Bound By Purpose

Where Are We Going? The Future.

The Next Morning

It's very early, in fact the sun has just barely started to peak from the trees. Bucky and I walk from the far side of the lake alongside the water's edge. He'd woken me up before the sun to come with him and watch it rise just as we'd done back in Wakanda, a place we're both keen to return to. The kids are still asleep in the house which Pepper has vacated for the week. I didn't blame her for wanting to go away for awhile, surely everything here reminds her of him.

I entwine my arm around Bucky's and lean on him as we come up the hill. We both know what's about to happen, and I think we both know what Steve's planning to do. With Sam, Bruce and Steve all gathered around the platform I realize that it is time. I shiver as my body reminds me what the traveling had felt like.

"Remember Cap... You have to return the stones at the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."

Steve turns to us briefly as we finally meet them before turning to answer bruce. "Don't worry, Bruce. Clip all the branches." He fixates the briefcase retrofitted to hold the stones. His hands rest on the clips as Bruce continues.

"You know, I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back." I can see the hurt in Bruce's eyes. Like me, he had shared a special bond with both Nat and Tony. "I miss them, man." He says, echoing my own internal emotions.

"Me, too." Steve says simply. I lay my head against Bucky's shoulder as the sadness creeps in once again. He kisses my head before laying his own against mine.

"You know, if you want, I can come with you." He looks at Bucky and I, "Or they could..." Bucky and I had discussed this. We wanted more than anything to go and make things right, but we had our babies now.

Steve looks at us and already knows our answer. "You're a good man, Sam." His eyes dart back to Sam and then up the platform. "This one's on me, though." I watch his chest rise and fall with a big breath. He takes steps towards. I let myself float away from Bucky to give them a moment. In all the years after they'd been reunited, they'd spent so little time together. I had my time with Steve when I came back to him, that's something I'm so incredibly grateful for. Now if he truly is going to leave, finally move on, I know that I will be able to live with that. There's a few mumbled words said and then they hug.

Approaching now, wanting to also have my farewell I hear their last bit of conversation. "Gonna miss you buddy." Bucky says. So he did have the same suspicion as I did.

"It's gonna be okay, Buck." Steve answers. I can see unspoken bond, how hard it is for them to truly say goodbye. After so many instances of forced farewells and the hell of not knowing, they finally have a chance for true closure, and it scares both of them. Steve turns to me and I meet him with a bone crushing hug. I wish there were words to tell him how thankful I am to him. The one anchor I could count on when I woke up in 2014. My constant. My touchstone through it all.

Neither of us have ever moved on from the war, not really. The way I reacted to Howard's letters yesterday proves that. The difference is that I get my closure and my happy ending with Bucky next to me. He would finally get his closure now, finally in a spot where he could leave the world safely and be with the one person he could ever find solace. I hug him tighter, "You tell her hi for me." I say thinking of Peggy. He tries to pull away, but I hold him tightly. "We're all going to be ok here." I finally release him. Looking into his eyes I see relief. I nod once more to reassure him further. I reach for Bucky's hand and pull him towards us. We throw our arms around one another. A fleeting reunion, but a needed one. We are 12 years old once again. 12 years old running the streets of Brooklyn from one house to the next. The vision fades as the embrace collapses. Steve's new suit overtakes him and then he turns on his heel. I could see the tears even though he didn't want me to.

"How long is this gonna take?" Sam awkwardly asks trying to overcome the obvious comradery between the three of us.

Bruce answers oblivious, "For him? As long as he needs. For us? Five seconds." Steve summons Mjolnir from beside him as Bucky and I catch our gaze realizing what we both know.

"Ready, Cap? Alright. We'll meet you back here, okay?"

"You bet." Steve answers with a somewhat distracted nod. All thoughts would be on Peggy at this point.

Bucky holds me close as Bruce counts down, "Going quantum. Three, two, one..." The machine whirls and just like that Steve is swallowed into the portal. The five seconds tick by like an eternity. "And returning in," Steve's smile flashes before my eyes. "five," I see him looking through the Hydra base bars at me. "four," His letter he'd sent me before his 'death'. "three," Every moment he'd been a steady hand for me to hold. "two," When Bucky and I dragged him out of the Potomac. "one..." I blink selfishly wanting him to be there. He's not.

"Where is he?" Sam asks. I tilt my head up to Bucky who's already looking down at me with a bittersweet smile. Turning back to the two arguing I see that Sam has run to Bruce's side. "Get him back." He says.

"Hey I said I'm trying!" Bruce retorts in an effort to find the problem. I feel Bucky slightly pull away from me.

I follow his path and see that sitting on bench near the water is an old man. I let out an exasperated breath knowing who it is. "Sam." Bucky says planting himself feet from the old man. Sam stops arguing with Bruce immediately and silently approaches Steve. I too join them. Sam is hesitant to go any closer. "Go ahead." Bucky says, confirming that its okay to go on without.

My own ambivalent emotions take over and I squeeze Bucky's hand. We watch together as Sam stands by Steve. There's a happy energy between Bucky and I as we watch Steve pull out is shield. I tug on Buck's hand and lead him away as Sam takes the shield. We walk together hand in hand finally exhumed from our pasts. It's time for the next generation to take over. Time to take our beautiful children home to grow and live in peace, together.

We've finally gotten our closure and now we have a future to attend to.

I'm actually shaking writing this. I want to thank you all so much for everything you've done to support me throughout these SIX YEARS. They've flown by and I have had an absolute blast.

As for Evelyn's future... Bucky's story is obviously not done in the MCU, and I see Evelyn's story as parallel to his so if you're willing to read it, I will be writing a sequel. It might be awhile before I begin writing it, but I do have plenty ideas. I love these characters far too much to leave them.

For a full announcement, a Q&A, information on this book, playlists, and more, stay tuned because there will be one more update in this book in a week or two consisting of that type of stuff. But as for this story... It is the end.

I love you all! Thank you so much!

-E