Sam opened his eyes and took a deep breath. On a night like this, during the dry season on a new moon, the stars seemed to shine brighter than possible. Something about their breathtaking beauty helped ease the weight on his chest.

The weight of being on the run and constantly looking over his shoulder. The weight of being away from his sister at a time when she really needed him. The weight of keeping up the good fight from the shadows.

Unfortunately, they did nothing to ease the literal weight on his chest.

He smiled down at the sight of Bucky asleep on his chest. He ran his hand through Bucky's hair and laughed to himself when Bucky let out a loud snore. 

This thing between the two of them just sorta happened, but neither had any complaints. At first, they would keep it short and cordial once Steve let Bucky out of a bear hug whenever they stopped for a visit. And then they started talking for hours on the phone, Sam in a safehouse on the other side of the world, Bucky keeping an eye on his goats. It was a way for Sam to vent about their shared best friend and for Bucky to absolutely goad him on. Steve was not the saint everyone assumed and he was glad to finally have someone else that understood the amount of energy it took to wrangle that little punk. 

Their first kiss happened on a night just like this: fire burning low, fragrant night breeze, and music playing softly from Sam's phone. They never could agree on who kissed who first; so long as they got to keep kissing, it really didn't matter. They were just glad to find someone that kept them tethered in the uncertainty of their circumstances. 

As a strong wind blew down the hill, Bucky stirred from his nap. Sam scratched at his scalp and Bucky practically purred at the feeling.

“Mmm, that feels good,” he said as he lifted his head and kissed Sam under his jaw.

“Hmm, so does that,” hummed Sam.

So, Bucky kissed along his jaw again and slowly raised himself up so that he could peck Sam all over his face. Sam let go of his hair, grabbed hold of his face, and brought him down for a lingering kiss. 

When they stopped to catch their breath, Sam couldn't help but stare. To see Bucky like that– eyes crinkled and grinning wide– it just warmed his heart. He knew there was still a long way to go in his recovery, but he counted it as a miracle to even get to this point. 

Bucky turned his head to kiss Sam's palm before asking, “What's on your mind, Wilson?”

“Not much. Pretty sure I left the stove on at the safehouse in Barcelona.”

“They've got you on kitchen duty, huh?” replied Bucky as he rolled over onto his back, left side pressed along Sam's, and head pillowed on Sam's right arm. 

“You know Steve and Nat are useless in the kitchen. Someone's gotta keep us fed. Plus, Wanda only ever uses her power to heat the kettle.”

“So? If the place burns down, it'll get rid of any evidence that you were ever there,” Bucky said with a shrug. 

Sam snorted in reply and nudged him with his hip. Bucky smiled over him and reached up to tangle his fingers with Sam's by his shoulder.

They sat in silence for a bit staring up at the sky. 

“Hey, you see those stars over there?” Bucky asked and pointed to their left. “They call that ijuba, or pigeon, after a brave winged-hero that helped stop a war.”

“Uh-huh, right. You see those stars over there? The ones shaped like a knife? It's named after the stray alley cat that wielded it during the war.” 

Bucky threw his head back and cackled. He gave Sam a messy kiss on the cheek and asked, “What a pair we make, huh? The pigeon and the alley cat.”

“Just don't try to eat me and we'll be just fine.”

And really, he should've known how Bucky would respond to that. 

“But, my handsome little ijuba, you love it when I do that thing with my tongue–” 

Sam shut him up with a kiss, which turned into several more hungry kisses with Sam straddled over Bucky. He leaned back and pulled off his shirt, and Bucky immediately sat up to bite at his collarbone and pecs, when there was a ping indicating an incoming call on Bucky's kimoyo beads. 

Bucky dropped his head into Sam’s chest with a groan, and Sam kissed the top of his head before he climbed out of his lap.

“He's your best friend; you answer it,” grumbled Bucky as Sam put back on his shirt.

“This might be easier if we just tell him about us.” 

Bucky gave him a dubious look and answered the call.

“Boys,” purred Natasha on the other end, “hope I'm not interrupting anything?” 

The smirk told them that she knew exactly what they were up to. Bucky just glared at her.

Sam cleared his throat. “What's going on, Nat?”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we're gonna have to cut our visit short. Fury called with a time-sensitive gig; we have to leave before daylight. So better get some rest now, Sam.”

“Copy that.”

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Romanoff,” Bucky ended the call before she could respond.

“What the hell, man?” 

“I've only got you for a few more hours,” said Bucky as he pushed Sam onto the blanket, “gotta make sure you get worn out.”

Sam rolled his eyes, but didn't stop Bucky from pulling off his shirt again or working down his sweats. 

“Really? Out here in the open with your goats and the stars as witnesses, Barnes?” 

Bucky stopped and looked into his eyes. He didn't have the nerve to tell Sam that the only stars he cared about were the sparkling lights from the fire reflected in Sam's eyes. That the wind could carry Bucky's whimpers across the mountains in witness. No, it was too soon for him to even feel this way. 

He gave Sam a bruising kiss and let his hand trail down Sam's body.

“Well, just in case anyone's watching, how ‘bout we give them a good show, hmm?” 

Sam really liked the sound of that.

"You killed my wife. You killed my son. You killed my daughter. You almost killed me. If Mr. Stark had not found me buried under a shit ton of debris I would be dead right now. But I'm just a number. A casualty. A blank face."

With each sentence this man got louder and more violent. Barnes flinched. Rogers stared at the floor. And Wilson just held in his sobs.

"I'll never get to see my kids graduate from highschool. I'll never get to see my baby girl get married. I'll never have grand kids. I'll never get to grow old with my WIFE!! Because you all think you're some perfect person who does no wrong! Who thinks it's okay that you lived and everyone else dies!"

The man's rant was cut short thanks to a violent coughing fit. Tony gently helped him through it. Tony had promised the man that he would get his justice. That his family would get justice. The man, James Morgan, only wanted one thing.

"I want to know what was so important about this murdering son of a bitch that you costed my family their lives! I want to know just why you thought you could justify killing them! Why?! What's so special about this bastard that my kids had to die?! To never grow up?!"

James coughed again. He also sobbed. He had no legs. They had been crushed by a piece of the overpass from the knee down. He was too scared to go under bridges, too traumatized. He had to quit his job as a nurse because he couldn't stand the sight of blood anymore.

"I still see my Emily's bloody face. Her eyes full of blood and tears staining her cheeks. I still see my baby girls impaled body leaned against the back of her mother's seat. I can't stand to think about my boy. Do you know what it's like to be stuck physically and hear your child scream for you? Do you? My little boy, screaming his tiny lungs out because his arm was pinned by glass and his stomach was filling with blood."

Barnes flinched and shook. Wilson was doing his best to keep from vomiting. And Rogers just stared more. James looked at the man he once admired, who his son idolized. And felt nothing but hatred.

"You talk about how 'the safest hands are your own'. When the safest hands kill the people you're supposed to protect, who protects those people from you?"

James felt the emotions drain away from him. He got to say what he wanted. And Tony had already promised that these three would never hurt anyone else like they had his wife and children. He wasn't expecting these murderers to admit their guilt. They never had in the past. He looked at Tony and nodded.

"I have nothing else to say."

He said softly and the other brunette nodded in understanding. James Morgan, now a widower, was wheeled out of the room in silence. His sobs heard the entire way by those he passed.

______

Wanda Maximoff was led into a room with two children. Twins she had been told.

Orphans.

The boy, rendered mute thanks to too much dust getting into his throat. And a girl, losing her left arm after it was burnt too badly to fix.

When the boy saw her, his eyes widened and he grabbed his sister and pushed her behind him. Moving them both to a further corner away from the red head. Maximoff tried to get closer but the little girl wailed.

"MOMMY! DADDY! Help! Someone help!"

She wailed. The boy, despite his brave front, was shaking like a leaf. The girl wailed and begged for help. When Pepper entered the room the little girl waddled over to her and begged to be picked up. Her face red with tears running down her face.

"I want my mommy!"

Her tiny lungs heaved with the force of her cries. The boy ran over and hid behind the other red head's legs. Tears of his own streaming down his face silently. Maximoff watched all of this.

"Did Stark do this?"

She only got an even louder wail as her answer. Then, two other adults entered the room. Pepper gently coaxed the wailing girl to the female. But the boy was harder to move. Whenever Maximoff would try to help, he only clung to Pepper tighter.

"Get away from Brandon! No! Stay away from my brother!"

Maximoff was stunned. The girl was trying to get down to protect her brother. From her.

The boy, Brandon, took her distraction as a chance to dart to the man behind the other woman. Hiding behind his legs and gripping his pant leg tightly. Pepper looked at Logan and Jean and the two X-Men led the children out of the room.

"The one who orphaned them was you, Miss Maximoff. The one who disabled them was you. The one who traumatized them was you. The one who found them was Tony. The one who had to keep them from looking behind them, to keep them from further trauma at the sight of their parents, was Tony."

Pepper said this with a monotone voice. She kept eye contact with Maximoff and watched as the fight left the other woman.

"You sent their home into the building next to it. It crushed their father to death. You caused both to catch fire. It burned their mother alive. They survived because Tony had heard Brandon screaming for his sister's life. She was unconscious and bleeding. Brandon will never speak again because that fire blew smoke and dust into his lungs and throat. And Maria, the little girl, won't let those two they left with out of her sight."

Pepper looked deep into the other's eyes.

"Because the red lady took her parents away."

Maximoff sobbed softly to herself. Pepper left her there without another word. When she opened the door, Maximoff was left to listen to the heartbreaking wails of little Maria.

_______

Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were sitting in a room silently. They had been told that they had someone that want to talk to them. When the door was opened, a woman was led into it. A teenager walked with her. Her hands were shaking violently. James Rhodes walked in with them, holding a Baby Carrier with him.

"Barton and Romanoff, this is Agatha Lopez. She is the Widow of Agent Markus Lopez. And this is his eldest son Jackson, and his youngest son Ethan."

James introduced the three. Both the spies where confused as to why this lady needed to talk to them. Did she need their help?

"What can we do for you Mrs. Lopez?"

Barton asked. The widow was still shaking too badly. So Jackson Lopez spoke.

"You worked for Shield right?"

His question was answered by twin nods. And both had to jump back when Jackson punched Barton in the face and almost hit Romanoff too. Vision entered the room and gently but firmly held him back.

"You Fucking Bastards! You killed my Dad! You Killed him! He promised to come home and you killed him! I hate you!"

Jackson got so loud and violent, it woke Ethan up. The baby wailed and it seemed to snap Jackson out of his tirade. The older boy stiffened and darted to James' other side to gently pick his brother up and rest him in his arms. Agatha was silent the whole time.

"Mrs. Lopez you need to keep your son under control."

Barton said and that got him a nasty glare from the teenager.

"Shut the fuck up. You have no right to order my Mom around after the hell she's been through. She just got out of the fucking Hospital thanks to your little info dump."

Jackson sat down and rocked his baby brother back to sleep. Vision rested a gently hand on his shoulder and it seemed to soothe the boy. The two agents were stunned. This was a victim of the info dump? They could see it now. Scars lined her neck and wrists. She was refusing to look around but her eyes laid on her two sons.

"I'm sorry, Jackie."

Was her near silent whisper. Jackson shook his head.

"Mom you don't need to apologize. It's okay. Doctors said you need rest anyway."

Jackson moved and slowly hugged his mother, careful of his little brother. Agatha carefully took her youngest and rocked him gently. Jackson turned to them again.

"You owe my family more than just a fucking apology. You made my mother a widow. And now Ethan will never get to know his dad. You almost made me and my brother orphans if Mr. Stark and Mr. Rhodes hadn't gotten there when they did."

The boy had rage in his eyes. The only thing stopping him from jumping the table was his mother. She couldn't handle the loud bang of a table being knocked over.

"Thanks to you, my mom may never handle loud noises the same without thinking it's a fucking gun shot. Cause she had to watch as my dad was shot right in front of her after he refused to snitch on your asses."

Jackson felt the anger fill him again and was thankful Mr. Vision had not let go of his shoulder. He probably would have tried to give the blonde bitch a matching black eye to the other.

"You're paying for my mom's medical bill. You're paying for my dad's funeral. And this time, Tony is not allowed to help you. He's already helped enough. Saved me and my baby brother from becoming Hydra soldiers."

Jackson stood up slowly, gently taking his mother's fragile arm and getting her to stand. He took Ethan and placed him in his Carrier. He nodded to Mr. Rhodes and guided his mother out. The Colonel followed behind him with Vision not far behind. Leaving the two Shield agents to sit in shock and horror at what could have happened if Tony hadn't been fast enough.

______

Tony gently hugged Mrs. Lopez. He guided her to sit on the couch in the common room. Jackson was getting her medicine for the pain in her arms and back. Ethan was sleeping soundly in his Carrier as little Maria watched him. Brandon was with James Morgan as the older man taught him sign language. Ever since meeting these few victims, Tony could not just leave them to suffer alone.

Mrs. Lopez's home had been burned to the ground. She had no family to go to as her parents had passed away and her husband's parents were too old to be able to take care of a baby while she was at physical therapy. Jackson still had highschool so he could only take care of his brother after he got home.

James Morgan had no legs and no job. His phobia of blood making it hard to work as a nurse or near a hospital. But he still helped the best he could. Tony was going to offer him a job as a teacher in the Avengers Initiative. Many heroes, super human or not, could learn a thing or two from him.

The twins, Maria and Brandon Simmons, had mutant powers. Maria was telepathic, though she wore a necklace her mother made that helped block it. Brandon was able to create explosions with his hands if he thought about it hard enough. But like his sister, he had a necklace that blocked it. Professor Xavier was going to send Jean Grey and Logan Howlett in one week a month to help them build their powers.

Once they were old enough he would collect them from the Tower for proper training and education. As they were only eight. Although Maria was still very against either of them leaving so soon. Since they had been there with the twins since they were found. Neither X-Men minded.

Tony wasn't sure how Jackson Lopez was mentally. He had suffered trauma at the hands of Hydra after his father's identity was leaked. The Latino boy was tense when his mother was gone for longer than he had been told. More than once Vision had been called to gently calm him down from a panic attack or raging fit. It seemed the android was the only one who calm the teenager down. Despite the former's inexperience with emotions.

"You're not gonna let em walk free are you?"

Tony looked at Jackson as he walked over. The seventeen year old was slower than the stories Agatha told him. Tony guessed it was because he didn't want to startle his mom.

"No. They'll get long sentences."

That seemed to satisfy the boy. He went on to help his mother with her medicine. Tony's attention went to James Morgan. The other man was quietly teaching sign language, his eyes fond but full of grief and sorrow. Brandon seemed to help. Maria was quietly rocking the baby in his Carrier. Cooing over how tiny he was and getting a small smile from Agatha.

Yeah, the Accords will be able to prevent things like this from ever being normal when heroes went to save the day. Tony rubbed Agatha's back. Seeing these few victims of his former team's mistakes, he couldn't help but wonder if it could have been prevented. If Maximoff never sided with Ultron, the Simmons Twins would have their parents. If Barnes had surrendered, James would have his life and his family. If Romanoff and Rogers had asked him for help, Agatha wouldn't be a widow.

Then Jackson wouldn't have to act as the man of the house. And Ethan would not have to grow up not knowing his father.

Tony promised himself and them that the Rogues would never harm another family.

He promised them they would get their justice.