The other Barnes

The brother

It'd been a week since Emily's arrival. She and Steve spent their days avoiding each other. Much to the confusion of everyone else.

Emily leaned against the counter, drinking her coffee. Steve and Natasha entered the kitchen. Emily placed her cup on the counter and left the room.

"Okay. What's going on with you two?" Bucky asked "you used to be so close."

Steve looked away.

   "She's just going through a hard time."

  "Liar.  What happened." Natasha asked, siding with Bucky.

Tony put his hands out in a neutral way.

"I really think we should just let it be." He said

"No. It's tense as hell here. What happened?" Nat asked again.

"I'd like to know too." Bucky stated.

Steve sighed.

"Buck, trust me. You don't."

"No. I do."

They continued to push. Finally Tony gave up.

"Just tell them so they'll stop."

Steve took a deep breath.

"Emily was pregnant when Bucky and I left for Germany." He said quickly.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. Em. Didn't even have a boyfriend then."

Steve looked at Bucky guiltily. Natasha laughed quietly.

  "Oh this should be good." Clint said.

A look of realization crossed Bucky's face.

"You slept with my sister!" He yelled "And then took off to Germany!"

"In my defense we'd been sleeping together since may 1941."

  "What!"

Steve looked sheepish.

"My sister." Said Bucky, annoyed

"I told you you didn't want to know."

"My best friend and my sister."

Tony looked down. He knew it was about to get worse.

"Wait. You said she was pregnant....you got my sister pregnant then left for germany!" Bucky yelled "I'm gonna kill you!"

Steve ran and hid behind Peter, who had just walked through the door.

"I didn't know she was pregnant!" He said quickly.

"You shouldn't have been sleeping with her to begin with!" Bucky yelled.

  "What did I walk into?" Peter asked

"Go to the office Kid." Tony said, exasperated.

   "God dammit Bucky I loved her!" Steve screamed

Bucky froze.

"You what?"

"I loved her. I only broke it off with her to protect from the pain of someone she loved dying...and what I tried to stop happened anyway. Thinking I died hurt her so bad she lost the baby."

They could hear the pain in his voice.

"And she thinks I chose Peggy over her." He whispered "I loved her and she thinks I could've chosen anyone over her. She's always come first. She has. Since I was 16."

He looked Bucky in the eye for the first time that morning.

"Trust me. No one is angry at me as I am." He said "I chose the military over a life with the girl I'd loved since I was 16. I sacrificed being a father for a war I didn't even want. I didn't know."

Steve broke.

"I didn't know, Buck I swear. I didn't know. I would've stayed."

  Clint walked towards him.

"Come on Cap. Breathe." He said quietly. " I know how bad this hurts. And it doesn't matter how long ago it happened. It hurts. I know." 

An alarm went off in the office.

"Um guys. I know family drama is a big deal but there's a fire in Manhattan." Peter called out "Fire fighters can't get in."

Steve gathered himself and grabbed his shield. His breakdown could wait. Citizens in danger couldn't.