The world seemed to move in slow motion for YN. One second, Mordo had been held imprisoned by Strange's magic, and the next he was lunging for the glowing green pendant hanging from the other man's neck. YN wasn't sure what would happen if Mordo got his hand on the Eye, but she knew that he was the last person on Earth who needed to be in possession of it. Instinctively she reached out to try to stop Mordo, but it was as though she was moving through quicksand. Helplessly she watched as Mordo's hand wrapped around the Eye. Strange had reacted by pulling away, but he was too late. YN watched in horror as the chain holding the pendant snapped in two, but just as Mordo tightened his grasp on the Eye, a repulsor blast hit his wrist.

Writhing in pain, Mordo's grip on the Eye loosened and the pendant began to fall to the ground. The glass encasing the green stone shattered causing the stone to begin bouncing across the pavement. YN started to call out for everyone to move away, but her voice was caught in her throat. She watched as the stone bounced toward the group of Avengers around her and panic welled up within her as she saw Barnes reach out to catch it.

"No," she screamed, her voice finally coming back to her. Without thinking, she lunged toward Barnes to stop him. She grabbed his arm, but she was too late – he'd already wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the stone.

Everyone froze when YN and Bucky suddenly disappeared in front of their eyes. Tony was the first to react as he flew over to Mordo and shoved a hand in his face, the repulsor in his palm glowing as he prepared to blast the sorcerer.

"What did you do?" Tony snarled as his other hand gripped the front of Mordo's robes.

"That wasn't Mordo," Strange said as he walked over to where the Eye had landed after Bucky had tried to grab it. He waved his hand and the glowing green stone vanished in an instant.

"Then where are our friends?" Steve asked.

"The real question is when, not where," Strange answered with a shake of his head. "I'll need to consult my books to see if there's a way to pinpoint their exact location in time, but. . ."

"Wait a second," Nat interrupted. "You're saying that they time traveled."

Strange motioned for the other sorcerers to start taking the prisoners into the Sanctum. "Wong, please take Mordo and lock him up where he can't do any more harm today."

Wong nodded his head and waited for Tony to let the other man go before he used his magic to bind him and lead him into the building. Strange waited for Wong to disappear before waving his hand again and collapsing the mirror dimension.

Steve was about to ask Strange another question, but before he could speak, a flash of bright red filled his vision. Without a sound, the Spider-kid dropped down in front of them.

"Oh, wow," he said as he started waving his arms around frantically. "That was so cool. One minute the street was completely empty and then, Bam!, you guys all appeared. It was like that scene from that really old movie about the Mummy that came to life and started killing everyone. You guys know the one – they had to wait for sunrise before the lost city appeared. . ." he trailed off as he realized that everyone was staring at him like he was crazy. "You guys have seen that movie, right?"

"Kid," Tony said, his voice full of exasperation.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Stark," Peter started to apologize. "I had to wait until May left for work, or I swear I would have been here sooner."

Tony clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. We managed just fine without you."

"Really?" Nat asked as her eyes widened. "Have you forgotten that YN and Bucky are lost somewhere in time and we might not be able to find them again?"

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Peter twitched unexpectedly. "You alright, kid?"

"Something's happening," Peter said as he began to shake his head.

A shockwave tore through their group as everyone's hands went to their heads and Steve fell to his knees. Steve's face was contorted in pain and his lips were bared to reveal how hard he was clenching his teeth to withstand the pain.

The sudden headache passed quickly for most of them, but for Steve, it felt as though his mind was on fire. He struggled to catch his breath as images began flashing through his mind's eye. None of them made any sense at first, but once the pain started to recede he finally understood what had happened.

Nat was by his side as soon as the pain in her head had abated. "Steve? What's wrong?"

He struggled to his feet with one hand still pressed against his temple. "Memories. They were new memories. . .or old ones, I'm not really sure."

Tony eyed Steve warily. "I saw images flash before my eyes. Things I'd never seen before."

"I experienced it as well," Vision said as the stone in his forehead began to glow. "I think the timeline has been altered in some way, but it's affected Captain Rogers more than the rest of us."

"YN and Bucky?" Nat asked.

Steve nodded his head. "Yeah, and I know exactly where they are."

"I don't understand," Strange said with his brow furrowing in confusion. "How could you possibly know. . ." He paused for a moment as realization dawned on him. "Ah, they've gone back into your past. That's why the sudden onslaught of new memories was more intense for you."

"If I give you an exact date and time, can you open a portal using the Eye?" Steve asked.

"I've never tried that before. . ." Strange began.

"But you think it can work?" Tony interrupted.

"I think it's our only hope to bring your friends back to the present." Strange paused and took a breath. "Let me go deal with Mordo and then I'll work on creating that portal."

Rhodey chose that moment to finally voice his concerns. "You don't think it's more important to rescue our friends right now?"

"See, that's the beauty of time travel," Strange said in a condescending tone. "We can wait as long as we need to, and as long as we go back to the moment they arrive in the past, then the timeline is unaffected."

"But the longer we wait, the more time they'll lose right now," Steve reasoned.

"Which is why you need to stop talking and let me take care of the more immediate threat."

Steve's mouth set in a hard line as the sorcerer turned on his heal and with his cape billowing out behind him began walking up the stairs of the Sanctum.

Steve shook his head and turned to the others. "I guess we wait." He let out a frustrated breath and looked at each of his team members. "Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?"

Everyone started shaking their heads as they glanced around at one another. Steve gave everyone a nod before putting his hands on his hips and dropping his head.

"Are you alright?" Nat asked as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I have all these new memories," he began as he tried to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. "But I can still remember the way it was before."

"I know Strange said that he'd like to open the portal the instant they appear in the past, but for some reason, I don't think that's going to happen."

"Why do you say that?"

Nat took a deep breath and looked around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Why would you have all these new memories if YN and Bucky are only in the past for a few minutes?"

"Because I'm not going to let Strange go back to the point in time he wants to," Steve explained with a sigh. "I can't explain it right now, but once we get them back, I'll tell you everything I know."

Nat wanted to press him for more answers, but she trusted Steve's judgment. If he thought there was a reason to let their friends stay in the past a little longer than Strange planned, then she'd back him up.

"What about the timeline?"

Steve looked up to see his friends heading back into the Sanctum. "The timeline has already been changed. Other than me, I don't think it really affected anyone else adversely."

Nat furrowed her brow. "I remember the images I saw when the pain started, but I can't figure out why they're important."

"Do you remember those events before the new memories appeared?"

Nat closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "No, I can't. But why can you?"

Steve shook his head. "It's gotta be the serum."

"Probably." She let out a sigh and began heading into the Sanctum. "Do you think anyone else will remember both sets of memories?"

"I wouldn't think so. Most people in the world should be unaffected, and those that were will probably just write it off as a sudden headache."

"I hope you're right."

"Me too," Steve said as he nodded to Nat and headed toward his room – he needed time to think about his plan for rescuing YN and Bucky from the past.

Strange knocked on his door about an hour later and told him he was ready to try the portal. Steve got up off of his bed and followed the sorcerer to a large empty training room. Somehow Tony had found out what was going on because he entered the room a few moments after Steve and Strange had made their way to the center.

"I don't care if you stay and watch, but don't interfere," Strange warned as he waved a hand and called forth the Eye.

"How does this work?" Steve asked.

"Wong and I experimented for a bit and this works best if I'm touching you while you concentrate on the specific time and place."

Steve nodded his head as Strange laid a hand on his shoulder. He watched as the Eye began to glow, but when Strange nodded at him he closed his eyes and focused on the exact moment he'd spent the past hour debating about. He heard the telltale sound of a portal being opened, but he kept his eyes shut until Strange removed his hand from his shoulder.

Opening his eyes, he saw his friends huddled together on the floor of his old apartment comforting one another. His heart broke as he saw first hand how hard it had been for them to live through the past few weeks. He almost felt guilty for leaving them in the past so long, but seeing them wrapped in one another's arms was all the proof he needed to know that he'd made the right call.

He stepped through the portal and walked over to Bucky. Laying a hand on his shoulder he said, "Time to go home, pal."

Steve felt Bucky's shoulders sag in relief before his friend turned to face him as he shook his head in frustration. "About damn time, punk."

Steve let out a chuckle at the familiar nickname, but his smile faded when he saw YN's face for the first time. Her eyes were slightly swollen and he assumed it was due to the tears she'd shed as she'd bid farewell to the younger version of Bucky.

"How is she?"

Bucky looked back down at YN and ran a hand lightly down her tear-stained face. "She's been better, but she'll be glad to see you when she wakes up."

Bucky's legs ached from kneeling in the floor for so long, but he did his best to stand up as gracefully as he could so he didn't wake the woman sleeping in his arms. Once he was on his feet, Steve reached out and grabbed the hem of her dress between his fingers and started smiling.

"I remember this dress," he said with a wistful look in his eye. "She looked so pretty that night."

"You remember?" Bucky asked.

Steve met Bucky's eye. "I remember everything."

"What the hell have you done?" Strange asked with barely contained fury.

"What I needed to do," Steve said with a smirk. "Don't worry, your precious timeline isn't screwed up too much."

Without sparing him another glance, Steve led Bucky back through the portal and into the training room of the Sanctum. Tony had been anxiously waiting to see if Strange could actually open a portal in time to rescue YN and Bucky.

Tony took one look at YN's seemingly lifeless body in Bucky's arms and began running across the room. "What have you done to her?"

Tony's voice echoed throughout the room, and with a start, YN awoke. She was disoriented and confused as she looked up at Bucky questioningly, but when she heard Tony's voice she twisted around in Bucky's arms to see if he was really there or if her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Tony," she cried out with a look of elation on her face.

Bucky's heart broke into a thousand pieces in that instant. After all they'd been through in the past few weeks, she obviously still harbored feelings for the other man. He turned away and his eyes met Steve's. The look of pity in his friend's eyes was all the confirmation he needed to know that he wasn't overreacting.

"I'll kill him," Tony growled as he reached out to take YN from Bucky's arms.

"What?" YN asked as her smile turned to confusion and she recoiled from Tony's outstretched arms.

Tony stopped dead in his tracks as he allowed his mind to start putting the pieces together. She and Barnes were both dressed in clothes they hadn't been wearing an hour before, and there was something different about them – something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He turned his accusatory glare onto Steve.

"Rogers."

Steve held up his hands. "I'll explain it all later, I promise, but right now I think YN and Bucky need some time to rest."

YN's head swiveled around and tears welled up in her eyes as she took in the sight of Steve standing off to the side. Part of her wanted to hug him and the other part wanted to throttle him. Torn between the two urges, she looked back up at Bucky.

"We're really home?" she asked as she slid her hands from around his neck to cup his face. "I'm not dreaming?"

Seeing the look in her eyes had hope welling up in him again. He'd been sure that she'd forgotten all they'd shared in 1942 when she'd seen Tony again, but after she'd burrowed back into his arms away from the billionaire he'd started to question his first assessment of the situation. And now that she was looking at him the way she'd been for the past few weeks, he was almost sure that the love they'd found had been real.

"Yeah, doll, we're home."

She leaned in and kissed him, and in that moment Bucky knew he had nothing to worry about. Ignoring Tony's shocked gasp, he lost himself in her kiss.

Tony took a step back and glanced toward Steve. He narrowed his eyes at the blond when he saw the look of pure joy radiating on his face. Stalking across the room, he jabbed a finger into Steve's chest.

"What the hell did you do, Rogers?"

"I'd like an explanation as well," Strange added with a leer. "This was not the plan we agreed upon."

"I'm not looking for forgiveness, and I'm way past asking permission." Steve cocked an eyebrow at the two angry men and walked toward Bucky and YN. "Why don't you two head upstairs and get some rest."

Strange shook his head and began stalking from the room.

Bucky was still gazing lovingly into YN's eyes, but hers had gone wide. "Wait a second. What about your memories?"

"What memories, doll?"

Before YN could clarify, they were both struck with an sharp pain that had them both gasping. Steve rushed forward and took YN from Bucky's arms as his friend dropped to his knees in agonizing pain.

"It'll pass," Steve whispered to YN as she clutched the sides of her head and whimpered.

Once the pain had gone, YN opened her eyes and met Steve's briefly before turning to Bucky. He was still on his knees in pain and her heart ached for him as she wondered what would happen once he'd had a chance to process the new memories.

"Bucky?" she whispered once he'd dropped his hands to the floor and began taking deep breaths.

"Whew," he said as he looked back up at her and Steve. "I truly hope that's the last time my memories get screwed with."

"You okay, Buck?" Steve asked.

YN tapped Steve's arm and he let her down slowly. Once her feet were on the floor again, she hesitantly walked over to Bucky and knelt on the floor beside him. She reached out a hand hopefully.

"Nothing's changed, doll," he told her as he took her hand and laid it against his cheek. "I know what you're thinking and I'll never stop loving you, no matter what."

"You've got to be kidding me," Tony said as he threw up his hands and glared at YN. Pointing a finger at her he asked, "You're in love with him? After everything he's done?"

YN drew her hand away from Bucky's cheek and stood up. A look of pure rage filled her eyes as she stalked toward the man she'd thought she'd been in love with for over a decade. "You have no idea what he's been through, Tony, and you of all people have no right to judge. Who I love is absolutely none of your concern, but I'll tell you now – if you want to continue to be my friend, you will put aside your misplaced anger and accept the fact that HYDRA is the reason your parents are dead, not Bucky."

"You'd choose him over me?" Tony asked although he was scared he already knew the answer to his question.

"Coming in second isn't a feeling you're used to, is it?" She watched the realization dawn in Tony's eyes. "I get it. Because now I know what it feels like to be someone's first priority and I'll never go back to begging for scraps from anyone – not even you."

Without waiting for a response, she turned around and held out a hand toward Bucky. He grabbed her hand and rose to his feet as she began leading him from the room.

Steve stepped closer to Tony and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You had to know this was bound to happen someday."

Tony rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "Yeah, but him?"

"I told you years ago that I knew guys worth ten of you," Steve reminded him. "The man the just left? He's one of them."

Steve didn't wait for Tony to respond, but instead patted him on the back and then turned to leave. He'd told Bucky and YN to go rest, but he felt an urge to go see her. He knew it was because of his new memories of her from back in 1942 and his desire to see if their friendship would still be the same as he now remembered.

"Rogers," Tony yelled across the room just as Steve was about to walk out the door.

Steve turned around and raised an eyebrow in question.

Tony walked across the room and stopped a few feet away from Steve. "Tell me one thing. Why did you leave them in the past for so long?"

One side of Steve's lips drew up in a smirk. "Because Bucky told me to."

____________________

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Part 21 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it! And we're back in the present!! Yay!! So, I know some of you were wondering why Steve waited so long to come back for them, and now you know! Or at least, now you know some of it! I do love my cliffhangers! What did you think of her reunion with Tony? Do you feel like she got her point across well enough? Will Tony be able to forgive and move on, or will he always harbor a grudge toward Bucky? Did you enjoy Peter's entrance? I love adding him in as comic relief! My original plan has the next part being the last, and now I'm so sad! I hate to say goodbye to this story, but alas, all good things much come to an end. I look forward to your comments and please consider voting if you enjoyed this part!