Avengers - Civil War AU - Kintsugi Golden Repair 2.0 - ABANDONED

"Oh come now, don't be like that," Buck bounced her on his hip, "Naptimes are good. Uncle Bucket and Uncle Steve don't get /nearly/ enough naptimes. Where's her crib, Grant? I can put her in it."

"The spare crib she uses when we come here is in Gracie's bedroom," Grant smiled and motioned for him to follow, leading him around the corner with the toddler and when they got there, he watched Bucky place her in it, poking her on the nose when she started whining.

"None of that, Stephie," Buck said firmly, "You can hold onto my hand, if you'd like, and Uncle Bucket will stay with you until you fall asleep, but no crying! Or Uncle Bucket leaves."

Stephie sniffed at him but she grabbed her favorite blanket and yanked his hand down, curling around it like /that/ would keep him from leaving while she used a stuffed dinosaur as a pillow.

"That's a good girl," Bucky praised, petting her hair with his metal fingers, careful to not get it caught in the plating.

Back out in the living room, Kerica had no idea how to hold a small baby even though she'd watched the others, but Steve helped her and she cradled Alex gently, rocking him from side to side, "Should we put him to bed, too?"

((Winifred is Bucky's mom in case you forgot.))

"Nah. Alex is always taking naps." James said as he gently gestured to Kerica to give the baby back to him. "Besides he just woke up from one to say hello to you. Unfair really to make him fall asleep again. He'll be alright. " He cradled the boy close to him, Alex pouted a little but he wasn't throwing a fit like Stephanie was. "Besides momma's home and I think she might have a snack for him to eat. Come with me to the kitchen." He gestured them to follow and they walked into the dining room. The kitchen was wide open, with plenty of space to move around and an island counter that was obviously used for chopping things. The dining room was attached to it, a long table that was well used and above it a modest looking chandelier.

The girls were almost done. Zash was putting away the last of the fruit and Grace...Steve presumed it was Grace, was putting away the milk and had turned around. Gracie looked a lot like Winifred it was a bit like looking at a ghost.

"Got bored with the babies did we?" Zash asked as she walked over and grabbed the baby from James' arms, bopping her nose with his. Alex pointed at the fridge and began making buzzing noises. "I see. You want food."

Grace turned around and her eyes widened hugely. She edged closer to James who patted her back, "Is that...?" At his nod she moved quickly to Steve and huggwd him tightly, no hesitation, "Uncle Steve! I saw you on the news but never thought..."

((Wow, you butchered Gracie's name XD))

Steve hugged the girl just as tightly back, not at all alarmed or worried. He hugged her close. She had Winifred's ability to hug. Motherly with the right type of tight that wasn't uncomfortable or nerve wracking. He pulled her away and smiled at her. "Has anyone told you that you look /just/ like your great grandma? You hug like her too." His eyes were a bit watery, but he held himself together.

"You knew great-" Zash actually cut herself off. "I'm sorry. Of course you did." She blushed furiously. "I-"

"Don't worry." Steve smiled a little, looking at Zash. "I think it shocked most of our neighbors that the Barnes were friends with a Catholic family." He shrugged.

"My mother was friends with like, most of Brooklyn, I swear," Buck snorted with amusement as he and Grant entered the dining room area, "Can I get a hug? Or is Steve the favorite? Ali did like him best. Named your dad after him and everything."

"Papa did tell me that a lot growing up, actually, and yes, of course!" Grace pulled away from Steve to barrel into Bucky and she made happy noises, "I'm so glad to see you're doing alright. You didn't look very good on the TV, but Uncle Steve took care of you, didn't he?"

"Of course, just like I take care of him," Buck agreed, picking her up with the force of his hug making her squeak and he laughed when he set her down, kissing her forehead sweetly.

“Okay so I know that this girl is on Steve’s arm.” Zash gestured to Kerica who was beaming next to him and she turned towards Bucky and the woman who was clearly the one that looked the most out of place with her traditional colorful dress rather than jeans, a shirt, and or even a skirt. “But whose this?”

"As of, like, three days ago? My fiance," Buck slung his arm around Nyah, tugging her into his side with a wide shit-eating grin, "Nyah. That's Kerica, next to Steve, also engaged."

When Nyah did her traditional greeting, Zash’s mouth dropped open. Only her dad knew that greeting. He taught to them and to Grant because he said that he owed them the respect. Whoever /them/ was, Zash didn’t know. “You’re Nyah?” She asked, her voice timid all of the sudden.

“The very same.” James nodded his head before Nyah had a chance to answer.

"What did you tell them about Nyah, James?" Buck asked curiously, looking at the older man.

"Kerica, do you want to help me cook? I think story times's going to start here," Grace asked the other brunette woman.

Kerica was a bit surprised, but she was happy she was even asked and nodded, "Sure! Of course." Since the kitchen was right there, she was sure to hear most of it, but running water and other cooking noises was bound to cover it up at the same time.

"Let's sit down." James offered and those who were wanting to listen to the story wandered their way to the table and figured out the seating arrangements. Once they were seated and Alex was placed in his high chair, happily banging on it and squirming in his seat, James began. “I didn’t tell them much.” He said honestly. “The bare bones of the story was that I was found by a tribe, taken care of, and was able to find my way home again. I mentioned that the parents of Nyah were my saviors.” He sighed. “I said that I named Zash after Nyah’s mother because she saved me.”

Nyah understood why James kept the story pure and simple. The Atrum were supposed to be hidden. Probably, the only one that knew the entire story was Grant. “Tell them.” Nyah said, making James look up at her. “You are family.” She insisted. “You were trained by us, you were saved by us, how much more do you, do /we/ need before we call you blood?”

“But your village.”

“You’re not showing them where it’s located.” Nyah pointed out. “And we’re not all that well-known enough to start spreading rumors about anyway.”

Steve looked at the two before James nodded his head. “I suppose…where to begin?”

"Maybe us?" Grant asked, his hand finding James' forearm on the top of the table. He swallowed, "We slipped through the cracks of that rule that brothers can't be on the same unit, being technically cousins with different last names and all that fun crap. I watched his back, he watched mine. We were there during the last leg of the Vietnam war, then did another tour since we were still young and able-bodied. Tribes around where we were stationed...there were territorial scuffles. Ambushes. We...ended up in the damn jungle and one second he was there the next he was gone. No scream. Nothing. Not even a blip on my radar. Like a jungle Bermuda Triangle."

“I don’t even remember how long I was lost for. Every time I tried to find my way, I just kept getting more and more lost.” James shook his head. “I survived on hunting and I boiled the river water and even then it made me sick. I thought I was going to die, I was losing my mind. At least until he showed up. I somehow, someway managed to wander up a mountain, i didn’t even know I trekking up hill I was so out of it, and I had fainted before coming before the beginning of the village. I woke up and he was standing over me and so was Zash. Both of them looking hella concerned. I had a fever and I couldn’t hold anything down. They weren’t expecting me to become conscious.”

"Draco, Nyah's friend, told me her parents had to hide you because the village wasn't happy about outsiders," Buck leaned forward, "What's your side of that whole story?"

“Well.” James leaned back into his chair, thinking about it. “Once I regained a good amount of consciousness, Xander wrote out where I was and asked if I remembered who I am. I told him my name and he wrinkled his nose. He wasn’t very happy that it wasn’t a name he could falsify. You know, have it make it look like I somehow, someway managed to get myself lost in a jungle and lived nearby or something like that. I was too American and /white/. God, it felt so weird to be the one that everyone looked at, you know? But.” He shook his head. “There was no hiding me in a physical sense. In reality, they stripped me of my name, everything. I was to pretend that I didn’t know who or what I was. I was supposed to be scared, frightened out of my wits. I was supposed to act like everything was strange. Everything was strange, there was no faking that. But everything else? It was awful. Xander protected me. He did most of the work. He didn’t want to see someone innocent die for trying to live. He hid my dog tags. I don’t even know where they are…or if he still had them.”

"Draco never mentioned dog tags," Buck looked down at Nyah, "Do you know anything about them?" He didn't even have his own, so he...understood the loss. They were a marker for who you were.

“I know of them.” Nyah agreed. “I carry them in my travel pack so they’re at the palace. They’re a good luck charm to me. Kind of like the St. Christopher medallions some of the people wear.” She explained.

“Safe travels and good fortune.” Steve remembered those, he seen them around too back in America. He wasn’t at all surprised to know that Nyah knew where they were.

“Ever get lost?” James couldn’t help but to tease, but his throat tightened. Xander or Zashuya must have passed them down to her. They must have made sure that she had those.

“No.” Nyah shook her head, a small smile lingered on her face. “I’m not an American.”

James laughed.

"Ow, that hurt," Buck snickered, "I got lost in a different sense, and Steve and Nyah guided me back. I owe a lot to them. Steve's lucky, he's got Irish in him so he's not even completely American, either. So he doesn't get lost. Doesn't stop him from being a blockhead, though."

"Pretty sure blockheadedness is solely a human trait," Grant was amused.

"No! Cats are blockheads, too!" Kerica called from the kitchen.

“Cats a special type of blockhead.” Steve pointed out. “Not on the same level of humans.”

James looked at Bucky. “Did she really?” He looked pleased at the news.

"She really did..." Buck decided it was his turn for stories, so he explained that Nyah was sent especially to help him, and how she loved him at first sight (leaving out the part about cryo) and that he was very...mentally broken and while he had to modify it to share enough but not too much or too little, he thought he did a good job at it and smiled at James' and Gant's awe.

“God that sounds like Zashuya.” James laughed.

“What sounds like her?” Zash questioned, looking over at her father in curiosity.

“The falling in love at first sight.” James shook his head. “Only she was a little more quiet about it. She didn’t just open her mouth and blurt it out like Nyah did.” Nyah blushed red. “It was in her actions though and the way she reacted to Xander. I mean…it was very uncommon, what Xander did. Zash only helped him because she loved him. I don't think she told him about the love at first sight thing until she found out that she was pregnant or was getting married? I don't recall which one it was. She more than likely did it both times though.” He rolled his eyes. "Xander, of course, was slow of slow. He thought Zash was either extremely kind or extremely condensing. It depended on the day and if they had an argument about whatever or not."

"At least I'm not dense, though Steve kind of was," Buck grinned at the 'hey'.

“Tell me what made you love her back.” James persisted. “You can’t just tell me that she loved you at first sight and then forget to tell me the most important part.”

"A lot of things. It was a slow-simmer for me, but...really...I supposed you could say I have a split-personality of sorts? And while I'm not as fucked up as I was, it was more...that other part of me, that loved her first. It was a...raw feeling. Lust, maybe, but...at the same time not really. She is exotic, a different kind of beauty than I've ever seen before. I call her prekrasnyy which means lovely in Russian, to boot. That was when I started thinking 'maybe I really can do this' after our first successful healing session," Buck took Nyah's hand in his and kissed the back of it, "It wasn't a 'what' as in something specific did it as it was more...the whole picture just fell into place and 'click'ed and I went 'I love her. I really do love her and I can't turn back now'."

"They really are freakin' adorable, aren't they?" Kerica asked with a coo.

"I'll say!" Grace agreed, "Uncle Bucky, that look on your face is something straight from a romance movie."

“I swear the more times he gets to practice the “how did you come to love each other” speech, it gets sappier and sapper with every moment.” Steve teased. “Grace is right, you /are/ from a romance movie.”

"I still got it, what can I say?" Buck smirked at Steve, not at all perturbed.

“Zashuya would’ve loved you.” James couldn’t help but to smile gently at Bucky. “Leon. You would’ve definitely gotten along with Leon.” He looked at Steve at that. “Temperamental son of a bitch, but fast wit and sarcasm to boot. No one wanted to get on his bad side.”

"We've heard a lot about Zash and Xander, but yeah, tell me more about Leon, the odd man out?" Buck requested.

Grant tilted his head at Steve, "Have you gotten to practice the same 'how you came to love her' speech at all? Not fair to toss it all on Uncle Bucky."

"Geezus, his proposal speech was /seeping/ with sap," Buck grinned, "Kerica blushes the most adorable shade of red when he's sweet on her in any given amount." He commented before turning his attention back to James.

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” Steve winked at Grant before also turning his attention to James.

“I wouldn’t call him the odd man out.” James said slowly. “He had a part in saving my life just as much as Xander and Zash did. You could say he caught on to the game a lot more quickly than the rest of the tribe did. I don’t know what it was that tipped him off. Maybe it’s because I failed on acting uncertain and scared. Maybe it’s the way I watched my surroundings, I don’t know. Xander wanted me to learn to be like them, but Leon? Leon wanted to do /more/ with that. He did something just as dangerous as Xander and Zash did. He trained me to fight, to learn how to heal just like them. I didn’t have their magical abilities for shadows, but he taught me how to compromise, how to make it work.”

"Whoa, really?" Buck could imagine learning how to train like the Atrum. It would be a useful set of skills to have under his belt among the many other different fighting styles he knew already. "How did you take to it?"

"Let me tell you, they are deceiving mother fuckers. Nothing they do is easy. They just know how to make it look like it." James shook his head. "Like I'm certain that if one of them went mano a mano with Steve here, for example, Steve would be dead after a good few rounds. They take down their enemy and they take down as fast and as clean as possible. Now if they went up against the Winter Solider?" James frowned, "Now that's a blood bath."

He shook his head. "So me, having no super human serum or anything like that, I look like a bumblebee learning how to swim for the longest time. Leon accused that the teenagers could fight better than me and they were just /barely/ learning."

"No wonder you look fit as a fiddle even as you're nearing fifty," Buck stared at him. While he really, truly didn't like fighting, this sparked his curiosity and he wanted to learn anyway with each word his nephew said, "You must still train here and there, even basic stuff. T'Challa was scary as hell to cross and he's not a super-soldier, either."

"That street chase on the news was /so/ cool to watch," Grace called from the kitchen even as she stirred what was in the frying pan, "The three of you, beating feet and outrunning /cars/. Cars!"

"I heard there's some kind of heart-plant and ritual they go through to get like that," Grant tapped his chin, "It's really special and only for the Black Panther legacy."

"Thankfully the Atrum aren't that ritualistic." James frowned a little and looked over at Nyah. "Considering that you're marrying him and is apart of the family, he should be legible to learn how to fight right?"

"Considering you were the first outsider to have learned how to fight using our arts, I believe that'd be the case." Nyah also frowned. "Why? I can't help you train him."

"Why not?" James' eyebrows furrowed. "You're not garbed in green or red are you?"

"No...I mean...I have the reds." Nyah bit her lip. "I'm getting a heart transplant so...I would only have to drop out before I could even begin."

"What?!" James's voice raised to cause Alexander discomfort and crying, making Zash quickly go to her son's side and soothe him. "What do you /mean/ you're getting a heart transplant?"

Bucky instantly placed his hand on Nyah's shoulder, drawing her, if it was even possible, closer to him, protective, "We want to have children. She wants to be able to keep up with them. I don't want to be her last patient. It's been a huge controversy and I'm tired of it. She's going to be getting checkups this month and then testing next month before she's approved - which she will be because T'Challa's in her debt, too - and then we'll plan the wedding before she's scheduled to go under. There, that's that."

Grant only held his hands up, completely taken aback by the force behind his words.

Nyah understood immediately. James look flabbergasted and hurt and she felt herself tear up and she rubbed Bucky's back. "He didn't know I was sick." She looked at James. "Elder Mosi didn't tell you?"

"No." James said, his voice hoarse. He looked at Nyah, completely taken aback by Bucky's force of words, and the complete one-eighty that had just happened in his kitchen. "No, he didn't tell me anything. I visited you and you were sometimes ill when I came over...but....nothing to tell me you were...nothing like that no. <I'm sorry, Nyah. I failed you.>" He placed his hands against his heart, a motion of deep and sincere regret. "I should've realized that even though I have went through hell and back, I was still an Outsider to them through and through."

Buck's expression shifted and he frowned deeply, moving his left hand to reach for James, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be so defensive. I thought you knew. I'm just so tired of all the shit she's been through and..." his throat tightened, "I'm really sorry, champ. It's been a long time since you went to the village and seen Nyah. Someone took care of Nyah, her name is Teresa, and she and Kerica's father are more than likely going to do the heart transplant on her."

James nodded, "Are they good at what they do? Do you have complete and utter confidence no way to shake it?" He demanded of Bucky. "Because if you doubt them even a smidgen then I can help you research other doctors if need be." He looked at Nyah. "That goes for you too."

"My father and Teresa were both top notch among their peers, graduated in less time than it usually takes doctors at the best schools available to them. My father also follows some Native American and Japanese traditions, so he's trustworthy /and/ spiritual. He was rather excited to meet Teresa who'd lived in the Atrum tribe for...what was it, Nyah? Fourteen years you said the day we met you?" Kerica asked as she helped Gracie by grabbing plates from the cupboard she pointed out.

"Meara and Teresa have done their fair share in healing me, and others in our group when we're injured," Buck shook his head, "I don't doubt them at all. I actually have quite a bit of faith they'll pull Nyah through."

James stared at her in complete shock. "Fourteen years?" He let out a loud breath. "Ughhh...I want to both be happy that Teresa got to do that and was able to take care of Nyah, but oh my god do I want to strangle something." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I argued /countless/ times trying to get Nyah in my care." He took another breath and let his hair go and looked back up. He wasn't really looking at anything, but it was clear he was deep in thought. He looked at Nyah, "Do you need us there with you? Any of us? I'm willing to go with you. I'm certain so is Grant, or Zash and Alex...Grace...any of us." He couldn't let Xander's and Zash's daughter feel like she was abandoned. He was so /angry/ and furious with himself, but he wanted to make things right. He needed to make things right, especially since Bucky was going to marry her. He had to to admit, it was kind of funny that Bucky was his uncle which would make Nyah his aunt, but he wasn't going to say /that/.

"What /is/ all this racket about being there for someone?" a woman the same age as Grant and James came in, hair so poofy with curls that it would be a continuous debate if she even brushed it, but she was dressed in in a sundress, her hands on her hips, "James! Guests came over and you didn't /wake me/?"

"Ma-ma Aki," Gracie laughed, "You wouldn't have woken up anyway. You wake up when you damn well please."

"Don't you forget it," Aki tossed her hair over her shoulder, eyes sliding over the young men sitting across from her husband and more or less brother-in-law. Cousins was a technicality. "Who are you?"

"Bucky Barnes, ma'am," Buck straightened in his seat just as Steve did.

Kerica found it hysterical and she was giggling as she brought two plates out at a time, "Kerica Knight, Mrs. Proctor."

"Akinyi. Aki, if you want," she shrugged and settled next to James easily, cooing at Alex and patted Zash's cheek.

"Anyway, Ma-ma Aki, this is Nyah, from James' past. She's sick and going to have a heart transplant, that's what he was talking about," Grace explained, bringing more plates. She'd made stir-fry with noodles and plenty of vegetables and meat, Kerica's plate the only one really modified for her allergies.

"Oh, dear! I remember him telling me about you!" Aki gaped at Nyah, "Your parents, may they rest in peace. I never would've met James if it weren't for them saving him."

Nyah smiled warmly. "I'm happy that my family gave me a good legacy to live up to and follow." She looked over at Steve and Bucky. "Just like these two gave you and your families a wonderful legacy. I'm happy to be apart of it. I'm glad that everyone is healthy, and happy." She turned back to James and Aki. "I'm mostly happy that he found you and decided to stay." She looked at Bucky and gently gave his hand a squeeze before letting go and began eating. "I was just about to assure Uncle James that I have all the back up I need. At least for the transplant."

Steve nodded, putting his fork down for a bit to talk. "We still have yet to talk wedding plans and how we were going to arrange that. I was thinking of marrying Kerica before you go under, Nyah, but if you have a wedding date planned or a season, we can either work with that or...you know...get married separately." He looked over at Kerica. "I was always told the weddings were for the girls only."

"Doesn't mean you don't get a say in things," Kerica's cheeks were just a little pink, but she was grinning, "We need to figure out a color scheme, after all. Ideally...I'd always wanted to have an autumn wedding since that's my favorite season, but I'm too impatient to wait ten months," she giggled, "Nyah! We'll have to go dress hunting!"

"I wanted to marry you before you go under, too," Buck brushed away a stray blond hair from her eyes, "If you're okay with that. What colors would you suggest for the scheme? What kind of dresses are you girls thinking of?"

"Something flowy," Kerica hummed, "I always hated the poofy Princess dresses, and I don't do mermaid fish-tails. I wouldn't mind lace...it'll depend a lot on what we find around here, I guess."

"I was going to make mine." Nyah admitted, as she carefully took another bite of food. She chewed thoughtfully. "I don't..have a color scheme in mind, just silver for the dress I was thinking or white with a sheer silver on it...I thought we were doing an outdoors one?" She looked at Bucky curiously. "Or did the plan change?"

"I think it was going to be indoors for Kerica and I, and then we moved out back to you and Bucky's." Steve explained. "So we'll be married not together, together, since it'll be an hour break so that everyone can get situated, you in your dress and make up and hair, and Bucky can race down the aisle and tap his foot impatiently while he waits for you."

"I...will probably do that, yeah," Buck laughed. They took a break from talking to eat, and then he shrugged, "Since we're doing hand-fasting instead of traditional...a blue ribbon sounds about right. I mean we can still do the vows? Custom-make them, maybe? Then do at least the last bit of the traditional vows with the 'I take you to love and to hold forever and I do' at the end. I dunno." He was fidgeting in his chair, blushing at the thought.

"It's hitting that it's really happening, isn't it?" Kerica asked, grinning.

"Yeah, definitely," Buck agreed.

"Custom vows are nice. Blue sounds good too. Maybe we should have blue intertwined with rose pink for the ribbons. Support and love." Nyah said thoughtfully, smiling bright. It was hitting her that this was happening too and she could feel that he was nervous. It was in his expression and how he spoke. "I like that last line. "To love and to hold", that's a gorgeous line."

"Whose going to do your guys make up?" Zash asked, looking between the girls. "You can't tell me you know of a make up artist."

"Makeup?" Nyah blinked.

"You are going to learn what make up is and I promise you you're going to knock that one dead." Zash gestured to Bucky. "Grace can do Kerica if she needs someone. I want to see Uncle Steve's face when she walks down the aisle."

"I think Bucky'll have to hold my mouth shut." Steve laughed.

"I love that idea!" Grace clapped her hands together excitedly.

"I like to play with Wanda and do her makeup, but it'd be nice to have someone do mine for once. I was just going to ask Natasha, then do Nyah's," Kerica shrugged, "She likes the smokey too much, though, so something light and fun will be great. Make my eyes pop in a different way."

"We got you covered, girly, don't you worry! So, if it's before Nyah goes under, but Nyah wants to make her dress...when is the wedding?"

"Depends on how long it would take Nyah to put it together, I guess," Buck tilted his head at his fiance.

"I'll have to make a girl day and everybody can just watch me try on a bunch until we go 'that one' because I really don't want to take the time to have it tailored," Kerica rolled her eyes, "If it fits right off the rack then that works for me."

"It should take me two weeks." Nyah nodded. "If I find the correct fabrics. If not then...well...I suppose I'll jump on the wedding dress bandwagon and try them on myself." She looked at Kerica. "Are you going to have Steve there to see you try on the wedding dresses or is that still considered bad luck?"

"Oh my god, don't do it." Zash stared at Kerica with wide eyes. "That's bad luck all the way through. Are the boys going to do tuxes? Have you picked out a best man or woman? What about maid of honors?"

"Um..." Nyah blinked slowly. "I don't know what half of those things are."

"She's asking about witnesses." James explained gently. "They have titles here. Best man for the groom, maid of honor for the bride. Though recently gender doesn't matter much. Best woman could be for the man, man of honor for the bride...it's all relative."

"I was thinking of Bucky for my best man, and Sam as one of my groomsmen..." Steve said slowly in thought. "Though if that's too much trouble to do, since you have to switch to groom, then I could have Sam as my best man..."

"That's called having a fox in the henhouse, if the groom's there to see the dress I pick," Kerica explained to Nyah, "No, Zash, I wasn't going to do that."

Aki snickered, "It seems Kerica knows what she's doing, at least. Don't worry about yourself, Nyah. A lot of the traditions don't apply to you, anyway."

"I will understand if you have Sam for best man. I'll do the same with Draco, then, I guess," Buck smiled reassuringly at Steve.

"Oh!" Kerica suddenly gasped and looked at Grace, "Could little Stephie be the flower girl?! ALEX COULD BE THE RING-BEARER!"

"I've never stayed longer than a week or two before. Think you can stand me long enough to see through their weddings, James?" Grant asked.

Gracie was beaming, "If Zash and I get to help plan for weddings then I think staying longer will be fantastic! Stephie has been practicing how to walk, the little minx, so I think if I work with her she could be able to do that for you. I can always hold her and she tosses the flowers from her basket, anyway."

"Carnations don't spread very well, so I think I'd just do different colors of rose petals instead," Kerica nodded, "If you don't mind it, Steve, we can at least decorate like it's autumn. Not like the leaves change around here, even if it /was/ October."

"I'd like that." Steve smiled brightly as he thought about the little dress that Stephanie would wear and Alex' small tux. "They'd be really adorable, I think they'd steal the wedding."

"I hope they would." Zash beamed proudly. "Otherwise we're not raising them right to be adorable enough to make world leaders fall in their knees."

Steve grinned and looked at Bucky. "I think we should keep Draco and Sam as groomsmen." He said after a moment. "And we'll just switch around with playing groom and best man."

Nyah sighed. "It's not like we're getting married at this moment. You have time to decide whose who and what's what." She reminded with a bit of a smile.

"What you think you can still drive me up the wall when you're old?" James retorted at Grant. "You're losing your touch whippersnapper."

()

It came unexpected. It was now the third week in January and T'Challa found Steve with a phone in his hand, holding it out to him, "It's not the burner phone you sent to Mr. Stark, but somehow Directer Fury managed to get a hold of me. He has urgent news."