Chapter Six
Olivia

"I won't ask a second time." Mom says, tightening her grip on the gun.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Steve raise his shield and I whip my hands out. "No! Let us handle this!"

"She could've brought other agents with her, or more could be on their way. If we act quickly—" Natasha begins.

I'm about to open my mouth, but it's Liam who says, his tone colder than I've ever heard it: "If you try anything you will have me to deal with." There's a faint glow around his body, around his hands as they ball into fists. Natasha takes a step back, genuine apprehension forming in her eyes. Lee keeps his gaze firmly on her and Steve, gesturing with his head for Zy to come towards him. My husband doesn't question him, he just stands by his side, watching the two Avengers like a hawk.

With those two no longer posing a threat to Mom, I can finally focus on making sure Mom doesn't pose a threat to Dad. It makes sense that HYDRA would send her to find him. She can track his scent, she's the fastest way of getting him back, and I bet HYDRA wants him back more than anything. He's their prized possession. But what HYDRA doesn't know is that Mom isn't planning on bringing him back to them. She's going to kill him. If I recall correctly, Mom at this points hates Dad. She thinks of him as the monster who trained her and killed Julian Remington, her best friend.

"Mo—Soroya," I begin, stepping in front of Dad, blocking him from her sight. "Please, don't do this. This is a huge misunderstanding. He's not who you think he is."

"He's exactly who I think he is. I would recognize that scent anywhere." She replies, her grip tightening on her gun.

"I know he's done a lot to you, but it wasn't his fault. He was brainwashed, reprogrammed like a machine. His actions have been puppeteered by HYDRA."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you?"

"You know she isn't lying," Stevie begins, now standing beside me. "You'd be able to sense if she were."

A flicker of confusion surfaces in Mom's gaze. "Using my senses to detect lies doesn't always work. I don't rely on it often."

"I know, you taught us not to rely on it either," Stevie takes in a deep breath, linking his hand with mine. "What I'm about to say is going to sound insane, but it's the truth. We're your children from the future."

"And from another timeline."

Mom lets out a disbelieving laugh, looking at us like we have three heads. "What?"

"We're from the year 2049. We came here by accident after an incident with a time portal Tony Stark invented," I explain. "I know it's hard to believe right now, but this man isn't a monster, he's a good man. He's our dad. We're just trying to get him someplace safe, someplace HYDRA can't hurt him anymore."

"So what you're saying is I have two children with-with him?" She says 'him' like it's poison to her mouth. "Now I know you're lying."

"We can prove it," Stevie insists. "We have tons of photos and we know things about you that only your children could know."

"Like what?"

"Your mother sang Moon River to you every night before you went to sleep, and when HYDRA was training you, you would sing that song to yourself whenever you were feeling sad or alone. You dreamt about becoming a professional tap dancer as a kid because of the old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. Your favorite movie is Dirty Dancing, you love pasta, you can't stand modern music but you like Taylor Swift." I ramble, trying to think of anything else I can give as evidence.

"You always want to believe in the best in people because that's what your parents taught you," Jo says suddenly, coming to stand on my other side. I see her wiggle her fingers and behind us a small forcefield forms, encasing Dad. It makes me relax a little. "Even after being in HYDRA all these years you still believe that there isn't evil in this world, that people are just misguided and can still be redeemed and brought back to the light. It's something I've always admired about you."

That got Mom's attention. Her yes dart between the three of us, her hand beginning to shake, her gun lowering ever so slightly. I feel determined upon seeing this reaction, pulling up my Kimoyo Beads to show her the thousands of photos we have from our time. I begin flipping through them, and as I do, her gun lowers all the way, her eyes widening in shock, her mouth gaping open. I show her several photos: Mom, Dad, me, Zy, Stevie, and Lee on our living room couch, Mom and me at my wedding, Mom in her office at the Avengers base with Uncle Alex posing provocatively on her desk, Mom and Uncle Sam outside the Avengers base in Wakanda, Dad and Mom kissing in front of the front door of our house, and a few others.

"This is impossible." Mom whispers, tears lining her eyes.

"It seems that way, but I promise you that we're telling the truth." Stevie urges.

"Alex," Mom begins, a single tear falling down her cheek. "He's okay? He's alive?"

"Yeah, he's alive. So are your parents." Jo informs her.

"Do you know where they are?"

"Uncle Alex is being held in a HYDRA base in Yakutsk and your parents are in a S.H.I.E.L.D prison in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in the US." I reveal.

Mom glances from us to the photo the Kimoyo Beads are projecting: Mom getting a piggyback ride from Uncle Alex in our kitchen, both of them sporting the largest grins, laughing hysterically. A look I know all too well comes over her features, a look of determination and will. It's no surprise to me when Mom say: "I won't kill the Winter Soldier or turn him over to HYDRA if you help me get my family back."

"We don't have time for this," Natasha argues. "And she can't be trusted."

"She's the most honorable and trustworthy person that has ever lived," Lee argues right back. "If she says she'll help us if we help her, then she will."

"Regardless, the longer Barnes is out in the open the more in danger he's in."

"We just got Bucky out of HYDRA, now you want us to bring him back? I agree with Nat, it's too dangerous." Steve says, his eyes focused on a very quiet Dad.

"You have no idea what HYDRA is probably doing to them," Mom says, the determination in her eyes increasing as her gaze settles on Steve. "I haven't seen them in twelve years, up until a few minutes ago I wasn't even sure if they were alive. They're innocent in all this, they were captured because of me, to use as leverage against me. I thought Captain America is supposed to protect the innocent and those made victim by corrupt agencies like HYDRA."

"A corrupt agency you work for." Natasha points out.

"Not by choice." Is Mom's reply. Her voice is dark, almost haunting.

"Dad helped Mom free her family in our timeline," Stevie says after a few moments of silence. "He agreed to help her even though he knew any second he could get recaptured or she could betray him. He knew it was the right thing to do."

"My dad is being used as an unwilling executioner by HYDRA in Yakutsk right now, I don't care if either of you object, we have to help him. I will haul all of you to Yakutsk with my forcefields if I have to." Jo argues, sounding just as determined as Mom.

Mom's eyes dart to Jo. "You're Alex's daughter?"

Jo nods. "Yeah. I was adopted by him and his husband when I was four."

Mom looks like she's about to ask more questions, but she lightly shakes her head, returning her attention back to the room as a whole. "Do we have a deal?"

The five of us look to Steve and Natasha, the latter of which stays silent and looks incredibly annoyed. Steve considers all we've said, his eyes repeatedly going back and for the between Mom and Dad. After a long pause he sighs, nodding his head once. "We have a deal."

All Mom does is nod in return, tucking her gun into the waistband of her pants. Jo releases the forcefield around Dad, and both Stevie and I step aside. Dad's eyes had been on the floor, but now they're firmly locked with Mom's. I can't decipher the emotions swirling in Mom's face as she stares at Dad, but they certainly aren't positive. It's strange to see them like this. My whole life, every time they've looked at each other it's been with the upmost love and respect. The only time that wasn't the case was when the Savage took control of Mom's body. But at least with the Savage I could dismiss the hatred she felt for Dad because it wasn't Mom. But this woman standing in front of us is, and just like the Savage, she hates Dad.

I don't see any hatred in Dad's eyes, only sadness, the bottomless, all consuming kind. Even in our own time, Dad still feels guilt over what he did to Julian Remington, over the pain he caused Mom. But in our time Dad has accepted that the Winter Soldier did that, that HYDRA was responsible, not him. This version of Dad hasn't. I bet his guilt is as fresh as ever, especially now with Mom being here.

"We leave for Yakutsk in the morning," Mom says, her eyes still locked onto Dad. "We should get some rest."

"I'll take first watch." Steve declares and no one objects, not even Mom. She just silently walks towards the wall, shifts into a small dog, and curls up in the pile of her clothes. How annoying it must be to shapeshift without Aunt Shuri's suit. I can't imagine dressing and undressing every time I shifted, it would be so exhausting. I glance at Stevie and know he's thinking the same.

I place my hand on Dad's shoulder, watching him flinch from the contact, brief panic filling his eyes before he relaxes, but only a little.

"Are you alright?" I ask quietly.

He stares at me for a moment before replying: "No."

I look to my brother helplessly, hoping he'll say something to make Dad feel better, or that he'll offer up a solution to take away all of Dad's pain. But he doesn't. He can't. He's just as helpless as I am. We can't do anything to help him, his path of self acceptance, pain, and guilt is one he has to travel down on his own. But I wish I could do it for him. More than anything. I wish I could hold onto him and fight off all of the nightmares and demons that come his way. But I can't.

All I can think to say is this: "You're our hero, Dad. You're a good person no matter what HYDRA made you do."

He doesn't say anything, just bows his head towards his chained body, his eyes sealing shut. I take my hand off of Dad's shoulder and back away, thankful that I bump into Zy's chest. I sag against him, welcoming the safety, comfort, and love of his embrace. He wraps his arms around my waist and leans his head on top of mine, whispering to me:

"I'm here." Such simple words that mean so much given all that's happened today.

"Ditto." I whisper back, knowing that seeing Mom and Dad like this is hard for him too. It's hard for all of us.

And I have a feeling it's only going to get harder.