Mostly everyone had departed not long after Tony's service. The core group of Avengers and a few remained longer. Those I had only become acquainted with made their early exits.
Though everything was over, the Stones we had plucked from time needed to be returned. Steve volunteered himself to be the one to do it. I left Grace inside with Morgan and Happy, she wouldn't understand what she would be watching anyhow.
The transporter was modified for outside travel. Bruce was finishing the setup while Steve switched into the Quantum Suit. All Stones removed out of time were already packaged in a suitcase ready to be returned to their respective moments in time.
Sam and Bucky waited outside with me. A lot of talk hadn't really been said since they had been back, you know, since we had to fight for our lives, our future, and we had to say goodbye to a good friend within such a short time span.
"You and Cap really made your own future," said Sam amusedly. "Too bad I missed out on the early years."
"Don't worry, you can be part of Gracie's life whenever you so choose," I said. "Same invitation goes to you, Bucky."
"Is she anything like her dad?" asked Steve's oldest friend.
"Er, she's an even mix of us both."
"So she's a ball of trouble, then," said Sam, chuckling.
I smiled. "Not yet, anyhow. Give it time."
"Can she... you know?" asked Bucky, making waggling gestures with his fingers.
"Not that we've seen. Trust me, we've wondered from the day she was born."
"Well, how was it with you?" asked Sam.
I shrugged. "My parents weren't gifted. I'm not sure what triggered my powers, but they didn't surface right away. We just hope that when hers do—if they do—they won't come at a bad time. We want to be able to help her through it the first time she discovers them."
"Never thought I'd hear powers be talked about so casually," muttered Bucky.
"Welcome to two-thousand and twenty-three." I chuckled. "Just a fair warning to you both: if Gracie imprints on you, that's it. You're stuck being an uncle or whatever title she gives you."
"Hey, I'll just make sure to be the better uncle," said Sam. Bucky rolled his eyes.
When Steve finally came out, Quantum Suit and all, he waited patiently on the platform while the rest of us hung back. Thor's old hammer was with him as well, another token taken out of time. A shame it had to go back, I was growing to like Steve with a weapon other than his shield.
"Don't you dare be late," I called to my husband teasingly.
"Ready, Cap?" asked Bruce from his control center. My husband gave a nod. "Alright. We'll meet you back here, okay?"
"You bet," said Steve.
"Going quantum. Three, two, one—"
In a blip, Steve shrunk, vanishing into the Quantum Realm.
"And returning," said Bruce, "in five, four, three, two, one—"
I wasn't sure why, but part of me had feared Steve wouldn't have returned on schedule. He appeared as he should have, though he wobbled a bit on reentry. While Mjolnir was gone, and he still held the suitcase, Steve had brought back another relic in time. Though it had a cover slipped over it, it wasn't hard to guess he had brought back a restored shield. Thanos had broken the previous one. I just wondered if his theft of the shield in a certain time would alter reality any.
I wasn't trying to think too hard on it. I had stayed out of time travel, I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Steve's Quantum Suit melted away, putting him back in regular clothes. Though he overall looked calm, his eyes told a different story. I wasn't sure what got him so spooked, but I wasn't about to ask.
"It's finally done," I said in relief. Steve merely gave a nod. What's with the shield, love?
I think you know. Remember we'd always wonder about the day where I hung up the mantle, gave the shield to someone else?
How could I forget?
Steve briefly shot his eyes towards Sam.
Not Bucky?
He still has a lot to figure out. I wouldn't hand it to him just because he's my best friend. I couldn't burden him with that.
But Sam?
He's a good man.
"Hey, if you guys want some space, just tell us," Sam interrupted our internal talk. "No need to be giving sexy eyes to one another."
"Smartass," I retorted. "Hey, Bucky, want to actually meet my little girl?"
"I'm sorry, 'yours'?" Steve snorted. "She's half of me too, you know."
"Oh, I know." I went to Bucky, tucking my arm through one of his. I slowly pulled him away back towards the cabin.
"He's passing it up, isn't he?" It was a quiet question out of Bucky's mouth.
I nodded. "I don't know if he talked about it with you prior, or if this just happened when he was returning the Stones..."
"It's all right. It's better if I don't take up the name."
I smiled sadly. "Now is the time to work on you. Make a better path for yourself. You own your life now, Bucky." I cast a look back over my shoulder. Steve had approached Sam, and the two were in conversation. Bruce was shutting the transporter controls down.
"I'm sorry about Todd, Kiara. And Natasha."
I swallowed. "It's going to be hard, to get used to the fact they're not around anymore. Gracie loved Nat and Todd so much..."
"Grief is a hard thing to work through."
"I'm no stranger to it," I admitted. "I just hope that we don't have to go through this for a long, long time."
"Are you sure you really want your kid to meet me?"
I frowned. "Why not? If you're worried about scaring her, you won't. She's a very curious child, Bucky. If anything, she'll ask you nonstop questions about your arm. Or maybe why your hair is so long." I shrugged. "It's hard to say with her. You never know what to expect from her mouth."
Happy seemed fairly relieved when Bucky and I came to take Morgan and Gracie off his hands. Both girls looked at Bucky in caution, but curiosity. Since Bucky had a jacket on, and he kept his hand tucked into one of his jacket pockets, his arm wasn't exposed to the girls. It was an awkward beginning, but the more the girls babbled to him, the more he began to warm up.
Once I could leave Bucky with Gracie and Morgan, I stepped outside of the cabin. Steve met me on the porch.
"So, how did it go?" I asked.
"He'll be a good fit," said Steve. "And he mentioned something about trying to one up Bucky in terms of being the best uncle to Gracie?"
I laughed. "It was talk prior to you returning the Stones. Sam seems pretty excited about it."
"Or he just wants to make it a competition. They're still not entirely friendly with one another."
"Well, that's something that they will need to figure out on their own. That's not up to us." I took Steve into my arms. "There are still some things to do."
"We'll combine Todd's and Nat's services. Do you know...can you reach out to Todd's family?"
I bit my lip. "He never really talked about them. I don't think I've ever heard him talk to them on the phone or anything. I mean, I could try, but if the past is anything to go by..."
"Well, we can try. No matter their relationship, they have a right to know."
I sighed heavily. "They do. And I'll be the one to break it to them." If Todd didn't talk with his parents much, then I doubted they knew about our friendship. How he was so selfless, taking in a mere stranger who had no idea of the planet she was on. In truth, he could've been a royal dick and turned me away. Shipped me off to a hospital. Taken advantage of me in some way. But he hadn't. He'd chosen to do the right thing.
The good ones always seemed to leave too soon.