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* J *

a few days later...

"That's you?" Bucky asked with a chuckle as he sat next to me on the couch, looking over my shoulder as I flipped through an old scrapbook.

Since it was pouring down rain today, we were both still in our pajamas, me sitting on the floor in front of the couch between Bucky's legs with his arms draped over my shoulders and his head tucked into the right side of my neck.

I'd completely forgotten about the box in the guest room closet, filled with the few personal items I managed to hold onto, until this morning, when Bucky stubbed his toe on it and brought it out to the living room.

He was pointing at one of the only pictures I had of my real mother, Ryan and I. It was taken about a year before she died, making my brother somewhere around 11, and me, a few years younger at six or seven.

I had a few teeth missing, and my hair was pulled up into pigtails, as Ryan and I smiled up at the camera while we hugged on our mom.

"You were so adorable." He smiled as he pressed a kiss to my temple, and I laughed, "Are you implying that I'm not adorable now?"

"Yeah, what happened?" He chuckled, his laugh reverberating through me as he hugged me tighter and kept me from swatting him on the arm as I giggled.

"That's my real mom." I explained with a smile as he pointed to the next one, of her holding me as a baby. I always wondered if my dad took that picture.

She had lighter brown hair than me, more like Ryan's, but we had the same bright green eyes.

"When she died, my brother and I were put into the system. First a group home, then shuffled from one family to the next. No one wanted us, and we didn't have any family we could go to, so the only person I could count on was always my brother."

"And he's in the army now?" Bucky asked, and I nodded as I closed up the scrapbook and set it aside before I moved to sit with him on the couch, stretching my legs out over his thighs.

"I should see if he has Skype over there," I said with a smile, "He'd love that you're here, keeping me company."

He quirked an eyebrow at me, and I clarified, "Skype is like a video phone call on the computer, so the people talking can see each other."

"That's what the little camera is for!" He thought outloud, and I laughed as I agreed, "Now you're getting it!"

Bucky smiled and grabbed the remote with the hand that wasn't on my thigh and scrolled through the guide, before settling on Raising Hope reruns.

"Do you think we should call the number on the fridge?" He asked quietly after a little while, and I sat up to lean against his side with his arm around me as I answered truthfully, "Whenever you want to, yes. I'm with you, when you're ready."

"I don't..." He paused, sighing heavily before he continued, "I don't want to lose you. They'll take me away and lock me up somewhere...,"

I stopped him as his mind ran through all the horrible possibilities, looking up at him as I curled into his chest and said, "And I'll be right there in handcuffs next to you. They couldn't keep me from you if they tried, Buck."

"You don't know that, Doll..." He said sadly, and I kissed him softly before I argued lightly, "I do, because I love you. I'd do anything before I let some assholes take you away, so don't worry about it. Besides, when Captain America gave me the card, he referred to you as his friend. You saw the pictures at the museum, he knows you. I think we should call him, ask him to come over tomorrow maybe? Bring Iron Man and watch a few episodes of Game of Thrones, get some pizza, I could even make cookies!"

He was quiet for what felt like a long time, before he kissed me and when he pulled away, looked at me with such love and appreciation in those deep blue eyes as he in a low whisper, "You're too good for me, Doll."

"Don't sell yourself short," I giggled as I kissed him again lightly, my arms going around his neck as I pulled back enough to look into those dark blue eyes, and said, "You're pretty damn great yourself."

Bucky asked me to call Captain America, or Steve to him, while he showered after dinner.

So, after clearing our plates and putting them in the sink, I dug my cellphone from my purse and grabbed the card from its magnet on the fridge.

It was just after sundown, and despite the rapidly approaching fall season, it was still warm enough to sit outside without a coat.

I sighed as I sat out on the back patio, dialing the number and listening to it ring as I held it to my ear.

"Rogers." He answered curtly, and as I stammered a little, I said, "Uh, hi! This is Steve, right?"

"Yes Ma'am, what can I do for you?"

"My name is Caroline, we met a few days ago, when you came and gave me your card. Sorry to bother you, I know you must be busy, but I was hoping maybe you could come by tomorrow, to...uh, talk, I guess."

"That's very nice of you, miss, but-"

I cut him off, before I got dismissed as some crazy girl trying to lure in Captain America.

"Bucky and I would love to have you over, Steve. Do you remember the address? It's 1547 Riverview Dr."

"Wait... He's there? With you? And he wants to see me? And he told you to call him Bucky?" The captain asked in disbelief, and I smiled as I started to explain.

"His memory is gradually coming back to him now, the bad days and the nightmares, that started after I stupidly brought him to your exhibit at the Smithsonian, have just about disappeared. He's remembered you since day one though, even before he would talk to me, and the only reason I'm calling now is because he wanted me to. He's ready to see you, so are you ready to see him?"

"Is he okay?"

"He's perfect, Steve." I smiled as I turned in my seat to see Bucky walking to the sliding glass door in only a pair of low riding sweatpants. "How does around seven tomorrow night sound? I'll order pizza, Buck will probably put on Game of Thrones..."

"Seven sound good to you babe?" I asked Bucky as he stood next to me outside, holding the phone so Steve could hear him reply, but instead, he nodded and said in a low growl, "Let's go to bed, Doll."

"Sorry, Steve! Gotta go! Bye!" I laughed in a rush before I hung up, and squealed as Bucky picked me up bridal style and carried me back into the house, only pausing so I could shut the sliding glass door and toss the phone on the couch before we were on his bed in his room.

I guess I should start to think of it as our room, because I haven't slept in my brothers room since the first night I abandoned it and I don't plan on doing that anytime soon.

At least I listened to Bucky when we were getting more furniture and things for the house, when he suggested making the guest room however I wanted and leaving my brother's room untouched, so he could personalize it himself when he gets back from his tour overseas.

I remember hugging him tightly in the middle of the department store, shocking him and the sales clerk walking behind us at the moment.

I still had all my stuff in my brothers shower, but only because there wasn't enough room on the little shelf thingy for them in the hall bathroom shower. I had only unpacked half of my clothes from my suitcase, so it was easy for me to transfer my stuff into the walk in closet in the guest room and help Bucky put all the clothes we got for him away in the new wooden dresser.

Shit, Bucky had more in this house than my brother did to begin with! To someone who didn't know, we probably looked like newlyweds or something, buying stuff for our first house.

Seriously, he was the one who picked out the magnets on the fridge!

When we finally collapsed on the bed after hours mind blowing sex, he lulled me to sleep tucked into his chest, his cool metal arm pulling me into him with his left hand lightly tracing up and down the small of my back along my spine.

After a minute, when he started to drift off like I was, I whispered, "I love you." and before I was out for the night, I hear him mumble, "Как я люблю тебя, моя звезда."

I had no idea what that meant, not in the slightest, but just the way he said it, I knew it meant something special.

I already loved him, but at that perfect moment, I knew he was it for me.

And I was perfectly fine with that.