Safe Haven | B. Barnes

epilogue

Bucky got out of his small, 1972 pick up truck and stretched. Today was a busy day at the construction site, he was tired. But he didn't mind, he liked being tired because it meant he had a busy, productive day. Besides, he held a very important letter in his hands, one addressed to Angeline Ramsay that made him feel a little less tired.

His eyes wandered to the official seal of the school of Angie's dreams. On his way out of Safe Haven for the day, Marge stopped him and showed him the unopened letter. "Take her out for treat and give it to her," she commanded lightly as he grabbed the letter from her hand and left for the day. He had it in his truck the entire day for this moment, he narrowly missed spilling tomato seeds on it from his sandwich.

Bucky smiled softly, his heart filled with a sad joy. It seemed like only yesterday they met, they were quiet and awkward around each other until they weren't and they became the best of friends, the best way a father and daughter could have. And now he had to let her go again, this time on a good note.

With a sigh he shoved the letter in his coat pocket, promising himself to wait to give it to her after they were seated in the cafe.

"Hey, Bucky," a voice called and he turned to answer it.

Worn and happy was Angie, her appearance in slight disarray as she just finished volleyball practice. She tossed her gym bag and backpack in the back and opened the passenger door.

Bucky got in the driver's seat and turned the engine. "You don't have any plans tonight, do you?" He asked just to be sure.

"No. Why? You got plans, pops?" Angie asked when she noticed Bucky turn down the opposite direction they normally go on to go home.

"Yeah, I do have plans actually. I spoke to Marge and let her know that I'll be taking you out for a little while before coming home. Chips?" Bucky reached into a grocery bag and pulled out a small bag of his favorite chips. They were Angie's favorite too.

Angie gasped and reached out to grab them, "Yes, thanks, I'm starving. Are we going to the cafe?"

Bucky hummed in response as Angie began munching away, her flesh hand digging out the chips, her metal hand keeping the bag steady. The radio played a random station, but one song started that got Angie going.

"B-b-benny and jetsssss." Bucky cracked a smile as Angie hissed out the S's with Elton John.

This young lady was a far cry from the timid, scarred girl he met in a good way.

"Benny! Benny and the je-ay-ets!" Angie sang out of tune, unfortunately, but she was more preoccupied with the chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag than her notes. "Aw man. Some salt got in the joints," she began blowing out the grains of salt from the metallic joints and crevices as the song ended and they pulled into the parking lot of the cafe Bucky, Steve and Natasha used to meet at several years ago.

"Where's your sleeve?" Bucky asked as he parked the truck.

"Ah, I got up a little late and left in a rush this morning so I left it." She admitted sheepishly. Before Bucky could scold her about it, she unlocked the door and hopped out.

Bucky rolled his eyes. Teenagers.

He still felt weird about seeing Angie with both arms, specifically the one that looked a lot like his in the sense that it was gray and made of metal. The memory rushed back to him for that day.

Most teenagers would ask for a car, or a party, or some money but Angie told him a couple of years ago that she wanted an arm "just like his" for her fifteenth birthday. Coincidentally, Shuri contacted him a week prior asking if Angie was willing to undergo and be the first participant of the advanced prostheses project based off Bucky's arm. Of course, they went (obviously) and low and behold, Angie now had two arms.