Bucky's POV:
Hey, James, it's me. I know you're probably not going to return this call, but I wanted to tell you Happy Birthday. I hope you're doing well. Maggie asked about you today, she turned three, and misses you. She asks about you every day, wondering when you're coming home. I miss you, too. I just want to hear your voice and you tell me that everything is okay. I start a new job; I'm working alongside of Peter Parker. He's a smart kid. I see why Tony was so fond of him. Anyways, I really hope you're doing well. Call me if ever you need me. I've got you. I still love you. Bye.
I listen to the voicemail again. There're several voicemails from Charlie, and even Maggie, that I just can't find it in myself to delete. Nor can I figure out how to talk to her. I miss her and that little girl so much. I do feel like I need to continue to work on myself alone. I had made a mistake the minute I left Charlie in the floor crying. But where do I go from here? How can I make things right?
I've even got to the point where I forgave Steve. I completely understand why he does what he's doing. I realize now how jealous I was that Steve is actually Maggie's father. I also don't understand how he could leave them, but then again, I did the same thing. Her random texts and voicemails let me know that she's doing well. They let me hear her voice, hear about her day. Why would someone like Charlie want a killer like me? I miss her. I miss Steve as well.
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Charlie's POV:
I still can't get Bucky out of my head. Everything reminds me of him, but I do agree he was right. We did rush into everything. So much had happened. From the moment of the blip, Steve and I pretended we were a normal couple, and at times we were. Getting everybody back caused me to lose Natasha. I watched Tony's heart fade as we were victorious with returning the missing. Steve and I broke up. And then Bucky. Before that night, things were, well they weren't perfect, but they were familiar, normal. Things felt right.
I try to recall as many memories from before the wreck with Bucky I can, the only thing that registers in my brain is his eyes. The moment I saw him in Bucharest, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It struck something deep in my core, and it was a remembrance. There are reasons why I can't remember time with my parents, and it isn't because of a brain injury from a car wreck.
I walk into my office, Peter, meets me there. "Hey, Charlie. How is everything?"
I smile at the young boy. Being around him, makes me oddly feel like I'm with Tony. Peter isn't as sarcastic and cocky as Tony, but he's a genius like him. "I'm good, Peter. How is everything with you?"
"Well, normally I wouldn't meet you here, your job is a bit different than mine, but...I've been thinking maybe you should get back in."
"What? No, I've got a daughter. I need to focus on her. And besides, my suit didn't really hide my face. It's best that the Winter Princess as you called me stays out of the spotlight. News has gotten out that I was engaged to Steve, so it just complicates things." I walk behind my desk and sit, turning on my computer.
"Right, but I've been working on something. Like an iron suit, no one would see your face, and..."
"Peter...I don't want something clunky like that." I look back at him, and his face lights up.
"So, you'd, you would think about it? I got onto Mr. Stark's computer and he was working on it for you. You could actually fly with it, and it would cover your face. And he even named it. I could turn it into more than a prototype for you. And it's not clunky, it's kind of like your cat suit."
I chuckle to myself. Of course, Tony would be working on that. He had this grand idea that I could fly. "What did he name it?"
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Third Person POV:
Charlie walks into a restaurant, head held high, she's meeting Matt Murdock for dinner. Unbeknownst to her, a now short haired super soldier, sits in the distance. He had seen Charlie walk into the city and decided to follow her. Bucky, tries to keep as much of a distance from the woman, but wanting nothing more than to hold her. He watches as she sits down at a table to a mystery man. He doesn't know anything about the man, but watching Charlie smile and laugh with him gives him more than enough information. He had hoped that eventually they could work things out. Her random phone calls and text gave him hope. Maybe he should have returned some of them, and she wouldn't be meeting some man for a date.
Bucky can't help but watch her. She's stunning. She seems happy, more independent than when he left her. It's what he desired most for her. As much as he loves her, he can't deny how dependent she was on Steve, and then on him. Her hair is shiny, long, and all he wants is to run his fingers through it, while she returns his touch.
Charlie talks with Matt, enjoying the company. She laughs and looks over her shoulder, spotting someone she's been wanting to see, when she glances back, he's gone. She's really losing it. As many people as there are Brooklyn, she holds out hope that her and Bucky will aimlessly run into each other, and now she's seeing things.
She finishes her dinner and business with Mr. Murdock, and leaves for the evening. She misses conversation with a male. She spent so much time surrounded by males, and now it's just her and her perfect angel of a daughter.
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Charlie's POV:
I take a deep breath as I walk into the Smithsonian. I have reached the point of not being angry with Steve. If the roles were reversed, and I could go back to be with Bucky, I would consider it. However, I know I could never leave my child. In a way I'm glad he's found a way to spend time with her. His visits aren't as often, but they are at least scheduled. And thankfully, they're not late at night.
I look around the crowd. So many people to celebrate my former fiancé. Steve was without a doubt a good man, a true hero. I look at him through a different lens. I see his flaws, before I thought he was perfect, that he could do no wrong. But I understand the need for others to think he was perfect.
While I don't agree with Sam's reason for doing what he feels he needs to do, I understand it. I haven't had to live the life that he has. Deal with the obstacles that he has. I stand in the back of the crowd, Maggie perched on my hip. She sees Sam and smiles, "Uncle Sam." He gives the girl a quick wave. His face is solemn. Even he's not fully committed to this idea. He doesn't believe his own potential. I do, but I don't want to push it. It's his life, I assure myself.
Maggie's leg wiggles around because she wants to see Sam, "Shh, be quiet for now little pearl. And afterwards Uncle Sam will come and see you."
"Bucky, too." She randomly brings Bucky up, and it kills me that she still asks about him.
"Not today, little one."
Sam takes his place behind the podium, "Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically." The audience chuckles as Sam turns to look at the banner of Steve behind him. "The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in. Symbols...are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning. And this thing..." he motions to the shield, Sam's shield. "I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol. But it's more about the man who propped it up, and he's gone."
I look down at my daughter, and kiss her, whispering, "Remember, daddy is our secret." She nods, she shouldn't have to keep such a big secret, but here we are.
"So, today we honor Steve's legacy. But also, we look to the future. Thank you, Captain America. But this belongs to you." Sam hands the shield to some of the staff and they take it, placing it in a glass case. I let out a sigh of relief. Watching how my friend is drained. He misses Steve. He watches the shield reluctantly, almost wondering if he made the right decision. Only time will tell.
His head turns and looks at me. I nod my head and make my way to the exhibit. He'll find us there. "Come on Maggie James, let's look at everything. Remember, today his name is Steve or Captain America." Anyone who looks hard enough at my child will know right away she's Steve's daughter, but for today I want to protect her identity as much as possible.
"Okay, mommy, but why?" She asks looking up at me, fingers laced in my own.
"One day, you'll understand."
We walk through the exhibit. Taking in the importance of her father throughout history. Realizing, but not quite, just how old he is. Her eyes light up when I read the little excerpts on the photos. Her fingers trace along different photos. Normally I wouldn't allow her to do this, but she's seeing her dad the way the world does. Steve has always just been daddy to her.
As we make our way through my eyes catch the familiar face. The face I've wanted to see for so long. The face that pictures could never do him justice. "Mommy look, Bucky." My eyes fill with tears as I look at his face. God, I miss him. I just wish I knew he was okay. I wish I knew how therapy was going for him. I wish, I wish. Like Maggie, my fingers trace along his face. I long for the times I would do this on his actual skin. The way his breathing changed as my fingers tickled along him. The way the crinkles in his eyes appeared while he smiled, asking me if I was memorizing his face. The way his eyes watched intently as mine roamed around his face. And mostly the way his lips felt on mine afterwards. Tears brim along my lash line thinking about the man. The man I consider the love of my life.
I look at the photo, envisioning what the Bucky of today would look like with his shorter hair, still handsome. He could have no hair and he would still be handsome. I hear Sam and Rhodey come up behind us. Sam's strong hands run across my shoulder blades as he wraps me in a hug as soon as his face meets mine. "Maggie J." Rhodey calls down to my daughter as he picks her up to hug her.
"You good?" Sam whispers in my ear. I nod my head. "Still haven't heard from him?" I shake my head no. He sighs, wrapping his arms around me. When he pulls away Rhodey comes up hugging me, while still holding Maggie.
"You look good, Charlie." I whisper a thanks to him.
"Uncle Sam." Maggie reaches out to Sam and he holds her.
"I forget how much you look like your dad, Magpie."
"Shh, daddy is a secret." Sam nods his head at her, knowing we don't want to cause any attention to the young girl.
"How did the meeting with Murdock go? Get everything settled?" Sam asks.
"Yes, it's more than I could have ever hoped for honestly. I don't deserve it." I answer him.
"You deserve the world and then some. And somehow you always get mixed up with people like us." Sam laughs.
"I've got to go, but I'll be in touch." Rhodey makes his exit.
"How about some ice cream? And Sarah and the boys are wondering when you're coming to visit." Maggie's eyes light up at the mention of ice cream.
"My next time off at the office, we're going to come down there."
"How is Stark Industries?" He asks as we walk out of the exhibit.
"Busy. Always busy. And Peter has so much energy, but he's a good kid." Sam huffs, "Sam Wilson, you stop. He is a good kid."
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Bucky's POV:
I jolt up from the floor. My skin is drenched in a cold sweat. The floor hasn't done much to help, and there's no Charlie to calm me, telling me to breathe. God, I miss her. She's moved on though. I missed my chance. I miss the way her fingers would run across my skin letting me know she was there, and not going anywhere. This dream is different. A recurring one. These amends aren't working.
I walk into the doctor's office. Annoyed that I have to be here. If I wasn't here, things might have been different with Charlie. I would have eventually made it to amending all the wrong I did when I was the Winter Soldier. My mind is going everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.
"So, Mr. Barnes, are you still having nightmares?" This again, I'm going to lie. She knows the answer to this. And she's tearing me away from all my thoughts. "James, I asked you a question." I hate when other people call me James. It sounds better coming off of Charlie's lips. "Are you still having nightmares?"
"No."
"We've been doing this long enough that I can tell when you're lying. Well, you seem a little off today. Did something happen recently?" God, all these trees. This room is claustrophobic.
"No."
"You're a civilian now. With your history, the government needs to know that you're not gonna..." She makes a fist and pretends to hit something. I nod at her. I don't want to be here. "It's a condition of your pardon. So, tell me about your most recent nightmare."
"I didn't have a nightmare." She takes a deep breath and jerks out her pen. "Oh, come on. Really? You're gonna do the notebook thing? Why? It's passive aggressive." I don't want to be here. I glance at the clock. We're just getting started.
"You don't talk. I write."
This is going nowhere. "Okay. Okay." Let's lie a bit again. "I crossed a name off the list of my amends yesterday. Don't worry. I used all your three rules. Senator Atwood. She was a Hydra pawn for years. Helped her get into office when I was the Winter Soldier. And after Hydra disbanded she continued to abuse the power I gave her."
"So, rule number one, you can't do anything illegal." It was only a little illegal.
"All I did was give some intel to the aide to convict her. And I wasn't involved in anything else." Okay, that was a big lie.
"Rule number two?" She's big on this one.
"What was rule number two?" I look into the distance. Knowing exactly what rule number two is.
"Nobody gets hurt. It's a big one." Her voice becomes a bit more agitated.
"Then why isn't it rule number one? I didn't hurt anybody." That much. He'll recover. "I promise."
"And what about rule number three?" I pause. I know exactly what rule number three is. "The whole point of making amends is to fulfill rule number three."
"You know, you're a cynic, Doc. Of course, I completed rule number three." I recite the amends. "I'm no longer the Winter Soldier. I'm James Bucky Barnes..." this is what Charlie called me. "And you're part of my efforts to make amends." I give her an eat shit grins.
"So, you did it all right, but it didn't help with the nightmares." She states at me. I'm not giving into the truth; I'll carry on with the lie.
"Well, like I said, I didn't have any." Lies.
"Look...one day, you're gonna have to open up, and understand that some people really do want to help you, and that they can be trusted." I can't be trusted. I hurt the one person who wanted nothing more than to help me.
"I trust people." Lies. I trust Charlie. I don't trust myself.
"Yeah? Give me your phone." I reach in my pocket, handing her my phone. "You don't have ten phone numbers on this thing. Oh, and you've been ignoring the texts from Sam. And Charlie, still. All these voicemails are from her. How often do you listen to them?" I glare back up at her. She has no idea. "Look, you've gotta nurture friendships. I am the only person you have called all week. That is so sad. You're first few weeks, when you lived with her, you opened up. You tried, and since you've shut down." She slams my phone shut and tosses it over to me. "You're alone. You're a hundred years old. You have no history, no family..." I had a family with Charlie.
"Are you lashing out at me, Doc? Because that's really unprofessional, you know? When did that start? Yelling at your clients?" She grabs the notebook and places it in her lap again. "Oh, the notebook. That's great. Alright, give me a break. I'm trying, okay? This isn't...this is new for me. I didn't have a moment to deal with anything, you know? I had a little...calm in Wakanda." And with Charlie and Maggie, before Steve. "And other than that, I just went from one fight to another for ninety years."
"So, now that you've stopped fighting, what do you want?" Charlie.
Lie. "Peace." I answer her.
"That is utter bullshit." She doesn't buy it.
"You're a terrible shrink." Lie. She reads me quite well.
"I was an excellent soldier, so I saw a lot of dead bodies, and I know how that can shut you down. And if you are alone, that is the quietest, most personal hell. And, James, it is very hard to escape. Look, I know that you have been through a lot, but you've got your mind back, you are being pardoned. I mean, these are good things. You're free."
"To do what?"
"Maybe instead of punishing yourself, why don't you call her instead of listening to her voicemails over and over again." Now there's a thought.
"She doesn't want to see me."
"She spends a lot of time updating you on her life for someone that doesn't want to see you."
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Bucky's POV:
I walk out of therapy, feeling a bit emptier than before. I should call her, or at least return a text. What's the worst that can happen? But if she's happy and seeing someone I don't want to be a burden to her. It wouldn't be fair to her, and I've already made her life difficult enough.
I see my neighbor arguing with another tenet in the alley. Trying to break it up quickly I offer to buy him lunch. I feel guilty for the pain I've caused him. He's a genuinely nice man. We walk to our usual spot. The waitress is no Charlie, but she's cute. I should move on. She has.
"Take a look. Nobody made it past ninety this week." He shows me the obituaries in the paper. A bit morbid.
"So young. Such a shame." I'm over a hundred.
"You guys didn't order the usual, huh? Feeling a little adventurous?" Leah, the waitress asks. I take a moment to glance over her. She is pretty. I don't need to continue to punish myself.
"You should ask her out." Yori whispers to me. That obvious, huh? My eyes go large as I shake my head no at him. "He would like to take you out on a date." Yori tells Leah. "Maybe to bingo or a night of pinochle? Pinochle. Yeah." I'm hundred years old, and I'm embarrassed. I've never taken Charlie on a date.
"I'm really sorry about him." I wasn't ready for this.
"Why are you sorry?" She asks, with a smile. "I'm game." That easy.
"Wow." I respond. I should have asked Charlie that.
"Tomorrow night, then?" Yori asks her.
"Tomorrow night's great. Just maybe not pinochle."
"What's wrong with pinochle?" I ask, Yori responds with a yeah.
"I have a shift, but if you wanna come back here, I should be done around 10:00." She walks off and I force a smile.
"I can't believe you did that. It's a dance to these things. You can't...you gotta warm up and I haven't danced since 1943..." I did dance with Charlie when we were hiding. That was natural. "It feels like." I take a shot of the saki. I wish I could get drunk.
Yori's eyes grow distant as he stares at some mochi. "What's wrong?" I ask, my tone has already changed and I focus on the old man.
"My son, he loves the red bean mochi. Um...he had a job with a consulting company. And, uh, he was working abroad and he was killed. The police said, 'Wrong place, wrong time,' but...I will never know what really happened to him. I felt it was strange. In here." He taps his heart. His son wasn't a part of my mission.
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Bucky's POV:
I watch Leah from outside the window. I can't believe I'm doing this. She may have been ready to move on, but I don't think I'm quite ready. Even the online dating has got me nowhere, people are weird. Charlie was comfort. She was perfect. She was home. But she's moved on and happy.
I walk through the doors and hand her a bouquet of flowers. I never did this for Charlie. No wonder she wanted to move on, we did everything backwards. "Well, if that's not the most adorably old-fashioned thing anyone's ever done." She walks off, leaving me standing there awkwardly. "Grab a seat, I'll be done in a few."
"Okay." I look around the restaurant. What am I doing here?
"So, have you dated much since half the fish in the sea came back?"
I lived with my best friend's ex-fiancé for a couple of months.. Only because he left her and her daughter to go back in time to be with his true love. She loved me. I can't tell her that. Lie. "Not really. I um...tried the online dating thing. It's pretty crazy. A lot of weird pictures."
"What kind of weird?" She asks, continuing to clean up from the day.
"I mean, tiger photos? I mean, half the time I don't even know what I'm looking at. It's...it's a lot." I drink from my beer bottle. This is weird.
"You sound like my dad. Wait, how old are you?"
"A hundred and six." No lies. She laughs, and I awkwardly join in. Charlie knows the truth. And always accepted it.
"What's up with your gloves?"
"I, um...have, uh...poor circulation." Another lie. Charlie loves, loved, my metal arm. I look around at the city behind me. Why am I here?
"Let's play a game." She speaks.
"Yeah." My eyes are still behind me.
"You like games?"
"Love 'em." My focus is back on her. A box of battleship is placed on the counter.
"We keep some games around for boring shifts. I'll go grab a couple of beers." She smiles and walks off. Were conversations ever this hard with Charlie? Even when I stole her from Steve in Bucharest, things seemed natural. Me spending all this time thinking of Charlie, let's me know I'm not ready for this. The stupid waving cat makes me uncomfortable. I grab at the arm, stop it.
Leah comes back as we silently set up our boards. I look down at my placement hoping everything is okay. When I look back up, she's staring at me intently. I don't like it. "What are you doing?"
"I'm reading your mind." Oh God. I hope she's joking. Charlie can read minds, sort of. Shit, don't think about Charlie. Don't think about Hydra.
"Please don't."
"B-8, sucker." She says, not taking her eyes off me.
"Uh, hit!" I hope she can't read minds.
"Drink! Come on, drink." She urges me to pick up my beer. It's pointless, but at least it tastes good.
"Alright, okay."
"Wow, you really can drink."
"Yeah, well...." I'm a super soldier with high metabolism and can't get drunk. Except Charlie's secret stash of Thor's Asgardian liquor.
"Do you have any siblings?" She asks. She asks most of the questions. I just answer, mostly untruthfully.
"I have a sister. F-4."
"Miss. Drink. Are you close with your parents?"
"I was." They died long before you were born. "They passed away. Um, D-5."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, miss. I think it's really sweet you're spending time with Yori. It's been hard for him, since his son died. I think not knowing how it happened is the hardest part for him. Mmm, it really messed him up. You know how you call a guy whose wife died a widower? Or, if your parents die, you're an orphan. You know, there's no word for someone whose kids die. Because it's the worst thing that could happen."
I shouldn't have come. "Yeah, excuse me."
"You good?" No.
I walk out the door and walk home. That was a mistake. Everything about it was wrong. Now is a good time to see Yori. I walk to his apartment, knock on the door, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
My vision goes to the alter for his son behind him. I can't do this. "How was the date?"
I keep looking back at the photo of his son. He wasn't my mission. "It was...it was good." I look down at the floor because I'm ashamed. I can't even look at Yori. "Forgot I owed you for lunch."
I walk back to my apartment, open up Steve's notebook. Nakajima, circled. He's become one of the most important names on my list. His son wasn't supposed to die. I miss Steve. I miss Charlie. I grab my phone out of my pocket, dialing her number, as often as I've looked at it I have it memorized.
"Bucky?! James? James is that you? Is everything okay? Please, James, talk to me." I hang up. I shouldn't have done that. My phone lights up with Charlie's name. Why did I do that to her. She's moved on. She doesn't want to hear about my problems or what I'm dealing with. Voicemail.
"Hey Bucky, I hope you're okay. Just got a call from you. It was weird, but I got...I don't know, I liked seeing your name on my phone. Please, call me. Let me know you're okay. I miss you." I miss you too.
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Charlie's POV:
I'm at my desk, working on some paper work, getting ready to head home. "Hey, Pep. I'm about to head out, coming to get Maggie. Thank you so much for keeping her...yes, I'll call when I get closer...yes, dinner with you ladies' sound amazing. I'll see you in a bit."
I hang up with Pepper, she's doing amazing considering. I shut down my computer only to have someone walk through my door, "Do you have a minute?"
"Uh, a few, I'm actually about to clock out. It's been a long day." I look at the man. He's older, tall, balding, dressed in a suit, definitely works for the government. Behind him, another man wearing his Army blues. He's a very decorated man.
"How can I help you?" They both walk towards me.
"Charlotte Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you." The soldier goes to shake my hand. "John Walker."
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Walker. You can call me Charlie Allen." I return his strong shake.
"Oh, are you and Steve...?" His face falls as he steps back.
"Steve and I were never married. Just engaged. And now we're no longer together." He nods his head.
"You guys have a daughter, correct?"
"Um, I try to keep that personal information out of the public. What can I do for you Mr. Walker?"
"I'm sorry. Please, call me John." My eyes narrow at him. I really wish he would get to the point. "Oh right. I actually just wanted to talk to you about Steve..."
"Well, it's late. And there's nothing really to discuss concerning Steve." I move away from him gathering my things. Wanting him to realize that the conversation is over.
"Oh yeah, sorry. You see, I'm the new Captain America."
I look up at him shocked. "That's funny John. Really funny. Gentleman I'm sorry, but you're wasting my time, and I really need to get home."
"Ms. Allen. America needs someone to stand behind..." the government official starts to tell me.
"And that someone should be Sam Wilson. He was handpicked by Steve. I doubt he had this in mind when he donated the shield to the Smithsonian."
"America isn't ready for someone like Sam Wilson to be Captain America." This man doesn't stop.
My eyes narrow at him, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You know. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. John, I'm not sure what exactly you wanted from me, but this conversation is over. If you'll excuse me." I gesture them towards the door.
"I just would love to have Captain America's wife...er, ex on my side. It would solidify my position." John walks closer to me, trying to get me to see things his way.
I move closer to John, narrowing my eyes, "The only Captain America I'm backing would be Sam Wilson. I'm sure you're a great guy John. But Captain America and myself don't have the best history. Now if you would excuse me gentlemen, I really need to be leaving." I usher them towards the door.
"To go pick up your illegitimate child?" I hear someone whisper under their breath.
"What the hell did you just say?" I ask.
"You don't want to make an enemy of me, Charlie." John says. "So, here's my number. If you change your mind." I grab the number and stuff it in my pocket, my eyes stay focused on his. He will not intimidate me.
Once they're completely out of ear sight, I grab my phone, dialing his number, "Bucky. I know you're not really talking to me, but I could really use you right now. Call me, please." I sit down rubbing at my temples. What the hell is going on?
"Sarah? Hey, we've got a problem, and I don't know who to call. I can't talk to Sam about this. He's going to be furious."
"What's going on? Is Bucky, okay?"
"I don't know, this isn't a Bucky thing. Well, not really. Some man came by my office and said that...he said he was the new Captain America."
"What?! Charlie, you need to tell Sam. Do you want me to?"
"I don't know. I don't know. Sam... he's supposed to be Cap, and I know why he didn't want to. Sarah, he was kind of an ass. Steve...that's my daughter's dad, and he's going to ruin the reputation of the shield."
"Listen, let's see what happens. It might have been some joke."
"I don't know who would have gotten clearance to see me. I don't deal with the public; they always call me..."
"Mrs. Rogers?"
"Yeah, and he knew, about Maggie, told me I didn't want to make an enemy out of him. I just...I'm scared. And Bucky won't return my phone calls. I tried to tell him."
"Hey, everything will be okay. Me and Sam won't let anything happen to you or that baby. Maybe you should come down and visit for a while, get your mind off of New York. We'll get through this together, okay?"
"You're right. Thanks, Sarah. Let me see if I can take some time off."
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Third Person POV:
A day after Charlie's call to Sarah the public announcement of John Walker as Captain America was made. Sarah rushes into the living room where Sam is on the computer, "Oh my God, Sam. You got to see this." She flicks on the tv as she stares in horror. It wasn't a joke. Charlie met this man.
"Unrest, in the wake of recent events has left us vulnerable." Sam turns back to Sarah, trying to figure out exactly what this press conference is about. "Every day Americans feel it. While we love heroes, who put their lives on the line to defend Earth," worry crosses Sarah's face, knowing this information is going to hurt Sam. "We also need a hero to defend this country." Sam's posture changes as he is realizing exactly what this press conference is about.
"We need a real person who embodies America's greatest values. We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol for all of us." Sarah glances down at Sam, watching how his body is reacting to this news. "So, on behalf of the Department of Defense and our Commander-in-Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America."
Horror is planted all over Sam's face as he watches a white man walk down the stairs. Donning a new suit, and the shield. His shield. "Did you know?" He turns to look at Sarah.
"Charlie called. He came by her office. She said he was a jerk, and even made a comment about Maggie. He threatened her."
"What? He knows about her? Did...did she call Bucky?"
"She tried. She wanted to tell you, but didn't know how?"
"That's not daddy." Maggie turns and looks at her mom, Charlie is frozen on the spot. That's not his shield. That's Sam's shield. He knows about Maggie. What is she going to do? "Mommy? Mommy. Uncle Sam is calling." Maggie hands her mom the phone.
"Sam?"
"Are you okay? Is everything okay?" Panic has hit his voice.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"I don't like you guys living that far out alone. Can you...could you go to Pepper's?"
"Um, yeah. I mean, I guess. I don't feel threatened by him. I just don't like the guy. We're fine. Steve made sure we had a good security system. The house is under an alias. Not many people know where we live."
"Okay, if you feel uncomfortable, you're coming here, do you understand?"
"Yes, Sam. Thank you. I'm sorry, I should have called."
"No, I get it. You been able to get ahold of Bucky." Charlie sits silently and Sam knows the reason. "I'm sorry. He'll quit being dumb eventually."
"Yeah. Bye Sam. It's Maggie's bedtime."
"Bye."
Bucky sits silently in the floor, frozen, staring at the tv. Is this why Charlie called me? He thinks. I should have answered. She needs...no, she wanted to tell me something. This was it. He picks up his phone. Dials her number, and never hits call. I'll only confuse her more.