Chapter Seven
Liam

Soroya has been staring at Bucky like he's a bomb just waiting to go off when we least expect it. We've been in the van for some time now, with Soroya sitting near the front with Bucky way in the back. I think she wanted to put as much distance between her and him as possible. There's so much fear and apprehension in her gaze, it's so strange to see. Ever since I met them, those two have been the textbook definition of soulmates, and now they're complete strangers.

"How long has Alex been married?" Soroya asks Jo. She's been questioning us about Alex since we got into the van, about his life in the future. She hasn't asked a single question about her own future. I don't think she's ready to accept that she married the Winter Soldier and had two kids with him. 

"Twenty six years."

"And his husband, he makes him happy? They have a good relationship?"

"Dad once told me that Baba saved his soul," Jo murmurs, letting out a chuckle. "They're very in love. Just like you and Uncle Bucky."

Soroya stiffens, her eyes briefly casting over to Bucky, but quickly focuses back on Jo. "How long have...he...and I been married?"

"The same as my parents. Twenty six years."

"And we have a good relationship?" She asks, sounding like the very concept is impossible.

"Do you want to see for yourself?" Livy asks, gesturing to her Kimoyo Beads. After a couple moments of contemplation, Soroya nods, looking like she's about to enter into battle; apprehensive and on guard.

Livy opens up the cloud storage in her beads, scrolling through the albums until she comes across one filled with videos instead of photos. She clicks on one and presses play, turning the volume up so we all can hear, even Bucky, who's attention is also now on the beads. The video Livy chose was filmed a few months ago, in the dance studio Soroya has in the basement of their house. Soroya is dragging Bucky inside the studio in this video, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Come on, it will be fun."

"I'll look ridiculous."

"It's just us."

"Us and the camera you have filming us."

Soroya cups Bucky's cheek, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I lost so many videos and pictures from my childhood, so many memories I won't be able to relive. I want to make sure I don't miss opportunities to capture moments like this."

Bucky stares down at Soroya and then sighs. "Alright. But you'll have to show me what to do."

Soroya almost jumps with joy. She leaves him standing in the middle of the room and heads over towards the stereo, flipping through different songs before settling on a Dua Lipa song.

"Just you and me." She repeats, coming back over towards him, placing her hands on his hips, pulling him closer to her, beginning to sway him side to side. He rests his hands on top of hers, watching her intently, his eyes never leaving her for a second. As the beat picks up, Soroya pulls him against her chest, grabbing onto one of his hands, interlacing her fingers with his. The two of them continue to sway from side to side, with Bucky dipping her once the chorus kicks in, letting out a deep laugh upon seeing her smile. Bucky gets more confident, letting go of her and spinning her out towards the wall of mirrors, then bringing her back towards him, her back now pressed against his front. He resumes their swaying like this, with his hands on her hips, his lips close to her ear. He whispers something that we can't hear, but whatever he said makes Soroya blush.

Soroya whispers something back to him and he nods. She then pushes herself away from him, walking towards the wall, excitement filling her eyes. Bucky bends down a little, bracing himself. Soroya runs towards him, jumping just as she reaches his outreached hands. He clutches onto her hips and lifts her into the air, holding her up high above his head. Just like in Dirty Dancing. Soroya erupts into a fit of giggles, extending her hands out like she's a bird, the largest smile on her lips. After a minute of so, Bucky sets her down, and the moment her feet touch the ground, his lips are on hers. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back deeply, so deeply all five of us awkwardly look away. This Soroya doesn't though, she watches her future counterpart in fascination and shock. I look over at Bucky and find his eyes filled with want, with yearning, but most of all with sadness. After a moment he looks away, his mouth pressed in a thin line.

The video ends, leaving the van in complete silence. It's several minutes later that Soroya speaks: "After HYDRA took me...I never thought I would get that."

"Neither did I." Bucky whispers, making Soroya's eyes dart over to him.

"Tell me everything." Soroya pleads, her eyes never leaving Bucky.

We do, all five of us chipping in at various points like we did with Steve, Natasha, and Bucky. When we're done, the first thing Soroya says is: "So Alex is a shapeshifter too."

Jo nods. "Yes."

"But he can't control himself."

"At this point, probably not at all. He told me that you trained him after you and Uncle Bucky rescued him. In our time, he's a natural."

"But my parents aren't shapeshifters."

"No, according to my aunt, their genetics wouldn't allow them to develop shapeshifting abilities but it allowed them to survive the serum." Zy explains.

"My parents were the same way," I add. "They were experimented on before I was born, but I'm the one with powers, not them."

"A-and my parents...they died in your timeline?" Soroya double checks, tears filling her eyes.

"You, Dad, and Uncle Alex went to the prison to free them, but there were too many soldiers," Stevie looks on the verge of crying himself as he tells her this. "Your mother was shot. Dad actually took the bullet for her, but it went through him and hit her. Then your father sacrificed himself to buy you three time to escape. We never even got to meet them."

I interlace my fingers with Stevie's, trying to offer him any comfort I can, even though I know I can't. It must be strange, mourning people you never even met, mourning the bond you might have shared. I know that Soroya and Alex's parents would have loved Stevie and Livy. But who wouldn't? I know more than anyone how easy it is to love them, to love all of them.

"We won't let that happen again," I tell her, reaching out towards her with my other hand, placing it on her forearm. "I promise you."

Soroya doesn't push my hand away or react negatively, instead she smiles at me, making an unexpected jolt of pain strike me. This is the first time she's smiled, and I just realized how much I've missed it.

"I had wondered why you were so defensive of me when I arrived. It's because you're my foster son."

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"I lived with you, Bucky, Stevie, and Livy for two years, then Stevie and I got a place together about a year ago."

"But your parents aren't dead."

"No, but I had a falling out with them about my powers that resulted in me running away. I was on my own for two years, that's when I met you guys. You offered me a place in your home, in your family."

Soroya's expression softens further, a tenderness I am so familiar with flooding into her eyes. It makes the odd pain of missing her despite her being right in front of me so much worse. "I hope I've been worthy of you."

"You're my mother in every way that matters," I tell her, because it's the truth. She and Bucky both are my parents. I love them just as much as I love my real parents. It took me a long time to come to terms with that, and some days I still feel guilty about it, but it is what it is. "Just like Bucky is my father."

I sneak a glance at him and find his expression softened as well, but the pain more potent than ever.

A phone ringing cuts through all our thoughts. We all look towards the front of the van and find Steve pulling out a phone from his pocket, saying to us over his shoulder: "It's Tony."

He presses the speaker button and asks: "Any news we need to know?"

"Well hello to you too," Is Tony's reply. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you were successful?"

"Yes, we were, but we'll be a little longer. We ran into a complication. We need a few more days to take care of it."

"Probably for the best. A warrant has been issued by S.H.I.E.L.D for yours and Nat's arrests. Their claim is that you stole a highly classified S.H.I.E.L.D weapon."

"They're not technically wrong." Zy mumbles under his breath.

"Let me guess, Alexander Pierce ordered the warrant?" Stevie asks.

"Yeah, kid. If I didn't believe you about HYDRA being apart of S.H.I.E.L.D I do now. Whatever complication you're trying to fix, make sure it keeps you occupied a while. The moment you step foot in the states you'll be hauled off to Timbuckto."

"Maybe we can call Nick and ask him for help once we take care of her brother." Nat suggests quiet enough that Tony can't hear.

Steve nods, saying to Tony: "Thanks for the heads up. We'll keep you updated."

"Have fun with the Manchurian Candidate."

As soon as Steve hangs up the phone, Steve looks towards Soroya. "We need a more stable plan. HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D are after us now, going to a one of their bases as well as one of their prisons is stupid and reckless, we need to be smart about this."

"They won't expect us to go to Yakutsk. As far as HYDRA knows, I'm currently tracking the Winter Soldier's whereabouts. They won't see us coming."

"You don't know that. And even if you're right and they don't see us coming this time, they definitely will when we go to free your parents. We need a new plan."

"I have invisibility powers, make me go in there and get them all." The tone of Jo's voice and the surety of her expression leaves little for argument, but Steve sure as hell tries.

"I'm not letting you go into a HYDRA base alone, you'll get yourself killed."

"No amount of fire power can get through my shields. I once protected myself and several others from a blast equivalent to a nuclear bomb, I can handle whatever HYDRA throws my way." She's talking about Hala, the explosion she protected herself, Jade, Carol, and others from that destroyed the Supreme Intelligence. I agree with her. No amount of guns or bombs can take one of Jo's forcefield's down.

Steve doesn't look convinced, causing Jo to roll her eyes. "Fine, I'll take one of you with me, but I'm your best bet on getting in and out undetected. I may not look like much but I could take you down if I wanted to, Rogers, and I don't even mean by using my powers."

"Careful. Arrogance can get the best of you."

She smiles. "It isn't arrogance if it's true."

Pain etches in Soroya's features once more. "You're a lot like him." She's obviously talking about Alex.

"I'm told that at least once a day."

We drive for a few more hours, Soroya staying silent for a lot of that time. Occasionally she asks to hear more about her life and Alex's life in the future, but for the most part she just stares out the window of the van. Bucky does the same, and as I watch them, I notice their eyes aren't glazed over, they're both taking in the forest, the flowers, the grass, the mountains in the distance. I wonder if they're staring at the terrain outside because they rarely get to see it. If they aren't on missions they're kept in prison cells, they probably haven't seen any sign of nature in months. I can't even imagine life like that, and that's not just because my powers make me so connected to nature. The torture must already be unbearable, but the isolation must be just as hard.

As long as I've known either of them, there's been a darkness in their eyes that's constantly there, no matter how happy they are, no matter how much time passes. But that darkness, that hollowed look of depthless pain, is evident in every breath they take, every glimpse of their faces. In our time, HYDRA is just a scar, but now it's an open, gushing wound. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. It's not fair.

I believe in karma, I believe that if we do good things in life then we will be rewarded, and those who do bad will get what they deserve. But what kind of reward is this? I've asked myself this question before, but I've never been able to come up with an answer. How can Shiva justify the torment that Soroya and Bucky have gone through? That Alex, their parents, Jade, and countless others have endured? Maybe it can be argued that their pain made them stronger, that enduring all of this led to salvation in the form of each other, of us, our family. Maybe karma isn't instantaneous. Maybe good and bad people struggle, and it's those who do good despite their struggles that find peace and happiness, and those who give into darkness during it that are met with retribution. I guess I'll never know for sure. All I can do is hope that Soroya and Bucky find the peace they deserve in this timeline, just as they did in ours.

When it gets dark, we stop at an old warehouse, one big enough to park our van inside of. Dinner consists of whatever food we have in our backpacks, and then like the night before, we sleep on the floor, with one of us taking watch. Natasha takes watch first, and after a few hours, Soroya takes her place, sitting on the floor of the van, near the edge, her legs dangling off the end of the vehicle. Bucky has been sleeping for a few hours in the van, and when she climbs into it, he sits up, tensing when he sees it's her.

"Sorry I woke you." She mumbles awkwardly.

"Never apologize to me. Never." He says firmly, his voice rough and scratchy, but I'm not sure if that's from sleep or something else.

"You'd probably sleep better without the chains on." She observes.

"I don't trust myself without them."

"According to the kids you'll only hurt us if someone uses your trigger words."

Bucky shrugs. "Can never be too safe."

They're both quiet for a long beat. I probably shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I can't help it. It's hard to fall asleep when you're lying on the floor and being used as a pillow. Jo's head is lying on my bicep and Stevie's whole body is curled up against my side, his head on my chest. I once again have nothing but my backpack as a pillow and no blanket. Not ideal for sleep. Besides, this is the first time they're actually talking, I want to listen even if it makes me a creeper.

"I'll never forgive myself for what I did to you," Bucky whispers. "For what I did to Remington."

Soroya takes in a sharp breath, her expression filled with such agony it becomes an effort not to tear up as I look at her from afar. She nods, her voice incredibly low as she says: "You were being mind controlled. It wasn't your fault."

"I still did it. I still killed him. I still trained you. I still hurt you. You have every right to be disgusted by me, to hate me."

"I don't hate you. Not anymore, not after all I've heard, all I've seen."

Bucky shakes his head. "I'm not the man in that video."

"You're also not the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier doesn't feel guilt or regret or pain. You do, I see it. You're a victim just like I am."

"I don't deserve your compassion."

"I think you deserve more than you give yourself credit for. I'm not the only one who thinks so." Her eyes leave his and trail over the five of us, all huddled next to each other like we're a pack of sardines. I shut my eyes and try to be super still, not wanting Soroya to realize I've been listening. She doesn't seem to.

"It's a new kind of torment," Bucky admits. "They're a future I can never hope to dream of, and yet it's a dream I achieved in another timeline. I'm not sure how knowing that makes me feel."

"Shouldn't knowing that another you achieved happiness give you comfort? Give you hope?"

"Hope isn't something I'm accustomed to. According to our kids, you were the one who put hope back into my life."

Soroya briefly looks away from him and down to her hands, which rest clasped on her lap. "Hope is a choice. You choose to believe in good things and good people no matter how much darkness you see. All I can do is offer you my shoulder to lean on, and my ear if you need it."

"Why?"

Soroya's eyes meet his again. "Because I'm going to choose hope too."

Bucky lets out a dark laugh. "You have hope for me? For my soul?"

"Not in the way you're insinuating. Your soul doesn't need to be saved. Your soul is broken, I have hope that one day it will be mended."

Bucky stares at her for a moment, his jaw clenched, his brows knit together. "I don't know what I did in the other timeline to deserve you, Roberts. I'm sure that the other me asks himself that question everyday."

Soroya blushes, her voice coming out a little tight as she says: "Soroya. Call me Soroya."

The ghost of a smile grazes his lips. "Bucky."

I suddenly feel my shirt become damp. I glance down to find Stevie awake, his tears the source of my shirt's wetness. I'm about to ask him what's wrong, but then I notice he's smiling. They aren't tears of sadness, they're of joy.

"It's amazing," Stevie whispers, low enough that Soroya and Bucky won't hear and only I will. "How love can transcend time and space."

"It is." I agree, feeling a smile of my own form.

"Do you think we'll find each other in this timeline?" He asks, using my shirt to wipe away his tears. "Things have been messed up so much, I'm positive things will turn out very different than they did before. But if we happen to meet here despite the changes..."

I hold him tighter against my side, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Any version of me, in any timeline, in any circumstance, will love you just as deeply and fiercely as I love you."

A fresh set of tears well up in his eyes. "You always say the most perfect, romantic things. I wish I could too. I wish I could tell you how I feel about you in a well thought out and elegant speech...but all I can think to say is I love you too."

I kiss his forehead again, then his hairline, then his temple. "Those four words are more perfect than any speech you could come up with."

Stevie nuzzles against me. "There you go being perfect again."

"I'm hardly perfect."

"You're perfect to me."

"Go back to sleep, Stevie." I urge, feeling my cheeks burn and my chest flutter.

He kisses my chest, right where my heart is, then lets out a sigh, shutting his eyes. It's not long after that I do too, the sound of Soroya and Bucky's continued quiet chatter lulling me into a deep slumber.