Alchemy Jones → Bucky Barnes [1]

EPILOGUE

Adam giggled, clapping his chubby toddler hands together. His laugh sounded like some kind of birdsong, pure and innocent, left untouched by the war. Her laugh was much different. It was strained, forced and her kind, golden eyes didn't seem so golden anymore, they seemed unusually boring. Yet, Ally still laughed as Adam dragged his teddy bear everywhere he went. By now, the bear was completely tattered and worn out but he took it everywhere with him.

The memory of falling off the plane still haunted her memory. The surreal feeling of being so cold she could barely move, the glint of hope that maybe she'd die peacefully in the winter snow or the voice of Steve, her sweet Steve, asking what kind of flowers she wanted. When Howard found her almost completely frozen in the snow hours later, she stayed in the hospital for a few days before she convinced everyone she was okay.

But she wasn't.

"Here," Peggy handed her a cup of tea. "I wasn't sure how much sugar you took."

Ally took a sip, humming in response. "This is fine Peggy, thank you."

Peggy took a seat beside her, crossing her legs as she pulled up a file. "This is a copy of Barnes' file. Everything from his birth certificate, his rankings, a few photos and his– death certificate. I hope you make good use of it."

Ally tucked it securely under her seat, not wanting to face the truth at the moment. She and the misery of the undeniable truth were slowly becoming more acquainted but she tried to put it off. Behind the masked smile she wore on her face, was sadness and shock. "I will," she responded, watching as Jojo and William came towards Peggy's cubicle. "Afternoon."

Jojo grinned at them, carrying her newborn baby in her arms. "Afternoon ladies, I hear Peggy has something for us."

"I was just getting to that," she pulled out a few more files. "I am aware that Ally has chosen to only attend a few ceremonies in her honour–" Ally cringed slightly. "but I am also aware that the SSR has chosen to retire the Alchemist as she is no longer needed because we have won the war."

"At what cost?" Ally questioned, tapping her foot impatiently as Peggy continued.

Peggy glared at her for a moment before starting again. "With the war was won, we have started up a new project," she slid Jojo, Ally and William the files. "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

"Shield?"

"Correct Mr. Dansworth."

"Phillips, Stark and I came up with the idea not long ago," Peggy explained. "The SSR will be reformed as the scientific division of S.H.I.E.L.D and continue to work on researching the advanced weapons captured from HYDRA as well as the Tesseract."

"So they found it again?" Jojo questioned, carefully rocking Molly in her arms. "Did they find–"

"No," Peggy replied quickly. "They didn't find his body."

Ally looked down at her feet. She refused to cry again, she had done enough of that. She was now at the point where the sadness felt like the kind that seeped into your bones rather than explode in a river of tears. While it seemed her body grew colder and her mind seemed to fill with a burdensome feeling, her face remained stubbornly dry and so, she grieved in her own way.

"I'm here to offer you a job, recruit you for the new world," Peggy insisted it to be a good idea. "The SSR may think it's time for the Alchemist to retire but I– we think otherwise."

All eyes were on Ally now as she stared down at the file filled with information. She thought for a second, toying with Bucky's dog tags around her neck. It was clear that Peggy, Jojo and William wanted her to continue as the Alchemist. She began to think it was out of pity since she didn't have much to go back home to. "Alright," she nodded her head. "Say I continue as the Alchemist, what exactly would I be doing?"