The planks were leaned against the wall, almost as tall as her chest. She grabbed the worn work gloves on the crate beside them, slipped them on, and then hefted the planks. 

   It wasn't quite as hard as it had looked to carry them. But she was scared of smacking any of the kids, so she had to go slowly. It took around fifteen minutes to get back to the boat where Bucky was standing near the rail. 

   Over on the back of the boat, she could hear the boys' voices.

   "Thanks," he said, taking them from her arms and holding them as if they were light as a feather. Bucky glanced down at the wood, then looked back up at her. "This is good quality stuff. Gotta cut and sand it, though."

   She watched as he rummaged around the boat's cabin, after placing the planks down. Eventually, he resurfaced with some power tools that he raised in the air. "Got 'em." 

   After Bucky had finished up removing the rusted metal and rotting wood and replacing the wooden part of the gunwale, Bucky put all the tools back where they belonged and gave Cass a small smile. 

   "All done. There are a few others, but we ain't doing them before eating, or Sarah will get mad." Bucky pulled out the phone he scarcely used and checked the time. "Yep, we're late now."

   They hurried over to the house to wash their hands, and then Bucky halted. 

   "What is it?" Yelena asked.

   "I forgot about the eggs. I'll go grab them, you go ahead and join the line up."

   "'Kay, but hurry,"

   "Yes, ma'am." 

   The line was immense and everyone was clamoring for food. Yelena joined it at the back, the Wilson boys trailing after her. Yelena didn't fail to notice the way Cass continually stared up at her, but ignored it. 

   "You should try the shrimp Mr. Smith makes, it's so good!" AJ reccommended, pointing at the dish. "And the sauce for it is to die for!" 

   "Thanks, I'll try it," she said.

   "Yelena!" Sam called, joining the line. "Where's Bucky?"

   She jerked a thumb toward his car. "Over there, getting the deviled eggs you requested."

   "Why didn't he put them in the fridge? There was plenty of room."

  "We were preoccupied with other things," she smirked. 

   "Do I want to know?" He rolled his eyes back at her. 

   Then, Sam turned to the side, waving a woman over who looked to be mid-thirties, who grinned with a brilliant smile. Her hair was in gorgeous cornbraids that swung over one shoulder and swayed when she walked. She had rich, dark skin that matched Sam's. A middle-aged woman next to her waved, and she turned to greet her with a hug. 

   When the woman reached them, she held out a warm hand. "I'm Sarah, Sam's sister." Yelena shook it, and couldn't help but return the woman's infectious smile. 

   "You're the one who invited us over, then?"

   "Group effort," Sarah glanced at Sam smoothly. "Where's Bucky? Did he bring what I asked for this time, and not an ice cream cake?"

   "Yes, Sarah." Sam huffed. "He promised not to do it again."

   "Wait, what?" Yelena broke in.

   Sarah smiled when she saw Bucky approach them. Her sons rushed up to him and he faked a wrestiling match with Cass while balancing the deviled eggs on one hand. "He brought an ice cream cake five months ago. It was a little smashed up in the box, and definitely not what I asked for."

   "Hey, Sarah!" Bucky grinned, giving her a three-fingered wave as he came to a stop. His eyes twinkled with mischieviousness as he glanced at Sam. 

   Sam frowned. "Bucky, no."

   "Bucky yes," he muttered under his breath. 

   Sarah rolled her eyes. "Let's just get our food and sit down, y'all."

   "I second that," Bucky said smoothly, eyes on Sarah, then Sam. Yelena tried to act normal and composed, while Sam shot him a death glare. 

   "Bucky, stop that!" Sam muttered under his breath. 

    "It's alright, Sammy." Sarah replied in the same tone of voice Sam would use, with the same light sarcasm and genuine affection shining through. Anyone who believed they weren't related, Yelena knew, had to be dim-witted. "He's not harassing me, for goodness' sake."

   Sam tossed a glance toward Yelena, who pretended not to notice, then rolled his eyes. 

   She chuckled nervously, starting to cut her crispy barbaque grilled chicken to release some of her nerves. Bucky's eyes slid over her in his usual manner, observing as she moved for only a second before moving to Sam. 

   "How's that job going, Bucky? That new one you decided to take on a few months back?" Sarah asked, tucking a napkin into AJ's collar, shaking her head at her son's protests. "AJ, you always spill on your shirt. Please keep it one for a few minutes until you finish eating."

   AJ glanced at Bucky and Sam with humiliation written on his features, then nodded dejectedly. 

   "Hey, buddy. It's only a napkin, at least it isn't a bib," Bucky smiled softly at him. "And there's nothing wrong with using it."

   At that, AJ seemed to relax. He returned Bucky's warm smile shyly, then started to eat his food. Cass nudged Bucky's side, motioning for him to come closer. When he did, Cass whispered, "He doesn't like to do babyish things around you,"

   "Right. But I've met people who are older than fifty who still use a napkin like that, so I don't think it's very babyish."

   "Oh,"

   "Eat you food, now, Cass. I gotta go talk to your uncle."

   Yelena watched as Bucky got up, still carrying his plate and fork in one hand, and motioned for Sam to follow him. The two figures shrunk onto the dock as the sky turned purple and pink around them, almost like silhouettes in a painting. 

   "Okay, boys. You can go play with your friends," Sarah pointed over at one of the other picnic tables, where kids bustled around playing games together. As they got up excitedly, Sarah turned to the other woman.

   "Yelena?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Is there something between you two, dear?" Sarah asked softly, the affectionate name falling off her lips smoothly, and Yelena knew that she must make friends easily. Her eyes shone brightly as ever as she focused on the second assassin she'd let Sam bring to the cookouts. "There's a big difference in him today."

   "I don't know... Would you be upset if there was?" she asked, fiddling with the ketchhup bottle in front of her.

  Sarah shook her head. "I was never serious about Bucky. But I have the notion you are."

   "How'd you figure that one out?" she muttered, before slipping a bite of the firm, juicy, flavourful chicken into her mouth. "Us two aren't the most open kinda people."

   "You're not," she laughed. "But he's gotten... almost shy, with you here."

   "Why didn't you get together, if he was so sure about you?"
   
   Sarah lowered her fork and knife. "Many reasons, but... Because I could only let him in so far. He has a good and perservering heart. He deserves someone. But I haven't been ready for something like that. I haven't been able to focus on anything but the kids, and I think he wasn't ready for a relationship either, whether he knew that or not. It's just become our way of talking, though neither of us have never made a move on the other."

   "Whoa... So he's been flirting with you for months?"

   "Yes, he has. But it usually ends there."

   "Usually?" Yelena asked, without realizing how desperate she was sounding.

   Pushing her dark hair behind her ear, Sarah leaned forward, leaning her forearms on the table and twining her fingers together. "Unless he ends up doing all the chores he can get his hands on."

   Yelena's mouth fell open. "That's it? He turns into your handyman?"

   "Yeah, that's it. He's a real sweetheart, that one. But I always had this feeling about him... that he was never meant to be with me. I'm glad he's got you,"

   The blonde woman glanced over her shoulder at the two men who sat at the edge of the dock, their legs swinging over the water. Bucky, who was wearing a blue shirt, was leaning forward with his face turned to Sam's attentively, listening as Sam said something she souldn't make out. He gestured with his hands, his back slightly hunched.

   "Me too," she muttered. "He means a lot to me,"

   "He cares a lot about you."

    "He cares a lot about everyone."

   "True. If not for Sam warning me, I'm sure I would have fallen hard by now."

   "What kind of warning?"

   "He told me all about his past, and how it isn't just the past for him." Sarah said thoughtfully, eyes meeting Yelena's. "That he needs to work through a lot. And I'm not equipped to help him with that. We've both lost people we care about, but I think what Sam meant was that he needs to heal naturally, without the complicatedness of romance. He just... needs a true friend."

   Yelena's expression faltered with uncertainty. "Is that what you think?"

   "I don't know him as well as Sam does, and I trust my brother. I've taken a lot of risks with him already, so I think the best thing for me would be to keep him close, but not in that way. The boys look up to him, we all do. Romance between us has never been seriously considered before, though." 

   Despite everything Sarah Wilson had to say, Yelena knew one thing for certain, that she'd take risks hundereds of times over for him. Their early connection decades ago had been grounded in risks for each other, so how could she just stop? The risks didn't always end in happiness, but happiness wasn't what she wanted anymore.

   "Well, thank you for taking a risk with me, Sarah. It means a lot," she smiled, feeling like she was right where she belonged.

   "I know, Yelena. And don't hesitate to tag along next time Bucky comes by."

   The ride home was quiet and subdued. Bucky didn't say a thing, lost in thought. His steady hand lingered on the steering wheel the same way it had earlier as he stared forward. 

   Yelena's eyelids drooped, slightly cutting off the view of the bright leaves running past and plunging half her sight into a murky shadow.

   Before she could fall asleep, though, Bucky's phone rung. He checked his phone, then pulled the car off the road. Bucky pressed the answer button as he pulled ot a stop.

   "This is James Barnes speaking," he said flatly, a hint of defiance in his eyes, despite the subtle complacity in his soft, deep voice. She sat up straighter, getting the feeling that something was seriously off.

   He listened as someone droned off on the other end of the call, and Yelena got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She unstrapped her seat belt, shifting to get more comfortable. But that feeling lingered stubbornly. 

   Finally, Bucky spoke. "W-what? Why? I thought we already finished all of those evals... Wednesday? You want... No, not those. Please... Yes, I understand. But... Okay. Fine, I'll be there... Probably won't have one. Bye."

   He hung up after a few minutes, and his gaze immediately snapped onto her. . 

   "What was that?"

  Bucky looked away, his expression souring. "They want to do blood tests and phsycoanalyze me. Next Wednesday." His eyes darkened sigificantly, and that horrible feeling inside her worsened. 

   "Oh... Is this the first time it's happened?"

   He nodded, pouting silently. 

   "And it's non-negotiable?"

   Bucky sighed, closing his eyes. His fists clenched on his lap. "I don't want to, Lena."

   "It's gonna be alright. You can do this." She leaned toward him, and waited for his eyes to open. Maybe she could instill some sort of hope, even if she didn't believe that the government had good motives for this.

   "No, I can't."

   "Tell me why?"

   His lashes fluttered, and then his beautiful, intense eyes were piercing her soul. "No."

   "Please."

   "It's just... wrong. I can't trust them like that. They aren't good people."

    She nodded. "I know. Is there anything that yoou can do about this?"

   "Other than move back to Wakanda and become a fugitive again, tainting the names of multiple innocent people in my family even more? I don't think so. But if... If I do it, if I go then I don't know how I'll stay sane."
 
   "Right. You don't have to think about it right now, though? It's on Wednesday?"

   He slouched forward, his chin hitting the steering wheel. "It's not that simple,"

   "Come on, you can choose what to do later tonight, when we're home."

   "It's not that simple." He repeated stubbornly, his eyelashes clouding her view of his narrowed eyes. 

   Yelena ran a hand through her hair, looking out the window and inwardly swearing in frustration. "It's going to be okay," she tried.

   "Hah... yeah... Right." 

   "You want a hug?"

   He turned toward her, his mouth forming the start of a word, but he made no sounds. Eyes falling away from her, Bucky gave up on speaking and sighed. "No... Maybe when we get home." 

   "Why?" Yelena blinked in confusion as he kept driving, mechanically moving the whole time.

   His movements were intensely precise, but his fingers trembled with anxiety. "I don't want to talk about it." He said gruffly.