ᵈᵃʳᵏⁿᵉˢˢ ▸ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒⁴ ✓

epilogue.

DARKNESS.
epilogue. | ❛ tony. ❜

"ARE YOU TONY STANK?"

"Yes, he is," Rhodes smiled, Tony taking the package from the white-haired delivery man as he entered the building. "He is definitely Tony Stank."

"Tony Stank, table for one, by the bathroom," Rhodey joined in, laughing as he walked away from Tony, who could only smirk as Rhodey kept joking. "That's not going away anytime soon."

Once Tony was alone, he returned to his seat to open the package in front of him, carefully opening two plain envelope addressed to him and setting the phone included with it to the side.

Tony,

I'm glad you're back at the compound, I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere – even in the Army. My faith is in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but – maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you Tony. I guess I thought – by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but... I can see now I was really sparing myself. I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do. I know you were only doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do, it's all any of us should. So no matter what, I promise if you — if you need us. If you need me, I'll be there.

Steve

Tony could only assume that the next one was from Caroline from the penmanship that he had grown to admire printed across the front of the envelope.

Tony,

I'm sorry for everything that has happened. That something like the Accords could tear us apart. But I'm not going to blame the document, because I admit that I was also in the wrong so many times. I didn't mean to hurt you. That's the last thing I'd ever want, because I care about you more than anything. I've seen you since you were a baby, and I considered you my family for the longest time. Just know that I'm truly sorry and that one day in the near future we can't reunite again in better circumstances. I'll be standing here waiting, hoping, ready for anything.

Caroline Rogers

Tony looked at the remains in her envelope and from the looks of the Rogers added to her last name, and a picture of her in a simple white dress that they had gotten married. He smiled genuinely at the two, and hoping that the day to reunite would be soon when all wounds had healed, to give Caroline the wedding she truly deserved.

[•]

Bucky sat at the edge of a surgical bed, as the three of them approached him in regards of him going back to cryogenic sleep. "You sure about this?"

"I can't trust my own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head I think going back under is the best thing, ...for everybody." Bucky smiled at the three of them, ready to go before Caroline stopped him having other plans in mind.

"Actually," she said grabbing Steve's hand, "There's one thing that had to happen before you go."
Kiara and Bucky looked at each other before they looked at them again, slightly confused at what they were insinuating. Caroline and Steve looked backwards as a man who looked like a lawyer held a briefcase, and the couple smiled brightly.

Laying out the papers on a table, Bucky stood to Steve's side and Kiara to Caroline's as the two held hands after they signed their names on the piece of paper. Steve proceeded to clear his throat before speaking first, "Now this isn't the wedding that you wanted but Caroline Anne Kingsley, you are the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. Perhaps back then I didn't know it, or maybe wasn't sure of it. But when Bucky would set me up on blind dates that would go horribly wrong, you were there. In all the bouts of darkness, a light came and it was you. I struggled all this time to find the right partner, and failed to see it was standing in front of me the entire time. It might have taken too long, 75 years to be exact, to tell you even thought you already knew. But you're it, Caroline. The right partner."

Caroline held back a few tears, which some seemed to roll down her cheek which Steve wiped away with their interlocked hands. "Steven Grant Rogers, I'll always love you. Whether your just Steve, or The Star Spangled Man with a Plan, or Captain America. There was a time of darkness that I ensued when you went under, and you think of me as your light when in reality you're mine. You saved me, Steve. The tiny guy from Brooklyn who wasn't the best dancer or who always got beat up, saved me. All thought this wasn't the ideal situation, it's perfect. Because as long as I'm married to you in the end, I'm more than happy. I'll be your right partner if you'll be mine. And know that I'm with you till the end of the line."

"Steven Rogers, do you take Caroline Kingsley, to be your wife?" He asked to which Steve nodded, while looking in Caroline's eyes.

"I do"

"Caroline Kingsley, do you take Steven Rogers, to be your Husband?"

"I do" Caroline responded feeling the anxiousness of what was so close to happening

"Well, I can now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He said as Kiara and Bucky clapped, and Steve not wasting a second to wrap his arms around her and placing a succulent kiss to her mouth.

It was a peaceful moment for them; until they would be called upon to fight an even greater darkness than themselves.

[•]

That's it! A somewhat happy ending even though it's very ambiguous although we all know it's going to lead to Infinity war.
You have no idea how happy I was to bring this book back because it was in my drafts and I wasn't going to go into Civil War.
But I'm happy I did because I got to write Caroline some more before putting it to rest for a while.

Thank you guys so much for supporting this whole saga of Caroline. It's been a pretty bumpy one but I can look back and see how I've grown from the first book. Thank you all so much and keep an eye out for the fifth book in the future.