Heart Strings

CHAPTER 10 - EPILOGUE

The rest of that Summer, Fall and even most of the Winter had passed so quickly, Holly had to double check her calendar to believe that Valentine's Day was only 2 days away! She and Bucky had shared Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, (she had given him a very hard time when he chose to dress as the Winter Soldier to pass out candy, asking him if he couldn't be a little more original than that; pointing out that it was the same as a cop dressing as a cop or doctor as a doctor. Bucky disagreed and smiled broadly at her when the kids squealed in delight to see him in his 'uniform'). They had spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together as well, their house overflowing with decorations and Christmas carols and cookies well past the new year.

And now, with Spring looming just a few weeks away, Holly found herself in a reflective mood. She pulled on her jacket and stepped outside to fill the bird feeders that seemed to always be empty and stopped when she heard music coming from the garage apartment. It was that 'techno-shit' as Bucky called it, making her smile. They'd had a difficult time agreeing on what the next tenant should be like. Bucky thought a hot, single chick might be cool, since the previous tenant had been a mega stud-muffin. Holly did not agree, with the hot, single chick part anyway. When Andy had showed up one evening to take a look, Holly was convinced they had found the right guy. College grad, working for a large advertising firm in an entry level development position, he was already making a good salary; he gave the appearance of your typical nerd and was polite and friendly. Bucky wasn't so sure, and had his friend Steve check out the guys background before agreeing that Andy was acceptable.

Returning to the house she went back to cleaning. It wasn't officially Spring yet, but she figured there was no time like the present to get started. In the bedroom she had already gone through all of her drawers and sorted out the things she didn't need or want or simply no longer wore. As she sorted through the closet, arms loaded with clothes, her feet got tangled in the hem of a long dress and she felt herself falling. Reaching out for the first thing she could grab, she pulled one of Bucky's dress jackets off the hanger as she gently dropped to the floor. The hanger it had been on was not the right kind, thank goodness or she might have torn the pocket right off!!

Standing up, she put her clothes on the bed then found a proper hanger to put the jacket back where she got it. Except... what was this little box IN the pocket? Pulling it out to take a look, her heart beat wildly in her chest. This wasn't right. First of all, it was Bucky's jacket. And, it might not be for her. And if it was for her, it was obviously meant to be a surprise. And it sure looked like a ring box. And maybe just one little peak wouldn't hurt... and ...

"Damn it Holly! What are you doing?"

Caught in the act, there was nothing she could do but look guilty and tell him how sorry she was, trying to explain how she had found it.

Bucky sighed deeply. "Do you like it?"

"I didn't look at it! I... I only found the box just before you walked in, I swear!"

With a doubtful expression Bucky asked, "Do you want to see it?"

"I don't know ... I mean, yes, I do. But only if you want me to."

"hmmm.... I shouldn't let you. You know that, right?"

Holly still held the box in her hand when an odd expression crossed her face.

When Steven Strange had gone back and 'corrected' the past, not everything changed, but some things did. Holly did meet Greg and they dated for a few months, but nothing serious ever came of it. In fact, he had actually moved across the country and now lived in California, never even meeting Randolph Woodworth. It was the man who came after, Drake Halloway; musician in a local rock band that was beginning to get national attention; a talented, handsome man who knew what he wanted and intended to get it; the man who claimed to love Holly and to whom she had given her whole heart; the man who proposed to her and promised her the world; that was the man she caught in her bed with another woman, two weeks before they were supposed to get married.

What Bucky found stuffed in the drawer of the writing desk in this new reality was a copy of the vows that Drake had been working on. They were actually quite beautiful of course. After all, he did write many of the band's songs and knew how to phrase things perfectly. Holly had told him about the day she had discovered Drake's betrayal. She told him how he had tried desperately to explain; how he apologized; how he pleaded with her, and finally, when it became clear that she was finished with him, he had left those vows on the writing desk for her to find after he cleared out. HE was the reason for the wall that she had built before Bucky arrived. And Bucky wondered now, if maybe a small part of her didn't regret that lost love.

"Holly, I can't imagine my life without you. I want you to be my wife, but if, if you can't do it, I'll understand. I hope that you trust me and my love enough to say yes, but I know the pain he caused you is still tucked away there, deep inside and if you need more time to heal... I can wait. I will wait until the end of time for you. I promise you that."

She didn't speak for a few minutes, but when she did, her voice was strong and determined.

"Ask me. Please, ask me."

Bucky opened the box and took the ring out, holding it between the finger and thumb of his right hand, he knelt down on one knee and held her hand in his left. Gazing into her beautiful eyes, he felt a wave of emotion and couldn't speak for a couple of seconds. Finally he asked, "Holly Baxter, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Holly dropped to her knees in front of him, holding tight to his hand and kissing the metal fingers as if they were as natural as flesh, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you James Buchanan Barnes, and I will love you all the days of our lives!!"

Bucky laughed out loud and after kissing her soundly and wiping his and her tears away, he let her try the ring on. Of course it was stunning and fit perfectly and she couldn't take her eyes off it until he took her hand and began sliding the ring off again.

"Bucky? What are you doing?" The fear in her voice sounded so pitiful he quickly explained, "Sweetie, this is your Valentine's Day surprise. You can't wear it until after Valentine's Day or all of our friends will know that you were snooping and found it!"

"Oh... oh! You mean our friends knew you were ... which ones?"

"Pretty much all of them. I mean, I even had to run the ring by Jean for inspection and approval."

Holly laughed happily, "Well, if they all already know, does it really matter that I found out early?"

"Yep," he spoke with mock authority, "You have to learn not to snoop in other people's pockets!"

After shaking her head in fake disgust, Holly nodded and took one last peek at the ring before Bucky closed the box lid and put it on the top shelf, tucking it under the black vest he wore as the Winter Soldier.

"Soooo," she asked innocently, "If I have to wait for the ring, does that mean YOU have to wait for your gift?"

"Well, that's up to you baby. Unless you're talking about this..." Bucky moved to her dresser and pulled out the new lacey lingerie she had bought to wear for him after she noticed him slobbering over a similar outfit in one of the magazines she left laying on the coffee table. "I think you should wear this tonight, what do you think?"

"Bucky Barnes!! You, you cheater!!" she smacked his arm and beat softly on his chest as he pulled her close.

"Ok, ok! Save the gift...you don't need to wear anything at all. I'm good with that!"

+++

Three days later, Bucky and Holly announced their engagement to their friends, all of whom did admiral jobs of acting surprised by the happy news. Four months later they were married, ready to begin the next chapter of their lives.