When Steve Rodgers returned to the past he left behind three things with James “Bucky” Barnes.
1.) The shield - the great Captain America shield, completely vibranium and basically indestructible.
2.) The Notebook - the lists of “must do’s” of the 21st century.
3.) The Sidekick - Samuel T. Wilson
Bucky didn’t know it then but that third bullet-point would come to be the most important out of that little list.
But, before that happened, Bucky took to Steve’s idea of keeping a notebook. The only difference is that Bucky, instead of writing down things to-do or to-see, he wrote things to-remember. Things he would want to know if he ever lost his memories again.
Bucky use to keep his memories in a tiny notebook, zipped up safe in a waterproof backpack strapped to his body. He even clipped the little harness around his chest when he went out, so afraid of losing that little bit of himself that he had managed to keep after HYDRA.
That type of behavior when paired with a family setting leads to what we now have today,
Bucky Barnes: Scrapbook Dad
Every important date, event, moment, all of it written, saved, and shelved in Bucky’s home. In the beginning, it was just notebooks, like Steve’s. Bucky would write out descriptions of the Wakandan technology he did’t even pretend not to be awe-struck by.
The first real scrapbook, complete with pictures, starred one Sam Wilson.
Of course, there were other people of importance that made the cut as well. Shuri and Ayo, for one. Joaquin Torres, as much as Bucky pretended to hate the kid. Obviously, the rest of the Wilson crew, Sarah and her children Cass and AJ. An assorted mix of New Yorkers and Louisiana locals.
But mostly Sam.
Then, well, then something changed. Shifted Bucky’s focus oh-so slightly enough that his World revolved around something entirely new. A fact visible in the contents of his scrapbook.
One day, nearly four years ago now, Bucky did something he had never done before.
He stopped adding to his current scrapbook and created a new one, leaving the last unfinished.
The new scrapbook filled quickly, as did the ones that come after, but right now, what we’re concerned with is this turning point book. The one titled
Rebecca Riley Wilson
“She’s been in labor for six hours, Sam, will you sit down.” its not phrased as a question, Sarah is over her brother’s pacing the room. Sam had been pacing on-and-off since he and Bucky had gotten to the hospital. Every time Sarah or Bucky managed to get him to relax in a chair, he was back up and moving no sooner than he had sat down.
“I don’t get why you’re not freaking out right now.” Sam says on a particularly harsh pivot, gesturing to his husband. “How are you not freaking out right now?”
James Barnes shrugs, “I’m a trained assassin, I don’t ‘freak out’.”
“You damn dirty liar, you.”
“He was freaking out, six hours ago.” Thanks a lot, Sarah. “He, unlike you, brother dearest, had some chill to find. Six hours is a long time to panic-pace.”
“Oh would you shut it!” Sam doesn’t stop pacing but he shoves a pointed finger in Sarah’s face, “I know for a fact that-“
A nurses head peaks into the waiting room. They’re not the only people there of course, its a Labor and Delivery waiting room, there’s at least three other families. Sarah had made nice when the Wilson clan had arrived, neither Bucky nor Sam were in the head frame to remember names though.
The nurse called out the name on the paperwork in her hand, “Wilson?”
“Oh shit, that’s us.” Bucky promptly lost his earlier mentioned ‘chill’.
If the woman in the baby-pink scrubs recognized them, she didn’t show it beyond looking to Sam when she repeated, “Mr. Wilson.”
And then they were lead through the winding halls of the sterile smelling hospital, Bucky hated hospitals but he’d suffer through for this.
Sarah had been left behind in the waiting room, so when the nurse pushed open the door to let the two men enter, there were four people and one tiny bundle of blankets.
“Hey guys,” Emilea looked, well rough, but Sam wasn’t about to point that out. She spoke in a whisper, that wasn’t really anything less than usual for the young girl. Emilea’s mother was off in a far corner of the room, pretending not to exist. Emilea, under circumstances unknown but easily assumed by the two Avengers, had ended up pregnant with a child she had never wanted.
So, here they are, “Congratulations,” she says just as low, but this time she’s adjusting herself and offering the little blanket to the man closest to her. It just so happens to be Bucky, “You have a daughter.”
They had decided to keep that part a secret, well, from themselves. Both Emilea and Sarah had known, Sarah had done a lot of secret shopping with Bucky’s credit card (he didn’t know how to check the purchases).
Bucky steps back slightly, but it’s overshadowed by Sam rushing forwards mumbling little, “oh my god’s” under his breath.
“Oh my god- oh-“ Sam cuts himself off when the tiny thing yawns in his arms, he probably hadn’t noticed he was talking. “Oh, hi there. Bucky, c’mere,”
And then well, not even Bucky’s memory books could tell him what happened. It seemed, however, very much like the two men just stood there. Tiny body between them, simply existing, watching this brand new person.
(Emilea’s mom snaps a picture that will become the first of many in that baby-pink scrapbook)