Till the End of the Line

Chapter 13

Time skip: 1 year

~Diana's POV~

I got a letter not long ago from Steve. He was asking for my help with a final mission to take down Hydra. He said that everyone was doing fine and that this should be the last mission. They have located a train that will travel with a bunch of Hydra cargo. If we take that train out, we should have a lead on where the Hydra base is located. From there we will take down the base. I still haven't told him or Bucky about James. I plan to tell him once this mission is over and we're back at home safely. I know that he will be mad that I didn't tell him sooner or try to send a letter but hopefully he'll understand. I left James with Jarvis at home in New York. We're standing on top of a mountain. A soldier crouches over the transceiver. Another listens to the transmission. Steve and Bucky are standing next to each other. I stand close by with binoculars. 

"Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone and Coney Island?" Bucky asks Steve.

"And I threw up?"

"This isn't payback, is it?" He looks over the edge, leery. 

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Steve looks up with a grin.

"Jerk."

"Punk." Steve laughs. "Alright Bucky, Jones, and I will go down to the train. The rest of you stay up here."

"No. I'm coming too!" I step in.

"Diana no you've done enough!" Steve looks at me sternly.

"No! You asked for my help and you're getting it." 

"Doll, Steve might be right. It's dangerous."

"That's exactly why you need me. I've been in this business longer than you have." Bucky looks at me confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a long story for later. I'm coming."

"I wonder what'll get you killed faster-- your loyalty or your stubbornness." 

"I'm betting on her stubbornness." I shoot Steve a glare. He just hands me a gun silently indicating that I can go.

All four of us attach t-bars to the cable. 

"Okay, this is a very short, very fast train. We've got a ten-second window, tops. Mistime it and you're a bug on the windshield."

"Better move it, bugs." Another soldier says. 

Steve jumps first, shooting away. Bucky, Jones and I follow. We all drop hard onto the slick roof. We all meet eyes. We walk slowly on the roof until we reach a door. Steve kicks open the door. The three of us rush in as Jones heads to the engine. When we find nothing, we head to the next car. We bang into the next car and find it empty. 

"I thought this was supposed to be hauling something." I look around confused.

"They were." Steve unhooks his shield, wary. 

He yanks open the next connecting door, stepping into another darkened car. We creep forward. Steve is in the front then me and then Bucky is behind me. A steel plate drops over the door, sealing Steve into a room by himself. Bucky and I turn to see a four Hydra soldiers coming at us. We duck and fire at them.  The soldiers are gaining an advantage as Bucky, and I run out of bullets. With one last soldier we look at each other helplessly. Then Steve opens the door and throws Bucky a gun. He then runs at one of the shelves knocking the container off of it. The soldier jumps out of the way and Bucky kills him. We turn to see a six-and-a-half-foot tall trooper aiming at Steve. The blue pulse blows the shield out of Steve's hand and rips a hole in the wall behind us, throwing Steve and I into the wall. Bucky grabs the shield and uses it to protect himself as he shoots at the trooper. 

"Bucky, no!" I scream.

I watch in horror as the cannon fires, hitting Bucky in the shield, blowing him through the hole in the wall. Steve throws his shield at the trooper killing him as I run over to the hole. I see Bucky holding onto the rails. Steve runs over and climbs the outside of the train trying to get him. 

"Hang on!" Steve gets closer. "Grab my hand!"

Steve reaches his hand out to Bucky. Bucky reaches for him but the bar breaks. Bucky screams as he falls from the train. I drop to my knees as I let out a scream. Something in my chest broke. Broke so violently that I wondered if it was possible for no one to have heard it. Steve climbs back into the train with tears streaming down his face. He slowly walks over to be and hugs me. 

Time Skip: 1 day

Steve and I sit quietly in a bar. He's on his 10th drink already. I can't bring myself to eat or drink anything. 

"I'm sorry Ana. I'm sorry I couldn't save him." Steve can't even look at me. I don't blame him at all. He tried to save him that's all he could do. I mostly blame myself for not stopping it. 

"I had a baby Steve." He looks up shocked but stays silent. "I was pregnant. Last March I had a baby. James. That's what I named him." I pause trying to bring myself to finish. "He's a healthy baby boy. Real smart too. He's already said his first word. I never even told him, Steve." I look up as tears build in my eyes. "I never told Bucky and he's dead and I will never forgive myself for that." I just break down in his arms.

"It's not your fault." 

"All I had to do was go after him. But I didn't. I froze. And he paid the price. It should've been me."

"Don't say that. Please don't say that." 

"I have no clue what I'm going to do."

"Be there for James. That's all you can do." 

Time Skip: 1 month

I'm sitting in front of a headstone engraved with Bucky's name. James sits in my lap. I trace my finger over Bucky's name.

"All I want is nothing more, than to hear you knocking at my door. If I could see your face just once more, I could die a happy girl, I'm sure." I whisper. "When you fell from the train that night. I died a little bit inside. I lay in tears in bed all night. Alone without you by my side." My voice breaks a little as tears fall down my face. "You brought out the best in me. A part of me I've never seen. You took my soul and wiped it clean. Our love was made for movie screens." 

I look down to see James look up at me. He puts his small hand on my cheek.

"Mama." 

"Yes, sweetheart I'm mama." 

He then turns to the grave and points while saying, "dada." 

"And that's dada. Your dada was a hero. He fought long and hard and he saved many people. He would have loved you very much." 

Steve comes up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"How are you?" 

"I'm okay." He looks down and picks James up. 

"And how are you?" He tickles him a little. Making James giggle. "He looks so much like him." He places a hand out and helps me up.

"I know." I smile at him sadly.

"He would have loved James more than anything. I'm sure he's watching over him right now." We start walking back toward the car.

"Have you found anything on Schmidt?" 

"I think so. But you shouldn't come, James needs you." 

"Steve, I want to come. Howard and Jarvis both already offered to take care of James for me. It will only be for a little bit. Once the mission is over, I'll come home and take care of James like I never left. I need to avenge Bucky." 

"Alright fine."

We go over the plans and Steve thinks he found Hydra headquarters.