Epilogue
Turns out, Bucky had a lot of connections from his time as the Winter Soldier. He knew people from Romania, Greece, Britain, Russia, Japan, and more, all over the world.
Most of the connections were terminated after the fall of Hydra, but there was one connection that Bucky kept active. He’d spent a few days in California assigned to kill a man named Erik Killmonger, but the mission had been terminated after a woman named Nakia had intercepted him.
She, too, had been sent to kill the man.
And she’d gotten there first.
Intrigued by the woman, he’d spent the night talking with her at one of the local bars.
That was how he came to know about Wakanda.
She didn’t reveal much, but it was enough to convince him to seek them out after Hydra’s collapse.
He fell in love with the country and its people, so much so that when Loki and Steve started discussing getting their own place, he knew where he wanted them to go.
“Wakanda?” Steve gave him a look, “Isn’t that like a third world country?”
Willow went to Bucky, and reached her arms up to him, wanting to be held. At around 1.5 years old, she’d gone from crawling to walking and running in a snap.
“From the outside, maybe,” Bucky shrugged, and picked up Willow, “but trust me, it’s amazing.”
They took the jet.
As they broke through the illusion that surrounded Wakanda, Loki hummed appreciatively.
“To the world, Wakanda looks like any other third-world country,” Bucky explained, “but in reality, it is one of the most technologically advanced, powerful countries in the world.”
They landed near a farmhouse on the outside of the city, where a man had ridden out towards them on a white rhino.
“W’Kabi!” Bucky walked out to greet him, holding Willow in his arms.
Loki and Steve caught up with them a few minutes later, already carrying various bags of luggage.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Bucky was saying, while W’Kabi waved his arm dismissively.
“It’s a fair trade-off,” he said, “You deal with the goats, I have my peace.”
“Goats?” Steve asked.
“Ah, yeah,” Bucky put Willow on the ground and scratched the back of his neck, “I kind of agreed to take care of his goats in exchange for staying here.”
“Good luck,” W’Kabi laughed as he mounted his rhino, waved goodbye, and left.
Willow pulled at Bucky’s pants and pointed towards the goat pen.
“You wanna go see the goats?”
“Mmm.”
“Alrighty, kiddo,” Bucky said, sweeping her back up into his arms.
Once in the goat pen, Willow immediately tottered after the goats, patting one (just a little too forcefully) on the head. The goat bleated in protest, and snapped at her.
Despite the teeth having missed her, Willow pouted, her bottom lip sticking out comically as she glared at the goat.
She turned her glare on Bucky, as if it were his fault the goat was so mean.
“Hey, don’t give me that look,” Bucky scolded lighty, “That wasn’t very nice.”
Willow’s only response was an indignant huff.
She glared back at the goats for a few more seconds, and ran to the edge of the pen, holding her arms out to Loki.
“I don’t think she likes the goats,” Steve chuckled as Loki picked her up.
“Well that’s too bad,” Bucky said to Willow, “Cause we’re stuck with them.”
***
They settled into life in Wakanda quickly. Bucky (and Willow) took care of the goats, Steve found a job as an artist in the city, and . . .
“Loki?” Bucky’s voice came from the front door, “There are a couple of Jotuns here to see you?”
And Loki had apparently forgotten that promise they made to Rey and Helblindi to go back to Jotunheim for a visit after Willow was born.
By the time Loki had gotten to the door to meet them, Rey appeared to be unimpressed, and Helblindi had been glancing around the house, confused and apparently amused by the goats.
“Aunt Rey!” Loki laughed nervously, opening the door to let them in, “Helblindi, It’s good to see you!”
“Hey Loki,” Helblindi returned the greeting.
Rey, from where she’d standing with her arms crossed, smiled, eyes filled with mirth as she pulled them in for a hug.
“I hope you don’t mind. We thought it’d be good for us to visit, to see how you’re doing with the baby,” she bent to stage-whisper to them, “Though I think Helblindi just wanted an excuse to visit Midgard.”
“I will not apologize for my curiosity!”