Hello everyone! I just want to thank everyone for your well wishes and prayers, because I'm going to be honest; it was not looking good when I posted the final chapter the other day. But literally, after I posted it and everyone just kept sending me well wishes, it all got amazingly better. I've gotten a job offer somewhere close, at a clothing store I absolutely love (it's called Torrid, if anyone has heard of it), and my parents have come to me asking me to come home, that they were wrong about everything and I will officially be going back the Monday after Thanksgiving. It's absolutely amazing and I'm still in shock everything is getting fixed and going better. I'm feeling ten times happier and almost like I could take on the world! I won't, but I will get back to my writing FINALLY. Depression can seriously tamper with the things you love to do, but I've just felt so happy the last few days, I'm really confident in my writing again and I'm going to start at it once more!

As for this chapter, it is strictly an alternate ending. The previous chapter, chapter 30, is the offical ending for this story. This is just an ending I came up with almost a year ago, when I was still writing chapter 20 lol. I couldn't shake this ending, and I didn't want to end the story like this, so I decided to just write it and never post it, but now I kind of do. Now you can see how this story COULD have ended, but didn't.

Also, side note, the red head next to Steve that's mentioned at the end of this chapter, she's the main OC in my Steve Rogers' fic that I'm working on. You'll meet her eventually (hopefully) but that story isn't on the same timeline as this story, I just added her for some reason. so NO Alba will not be making an appearence in my next story, they'll be two completely different stories. So, sorry. But I hope you like this alternate ending, and I hope to see you guys at my Steve Rogers fic when I get the chance to post it! (: Thank you all of you for your time and paitence with this story, you've all been absolutely wonderful and I couldn't ask for better readers!

Harley chewed on his lip impatiently as he stared out the taxi window. 17 years old and freshly graduated from high school a year early (he would have tried to graduate at 15 but he knew if he left for college then his mother and sister would feel he was honestly trying to leave) he was offered not only a full ride to MIT, but a summer internship at Stark Industries in Manhattan.

He had honestly been surprised when his MIT acceptance letter came with a letter from Tony Stark personally, contacting him from out of the blue when Harley hadn't spoken to the man in a good six years. Tony had heard, being such a well off alumni from MIT, that Harley was being accepted with enough grants offered to him to pay for everything, and he wanted to extend Harley and invitation to do some "internship stuff" at Stark Industries in Manhattan for the summer. Tony would offer him a room at Stark Tower for the entirety of his stay and Harley would be comfortable until it was time for him to start school in September.

It was more than he could hope for, and he quickly accepted. It completely slipped his mind everything that would come along with staying at Stark Tower for a summer while doing this internship.

He closed his eyes tightly, remembering the day from six years before.

His family and the few Avengers who had gone on the rescue mission all curled up in their seats in the hospital. Himself completely passed out, his head pressed against his grandmother's lap. When he had finally woken up it was to his grandmother collapsing on the floor in tears, his uncle Parker covering his face with his hands, and his grandfather consoling his grandmother. He looked around and saw Captain America and Black Widow pushing Bucky out of the waiting room, he was screaming and crying, a look of pure angst on his face while his friends hurried him from the room.

It didn't take much after that for Harley to realize the doctor, who was standing in the center of the room with a solemn look on his face, had delivered the news his family didn't want to hear.

He screamed out and ran at the doctor, hitting his fists against his chest, screaming at him that he could have done more for her. Parker had to hold Harley back and the four of them all sat hunched over in the waiting room, sobbing and wishing this wasn't happening; wishing that Alba was still alive.

He remembered his grandparents calming down, and going off to see Alba one last time before they had to begin some type of funeral arrangements. All he could do was shake and cry and repeating the same thing over and over "She should be alive".

The funeral had been four days later in Illinois. The entire extended family, all of Alba's friends and coworkers, had appeared for the closed casket affair. Harley remembered looking around for Bucky the entire time, wanting to see the man his aunt loved showing his respects. He hadn't shown up for the service, but he remembered him showing up for when they buried her.

He, along with Captain America and the Black Widow, were standing off by the road, watching from a distance. Harley, knowing no one was paying much attention to him and more to the sermon about Alba's short life, took off towards them, determined to speak with the Winter Soldier.

"Hey!" Harley shouted, finally approaching them. Bucky's eyes were red rimmed and blood shot, but his face was stone cold. Steve and Natasha both seemed to show a bit more emotion than the one armed man, and gave Harley a curt nod as he approached.

"Why aren't you down there? You were the last one besides the doctors to see my aunt alive, you should be down there talking about her last words or something, helping my family grieve." He said, crossing his arms.

"That's not my place." Bucky muttered, glancing down at the grass.

Harley gawked at him, "Alba loved you!" he spat, "She loved you a lot, and you were the last to see her alive. Everyone in my family wishes they were in your shoes, everyone wishes they got one last moment to be with my aunt. Now she's dead and it's," Harley paused, running the back of his hand over his eyes to wipe any tears threatening to fall.

"If I had checked the signal the night before instead of that morning," Harley muttered through gritted teeth. "If I had called Stark first thing instead of wasting time going to the bus station,"

"Harley," Bucky called, his voice dark, "Don't go blaming yourself for this,"

"Why shouldn't I?" Harley snapped, glaring at him. "I was the only one in the world who knew exactly where she was, I was the only one in the world who thought to put a tracking device on the Winter Soldier's girlfriend, and I still couldn't get someone to save her in time! She's dead," Harley waved behind him at his family gathered around her casket, "And the people who killed her are still out there, and you're the guy she loved and you're not even trying to help her family with this. Every time I tell them it's my fault she's dead, they just shake their head and say it's no one's fault but the murderers. Aren't I just as bad? I had the means to find her but I didn't in time."

"You're eleven years old, you don't need that on your shoulders so stop thinking it." Bucky snapped, "Alba loved you and she wouldn't want you taking the blame. Now go back to your family." Bucky turned to leave, walking towards a black SUV Steve and Natasha were already walking towards.

Harley was seething, his hands balled into fists, "I hate you!" he screamed after Bucky, "After everything you and Alba have been through, you're just walking away! I hate you! I hate that my aunt wasted her last months on a brainwashed evil scumbag like you!"

Bucky hesitated in his walk for just a moment before he continued on without a word. Harley screamed out, falling onto the grass, a mixture of anger and sadness taking over him. It wasn't until minutes later he felt his mother wrap her arms around him and cradle him into her lap, she having no idea that Harley had just spoken to Bucky.

Now, six years later, Harley opened his eyes once more, a knot forming in his stomach. It was known worldwide who the Avengers were, and how the team had grown over the years. Winter Soldier was one of the members, who lived in Stark Tower with the rest of the team. Harley would be stuck spending the summer with the man he absolutely hated.

He took in a sharp breath, determined to spend as little to no time as possible around Bucky. As much as Harley blamed himself for his aunt's death, he also seemed to find comfort in blaming Bucky as well, thinking that there might have been something more the Winter Soldier could have done for his aunt that fatal night.

"Yo, kid, we're here." The taxi driver said, pulling to a stop in front of Stark Tower.

"You sure this is right? Stark Tower ain't no hotel." The taxi driver said.

Harley smirked, pulling out a fifty from his wallet, "I'm sure. Thanks for the ride." He said, slugging on his backpack as he stepped outside. The trunk opened and Harley pulled out two suitcases before walking inside the tall, high tech building.

His shaggy blonde hair had just been trimmed back home, but it still retained a good amount of length, just how he liked it. He wasn't well built, he was a bit on the thin side and his clothes looked to be a side bigger than he liked (which they were, as they were his cousins old clothes that he had sent to Harley months before).

He was on his way to walk to the receptionist and ask how he would access the room Stark had prepared for him, when someone wrapped their arms around his shoulder and began diverting Harley's path towards the elevator.

"There he is, Mister MIT first year!" Tony boomed proudly, a smirk on his face. Harley grinned, "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Stark."

Tony rolled his eyes, "This isn't some sappy Hallmark channel reunion, okay? I don't do that kind of stuff. I take it your flight was good? Of course it was, I got you a first class ticket."

Harley chuckled, the two of them stopping in front of the elevator, "It was, thanks. Next time send your private jet though, okay?"

Tony laughed, the elevator finally opening and the two of them stepping inside.

"Jarvis," Tony called, and the mirrored walls of the elevator glowed a blue color before holographic buttons appeared in front of Tony, and he pushed the very last button, "Alert the team I'm on my way up with Harley."

Harley quirked an eyebrow, "Why are you alerting the team?"

Tony shrugged, "Well, you haven't seen anyone in what? 5 years?"

"6 years." Harley stressed, his jaw set.

Tony nodded, snapping his finger, "I figured you'd like to say hi to your summer roommates."

Harley huffed, crossing his arms, "I don't really have an interest in saying hi to the Avengers right now."

Tony quirked an eyebrow, "Fine, you can say hi to all the spouses and kiddos running around up there."

"What?!" Harley asked, dumbfounded.

"Well you can't expect us to just stop living because we're superheroes, we're also human. Well, expect Thor, but he looks it. But, yeah, most of the Avengers are married, some have kids, some are expecting kids, the usual 'adult' stuff."

"You're married?" Harley questioned, glancing at Tony's ring finger.

Tony scoffed, "Pepper's been hinting but I'm not looking to tie any knots any time soon. But most of the others are."

Harley felt a tug at the back of his head, a curiosity begging at him. "Is Winter-I mean, is Bucky Barnes married?" he asked.

Tony nodded, pulling out his phone and twiddling through it, "Mhm. A couple years ago, he's got some kids now too. You'll meet them in a minute."

Harley's hands balled into fists in his jacket pocket, and he felt his blood boil. A couple years ago? And Tony used 'kids' plural! Harley felt livid; did Bucky just jump back into the dating field after Alba died? Did he even mourn at all?

He watched as the numbers on the elevator increased before they finally reached the top floor and the doors slid open.

"You can just leave your suitcases in here, this elevator is for the Avengers living area only." Tony said simply, strolling off the elevator and into the lounge.

Harley gulped, hoping any of the rage he felt wasn't shown on his face, and stepped out into the lounge as well.

The entire room was split into two levels, with floor to ceiling windows on the opposite wall, looking out at the Manhattan skyline. Metal steps lead up to a second level lounge with an open balcony out to the main lounge and there was a kitchen on the second level, while the first and second level shared a fire place, comfy couches and the first level held a television with a huge entertainment center around it. There were multiple doors along the adjacent walls, leading to who knew where, but Harley was busy watching as Tony walked up the staircase to the second level and greeted his Avenger pals.

He heard children giggling and a little girl calling "Uncle Tony!" but Harley couldn't see anyone but the back of their heads.

Harley slowly began walking towards the stairs, knowing soon someone would turn around and see him. As he reached the second level, he recognized a number of faces; Steve, Natasha, Thor, Sam, Clint, Pepper, Sam and Bruce. There were a few faces he didn't know, like the woman sitting next to Thor with the shoulder length brown hair, or the redheaded woman smiling and cuddling close to Steve on the couch.

Along with the two mystery woman, Harley's eyes moved to the two small children in the center of it all, sitting in the middle of all the couches, where a coffee table should have been, with different toys and blankets covering the floor.

A girl, no older than three, was hugging Tony around the leg. She had curly dark brown hair and green eyes, with a small array of freckles on her nose. She looked as if she never stopped smiling, and she was wearing a blue dress that might have been beautiful at one point, but was now a tattered and dirty mess as it was being worn by a three year old who acted, based on Harley's quick impression of her, like she had just drank three Red Bulls.

Behind her was a toddler boy, looking to be around a year old, with lighter brown hair. His eyes were a calm blue color and he was sitting up on a blanket, his right hand completely in his mouth with drool dripping down his chin and onto his blue overalls. He was staring at Tony curiously before his attention turned to Harley and he stuck out his left hand towards the newcomer.

Harley had been too busy staring at the two small children, he hadn't noticed all eyes were turned on him.

Tony cleared his throat, "Harley, you remember everyone right?" he asked, waving around the circle.

Harley's head snapped up and he looked towards Tony, "Uh, yeah, basically." He sputtered, before glancing back at the kids. The girl was now staring at him, a bashful look on her face. Harley felt something inside him tug as he stared from her familiar green eyes the boy's blue eyes. The two were so similar they had to be siblings, and Harley was trying to figure out who exactly they looked like, and who in the circle they belonged to. The green eyes of the girls were what struck him, because he knew a few of the people in the circle all had green eyes, but none that shade of hazel.

"I doubt he knows these two." Natasha chuckled, poking the baby boy's back with her toe. He spun around quickly, his hand still in his mouth, and gave Natasha a large grin, his two front teeth shone brightly.

Natasha smiled back at him, before glancing at Harley. "This is Henry," she said, nodding to the boy, "And that's Grace." She said, sending a nod towards the girl.

Harley nodded, waiting now for someone in the circle to claim them. A silence fell over the group when Harley heard footsteps coming up behind him. He took a few steps to the side, watching over his shoulder as a familiar, yet aged, brunette appeared at the top of the stairs, holding a bottle in one hand and a cup of apple slices in the other.

Harley and Bucky met eyes, but before either could say a word, Grace cried out, "Daddy!" and finally released Tony from her grip, running at Bucky excitedly.

Henry began laughing and flailing his arms all around him at the sight of Bucky, and Harley finally knew whose kids these belonged to.

"Appies, appies, appies!" Grace chanted excitedly, reaching for the cup in Bucky's hand. A smile appeared on his face and he handed her the cup. She took it gratefully and hurried back to the center of the circle, plopping down on the blanket while Bucky walked over and knelt down in front of Henry, handing his son his bottle. Henry grabbed at it and the moment he stuck it in his mouth he fell backwards on the blanket, thumping hard against the floor.

Bucky cringed and his hands hovered over Henry in case he started to cry, but the baby continued drinking his bottle as if he felt no pain at all.

"Only proves how hard a head he's got." Clint chuckled from his place next to Natasha.

Bucky scuffed, rolling his eyes with an amused look on his face, before glancing over his shoulder at Harley.

Harley wasn't sure if he was hiding his anger any more or not, but he knew he couldn't take his eyes off of Bucky. He was dying to scream at him, ask him what kind of man he was, bouncing back after such a tragedy it was losing Alba, but Harley knew better than to begin a fight in front of two small children. He remembered all too well the times his parents had fought in front of him and his sister, he didn't want to subject these two innocent children to that.

"If you have something to say," Bucky muttered, pushing himself up to face Harley, "Then say it. If we're going to be living under the same roof I'd rather you get whatever it is off your chest now instead of you blowing up one day in the future." He said matter-of-factly.

Harley rolled his eyes, scoffing, "What I want to say isn't appropriate because there are children present. I'd rather not do this in front of them."

Tony nodded, pointing at Harley, "Very admiral of you. Hey Pepper," Tony looked towards his girlfriend, who appeared a bit apprehensive on the couch as she stared between Harley and Bucky, "Why don't you take these two to their mommy in her office? I think she could use a break from her work to see her kiddos."

Pepper nodded, walking over to the kids and scooping Henry up in her arms while ushering Grace up and leading her past Bucky and Harley to the steps and down one of the doors leading to a hallway.

Harley watched them go before turning back to Bucky. He couldn't believe he was about to blow up at him in front of everyone, but Bucky asked for it.

"How long after my aunt died did you get married?" Harley asked.

Bucky stiffened, "Our wedding date was June 2nd, 2015."

Harley gawked, "Less than a year after my aunt died you married some other woman?!" he nearly yelled, "You got married, you had kids, while my aunt rots in the ground! I bet you couldn't even imagine yourself doing that kind of stuff when you were a HYDRA killing machine for seventy years! Alba use to always say what she wanted her wedding to be like, and how she wanted to raise her kids. In a big family like ours, it's normal to always think about that stuff, but she never got that! What kind of justice is that, she dies and gets nothing while you live and get everything?"

Bucky crossed his arms, his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched, "Are you finished?"

"No!" Harley snapped, "Alba was like," his voice cracked, "She was my best friend. We looked out for each other, she was the youngest aunt and I was the oldest grandkid. We were the closest and I miss her every day. It's not fair that's she's gone, that she's gone because HYDRA wanted you and they used her to get to you. And what kind of selfish human being are you, to put another woman's life in danger, and then drag in two innocent kids?!"

Harley waved behind him in the direction of the hallway Pepper left with the children, "After living through what happened to my aunt, you're putting three new people through that too. How can you live with yourself knowing any minute something could happen that could take them away forever, and it would be your entire fault?"

Bucky's eyes were dark as he stared at Harley, who had tears falling down his face freely. The blond didn't even try to wipe his eyes, he was too angry to care.

The room was dead silent, and Harley saw Bucky's eyes dart behind him for a second before looking back at Bucky.

"Do you know what a witness protection program is?" Bucky asked quietly.

Harley scoffed, "What? Are you saying you'll just throw your wife and kids in a protection program every time danger comes lurking? Those don't always help!"

Bucky rolled his eyes, "No, that's not what I'm saying. But you know what it is, then. It's something that erases a person from their life and gives them a new one until it's safe for them to go back to their old one, or maybe it'll never be safe for them to go back, and they're stuck living as someone else for the rest of their lives."

Harley nodded, not following, a confused look on his face.

"HYDRA is always going to be out there," Bucky continued, his eyes darting behind Harley once more, and Harley could hear the faint noise of footsteps, but he simply assumed it was Pepper coming back and kept his gaze on Bucky.

"We've spent the last six years trying to get rid of it but we haven't even come close. The only way to protect an innocent person who HYDRA knows would be reason enough to lure us to them, would be to hide them completely under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. They would have to give them a new name, identity, a face contorting mask to wear in public so no one recognizes them. If anyone from that person's family knew they were still alive, the whole thing could be compromised. All of their loved ones would have to believe that person is really gone for them to stay completely safe." Bucky explained, the footsteps getting closer to the staircase.

Harley shook his head, "What are you saying? That your wife and kids are under some super protection stuff? That's how you're protecting them? I honestly don't care how you're protecting them, honestly, I'm just pissed at what you've done." Harley spat, "It's like you pissed all over my aunt's grave by up and marrying someone months after she died. If there was anyone who deserved to go under your stupid protection thing, it should have been Alba! You should have," Harley paused, slowing his speech as he brow furrowed.

The footsteps were coming up the stairs and he slowly turned around, watching as a woman slowly began walking up to him. She was gripping the rail tightly, a hand over her mouth as she stared up at Harley.

Harley studied her features curiously. She had the same brown hair, hanging loosely out of a low ponytail at her neck, but her face was all wrong. Her nose had a small arch in it, and her eyes were a larger shape than Alba's, and her eyes were a blue color as well instead of the familiar hazel.

She took a step closer to Harley as she finally reached the second floor, her eyes over flowing with tears as she dropped her hand from her mouth. "Harley," She breathed out, uttered shocked.

Harley stared at her a moment, unsure if this was who he thought it was. He slowly reached up to the side of her face, his thumb brushing her cheek and he saw a golden glow rush around her face, as if it were pixels in a hologram. He felt a small chip at the base of her jawline and pulled, the glow falling from her face and into Harley's hand.

There she was. Aged, having reached her thirties, but there she was. Her soft hazel eyes shown through the tears and her lip quivered as she stared at him, her arms hovering at chest level, unsure if she would be allowed to hug him.

Harley choked out a sob, a large grin appearing on his face, "Alba." He breathed out, and beat her to the punch, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck and burying his head against her shoulder.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Alba sobbed out, shaking her head, "It's really you. Oh my God, how is this possible?" she whispered, her eyes wide as she held Harley closer and stared around the room.

Everyone held a smile on their lips and Tony held up his hands, "Even though I am not one for those Hallmark reunion type things, like this is right now, I figured Harley was old enough to know. Plus, the kid is obviously dead set on somehow becoming an Avenger, he'd need to be let in on the big secret eventually."

Alba gawked at the billionaire, "You arranged this, Tony?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Believe me, it took so much convincing of your husband to get him to think this was a good idea." Tony pointed his thumb in Bucky's direction, "He was dead set on keeping to the whole 'Alba's dead' thing, saying he didn't want to risk you little family, or your entire family's wellbeing for this." Tony looked towards Bucky, "Was it worth it, princess?"

Bucky rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his lips, "I haven't seen you this happy since the birth of our kids."

Alba grinned ear to ear, squeezing Harley tightly before pulling back quickly and giving him a shocked expression, "The kids! You have cousins! You have to meet them!" she said excitedly, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the steps two at a time, "And you need to fill me in on everything happening in the family." Alba went on, dragging Harley down the hall and out of sight.

Everyone in the circle chuckled, before Bruce looked over at Tony, "You know the whole 'internship' plan for him is going to be ruined now that Alba's got him. Those two are going to stick together the entire summer."

Tony rolled his eyes, "I'll be lucky to get the punk to leave for MIT in September now that he knows his long dead aunt is back from the dead."

Bucky smirked, grabbing one of the couch throw pillows and tossing it at Tony, "Oh, shut up, Stark, we all know this was the plan all along and you had no intention of giving Harley any internship duties this summer."

Tony smirked, before giving Bucky a mock offended look, "I would never."

The End