Disclaimer: I own nothing Captain America-related, not even Bucky Barnes…though I might consider asking Marvel to loan them and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters and plots/ideas are mine.

AN: Here's the final part of my Bucky Barnes story. I might, possibly put up a one-shot sequel to this, but that doesn't seem likely right now. My next story will be up in a few weeks, or less, so keep a sharp eye on my bio page for updates. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review. Thank you!

Epilogue:

"Well, this isn't too bad," Bucky commented, looking around the first floor of the house.

Anna stared at him as though he'd grown a second head. "Seriously? This place is amazing! The only way I could have afforded a place like this is if I saved money for a hundred years!"

He tried not to laugh at her. "Okay, I give in. Coulson does have good taste."

It had been hard, telling Steve and Adena that they wanted their own place, but they had understood and given their blessing for Bucky and Anna to head out on their own.

"I'd love for you to stay," Adena had told her cousin, "Especially since Steve and I will be traveling on behalf of Stark Industries a lot. The place will be empty a good chunk of the year, so you'd have plenty of time to make it feel like home. However, I know you like being independent, and not having to worry about some unpredictable roommates."

The hard part was finding a place to stay.

Enter Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, as well as Phil Coulson.

Not that those three people worked together on this particular problem.

After talking with Adena and Steve, both Bucky and Anna had decided it would be best that Stark and his girlfriend not know that they were helping Bucky Barnes. The general agreement was that the fewer people that knew about Bucky, the better, and when they called him, Coulson had felt the same way.

"Let them find a temporary place for you, while my people set up a nice spot that you guys can be safe and comfortable," Phil had said. "Just try and sit tight until we can move you."

When told of their predicament, both Pepper and Stark had been understanding and sympathetic, and more than willing to offer the short-term use of any of their properties, anywhere in the world. As far as they were concerned, they were helping to find temporary housing for Anna and her close friend, Jimmy, who would be staying with her to give her a sense of security.

After looking over the list of Stark properties, Anna decided on a condo an hour or so from the Rogers'. It was close enough that they could all visit each other once in a while, but far enough away for Bucky and Anna to feel like they were living their own lives.

However, Bucky was sure that Director Coulson and SHIELD was keeping a close eye on them, whether they liked it or not.

Now, a month later, they were settled in their new SHIELD safe house.

Personally, Bucky would have been happy anywhere, even a tiny shack, if it meant Anna was with him, so he decided to let her pick the house from the list provided by Coulson's people. After all she had been through, he felt she deserved it.

"I wish there was a bigger yard," Anna muttered, sipping hot cocoa as she gazed out the kitchen window. "More space for you to run around in."

He chuckled and sipped his coffee, which had been made by the fancy machine that had been Adena's housewarming gift to them. "I don't need a jogging track; just a place to stretch my legs, once in a while."

Anna sighed. "I am glad that it's bigger than the old house. There's a lot more space to stretch out."

Bucky had to admit that she was right. The old living place had been tall and narrow, with a tiny backyard and an equally tiny front yard. It had been nice, but compared to here, it was cramped.

Ah, but here, in this new house, they had room to breathe.

Their two-story house was spacious, with four bedrooms instead of two; the master suite was Bucky's, at Anna's insistence, but the second-largest room was hers, as was the large connecting bathroom beside it. He had wanted to trade, but Anna wouldn't let him, declaring that she had more than enough room.

The other two bedrooms had, at first, been designated guest rooms, in case they had visitors. Bucky doubted that there would be many, but it was nice to know that they had space for Steve and Adena when they visited.

Anna, meanwhile, had converted one of the spare bedrooms into a library/reading room, which Bucky very much approved of. He had found a fondness of reading, and the thought of expanding Anna's book collection was very appealing, especially since there were four large sets of bookshelves that needed to be filled.

Downstairs, there was a large living room with windows to let in plenty of light, as well as a theater room for movie and television watching. There was also a fairly good-sized dining room; a nice-sized bathroom, with a tub; a sizable kitchen with a nook; a study; and a laundry room.

In the front of the house was a large grassy lawn with, funny enough, a white picket fence. In the back was a large yard with space for an exercise tent, and room left over for a small deck, complete with a gas barbeque that Bucky was beginning to grow interested in (thanks to Anna's explanation of what barbeque was).

Everything had been decorated by an interior designer, except for the bedrooms. Those, Anna had helped decorate, with some input from Bucky. While the lower level was all sleek, modern, and elegant, the upper half was (as Anna had put it during a tour of the place) very "hippy and artistic."

Bucky didn't know what 'hippy' meant, but he rather liked it. Instead of leather or expensive materials, the bedrooms had warm, bright colors on the walls and beds, giving them a soft, comfortable, almost natural and earthy feel that he enjoyed. He liked the handmade paintings, carvings, and vases that Anna had chosen from local stores much more than any of the mass-produced items the decorators had suggested. In a way he hadn't expected, the rough-cut wood decorations were far more appealing to his senses.

He looked at the sleek, black porcelain cup in his hands, and the bright yellow one in Anna's. His had been provided by Coulson's design team –hers was from her own collection of dishes from her old apartment, which she insisted on using.

Glancing at Anna's face, he saw a happy, serene expression that hadn't been there for a while. With everything that had happened since her recovery from the abduction and rescue, things had been so chaotic that Anna hadn't had time to breathe until after they'd unpacked and settled in.

Now, though, she seemed content and relaxed, with not a care in the world. She probably had a lot less to worry about now, thanks to a new security system. It made them both sleep better, for one, and Bucky knew from experience that a good night's sleep was priceless.

He smiled. 'She's absolutely beautiful when she's like this.'

A lump formed in his throat, and he took a sip of his coffee to force it down. Once he'd gathered himself, Bucky gathered his courage.

"Um, Anna?" he said, getting her attention. "I was thinking…"

She gave him a sweet, innocent smile. "About what?"

Bucky swallowed again. "About…maybe going out to dinner tonight. Perhaps to that Italian restaurant you found online?"

Her smiled turned slightly puzzled, and rightly so. They'd always gone out to lunch, never to dinner. And according to his emerging memories, asking a girl to dinner meant something significant.

"Bucky, are you…asking me on a date?" she asked, her head tilting slightly to the side.

He felt his face flush as he cleared his throat. "Um…yes?"

Anna gave him one of her bright smiles. "What time do you want to go?"

Picking up JT, I read the text message there, and typed a reply. A second later, I got a response, and smiled as I read it.

Steve leaned over to read it. "What's going on? Is everything alright over there?"

I smiled and put JT down. My hands now free, I shifted so that my head rested in the curve between Steve's chest, his arm, and his shoulder. It was my favorite spot whenever we watched a movie.

"Oh, yeah; everything's great," I said. "Anna was just telling me about what they were going to do for dinner."

Steve nodded and turned his attention back to the movie. Smiling, I decided to keep quiet on the matter until much later. It would, no doubt, take Steve a while to get used to the idea of his best friend dating my cousin.

'And if Phil or SHIELD has problems with it, they can talk to me.'

Reaching for the snack bowl, I tossed a bit of potato chip into my mouth and began to lose myself in the movie.

I loved happy endings.

AN: The end! There will be no sequel, so I'll leave everyone to imagine Bucky and Anna's romance on their own. Please be kind and review, and I'll see you at the next story!