sjsmith56

[sjsmith56]

Duke of Brooklyn

Bucky A/U

Summary: You recognize your new neighbour from the cover of your regency romance books you're obsessed over. You're certain it's him, the Duke of Pinebury. Well not actually HIM since he's not real, but you're pretty sure the man who modelled for the cover lives down the hall from you. Will he admit he's the handsome model after you confront him?

Content warning: Language (mild), fluff

Images found here and here* Note - the image of the book is a real one - called Deliciously Wicked by Robyn DeHart

"I can't believe you're going to wait in this big ass line for a book" you friend Nat rolled her eyes at you then yawned. 

It was early for her, but you didn't care. 

"Shut up Nat. It's not just a book, it's the last book in the series. The Duke finally marries the love of his life! I can't NOT get it, especially when the Duke of Pinebury finally gets his happily ever after" you swooned a little. 

Your favourite author just released her last book in her Duke of Pinebury series and you were currently standing in line waiting to grab your copy of it. Of course, you pre-ordered your copy, along with the other 30 ladies in front of you, but you didn't care if anyone judged you. 

You had plans to spend the weekend with the dashing Duke and to finally see him marry and live a happily ever after life he so deserves.

None of your friends understand your obsession with regency romance novels. You read them like they are addicting crack to you, sometimes forgoing parties, and birthdays to spend an evening lost in a world you only had ever dreamed about seeing. 

You love a good romance story that has a dashing main male character who's tall, dark, and handsome. Rakes getting themselves into trouble were your favourite to read about, but stories that had reformed rakes who chose the simple girl no one would ever look at twice for, well, they just did something to you. Add in some forbidden smutty scenes, elegant balls, pretty gowns, and the odd duel, you were instantly addicted from the very first book you bought.

"I can't wait to read it!" you were bouncing up and down, smiling wide. 

Nat rolled her eyes. She looked at the large display of your favourite author's books and shook her head. 

"Where do they find these people?" she asked. 

She picked up a book and scrunched her nose at the cover. It was the first book in the series showing the Duke on the cover. He was standing proudly next to his large estate with a dashing lady at his side. He was looking down at her ample bosom and they looked windswept and in love. Of course, it was cheesy as hell, it was a romance book, but there was something about the Duke on the front of the book that caught your eye when you first decided to buy it. 

He was tall, with dark shoulder length hair that was coming out of it's tie from the wind, he had clear blue eyes, soft, full lips, his white shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his broad chest, and his thick arms easily encircled the lady on the cover. It made you want to melt into his arms so he could sweep you off to his bedchamber. 

You later found out after reading the book, the cover depicted him holding Lady Amelia, who was his betrothed, who later died of the flu, causing the Duke to turn into a bit of a roguish rake at the end which in turn were made into more books about his escapades in the series.

Nat placed the book back and chuckled. 

"Not like these kinds of men exist in real life" she snorted. 

"Well, someone had to model for the cover. I mean AI can only do so much, they need a real man to start with" you shrugged. 

You would literally melt on the spot if the real-life Duke of Pinebury stood in front of you in all his Duke glory. He was so handsome and dashing, the stories always made you swoon and melt when you read them. 

The Duke on the cover of the books fit so well with the authors description of the character, it was amazing.

"Go and get your copy" 

Nat urged you forward. 

You gave the sales associate your reservation number and she went to get your copy. You happily left the bookstore with your order and were excited to start reading. You made a deal with Nat to spend the day with her before you dug into your last book since she said she wouldn't see you until you were finished reading it and possibly re-reading the series again.

You both walked up the stairs to your apartment when you saw the door at the end of the hallway was partially open. 

"New person moving in already?" she asked. 

"Guess so"

You walked down to your apartment. Just as you got to your door, there was a bit of commotion coming up the stairs. You turned to see what it was and saw the butt end of a couch sitting on the landing. 

"Uh, need any help?" you asked. 

"We got it, thanks!" came the wincing voice from behind it. 

"Ok" you shrugged. 

You went back to your door when you noticed the door at the end of the hallway widen. 

"Come on Sam!" the deep voice called. 

You looked over at the door and froze on the spot.

"You ok?" Nat asked while you stood like a statue. 

The man in the now opened door was standing and leaning against the frame, looking into the hallway. You had to do a double take before you narrowed your eyes at him before they widened in shock. 

Holy fucking shit balls, it was the Duke! You froze, rooted in place while you watched the man carefully. He was real. He was in your building! The Duke of Pinebury! You'd know that face anywhere. You have all the books, you've seen all the promo photos, online ads, videos, you're certain it's him. 

Well, not the actual real Duke because he isn't real, but the man on the cover was, and he's standing in your hallway!

"Hello" Nat waved from beside you. 

"Hi" said the man. 

"Little help Buck?" came the strangled voice from the stairs. 

"Coming" he said, walking to the couch. 

"Higher Steve" he asked, raising the couch slightly so the man could lift it. 

His biceps flexed making your stomach flutter. 

The couch looked like it weighed nothing in his large arms as he maneuvered it down the hall. 

"Show off" mumbled the other man who came up after it. 

"Ladies" he winked at both you and Nat. 

"Sam, get over here and help"

"Coming Steve" the man named Sam smiled at you both before leaving to help his friends.

You walked into your apartment and stood at the door. 

"You want to tell me why you froze like a statue?" Nat asked. 

"Nat, that was the Duke!" you snapped at her. 

She looked confused. 

"I think you need to be with more human people" she gently patted your arm, but you shook it off. 

"No, Nat, the man at the end of the hall, look" 

You bolted to your bookcase and got out the books in the Duke series. 

"Here" you placed a few on the table, adding the new book to it. 

"It's him, I know it is" you tapped the cover of one of the books. 

She studied the cover and then another. 

"Looks similar, but I don't know..." she shrugged. 

"I know it" you smiled brightly. 

"It's totally him" you convinced yourself. Nat laughed. 

"Whatever you think"

You heard some commotion in the hall and some cursing while the Duke and his friends moved furniture and boxes. 

"Go introduce yourself" Nat shrugged. 

"I-I can't...no" you blushed hard. 

"It's not even him Y/n. Just a guy who looks like your Duke" she rolled her eyes. 

"He is so the Duke. And he's not MY Duke Nat, he's THE Duke" you insisted. 

"Should I ask him myself?" she asked. 

"NO!" making her laugh.

"Don't. He'd be embarrassed if a fan approached" you smoothed out your shirt. 

"Right. Like he has fans" Nat chuckled. 

"Come on, let's go for lunch before I don't see you for a few days" she ushered you back to the door.

You popped your head out of the doorway and scanned the hall. It was clear. You locked up, the door at the end of the hall opened and out came the three men who looked a little haggard but were chatting with each other. 

"This is the last time I help you move Buck" the man they called Sam groaned. 

"It should be. I like it here. Close to work and everything" he looked over at you and Nat and smiled. 

"Ladies" he nodded, stopping to look at you. 

His other friends stopped to say hi. 

"I'm Sam, that's Steve, and the big guy there is Bucky" they smiled at you both. 

"I'm Nat and that's Y/n" 

Nat gave a little wave. 

"Y/n lives here" 

Nat added making you blush. 

You were unable to form words in the presence of the Duke. 

"Buck lives here now too" 

Steve smiled and winked at Nat making her blush. 

The Duke's name is Bucky. Got it. They were charming as heck. 

"Well, we'll let you carry on then" Sam gave a small salute to you and Nat. 

"See you" he waved after you and Nat.

"Y/n is cute" Steve nudged his friend. 

"Shut up" Bucky blushed. 

Of course, he thought you were cute, but you didn't say much so he's not sure you're into him. 

"Maybe she recognizes you?" Sam added. 

"Pfft, not likely." Bucky blushed. 

"That was a while ago I did that. Come on, let's get you fed, my thanks for helping me move" 

Bucky patted each guy on their backs as they went out to the local pub for a beer and food.

"I'm serious Buck. She probably recognizes you from that photo shoot you did a few years back. You know, for those Duke books" Sam teased, and Bucky blushed. 

"Shhhh shut up" Bucky spat at his friend and shushed him. 

Steve chuckled. 

Not that any dude around them would know what they were talking about. "That was a long time ago and I needed the cash" Bucky mumbled. 

"The residual cheques that still come from that help out" he added. 

Sam and Steve smirked. Sam was the one who found the ad at the college the three men attended. It said they were looking for a model for a photo shoot and he instantly thought of Bucky when he saw it. The ad required the man to be between 6ft-6ft 5", have shoulder length dark hair, blue eyes, and have a well toned body. It paid cash at the shoot and there was a possibility if the person was chosen, to earn a few residual cheques in the promotional material that followed each time a book was released. The model's image would be used for a total of seven books and no further shoots would be required as the main shoot would include all the costumes and props needed. 

Bucky begrudgingly took the ad and stuffed it into his backpack before he went to class. Being a poor college student, he looked at the ad when he got home and decided it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Little did he know, they chose him, and the rest is history. 

He has been approached off and on over the years from the same agency if he wanted to do any more book covers, but he has always politely declined, and he's never met anyone who took notice of his image being on the cover of a romance book. He was thankful there were no crazy fans after him, much to Sam's protests.

"I think she recognized you pal" Steve interrupted Bucky's thoughts. 

"You think?" he thought about your earlier interaction. He had never met anyone who recognized him, and he was a little nervous. 

Did he bring it up? That he was the model for the Duke of Pinebury book covers? Would you think he was a weirdo if he started talking about the photos and you had no idea what he was talking about? Probably, but there was something about you he knew he couldn't stay away from even from your brief hallway meeting. 

Sam and Steve dropped the topic and were now currently arguing over the latest sports news so Bucky thought about it. 

Perhaps he could have a little fun with you before he reveals himself, he chuckled into his beer.

You got home from work and were eager to read your new book as you raced up the stairs to your apartment. You were fumbling with your keys when you heard the door at the end of your hallway open. 

It was the Duke, wait no. Bucky, it was Bucky. 

You froze and looked over at him. He smiled and nodded his head as he walked by with a load of laundry "M'Lady" he smirked and turned to head downstairs. 

Your jaw dropped while you watched him walk down the stairs. 

What. The. Hell. 

You turned, got your door open, and shut it loudly before you leaned against it. 

"He's so the Duke" you muttered before you took off your jacket and raced to your book and reading chair.

The book was everything you thought it would be and more. The Duke finally got his happily ever after and you swooned at his lavish wedding, sweet bride, dueling pistols, and all the pageantry it had. Of course, it had some racy scenes from the wedding night that made your face blush, but you loved every minute of it, and you were sad the series was coming to an end. 

You read on the author's website that she was planning on making another series that involved the Duke's children, so you were excited to see what she had in store for his life. You texted Nat you were finished reading it and she was happy to get her friend back.

You stood in the foyer of your building waiting for your Uber when you saw the Duke walk in. He smiled at you while he checked his mail. 

"Evening madam" he said over his shoulder while he closed the mailbox. 

"Hello" you nervously squeaked out. 

"Waiting for your carriage then?" he pointed to the door. 

Your eyes bugged out wide.

 "Uh, sort of. Uber this time" you mumbled. 

He smirked. 

"Well, don't stay out too late" he winked at you then walked up the stairs.

A few weeks later...

"I'm telling you Nat, he's the Duke" you insisted. 

You sat and stuffed a few peanuts in your mouth. She rolled her eyes at you behind the bar she worked at. 

"What? Like Duke of Brooklyn?" she teased. 

"No" you tapped the bowl of peanuts a few times. 

"He's teasing me, I know it" you scowled to your drink. 

"How?"

 "Well, he keeps saying things to me when he sees me" 

"Like what? Hello?" she teased. 

You glared at her then threw a peanut at her face. 

"Not like that. He usually bows his head at me and says M'Lady and he always holds the door open for me if he sees me. Just earlier he asked if I had a chaperone when he saw me leave tonight to head here, you know, being a single lady and all. I think he knows I know he's the Duke" you blurted out. 

Did that even make sense? 

You felt like Phoebe Buffay. Nat thought about it. 

"Well, how are you going to ask him?" she cocked her head.

You had no idea how you were going to ask your new, hot as hell neighbour if he was the Duke. 

"I can't just ASK him Nat. He'd give me a weird look, pat me on the shoulder to see if I was ok, and then I'd never see him again" 

"He literally lives down the hall from you. Of course, you'd see him. He may think you're...different, but I doubt he'd think anything bad" 

"You know what I mean"

"You can ask him over for a drink? Put out some snacks. Leave a book out on your coffee table and casually bring it up if he asks about it?" she shrugged.

You thought about it. Most of her ideas were usually ridiculous and never made sense, but this one did. 

Would he come over if I asked him? Was he seeing anyone? 

Your heart fluttered then dropped at the thought of him seeing someone. 

Someone who's probably "normal" and not into regency romance books like you are. Most guys get weird when you start talking about the books you like. Some think you're a creep or weirdo for liking them, even declaring you as 'old fashioned', some you swear feel threatened from the fictional male characters you read about. You chuckle a little as you wish there was a real-life Duke of Pinebury wandering the streets waiting to whisk you away to a new life with his good looks, polite manners, and large bank account.

"Fine. I'll ask him next time I see him if he wants to come over." You muttered. 

"Don't get too excited" Nat teased while she filled an order. 

You glanced at her and shrugged. 

"Don't want to get my hopes up" 

"I think he'll say yes" she winked at you and placed the drinks on a tray so Wanda could pick them up. 

"Fine Nat. I'll see you later" 

You left some cash on the bar for her to close out your small tab. Nat didn't have the heart to tell you that your handsome new neighbour was crushing on you too. She got the information first-hand from his best friend Steve when Steve walked into the bar Nat works at and started talking to her last week.

"Ok. I can do this. It's just drinks and snacks. Casual. I'll put the game on. Was he a sports fan? What game should I put on? Maybe music would be better? Or nothing, just conversation? UGH! So awkward! This is why you're bad at asking men out!" you groaned to yourself while you stood inside your door, pacing. 

You shook your head and then straightened your shoulders. You are going to do this. You heard him get home from work earlier and didn't hear him come back out, so you know he's home. Not that you stalk him or anything. 

"Ok. I can do this" you repeated, hyping yourself up. You walked out into the hall and up towards Bucky's door. You smiled to yourself as this was one of the first times you didn't refer to your neighbour as the Duke.

You reached out and knocked on the door a few times. You almost turned around to leave but you heard footsteps and then the lock clicked. The door was whisked open, and you almost lost your breath. 

Bucky stood on the opposite side of the door wearing only a towel while his large chest glistened with stray water droplets. 

"Umm" you lost all thoughts and the ability to speak. 

His chest was toned, you could do your washing on his abs, and you noticed a small trail of dark hair that tapered from his navel to below the towel he had wrapped around him. You could see the deep v of his hips that you wanted to desperately run your tongue over. 

"Sorry, just got out of the shower" he stood at the door, leaning against the frame with a small smirk on his face while he watched your eyes travel his torso.

The white towel hung low onto his hips, and you had to fight the urge to reach out and flick it off of him to discover more of him. Even though you've seen his chest on the covers of the books, seeing it up close and in person was something else. Something out of this world and it was amazing. 

"I was wondering..." your brain short circuited when he reached up and ran his hand in his wet hair, making more water droplets move down his chest which your eyes individually focused on each one sliding down his toned skin. 

You were pretty certain time was slowing down. Was that possible? 

He's teasing me. 

You saw his large bicep squeeze in the movement so you stopped talking because you wondered how that would feel wrapped around you, and he has two of them! 

"Yes?" Bucky asked with a hint of a tease on his lips. 

He knows exactly what he's doing. 

"Uh right. Yes" you shook your head and steadied yourself. 

Here goes nothing.

"Would you want to maybe, come over tomorrow night for a drink?" you asked. 

Bucky had to hide his urge to fist pump the air, so he cleared his throat, trying to act calm and collected. 

"Oh. Sure. I would love to" he nodded. 

"Ok, 7pm, come on down" you smiled, then turned towards your door cursing to yourself. 

Come on down? What is this, the Price is Right? Ugh! 

You looked back and Bucky bowed to you before he closed the door. You got inside your apartment and flopped down on the ground, letting out a deep breath. You got up and walked to your bookcase, looking at the covers of the Duke series a little closer. 

"Yeah, he's definitely the Duke" you giggled before you grabbed one and flopped down on your couch.

The following night, you paced your apartment from the time you got home from work to the few minutes before 7. You were a nervous wreck all day and this was just about killing you. Not only were you nervous for you're your little date night with Bucky, but you really wanted to know if he was the Duke or not. You managed to get a few snacks out and you had both beer and wine chilling since you weren't sure what he likes when you heard a soft knock on your door making your stomach drop. 

"Hello" you said as Bucky entered your apartment. 

He carried a small bag with him. 

"What's that?" you asked. 

"Oh, I grabbed some snacks. I know you have some, but I didn't want to come empty handed" he shrugged.

 He took off his shoes and smiled, handing you the bag. 

"Thanks" you motioned for him to enter, and he walked in. 

"Beer or wine?" you asked. 

"Whatever the lady is having" he winked at you. 

"Uh..." was your awesome reply. 

"Here" you poured him some wine since you had the bottle in front of you and it was open. 

"Thanks" he smiled, then headed to your couch.

Talking with Bucky was easy. He was funny and a little sarcastic while he told you stories of his work and his best friend Steve. You talked about a lot of things, which was nice and relaxing, but the elephant in the room was the damn book you had left out on your coffee table. Occasionally, Bucky's eyes would drift to the cover, but he wouldn't say anything. 

Every so often, you would glance at the book, then at Bucky, but you didn't bring it up. You got up to put a few more snacks out when you heard Bucky shift on the couch. 

"Are you reading that?" he asked. 

You cleared your throat. 

Here it goes. 

"Uh, yeah. I was. I mean, I did. I just haven't put it back on my shelf yet" you blushed a little while placing the plate on the table and sat back down, next to him on your couch.

You decided to just go for it. You picked up the book and studied it for a minute. 

Bucky was watching you with a smirk on his face. 

"Go ahead doll" he gestured to the book. "Ask me" he urged. 

"Is this you? I mean, the Duke on the cover, is that...you?" you asked.

He smiled.

"In College, there was an agency looking for a model..." he started before you interrupted. 

"I KNEW IT!" you pointed your finger at him. 

He smiled. 

"Yeah, it's me" he blushed a little. 

"Huh, a real-life Duke" you teased and took a sip of your wine. 

"Yeah yeah" he blushed some more. 

You were happy your thoughts were finally confirmed.

"I've got to admit. I've never been recognized before" Bucky shrugged. 

"Yeah, that is kind of weird. I mean you're...YOU...I would think more people would notice you" you gestured up and down at his large chest, and it made him chuckle.

"Those books are all best sellers too" you thought about it then shrugged it off. 

"Not sure what I should do with my newfound fame and all. Do I need a manager? Publicist? Social media account for the Duke showing him doing random household things?" Bucky teased making you laugh. 

I'd so follow those pages. 

You snapped out of it then took a pillow and lightly hit him with it a few times. 

"You teased me" you playfully hit him a few more times.

 "But it was so much fun!" he laughed. 

"You knew I recognized you!" you got him a few more times before he managed to grab the pillow from you and pull you a little closer to him. 

"Not the face doll, it's my moneymaker" he giggled making you laugh too. 

He was so much fun. 

You stilled from laughing and Bucky watched you compose yourself. Because he pulled you close to him, your face was a few inches from his. You cleared your throat a little while his eyes darted from your eyes to your lips, then back up again. 

He leaned down and gently kissed you. You smiled and leaned into him a little, snuggling into his warmth. 

"I like this" you sighed. 

"Me too. Sweetheart?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you have a pen?" 

"Why?" 

"Don't you want my autograph?" 

You giggled out a snort. 

"No. I don't need it. I got something better" you snuggled into his strong embrace and melted at the fact that you are in the arms of the Duke of Brooklyn.

[sjsmith56]

Imagine Lottie having lunch with Steeb and she steals her favourite food from his plate little by little without him noticing at the beginning.

Then when he notices his food missing, he stares at Lottie with suspicion and she's like "What steeb?"🥺

Like yeah no one saw that 🤷‍♀️idk where Steve's food is going

This is so cute!! 🥰 she totally would do that too!

Lunch thief

It should come as no surprise to anyone that at least once a week when Steve isn’t away on a mission he has a standing lunch date with Charlotte. If it were up to her they’d have lunch together every day but she’s a smart girl and knows her Steebie is busy. Without fail though they always meet at the compound’s cafeteria and get lunch. Did they start making Dino nuggies once Lottie started having lunch there? Maybe. But it seems like everyone loves them, even her Steebie so he always has some on his plate.

After getting their food they find a table. Lottie waves and high fives any agent they walk by. She even stops to talk to some of them. Until Steve has to pull her away. When they finally find a table, near the large windows, because Lottie loves to see what’s happening outside, she opts to sit on Steve’s lap instead of her own chair. Before they even dig in you, Henry, Bucky and Nat join the pair.

What most people don’t realize about Charlotte is that although she’s small she can eat like a grown up. It’s mostly the serum but when you put her favorite food in front of her, she really goes to town. It’s no surprise that as everyone is talking that she finishes her Dino nuggies and French fries rather quickly. But she still wants more and she eyes the food on Steve’s plate. With a little giggle she slowly moves her hand toward his plate to snag a nugget, she dips it in bbq sauce and takes a bite. It happens a few times before Steve looks down at his plate.

“Hey, what happened to my Dino nuggets?” Steve asks before looking down at Lottie suspiciously. “Did you take them?”

With wide eyes and trying to repress a giggle Lottie looks up at Steve and shakes her head. Steve narrows his eyes at her but turns away to continue his conversation with Nat. Lottie smiles, thinking she got away with it. Her hand creeps up again and she takes one more and then another. It’s starting to look obvious that the pile on Steve’s plate has gone down significantly so he turns his head again just as Lottie finishes her chewing.

“Are you sure you didn’t take my nuggets?”

She gives him her best for eyes and a little pout. “No Steebie. I no take anything.”

“Hhm, ok.”

When Steve turns his head again Lottie pulls her hand up and grabs one last nugget. As she’s popping it in her mouth Steve turns to look at her.

“I gotcha.” He says and Lottie screams, causing the nugget to fall on the table.

She’s laughing hysterically in his arms.

“Tell me the truth.” Steve says while tickling her sides. She only laughs more.

“Kay, kay.” She says after a breath but starts laughing again. “I eated them. Is so yummy Steebie.” She says between giggles at Steve’s faux shocked face.

“How could you?”

“Is so yummy.” She shrugs.

“Fine, no dessert for you.”

Charlotte gasps and looks over at everyone at the table, who had also been laughing, with full concern.

“But I wike dessuht.” She takes Steve’s face in both her small hands and pouts. “Can habe some? Just Steebie and Wottie?”

“You want to share your dessert?”

“Mm-hm.” She nods.

“Ok, I guess we can share.”

Lottie smiles and hugs him. “Lobe you Steebie.”

“Love you too you little thief.”

Lottie giggles as Steve gets up to get something sweet he knows she’ll love. There’s nothing better than sharing his lunch with his best girl.

[sjsmith56]

The Interview - Chapter 20

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings: None

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count: 1933

Summary:  Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America.  Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Chapter 20

The two-block walk from where Melody had met Steve for lunch was a nightmare.  Most of the press stopped following after a couple of blocks but as the Daily Bugle paparazzi were going to the same place as she was, they stuck with them the whole time.  Steve tried to shield her body from the cameras to try and make it so that none of the photos would be worth very much money, and to reduce the risk of people recognizing her.  Melody knew that it was too late to protect her identity.  People had already been speculating, and besides, the person taking their photo as she reached the Daily Bugle was named Phil Sheldon.  If she knew him, he knew her.

Keep reading

[sjsmith56]

Thanks for the reblog! ❤️

Sergeant Barnes

Summary: The Howling Commandos have several days leave at their base in England. A nearby dance has the unmarried men getting ready, particularly Bucky Barnes.

Length: 4.4 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Gabe Jones, Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter, several OFC (named).

Warnings: Bucky worrying about the changes in him, a reference to racism, some anti-American sentiment. Otherwise it’s him being a major flirt.

Author notes: To the younger British women, an American boyfriend could mean access to better food, cigarettes and black-market goods. As a descendant of a British ATS cook and a Welsh soldier it was explained more than once that everyone, both American and British, would use the black market to get goods that were inaccessible otherwise. Nylons, shampoo, perfume, and rationed foods were just some of the more valued items one could buy from their black-market contact. I'm sure someone as popular as Sergeant Barnes would find a way to get those things to the people he was friends with.

🚿 🪒 🍻

The Howling Commandos were given several days of leave while they were in England after one of their successful missions. Some of the married servicemen spent it on base, taking the opportunity to sleep in and relax, perhaps stopping in at a local pub for a quiet drink. Others spent it in London, making the rounds of the various pubs, starting with the Whip and Fiddle, basking in people recognizing them from the news reels, and buying them drinks. Two of the soldiers, namely Bucky Barnes and Gabe Jones, were invited to attend a dance in the small town near where their units were based.

"Sergeant Barnes," greeted Barbara, a barmaid at the local pub, as she placed a glass of whiskey in front of him. "There's a dance tonight. Some of my girlfriends are going. Perhaps you and Private Jones could show us how you Yanks dance. You both look like you know what you're doing on the dance floor."

Jones looked at Barnes and shrugged. "You don't mind my kind being there?" he asked. Barbara looked blankly at him, as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "I could get into trouble asking a white girl to dance."

"Oh that." She laughed and leaned close to him. "It doesn't bother any of us and I'm sure the Sarge will have your back, won't you?"

"Damn right, I will," replied Bucky. "Come on, Gabe. If I can dance with your girlfriends in a club in Harlem, surely you can dance with Barbara and her friends here if they're okay with it." He smiled at the barmaid. "I've seen him dance and he's almost as good as I am. Are you sure you can keep up with us?"

"You two just show up and maybe bring a couple of your friends," she said. "I wouldn't mind getting that Dum Dum fellow on the dance floor."

"Naw, he's married," replied Bucky. "He's in London, anyways. We'll see who we can round up, but you better make sure there's enough girls for us."

After returning to base, Bucky sent Gabe to round up more guys to back them up, in case there was trouble. He went to see Steve, who was supposed to be writing a report of how he rescued so many soldiers at that factory. Instead of being behind a desk in an office Bucky found Steve and Peggy Carter sitting side by side at a table in the commissary, having a coffee together.

"Well, well, well," said Bucky as he sauntered into the room. "You must have finished already."

"Sergeant," smiled Peggy. "Join us."

"Don't mind if I do," he replied, smirking, as he poured himself a coffee from an urn on the counter. "Just came to see how Steve was doing on that report. How is it going? Finished?”

"Pretty good except I’m not done yet," said Steve. “They want me to really emphasize my part in it, but you guys were part of it as well.”

"It’s a morale thing," replied his friend. "You’re a big hero now."

"Well, it just proves I can get the job done, I guess," said Steve. "What have you been doing the last few days?"

"Drinking at the local pub although Gabe and I are going to a dance tonight. Too bad you're still stuck writing the report. Agent Carter, you could come."

She looked back at Steve. "I think I'll stay and keep him company. We can put a radio on if we want to dance."

Steve blushed when Bucky pushed him slightly in the arm, knowing his friend had two left feet. Finishing his coffee, the sergeant stood up.

"Well, I'm going to hit the showers and get myself prettied up," he said, then he grinned. "Don't wait up for me."

As he left the mess hall, he walked past one of the barracks and stuck his head in to say there was a dance in town that night. Several of the soldiers indicated they would be there, and Bucky told them to pass the word on.

Once he got to his barracks, Bucky gathered his shaving kit and clean underwear, heading to the shower building. As he stood under the stream of water, he felt his chin and jaw, noticing his beard had grown in faster than it usually did. Part of him wondered if what that little Nazi, Zola, had injected him with in that lab, made it that way. He didn’t want to think about it and tried to put it out of his mind. Finishing the shower, he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, nodding at one of the other guys who was shaving at the sink next to him.

"You’re friends with Captain Rogers, right?" asked the man, a Corporal Donovan, if Bucky remembered correctly. “Is it true he was a little guy?”

"Known him since we were kids,” replied Bucky. “He had asthma, stomach issues, caught every illness floating around except polio, which is a miracle in itself, but he had one important thing always going for him." He glanced at the man as he lathered up his face. "Faith and I'm not talking about religion. He believed in doing the right thing all the time, standing up for himself even against the odds."

He stopped saying anything then, wondering if he was even allowed to talk about the changes in Steve. Donovan didn’t ask anything else, but finished shaving and rinsed his face off.

“You going to that dance?” he asked. Bucky nodded as he shaved his throat area. “I’ll see you there, Sarge.”

“Yeah, sure,” replied Bucky, feeling even more certain he shouldn’t have said anything.

He took the last few swipes with his razor, then felt with his fingertips for any spots that he missed. Satisfied, he rinsed the remaining shave cream off of his face, dried it, and applied some aftershave to his face, patting his cheeks after. As he brushed his teeth, he thought about who would be there. Barbara was fun. Maybe he would be able to go home with her as she lived close by. With being on leave, he didn’t have to be on base all the time. Since he was rescued, he noticed in the few times he had been with a woman that it got up faster, kept up longer, and was ready to go again quicker. Even though he had no issues before the war, since he was experimented on, that guy that he used to be seemed like a schoolboy. Perhaps he should have said something to someone about the changes he noticed but then they would want to do tests on him. What if the Nazis did something to him that would make him a traitor? He looked at himself in the mirror and breathed out. No, he would deal with it. No one else had to know.

He picked up his shaving kit and went over to where his clean underwear, T-shirt and trousers were hanging, putting them on. Placing his soiled clothes in a laundry bag with his ID on it, he reminded himself to drop it off at the laundry before he went to the dance and headed back to the barracks. Opening his footlocker he found clean socks, slipping them on. From his upright locker, he pulled out a dress shirt, doing up the buttons, then changed into his dress trousers. Tucking the shirt in, he tightened the belt, then slipped his dress shoes on. His watch came next then he took his tie with him to stand in front of a mirror on the wall and put it on, making sure it looked crisp against his clean dress shirt. Returning to his locker he put his dress jacket on next, making sure he had all of his insignias and badges on, and the belt adjusted properly. Most of them didn't matter much to him except for his sniper's badge, sergeant's insignia, and the newest, a Howling Commandos patch, but the ladies sure liked them. He pulled a couple of packs of cigarettes out of his footlocker and put them in his jacket pocket, along with his Zippo lighter.

"Hey, I'm headed to the laundry, if any of you have some to drop off," he announced to the others that were there.

Gabe tossed him his bag, and two more were thrown at his feet. Picking them up he took them over to the laundry building. Stepping inside he saw that Mrs. Watkins was taking in the bags of dirty laundry. The older lady smiled at him.

"Sergeant Barnes," she said. "We missed you the other day. You promised you would get us some tinned fruit."

"I did promise and I'm sorry I didn't come through," he said, putting the four bags on the counter. "I'll tell you what. I'll go over to the commissary right now and pick up a couple of large tins, just for you, sweetheart."

"Stop it, I'm a married woman and old enough to be your ...."

"Older sister," he interrupted. "I still don't believe that you have a son in the British Army. Not with those dimples."

The older woman blushed. "You do know how to make a woman feel young," she replied. "Go on then. Get those tins and I'll write up these laundry tickets."

"You're a doll, Mrs. Watkins," he grinned. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Heading over to the commissary he looked to see which of the ATS cooks were on duty. The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army. Most of its members were cooks, clerks and storekeepers although Bucky heard that some were being trained to join the anti-aircraft batteries as part of some mixed crews, and in the searchlight crews that lit up incoming enemy aircraft during air raids. He was pleased to see that one of his regular girlfriends, Vera, was on duty. Picking up a paper napkin from the dispenser he tore a strip off of it, rolled it up into a little ball and aimed it at the blonde. When it hit her, she frowned then looked around at who would do such a thing. Once she saw him, she grinned and jerked her head around to the back, before calling to one of the other women.

"I'm taking a smoke break!"

Her sergeant acknowledged it and Vera slipped through the back of the structure, coming out to find Bucky waiting for her with one of packages of cigarettes from his footlocker.

"Oh, love," she cooed. "Are those for me?"

"Absolutely, doll," he replied. "Just got back the other day from ... well I can't tell you where I was because it's classified."

He put two cigarettes in between his lips and lit them, handing her one, then tucking the almost full package into a pocket in her apron. She took a long drag and closed her eyes as she inhaled the smoke then let it languidly out. A tendril of hair had worked its way out of her hair net and Bucky gently tucked it back in.

"I missed you, baby," he murmured. "Thought about you."

"No, you didn't," she replied. "I know you have other girlfriends, and I really don't mind. You made it very clear that what we have is just a bit of fun. I'm not complaining. What do you want?"

"See, this is what I like about you, Vera," smiled Bucky. "You know a guy like me has all sorts of obligations. I kind of promised someone a couple of large tins of fruit. She did a favour for me." Vera raised her eyebrows at him. "Not that kind of favour. She reminds me of my mother, treats me like her son who's in the British Army. Now those cigarettes are for you, and I just might be able to find some black-market nylons, if you can help me with this obligation."

"I don't know, Bucky," said the dark-eyed blonde. "They're cracking down on pilfering. I heard one of the storekeepers got canned for taking a tin of meat for her mam. I need this job. My sister just found out she's expecting, and it won't be long before she's let go from the factory."

"How about if I distract your sergeant and you just liberate a couple of the tins, put them outside the door here? Then you go back to your station, I’ll take several more minutes to make sure you're in the clear, then come back and grab the tins. Better yet, if you do get into trouble, I'll vouch for you. Being a Howling Commando has its advantages."

"You'll lose your rank," she stated. "I don't want that."

"Never wanted to be a sergeant," he answered. "Hate the responsibility. Come on, Vera. Help a soldier out. Next time we're on a date I'll do that thing you like." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, making her giggle. "You know you like that."

"Alright, go on with you," she said. "You distract the old biddy and I'll get your tins, just two. Any more is pushing it."

Grasping her face in his hands Bucky kissed her deeply then pulled away. "That's a down payment on our date," he smiled. "I owe you, doll."

She pushed him away, shaking her head at his audacity. Returning to the front of the service area he saw the sergeant haranguing one of the other cooks. Stubbing his cigarette out he walked close to where the grey-haired woman was and waited patiently. When she finished criticizing the cook, he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Sergeant?" he asked politely.

She turned to look at him, frowning at first. "What is it, Sergeant?" she asked. "I'm a little busy here."

"Yes, Ma'am, I can see that," he said. "I need your help and Major Falsworth, one of my fellow Howling Commandos, said it was something that you would be able to assist me with."

"The Major said that?" Her face brightened. Bucky was glad he had interpreted her longing glances at the British Major correctly. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, Ma'am." He hesitated. "No, perhaps I shouldn't ask, as the ingredients would be too difficult to acquire."

"Why don't you let me determine that," she replied, firmly.

"Well, the General apparently had a British mother and he said she made a Bakewell something with a cherry on it. What was it again?"

He put on his best thinking face. "Cherry Bakewell?" She looked at him inquisitively.

"Yes, that's it!" he smiled. "Would you be able to make him a cherry Bakewell? I think's it close to the date where his mother passed away, God rest her soul, and I thought seeing something that he had such fond memories of would help him feel better."

"That's a lovely sentiment, Sergeant but that recipe requires flour, ground almonds, egg, butter, sugar ... I just couldn't justify the cost of it, not even for the General. I'm not even sure I could find some of the ingredients, not when there's a war on."

He noticed Vera coming back to her station, giving him a big smile. Putting a look of disappointment on his face he nodded sagely at the older woman.

"Well, thank you anyways," he said. "By the way Major Falsworth described one, it sounds like quite the treat. Perhaps someday, when the ingredients are more available, we could see about it. I appreciate your honesty."

She nodded at him, and he tipped his cap to her then winked at Vera on his way outside. Slipping to the back he found the two large tins, and scooped them up, quickly heading back to the laundry. When Mrs. Watkins saw him approaching, she gave him a big smile.

"There you go," he said, handing her the two tins. "Mind you don't flash them about. I wouldn't want any of my other girlfriends around here to think I have a favourite."

"Go on with you, you're such a flirt," blushed Mrs. Watkins. "I know the drill. Here's your tickets, love. They'll be ready the day after tomorrow."

"You're a real cracker," grinned Bucky, tipping his cap and picking up the laundry tickets.

On the way back he stopped at the command tent to see if any mail had arrived and grabbed a stack of letters. By the time he got back to the barracks nearly everyone who was going to dance was ready. He handed out the other laundry tickets to those who gave him their bags then distributed the mail. With that task done and before they left, he made sure everyone going had everything they needed, including condoms, money, and cigarettes. With complaints they were going to miss the bus the assorted men walked to the gates of the base and waited for the local bus that headed into the nearby town.

When it arrived, they clambered on. As ladies got on, they offered their seats to them, chatting to them when they learned the ladies were also headed to the dance. Some of the older folk rolled their eyes at the confidence of the American soldiers and as they got off near the dance hall Bucky heard one older gentleman mutter.

"Look at them Yanks; overpaid, oversexed, and over here."

He grinned at the oversexed part, knowing it was true for him, at least. Not that he would ever force a woman, but he would sure spend time convincing a willing girl that he was worth having fun with. The chase was part of the fun, and he didn't always care if the girl put out or not. If she did, he would make sure she enjoyed the encounter. If she didn't, he wouldn't worry about it. A line was already at the dance hall as he joined it and pulled out his cigarettes to light one up. A woman's hand took it from his and put it between her lips. Turning to look he smiled.

"Barbara, you made it," he said, lighting the cigarette up for her then lighting one up for him. He looked past her. "Bring a date? Did you bring friends?" He gestured to the other soldiers around him. "I brought mine."

She looked at all of the men, some of them eyeing her back. "Well done, Sarge," she answered, as she blew out some smoke. "I brought friends. I want the first dance with you."

"Absolutely, doll," he smiled. "Is your flatmate home?" She shook her head and smiled, taking another drag of her cigarette. "I guess that means we'll have the last dance together, yeah?"

She didn't answer but did link her arm with his and they stepped forward as the line grew shorter. When they finally got inside the hall Bucky went to the bar and got himself a scotch and Barbara a gin and tonic. They sipped it as Gabe and several other soldiers from the base joined them. A friend of Barbara's also came over, giving Gabe a good look.

"Looks like the band is about to start," said Bucky, as they put their drinks on a railing beside the wall. "Come on Babs, I'll show you how a boy from Brooklyn dances."

As G.I. Jive began Bucky got into the swing of things, then noticed Gabe beside him with Barbara's friend. The two men grinned at each other as they each showed their moves to their dance partners. For the next several dances the two men danced with the same girls then Gabe finally indicated he needed a break and saluted Bucky, before pulling Celeste, his dance partner, off the dance floor. They both had some of their drinks as Bucky stayed out for one more dance before he and Barbara finally took a break, returning to their drinks.

"Well, doll?" asked Bucky. "How was that?"

"Not bad," she replied, coolly. Bucky almost did a spit take which she laughed at. "Alright, Bucky, it was pretty good. You're very light on your feet and know what you're doing."

A slow song came up and she put her drink down, putting her hand out to Bucky. With a grin he spun her out to the dance floor then pulled her close, as The Man I Love played. Bending his head down to hers he breathed in her hair, appreciating that she had washed it for tonight. With all of the rationing going on he knew that shampoo was almost non-existent, meaning she used some of her meagre ration of bar soap to do the job. He wondered if he could find some black-market shampoo for her.

"Your hair smells great," he murmured. "You look good, too. Should have said it when you found me in the line."

"You're saying it now," replied Barbara, then she looked up at him. "I'm glad you made it. You're always fun, Bucky."

He smiled and kissed her lightly on the shell of her ear. Even though several other girls gave him the eye he decided to stick with Barbara for the evening. She was a good egg and like Vera, knew he wasn't looking for love, just a bit of fun. Looking at the other dancers he was happy to see that all of the men that came from their base had dance partners. When the band took a break, he and several others lined up at the kitchen window, ordering fish and chips as well as bags of crisps to munch on. There was a lot of laughter during the short break as people hurried to eat before the dancing started up again. Bucky had to intervene during an argument between two soldiers, as one of them lost his dance partner when she left early, then began chatting up other girls during the break. Barbara helped, finding one of her girlfriends who had arrived late.

As they headed out onto the dance floor several women from the kitchen came out with trays, clearing the debris left from the food, as well as picking up empty glasses. They danced nearly all of the dances, with Bucky having a full drink during the ones they sat out. Barbara sat on his lap during their short breaks, receiving several intense kisses from Bucky that left no doubt about his intentions afterwards. After several hours the last call for drinks was made and couples began leaving. Bucky didn’t even feel any effects from all the alcohol he drank. He noticed Gabe leaving with Celeste then turned to Barbara and put his arm around her.

"What do you say, should we head out?" he asked, giving Barbara a look that made her feel warm inside.

"Alright," she replied. "You'll walk me home?"

He nodded, drained the rest of his drink and stopped to pick up his cap at the hat check. They headed out into the night and Barbara reached into her handbag for her flashlight, dimmed down so that it was just bright enough to light their path. Ten minutes later Barbara slowed up in front of a row house. Bucky ran his hands down her arms, then around her waist and kissed her hard, pulling her close to his body. She kissed him back then kept her face close to his.

"Are you coming up?" she asked.

"If you want," he replied, gazing at her intently. "Am I staying?"

He could see her smile in the dark. "If you want."

Slowly she pulled herself away and took her key out, then opened the door to the building. Following her inside, they quietly made their way up the stairs to the third floor, and she unlocked her door. Before she could turn on a light Bucky pulled her into his arms and kissed her, twisting their tongues together as if it was the last time. She whimpered slightly, then pulled him into her bedroom, closing the door behind her, knowing that the best part of inviting Sergeant Bucky Barnes into your bed was that he would make a girl feel like she was the most important thing in the world for the next few hours. After he left, it was certain that he wouldn't blab about it to anyone. He would keep a ladies' reputation intact and if she ever found a fellow that wanted to marry her, would be the first one to offer congratulations, saying the fellow was a lucky man. More importantly, he would mean it. One thing that all of the women in his life hoped for Sergeant Barnes was that someday he would find the right woman who would make him a lucky man. Certainly, she would be a lucky woman.

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[sjsmith56]

The Cruelest Animal, Chapter 20 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: In the 24 hours taken since the kidnapping to assemble their forces, the Avengers learn that Tommy has been taken by the Power Broker, while Lacey has been sold to human traffickers. Splitting their force in two, Bucky leads the team staying in New York, finding out where the traffickers are based and attacking them.

Length: 5.1K

Characters: Bucky, Terry, John Walker, assorted Avengers.

Warning: Details of human trafficking and its effects on its victims, violence causing injury.

Author notes: Human traffickers come in all shapes and forms and are often indistinguishable from regular co-workers or neighbours. The ones in this story are Russian-based and are not intended to be representative of the typical criminal type.

<<Chapter 19

🏨 🏙️

"We have good news and bad news," said Fury when he resumed the briefing.  "We have located where Lacey Chapman and her son were taken after their kidnapping.   Thanks to a picture that Carter provided to taunt us Bucky Barnes noticed a logo on a coffee cup linked to a specific coffee kiosk in Greenwich Village.  Using satellite footage we were able to identify the arrival of our kidnap victims to a location in the Village on the same day of the kidnapping.  Barnes also pointed out his belief that the memory suppression machine in the photo had been used on Miss Chapman.  Our analysis concurred with that belief.  Yesterday afternoon that machine was dismantled and removed piece by piece from the premises.  Miss Chapman was seen leaving in the custody of individuals associated with Russian mafia human traffickers.  Young Tommy was seen in the custody of Miss Carter as she also left the premises.  They are no longer in the Greenwich Village location."

Bucky's lip curled.  They had missed their chance while assembling their team.  Several people touched his shoulder in support and he took a deep breath.  Fury looked directly at him and gave him a grim smile.

"We believe that Carter has taken the boy to Madripoor, where her base of power is," he stated.  "The memory machine has likely been transported there as well.  We are going to send select individuals there with nano masks to infiltrate Carter's base of operations.  Cap has been there before and will be heading up that team.  Barnes will be heading up the team that will locate Miss Chapman.  We have identified two of the men who were with her when she left the Greenwich Village location."  He looked up at the screen.  "Sergei Dendrov, and Anatoly Maksimov are both high ranking members of Black Cat, the trafficking arm of the Black Dog mafia.  They both have eye tattoos on their hands which is indicative of them watching their prey."

Bucky stood up.  "Dendrov is one of the men who attempted to find a flash drive in Lacey's house in 2014," he said.  "At that time he also recognized me as the Soldier meaning that Black Cat were providing subjects for HYDRA experimentation and had access to their facilities.  It's likely he has been planning to abduct Lacey since then, although the FBI arrested him in 2014.  I put a knife through his palm in subduing him so I'm sure he remembers her very well."

"That may be a fair assessment," said Fury.  "He disappeared during the Blip and was accidentally released upon his reappearance due to the confusion at the time.  He immediately went underground.  We do know that the current incarnation of Black Cat take their captives to the docks, keeping them in a shipping container until they have enough numbers to be profitable.  The container is usually transferred to a Russian registered cargo ship and they are transported over to be slaves, or put into the Eastern European sex trade.  It's a filthy business and we wish to shut them down completely and for good.  If you have a preference for which team you're on now's your opportunity.  Team Cap will stay here.  Team Barnes will reconvene in another location which Miss Hill will lead you to."

Sam and Bucky both stood up and gave each other a pound shake then Bucky followed Hill to another briefing room.  He was followed by Walker, Torres, Belova, Van Dyne, Bishop, Parker and Ayo.  When they entered the next briefing room Hill also stayed.  Terry Williams walked in a moment later.  Walker eyed Ayo nervously when she sat next to him, while she gazed at him impassively.

"We are on the same team, John Walker," she said in her serious voice.  "You have nothing to fear from me."

Bucky stood in front of them and breathed out before speaking.  "I have some memories of the viciousness of the Russian traffickers from when I was the Winter Soldier," he said quietly.  "They are cruel to their captives.  Physical punishment is a given and they will not hesitate to mentally intimidate them into complete submission.  Lacey, having her memory wiped, will be at their mercy, which she won't get.  She will likely be in a state of complete confusion and submission.  My fear is they will use it as an opportunity to abuse her physically and sexually for they will see her condition as weakness and they prey on the weak.  If Dendrov recognizes her which is quite likely he'll be inclined to give her extra cruel treatment."

"So we need to locate that shipping container as soon as possible," said Yelena Belova.  "Those men are cut from the same cloth as the men who ran the Red Room in Russia."

"Red Room?" asked Walker.  "What's that?"

Nearly everyone looked at him incredulously.  "It is what the training facility for Black Widow operatives in Russia was called," said Bucky.  "The operatives were taken from their families as small children and grew up with a foster family who helped train them in spy craft and martial arts.  When they were old enough they began their real training in the Red Room.  Physical punishment and intimidation was the order of the day.  They survived it and moved on or they didn't and were culled."

"Culled?" repeated Walker, shaking his head slightly.  "You mean killed?"

No one answered and he let out a big breath.  Torres broke the silence.

"I can go up in the Falcon suit and activate Red Wing to search for hidden heat signatures inside the shipping containers.  The only trouble is I won't know if it's the Russians or another trafficking outfit until we get visual confirmation.  Are we doing anything about the other outfits?"

Bucky looked at the women who had volunteered for his team, knowing they had their own reasons for being on this team.  "We concentrate on the Russians first, then we go after the others.  Shut them all down.  Hope, can you go with Red Wing and do your own reconnaissance, be our visual confirmation?"

"Can do," she replied.  "I can also place a marker on the container from above so if they move it we can track it.

"Peter, can you web the base of the marked container so it can't be moved?" asked Bucky.

"Yeah, no problem," said Peter.  "What do we do once we locate and free the women?"

"They will need much kindness and compassion," said Ayo unexpectedly.  "They can be extremely emotional, or completely shut down, and may cower from others, especially men.  It would be advisable to have emergency services in the form of ambulances there to transport them to hospital as they are likely to be suffering from injuries caused by physical or sexual abuse.  If you can engage the services of trauma counsellors to begin treating them immediately their chances of recovery are better." Her piercing eyes gazed at everyone.  "I have experience from similar cases in Africa."

"I think both Bucky and I want to be there for Lacey," said Terry, then his voice broke.  "Just make sure you take all of those bastards down and make sure they never get out of prison."

"Agreed," said Bucky.  "Torres and Van Dyne,  please start your reconnaissance.  Meet back here in one hour."

Those two left right away and Maria approached Bucky.  "I'll set up the emergency and counselling services," she said calmly.  "We'll find her Bucky."

She touched his arm reassuringly and went off to set them up.  Yelena looked at Ayo appraisingly.

"I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Dora Milaje," she said.  "Want to spar?"

Ayo smirked.  "I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Black Widows," she replied.  "I'm up for it if you are."

Bishop followed the two women out.  Peter looked at Bucky. 

"Mind if I do some satellite surfing?" he asked.  "I'm good at computers.  Maybe I can locate the trafficker's hangouts."

Bucky nodded and Peter went off to find an open terminal.  Walker looked at Bucky and Terry.

"So, we just wait?" he asked.

"We're muscle, Terry is emotional support," said Bucky.  "Our time will come in just over an hour.  We want these guys alive, John.  They need to pay for their crimes."

"Even if they've raped her?" he asked then he looked at Terry quickly.  "No offence."

"I don't kill," replied Bucky, looking at Walker in a decidedly cool manner.  "I haven't killed a human since 2014.  It's what keeps me sane.  You should try it."

Walker smirked, thinking Bucky was joking, then realized he wasn't.  "I wish I had known that before I agreed to come on this mission," he said sullenly.

"There's the door," gestured Bucky with his hand, irritated and disappointed with the man.  "I asked you because I needed your super soldier abilities.  When your wife said you shut down some traffickers in Afghanistan I thought you might be interested in pursuing similar justice in your own country.  If that's too much to ask of you then leave.  I'll still answer the call if Carter ever comes after your wife and child."

"I'll stay," said Walker, sounding surly.  "Wouldn't want you thinking you're a better man than me."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Bucky, becoming angry.  "I don't care if I'm a better or worse man than you or anyone else.  My morals are mine and mine alone.  You goaded me in Europe about the serum flowing through my veins and all that power I keep suppressed.  You know why?  Because if I don't suppress it I will overdo it and hurt someone, possibly someone I love.  That's why I don't kill because if I did I wouldn't stop.  I was a killer against my will, John.  I won't be a killer again because of my will.  My choice, my decision, my cross to bear.  I hope you never reach a point again where you hurt someone because you reacted with rage or without control, especially someone you love.  It will destroy you probably more than your PTSD is already doing."

Bucky got up without waiting for a reply and Terry followed him, not wanting to be in a room alone with Walker.  He followed Bucky all the way outside where he watched as Bucky paced like a caged animal, waiting for the others to do their reconnaissance.  After a few minutes Bucky noticed him and stopped pacing.  Terry approached him then.

"That's why you left her," he said.  "You had a PTSD flashback and thought you would hurt her."

Bucky nodded then took a deep breath.  "I should have stayed and confided in her so she could understand what I go through," he admitted.  "But I panicked and left instead.  I was ashamed of what went through my mind while we were in bed together.  I know I hurt her and Tommy, and I will regret that my whole life.  I don't expect her to take me back.  All I can hope for is her forgiveness."

"For what it's worth I forgave you right away," said Terry.  "I figured it was something like that.  If you ever need someone to talk to you can call on me, anytime.  I'll listen."

Bucky nodded and smiled grimly.  "Thanks Terry," he replied.  "I appreciate that."

They both sat on a nearby bench and Terry told him about his job coaching.  Bucky could hear the pride in Terry's voice as he described the satisfaction the position gave him.   It made him contemplate his own future after this mission was over.  For so long he had been consumed with staying under the radar, then focused on undergoing treatment.  Getting involved in the Flag Smashers case had been a spur of the moment thing but his actions had felt natural once he was involved.  He found a sense of partnership with Sam that he hadn't felt since Steve and to him that was a good thing.   Perhaps becoming an Avenger for real could be the calling he was looking for.  It might even allow him the luxury of a family.  Clint seemed to have been able to have both.  But until they found Lacey and Tommy he couldn't allow himself to think that far ahead.   Bucky stood up while looking at his watch, noticing almost an hour had passed.

"Let's see if we have any intel to go over," he said to Terry.

They returned to the meeting room, where John Walker still sat.  Ayo and Belova returned from their sparring session, both of them displaying a sense of satisfaction.  Within minutes the rest of the group arrived and Bucky received the information he had been waiting for.

"Start telling me things," said Bucky.

"I've located three different shipping containers with people inside," said Torres.  "Hope put a tracker on each of the containers."

"I flew close to each one to establish visuals," added Hope.  "The one that is a Black Cat container is in a dock in Brooklyn.  They have several guards on that dock and more men in a building just beside the dock."

Bucky's jaw clamped down firmly when he heard the location but he said nothing. 

"They also operate out of a hotel near the docks in Brooklyn," said Peter, hesitantly, knowing that Bucky was from there.  "In fact, all of the groups known for trafficking have set up operations in the various boroughs.  There are some in Queens and The Bronx.  Most of the groups traffic in teenage girls, setting them up in the hotels.  The Black Cat bring European women in and ship American women out to meet the demands of their customers in many different countries."

"Hope, were you able to get inside the container?" asked Bucky.

"Yes, but it wasn't lit inside," she said.  "I had to use my infrared to maneuver and I couldn't tell if Lacey was in there."

"So, we have two different sites where she might be," said Bucky.  "In any of your reconnaissance did you see Sergei Dendrov?"

Both Torres and Hope shook their heads.  Bucky looked at Peter who looked back at him with compassion.  "Yeah, he was at the Brooklyn Hotel.  I hacked into traffic cams and identified his car.  He had a woman with him but she was dark haired, not blonde like Lacey.  I took a screen shot but I couldn't tell if it was her with her hair dyed.  Friday, can you show the screen shot?"

A display on the wall showed the image of a woman.  Both Bucky and Terry leaned forward trying to determine if the grainy image was of Lacey.  They both sat back unable to confirm the woman's identity.

"We'll split up," said Bucky decisively.  "One group will hit the shipping container while another group will hit the hotel.  I'll be with the hotel group.  I want Hope and Ayo with me.  The rest of you will take the container and deal with the men on the dock.  Maria, am I right in assuming that the sorcerers are here to open portals for us?"

"You're right," she said.  "I'll alert Wong.  When is go time?"

"Thirty minutes," said Bucky.  "Gear up and meet outside, south entrance."

Bucky went straight to his quarters and changed into his black combat pants, black singlet, and leather jacket with one sleeve.  He strapped on two gun holsters, and two knife sheaths, one on his right leg and one on his right wrist.  At his weapons storage locker he pulled out two handguns checking the magazines and putting several more in a pocket on the left leg of his pants.  Then he pulled out his knives, twirling them on his fingertips.

"I want to come with you," said a voice and Bucky looked up to see Terry.

"Too dangerous," he replied.  "These guys are hardened killers.  You have no fighting skills, no offence."

"Then I'll wait outside," said Terry.  "I'll act like a tourist and can let you know if anyone comes to help Dendrov."  Bucky looked hard at him.  "Please, I already feel impotent.  Let me do something, even if it's just as a lookout."

"Okay, but you stay out of the hotel," said Bucky.  "If you see anyone with Russian gang tattoos stay out of their line of sight.  They won't hesitate to kill you.  Get a comms piece fitted for your ear."

Thirty minutes later they all assembled on the grass at the south entrance of the building.  Wong was there and Bucky explained that a portal was needed for the docks and also for the hotel in Brooklyn.

"Which one would you like me at?" asked Wong.  "I'm not just a pretty face.  I'm a master of many martial arts disciplines."

A small smile creased Bucky's face at Wong's declaration.  Those pudgy guys were usually the ones you had to watch out for. 

"Can you stay on the street outside the hotel?" he asked,  "If you could deal with any reinforcements that show up that would be great."

The sorcerer nodded and opened the first portal to the docks.  Everyone except Bucky, Ayo, Hope and Terry went through.  Then he opened the portal to the hotel and stepped through with Bucky's team, staying on the street with Terry as the other three entered the building.

Hope had shrunk down to wasp size and immediately began flying up the stairs to search room to room trying to locate Dendrov.  She sent back information on the guards for each floor as she ascended.  The desk clerk looked with alarm at Bucky and Ayo, trying to activate a panic button but Bucky was much faster and put his hand around the man's throat, pushing him up against the wall high enough that his feet dangled.

"The dark haired woman," he demanded, "where is she?  What room?"

The man shook his head.  Bucky squeezed harder and the man finally spoke.  "She's Dendrov's personal property," he gasped.  "He keeps her in his suite, top floor."

Bucky tossed the man aside as if he was garbage and began running up the stairs followed by Ayo.  Several guards challenged them on the way up but were no match for the two, as they worked seamlessly as a unit.

"Hope, top floor," said Bucky.  "Dendrov has a suite."

"On it," she responded.

Outside Terry and Wong saw a black SUV race up to the hotel and several men get out, fully armed.  Terry alerted Bucky on comms.  Wong smiled a grim smile then brought up magic that levitated each of the men and threw them repeatedly against the side of the hotel until they were unconscious before he dropped them on the street. 

Hope arrived at the top floor and flew from room to room, finding Dendrov in the bedroom of his suite, about to enter the bed where a woman was cowering.  Tapping Dendrov on the cheek she made him try to brush her away then she aimed a kick at his face that staggered him.  He looked confused, not seeing what hit him.  Flying straight into his mid-section, Hope pushed him against the window.  She could hear signs of a fight outside the suite doors and flashed into full size, punching Dendrov in the face then shrunk again and retreated to the ceiling.  The action rattled him and he looked everywhere in confusion.  The sound of the suite door being broken open alerted him and he raced to the bed, grabbing the woman, holding a knife to her throat.

"Oh no, you don't," said Hope, firing her blasters at Dendrov in a narrow beam, hitting his knife hand.

He dropped the knife in pain and staggered back.  The woman he was holding turned around and kicked him between the legs sending him to the ground.  Then she jumped on him and began beating him with her fists, hitting every sensitive point on his head; his ears, nose and throat.  Bucky and Ayo came into the room, watching the woman get her revenge on her captor with a certain sense of satisfaction.  It was only when she turned to face them in triumph that Bucky realized she wasn't Lacey.  Advancing towards her he offered her his hand to help her up.

"I need to speak with him," he said then turned his attention to Dendrov and addressed him in Russian. "We met once before.  Where is she?"

Dendrov looked at Bucky as recognition slowly came to him.  "Soldat," he said, then he sat up and spat on the floor before giving Bucky a smug smile.  "She should never have given the flash drive to the FBI.  You will never find her.  She is already on her way.  So compliant and a complete blank slate.  She will fetch a good price."

Bucky punched Dendrov, knocking him out then stood up, his nostrils flaring as he spoke into his comms.  "She's not here," he announced.  "Dendrov said she is already on her way, meaning she's probably in a ship on the Atlantic.  We need to find that ship."

"What about the other two containers?" asked Torres on his comms.  "We've taken this one and the women are in bad shape."

Bucky thought for a moment.  "Give the NYPD the locations of the other two cargo containers and let their Special Victims division handle it," he said.  "They were already alerted we were targeting the Black Cats."

"He didn't specifically say ship," noted Ayo.  "He knows who she is.  She may be on a private jet for all we know, Sergeant Barnes."

"What would you have me do, Ayo?" He turned to her with his eyes blazing.  "Give up?  Let them have her?  I thought you knew me better than that."

She put her hand on his arm.  "Of course not," she said calmly.  "He said she would fetch a good price which means they plan to auction her off.  I can find out where the next auction takes place and can hack into their online catalogue.  Then we take a force in there and release all of their captives.  It is something that has already been discussed in Wakanda by our anti-trafficking unit."

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"It is better that you let us do this tracking part without you," she said.  "You are too emotionally involved at this time.  We already have operatives that can impersonate being a buyer if we find her.  The brother can come with us, to support her when we recover her.  You and the rest of your team should now concentrate on finding and rescuing your son.  The other two Dora Milaje will stay with that team."

Hope watched Bucky process this latest proposal, feeling his turmoil as he wrestled with doing what was best for Lacey.  After what seemed like an eternity but was really only a couple of minutes Bucky's shoulders slumped and he looked beseechingly at Ayo.

"Alright, you find her," he said.  "The moment you find her you call me, day or night.  You get them all."

Ayo nodded and left the room.  Bucky followed.  They met the police coming up the stairs as they went down. Hope told them Dendrov was the man responsible for trafficking in Brooklyn.  When they got down to the street it was full of police cars and ambulances as the women who had been locked up in the hotel rooms were led out in blankets.  The dark haired woman who was with Dendrov came out wrapped in a blanket and spat on each one of his men.  Wong looked at Bucky with understanding.

"I'm sorry she wasn't there," he said.  "Ayo is right.  Let her take up the search for Lacey.  You will be more useful in Madripoor where Carter is."

He brought up a portal and the small team stepped through to the compound where the rest of the larger team had already returned.  Ayo went to make arrangements for her and Terry to go to Europe to rendezvous with the Wakandan anti-trafficking team.  Bucky went to Fury's office sitting on the chair across from him.

"We freed many women but Lacey wasn't one of them," he reported.  "Dendrov said she was compliant and a blank slate.  It means they've wiped her memory completely.  Anyone could buy her and do anything they wanted to her.  She wouldn't know if it was good or bad.  Hell, they could turn her into an assassin if they wanted."

"I understand you are letting the Wakandans take over the search for her," said Fury carefully.  "I think that is the right course of action at this time.  You and the others should go to Madripoor."  He hesitated for a moment.  "I spent some time with Miss Williams during the time you spent in Wakanda.   She is a strong woman and if your experience with the memory machine is anything to go by there is a residue, if you can call it that, of a person's basic personality that stays with them.  It helped you throw off the yoke after 70 years of programming.  It may also help Miss Williams maintain her core identity."

Bucky gave a smirk of acknowledgement.  "I still killed for them," he replied.  "I fought them all the time but once they said the right words I was their puppet.   I think you give me too much credit.  In many ways, I was an outlier.  I fought them but they could still control me.  The ones that willingly took the serum couldn't be controlled."

"That may be true," stated Fury, "but those who took the serum willingly were already out of control, being the killers and deviants they already were.  When you did break with them you did it well and completely.  I followed your case closely, Barnes; tried to find you, in fact.  For two years you stayed under the radar, not killing or hurting anyone, except when the Russians came to Miss Williams' house.  A true killer wouldn't have lasted a fraction of that time without resorting to violence.  When this current rescue mission has concluded please consider staying on with the new incarnation of the Avengers.  You have qualities and skills that we need.  Your personal moral code is strong and we need that more than anything."

Bucky didn't agree or disagree but he did acknowledge the offer.  When he came out of the office the others were waiting for him. 

"We're going to Madripoor," he said.  "Get a bag together, weapons in a separate bag.  Ayo and Terry will continue the search for Lacey.  Wong, is there a safe house there where we can base our operations?"

"Yes," replied Wong.  "Dr. Strange has put a protection and concealment spell on it so that Carter can't find it.  I will give you a portal into it.  I cannot join you as I must stay to protect the Sanctum but I will do what I can to assist you from here."

"Alright, meet outside in 20 minutes," said Bucky, then he turned to Terry.  "I want to talk to you while I'm getting ready."  Terry followed him into the weapons storage area and stood listening as Bucky put his weapons back in their satchel then pulled the entire bag out.  "The memory suppression machine wipes away all previous memories by destroying the synapses between brain cells.  The Wakandans believe the cells themselves hold the memories but without the synapses they can't be accessed.  In my case, they believe some synapses did begin to rebuild.  Maybe it was part of the super soldier regenerative process ... I don't know.  You have to accept that Lacey may have no idea of who you are.  She may have no memory of your parents, your childhood, Tommy ... it will all be gone.  It's going to distress you but what she needs from you is proof of her identity.  If you have pictures on your phone, show them.  Tell her stories of growing up together.  Tell her both the good stuff and the bad stuff.  If there is a chance that her synapses have started rebuilding then she may have a flash of a memory.  Help her to hold onto it and build it.  I kept memory books, where I wrote down things as I remembered them, both good and bad.  I wanted to remember all of it."

"How long did it take you?" asked Terry, his brow furrowed.

"I'll let you know when I'm there," said Bucky, smiling grimly.  "For me it started with one word, "Bucky", said by Steve Rogers as I was trying to kill him.  Just the way he said it triggered something in my mind.  Not even an actual memory at first, just a realization that I had known him and that we had been close.  They wiped my memory again and sent me after him once more.  I was so close to killing him and he said something else, something that I remembered saying to him when he was 18 and I was 19.  That memory burned like a flame in my mind and stayed my hand long enough for me to realize that the killer I had been wasn't me, the real me.  That's when I ran.  For two years I was under the radar.  I met Lacey during that time and she was so kind to me.  She gave me food, and shelter before she gave me herself."

Bucky looked away from Terry as he remembered that night.  Terry could see the emotion in Bucky as he remembered the night he spent with Lacey.  In his mind, he saw a man who was very much in love with his sister.

"She got pregnant that night," continued Terry.  "She told me about the four Russians who came to the house in the middle of the night, and that you handled all of them easily.  Then you told her to phone the FBI and you left, blowing her a kiss from outside, leaving her an origami heart on the dresser.  You made an impact on her, Bucky.  You accepted her as she was, just like she accepted you as a man, not as a killer.  I'll make sure she remembers you."

Bucky closed the door of the weapons locker and looked at Terry with emotion.  Then he clapped him on the shoulder and wished him good luck, returning to his quarters to get his go bag.  He made his way outside where the rest of the team already was.  Wong opened a portal to the safe house in Madripoor and they all walked through.

Chapter 21>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

[sjsmith56]

Eyes of the Father

30 part story starting with the time Bucky was on the run, through the time in Wakanda, the Blip, FATWS, and beyond, ending in a two-part flash forward of an older Bucky. There is a love interest, a named, described, original female character Lacey (Margot Robbie was the face), who will have her own chapters as she deals with other MCU characters and life without Bucky. It’s a journey for both Bucky and Lacey.

Warnings: some smut (so minors DNI), PTSD, violence, angst, loneliness.

Chapter listings after the break.

Novels/Collections Masterlist Tumblr Masterlist

Brother

Comfort

Visitors

On the Run

Safety is Relative

Life Changing

Trouble

Decisions

Treatment

Regret

Longing

Plans

All This Time

Alone

Hope

Still Not There

So Far Apart

Making Amends

The Capture

The Cruelest Animal

Into the Mouth of the Lion

Believe

The Trap

For Once and For All

Moments

Getting Hitched

The Best is Yet to Come

Just a Dad

Flash Forward - Part 1

Flash Forward - Part 2

[sjsmith56]

The Cruelest Animal, Chapter 20 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: In the 24 hours taken since the kidnapping to assemble their forces, the Avengers learn that Tommy has been taken by the Power Broker, while Lacey has been sold to human traffickers. Splitting their force in two, Bucky leads the team staying in New York, finding out where the traffickers are based and attacking them.

Length: 5.1K

Characters: Bucky, Terry, John Walker, assorted Avengers.

Warning: Details of human trafficking and its effects on its victims, violence causing injury.

Author notes: Human traffickers come in all shapes and forms and are often indistinguishable from regular co-workers or neighbours. The ones in this story are Russian-based and are not intended to be representative of the typical criminal type.

<<Chapter 19

🏨 🏙️

"We have good news and bad news," said Fury when he resumed the briefing.  "We have located where Lacey Chapman and her son were taken after their kidnapping.   Thanks to a picture that Carter provided to taunt us Bucky Barnes noticed a logo on a coffee cup linked to a specific coffee kiosk in Greenwich Village.  Using satellite footage we were able to identify the arrival of our kidnap victims to a location in the Village on the same day of the kidnapping.  Barnes also pointed out his belief that the memory suppression machine in the photo had been used on Miss Chapman.  Our analysis concurred with that belief.  Yesterday afternoon that machine was dismantled and removed piece by piece from the premises.  Miss Chapman was seen leaving in the custody of individuals associated with Russian mafia human traffickers.  Young Tommy was seen in the custody of Miss Carter as she also left the premises.  They are no longer in the Greenwich Village location."

Bucky's lip curled.  They had missed their chance while assembling their team.  Several people touched his shoulder in support and he took a deep breath.  Fury looked directly at him and gave him a grim smile.

"We believe that Carter has taken the boy to Madripoor, where her base of power is," he stated.  "The memory machine has likely been transported there as well.  We are going to send select individuals there with nano masks to infiltrate Carter's base of operations.  Cap has been there before and will be heading up that team.  Barnes will be heading up the team that will locate Miss Chapman.  We have identified two of the men who were with her when she left the Greenwich Village location."  He looked up at the screen.  "Sergei Dendrov, and Anatoly Maksimov are both high ranking members of Black Cat, the trafficking arm of the Black Dog mafia.  They both have eye tattoos on their hands which is indicative of them watching their prey."

Bucky stood up.  "Dendrov is one of the men who attempted to find a flash drive in Lacey's house in 2014," he said.  "At that time he also recognized me as the Soldier meaning that Black Cat were providing subjects for HYDRA experimentation and had access to their facilities.  It's likely he has been planning to abduct Lacey since then, although the FBI arrested him in 2014.  I put a knife through his palm in subduing him so I'm sure he remembers her very well."

"That may be a fair assessment," said Fury.  "He disappeared during the Blip and was accidentally released upon his reappearance due to the confusion at the time.  He immediately went underground.  We do know that the current incarnation of Black Cat take their captives to the docks, keeping them in a shipping container until they have enough numbers to be profitable.  The container is usually transferred to a Russian registered cargo ship and they are transported over to be slaves, or put into the Eastern European sex trade.  It's a filthy business and we wish to shut them down completely and for good.  If you have a preference for which team you're on now's your opportunity.  Team Cap will stay here.  Team Barnes will reconvene in another location which Miss Hill will lead you to."

Sam and Bucky both stood up and gave each other a pound shake then Bucky followed Hill to another briefing room.  He was followed by Walker, Torres, Belova, Van Dyne, Bishop, Parker and Ayo.  When they entered the next briefing room Hill also stayed.  Terry Williams walked in a moment later.  Walker eyed Ayo nervously when she sat next to him, while she gazed at him impassively.

"We are on the same team, John Walker," she said in her serious voice.  "You have nothing to fear from me."

Bucky stood in front of them and breathed out before speaking.  "I have some memories of the viciousness of the Russian traffickers from when I was the Winter Soldier," he said quietly.  "They are cruel to their captives.  Physical punishment is a given and they will not hesitate to mentally intimidate them into complete submission.  Lacey, having her memory wiped, will be at their mercy, which she won't get.  She will likely be in a state of complete confusion and submission.  My fear is they will use it as an opportunity to abuse her physically and sexually for they will see her condition as weakness and they prey on the weak.  If Dendrov recognizes her which is quite likely he'll be inclined to give her extra cruel treatment."

"So we need to locate that shipping container as soon as possible," said Yelena Belova.  "Those men are cut from the same cloth as the men who ran the Red Room in Russia."

"Red Room?" asked Walker.  "What's that?"

Nearly everyone looked at him incredulously.  "It is what the training facility for Black Widow operatives in Russia was called," said Bucky.  "The operatives were taken from their families as small children and grew up with a foster family who helped train them in spy craft and martial arts.  When they were old enough they began their real training in the Red Room.  Physical punishment and intimidation was the order of the day.  They survived it and moved on or they didn't and were culled."

"Culled?" repeated Walker, shaking his head slightly.  "You mean killed?"

No one answered and he let out a big breath.  Torres broke the silence.

"I can go up in the Falcon suit and activate Red Wing to search for hidden heat signatures inside the shipping containers.  The only trouble is I won't know if it's the Russians or another trafficking outfit until we get visual confirmation.  Are we doing anything about the other outfits?"

Bucky looked at the women who had volunteered for his team, knowing they had their own reasons for being on this team.  "We concentrate on the Russians first, then we go after the others.  Shut them all down.  Hope, can you go with Red Wing and do your own reconnaissance, be our visual confirmation?"

"Can do," she replied.  "I can also place a marker on the container from above so if they move it we can track it.

"Peter, can you web the base of the marked container so it can't be moved?" asked Bucky.

"Yeah, no problem," said Peter.  "What do we do once we locate and free the women?"

"They will need much kindness and compassion," said Ayo unexpectedly.  "They can be extremely emotional, or completely shut down, and may cower from others, especially men.  It would be advisable to have emergency services in the form of ambulances there to transport them to hospital as they are likely to be suffering from injuries caused by physical or sexual abuse.  If you can engage the services of trauma counsellors to begin treating them immediately their chances of recovery are better." Her piercing eyes gazed at everyone.  "I have experience from similar cases in Africa."

"I think both Bucky and I want to be there for Lacey," said Terry, then his voice broke.  "Just make sure you take all of those bastards down and make sure they never get out of prison."

"Agreed," said Bucky.  "Torres and Van Dyne,  please start your reconnaissance.  Meet back here in one hour."

Those two left right away and Maria approached Bucky.  "I'll set up the emergency and counselling services," she said calmly.  "We'll find her Bucky."

She touched his arm reassuringly and went off to set them up.  Yelena looked at Ayo appraisingly.

"I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Dora Milaje," she said.  "Want to spar?"

Ayo smirked.  "I've heard of the fighting prowess of the Black Widows," she replied.  "I'm up for it if you are."

Bishop followed the two women out.  Peter looked at Bucky. 

"Mind if I do some satellite surfing?" he asked.  "I'm good at computers.  Maybe I can locate the trafficker's hangouts."

Bucky nodded and Peter went off to find an open terminal.  Walker looked at Bucky and Terry.

"So, we just wait?" he asked.

"We're muscle, Terry is emotional support," said Bucky.  "Our time will come in just over an hour.  We want these guys alive, John.  They need to pay for their crimes."

"Even if they've raped her?" he asked then he looked at Terry quickly.  "No offence."

"I don't kill," replied Bucky, looking at Walker in a decidedly cool manner.  "I haven't killed a human since 2014.  It's what keeps me sane.  You should try it."

Walker smirked, thinking Bucky was joking, then realized he wasn't.  "I wish I had known that before I agreed to come on this mission," he said sullenly.

"There's the door," gestured Bucky with his hand, irritated and disappointed with the man.  "I asked you because I needed your super soldier abilities.  When your wife said you shut down some traffickers in Afghanistan I thought you might be interested in pursuing similar justice in your own country.  If that's too much to ask of you then leave.  I'll still answer the call if Carter ever comes after your wife and child."

"I'll stay," said Walker, sounding surly.  "Wouldn't want you thinking you're a better man than me."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Bucky, becoming angry.  "I don't care if I'm a better or worse man than you or anyone else.  My morals are mine and mine alone.  You goaded me in Europe about the serum flowing through my veins and all that power I keep suppressed.  You know why?  Because if I don't suppress it I will overdo it and hurt someone, possibly someone I love.  That's why I don't kill because if I did I wouldn't stop.  I was a killer against my will, John.  I won't be a killer again because of my will.  My choice, my decision, my cross to bear.  I hope you never reach a point again where you hurt someone because you reacted with rage or without control, especially someone you love.  It will destroy you probably more than your PTSD is already doing."

Bucky got up without waiting for a reply and Terry followed him, not wanting to be in a room alone with Walker.  He followed Bucky all the way outside where he watched as Bucky paced like a caged animal, waiting for the others to do their reconnaissance.  After a few minutes Bucky noticed him and stopped pacing.  Terry approached him then.

"That's why you left her," he said.  "You had a PTSD flashback and thought you would hurt her."

Bucky nodded then took a deep breath.  "I should have stayed and confided in her so she could understand what I go through," he admitted.  "But I panicked and left instead.  I was ashamed of what went through my mind while we were in bed together.  I know I hurt her and Tommy, and I will regret that my whole life.  I don't expect her to take me back.  All I can hope for is her forgiveness."

"For what it's worth I forgave you right away," said Terry.  "I figured it was something like that.  If you ever need someone to talk to you can call on me, anytime.  I'll listen."

Bucky nodded and smiled grimly.  "Thanks Terry," he replied.  "I appreciate that."

They both sat on a nearby bench and Terry told him about his job coaching.  Bucky could hear the pride in Terry's voice as he described the satisfaction the position gave him.   It made him contemplate his own future after this mission was over.  For so long he had been consumed with staying under the radar, then focused on undergoing treatment.  Getting involved in the Flag Smashers case had been a spur of the moment thing but his actions had felt natural once he was involved.  He found a sense of partnership with Sam that he hadn't felt since Steve and to him that was a good thing.   Perhaps becoming an Avenger for real could be the calling he was looking for.  It might even allow him the luxury of a family.  Clint seemed to have been able to have both.  But until they found Lacey and Tommy he couldn't allow himself to think that far ahead.   Bucky stood up while looking at his watch, noticing almost an hour had passed.

"Let's see if we have any intel to go over," he said to Terry.

They returned to the meeting room, where John Walker still sat.  Ayo and Belova returned from their sparring session, both of them displaying a sense of satisfaction.  Within minutes the rest of the group arrived and Bucky received the information he had been waiting for.

"Start telling me things," said Bucky.

"I've located three different shipping containers with people inside," said Torres.  "Hope put a tracker on each of the containers."

"I flew close to each one to establish visuals," added Hope.  "The one that is a Black Cat container is in a dock in Brooklyn.  They have several guards on that dock and more men in a building just beside the dock."

Bucky's jaw clamped down firmly when he heard the location but he said nothing. 

"They also operate out of a hotel near the docks in Brooklyn," said Peter, hesitantly, knowing that Bucky was from there.  "In fact, all of the groups known for trafficking have set up operations in the various boroughs.  There are some in Queens and The Bronx.  Most of the groups traffic in teenage girls, setting them up in the hotels.  The Black Cat bring European women in and ship American women out to meet the demands of their customers in many different countries."

"Hope, were you able to get inside the container?" asked Bucky.

"Yes, but it wasn't lit inside," she said.  "I had to use my infrared to maneuver and I couldn't tell if Lacey was in there."

"So, we have two different sites where she might be," said Bucky.  "In any of your reconnaissance did you see Sergei Dendrov?"

Both Torres and Hope shook their heads.  Bucky looked at Peter who looked back at him with compassion.  "Yeah, he was at the Brooklyn Hotel.  I hacked into traffic cams and identified his car.  He had a woman with him but she was dark haired, not blonde like Lacey.  I took a screen shot but I couldn't tell if it was her with her hair dyed.  Friday, can you show the screen shot?"

A display on the wall showed the image of a woman.  Both Bucky and Terry leaned forward trying to determine if the grainy image was of Lacey.  They both sat back unable to confirm the woman's identity.

"We'll split up," said Bucky decisively.  "One group will hit the shipping container while another group will hit the hotel.  I'll be with the hotel group.  I want Hope and Ayo with me.  The rest of you will take the container and deal with the men on the dock.  Maria, am I right in assuming that the sorcerers are here to open portals for us?"

"You're right," she said.  "I'll alert Wong.  When is go time?"

"Thirty minutes," said Bucky.  "Gear up and meet outside, south entrance."

Bucky went straight to his quarters and changed into his black combat pants, black singlet, and leather jacket with one sleeve.  He strapped on two gun holsters, and two knife sheaths, one on his right leg and one on his right wrist.  At his weapons storage locker he pulled out two handguns checking the magazines and putting several more in a pocket on the left leg of his pants.  Then he pulled out his knives, twirling them on his fingertips.

"I want to come with you," said a voice and Bucky looked up to see Terry.

"Too dangerous," he replied.  "These guys are hardened killers.  You have no fighting skills, no offence."

"Then I'll wait outside," said Terry.  "I'll act like a tourist and can let you know if anyone comes to help Dendrov."  Bucky looked hard at him.  "Please, I already feel impotent.  Let me do something, even if it's just as a lookout."

"Okay, but you stay out of the hotel," said Bucky.  "If you see anyone with Russian gang tattoos stay out of their line of sight.  They won't hesitate to kill you.  Get a comms piece fitted for your ear."

Thirty minutes later they all assembled on the grass at the south entrance of the building.  Wong was there and Bucky explained that a portal was needed for the docks and also for the hotel in Brooklyn.

"Which one would you like me at?" asked Wong.  "I'm not just a pretty face.  I'm a master of many martial arts disciplines."

A small smile creased Bucky's face at Wong's declaration.  Those pudgy guys were usually the ones you had to watch out for. 

"Can you stay on the street outside the hotel?" he asked,  "If you could deal with any reinforcements that show up that would be great."

The sorcerer nodded and opened the first portal to the docks.  Everyone except Bucky, Ayo, Hope and Terry went through.  Then he opened the portal to the hotel and stepped through with Bucky's team, staying on the street with Terry as the other three entered the building.

Hope had shrunk down to wasp size and immediately began flying up the stairs to search room to room trying to locate Dendrov.  She sent back information on the guards for each floor as she ascended.  The desk clerk looked with alarm at Bucky and Ayo, trying to activate a panic button but Bucky was much faster and put his hand around the man's throat, pushing him up against the wall high enough that his feet dangled.

"The dark haired woman," he demanded, "where is she?  What room?"

The man shook his head.  Bucky squeezed harder and the man finally spoke.  "She's Dendrov's personal property," he gasped.  "He keeps her in his suite, top floor."

Bucky tossed the man aside as if he was garbage and began running up the stairs followed by Ayo.  Several guards challenged them on the way up but were no match for the two, as they worked seamlessly as a unit.

"Hope, top floor," said Bucky.  "Dendrov has a suite."

"On it," she responded.

Outside Terry and Wong saw a black SUV race up to the hotel and several men get out, fully armed.  Terry alerted Bucky on comms.  Wong smiled a grim smile then brought up magic that levitated each of the men and threw them repeatedly against the side of the hotel until they were unconscious before he dropped them on the street. 

Hope arrived at the top floor and flew from room to room, finding Dendrov in the bedroom of his suite, about to enter the bed where a woman was cowering.  Tapping Dendrov on the cheek she made him try to brush her away then she aimed a kick at his face that staggered him.  He looked confused, not seeing what hit him.  Flying straight into his mid-section, Hope pushed him against the window.  She could hear signs of a fight outside the suite doors and flashed into full size, punching Dendrov in the face then shrunk again and retreated to the ceiling.  The action rattled him and he looked everywhere in confusion.  The sound of the suite door being broken open alerted him and he raced to the bed, grabbing the woman, holding a knife to her throat.

"Oh no, you don't," said Hope, firing her blasters at Dendrov in a narrow beam, hitting his knife hand.

He dropped the knife in pain and staggered back.  The woman he was holding turned around and kicked him between the legs sending him to the ground.  Then she jumped on him and began beating him with her fists, hitting every sensitive point on his head; his ears, nose and throat.  Bucky and Ayo came into the room, watching the woman get her revenge on her captor with a certain sense of satisfaction.  It was only when she turned to face them in triumph that Bucky realized she wasn't Lacey.  Advancing towards her he offered her his hand to help her up.

"I need to speak with him," he said then turned his attention to Dendrov and addressed him in Russian. "We met once before.  Where is she?"

Dendrov looked at Bucky as recognition slowly came to him.  "Soldat," he said, then he sat up and spat on the floor before giving Bucky a smug smile.  "She should never have given the flash drive to the FBI.  You will never find her.  She is already on her way.  So compliant and a complete blank slate.  She will fetch a good price."

Bucky punched Dendrov, knocking him out then stood up, his nostrils flaring as he spoke into his comms.  "She's not here," he announced.  "Dendrov said she is already on her way, meaning she's probably in a ship on the Atlantic.  We need to find that ship."

"What about the other two containers?" asked Torres on his comms.  "We've taken this one and the women are in bad shape."

Bucky thought for a moment.  "Give the NYPD the locations of the other two cargo containers and let their Special Victims division handle it," he said.  "They were already alerted we were targeting the Black Cats."

"He didn't specifically say ship," noted Ayo.  "He knows who she is.  She may be on a private jet for all we know, Sergeant Barnes."

"What would you have me do, Ayo?" He turned to her with his eyes blazing.  "Give up?  Let them have her?  I thought you knew me better than that."

She put her hand on his arm.  "Of course not," she said calmly.  "He said she would fetch a good price which means they plan to auction her off.  I can find out where the next auction takes place and can hack into their online catalogue.  Then we take a force in there and release all of their captives.  It is something that has already been discussed in Wakanda by our anti-trafficking unit."

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"It is better that you let us do this tracking part without you," she said.  "You are too emotionally involved at this time.  We already have operatives that can impersonate being a buyer if we find her.  The brother can come with us, to support her when we recover her.  You and the rest of your team should now concentrate on finding and rescuing your son.  The other two Dora Milaje will stay with that team."

Hope watched Bucky process this latest proposal, feeling his turmoil as he wrestled with doing what was best for Lacey.  After what seemed like an eternity but was really only a couple of minutes Bucky's shoulders slumped and he looked beseechingly at Ayo.

"Alright, you find her," he said.  "The moment you find her you call me, day or night.  You get them all."

Ayo nodded and left the room.  Bucky followed.  They met the police coming up the stairs as they went down. Hope told them Dendrov was the man responsible for trafficking in Brooklyn.  When they got down to the street it was full of police cars and ambulances as the women who had been locked up in the hotel rooms were led out in blankets.  The dark haired woman who was with Dendrov came out wrapped in a blanket and spat on each one of his men.  Wong looked at Bucky with understanding.

"I'm sorry she wasn't there," he said.  "Ayo is right.  Let her take up the search for Lacey.  You will be more useful in Madripoor where Carter is."

He brought up a portal and the small team stepped through to the compound where the rest of the larger team had already returned.  Ayo went to make arrangements for her and Terry to go to Europe to rendezvous with the Wakandan anti-trafficking team.  Bucky went to Fury's office sitting on the chair across from him.

"We freed many women but Lacey wasn't one of them," he reported.  "Dendrov said she was compliant and a blank slate.  It means they've wiped her memory completely.  Anyone could buy her and do anything they wanted to her.  She wouldn't know if it was good or bad.  Hell, they could turn her into an assassin if they wanted."

"I understand you are letting the Wakandans take over the search for her," said Fury carefully.  "I think that is the right course of action at this time.  You and the others should go to Madripoor."  He hesitated for a moment.  "I spent some time with Miss Williams during the time you spent in Wakanda.   She is a strong woman and if your experience with the memory machine is anything to go by there is a residue, if you can call it that, of a person's basic personality that stays with them.  It helped you throw off the yoke after 70 years of programming.  It may also help Miss Williams maintain her core identity."

Bucky gave a smirk of acknowledgement.  "I still killed for them," he replied.  "I fought them all the time but once they said the right words I was their puppet.   I think you give me too much credit.  In many ways, I was an outlier.  I fought them but they could still control me.  The ones that willingly took the serum couldn't be controlled."

"That may be true," stated Fury, "but those who took the serum willingly were already out of control, being the killers and deviants they already were.  When you did break with them you did it well and completely.  I followed your case closely, Barnes; tried to find you, in fact.  For two years you stayed under the radar, not killing or hurting anyone, except when the Russians came to Miss Williams' house.  A true killer wouldn't have lasted a fraction of that time without resorting to violence.  When this current rescue mission has concluded please consider staying on with the new incarnation of the Avengers.  You have qualities and skills that we need.  Your personal moral code is strong and we need that more than anything."

Bucky didn't agree or disagree but he did acknowledge the offer.  When he came out of the office the others were waiting for him. 

"We're going to Madripoor," he said.  "Get a bag together, weapons in a separate bag.  Ayo and Terry will continue the search for Lacey.  Wong, is there a safe house there where we can base our operations?"

"Yes," replied Wong.  "Dr. Strange has put a protection and concealment spell on it so that Carter can't find it.  I will give you a portal into it.  I cannot join you as I must stay to protect the Sanctum but I will do what I can to assist you from here."

"Alright, meet outside in 20 minutes," said Bucky, then he turned to Terry.  "I want to talk to you while I'm getting ready."  Terry followed him into the weapons storage area and stood listening as Bucky put his weapons back in their satchel then pulled the entire bag out.  "The memory suppression machine wipes away all previous memories by destroying the synapses between brain cells.  The Wakandans believe the cells themselves hold the memories but without the synapses they can't be accessed.  In my case, they believe some synapses did begin to rebuild.  Maybe it was part of the super soldier regenerative process ... I don't know.  You have to accept that Lacey may have no idea of who you are.  She may have no memory of your parents, your childhood, Tommy ... it will all be gone.  It's going to distress you but what she needs from you is proof of her identity.  If you have pictures on your phone, show them.  Tell her stories of growing up together.  Tell her both the good stuff and the bad stuff.  If there is a chance that her synapses have started rebuilding then she may have a flash of a memory.  Help her to hold onto it and build it.  I kept memory books, where I wrote down things as I remembered them, both good and bad.  I wanted to remember all of it."

"How long did it take you?" asked Terry, his brow furrowed.

"I'll let you know when I'm there," said Bucky, smiling grimly.  "For me it started with one word, "Bucky", said by Steve Rogers as I was trying to kill him.  Just the way he said it triggered something in my mind.  Not even an actual memory at first, just a realization that I had known him and that we had been close.  They wiped my memory again and sent me after him once more.  I was so close to killing him and he said something else, something that I remembered saying to him when he was 18 and I was 19.  That memory burned like a flame in my mind and stayed my hand long enough for me to realize that the killer I had been wasn't me, the real me.  That's when I ran.  For two years I was under the radar.  I met Lacey during that time and she was so kind to me.  She gave me food, and shelter before she gave me herself."

Bucky looked away from Terry as he remembered that night.  Terry could see the emotion in Bucky as he remembered the night he spent with Lacey.  In his mind, he saw a man who was very much in love with his sister.

"She got pregnant that night," continued Terry.  "She told me about the four Russians who came to the house in the middle of the night, and that you handled all of them easily.  Then you told her to phone the FBI and you left, blowing her a kiss from outside, leaving her an origami heart on the dresser.  You made an impact on her, Bucky.  You accepted her as she was, just like she accepted you as a man, not as a killer.  I'll make sure she remembers you."

Bucky closed the door of the weapons locker and looked at Terry with emotion.  Then he clapped him on the shoulder and wished him good luck, returning to his quarters to get his go bag.  He made his way outside where the rest of the team already was.  Wong opened a portal to the safe house in Madripoor and they all walked through.

Chapter 21>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #human trafficking #marvels avengers

[sjsmith56]

Okay, none of the links on my Masterlists seem to be working. Tumblr?

#tumblr help

[sjsmith56]

No Benefits

Bucky Barnes x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Sharon Carter

Summary: Reader and Bucky are best friends until a drunken hook up. Bucky wants a friends with benefits situation because he doesn't feel ready for a relationship but reader knows that will lead to a broken heart.

Then Sharon Carter comes to work with them.

Notes: Steve and Tony are around but retired, everything else is mostly canon

I try to keep my Reader description vague but she's a she and above average height

Here goes nothing

Chapter 1

Warnings: Swearing, mostly angst, eventual happy ending.

Y/N, or Cookie to her friends, was at her desk, trying to finish her report so she could leave work early for one of Tony Stark's parties. This wasn't her first time but tonight her bff and mostly secret crush, Bucky Barnes, was escorting her. It wasn't the first time for that either but tonight felt different. Usually they met at the elevator but when they spoke earlier he said he would pick her up at her room. They had been getting closer in the last few months and even Steve and Sam had commented about Bucky's behavior towards her.

The night was everything she had dreamed, Bucky was attentive and always had his hands on her, respectfully of course but more intimate than he usually was. They danced much of the night and when slow songs came on he pulled her close and she could feel his breath on her neck, causing chills.

Towards the end of the night, Bucky pulled her to the elevator and kissed her until they reached his floor. They were in his room, her dress gone before she could think twice, not that she would have.

She could taste the Asgardian ale on his breath, blending with the tequila on hers. Everything was a blur of flesh and feelings she had never experienced before. She couldn't get enough, neither could he.

Y/N opened her eyes to bright light and a bedroom that wasn't hers. The pounding in her head a reminder of how much she drank last night. She looked around and realized it was Bucky's room, where she spent so much of her time. Suddenly, she realized that she was naked and her stomach dropped. She had hazy memories of shots and kisses that turned into more. The kiss in the elevator. She smiled even though her head hurt, she had been crushing on Bucky since the day they met and was amazed that he actually wanted her too.

Cookie wasn't your typical beauty, taller than most girls and with more curves than your typical agent. Of course, she wasn't a field agent but was the lead intelligence analyst on the east coast reporting directly to Maria Hill.

She reached over to find his side of the bed was cool but figured he must have gone on his morning run with Steve and Sam. She sat up and saw a bottle of water next to some pain killers, which she downed, grateful that Bucky was so thoughtful. Drinking the entire bottle of water she realized she really needed to pee. Standing slowly so as not to irritate her headache she grabbed one of Bucky's t-shirts to cover herself and went to relieve herself. When she was done she went back to sit up in bed and check her emails for today's agenda.

When she was responding to a message from Maria Hill the suite door opened and Bucky came in, sweaty and gorgeous. He saw her curled up on his bed and smiling up at him.

"Morning Buck. Good run?"

He nodded and smirked "Yeah, Sam whined at us to wait up but we just lapped him until he shut up"

"Sounds fun. Since it's Sunday and nothing is scheduled, why don't you take a shower and come back to bed?"

Bucky felt his heart stop "Look doll about last night. You know you're one of my best friends and I love you but I don't feel comfortable getting into a real relationship right now. I still have so much work to do on myself. Last night was great and I was thinking we could have one of those friends with extras, or whatever it's called. You know, to blow off steam."

Her stomach dropped and she felt her eyes filling up "You mean friends with benefits?"

He nodded enthusiastically "Yeah, that's it." he smiled hopefully.

Y/N was quiet for a minute before responding, was it worth the almost guaranteed heartbreak to have more nights like last night? She shook her head, unwilling to take that risk again.

"I'm sorry Buck but I can't do that. I get attached and end up heartbroken. I can't sleep with people that I don't have romantic feelings for."

His eyes grew wide "Wait, that means you have feelings...." He trailed off.

She nodded whispering "Yeah, I do."

Bucky's face dropped "Shit, Cookie, I'm sorry. I thought we were on the same page last night. I don't know what to say. I mean, I might develop feelings over time but I don't know. I don't want to make any promises, you know?"

She swallowed the sob that tried to escape "You don't have to say anything, we can just pretend this never happened. Ok?"

She got up from the bed, clutching the sheet to her and desperately searching for her dress from last night. When she found it she quickly put it on not realizing it was inside out.

He nodded but wasn't feeling too sure of that, he could hear her heart speed up and see her hands shaking "Yeah, sure, nothing has to change."

She smiled at him sadly, tears escaping "I uh I just remembered some paperwork I needed to finish up. I'll catch you later."

"Wait doll. I-"

"Don't worry it's fine." She cleared her throat "I could use a little space and just have work to do." She kissed him on the cheek before rushing out.

Bucky stood there, not sure how to proceed. He didn't want to lose his friend but really didn't feel like he could handle a relationship now. The stress relief from the great sex they had was something he could handle and he did have feelings for her, since the day he arrived at the compound but he knew she deserved a better man than him.

**Flashback**

Y/N was in her office reviewing some reports to glean even the smallest details before they went to the appropriate briefing packets that the field agents would use to form their strategy, when she received a text from Captain America himself, requesting her presence in the common area.

She put away all of the classified info on her desk, locked it and locked the door on her way out. She took the elevator which opened into the common area and was surprised to see a large group of agents already there.

She heard Steve shout her name "Cookie! Over here." and saw his hand waving so headed in his direction.

Steve gave her a hug and pulled away excitedly "Look Cookie, it's my friend, Bucky."

Cookie smiled and offered her hand. When Bucky looked at her she felt her breath catch, holy shit was he gorgeous, way hotter than the pictures in his file "Pleased to meetcha Sargent Barnes"

Both of them felt sparks when they touched but Bucky responded like she had burned him pulling away quickly. Cookie's smile dropped for a second before she forced it back.

Bucky looked at her through his long hair "You too, ma'am."

She could see how he was shrinking into himself, trying to look smaller so she stepped back to give him space.

Steve looked at them both oddly but smiled softly when he heard how fast her heart was beating and the slight blush on Bucky's face. That was a look he remembered from so many years ago, when Bucky met Dot.

**end flashback**

The next few weeks were tense, Y/N and Bucky barely spoke outside of Avengers business. He was always busy, rushing to train or something every time she tried to talk to him. The guilt on his face showed everything, he hated that he hurt her but missed their time together. As soon as he saw her look at him longingly, before she realized he was looking and wiped that look from her face, he had to leave. He hated himself because he knew it hurt her more every time he avoided her but he just couldn't handle seeing her and being reminded of the pain he caused.

There were other, senior agents being trained by Steve, with Bucky and Sam, to prepare for an upcoming mission. Sifting through all the related Intel was keeping Y/N up at night and her haggard appearance had been noticed by most of the team.

They had a meeting to start going over the Intel to plan their strategy. On her way in, Y/N ran into Sharon Carter who she had worked with previously.

"Hey Agent Carter, good to see you."

Sharon laughed softly "Please, Y/N, we've worked together enough for you to call me Sharon."

Y/N laughed awkwardly "Um yeah, Sharon. So how have you been? Any luck finding the power broker?"

Sharon shook her head obviously frustrated "No, he's crafty for sure but we'll get him. Rumor is this mission relates to him."

Y/N nodded, "yeah, all of the serious crime in eastern Europe seem to lead back to him." She looked up and saw Nick Fury striding towards them and straightened her shoulders "Director Fury."

He nodded at her "Agent Y/L/N. Carter. Why don't we get this started, Cookie." He looked down at the container on top of her papers.

Y/N went to the front of the room to sit next to Fury's spot at the head of the table, setting the container in his place. She saw that Sharon sat next to Bucky and started talking to him, touching his right arm and laughing softly. Y/N saw Bucky smiling and felt her chest ache, her stomach cramp up and her throat dried since apparently all the water went to her eyes. She sat down and Sam, the only one who knew what happened with her and Bucky, gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand.

They held hands through the entire meeting, Bucky and Sharon touching hands under the table. He never liked people touching him except for Y/N but apparently he made an exception for Sharon because he just sat smiling. He never even looked towards Y/N.

When the meeting ended, Bucky and Sharon were the first ones out the door as he quickly led her to his room.

Y/N could barely breathe and rushed to her own room, glad it was on a different floor from Bucky's because she didn't think she could handle hearing him and Sharon go at it.

For the next couple of months it went like that. Bucky and Sharon spending most of their time in his room and Y/N trying to stay busy so she didn't think about it. They were hands off outside of his room and insisted they were just friends when Sam mentioned they were always together. Bucky heard Sam grumble about how Y/N used to be the one he wanted to hang out with, but blew it off. Nothing wrong with having a couple of friends. And Y/N didn't want a casual relationship while Sharon was down for everything and was teaching Bucky a lot.

Sharon was friendly with Cookie in the beginning but started being nasty to Y/N, calling her names and throwing out barely veiled insults when Bucky wasn't around, and did everything she could to keep them apart. Not that Bucky ever seemed to notice, too wrapped up in the constant sex to see much else. Even at team functions Sharon worked to keep her away from Bucky, so much that Y/N just avoided the both of them when at all possible.

Y/N was depressed and missing her friend. She had lost weight and had dark circles under her eyes which she claimed were from working all hours. Time wasn't helping at all, she still had dreams about that night and felt an ache in her chest every time she saw Bucky. A couple of times he tried to talk to her, invite her for the movies nites that she never attended anymore but Sharon always started whining for him and Y/N took the hint and made excuses that she had paperwork or needed sleep, anything to avoid them.

Bucky, Sam and Sharon were offsite for a few days so Y/N could pour herself into work and not worry about running into them.

Late one night she was talking to one of her informants in Latvia and the connection was weak. She claimed to have the details on the Power Broker but static kept interfering with the connection.

Y/N heard banging

"Marta?! Marta are you ok? What's going on?"

There was more banging and a clicking noise then she heard Marta crying and begging.

A muffled womans voice came on the line "You better back off of the Power Broker or you will regret it"

Y/N was pissed "Who the Hell is this? Where's Marta? What did-" she heard a gunshot and the crying stopped.

The voice chuckled "She's unavailable and if you don't wise up, you will be too."

The call disconnected.

Y/N had tears in her eyes. She had met Marta a few years back, she had kids, a family. Now Y/N took that weight and swore to whoever was listening that she would make sure the Power Broker paid for this on top of all the other death and destruction.

Y/N refused to stop and eventually passed out on her laptop. She woke to a loud knocking "Y/N you in there? Fury got a package and wants you in his office 20 minutes ago."

Y/N sighed, Maria Hill. "I'll be down asap."

15 minutes later she was out of breath on her way into his office. "Cookie, there you are. I don't know who sent this but both of our names were on it so I'm hoping you know what's up."

Y/N looked over the package, Latvian stamp no return address. She sighed "Looks like it's from one of my informants in Latvia. I was on the phone with her last nite when she was shot. And a distorted womans voice told me to back off of the Power Broker or I'd be next."

Fury nodded "Alright well let's see what she had."

Y/N carefully opened the package which included a large white envelope that felt like it was full of pictures and a zip lock with a post-it that said 'fingerprints'.

Fury called an intern in to take the prints for processing as Y/N pulled out a stack of pictures. Her jaw dropped as her heart sped up and she began to shake. There was one thing the pictures all had in common......

Sharon fucking Carter.

[sjsmith56]

The Capture, Chapter 19 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Lacey and Tommy are kidnapped at gunpoint. The former Avengers reassemble to rescue her when they learn of her connection to Bucky and of her kidnapper.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Lacey, Tommy, Terry, Dan Jones, Bucky, Nick Fury, Sam, Clint.

Warnings: Contains graphic violent content resulting in death and critical injury.

Author notes: Everything from this chapter on is original content. This was written after FATWS but before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

<<Chapter 18

🏫 🏍️

Philadelphia

It had been eight months since they moved into Terry's penthouse apartment and Lacey was somewhat surprised they slipped so easily back into urban living.  Every day she and Terry walked Tommy to school, waiting until the bell rang and making sure he went inside.  Then they walked back, picking up a coffee from the coffee shop nearby and returning to the apartment.  Terry would leave for his university coaching job while Lacey would clean up, do some laundry, get the mail, then write for several hours.  In the mid-afternoon she walked to the school, waited for Tommy to come out, then together they would walk home.  If he had homework she sat with him at the dining room table checking her emails, or reading her fan mail, while he did his school work.  Then she would start supper.  They would eat, usually without Terry as the team had practice running from the late afternoon to early evening.  Games were on the weekend.  It was quiet and routine, which Lacey wanted at this point.

On this particular Friday she waited with the other moms and a few dads for their kids to come out of the school.  She had started talking with some of the parents, chit chatting about school, sports and other things parents talk about.  Someone brought up the new Captain America and Lacey smiled, happy for Sam to take on the mantle.  She knew Bucky was with him during the New York battle with the Flag Smashers as someone in the media had mentioned him.  When Tommy came out he had his back pack on and fell into step beside Lacey, telling her about his day. 

Two blocks away from the school a car with tinted windows suddenly pulled onto the sidewalk in front of them and Lacey grabbed Tommy to run back to the school.  They were blocked on that side by another car, also with tinted windows.  Several masked men stepped out, approaching them with guns drawn.  Tommy assumed the fighting stance from Bucky's genetic memory that he was born with.  When the first man advanced on him he ran at him kicking him in the chest hard enough to knock him to the ground where he delivered a punch to the throat that incapacitated the gunman.  He was ready to take on the second man when he heard his mother scream and turned to see what was happening to her.

"Run, Tommy!" she screamed.  "Run!"

"Give up or I put a bullet in your mother's head," said the masked man who held a handgun to Lacey's head. 

Another vehicle pulled up and several men wearing FBI bulletproof vests came out pointing their firearms at the masked men.  The one in charge, who Tommy recognized as Agent Jones, an occasional visitor to the apartment, pulled the boy behind him as he advanced on the man holding Lacey.

"Let the woman go," ordered Jones.  "I have a sniper with a rifle trained on you.  He'll put a bullet in your brain well before you can pull that trigger."

"Your sniper has already been taken care of," replied the masked man, confidently.  "Contact him on your comms if you don't believe me."

Jones grimaced and called his sniper but there was no response.  He still held his gun on the masked man.  "Let her go," he said firmly.  "You're not getting her or the boy."

"Think again," replied the gunman.  "Boss?"

Jones heard the shots just before he felt the armour piercing bullet hit him in the chest.  He staggered back and fell, looking at his men as they fell to the sidewalk, also hit by armour piercing bullets.  He put his hand out to Tommy who was obviously in shock then Jones watched helplessly as the boy was swept up by one of the masked men.  As Jones struggled to get off the ground and shoot out the tires of the cars he heard another shot and was hit again, this time in the shoulder.  Before he lost consciousness he saw Lacey being put into one car and Tommy into the other.  Both cars leisurely pulled away leaving him and his four agents bleeding out on the ground.

When he woke up the following morning it was with a tube down his throat, an IV in his arm, and all sorts of sensors attached to his body.  He moaned and several familiar faces appeared in his view; Nick Fury, Clint Barton, and Bucky Barnes.  He looked past Bucky, recognizing the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, to Bucky's right. 

"Agent Jones, how many men?" asked Fury, appearing directly over him.  "How many vehicles?"

Jones thought for a moment and focussed his energy on his hands and fingers.  Slowly he held up eight fingers, then changed it to two.

"Masked?"

He nodded.  Using military sign language he signed that there were several snipers. 

"They used armour piercing bullets on you," said Fury.  "You lost three men, including your sniper.  I'm sorry.  You're the first to wake up." 

Reaching out with his hand Jones gripped Bucky's arm and stared at him, trying to show his regret at failing to protect Lacey and Tommy.

"You did your best," said Bucky, his face showing compassion.  "I don't blame you.  You were outgunned.  They made sure they got what they came for.  We'll take it from here."

Jones grimaced and nodded as Bucky patted him on the arm.  The four of them went out into the hallway.  Fury looked at the three others with determination. 

"Well, it looks like Sharon Carter decided to strike hard and fast.  SHIELD has been looking for her since just before the Blip ended.  They didn't know she was the Power Broker, as they thought she was still working for the CIA.  You two didn't know about her trying to take Lacey and Tommy at the farm during the Blip when she helped you with the Flag Smashers.  If you had we could have taken her then.  That's on me."

"We should have figured out she was the Power Broker," said Sam.  "Everything she did for us was just in time.  She even killed some of her own people so we would think she was on the level."

Bucky said nothing but stood brooding for some time.  "She needed Lacey to get Tommy," he stated.  "Once she has him she can keep him sedated and take his blood whenever she wants.  I'm going to hope she doesn't have a memory suppressing machine.  Considering he easily took down one of her men she may want to keep him and turn him into an enforcer."

"Or sell him to the highest bidder," added Clint.  "When I killed a lot of the criminal kingpins it left a void.  There's a lot of competition among those who reappeared to take over the gangs and cartels.  They could indoctrinate him with violence and drugs, like child soldiers, then turn him into their killer.  Sorry, Bucky."

"Don't be," said Bucky.  "It's a valid assessment."

"Has the CIA given you any information on her whereabouts?" Sam asked Fury.

"No.  They've disavowed her," he answered, "but I wouldn't be surprised if they had an idea where she is.  They weren't happy you got a conditional pardon, Barnes.  It messed up their plausible deniability defence at your hearings when your lawyer pulled out the decrypted HYDRA files proving they knew about your captivity all along.  Sam's activities on behalf of Isaiah Bradley made them even more culpable.  Just so you know, I didn't have that level of clearance when I was with the CIA.  I didn't know you were one of ours and I didn't know about him."

Bucky nodded in acknowledgement.  "Who else can we pull into a rescue team?" he asked.  "I'm assuming you want to be in on it, Clint."

"Damn right, I do," replied Clint.  "We can get Scott, his girlfriend Hope, Peter Parker ... he's Spider-Man.  Kate Bishop is ready for action.  I may be able to talk to Natasha's sister, Yelena.  Since she stopped trying to kill me she might be useful.  I think if you ask King T'Challa he might help.  Maybe send us some of his warriors.”

"That might be pushing it," replied Bucky.  "I kind of helped Zemo break out of prison for him to help us with the Flag Smashers.  Ayo told me to stay away from Wakanda for a while."

"That was you?" grinned Barton.  "I'm impressed.  I would still ask.  What about John Walker?"  Bucky and Sam both grimaced.  "Touchy subject?  I thought he did help with the Flag Smashers in New York."

"He did," agreed Sam.  "He's ... on the edge.  Let's put it that way.  He lets the end justify the means and he did go too far with the one Flag Smasher."

"I'll approach him," said Bucky.  "We may need him, as much I don't want to ask for his help."

"I'll talk to Colonel Rhodes," said Sam.  "I'm sure he will want to be in on this."

"We'll meet tomorrow at the compound," said Fury.  "We have one building usable that houses living quarters, meeting rooms and a canteen.  It's a start."

As they stepped out of the hospital Bucky saw Terry Williams waiting for him.  Sam and Clint came with him while Fury got into a black SUV that was waiting for him.

"They wouldn't let me in to see Dan," said Terry.  "Is he okay?"

"He's awake and was able to tell us a few things," said Clint.  "He'll be alright.  We're going to find them, Terry.  We're assembling a team and will start planning tomorrow."

"I received a phone message about an hour ago," said Terry.  "It's meant for you but they sent it to me, probably to make me talk you into not looking for them."

He brought up the phone message and handed it to Bucky who took in a sudden breath then handed it to the other two men.  It was a picture of Sharon with Lacey and Tommy.  She had a memory suppressing machine and Lacey was in it.  The text message was succinct.

>>I found my chemist.  I'm wiping Lacey's memory and selling her.  The boy is mine.<<

Bucky took the phone back and sent the picture to himself then handed the phone back to Terry.  Another thought occurred to the super soldier.

"Can they track where this picture came from?" he asked Clint. 

"It's possible," said Clint.  "We would need the phone for an IT specialist to analyze.  You think it will give a location of Carter?"

"That's my thinking," said Bucky.  "It will likely be in the same place where her lab is.  Terry, I want your phone."

"Then I have to come with you," said Terry.  "I want to help."

"It's not a good idea," said Clint, gently.  "We're assembling a team that will use deadly force if they have to.  No offence, but you're a civilian."

"She's my sister and he's my nephew and I've been responsible for them for over 5 years," he replied.  "I can't go back to my home and wait by the phone helplessly.  Please, even if it's just keeping your coffee cups filled, let me come with you."

"Okay," agreed Bucky.  "You do everything I tell you without arguing.  Understood?"

Terry nodded.  They went back to his apartment to use as a base and contact everyone they had discussed.   Before midnight they had a team and everyone agreed to meet at the compound the following day.  They were unable to get a location on John Walker and Bucky left, telling them he had an idea how to find the man.  He promised to meet the others at the compound if they would bring his go bag.  As he left the building he opened his cell phone and looked up a contact.  For some time he stared at it, wondering if he really wanted to call in the debt this person owed him.  Then he made the call to the man who had been an assassin for the mob.  Bucky prevented him from being shanked while they were both in lock up, receiving a marker for his efforts.

"Marco, it's Bucky," he said.  "You meant what you said about being in my debt?  I need to find someone, tonight if possible, tomorrow at the latest."  He listened to the man on the other end of the phone.  "No, I don't want him hurt or anything.  Just a location.  I need him for a job." The man on the other end said something else that made Bucky smile.  "No, not a bank job.  A rescue.  Someone took my son and his mother.  I want to get them back.  If I could I would ask for your help but I'm using legitimate players on this.  I just can't get hold of this guy and I need him."

Bucky hung up and began running to the train station.  Where ever John Walker was he needed to get to him as soon as possible.  By the time he reached the station Marco had a location for him and Bucky thanked him, saying the debt was paid.  Marco extended an invitation to work for the mob but Bucky declined, thanking him for the opportunity.  Then he bought a ticket to New York and began the 90 minute ride between the two cities.  While he sat in his seat he pulled up the picture of Lacey.  Enlarging the image of her he noticed the tell tale red mark above and below her left eye.  They had already put her through at least one round of the machine.  He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and seriously considered breaking his vow of not killing anymore.  Then he enlarged the part of the picture that showed Tommy, cringing slightly at how scared he was.  He began looking at other parts of the picture to see if there was a clue of any kind.  There was a throwaway coffee cup that he enlarged enough to discern a logo on it.  With a sense of satisfaction he recognized it was from the coffee kiosk where he met Agent Jones in New York several months before.  The machine was somewhere in that vicinity and so were Lacey and Tommy.  He texted his deduction and the picture to Nick Fury, leaving it to him to try to find the exact location.

When he got off the train he looked at the address Marco gave him for John Walker.  Just on the address alone it was fancy digs for a guy who had been kicked out of the military with no benefits.  He obviously had a new employer if he could afford to live in the heart of Manhattan.  Bucky went to the front door of the building, noticing it had a night doorman.  He could take him out but that would mean hurting him and Dr. Raynor's insistence on the three rules still stuck with him.  No one who didn't deserve it would be hurt by him.  Instead, he went for a walk around the building.  Places this nice usually had a second entrance for staff, workers, and deliveries.  At the back he found the ramp into the parking garage and looked at the control panel, remembering he had bypassed ones just like it when he was the Soldier.  Pulling the panel off he located a couple of wires, disconnected them, and reconnected them together, raising the ramp door.  Quickly he went down the ramp, through the door then to a service elevator.  It didn't need a pass card and he pressed the button for the floor where John Walker and his wife lived.  When it arrived he made his way to the suite number and looked at the lock.  He could knock but Walker might not open it if he saw Bucky through the security peephole.  Normally he would use blunt force for it but he didn't want to alert anyone if he could avoid it.  He didn't have any lock picking tools so that was out.  As he paced up and down the hallway he noticed the fire alarm.  It would get everyone up and out of the building but he could get Walker on his own first.  Reaching out he pulled the lever and the klaxon sounded to evacuate the building.  Waiting as people came out of their apartments in their nightclothes he watched the Walker's door carefully from an alcove across the hall.  As soon as it opened he ran over and pushed both Walker and his wife back into the apartment.

"Bucky?" exclaimed Walker.  "What the hell, man!"

"It's a false alarm," said Bucky.  "I needed to talk to you but you aren't exactly listed in the phone book. The fire alarm was plan B."

"You know this guy?" asked his wife, angry at the intrusion.

"Yeah," replied Walker.  "Olivia, this is Bucky Barnes.  What the hell is so important that you had to set off a fire alarm in my building?"

"I need your help," said Bucky.  "Sharon Carter, who helped us with the Flag Smashers; turns out she's the Power Broker and she took my son, and his mother."

"You have a son?" asked Walker incredulously.  "Why does she want your son?"

"Because the super soldier abilities I have were passed on to him," said Bucky.  "She can make new serum using his blood.  She has a memory suppression machine as well and can use it to make super soldiers that obey her every command.  She's already used it on Lacey, my son's mother.  Then she plans to sell her off to someone."

He showed them the picture that he copied from Terry's phone.  They both looked at it without comment.

"Why should I help you?" demanded Walker.  "I have a contract with a private employer and it doesn't involve dealing with you."

Bucky sighed then looked at Olivia.  "Because she may come after your child sometime," he said.  "I'm pretty sure if you and your wife start having children they'll have the super soldier abilities as well.  If you came to me for help I wouldn't hesitate."

Olivia looked at her husband in a panic then instinctively touched her abdomen.  She was already pregnant.  Walker looked up in frustration then at his wife when she touched his arm.

"You have to help him," she said.  "He's just a kid.  You came up against traffickers in Afghanistan and said they were filthy animals.  You can't let them have Lacey either."

Walker let out a short angry breath.  "Okay, I'm in," he said curtly.  "What's the plan?"

"Meet at the Avengers compound upstate," replied Bucky.  "Today, as soon as you can get there after sunrise.  Bring your uniform and your weapons."

Walker nodded his assent then they all went to the door and joined the exodus of people evacuating down the stairs.  When they got to the bottom Bucky disappeared into the night and Walker put his arm protectively around Olivia.

"Val isn't going to like this," he said.

"She doesn't need to know," replied Olivia, then she looked up at her husband.  "This is the right thing to do, John."

Once Bucky was safely away from the building he ran to a self storage facility in Brooklyn.  Even though he mostly stayed in Delacroix with Sam and his family he had moved his possessions from his Brooklyn flat into a small storage unit, not wanting to move them until he was sure he was staying in one place.  Lifting up the steel door sounded disturbingly loud but he didn't stop until it was completely open.  Then he turned on the light and began looking for the tools of his trade.  In the weeks since they fought the Flag Smashers things had been quiet so he hadn't needed his weapons.  Now, he needed several and he brought the satchel out.  Pulling a canvas off of a hidden object revealed a motor bike, a Kawasaki Versys 650, which he picked up at a very reasonable price.  He barely rode it since buying it but he needed a way to get to the compound.  Grasping the handle bars he walked the motor bike out to the corridor.  Going back inside he found another bag with a leather jacket and motorcycle helmet, put them both on, and slung the weapons satchel cross wise over his body.  Finally he pulled down the steel door and locked it.  He walked the motor bike outside, mounted it, and turned the key, its motor springing to life right away.  As soon as he got it up to speed a grin spread across his face as its powerful but smooth roar reached his ears.  Checking for police or speed traps he let it out and got it up to 150 mph before bringing it back down to the speed limit.  It was definitely a motorcycle he would enjoy riding.  Just over an hour later he pulled up to the construction site that covered most of the Avengers compound.  An MP waved him over and Bucky pulled up then took his helmet off.

"Your name, sir?" asked the MP.

"Bucky Barnes," he replied, then added his rank.  "Sergeant.  There's supposed to be a John Walker on the list.  Can you confirm that?"

The MP looked at his clipboard.  "Yes, Sarge, he's on the list but hasn't checked in yet. Go straight and take the second turn right.  Your destination will be on the left.  You're the first one here, other than Director Fury."

"There is another man who might not be on the list," stated Bucky.  "Terry Williams.  He is the brother of the abducted woman and uncle to the boy.  I can vouch for him."

"He's on the list as well," said the MP.  "I believe Clint Barton called it in to include him on the briefings."

Bucky nodded, put his helmet back on and followed the directions.  The building looked new but it was still surrounded by the wreckage of Thano's attack.  Another MP guided him in to a parking stall.

"Sergeant Barnes," he verified.  "If you go through those doors another MP will assign you your quarters.  If you have weapons in your bag, there is a secure storage area inside for you to keep them."

Bucky thanked him and walked inside carrying his helmet in his arm.  The MP checked the contents of his bag and radioed for an escort to show him the weapons storage then his quarters.  An army private arrived to lead Bucky to the weapons storage area which was basically a locker that used an iris scan to open and close it.  Then he followed the private to his quarters, dropping his helmet and jacket onto the table.  The canteen wasn't open yet so Bucky laid on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before the others arrived.  A knock on his door awakened him a couple of hours later and he opened it to Sam carrying his go bag.

"How long have you been here?" asked Sam.

"Well before sunrise," replied Bucky.  "I found Walker.  He said he was in.  His wife is pregnant so I think he understands the necessity of keeping the kids safe.  His wife also brought up his experiences with human traffickers in Afghanistan."

"Good," said Sam.  "Canteen is open, if you're up for some breakfast.  Is that your motorcycle outside?"

"Yeah, first time out with it," replied Bucky.  "Took it up to 150 mph in no time."

"Nice," said Sam, smiling broadly.  "Oh, just so you know, we have three Dora Milaje here.  They volunteered.  Ayo is one of them."

"Nice," replied Bucky, also smiling.  "She's a good soldier."

He changed his shirt and walked with Sam to the canteen.  It was more like a mess hall as both of them came away with a full tray of food, coffee and orange juice.  As he turned to the seating area a hand went up and he saw Clint and Terry.  Also sitting with them were Peter Parker, who he hadn't seen since the airport in Leipzig, and surprisingly to him, Lt. Torres.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Torres.

"I heard about your girlfriend and son," he replied.  "I've been working on the Falcon suit and trying it out.  I thought I could help."

"Thanks," said Bucky.  "I appreciate it."  He turned to Peter and offered his hand.  "Thanks for coming out, Peter.  Having experienced how effective your webs are I'm sure you'll make a difference."

"Sure, Mr. Barnes," Peter replied, shaking Bucky's hand.

"Bucky, please," he interrupted, smiling.  "Mr. Barnes was my dad."

Peter nodded and went back to eating his breakfast.  As they continued eating more people entered and he couldn't help but feel moved by those who showed up.  When John Walker strode in Bucky made a point of standing up and calling to him, understanding that in many ways Walker needed to feel like he was part of something good.  He introduced him to everyone and gave him his chair to sit on while he pulled another over.  Sam watched him with a small half smile on his face, understanding exactly what Bucky was doing.   

A dark-haired woman entered the canteen area.  Clint identified her as Maria Hill, Fury's right hand person.  She announced the briefing was about to begin and asked everyone assembled to follow her to the full briefing room.  At the front stood Fury, Rhodes, Thaddeus Ross, and two sorcerers, one who Bucky recognized as Dr. Strange.  The other sorcerer was an Asian man but Bucky didn't know his name.  When Fury put his hand up the whole room went silent.

"It would appear that the rumours of the demise of the Avengers isn't true," he said.  "There was a feeling from people with a higher pay grade than myself that there was no need for our organization, at least not in the format it had been."  He gave some serious side-eye to Ross.  "With the rise of the Flag Smashers and now the kidnapping of Lacey Chapman and her son Tommy, nothing could be further from the truth.  Three FBI agents died trying to prevent the kidnapping.  Three seriously injured.  For those of you who don't know Tommy is the son of Bucky Barnes and he has inherited his father's abilities."  There were several murmurs from the crowd.  "One of our own, Sharon Carter, has turned to the dark side and is behind the kidnapping.  She is now known by her current alias, the Power Broker, a powerful criminal overlord in Madripoor."

"Didn't she just get reinstated by the CIA?" asked Torres.

"Yes," replied Fury.  "That's before we realized her criminal alias.  We had been looking for her but never made the connection.  She has been disavowed by the CIA now that they are aware of her true identity.  She was behind the serum used by the Flag Smashers to become super soldiers and we believe she has plans to use Tommy Chapman's blood to create more serum.  Gentlemen, and ladies, we need to stop Miss Carter, and rescue Lacey Chapman and her son.  Those are our missions."

He let the news percolate and looked at Thaddeus Ross who put his hand up for silence.

"I know my presence here doesn't fill you with confidence," he said.  "Mistakes were made.  Serious mistakes that blamed certain innocent people for things they didn't do.  It also caused other people who were doing what they thought was morally right to be arrested and imprisoned unjustly.  I'm here to tell you the Sokovia Accords have been revoked completely.  After Thanos it was recognized that an organization like the Avengers needs its autonomy to take up the fights that need fighting without waiting for approval by slow moving bureaucracies.  Cap, Barnes, and Walker proved with their work on the Flag Smashers that the rules of engagement can't always be followed especially when your opponent doesn't follow or respect those same rules.  That doesn't mean you sink to their level.  It means you use appropriate force to defeat your opponent.  It also means the kidnapping of two people is as important as a threat against many people.  Whatever you need to do to succeed in this mission will be provided to you.  Good luck."

Bucky looked at Sam.  It appeared they both had just received an apology for how they had been treated in the past.  Whatever they did now was their decision and under their control.  This fight had meaning not just for them but for everyone who had stepped up and they would make it count.

Chapter 20>>

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The Capture, Chapter 19 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Lacey and Tommy are kidnapped at gunpoint. The former Avengers reassemble to rescue her when they learn of her connection to Bucky and of her kidnapper.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Lacey, Tommy, Terry, Dan Jones, Bucky, Nick Fury, Sam, Clint.

Warnings: Contains graphic violent content resulting in death and critical injury.

Author notes: Everything from this chapter on is original content. This was written after FATWS but before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

<<Chapter 18

🏫 🏍️

Philadelphia

It had been eight months since they moved into Terry's penthouse apartment and Lacey was somewhat surprised they slipped so easily back into urban living.  Every day she and Terry walked Tommy to school, waiting until the bell rang and making sure he went inside.  Then they walked back, picking up a coffee from the coffee shop nearby and returning to the apartment.  Terry would leave for his university coaching job while Lacey would clean up, do some laundry, get the mail, then write for several hours.  In the mid-afternoon she walked to the school, waited for Tommy to come out, then together they would walk home.  If he had homework she sat with him at the dining room table checking her emails, or reading her fan mail, while he did his school work.  Then she would start supper.  They would eat, usually without Terry as the team had practice running from the late afternoon to early evening.  Games were on the weekend.  It was quiet and routine, which Lacey wanted at this point.

On this particular Friday she waited with the other moms and a few dads for their kids to come out of the school.  She had started talking with some of the parents, chit chatting about school, sports and other things parents talk about.  Someone brought up the new Captain America and Lacey smiled, happy for Sam to take on the mantle.  She knew Bucky was with him during the New York battle with the Flag Smashers as someone in the media had mentioned him.  When Tommy came out he had his back pack on and fell into step beside Lacey, telling her about his day. 

Two blocks away from the school a car with tinted windows suddenly pulled onto the sidewalk in front of them and Lacey grabbed Tommy to run back to the school.  They were blocked on that side by another car, also with tinted windows.  Several masked men stepped out, approaching them with guns drawn.  Tommy assumed the fighting stance from Bucky's genetic memory that he was born with.  When the first man advanced on him he ran at him kicking him in the chest hard enough to knock him to the ground where he delivered a punch to the throat that incapacitated the gunman.  He was ready to take on the second man when he heard his mother scream and turned to see what was happening to her.

"Run, Tommy!" she screamed.  "Run!"

"Give up or I put a bullet in your mother's head," said the masked man who held a handgun to Lacey's head. 

Another vehicle pulled up and several men wearing FBI bulletproof vests came out pointing their firearms at the masked men.  The one in charge, who Tommy recognized as Agent Jones, an occasional visitor to the apartment, pulled the boy behind him as he advanced on the man holding Lacey.

"Let the woman go," ordered Jones.  "I have a sniper with a rifle trained on you.  He'll put a bullet in your brain well before you can pull that trigger."

"Your sniper has already been taken care of," replied the masked man, confidently.  "Contact him on your comms if you don't believe me."

Jones grimaced and called his sniper but there was no response.  He still held his gun on the masked man.  "Let her go," he said firmly.  "You're not getting her or the boy."

"Think again," replied the gunman.  "Boss?"

Jones heard the shots just before he felt the armour piercing bullet hit him in the chest.  He staggered back and fell, looking at his men as they fell to the sidewalk, also hit by armour piercing bullets.  He put his hand out to Tommy who was obviously in shock then Jones watched helplessly as the boy was swept up by one of the masked men.  As Jones struggled to get off the ground and shoot out the tires of the cars he heard another shot and was hit again, this time in the shoulder.  Before he lost consciousness he saw Lacey being put into one car and Tommy into the other.  Both cars leisurely pulled away leaving him and his four agents bleeding out on the ground.

When he woke up the following morning it was with a tube down his throat, an IV in his arm, and all sorts of sensors attached to his body.  He moaned and several familiar faces appeared in his view; Nick Fury, Clint Barton, and Bucky Barnes.  He looked past Bucky, recognizing the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, to Bucky's right. 

"Agent Jones, how many men?" asked Fury, appearing directly over him.  "How many vehicles?"

Jones thought for a moment and focussed his energy on his hands and fingers.  Slowly he held up eight fingers, then changed it to two.

"Masked?"

He nodded.  Using military sign language he signed that there were several snipers. 

"They used armour piercing bullets on you," said Fury.  "You lost three men, including your sniper.  I'm sorry.  You're the first to wake up." 

Reaching out with his hand Jones gripped Bucky's arm and stared at him, trying to show his regret at failing to protect Lacey and Tommy.

"You did your best," said Bucky, his face showing compassion.  "I don't blame you.  You were outgunned.  They made sure they got what they came for.  We'll take it from here."

Jones grimaced and nodded as Bucky patted him on the arm.  The four of them went out into the hallway.  Fury looked at the three others with determination. 

"Well, it looks like Sharon Carter decided to strike hard and fast.  SHIELD has been looking for her since just before the Blip ended.  They didn't know she was the Power Broker, as they thought she was still working for the CIA.  You two didn't know about her trying to take Lacey and Tommy at the farm during the Blip when she helped you with the Flag Smashers.  If you had we could have taken her then.  That's on me."

"We should have figured out she was the Power Broker," said Sam.  "Everything she did for us was just in time.  She even killed some of her own people so we would think she was on the level."

Bucky said nothing but stood brooding for some time.  "She needed Lacey to get Tommy," he stated.  "Once she has him she can keep him sedated and take his blood whenever she wants.  I'm going to hope she doesn't have a memory suppressing machine.  Considering he easily took down one of her men she may want to keep him and turn him into an enforcer."

"Or sell him to the highest bidder," added Clint.  "When I killed a lot of the criminal kingpins it left a void.  There's a lot of competition among those who reappeared to take over the gangs and cartels.  They could indoctrinate him with violence and drugs, like child soldiers, then turn him into their killer.  Sorry, Bucky."

"Don't be," said Bucky.  "It's a valid assessment."

"Has the CIA given you any information on her whereabouts?" Sam asked Fury.

"No.  They've disavowed her," he answered, "but I wouldn't be surprised if they had an idea where she is.  They weren't happy you got a conditional pardon, Barnes.  It messed up their plausible deniability defence at your hearings when your lawyer pulled out the decrypted HYDRA files proving they knew about your captivity all along.  Sam's activities on behalf of Isaiah Bradley made them even more culpable.  Just so you know, I didn't have that level of clearance when I was with the CIA.  I didn't know you were one of ours and I didn't know about him."

Bucky nodded in acknowledgement.  "Who else can we pull into a rescue team?" he asked.  "I'm assuming you want to be in on it, Clint."

"Damn right, I do," replied Clint.  "We can get Scott, his girlfriend Hope, Peter Parker ... he's Spider-Man.  Kate Bishop is ready for action.  I may be able to talk to Natasha's sister, Yelena.  Since she stopped trying to kill me she might be useful.  I think if you ask King T'Challa he might help.  Maybe send us some of his warriors.”

"That might be pushing it," replied Bucky.  "I kind of helped Zemo break out of prison for him to help us with the Flag Smashers.  Ayo told me to stay away from Wakanda for a while."

"That was you?" grinned Barton.  "I'm impressed.  I would still ask.  What about John Walker?"  Bucky and Sam both grimaced.  "Touchy subject?  I thought he did help with the Flag Smashers in New York."

"He did," agreed Sam.  "He's ... on the edge.  Let's put it that way.  He lets the end justify the means and he did go too far with the one Flag Smasher."

"I'll approach him," said Bucky.  "We may need him, as much I don't want to ask for his help."

"I'll talk to Colonel Rhodes," said Sam.  "I'm sure he will want to be in on this."

"We'll meet tomorrow at the compound," said Fury.  "We have one building usable that houses living quarters, meeting rooms and a canteen.  It's a start."

As they stepped out of the hospital Bucky saw Terry Williams waiting for him.  Sam and Clint came with him while Fury got into a black SUV that was waiting for him.

"They wouldn't let me in to see Dan," said Terry.  "Is he okay?"

"He's awake and was able to tell us a few things," said Clint.  "He'll be alright.  We're going to find them, Terry.  We're assembling a team and will start planning tomorrow."

"I received a phone message about an hour ago," said Terry.  "It's meant for you but they sent it to me, probably to make me talk you into not looking for them."

He brought up the phone message and handed it to Bucky who took in a sudden breath then handed it to the other two men.  It was a picture of Sharon with Lacey and Tommy.  She had a memory suppressing machine and Lacey was in it.  The text message was succinct.

>>I found my chemist.  I'm wiping Lacey's memory and selling her.  The boy is mine.<<

Bucky took the phone back and sent the picture to himself then handed the phone back to Terry.  Another thought occurred to the super soldier.

"Can they track where this picture came from?" he asked Clint. 

"It's possible," said Clint.  "We would need the phone for an IT specialist to analyze.  You think it will give a location of Carter?"

"That's my thinking," said Bucky.  "It will likely be in the same place where her lab is.  Terry, I want your phone."

"Then I have to come with you," said Terry.  "I want to help."

"It's not a good idea," said Clint, gently.  "We're assembling a team that will use deadly force if they have to.  No offence, but you're a civilian."

"She's my sister and he's my nephew and I've been responsible for them for over 5 years," he replied.  "I can't go back to my home and wait by the phone helplessly.  Please, even if it's just keeping your coffee cups filled, let me come with you."

"Okay," agreed Bucky.  "You do everything I tell you without arguing.  Understood?"

Terry nodded.  They went back to his apartment to use as a base and contact everyone they had discussed.   Before midnight they had a team and everyone agreed to meet at the compound the following day.  They were unable to get a location on John Walker and Bucky left, telling them he had an idea how to find the man.  He promised to meet the others at the compound if they would bring his go bag.  As he left the building he opened his cell phone and looked up a contact.  For some time he stared at it, wondering if he really wanted to call in the debt this person owed him.  Then he made the call to the man who had been an assassin for the mob.  Bucky prevented him from being shanked while they were both in lock up, receiving a marker for his efforts.

"Marco, it's Bucky," he said.  "You meant what you said about being in my debt?  I need to find someone, tonight if possible, tomorrow at the latest."  He listened to the man on the other end of the phone.  "No, I don't want him hurt or anything.  Just a location.  I need him for a job." The man on the other end said something else that made Bucky smile.  "No, not a bank job.  A rescue.  Someone took my son and his mother.  I want to get them back.  If I could I would ask for your help but I'm using legitimate players on this.  I just can't get hold of this guy and I need him."

Bucky hung up and began running to the train station.  Where ever John Walker was he needed to get to him as soon as possible.  By the time he reached the station Marco had a location for him and Bucky thanked him, saying the debt was paid.  Marco extended an invitation to work for the mob but Bucky declined, thanking him for the opportunity.  Then he bought a ticket to New York and began the 90 minute ride between the two cities.  While he sat in his seat he pulled up the picture of Lacey.  Enlarging the image of her he noticed the tell tale red mark above and below her left eye.  They had already put her through at least one round of the machine.  He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and seriously considered breaking his vow of not killing anymore.  Then he enlarged the part of the picture that showed Tommy, cringing slightly at how scared he was.  He began looking at other parts of the picture to see if there was a clue of any kind.  There was a throwaway coffee cup that he enlarged enough to discern a logo on it.  With a sense of satisfaction he recognized it was from the coffee kiosk where he met Agent Jones in New York several months before.  The machine was somewhere in that vicinity and so were Lacey and Tommy.  He texted his deduction and the picture to Nick Fury, leaving it to him to try to find the exact location.

When he got off the train he looked at the address Marco gave him for John Walker.  Just on the address alone it was fancy digs for a guy who had been kicked out of the military with no benefits.  He obviously had a new employer if he could afford to live in the heart of Manhattan.  Bucky went to the front door of the building, noticing it had a night doorman.  He could take him out but that would mean hurting him and Dr. Raynor's insistence on the three rules still stuck with him.  No one who didn't deserve it would be hurt by him.  Instead, he went for a walk around the building.  Places this nice usually had a second entrance for staff, workers, and deliveries.  At the back he found the ramp into the parking garage and looked at the control panel, remembering he had bypassed ones just like it when he was the Soldier.  Pulling the panel off he located a couple of wires, disconnected them, and reconnected them together, raising the ramp door.  Quickly he went down the ramp, through the door then to a service elevator.  It didn't need a pass card and he pressed the button for the floor where John Walker and his wife lived.  When it arrived he made his way to the suite number and looked at the lock.  He could knock but Walker might not open it if he saw Bucky through the security peephole.  Normally he would use blunt force for it but he didn't want to alert anyone if he could avoid it.  He didn't have any lock picking tools so that was out.  As he paced up and down the hallway he noticed the fire alarm.  It would get everyone up and out of the building but he could get Walker on his own first.  Reaching out he pulled the lever and the klaxon sounded to evacuate the building.  Waiting as people came out of their apartments in their nightclothes he watched the Walker's door carefully from an alcove across the hall.  As soon as it opened he ran over and pushed both Walker and his wife back into the apartment.

"Bucky?" exclaimed Walker.  "What the hell, man!"

"It's a false alarm," said Bucky.  "I needed to talk to you but you aren't exactly listed in the phone book. The fire alarm was plan B."

"You know this guy?" asked his wife, angry at the intrusion.

"Yeah," replied Walker.  "Olivia, this is Bucky Barnes.  What the hell is so important that you had to set off a fire alarm in my building?"

"I need your help," said Bucky.  "Sharon Carter, who helped us with the Flag Smashers; turns out she's the Power Broker and she took my son, and his mother."

"You have a son?" asked Walker incredulously.  "Why does she want your son?"

"Because the super soldier abilities I have were passed on to him," said Bucky.  "She can make new serum using his blood.  She has a memory suppression machine as well and can use it to make super soldiers that obey her every command.  She's already used it on Lacey, my son's mother.  Then she plans to sell her off to someone."

He showed them the picture that he copied from Terry's phone.  They both looked at it without comment.

"Why should I help you?" demanded Walker.  "I have a contract with a private employer and it doesn't involve dealing with you."

Bucky sighed then looked at Olivia.  "Because she may come after your child sometime," he said.  "I'm pretty sure if you and your wife start having children they'll have the super soldier abilities as well.  If you came to me for help I wouldn't hesitate."

Olivia looked at her husband in a panic then instinctively touched her abdomen.  She was already pregnant.  Walker looked up in frustration then at his wife when she touched his arm.

"You have to help him," she said.  "He's just a kid.  You came up against traffickers in Afghanistan and said they were filthy animals.  You can't let them have Lacey either."

Walker let out a short angry breath.  "Okay, I'm in," he said curtly.  "What's the plan?"

"Meet at the Avengers compound upstate," replied Bucky.  "Today, as soon as you can get there after sunrise.  Bring your uniform and your weapons."

Walker nodded his assent then they all went to the door and joined the exodus of people evacuating down the stairs.  When they got to the bottom Bucky disappeared into the night and Walker put his arm protectively around Olivia.

"Val isn't going to like this," he said.

"She doesn't need to know," replied Olivia, then she looked up at her husband.  "This is the right thing to do, John."

Once Bucky was safely away from the building he ran to a self storage facility in Brooklyn.  Even though he mostly stayed in Delacroix with Sam and his family he had moved his possessions from his Brooklyn flat into a small storage unit, not wanting to move them until he was sure he was staying in one place.  Lifting up the steel door sounded disturbingly loud but he didn't stop until it was completely open.  Then he turned on the light and began looking for the tools of his trade.  In the weeks since they fought the Flag Smashers things had been quiet so he hadn't needed his weapons.  Now, he needed several and he brought the satchel out.  Pulling a canvas off of a hidden object revealed a motor bike, a Kawasaki Versys 650, which he picked up at a very reasonable price.  He barely rode it since buying it but he needed a way to get to the compound.  Grasping the handle bars he walked the motor bike out to the corridor.  Going back inside he found another bag with a leather jacket and motorcycle helmet, put them both on, and slung the weapons satchel cross wise over his body.  Finally he pulled down the steel door and locked it.  He walked the motor bike outside, mounted it, and turned the key, its motor springing to life right away.  As soon as he got it up to speed a grin spread across his face as its powerful but smooth roar reached his ears.  Checking for police or speed traps he let it out and got it up to 150 mph before bringing it back down to the speed limit.  It was definitely a motorcycle he would enjoy riding.  Just over an hour later he pulled up to the construction site that covered most of the Avengers compound.  An MP waved him over and Bucky pulled up then took his helmet off.

"Your name, sir?" asked the MP.

"Bucky Barnes," he replied, then added his rank.  "Sergeant.  There's supposed to be a John Walker on the list.  Can you confirm that?"

The MP looked at his clipboard.  "Yes, Sarge, he's on the list but hasn't checked in yet. Go straight and take the second turn right.  Your destination will be on the left.  You're the first one here, other than Director Fury."

"There is another man who might not be on the list," stated Bucky.  "Terry Williams.  He is the brother of the abducted woman and uncle to the boy.  I can vouch for him."

"He's on the list as well," said the MP.  "I believe Clint Barton called it in to include him on the briefings."

Bucky nodded, put his helmet back on and followed the directions.  The building looked new but it was still surrounded by the wreckage of Thano's attack.  Another MP guided him in to a parking stall.

"Sergeant Barnes," he verified.  "If you go through those doors another MP will assign you your quarters.  If you have weapons in your bag, there is a secure storage area inside for you to keep them."

Bucky thanked him and walked inside carrying his helmet in his arm.  The MP checked the contents of his bag and radioed for an escort to show him the weapons storage then his quarters.  An army private arrived to lead Bucky to the weapons storage area which was basically a locker that used an iris scan to open and close it.  Then he followed the private to his quarters, dropping his helmet and jacket onto the table.  The canteen wasn't open yet so Bucky laid on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before the others arrived.  A knock on his door awakened him a couple of hours later and he opened it to Sam carrying his go bag.

"How long have you been here?" asked Sam.

"Well before sunrise," replied Bucky.  "I found Walker.  He said he was in.  His wife is pregnant so I think he understands the necessity of keeping the kids safe.  His wife also brought up his experiences with human traffickers in Afghanistan."

"Good," said Sam.  "Canteen is open, if you're up for some breakfast.  Is that your motorcycle outside?"

"Yeah, first time out with it," replied Bucky.  "Took it up to 150 mph in no time."

"Nice," said Sam, smiling broadly.  "Oh, just so you know, we have three Dora Milaje here.  They volunteered.  Ayo is one of them."

"Nice," replied Bucky, also smiling.  "She's a good soldier."

He changed his shirt and walked with Sam to the canteen.  It was more like a mess hall as both of them came away with a full tray of food, coffee and orange juice.  As he turned to the seating area a hand went up and he saw Clint and Terry.  Also sitting with them were Peter Parker, who he hadn't seen since the airport in Leipzig, and surprisingly to him, Lt. Torres.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Torres.

"I heard about your girlfriend and son," he replied.  "I've been working on the Falcon suit and trying it out.  I thought I could help."

"Thanks," said Bucky.  "I appreciate it."  He turned to Peter and offered his hand.  "Thanks for coming out, Peter.  Having experienced how effective your webs are I'm sure you'll make a difference."

"Sure, Mr. Barnes," Peter replied, shaking Bucky's hand.

"Bucky, please," he interrupted, smiling.  "Mr. Barnes was my dad."

Peter nodded and went back to eating his breakfast.  As they continued eating more people entered and he couldn't help but feel moved by those who showed up.  When John Walker strode in Bucky made a point of standing up and calling to him, understanding that in many ways Walker needed to feel like he was part of something good.  He introduced him to everyone and gave him his chair to sit on while he pulled another over.  Sam watched him with a small half smile on his face, understanding exactly what Bucky was doing.   

A dark-haired woman entered the canteen area.  Clint identified her as Maria Hill, Fury's right hand person.  She announced the briefing was about to begin and asked everyone assembled to follow her to the full briefing room.  At the front stood Fury, Rhodes, Thaddeus Ross, and two sorcerers, one who Bucky recognized as Dr. Strange.  The other sorcerer was an Asian man but Bucky didn't know his name.  When Fury put his hand up the whole room went silent.

"It would appear that the rumours of the demise of the Avengers isn't true," he said.  "There was a feeling from people with a higher pay grade than myself that there was no need for our organization, at least not in the format it had been."  He gave some serious side-eye to Ross.  "With the rise of the Flag Smashers and now the kidnapping of Lacey Chapman and her son Tommy, nothing could be further from the truth.  Three FBI agents died trying to prevent the kidnapping.  Three seriously injured.  For those of you who don't know Tommy is the son of Bucky Barnes and he has inherited his father's abilities."  There were several murmurs from the crowd.  "One of our own, Sharon Carter, has turned to the dark side and is behind the kidnapping.  She is now known by her current alias, the Power Broker, a powerful criminal overlord in Madripoor."

"Didn't she just get reinstated by the CIA?" asked Torres.

"Yes," replied Fury.  "That's before we realized her criminal alias.  We had been looking for her but never made the connection.  She has been disavowed by the CIA now that they are aware of her true identity.  She was behind the serum used by the Flag Smashers to become super soldiers and we believe she has plans to use Tommy Chapman's blood to create more serum.  Gentlemen, and ladies, we need to stop Miss Carter, and rescue Lacey Chapman and her son.  Those are our missions."

He let the news percolate and looked at Thaddeus Ross who put his hand up for silence.

"I know my presence here doesn't fill you with confidence," he said.  "Mistakes were made.  Serious mistakes that blamed certain innocent people for things they didn't do.  It also caused other people who were doing what they thought was morally right to be arrested and imprisoned unjustly.  I'm here to tell you the Sokovia Accords have been revoked completely.  After Thanos it was recognized that an organization like the Avengers needs its autonomy to take up the fights that need fighting without waiting for approval by slow moving bureaucracies.  Cap, Barnes, and Walker proved with their work on the Flag Smashers that the rules of engagement can't always be followed especially when your opponent doesn't follow or respect those same rules.  That doesn't mean you sink to their level.  It means you use appropriate force to defeat your opponent.  It also means the kidnapping of two people is as important as a threat against many people.  Whatever you need to do to succeed in this mission will be provided to you.  Good luck."

Bucky looked at Sam.  It appeared they both had just received an apology for how they had been treated in the past.  Whatever they did now was their decision and under their control.  This fight had meaning not just for them but for everyone who had stepped up and they would make it count.

Chapter 20>>

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[sjsmith56]

The Capture, Chapter 19 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Lacey and Tommy are kidnapped at gunpoint. The former Avengers reassemble to rescue her when they learn of her connection to Bucky and of her kidnapper.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Lacey, Tommy, Terry, Dan Jones, Bucky, Nick Fury, Sam, Clint.

Warnings: Contains graphic violent content resulting in death and critical injury.

Author notes: Everything from this chapter on is original content. This was written after FATWS but before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

<<Chapter 18

🏫 🏍️

Philadelphia

It had been eight months since they moved into Terry's penthouse apartment and Lacey was somewhat surprised they slipped so easily back into urban living.  Every day she and Terry walked Tommy to school, waiting until the bell rang and making sure he went inside.  Then they walked back, picking up a coffee from the coffee shop nearby and returning to the apartment.  Terry would leave for his university coaching job while Lacey would clean up, do some laundry, get the mail, then write for several hours.  In the mid-afternoon she walked to the school, waited for Tommy to come out, then together they would walk home.  If he had homework she sat with him at the dining room table checking her emails, or reading her fan mail, while he did his school work.  Then she would start supper.  They would eat, usually without Terry as the team had practice running from the late afternoon to early evening.  Games were on the weekend.  It was quiet and routine, which Lacey wanted at this point.

On this particular Friday she waited with the other moms and a few dads for their kids to come out of the school.  She had started talking with some of the parents, chit chatting about school, sports and other things parents talk about.  Someone brought up the new Captain America and Lacey smiled, happy for Sam to take on the mantle.  She knew Bucky was with him during the New York battle with the Flag Smashers as someone in the media had mentioned him.  When Tommy came out he had his back pack on and fell into step beside Lacey, telling her about his day. 

Two blocks away from the school a car with tinted windows suddenly pulled onto the sidewalk in front of them and Lacey grabbed Tommy to run back to the school.  They were blocked on that side by another car, also with tinted windows.  Several masked men stepped out, approaching them with guns drawn.  Tommy assumed the fighting stance from Bucky's genetic memory that he was born with.  When the first man advanced on him he ran at him kicking him in the chest hard enough to knock him to the ground where he delivered a punch to the throat that incapacitated the gunman.  He was ready to take on the second man when he heard his mother scream and turned to see what was happening to her.

"Run, Tommy!" she screamed.  "Run!"

"Give up or I put a bullet in your mother's head," said the masked man who held a handgun to Lacey's head. 

Another vehicle pulled up and several men wearing FBI bulletproof vests came out pointing their firearms at the masked men.  The one in charge, who Tommy recognized as Agent Jones, an occasional visitor to the apartment, pulled the boy behind him as he advanced on the man holding Lacey.

"Let the woman go," ordered Jones.  "I have a sniper with a rifle trained on you.  He'll put a bullet in your brain well before you can pull that trigger."

"Your sniper has already been taken care of," replied the masked man, confidently.  "Contact him on your comms if you don't believe me."

Jones grimaced and called his sniper but there was no response.  He still held his gun on the masked man.  "Let her go," he said firmly.  "You're not getting her or the boy."

"Think again," replied the gunman.  "Boss?"

Jones heard the shots just before he felt the armour piercing bullet hit him in the chest.  He staggered back and fell, looking at his men as they fell to the sidewalk, also hit by armour piercing bullets.  He put his hand out to Tommy who was obviously in shock then Jones watched helplessly as the boy was swept up by one of the masked men.  As Jones struggled to get off the ground and shoot out the tires of the cars he heard another shot and was hit again, this time in the shoulder.  Before he lost consciousness he saw Lacey being put into one car and Tommy into the other.  Both cars leisurely pulled away leaving him and his four agents bleeding out on the ground.

When he woke up the following morning it was with a tube down his throat, an IV in his arm, and all sorts of sensors attached to his body.  He moaned and several familiar faces appeared in his view; Nick Fury, Clint Barton, and Bucky Barnes.  He looked past Bucky, recognizing the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, to Bucky's right. 

"Agent Jones, how many men?" asked Fury, appearing directly over him.  "How many vehicles?"

Jones thought for a moment and focussed his energy on his hands and fingers.  Slowly he held up eight fingers, then changed it to two.

"Masked?"

He nodded.  Using military sign language he signed that there were several snipers. 

"They used armour piercing bullets on you," said Fury.  "You lost three men, including your sniper.  I'm sorry.  You're the first to wake up." 

Reaching out with his hand Jones gripped Bucky's arm and stared at him, trying to show his regret at failing to protect Lacey and Tommy.

"You did your best," said Bucky, his face showing compassion.  "I don't blame you.  You were outgunned.  They made sure they got what they came for.  We'll take it from here."

Jones grimaced and nodded as Bucky patted him on the arm.  The four of them went out into the hallway.  Fury looked at the three others with determination. 

"Well, it looks like Sharon Carter decided to strike hard and fast.  SHIELD has been looking for her since just before the Blip ended.  They didn't know she was the Power Broker, as they thought she was still working for the CIA.  You two didn't know about her trying to take Lacey and Tommy at the farm during the Blip when she helped you with the Flag Smashers.  If you had we could have taken her then.  That's on me."

"We should have figured out she was the Power Broker," said Sam.  "Everything she did for us was just in time.  She even killed some of her own people so we would think she was on the level."

Bucky said nothing but stood brooding for some time.  "She needed Lacey to get Tommy," he stated.  "Once she has him she can keep him sedated and take his blood whenever she wants.  I'm going to hope she doesn't have a memory suppressing machine.  Considering he easily took down one of her men she may want to keep him and turn him into an enforcer."

"Or sell him to the highest bidder," added Clint.  "When I killed a lot of the criminal kingpins it left a void.  There's a lot of competition among those who reappeared to take over the gangs and cartels.  They could indoctrinate him with violence and drugs, like child soldiers, then turn him into their killer.  Sorry, Bucky."

"Don't be," said Bucky.  "It's a valid assessment."

"Has the CIA given you any information on her whereabouts?" Sam asked Fury.

"No.  They've disavowed her," he answered, "but I wouldn't be surprised if they had an idea where she is.  They weren't happy you got a conditional pardon, Barnes.  It messed up their plausible deniability defence at your hearings when your lawyer pulled out the decrypted HYDRA files proving they knew about your captivity all along.  Sam's activities on behalf of Isaiah Bradley made them even more culpable.  Just so you know, I didn't have that level of clearance when I was with the CIA.  I didn't know you were one of ours and I didn't know about him."

Bucky nodded in acknowledgement.  "Who else can we pull into a rescue team?" he asked.  "I'm assuming you want to be in on it, Clint."

"Damn right, I do," replied Clint.  "We can get Scott, his girlfriend Hope, Peter Parker ... he's Spider-Man.  Kate Bishop is ready for action.  I may be able to talk to Natasha's sister, Yelena.  Since she stopped trying to kill me she might be useful.  I think if you ask King T'Challa he might help.  Maybe send us some of his warriors.”

"That might be pushing it," replied Bucky.  "I kind of helped Zemo break out of prison for him to help us with the Flag Smashers.  Ayo told me to stay away from Wakanda for a while."

"That was you?" grinned Barton.  "I'm impressed.  I would still ask.  What about John Walker?"  Bucky and Sam both grimaced.  "Touchy subject?  I thought he did help with the Flag Smashers in New York."

"He did," agreed Sam.  "He's ... on the edge.  Let's put it that way.  He lets the end justify the means and he did go too far with the one Flag Smasher."

"I'll approach him," said Bucky.  "We may need him, as much I don't want to ask for his help."

"I'll talk to Colonel Rhodes," said Sam.  "I'm sure he will want to be in on this."

"We'll meet tomorrow at the compound," said Fury.  "We have one building usable that houses living quarters, meeting rooms and a canteen.  It's a start."

As they stepped out of the hospital Bucky saw Terry Williams waiting for him.  Sam and Clint came with him while Fury got into a black SUV that was waiting for him.

"They wouldn't let me in to see Dan," said Terry.  "Is he okay?"

"He's awake and was able to tell us a few things," said Clint.  "He'll be alright.  We're going to find them, Terry.  We're assembling a team and will start planning tomorrow."

"I received a phone message about an hour ago," said Terry.  "It's meant for you but they sent it to me, probably to make me talk you into not looking for them."

He brought up the phone message and handed it to Bucky who took in a sudden breath then handed it to the other two men.  It was a picture of Sharon with Lacey and Tommy.  She had a memory suppressing machine and Lacey was in it.  The text message was succinct.

>>I found my chemist.  I'm wiping Lacey's memory and selling her.  The boy is mine.<<

Bucky took the phone back and sent the picture to himself then handed the phone back to Terry.  Another thought occurred to the super soldier.

"Can they track where this picture came from?" he asked Clint. 

"It's possible," said Clint.  "We would need the phone for an IT specialist to analyze.  You think it will give a location of Carter?"

"That's my thinking," said Bucky.  "It will likely be in the same place where her lab is.  Terry, I want your phone."

"Then I have to come with you," said Terry.  "I want to help."

"It's not a good idea," said Clint, gently.  "We're assembling a team that will use deadly force if they have to.  No offence, but you're a civilian."

"She's my sister and he's my nephew and I've been responsible for them for over 5 years," he replied.  "I can't go back to my home and wait by the phone helplessly.  Please, even if it's just keeping your coffee cups filled, let me come with you."

"Okay," agreed Bucky.  "You do everything I tell you without arguing.  Understood?"

Terry nodded.  They went back to his apartment to use as a base and contact everyone they had discussed.   Before midnight they had a team and everyone agreed to meet at the compound the following day.  They were unable to get a location on John Walker and Bucky left, telling them he had an idea how to find the man.  He promised to meet the others at the compound if they would bring his go bag.  As he left the building he opened his cell phone and looked up a contact.  For some time he stared at it, wondering if he really wanted to call in the debt this person owed him.  Then he made the call to the man who had been an assassin for the mob.  Bucky prevented him from being shanked while they were both in lock up, receiving a marker for his efforts.

"Marco, it's Bucky," he said.  "You meant what you said about being in my debt?  I need to find someone, tonight if possible, tomorrow at the latest."  He listened to the man on the other end of the phone.  "No, I don't want him hurt or anything.  Just a location.  I need him for a job." The man on the other end said something else that made Bucky smile.  "No, not a bank job.  A rescue.  Someone took my son and his mother.  I want to get them back.  If I could I would ask for your help but I'm using legitimate players on this.  I just can't get hold of this guy and I need him."

Bucky hung up and began running to the train station.  Where ever John Walker was he needed to get to him as soon as possible.  By the time he reached the station Marco had a location for him and Bucky thanked him, saying the debt was paid.  Marco extended an invitation to work for the mob but Bucky declined, thanking him for the opportunity.  Then he bought a ticket to New York and began the 90 minute ride between the two cities.  While he sat in his seat he pulled up the picture of Lacey.  Enlarging the image of her he noticed the tell tale red mark above and below her left eye.  They had already put her through at least one round of the machine.  He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and seriously considered breaking his vow of not killing anymore.  Then he enlarged the part of the picture that showed Tommy, cringing slightly at how scared he was.  He began looking at other parts of the picture to see if there was a clue of any kind.  There was a throwaway coffee cup that he enlarged enough to discern a logo on it.  With a sense of satisfaction he recognized it was from the coffee kiosk where he met Agent Jones in New York several months before.  The machine was somewhere in that vicinity and so were Lacey and Tommy.  He texted his deduction and the picture to Nick Fury, leaving it to him to try to find the exact location.

When he got off the train he looked at the address Marco gave him for John Walker.  Just on the address alone it was fancy digs for a guy who had been kicked out of the military with no benefits.  He obviously had a new employer if he could afford to live in the heart of Manhattan.  Bucky went to the front door of the building, noticing it had a night doorman.  He could take him out but that would mean hurting him and Dr. Raynor's insistence on the three rules still stuck with him.  No one who didn't deserve it would be hurt by him.  Instead, he went for a walk around the building.  Places this nice usually had a second entrance for staff, workers, and deliveries.  At the back he found the ramp into the parking garage and looked at the control panel, remembering he had bypassed ones just like it when he was the Soldier.  Pulling the panel off he located a couple of wires, disconnected them, and reconnected them together, raising the ramp door.  Quickly he went down the ramp, through the door then to a service elevator.  It didn't need a pass card and he pressed the button for the floor where John Walker and his wife lived.  When it arrived he made his way to the suite number and looked at the lock.  He could knock but Walker might not open it if he saw Bucky through the security peephole.  Normally he would use blunt force for it but he didn't want to alert anyone if he could avoid it.  He didn't have any lock picking tools so that was out.  As he paced up and down the hallway he noticed the fire alarm.  It would get everyone up and out of the building but he could get Walker on his own first.  Reaching out he pulled the lever and the klaxon sounded to evacuate the building.  Waiting as people came out of their apartments in their nightclothes he watched the Walker's door carefully from an alcove across the hall.  As soon as it opened he ran over and pushed both Walker and his wife back into the apartment.

"Bucky?" exclaimed Walker.  "What the hell, man!"

"It's a false alarm," said Bucky.  "I needed to talk to you but you aren't exactly listed in the phone book. The fire alarm was plan B."

"You know this guy?" asked his wife, angry at the intrusion.

"Yeah," replied Walker.  "Olivia, this is Bucky Barnes.  What the hell is so important that you had to set off a fire alarm in my building?"

"I need your help," said Bucky.  "Sharon Carter, who helped us with the Flag Smashers; turns out she's the Power Broker and she took my son, and his mother."

"You have a son?" asked Walker incredulously.  "Why does she want your son?"

"Because the super soldier abilities I have were passed on to him," said Bucky.  "She can make new serum using his blood.  She has a memory suppression machine as well and can use it to make super soldiers that obey her every command.  She's already used it on Lacey, my son's mother.  Then she plans to sell her off to someone."

He showed them the picture that he copied from Terry's phone.  They both looked at it without comment.

"Why should I help you?" demanded Walker.  "I have a contract with a private employer and it doesn't involve dealing with you."

Bucky sighed then looked at Olivia.  "Because she may come after your child sometime," he said.  "I'm pretty sure if you and your wife start having children they'll have the super soldier abilities as well.  If you came to me for help I wouldn't hesitate."

Olivia looked at her husband in a panic then instinctively touched her abdomen.  She was already pregnant.  Walker looked up in frustration then at his wife when she touched his arm.

"You have to help him," she said.  "He's just a kid.  You came up against traffickers in Afghanistan and said they were filthy animals.  You can't let them have Lacey either."

Walker let out a short angry breath.  "Okay, I'm in," he said curtly.  "What's the plan?"

"Meet at the Avengers compound upstate," replied Bucky.  "Today, as soon as you can get there after sunrise.  Bring your uniform and your weapons."

Walker nodded his assent then they all went to the door and joined the exodus of people evacuating down the stairs.  When they got to the bottom Bucky disappeared into the night and Walker put his arm protectively around Olivia.

"Val isn't going to like this," he said.

"She doesn't need to know," replied Olivia, then she looked up at her husband.  "This is the right thing to do, John."

Once Bucky was safely away from the building he ran to a self storage facility in Brooklyn.  Even though he mostly stayed in Delacroix with Sam and his family he had moved his possessions from his Brooklyn flat into a small storage unit, not wanting to move them until he was sure he was staying in one place.  Lifting up the steel door sounded disturbingly loud but he didn't stop until it was completely open.  Then he turned on the light and began looking for the tools of his trade.  In the weeks since they fought the Flag Smashers things had been quiet so he hadn't needed his weapons.  Now, he needed several and he brought the satchel out.  Pulling a canvas off of a hidden object revealed a motor bike, a Kawasaki Versys 650, which he picked up at a very reasonable price.  He barely rode it since buying it but he needed a way to get to the compound.  Grasping the handle bars he walked the motor bike out to the corridor.  Going back inside he found another bag with a leather jacket and motorcycle helmet, put them both on, and slung the weapons satchel cross wise over his body.  Finally he pulled down the steel door and locked it.  He walked the motor bike outside, mounted it, and turned the key, its motor springing to life right away.  As soon as he got it up to speed a grin spread across his face as its powerful but smooth roar reached his ears.  Checking for police or speed traps he let it out and got it up to 150 mph before bringing it back down to the speed limit.  It was definitely a motorcycle he would enjoy riding.  Just over an hour later he pulled up to the construction site that covered most of the Avengers compound.  An MP waved him over and Bucky pulled up then took his helmet off.

"Your name, sir?" asked the MP.

"Bucky Barnes," he replied, then added his rank.  "Sergeant.  There's supposed to be a John Walker on the list.  Can you confirm that?"

The MP looked at his clipboard.  "Yes, Sarge, he's on the list but hasn't checked in yet. Go straight and take the second turn right.  Your destination will be on the left.  You're the first one here, other than Director Fury."

"There is another man who might not be on the list," stated Bucky.  "Terry Williams.  He is the brother of the abducted woman and uncle to the boy.  I can vouch for him."

"He's on the list as well," said the MP.  "I believe Clint Barton called it in to include him on the briefings."

Bucky nodded, put his helmet back on and followed the directions.  The building looked new but it was still surrounded by the wreckage of Thano's attack.  Another MP guided him in to a parking stall.

"Sergeant Barnes," he verified.  "If you go through those doors another MP will assign you your quarters.  If you have weapons in your bag, there is a secure storage area inside for you to keep them."

Bucky thanked him and walked inside carrying his helmet in his arm.  The MP checked the contents of his bag and radioed for an escort to show him the weapons storage then his quarters.  An army private arrived to lead Bucky to the weapons storage area which was basically a locker that used an iris scan to open and close it.  Then he followed the private to his quarters, dropping his helmet and jacket onto the table.  The canteen wasn't open yet so Bucky laid on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before the others arrived.  A knock on his door awakened him a couple of hours later and he opened it to Sam carrying his go bag.

"How long have you been here?" asked Sam.

"Well before sunrise," replied Bucky.  "I found Walker.  He said he was in.  His wife is pregnant so I think he understands the necessity of keeping the kids safe.  His wife also brought up his experiences with human traffickers in Afghanistan."

"Good," said Sam.  "Canteen is open, if you're up for some breakfast.  Is that your motorcycle outside?"

"Yeah, first time out with it," replied Bucky.  "Took it up to 150 mph in no time."

"Nice," said Sam, smiling broadly.  "Oh, just so you know, we have three Dora Milaje here.  They volunteered.  Ayo is one of them."

"Nice," replied Bucky, also smiling.  "She's a good soldier."

He changed his shirt and walked with Sam to the canteen.  It was more like a mess hall as both of them came away with a full tray of food, coffee and orange juice.  As he turned to the seating area a hand went up and he saw Clint and Terry.  Also sitting with them were Peter Parker, who he hadn't seen since the airport in Leipzig, and surprisingly to him, Lt. Torres.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Torres.

"I heard about your girlfriend and son," he replied.  "I've been working on the Falcon suit and trying it out.  I thought I could help."

"Thanks," said Bucky.  "I appreciate it."  He turned to Peter and offered his hand.  "Thanks for coming out, Peter.  Having experienced how effective your webs are I'm sure you'll make a difference."

"Sure, Mr. Barnes," Peter replied, shaking Bucky's hand.

"Bucky, please," he interrupted, smiling.  "Mr. Barnes was my dad."

Peter nodded and went back to eating his breakfast.  As they continued eating more people entered and he couldn't help but feel moved by those who showed up.  When John Walker strode in Bucky made a point of standing up and calling to him, understanding that in many ways Walker needed to feel like he was part of something good.  He introduced him to everyone and gave him his chair to sit on while he pulled another over.  Sam watched him with a small half smile on his face, understanding exactly what Bucky was doing.   

A dark-haired woman entered the canteen area.  Clint identified her as Maria Hill, Fury's right hand person.  She announced the briefing was about to begin and asked everyone assembled to follow her to the full briefing room.  At the front stood Fury, Rhodes, Thaddeus Ross, and two sorcerers, one who Bucky recognized as Dr. Strange.  The other sorcerer was an Asian man but Bucky didn't know his name.  When Fury put his hand up the whole room went silent.

"It would appear that the rumours of the demise of the Avengers isn't true," he said.  "There was a feeling from people with a higher pay grade than myself that there was no need for our organization, at least not in the format it had been."  He gave some serious side-eye to Ross.  "With the rise of the Flag Smashers and now the kidnapping of Lacey Chapman and her son Tommy, nothing could be further from the truth.  Three FBI agents died trying to prevent the kidnapping.  Three seriously injured.  For those of you who don't know Tommy is the son of Bucky Barnes and he has inherited his father's abilities."  There were several murmurs from the crowd.  "One of our own, Sharon Carter, has turned to the dark side and is behind the kidnapping.  She is now known by her current alias, the Power Broker, a powerful criminal overlord in Madripoor."

"Didn't she just get reinstated by the CIA?" asked Torres.

"Yes," replied Fury.  "That's before we realized her criminal alias.  We had been looking for her but never made the connection.  She has been disavowed by the CIA now that they are aware of her true identity.  She was behind the serum used by the Flag Smashers to become super soldiers and we believe she has plans to use Tommy Chapman's blood to create more serum.  Gentlemen, and ladies, we need to stop Miss Carter, and rescue Lacey Chapman and her son.  Those are our missions."

He let the news percolate and looked at Thaddeus Ross who put his hand up for silence.

"I know my presence here doesn't fill you with confidence," he said.  "Mistakes were made.  Serious mistakes that blamed certain innocent people for things they didn't do.  It also caused other people who were doing what they thought was morally right to be arrested and imprisoned unjustly.  I'm here to tell you the Sokovia Accords have been revoked completely.  After Thanos it was recognized that an organization like the Avengers needs its autonomy to take up the fights that need fighting without waiting for approval by slow moving bureaucracies.  Cap, Barnes, and Walker proved with their work on the Flag Smashers that the rules of engagement can't always be followed especially when your opponent doesn't follow or respect those same rules.  That doesn't mean you sink to their level.  It means you use appropriate force to defeat your opponent.  It also means the kidnapping of two people is as important as a threat against many people.  Whatever you need to do to succeed in this mission will be provided to you.  Good luck."

Bucky looked at Sam.  It appeared they both had just received an apology for how they had been treated in the past.  Whatever they did now was their decision and under their control.  This fight had meaning not just for them but for everyone who had stepped up and they would make it count.

Chapter 20>>

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Longing, Chapter 11 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Bucky is almost finished his treatment with the Wakandans and reconnects with Lacey to update her.

Length: 4.4 K

Characters: Bucky, Lacey, Shuri, T’Challa.

Warnings: none, except Bucky bristles at some assumptions about him.

<<Chapter 10

🧑🏻‍💻 🌸

The air was warm as he took in his first breath then Bucky opened his eyes. Unlike his other awakenings there were no memories that he could recall. It was just a transition between not aware and aware. As his eyes focussed he saw Shuri standing in front of him, along with several other people, one of whom was T'Challa. They were all smiling kindly at him and he raised himself away from the upright bed of the cryostasis chamber.

"Sergeant Barnes," said T'Challa. "How do you feel?"

Bucky flashed a smile to Shuri, as if his answer was a private joke between them. "Hungry, always hungry," he said. "But I feel good other than I have no memories from this cryostasis session." He nodded at the others. "This looks like a welcome party. I take it the treatment was successful?"

"We believe so," replied Shuri. "There is a test we will run while you are conscious but there is no rush to perform it. First you may wish to have a shower and change into something that isn't pyjamas. Then we will eat."

An attendant stepped forward and motioned for Bucky to follow him, to a shower room where he was asked if he needed help disrobing. Bucky declined his assistance and was left alone. With his one arm he pulled the undershirt off, then the bottoms and turned on the shower to a comfortably warm setting. For the longest time he stood under the warm water enjoying the sensation of it running down his body. Then he looked at the assortment of soaps and shampoos on the small alcove inside the shower stall. Picking out a shampoo he flipped open the top with his right hand, smelled it and poured some on his head. It foamed up beautifully even with only one hand to work it through. After rinsing and throwing his hand through his hair again to get it out of his face he grabbed a bar of soap and ran it over his body. Like the shampoo it foamed up well. When he felt clean he rinsed everything off and turned off the shower. Several large towels were on hooks just outside the shower and they absorbed the water as soon as they made contact with his skin. As best he could he used a towel to dry his hair.

Hanging the towels back on the hooks he stepped towards the vanity and looked in the mirror. Smirking at the wild man whose image looked back at him he grabbed a comb and ran it through his long locks, noticing they didn't get tangled. He would get a haircut sometime and shave that beard but it wasn't a priority just yet. A pair of briefs and an undershirt were folded neatly on the counter and he put them on. On a hook was another garment; black in colour, it was made of a fabric he wasn't familiar with but he put the trousers on and they readjusted to fit his body. He looked down, noticing they were a bit snug in the crotch, at least to his eye. Then he pulled the top on and saw it was a long sleeved tunic which was long enough to cover his crotch. Not that he was a modest man anymore, after years of being poked and prodded, but the trousers had shown more than he was used to showing. He noticed the left arm of the tunic was pinned so it was out of the way. A pair of sandals on the floor fit him perfectly and he opened the door to see the attendant waiting for him. He was escorted to a dining room where Shuri, T'Challa and several other people waited for him.

"The clothes fit you well?" asked T'Challa.

"Yes, thank you," replied Bucky. "They're comfortable."

"Good," replied the young prince. "James Barnes, may I present the Queen Mother Ramonda. She had a hand in planning your treatments although my sister Shuri did all the hard work."

"Just Bucky, please," he replied, bowing his head respectfully to the Queen.

His attention was taken by the presence of several women with shaved heads, all dressed alike in what looked like a ceremonial uniform. T'Challa noticed Bucky's glance and he brought him over to two of the women.

"These women are our personal bodyguards," he said. "They are called the Dora Milaje and their fighting skills are a match for any super soldier, yourself and myself included. Their General is Okoye, a most formidable warrior. Her Chief is Ayo, also a warrior of some renown. Ayo will test the success of our treatment in removing the activation words from your mind but there is no rush to do it. There has been a request for you to spar with the guard as they have studied videos of your fighting styles over the past year and believe you have techniques worthy to share."

Bucky bowed his head to them but wasn't sure he wanted to fight women. It went against everything he was raised with. Still, these were different times. The thought crossed his mind they may want to study his moves in case the treatment wasn't successful, at which point they would need to neutralize him if the Soldier reappeared. T'Challa led him to a table where, like before with Shuri, they could help themselves to whatever food they wished. He loaded up his plate, put it onto where he planned to sit, and went back for water. When he returned to the table he noticed T'Challa standing there eyeing the place Bucky chose to sit, his back to a corner, with the windows and entrances fully in his line of sight.

"You are in no danger here Sergeant Barnes," said T'Challa with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You may trust the Dora Milaje to keep you safe while you eat."

"Old habits die hard, Your Majesty," replied Bucky, noticing some glances between the Dora Milaje when he used the term. "Until I see them in action I prefer to keep myself safe."

T'Challa smiled and started eating. "Tell me about your life before World War II," he stated. "Where you are from, your family, your interests."

"There is still much I need to sort out," replied Bucky. "I was born in 1917, grew up in Brooklyn, where I met Steve. He was such a sickly kid and needed someone to watch out for him. I didn't like bullies so we became friends when I confronted some bullies who were bothering him. We did everything together; sneaking into the movies, going to Dodgers games, odd jobs, going to Coney Island."

"Your family?" asked T'Challa.

"Yeah, I had parents and a sister," said Bucky, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm glad they never knew what became of me."

He stopped eating for a moment, and looked away, swallowing down his grief.

"I'm sorry," said T'Challa. "Shuri tells me you have a son and his mother who waits for you."

"I didn't know about him until we were on our way to Siberia," replied Bucky. "Steve knew because Lacey asked him for help to protect Tommy, that's his name. I wanted to go back and make it right with her but then ...."

"Siberia happened," stated T'Challa. "You're an honourable man and I'm sure as soon as Shuri is satisfied she will release you to reunite with your family."

Bucky smiled slightly and kept eating, his thoughts on Lacey and Tommy now. "Will I be able to talk with them?" he asked Shuri. "I've missed two birthdays now by my reckoning."

"Of course," she assured him. "We did send him something, a tricycle, on your behalf. We found out who sent the play set but I think that is something Miss Williams wishes to share with you."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," replied Bucky gratefully.

"Tell me, Sergeant Barnes," said Shuri carefully. "Do you have any objection to living in one of our villages for a time? We still have much work to do on the prosthetic arm but need you nearby for adjustments and testing."

"How long is a time?" he queried.

"Hard to say," replied the Princess. "It could be several months. The sparring sessions could be set up during that time so you are not bored. Plus the chief of the village we are placing you in may ask for help with some things."

He gazed at Shuri for some time. "You want to observe me in a natural setting," he stated. "Perhaps to get me used to living with one arm in case the prosthetic doesn't work or if I reject it. The sparring is so that the Dora Milaje learn my fighting style. That way, when the test on the activation words is being performed they know how to neutralize me if the treatment doesn't work."

T'Challa looked appraisingly at Bucky then at his sister. "I told you that you should just tell him outright," he declared. "He's a smart man and has already been through much subterfuge. You may be a genius Shuri but you still have much to learn about people."

"I'm sorry Sergeant Barnes," said Shuri quickly. "I never meant to hide my process from you. It was a clumsy attempt at keeping you from feeling like a ... a..."

"Science experiment?" offered Bucky. "Most of my life I have been the experiment of several mad scientists. You are not mad but from now on I want full disclosure."

His voice indicated it wasn't a request or debatable. Shuri nodded, her manner indicating slight embarrassment. "Of course," she agreed. "The stay in the village is so that you become used to looking after yourself again. It is a working village so the chief may assign tasks to you such as farming, animal care, anything that you can contribute to the betterment of the village. The sparring is so the Dora Milaje can assess your fighting capabilities. I know as a man of the 1940s you may feel hesitant about fighting these women warriors. Don't be hesitant and don't hold back. My brother spars with them often and they can hold their own. My statement about the arm was true. It is a prototype and we are trying to restore as much normal function to you as we can while making the feel of it more natural. The shoulder prosthetic is also being built and that will require surgery to remove the last of the HYDRA components, plus some time for you to heal."

Bucky studied her face for a few moments and was satisfied she had told him everything. He turned back to his plate, finishing everything then stood up.

"I would like to call Lacey now," he declared.

T'Challa summoned a servant. "Show Sergeant Barnes to his quarters," he said. "My sister will bring the tablet to you. Sister, is there anything else that Sergeant Barnes needs?"

"Yes, his kimoyo bead bracelet," she replied. "I will bring it when I bring the tablet. I will be there shortly."

Bucky was escorted to a suite, comprised of an outer sitting room which led to a bedroom and full bathroom. He opened the closet to find an assortment of clothing for him to wear. He sat on the bed, expecting it to be soft but it was very firm and he smirked at whether it would be firm enough for him to sleep. Within a couple of minutes the door chimed.

"Come in," he said.

Shuri walked in with the tablet and a small container. He had a glimpse of Ayo outside the door and he looked at Shuri questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Ayo insisted," she said apologetically. "She will stay outside in the hallway."

"So the Dora Milaje still don't trust that I won't turn into the Winter Soldier," stated Bucky. "They weren't around when you awakened me during the treatment sessions."

"They are soldiers and security," replied Shuri. "They remain on alert at all times. When you were coming out of the other treatments they were seconds away and I had the means to stop you in your tracks. Ayo's presence outside now is not personally directed at you. If you were a dignitary from another country she would be there on guard."

He wasn't quite sure he believed her but it was her country and her palace. At some point he had to allow that he still had a ways to go to gain their trust. Shuri held up the small container and took a beaded bracelet out of it, offering it to him.

"These are kimoyo beads," she said, holding up her own wrist showing her set. "One bead contains all of your medical information so that it is readily accessible no matter where you are in the kingdom. The other beads have other functions including communications, tracking – which we all have – information retrieval and, in the case of my brother, the ability to pilot an aircraft. Your set will include your medical records, entry into various parts of the palace, maps of the palace and the city, and your tracking. Everyone in the palace wears one of these bracelets."

Bucky looked at it impassively then nodded his assent to wear it and Shuri placed it on his wrist, showing him how to activate the various features. Then she lifted the tablet up.

"This will stay here with you," she said. "I believe you observed me enough times to know how to call Miss Williams. If you wish access to the tablet to be personalized to just you I can show you how to set that up."

She placed it in his hand and turned to leave. "Princess Shuri," said Bucky, before she reached the door. "Thank you ... for all of it."

Bowing her head slightly she left his quarters and Bucky found himself truly alone for the first time since Romania. Sitting on the couch he opened the tablet and pressed on the video call icon. It kept a record of previous calls and he touched the last one he made with Lacey. After several rings she answered and her face broke into a huge smile.

"This is a surprise," she said. "Shuri usually emails me when you're going to call."

"I'm out of cryostasis now," replied Bucky. "I have my own quarters and freedom to call you when I want. I guess I have to remember about the time change. Is it a good time to talk?"

"Always," replied Lacey. "Let me get Tommy."

He watched as her cell phone showed an image of the ceiling as she walked to another room. Tommy must have been playing because he could hear another child's voice. Then they were back in Lacey's room and he saw Tommy, now 2 years and a couple of months old.

"Hi Tommy," he said softly. "I know it's been a long time since you last saw me on the phone. You know I would be there if I could, right?"

"Is that Daddy?" Tommy whispered to Lacey.

"That's Daddy," replied Lacey. "He's in another country, trying to get better so that someday he can be with us. You can say hi to him."

"Hi Daddy," said Tommy shyly.

Bucky felt the burn of tears forming in his eyes and blinked his eyes rapidly trying to disperse them. "How are you?" he asked. "Are you being a good boy for Mommy?"

"Yes," replied the little boy. "We live on the farm."

"I know," said Bucky. "Someday, maybe, we'll have our own farm. Did you like the tricycle I sent?"

"I go fast on it," said Tommy, excitedly. "I scared the chickens."

"That must be very fast," said Bucky. "I'll bet you're strong as well."

Tommy made muscles with his arms, making both Lacey and Bucky laugh. "Can I go play with Nate?" he asked.

"Sure, baby," said Lacey. "Say goodbye to your Daddy."

"Bye Daddy, luv you," he said unprompted.

"I love you too, little man," replied Bucky, trying not to cry.

Tommy climbed off of his mother's lap and she watched as he left the room then she looked at Bucky. "You okay?" she asked. "Two year olds aren't known for a long attention span."

"I'm missing out on so much," responded Bucky. "It's frustrating that I have to be here and you have to be there. How have you been?"

"My mother died," said Lacey. "I went to the funeral with the help of Nick Fury. He provided a safe house and security. Someone tried to take a picture of us and two cars followed us but we got away from them. The photographer was hired by the CIA, they think. We have no idea who was in the cars. At least I reconciled with my brother and sister."

Bucky frowned. "Do they think the CIA knows about Tommy?" he asked. "Maybe they've been looking for you since they kept all of my books."

"I don't know," admitted Lacey. "I'm still on Clint's farm and I feel safe here so I'm going to leave figuring out the CIA to Fury and his people."

"Shuri said the mystery of the play set was solved but that you wanted to tell me," he said.

She smirked. "Yeah, it was Tony Stark," she replied. "He actually came here and played with Tommy and Nathaniel. He was assessing Tommy and is pretty sure he's inherited your physical abilities."

"Stark bought my son a play set?" asked Bucky, not quite believing it. "Why would he do that?"

"I think he feels a bit guilty about you," she responded. "He said his father talked about you and that if he had known that HYDRA had you he would have likely launched a rescue of you himself. Apparently his dad admired your scientific mind even though you competed for the same women. Tony's not ready to forgive yet but he has read the HYDRA files on what was done to you. He admitted that you were not the one in control. He understands that you had no choice but to obey."

"I never knew his father thought that of me," said Bucky. "Howard Stark and I spoke a few times, and I asked him questions but he always seemed like he was doing me a favour answering."

"One more thing," said Lacey. "I think Tony is paying for your lawyer."

Bucky sat back, affected by the revelation. "Wow," he replied. "He is an enigma, isn't he?"

"What about you Bucky?" asked Lacey. "What comes next?"

"They finished the treatment to get rid of the activation words but still have to test it," he responded. "But before they do I have to spar with some elite warriors, women actually, so they can learn my fighting abilities. That way, if the treatment doesn't work they can neutralize me. Then they want me to live in a village for a number of months, learning how to take care of myself with one arm. They're still working on the prosthetic arm. I'll have to have more surgery on my shoulder as well, to remove the final bit of HYDRA components and prepare for the new shoulder attachment."

"So, it's going to be a while," noted Lacey in a disappointed voice.

"I still feel the same about you," said Bucky, quickly. "I wish I could put my good arm around you right now and hold you close."

She smiled wanly. "I still feel the same about you," she replied then she blushed a little bit. "Have their treatments changed anything else about you?"

"You mean...?" He watched with amusement as she reddened even more. "No, that's still the same. Everything still works although I guess I'll be using this for a while longer. I'll think of you while I am." He held up his flesh hand and they both laughed before Bucky turned serious again. "When Steve first told me about you being pregnant I didn't believe it at first. Then he showed me pictures of you and Tommy and I saw the resemblance. Even if he wasn't mine, when I saw you holding a baby I wanted it to be mine. I wanted you to be mine. I know it's hard waiting but I have to believe that we have something worth waiting for. I long for you, Lacey."

"As long as it takes, Bucky," she replied emotionally. "I don't want anyone else. I just want you. You do what you must to get completely better. That lawyer of yours is still working on a pardon for you. When he gets that you can come home to me and Tommy. We'll be a family."

"Okay, that's our plan," he said softly. "I'll let you go now and I'll call you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too," she said through some tears. "Talk to you soon."

The connection was broken and he put the tablet aside, briefly thinking what a marvellous piece of technology it was. Touching his nose to the bead that he hoped was the palace map he asked to be guided so he could explore the palace. The door to his room appeared in a display that made him marvel again and he went to his door, opening it. Following the path set out by the display he walked through the palace looking at the different art works in the palace. He passed the dining area where he ate after coming out of cryostasis, then found a gym, a library, and a doorway to the outside. It was the garden where Shuri took him the first time he was awakened during his treatment. He walked through it slowly, stopping to smell the different blossoms on the various plants. Finding a bench in the sun he sat and closed his eyes, feeling the heat of it soak into his body. Other than the sounds of birds chirping it was quite peaceful.

"May I?" said a man's voice and he opened his eyes to T'Challa standing in front of him.

Sliding over Bucky made room for him on the bench. "You are King now?" asked Bucky, remembering the glances in the dining room.

"I am King," replied T'Challa. "There was a challenger to my rule and he defeated me in ritual combat, throwing the kingdom into turmoil. You were never in danger during that time. We relocated your chamber to a safe place when he first made himself known so he wouldn't find you."

Bucky looked questioningly at T'Challa. "If he had found me what would have happened to me?" he asked.

"Likely he would have activated the Winter Soldier to help reinforce his rule," replied the young king. "He had been a Navy Seal, had CIA connections, and probably knew about you. His heart was as dark as his soul. I was fortunate to survive his challenge although I was in a coma for some time. My mother and several others escaped his control and were able to help revive me. Then I challenged him and this time I defeated him. It came at great cost, however, as I found some trusted friends were no friends in reality."

"Did he have a legitimate claim?" asked Bucky.

"Yes," admitted T'Challa. "He had every right to challenge me. He was my cousin; Erik Stevens was his American name. He was orphaned after my father killed my uncle, who was Erik's father, in self-defence. His motive was revenge, and a misguided plan to fight against those he perceived as enemies. If I hadn't survived to challenge him again he would have been the worst thing that could have happened to the world. His plan was to use our technology to create new weapons and attack those who he felt oppressed people of African descent. I could not let him declare war on the world."

"I'm glad you hid me during that time," said Bucky, carefully. "I certainly don't want to be used to keep anyone in power. Shuri, sorry, Princess Shuri awakened memories of some of the actions I took that weren't assassinations. They used me to spread chaos throughout the world, building a case for an authoritative ruler to take control. It sickened me to think of the body count my activities were responsible for."

"That is why I offered to give you sanctuary," responded T'Challa. "Once we spoke in Siberia after you were in control of your faculties I could see you were a reasonable man, with a strong moral code. That HYDRA could bypass that meant that you could never be truly free until the activation words were disabled."

Bucky looked at the man sitting next to him and saw how he carried the burden of responsibility. Their first meeting when T'Challa attacked him on the roof of the building in Bucharest was powered by grief and a desire for revenge. Now, this conversation seemed powered by a need for reconciliation and understanding.

"Thank you," said Bucky simply. "When I first escaped from HYDRA my goal was to get away from them at all costs, short of killing someone. I was done with that. I met Lacey and for a few hours I thought I could have a future with her but by morning when Russian gangsters came to her house I knew it was likely impossible. HYDRA or the CIA would always be on my tail and it wasn't fair to drag her into that. Even if they weren't, what kind of life could I have with that monstrosity of an arm? It was so integrated into my body that I didn't think anyone would be able to remove it without leaving me an invalid. Now I am on the cusp of a new life, thanks to you."

"You're welcome," replied T'Challa. "I only ask that if my country finds itself in similar difficulty again that you help us, but freely of your own will. I will only ask if I have no choice."

Bucky considered the King's words then extended his hand, which T'Challa shook. If he was needed he would help these people who had already helped him so much. It was the least he could do.

Chapter 12>>

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The Fae Elements, Part 5 - Battle

Summary: The safety of the sanctuary is breached setting up a deadly battle between Buck and Rumlow.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Buck, Sage, Rumlow, Thor, Hope

Warnings: Violence causing death, death of an adult child, grief.

Author notes: The images displayed in the banner above were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot app, in Designer mode.

<<Part 4

⛈️🪽🗡️

A thunderstorm came that night, along with a heavy rain. The flashes and booms frightened me, and I clutched at Buck, fearing that the cottage would be struck or that a tree would come crashing down upon us.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured, his warm body my only comfort. "Thor is sending thunderstorms to many places. Dark fae don't like the water in any form, but especially in one that flows. The rains from this storm will swell the rivers making it impossible for them to cross. They won't venture out in it, either."

His soft caresses and gentle kisses helped allay my fears enough for me to fall asleep. When I awoke in the morning it was still raining but it was a soft and comforting gentle rain; it's thrumming on the roof a reminder that I was safe in the arms of my lover. How I loved thinking of Buck in that way. The way our bodies were intertwined in the soft bed under the window was the stuff of fantasies. Almost as if he heard my thoughts Buck roused and opened his eyes, turning his head towards me.

"Good morning," he rumbled, before kissing my forehead and looking outside. "Looks like we get to stay in bed for a while."

"Was that something the fae king ordered?" I asked.

"Well, I might have let it slip that you accepted my proposal," he grinned. "My council were pretty sure you would."

"In all of the fantasy books I read I never heard of a fae king having a council. Is that an unusual thing?"

"I brought it up when I was first made fae king." He shifted to his side so that he could look at me while he played with my hair. "Having spent so long living in the mortal world with my father I wasn't sure I knew enough to rule by myself." I looked at him questioningly. "My mother asked my father to raise me and teach me how he lived. She was ... different, even among fae kind. I sometimes wonder if she had the "second sight," the ability to see into the future.  I spent my first 40 years with him until he died. Twenty-five years later I was called as a candidate. It was unprecedented for a half-fae and one so young to be chosen. I presented the thought of a council to advise me to the sacred tree, and it selected trustworthy fae to it. I've been told I'm a good king, a natural leader."

"Is she still alive?"

"No, she truly loved my father and followed him just a few years after his death. She was already over 400 years of age, considered old for many fae. Rulers draw power from the earth, sky and water so it lengthens our life span. Thor is the only one who is older than I am, as his bloodline has the gift of longevity. He has been part of my council since the beginning. Even Loki, as his brother, hasn't lived as long, as he is from a different bloodline, the Frost Giants. He was orphaned as a baby and adopted into Thor's family. You probably noticed his touch was cooler."

"Is everything alright between you two?" I asked. "I sensed some tension when he greeted me."

"That's just because he fancies himself as irresistible." He lowered his lips to mine to kiss me. "He's quite the flirt and has bedded many, both mortal and fae. I ... I was pleased to see you seemed immune to his charms."

"For a brief time, I thought he might be the Dark Overlord," I said. "Then he showed up at the beach and I realized I was wrong."

"I suspected Rumlow of being the one for some time," said Buck. He sighed. "We have a past. I knew him during the troubles. For a fae, he seemed remarkably unconcerned when several were accused of being in league with the dark one. He defended some individuals more than he defended others, including Daere's sister. It was obvious, in retrospect. All this time he's been rebuilding his powers and his personal wealth. You know I'm not really a billionaire. It all belongs to Gaia Life. I get a substantial salary as "CEO", but my actual worth is considerably less." He smiled. "Just in case you were marrying me for my money."

I smiled back at him as we kissed. "If you were a regular man, not a fae, what would you do?"

He took his time thinking of an answer as he shifted to look up at the ceiling of the bedroom, the sound of the gentle rain in the background.

"A carpenter," he finally said. "Not the type that builds houses, although I could do that and enjoy it. I would make furniture, creating something beautiful and functional out of wood. It's kind of how I relax now. I go into the forest and look for newly fallen trees, dragging them here and stripping them of their bark. After that I cut them into planks or lumber and let them dry. Once they've dried enough, I can build something out of it. I built this bed, the dressers, and cupboards and bookshelves downstairs."

Shifting so he was laying on his side he gazed at me, occasionally stroking my hair or arm. It didn't take long before he was hovering over me and I had the vision of him, the same one that I had after he asked me out to dinner. Except his hair was already loose, and I ran my hand through it just before he lowered his lips to mine. When his lips explored more of my body, it was uncanny how he knew what I liked. Every part of my being was alight with desire for him as he brought me closer to ecstasy. With the soft light of the grey skies falling on the bed, and the sound of the rain adding to the romantic ambience it felt like I was in the middle of a great love story. Here in his retreat in the middle of the forest, we were free to be our authentic selves, without the responsibility of our callings, or the fear of outside forces.

Even as we released our bodies to the bliss that we brought out of each other there was something that kept telling me it was all an enchantment, something fragile that could be lost before it ever had a chance to begin. The strangest part of it was that I was more afraid for Buck than I was for myself. He mentioned his mother having "second sight", a term I understood to mean a form of clairvoyance. Was I experiencing that for myself? Because somewhere, at the edge of my mind, at the perimeter of my thoughts was another vision of me hovering over Buck, as the colour drained from his face and his eyes lost their inner light. It was a vision that only came out after I saw Rumlow transform the night before. I never told Buck that I thought I had a vision of his death, which frightened me more than any thought of the Dark Overlord coming for me. I'm sure he knew because our lovemaking that morning was so gentle, yet so passionate it was like he was trying to convince me that I had nothing to worry about it.

Over the next while Buck schooled me in the ways of the fae, teaching me how to use my existing powers to listen to the life forces of my surroundings. I could hear the sound of wings high above me in the air, or the scratch of a mouse, as it dragged a nut into its den. It was all part of the unseen life around us in the forest. We did receive updates, either by thoughts shared between Buck and his council, or by the occasional nighttime visit of Sam, Steve, or Hope. I started getting up for those, joining Buck outside as he communed with the night, when the cycle of the moon waning was followed by the darkness of the new moon. They brought news of the preparations for our marriage ceremony. Hope told me more about my part in the ceremony and how my body would change in the 24 hours of that longest day and shortest night. In the evenings, our quiet time by the fireplace was followed by more passion in the bedroom, passion that I had always longed for before I met Buck.

There was one thing that hadn't yet happened but when I brought it up, Buck smiled and agreed that it was time. It was the week before we were to be married and he had yet to show me his true form. Standing in front of me, outside in the sun, shirtless, I watched as his tattoos and wings visibly changed in front of me. His wings changed first, into something more ethereal, with smaller finer feathers that were delicate in appearance. His tattoo changed to that of a single great tree, its textured roots extending below his navel, while the trunk extended up over his abdomen then spread into branches over his chest and shoulders, then down his arms. The raised texture of the tattoo pulsed as if the tree itself was living. Around us, the daylight had darkened, reminding me of a solar eclipse, and I could see stars behind him. A blue glow became visible in his eyes, tattoo and wings, pulsing with an otherworldly energy. His ears elongated taking the shape of those of an elf, followed by the sprouting of small branches from his head. It was beautiful, as it showed his love for the forest.

"This is my true self," he said, his blue eyes focused on me. "I am the spirit of the forest. It's safety and wellbeing are my greatest concern. Throughout the ages I have helped the mortals who respected this space, sharing its gifts with them, sheltering them under the thick canopies when they have been lost, hiding them when they were troubled. When the religion of the One came my ancestors were called pagan, yet they adapted some of our beliefs into their own because we worshipped creation as they did, at the beginning. Now they worship profit, sacrificing this world for their need for riches."

I came closer, tentatively touching his tree tattoo, watching as his face reacted to my touch. Then he smiled at me and pressed his lips into my neck, breathing his warmth into the place where my own pulse beat. Somehow, we were suddenly unclothed, and I was lying on a soft bed of moss, this otherworldly being of incredible beauty looking down on me, making me feel I was the centre of his existence. We made love in the middle of the forest, giving and taking pleasure with each other.

On the next day, a cloudy one, we hiked for a couple of hours, ending up at a natural hot spring, bubbling out of a rock formation. The water cascaded down into several levels of pools. Although it smelled of sulphur it was a more natural scent than the one that lingered in my apartment after the Horde were there. We undressed and sat in one of the warm pools for an hour, making love, then basking in its warmth before drying off and getting dressed again. Buck flew us back, taking the opportunity to share a bird's eye view of his haven. On our return he prepared to cut some more wood, so I took the opportunity to forage for mushrooms, greens, and nuts for our dinner. Just as I was satisfied with my haul, I began the return to the cottage, then stopped for I could smell the burnt sulphurous smell of the man who attacked me. At the same time, I heard a tortured cry from the direction of the cottage. Turning, I saw a pair of red eyes, only this time they were in the head of a wolf-like beast. It's low growl, deep from within its throat, struck a chord of fear in me.

"Buck," I thought. "Help. I'm in trouble."

"Beloved. I'm coming."

Slowly, I backed away from the beast, taking care not to stumble, for I was certain it would leap at me. It was slow going, as I didn't want to look away, afraid if I did it would attack. It was joined by two others, and they stalked me with an intent that was obvious. Just as I had reached a part of the forest where I would have to look elsewhere to step safely, I heard Buck's voice in my head.

"I'm coming in by wing. Leave the food."

The sound of his great wings flapping while he slowed to reach me, signalled me to drop the basket and I did so, as Buck grasped me around the waist and lifted me straight up in the air. Immediately, all three beasts launched themselves at us, and Buck shot up even higher, so we were out of their reach. Just as he was about to turn, a dark winged figure attacked him from above, and he almost dropped me.

"Hold on," he said, as he swooped away from the winged creature and flew towards a flowing river with an island in the middle. "Its beasts won't go into the water. I'm going to have to fight so as soon as I let you go, run for cover while I protect your retreat."

Several times he had to swerve to avoid the attack of the dark figure that flew with us. Then suddenly, we were over the island and Buck dropped me from a height of several feet, then turned to meet the attacker again. I ran for a hidden space in a rock formation, watching as the two of them grappled in the air. The creature, covered in thick leathery skin of a dark grey colour, with the addition of black feathers on parts of its wing, several horns sprouting from its head, long black hair, and claws for fingers was relentless in its assault on Buck. Whenever one of them slammed into the ground I could feel the reverberations through the terrain. It was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

The sounds of howls from across the river drew attention to the presence of the wolf-like beasts that had cornered me in the forest. As Buck said, they didn't try to cross the flowing water, but did transform into their human shape, revealing them to be part of the Horde, which meant the winged attacker was likely Rumlow. He answered his underlings, landing on the ground and facing Buck with his wings unfurled. A carved black weapon appeared in his hand, seeming to be part sword and part staff.

"Well, Barnes, I told your little slut that I would find a way into your haven," he sneered. "You thought your magic was strong enough to keep me out but my claim on her is stronger than yours."

Buck landed also, with a look of pure and desperate fury. I watched as his clothing transformed into battle gear. His arms and body were covered in chain mail, with a protective silver-grey metal armour adorned with beautiful symmetrical etchings, while his knees and shins were protected with coverings of the same metal. A sword magically appeared in his hand, looking remarkably comfortable in his grip.

"Your claim was thrown out years ago," he replied, in a voice that seethed with anger. "She has been under my protection since she was a child."

"She is the reincarnation of my bride!" Rumlow roared in anger. "I want her back."

"She was never your bride by choice," stated Buck, his blue eyes flashing. "You kidnapped her, forced her to eat your food to be beholden to you, then abused her until she took her own life. The sacred tree decreed it so."

"That's a lie!"

"You're the liar." Buck shifted so that he was blocking the path towards me. "You were supposed to perform 13 tasks to even be considered a suitor. Too much work for a dark fae so you broke the law and just took her against her will. The sacred hawthorn assigned me to be Sage's protector and I will do my duty to my last breath."

"So be it," answered Rumlow, leaping towards Buck with his weapon overhead. "You will die as easily as your spawn did."

The clash of metal on metal made a great sound that hurt my ears and I covered them with my hands, as the two men swung their weapons at each other over and over again. Rumlow was bigger and perhaps stronger, but Buck was quicker and more skilled as a fighter, drawing blood several times as he scored the arms and legs of the bigger fae. When the black-coloured ichor hit the ground, it sizzled and burned a hole in the grasses, an indicator of the toxicity that filled the dark fae. Several times they grappled together, punching each other with a force that probably could have shattered a great tree. Then one or the other would stagger back before regaining a foothold and trying to sweep the legs of the other out from under them, hoping to get the advantage by having them on the ground. At one point, I heard a distinct cracking sound emanate from Buck's left side and he winced in agony, as he went down on one knee, protecting that side with his bent arm. A cruel smile erupted on Rumlow's face, and he focussed on hitting Buck repeatedly in the same spot.

"NO!" I cried out and suddenly several rocks the size of my fist flew through the air, hitting Rumlow in the shoulder and head.

He roared at the distraction and stepped back, giving Buck an opening. He raised himself and thrust his sword into the other man's abdomen, burying it right up to the hilt. The black blood spurted out from the wound and Rumlow went down on one knee. Pulling the sword out, Buck thrust it in again, this time into the heart and a shriek like nothing I ever heard flew out of Rumlow's mouth.

"Sage, look away!"

I looked at Buck, at the fury in his face, and he commanded me again to look away. A terrible sound of flesh and bone being torn apart reached my ears and I covered them for it was a sound I never wanted to hear again. After a few moments, I dared to look and saw Buck standing over the body of Rumlow, black blood dripping from what looked like the heart he held in his hand. He dropped it and fell to one knee, just as a thunderbolt flew down from the sky, hitting the ground and revealing Thor, Sam, Steve and Hope. She came to me while the others went to Buck, immediately helping him to the river, where they physically removed his clothes and Thor carried him into the water.

"Why are they doing that?" I asked, suddenly afraid, recalling the vision I had of him dying.

"He needs cleansing from the kill," said Hope. "A dark fae's blood has evil properties that can infect him like a fever. Removing the heart is the only way to kill a dark fae overlord, which meant Buck had to reach inside Rumlow's body to get it. Flowing water is the only way to cleanse him of the effects of the blood." She looked across the river, seeing the bodies of the Horde. She made a small sign in the air with her hand that left a blue/green mark in the air. "Their souls have been released from their slavery. Each will face the creator before being allowed to move on. Come, we can return to the stronghold now. You will be safer there. My father needs to receive treatment in the healing pool."

While Steve and Sam covered Buck in a cloak, Thor raised a hammer to the sky and brought lightning down on the body of Rumlow, burning it into ash. Then he went across the river and did the same to the three bodies over there. Leaping back to the island, he looked kindly at me.

"I sense you have more questions," he said, sombrely. "Hold them for now until we take care of our king. He is weak from all that he was required to do to protect you and from the battle. You will have answers, I promise."

Hope led me closer to the others, with Sam and Steve supporting Buck between them. The three of them enclosed us with their wings, then Thor raised his hammer to the sky once more, bringing lightning down upon us. That enclosed us in a tunnel of light that we sped along for several long seconds, stopping on the same spot at the stronghold where we left several weeks before. Several attendants waited for us. A gurney was produced for Buck, and they wheeled him away, presumably to the healing pool, while I was led to a different room than where I was before. This one was larger, richly appointed, but still had that magnificent view of the valley.

"There are clothes in the closet for you, Lady Sage," said the attendant, a blonde woman I had never seen before. "When you have changed, I will be waiting to take you to the dining room where the council awaits your presence for dinner."

After quickly showering and getting dressed I opened the door and found her waiting. She smiled but said nothing as she led me down one of those hallways lit by the glowing walls, until we came to a large glass walled room with a large dining table. It looked out over the valley, making me wonder if every room in the stronghold looked out over it. I counted a dozen people waiting for me, none of them Buck, making me the 13th. I wondered if that was an omen for something bad.

"Lady Sage, please don't be alarmed," said Thor. "Our king is still healing in the pool but will be there for some time replenishing his energy. Join us and make our number equal the full council."

"But that's 13," I said. "It's an unlucky number."

"To the followers of the one god, yes," he replied. "To the fae, it isn't as it is a sacred number for many reasons."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"I know, but it is not unlucky to us. Please, sit and we will attempt to enlighten you."

As the meal was served, and the wine poured, I learned that 13 is considered lucky in many mythologies including pagan and Norse ones. Associated with the menstrual cycle of a woman, of which there were 13 cycles in a year, the same as lunar cycles, it symbolized fertility. Their council, since it followed the pagan way, had to be made up of 13 individuals, usually including the king. Also associated with fertility was the hawthorn tree, of which my last name was based on. It was connected to the source of my powers, as I wasn't just a descendant of Lilith, I was apparently a descendant of the first fae king, Hawthorn, who planted the tree and imbued it with the powers of the forest, then with his own spirit after his death. Even though I was mortal, I apparently had a stronger bloodline than many of the council.

"What does that all mean?" I asked. "Buck said during the fight with Rumlow that he was assigned to be my protector by the sacred hawthorn. He accused Rumlow of stealing an ancestor of mine and forcing her to be his wife."

"It's true," said Thor. "When the first fae king Hawthorn moved on, his spirit stayed with the tree. He has looked out for his descendants ever since. Each king vows to protect the descendants of that Hawthorn as part of their covenant with the light fae. Your father was a descendant of him, and so was protected by Buck. His cancer could not be healed in our healing pools but could by the laying on of the hands of the king. But to do so meant Buck's ability to protect you would be weakened. Your father declined the offer, sacrificing his life for you, Sage. He wanted to keep you safe above all else. Buck had already gifted you the pendant you wear, which was also a sacrifice, in a sense. It meant that your parents were agreeing to you becoming his wife; a protective bond as strong as any magic, even if you're not aware of it. Buck had little choice in the matter, as his powers were stretched thinly, protecting you, your family, the light fae, the stronghold, the sanctuaries he created, and many other areas he felt responsible for. He took so much on, more than we were aware. But he is at heart a protector and felt it was his duty. Even though the pendant gave him the right to claim you as his bride, it was always your choice. He would not have forced himself on you, unlike Rumlow."

"Rumlow presented himself as a suitor for an ancestor of yours," added Hope. "Each suitor was to perform 13 tasks as proof of their integrity. Instead, he secretly kidnapped her, took her to his home and didn't feed her hunger or her thirst for several days. When he finally offered her food, she took it, effectively giving herself to him willingly, even though it wasn't done honestly. He was not a good mate, and she tried many times to escape his reach, succeeding only when she killed herself. The sacred tree ruled he must be cast out and his powers removed as his crime made him a blight on our kind. That was likely when he offered himself to the Dark Overlord of the time. He lived as a mortal, his longevity being the only fae quality he retained. When Rumlow reappeared as the owner of HYDRA Mining in the 1950s Buck became more visible in the mortal world, concerned about the man's activities. When Buck found your mother, he was concerned about Rumlow trying to kidnap her to reacquire his powers. The realization of your father's bloodline made protecting you even more important. Rumlow would have stripped you of all your powers, keeping you as little more than a concubine, subject to his perversions."

It was frightening to consider what would have happened if Rumlow had taken me that night or had killed Buck during the battle. A cough from Loki brought my attention back to the council.

"You must tell her the rest," he said, solemnly. "It is her right to know, especially now that her powers have begun manifesting before the marriage ceremony and the Solstice rituals. Now that the king knows how Rumlow found them, she must be informed to provide him comfort." He looked at me. "We're aware you were able to hit Rumlow with rocks using your powers. It means your powers are considerable."

Hope swallowed noticeably. "My brother, Richard, the youngest of my father's children, was taken," she said, sadly. "Even though he gave up his fae powers to live as a mortal he still had a bond with my father. He was slain in a ritual that only a dark overlord could perform so that your location could be determined. Then the barrier to the sanctuary was breached with a single thought from another location. Although we thought Rumlow was the Dark Overlord, he was not, as he was already outside the sanctuary waiting for the breach while we searched for Richard before they harmed him. A dark fae prisoner told us Rumlow was a familiar, the overlord's champion. It means the Dark Overlord is someone else, but we don't know who, except that he still lives. I'm sorry, but you're still in danger."

My first thought was Buck, and I left the dining room, running through the hallways, trying to find the healing pool. No matter which way I turned I was led back to the room I left when I first arrived, so I entered the door, finding him curled up on the bed. His grief-stricken face showed that he knew about his son, and I laid next to him, covering him with my arms. As he wept for the loss of his mortal son, I held him, trying to soothe him to the best of my abilities. It was even more important that we go through with the Solstice ritual now. My life depended on it and so did his, I suspected.

Part 6>>

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The Fae Elements, Part 5 - Battle

Summary: The safety of the sanctuary is breached setting up a deadly battle between Buck and Rumlow.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Buck, Sage, Rumlow, Thor, Hope

Warnings: Violence causing death, death of an adult child, grief.

Author notes: The images displayed in the banner above were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot app, in Designer mode.

<<Part 4

⛈️🪽🗡️

A thunderstorm came that night, along with a heavy rain. The flashes and booms frightened me, and I clutched at Buck, fearing that the cottage would be struck or that a tree would come crashing down upon us.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured, his warm body my only comfort. "Thor is sending thunderstorms to many places. Dark fae don't like the water in any form, but especially in one that flows. The rains from this storm will swell the rivers making it impossible for them to cross. They won't venture out in it, either."

His soft caresses and gentle kisses helped allay my fears enough for me to fall asleep. When I awoke in the morning it was still raining but it was a soft and comforting gentle rain; it's thrumming on the roof a reminder that I was safe in the arms of my lover. How I loved thinking of Buck in that way. The way our bodies were intertwined in the soft bed under the window was the stuff of fantasies. Almost as if he heard my thoughts Buck roused and opened his eyes, turning his head towards me.

"Good morning," he rumbled, before kissing my forehead and looking outside. "Looks like we get to stay in bed for a while."

"Was that something the fae king ordered?" I asked.

"Well, I might have let it slip that you accepted my proposal," he grinned. "My council were pretty sure you would."

"In all of the fantasy books I read I never heard of a fae king having a council. Is that an unusual thing?"

"I brought it up when I was first made fae king." He shifted to his side so that he could look at me while he played with my hair. "Having spent so long living in the mortal world with my father I wasn't sure I knew enough to rule by myself." I looked at him questioningly. "My mother asked my father to raise me and teach me how he lived. She was ... different, even among fae kind. I sometimes wonder if she had the "second sight," the ability to see into the future.  I spent my first 40 years with him until he died. Twenty-five years later I was called as a candidate. It was unprecedented for a half-fae and one so young to be chosen. I presented the thought of a council to advise me to the sacred tree, and it selected trustworthy fae to it. I've been told I'm a good king, a natural leader."

"Is she still alive?"

"No, she truly loved my father and followed him just a few years after his death. She was already over 400 years of age, considered old for many fae. Rulers draw power from the earth, sky and water so it lengthens our life span. Thor is the only one who is older than I am, as his bloodline has the gift of longevity. He has been part of my council since the beginning. Even Loki, as his brother, hasn't lived as long, as he is from a different bloodline, the Frost Giants. He was orphaned as a baby and adopted into Thor's family. You probably noticed his touch was cooler."

"Is everything alright between you two?" I asked. "I sensed some tension when he greeted me."

"That's just because he fancies himself as irresistible." He lowered his lips to mine to kiss me. "He's quite the flirt and has bedded many, both mortal and fae. I ... I was pleased to see you seemed immune to his charms."

"For a brief time, I thought he might be the Dark Overlord," I said. "Then he showed up at the beach and I realized I was wrong."

"I suspected Rumlow of being the one for some time," said Buck. He sighed. "We have a past. I knew him during the troubles. For a fae, he seemed remarkably unconcerned when several were accused of being in league with the dark one. He defended some individuals more than he defended others, including Daere's sister. It was obvious, in retrospect. All this time he's been rebuilding his powers and his personal wealth. You know I'm not really a billionaire. It all belongs to Gaia Life. I get a substantial salary as "CEO", but my actual worth is considerably less." He smiled. "Just in case you were marrying me for my money."

I smiled back at him as we kissed. "If you were a regular man, not a fae, what would you do?"

He took his time thinking of an answer as he shifted to look up at the ceiling of the bedroom, the sound of the gentle rain in the background.

"A carpenter," he finally said. "Not the type that builds houses, although I could do that and enjoy it. I would make furniture, creating something beautiful and functional out of wood. It's kind of how I relax now. I go into the forest and look for newly fallen trees, dragging them here and stripping them of their bark. After that I cut them into planks or lumber and let them dry. Once they've dried enough, I can build something out of it. I built this bed, the dressers, and cupboards and bookshelves downstairs."

Shifting so he was laying on his side he gazed at me, occasionally stroking my hair or arm. It didn't take long before he was hovering over me and I had the vision of him, the same one that I had after he asked me out to dinner. Except his hair was already loose, and I ran my hand through it just before he lowered his lips to mine. When his lips explored more of my body, it was uncanny how he knew what I liked. Every part of my being was alight with desire for him as he brought me closer to ecstasy. With the soft light of the grey skies falling on the bed, and the sound of the rain adding to the romantic ambience it felt like I was in the middle of a great love story. Here in his retreat in the middle of the forest, we were free to be our authentic selves, without the responsibility of our callings, or the fear of outside forces.

Even as we released our bodies to the bliss that we brought out of each other there was something that kept telling me it was all an enchantment, something fragile that could be lost before it ever had a chance to begin. The strangest part of it was that I was more afraid for Buck than I was for myself. He mentioned his mother having "second sight", a term I understood to mean a form of clairvoyance. Was I experiencing that for myself? Because somewhere, at the edge of my mind, at the perimeter of my thoughts was another vision of me hovering over Buck, as the colour drained from his face and his eyes lost their inner light. It was a vision that only came out after I saw Rumlow transform the night before. I never told Buck that I thought I had a vision of his death, which frightened me more than any thought of the Dark Overlord coming for me. I'm sure he knew because our lovemaking that morning was so gentle, yet so passionate it was like he was trying to convince me that I had nothing to worry about it.

Over the next while Buck schooled me in the ways of the fae, teaching me how to use my existing powers to listen to the life forces of my surroundings. I could hear the sound of wings high above me in the air, or the scratch of a mouse, as it dragged a nut into its den. It was all part of the unseen life around us in the forest. We did receive updates, either by thoughts shared between Buck and his council, or by the occasional nighttime visit of Sam, Steve, or Hope. I started getting up for those, joining Buck outside as he communed with the night, when the cycle of the moon waning was followed by the darkness of the new moon. They brought news of the preparations for our marriage ceremony. Hope told me more about my part in the ceremony and how my body would change in the 24 hours of that longest day and shortest night. In the evenings, our quiet time by the fireplace was followed by more passion in the bedroom, passion that I had always longed for before I met Buck.

There was one thing that hadn't yet happened but when I brought it up, Buck smiled and agreed that it was time. It was the week before we were to be married and he had yet to show me his true form. Standing in front of me, outside in the sun, shirtless, I watched as his tattoos and wings visibly changed in front of me. His wings changed first, into something more ethereal, with smaller finer feathers that were delicate in appearance. His tattoo changed to that of a single great tree, its textured roots extending below his navel, while the trunk extended up over his abdomen then spread into branches over his chest and shoulders, then down his arms. The raised texture of the tattoo pulsed as if the tree itself was living. Around us, the daylight had darkened, reminding me of a solar eclipse, and I could see stars behind him. A blue glow became visible in his eyes, tattoo and wings, pulsing with an otherworldly energy. His ears elongated taking the shape of those of an elf, followed by the sprouting of small branches from his head. It was beautiful, as it showed his love for the forest.

"This is my true self," he said, his blue eyes focused on me. "I am the spirit of the forest. It's safety and wellbeing are my greatest concern. Throughout the ages I have helped the mortals who respected this space, sharing its gifts with them, sheltering them under the thick canopies when they have been lost, hiding them when they were troubled. When the religion of the One came my ancestors were called pagan, yet they adapted some of our beliefs into their own because we worshipped creation as they did, at the beginning. Now they worship profit, sacrificing this world for their need for riches."

I came closer, tentatively touching his tree tattoo, watching as his face reacted to my touch. Then he smiled at me and pressed his lips into my neck, breathing his warmth into the place where my own pulse beat. Somehow, we were suddenly unclothed, and I was lying on a soft bed of moss, this otherworldly being of incredible beauty looking down on me, making me feel I was the centre of his existence. We made love in the middle of the forest, giving and taking pleasure with each other.

On the next day, a cloudy one, we hiked for a couple of hours, ending up at a natural hot spring, bubbling out of a rock formation. The water cascaded down into several levels of pools. Although it smelled of sulphur it was a more natural scent than the one that lingered in my apartment after the Horde were there. We undressed and sat in one of the warm pools for an hour, making love, then basking in its warmth before drying off and getting dressed again. Buck flew us back, taking the opportunity to share a bird's eye view of his haven. On our return he prepared to cut some more wood, so I took the opportunity to forage for mushrooms, greens, and nuts for our dinner. Just as I was satisfied with my haul, I began the return to the cottage, then stopped for I could smell the burnt sulphurous smell of the man who attacked me. At the same time, I heard a tortured cry from the direction of the cottage. Turning, I saw a pair of red eyes, only this time they were in the head of a wolf-like beast. It's low growl, deep from within its throat, struck a chord of fear in me.

"Buck," I thought. "Help. I'm in trouble."

"Beloved. I'm coming."

Slowly, I backed away from the beast, taking care not to stumble, for I was certain it would leap at me. It was slow going, as I didn't want to look away, afraid if I did it would attack. It was joined by two others, and they stalked me with an intent that was obvious. Just as I had reached a part of the forest where I would have to look elsewhere to step safely, I heard Buck's voice in my head.

"I'm coming in by wing. Leave the food."

The sound of his great wings flapping while he slowed to reach me, signalled me to drop the basket and I did so, as Buck grasped me around the waist and lifted me straight up in the air. Immediately, all three beasts launched themselves at us, and Buck shot up even higher, so we were out of their reach. Just as he was about to turn, a dark winged figure attacked him from above, and he almost dropped me.

"Hold on," he said, as he swooped away from the winged creature and flew towards a flowing river with an island in the middle. "Its beasts won't go into the water. I'm going to have to fight so as soon as I let you go, run for cover while I protect your retreat."

Several times he had to swerve to avoid the attack of the dark figure that flew with us. Then suddenly, we were over the island and Buck dropped me from a height of several feet, then turned to meet the attacker again. I ran for a hidden space in a rock formation, watching as the two of them grappled in the air. The creature, covered in thick leathery skin of a dark grey colour, with the addition of black feathers on parts of its wing, several horns sprouting from its head, long black hair, and claws for fingers was relentless in its assault on Buck. Whenever one of them slammed into the ground I could feel the reverberations through the terrain. It was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

The sounds of howls from across the river drew attention to the presence of the wolf-like beasts that had cornered me in the forest. As Buck said, they didn't try to cross the flowing water, but did transform into their human shape, revealing them to be part of the Horde, which meant the winged attacker was likely Rumlow. He answered his underlings, landing on the ground and facing Buck with his wings unfurled. A carved black weapon appeared in his hand, seeming to be part sword and part staff.

"Well, Barnes, I told your little slut that I would find a way into your haven," he sneered. "You thought your magic was strong enough to keep me out but my claim on her is stronger than yours."

Buck landed also, with a look of pure and desperate fury. I watched as his clothing transformed into battle gear. His arms and body were covered in chain mail, with a protective silver-grey metal armour adorned with beautiful symmetrical etchings, while his knees and shins were protected with coverings of the same metal. A sword magically appeared in his hand, looking remarkably comfortable in his grip.

"Your claim was thrown out years ago," he replied, in a voice that seethed with anger. "She has been under my protection since she was a child."

"She is the reincarnation of my bride!" Rumlow roared in anger. "I want her back."

"She was never your bride by choice," stated Buck, his blue eyes flashing. "You kidnapped her, forced her to eat your food to be beholden to you, then abused her until she took her own life. The sacred tree decreed it so."

"That's a lie!"

"You're the liar." Buck shifted so that he was blocking the path towards me. "You were supposed to perform 13 tasks to even be considered a suitor. Too much work for a dark fae so you broke the law and just took her against her will. The sacred hawthorn assigned me to be Sage's protector and I will do my duty to my last breath."

"So be it," answered Rumlow, leaping towards Buck with his weapon overhead. "You will die as easily as your spawn did."

The clash of metal on metal made a great sound that hurt my ears and I covered them with my hands, as the two men swung their weapons at each other over and over again. Rumlow was bigger and perhaps stronger, but Buck was quicker and more skilled as a fighter, drawing blood several times as he scored the arms and legs of the bigger fae. When the black-coloured ichor hit the ground, it sizzled and burned a hole in the grasses, an indicator of the toxicity that filled the dark fae. Several times they grappled together, punching each other with a force that probably could have shattered a great tree. Then one or the other would stagger back before regaining a foothold and trying to sweep the legs of the other out from under them, hoping to get the advantage by having them on the ground. At one point, I heard a distinct cracking sound emanate from Buck's left side and he winced in agony, as he went down on one knee, protecting that side with his bent arm. A cruel smile erupted on Rumlow's face, and he focussed on hitting Buck repeatedly in the same spot.

"NO!" I cried out and suddenly several rocks the size of my fist flew through the air, hitting Rumlow in the shoulder and head.

He roared at the distraction and stepped back, giving Buck an opening. He raised himself and thrust his sword into the other man's abdomen, burying it right up to the hilt. The black blood spurted out from the wound and Rumlow went down on one knee. Pulling the sword out, Buck thrust it in again, this time into the heart and a shriek like nothing I ever heard flew out of Rumlow's mouth.

"Sage, look away!"

I looked at Buck, at the fury in his face, and he commanded me again to look away. A terrible sound of flesh and bone being torn apart reached my ears and I covered them for it was a sound I never wanted to hear again. After a few moments, I dared to look and saw Buck standing over the body of Rumlow, black blood dripping from what looked like the heart he held in his hand. He dropped it and fell to one knee, just as a thunderbolt flew down from the sky, hitting the ground and revealing Thor, Sam, Steve and Hope. She came to me while the others went to Buck, immediately helping him to the river, where they physically removed his clothes and Thor carried him into the water.

"Why are they doing that?" I asked, suddenly afraid, recalling the vision I had of him dying.

"He needs cleansing from the kill," said Hope. "A dark fae's blood has evil properties that can infect him like a fever. Removing the heart is the only way to kill a dark fae overlord, which meant Buck had to reach inside Rumlow's body to get it. Flowing water is the only way to cleanse him of the effects of the blood." She looked across the river, seeing the bodies of the Horde. She made a small sign in the air with her hand that left a blue/green mark in the air. "Their souls have been released from their slavery. Each will face the creator before being allowed to move on. Come, we can return to the stronghold now. You will be safer there. My father needs to receive treatment in the healing pool."

While Steve and Sam covered Buck in a cloak, Thor raised a hammer to the sky and brought lightning down on the body of Rumlow, burning it into ash. Then he went across the river and did the same to the three bodies over there. Leaping back to the island, he looked kindly at me.

"I sense you have more questions," he said, sombrely. "Hold them for now until we take care of our king. He is weak from all that he was required to do to protect you and from the battle. You will have answers, I promise."

Hope led me closer to the others, with Sam and Steve supporting Buck between them. The three of them enclosed us with their wings, then Thor raised his hammer to the sky once more, bringing lightning down upon us. That enclosed us in a tunnel of light that we sped along for several long seconds, stopping on the same spot at the stronghold where we left several weeks before. Several attendants waited for us. A gurney was produced for Buck, and they wheeled him away, presumably to the healing pool, while I was led to a different room than where I was before. This one was larger, richly appointed, but still had that magnificent view of the valley.

"There are clothes in the closet for you, Lady Sage," said the attendant, a blonde woman I had never seen before. "When you have changed, I will be waiting to take you to the dining room where the council awaits your presence for dinner."

After quickly showering and getting dressed I opened the door and found her waiting. She smiled but said nothing as she led me down one of those hallways lit by the glowing walls, until we came to a large glass walled room with a large dining table. It looked out over the valley, making me wonder if every room in the stronghold looked out over it. I counted a dozen people waiting for me, none of them Buck, making me the 13th. I wondered if that was an omen for something bad.

"Lady Sage, please don't be alarmed," said Thor. "Our king is still healing in the pool but will be there for some time replenishing his energy. Join us and make our number equal the full council."

"But that's 13," I said. "It's an unlucky number."

"To the followers of the one god, yes," he replied. "To the fae, it isn't as it is a sacred number for many reasons."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"I know, but it is not unlucky to us. Please, sit and we will attempt to enlighten you."

As the meal was served, and the wine poured, I learned that 13 is considered lucky in many mythologies including pagan and Norse ones. Associated with the menstrual cycle of a woman, of which there were 13 cycles in a year, the same as lunar cycles, it symbolized fertility. Their council, since it followed the pagan way, had to be made up of 13 individuals, usually including the king. Also associated with fertility was the hawthorn tree, of which my last name was based on. It was connected to the source of my powers, as I wasn't just a descendant of Lilith, I was apparently a descendant of the first fae king, Hawthorn, who planted the tree and imbued it with the powers of the forest, then with his own spirit after his death. Even though I was mortal, I apparently had a stronger bloodline than many of the council.

"What does that all mean?" I asked. "Buck said during the fight with Rumlow that he was assigned to be my protector by the sacred hawthorn. He accused Rumlow of stealing an ancestor of mine and forcing her to be his wife."

"It's true," said Thor. "When the first fae king Hawthorn moved on, his spirit stayed with the tree. He has looked out for his descendants ever since. Each king vows to protect the descendants of that Hawthorn as part of their covenant with the light fae. Your father was a descendant of him, and so was protected by Buck. His cancer could not be healed in our healing pools but could by the laying on of the hands of the king. But to do so meant Buck's ability to protect you would be weakened. Your father declined the offer, sacrificing his life for you, Sage. He wanted to keep you safe above all else. Buck had already gifted you the pendant you wear, which was also a sacrifice, in a sense. It meant that your parents were agreeing to you becoming his wife; a protective bond as strong as any magic, even if you're not aware of it. Buck had little choice in the matter, as his powers were stretched thinly, protecting you, your family, the light fae, the stronghold, the sanctuaries he created, and many other areas he felt responsible for. He took so much on, more than we were aware. But he is at heart a protector and felt it was his duty. Even though the pendant gave him the right to claim you as his bride, it was always your choice. He would not have forced himself on you, unlike Rumlow."

"Rumlow presented himself as a suitor for an ancestor of yours," added Hope. "Each suitor was to perform 13 tasks as proof of their integrity. Instead, he secretly kidnapped her, took her to his home and didn't feed her hunger or her thirst for several days. When he finally offered her food, she took it, effectively giving herself to him willingly, even though it wasn't done honestly. He was not a good mate, and she tried many times to escape his reach, succeeding only when she killed herself. The sacred tree ruled he must be cast out and his powers removed as his crime made him a blight on our kind. That was likely when he offered himself to the Dark Overlord of the time. He lived as a mortal, his longevity being the only fae quality he retained. When Rumlow reappeared as the owner of HYDRA Mining in the 1950s Buck became more visible in the mortal world, concerned about the man's activities. When Buck found your mother, he was concerned about Rumlow trying to kidnap her to reacquire his powers. The realization of your father's bloodline made protecting you even more important. Rumlow would have stripped you of all your powers, keeping you as little more than a concubine, subject to his perversions."

It was frightening to consider what would have happened if Rumlow had taken me that night or had killed Buck during the battle. A cough from Loki brought my attention back to the council.

"You must tell her the rest," he said, solemnly. "It is her right to know, especially now that her powers have begun manifesting before the marriage ceremony and the Solstice rituals. Now that the king knows how Rumlow found them, she must be informed to provide him comfort." He looked at me. "We're aware you were able to hit Rumlow with rocks using your powers. It means your powers are considerable."

Hope swallowed noticeably. "My brother, Richard, the youngest of my father's children, was taken," she said, sadly. "Even though he gave up his fae powers to live as a mortal he still had a bond with my father. He was slain in a ritual that only a dark overlord could perform so that your location could be determined. Then the barrier to the sanctuary was breached with a single thought from another location. Although we thought Rumlow was the Dark Overlord, he was not, as he was already outside the sanctuary waiting for the breach while we searched for Richard before they harmed him. A dark fae prisoner told us Rumlow was a familiar, the overlord's champion. It means the Dark Overlord is someone else, but we don't know who, except that he still lives. I'm sorry, but you're still in danger."

My first thought was Buck, and I left the dining room, running through the hallways, trying to find the healing pool. No matter which way I turned I was led back to the room I left when I first arrived, so I entered the door, finding him curled up on the bed. His grief-stricken face showed that he knew about his son, and I laid next to him, covering him with my arms. As he wept for the loss of his mortal son, I held him, trying to soothe him to the best of my abilities. It was even more important that we go through with the Solstice ritual now. My life depended on it and so did his, I suspected.

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All This Time, Chapter 13 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Bucky’s successful treatment permits him to live in a Wakandan village for several months. Then King T’Challa arrives with his prosthetic arm and Bucky accepts the necessity of returning to war.

Length: 4.4 K

Characters: Bucky, Shuri, Lacey, T’Challa, Steve

Warnings: Bucky and Lacey have a serious argument. Bucky feels increasingly anxious over a feeling of doom. Thanos.

Author notes: A significant part of this chapter summarizes events of The Avengers: Infinity War.

<<Chapter 12

🛖 🦾

Wakanda

He heard the giggling before he opened his eyes.  It was bad enough they didn't respect the privacy of his home but to wake him up early as well on his rest day was irritating at best.  He opened his eyes and they scattered, running out of his hut while calling him White Wolf.  He sat up and heard Shuri's voice outside gently chastising the three boys.  Quietly he rose from the bed and smoothed the red robe he was wearing before bending his head to exit the hut.  He looked around and felt the peacefulness of the village before he approached Shuri.  She greeted him cheerfully, calling him Sergeant Barnes.  He insisted she call him Bucky and she bowed her head in acknowledgement.  When she asked him how he was feeling he replied that he felt good, then he fixed his gaze intently on her.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," he said quietly.

She smiled then told him they still had much to learn.  He gazed at the serenity of the lake near his hut for a moment then turned away from it and followed her.  In the five and a half months he had been there he had worked as a goat farmer, learned to make goat cheese, had helped with the harvesting of crops, all while still having sessions with Shuri on modern history and technology.  In many ways it had been a surreal existence, balancing the old ways of living with the realities of modern society.  But it had been peaceful and calm.  The villagers accepted him and every once in a while he would play with the children, especially when they brought a soccer ball out, as he didn't need both of his arms for that.  They went to a modern structure in the heart of the village where a computer terminal was set up.  Bucky sat before it, with Shuri at his side.

"Before we start I have a question," he said calmly.  "How exactly did you undo the HYDRA programming?  Unlike the other treatments I have no memories of you trying anything.  Which means either you took a big chance and did it in one try or you tried it on someone else first.  Which was it?"

"Neither, really, Sergeant Barnes," replied the young woman.  "If you must know I recreated your brain in a digital format.  I copied every aspect of it and created a holographic version of it.  Then I created an algorithm to feed into your recreated brain that would remove the trigger words and render them incapable of affecting you.  I would enter the calculations and then enter the trigger words and see what the digital copy of your brain did in response.  I wanted to remove the effect of the words but not remove the core of your own personality, the good man that was still in you, the protector."

"How many times did you have to adjust the algorithm to achieve success?" he asked.  "As brilliant as you are I can't believe it worked the first time."

"It didn't," she admitted.  "It took many tries."  She hesitated for a moment wondering if she should tell him then remembered her promise to be truthful to him.  "There were 387 attempts over the 4 months, 2 weeks and 6 days you stayed in full cryostasis.  We were close several times and almost decided to apply the algorithm to your brain but not all problems were evident at first.  Some problems took days to become known and we had to start from the beginning again."

"So the final treatment on me, on my brain, was a one shot attempt," he stated.  "Even though you tested it on the holographic version of my brain you didn't really know for sure it would work on the real brain, the physical one."

He looked steadily at her, with no judgement or emotion evident on his handsome face.  "I wouldn't have tried it if I wasn't 100% sure it would work," she replied confidently.  "There were no short cuts taken, no long shot theories; everything was tested and retested multiple times before we were confident that it would work.  May I ask why you are asking this now, and not five and a half months ago when you came out of cryostasis for the last time?"

"I didn't think of it then," smiled Bucky.  "But here, in this village, I have more time and inclination to think and reflect.  Remembering what I do of the scientific process it struck me that you needed a way to test your treatment without the possibility of damaging this broken white boy any further."

Shuri grimaced and coloured slightly.  "I apologize for using that term," she said.  "It was flippantly said as I was attempting to save the life of another American when you were here."

"But I was a broken white boy," insisted Bucky.  "Did you know Lacey's first book was called Confessions of a Broken White Girl?  It seemed fitting that you thought I was broken.  I felt like Humpty Dumpty when I first came here, unsure if all the King's horses and all the King's men could ever put me back together again."

"It was a challenge," stated Shuri.  "Never had I or any of our scientists faced such a task before.  Which made it all the more imperative that we get it right.  The stakes of your recovery are high, Sergeant Barnes."

"How so?" he asked, puzzled.

"What do you know of child soldiers?" she asked.  "You may have come across the term in your studies."

"Children kidnapped, drugged and forced to be foot soldiers in a conflict," he replied.  "You mean they are brainwashed?"

"Not in the same way as you but yes," she said.  "Treated with violence and cruelty then injected with all manner of drugs they learn only to kill and abuse others.  For many, when they are finally rescued they remember nothing else and struggle to return to a normal life, even if they are reunited with family.  It was hoped that what we developed to treat you could be used to treat them; to remove the violent memories and restore the good memories they had before they were kidnapped.  So far, the results have been promising."

Bucky let out a long slow breath and looked at Shuri.  "So what you are learning about me is helping children?" he asked.

"Most definitely," she said firmly.  "Is there anything else you would like to ask me or discuss?"

"What about the nightmares?" he asked.  "I still have them."

"Yes, I know," she replied sadly.  "Unfortunately there was little we could do to mitigate all of them.  They originate mostly in the amygdala and are connected to PTSD, which you do suffer from.  I personally suspect it is your own conscience that generates the nightmares as you still haven't forgiven yourself for what the Winter Soldier did.  Even though Bucky Barnes was helpless to stop the soldier you still feel guilt for his actions."

He looked away for a moment considering her words then nodded and turned to the computer.  "What am I learning about today?" he asked.

"American history, from 2000 to the present year," she said.  "Shall we begin?"

She sat with him directing him to online resources on 21st century history.  As he looked at the various entries he remembered some of them from the perspective of the Winter Soldier, for he had been the Fist of HYDRA, shaping history to their benefit.  It distressed him at times, especially when there was a loss of life involved but before he could return to normal life he needed to know what had happened in the world.  After several hours of it Shuri touched his arm.

"I think that is enough for today, Sergeant Barnes," she said.  "Perhaps it is time for you to do something more enjoyable, like call Miss Williams and your son.  It has been several days since you last spoke with them.  Is everything alright?"

"Yes ... and no," he said, frowning slightly.  "I've had an increasing fear that we will never be able to see each other.  We both talk about it when we are together and look forward to it but there is a sense of inevitability that seems to foreshadow that it will never come to pass.  It troubles me and I'm having a hard time keeping positive on the calls."

"How long have you felt this way?" asked Shuri, concerned.

"I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago and it keeps getting stronger and stronger," he answered.  "You don't think the treatment has stopped working, do you?  I'm not regressing?"

"I don't think so," she said.  "Are your nightmares related to it?"

"They're my usual HYDRA nightmares," he replied.  "Nothing out of the ordinary.  When I'm working here I don't feel it.  It's usually when I talk to Lacey."

"Would you object to me observing a video call with Miss Williams?" asked Shuri.  "I will have a kimoyo bead monitoring your brain activity to see if it shows up."

He nodded his assent and they went back to his hut to retrieve the tablet.  He sat on the bench outside and Shuri activated one of her kimoyo beads to monitor Bucky while he made the call.  Lacey answered quickly and she smiled.

"Hi, Bucky," she said warmly.  "It's been a few days.  Everything okay?"

"Just been really busy," he replied.  "I have a few new baby goats that are taking up my time.  I've been studying more with Shuri.  How are you and Tommy?"

She called to Tommy and while she waited she smiled.  "Really good," she said.  "I've started on my third book ... the writing part finally." 

Tommy's face appeared in the screen.  "Hi Dad!" he said.  "Guess what?  I lifted a straw bale today."

"The whole bale?" asked Bucky.

"No, just one end of it," explained Lacey.  "Only about six inches and he put it down right away.  Clint got straw bales in today and Tommy thought he would help.  As soon as Clint saw him he told him to drop it."

Bucky shifted, unsettled by this development.  "Tommy, have you been lifting other heavy things?" he asked, frowning slightly.

He looked at his mother and she tilted her head.  "Yeah," admitted the boy.  "I picked a dead tree up and I rolled some big rocks."

"That's too dangerous," replied Bucky.  "Lacey, you need to watch him better."

"Excuse me?" asked Lacey.  "I'm watching him all the time but he's almost three and there are times when I have to do other things.  He hasn't tried to do anything overtly dangerous."

Bucky gave out a sharp breath.  "All it takes is one slip and he could be trapped," snapped Bucky.  "Then who would get him out of trouble?  You?"

"Yeah, me," replied Lacey, her voice rising.  "I'm the parent who's raising him!  My whole life is watching over him, keeping him safe.  You're sitting in the cheap seats and telling me how to raise my son?"

Bucky was stunned and his face became red.  "You're right," he said angrily.  "I'm not there.  I'm aware of that every moment that I'm here and you're there.  It eats me up inside that I haven't been there for you and Tommy.  All I've been is the sperm donor and that doesn't give me much right to criticize does it?   I'll make it easy for you.  You won't have to put up with me interfering any more.  Goodbye."

He broke the connection, dropped the tablet, looked at Shuri then ran.  "Sergeant Barnes ... Bucky," she called but he was already gone into the distance.

Sitting back Shuri looked at her kimoyo bead that had been monitoring Bucky's functions.  There was something going on and it had affected him emotionally to the point where he turned away from Lacey and Tommy.   She brought up Lacey on her communication bead and saw she was crying.

"Shuri, what's wrong with Bucky?" asked Lacey.  "We just had a fight over the video call and I think he just broke up with me."

"I was here, monitoring him," admitted Shuri.  "He told me he has been troubled by fears that your relationship will never go past these video calls.  After the call he ran away.  Whatever it is, it's real and it has affected him emotionally."

"It's not a failure of the treatment, is it?" she asked.

"No, there was no indication of that," replied Shuri.  "Let me do some more investigating on this end and I will contact you when I find out something.  It will be okay."

Shuri ended the call and then brought up monitoring software asking it where Sergeant Barnes was.  It reported that he was approximately five miles away and was stationary at the moment.  She debated about whether to take a flyer to him or to wait and chose to wait, spending the time analyzing the readings she had taken.  An hour later she saw him approaching from a pathway and stood up.  He hesitated briefly then kept walking towards her.

"I thought you would be gone," he said quietly.  "I messed that up, didn't I?"

"She was crying when I spoke to her after," said Shuri.  "Was it your intention to end the relationship?"

"No, but she's probably better off without me," he answered.  "What good have I been if I can't be with her?"

"You believe that, don't you?" asked Shuri.  "You truly believe that you will never see her in person again.  Never know your son or be there for him."  She looked intently at him then brought up the data of his video call.  "This fear that you feel is coming from the same place as your nightmares but it is deeper than I believed.  It's almost as if you are reacting to stimuli that isn't there, at least not there in a measurable sense."

"So, I'm imagining it," he stated.

"No, I don't think you are," replied Shuri.  "Your senses were greatly increased by the super soldier treatment that you underwent.  Not just the physical senses but your intuitive ones as well.  They are so sensitive that they register that something will happen well before it does.  I think you're experiencing premonitions of a coming event but just the feeling of it, not the event itself."

"Something that will keep me from Lacey and Tommy?" he asked.  "Only death will do that.  Do you think I've been experiencing premonitions of my death, my actual death?"

Shuri took a deep breath and spread her hands in surrender.  "I don't know," she replied.  "Perhaps if you think on it with this perspective you may find some answers.  Whatever it is, it has caused you to fear it."

She took her leave of him and he watched her walk away for some time before he picked up the tablet and entered his hut.  He considered calling Lacey back but decided against it, wanting to wrestle with and control the fear first.   The following day Lacey called him.   After the third pulse of the incoming video call he answered it and felt ashamed when he saw the misery on her face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.  "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"What's going on?" she asked.  "Something has you on edge.  That wasn't you that was speaking to me that way."

"I've been experiencing an impending sense of doom," said Bucky.  "I don't know how else to explain it.  Shuri thinks my intuitive senses are on high alert from something that hasn't happened yet.  Whatever it is it's made me afraid, mostly that I'll never be with you and Tommy."

"Can it be treated?  I still believe we'll be together someday, for what it's worth."

He smiled slightly.  "It's something I have to work out on my own," he replied.  "It means a lot that you still want me, especially after what I said yesterday.  Don't give up on me, please."

"Never," said Lacey.  "You're stuck with me.  I love you, Bucky."

"I love you, too," he smiled.  "Give Tommy a hug for me.  Tell him I love him."

"I will," said Lacey.

They spoke of other things for several more minutes then ended the conversation.  Bucky slept better that night and on the following morning he got up with a purpose.  There were bags of animal feed that were arriving at the goat paddock.  He would load them onto the cart for transport to the village.  He put his singlet on, then one of his work shirts, buttoning it up with his right hand.  Pulling on his work pants he tucked his shirt in then zipped his pants up.  Then he covered his shoulder unit up with the shawl.  He ate some breakfast then made the mile walk to the paddock.  A couple of the village boys were already there and as he began loading the feed onto the cart they asked him questions.  He answered them as best he could while he tossed the bags into the cart with his one arm. 

"Ukumkani," said one of them, jumping down from the tree where he had been perched.

Bucky looked in the direction the boy pointed and saw King T'Challa, General Okoye and two of the King's Guard, one of them carrying a case.  He watched as they approached him and the man with the case put it on top of the feed bags on the cart, opened it and stepped back.  Bucky approached it and saw a prosthetic arm, gunmetal black with a gold design on it.  T'Challa watched, his demeanour apologetic and Bucky knew that he was being asked to defend Wakanda.  When he asked where the fight was the King said it was on it's way.  Bucky nodded and pulled the shawl off exposing the shoulder insert.  T'Challa picked up the arm, approached him, and Bucky watched as the socket portion of the insert opened in readiness for the attachment of the arm.  It clasped on firmly and instantly he could feel it's presence.  Looking at the hand he flexed it open then closed it into a fist.  He looked at the King impassively.

"Let's go," he said and began walking away from the paddock.

"Is there anything you need from your hut?" asked T'Challa.

At first he was going to say no then he hesitated.  "My tablet," he replied.  "My clothes, although they aren't suitable for fighting."

"We have a uniform for you," said T'Challa.  "Something to honour your past."  Bucky gave him a look of alarm.  "Your good past."

After picking up Bucky's things he accompanied T'Challa and Okoye back to the capital.  On the way T'Challa told him what he knew.

"An extraterrestrial attacked New York," he said.  "Iron Man and a sorcerer with an infinity stone were taken into space and haven't been heard from since.  Shortly after another extraterrestrial attacked a being called Vision, who carries the Mind Stone.  He was injured but was rescued by your friends Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Natasha Romanoff.  They are on their way here for Shuri to find a way to remove and destroy the Mind Stone so that it cannot be used by the being who wishes to have its power, Thanos.  We expect him to attack us to prevent the Mind Stone from being destroyed."

Bucky smirked.  "End of the world stuff," he said.  "At least it's a fight worth fighting."

"That's the spirit," said T'Challa.  "Thank you for answering the call."

"If we don't succeed?" asked Bucky.

"Thanos will kill half of all beings in existence according to someone who had an encounter with him in space," said T'Challa, looking grimly at him.  "High stakes."

They arrived at the palace and Bucky was shown to his previous quarters where a uniform was laid on the bed.  It was modern but he saw it had the colours of his Howling Commandos sniper uniform, a navy jacket with the left arm cut out, black pants and boots.  As he took his work clothes off and began to dress in the uniform he realized he was using the prosthetic arm without even thinking of it.  He looked at it again and the part of him that was interested in technology was impressed.  It was much lighter than the HYDRA arm and although it was distinctive in appearance he found himself liking it much more than he expected.  A knock on the door drew his attention and he opened it to Ayo.

"Sergeant Barnes," she said crisply.  "Our visitors have just landed."

He followed her outside to where T'Challa was greeting Steve and several others.  The blond woman who he recognized as Natasha had just asked how they were looking.  The young King was describing his force then glanced back to see Bucky coming and gestured towards him.  He smiled broadly at Steve, truly happy to see him and they hugged each other.  While Steve, Bruce, Wanda, Natasha, and T'Challa went to the medical centre to find out what Shuri could do with Vision, Bucky stayed outside with the others.  He nodded at Sam, who nodded back then a man in a metal flying suit looked at him.

"Colonel James Rhodes," he said.  "Also known as War Machine."

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes," replied Bucky.  "Call me Bucky.  You were on the other side in Leipzig."

"Well, time has a way of changing a man's mind," said Rhodes.  "You're no longer the Winter Soldier?"

"No, I'll never kill another human," said Bucky.  "These guys that are coming?  I won't hesitate."

"Glad to hear it," said Rhodes.

Sam pointed up to the sky and they watched a series of glowing lights approach.   He signalled to Steve that something was coming.  The glowing light hit the protective shield over the city and exploded, preventing whatever it was from landing.  They watched as many more spacecraft burned through the atmosphere to land outside the dome protecting the city.  Within minutes they were on their way to the edge of the dome where thousands of Wakandan warriors had already assembled.  As their group joined them Bucky watched as T'Challa, Steve, and Natasha approached two aliens standing outside the crackling protective shield.  They saw one of the aliens give a signal and the spacecraft expanded.  When Steve returned to his side Bucky asked if the other side had surrendered.  Steve replied cryptically but Bucky got the gist of it.

Thousands of creatures jumped from the spacecraft and ran towards the shield.  No one had ever seen their like before and they watched with uneasy fascination as the creatures threw themselves at the shield.  Many of the monstrous beings died trying to get through the shield before several were successful.  The successful multi-armed creatures with mouths of jagged teeth roared their pleasure at breaking through and began charging the assembled forces.  Bucky took short bursts with his machine gun before grimacing and opening fire completely.  It was noticed that more creatures were circling around the perimeter and T'Challa made the decision to open the barrier to keep them from getting to where Vision was being treated.  As the creatures poured in everyone was surrounded by the nightmare beings, fighting desperately to keep from being overrun.  Bucky's machine gun was knocked from his hands just as he was knocked to the ground.  Grabbing a knife from his thigh sheath he stabbed the creature sending it flying backwards.  Everyone was swarmed by the terrifying beings, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.  Suddenly a beam of energy broke from the sky sending the creatures tumbling away.  An axe trailing lightning broke from the beam and sliced through the creatures freeing many of the Wakandan force.  When the energy beam cleared the axe returned to the hand of Thor who was accompanied by a walking raccoon and a walking tree creature.

The god roared for Thanos and ran towards the opening in the dome, levitating up into the air and gathering the power of lightning in his axe before redirecting it down into the ground, destroying hundreds of the alien beings in an instant.  Still, they kept coming through the hole in the barrier.  The raccoon creature yelled as he fired his weapon at them.  His roars attracted Bucky's attention as he noticed several of the larger creatures bearing down on the much smaller raccoon.  Picking him up by the collar he turned in a circle, firing his weapon as the raccoon fired his.  When they had both killed their fill Bucky dropped him and the raccoon looked up at him, asking how much the gun was but Bucky replied it wasn't for sale.  Then he asked about the arm and Bucky stared him down before moving on.

From outside the dome another disturbance was tearing through the forest beyond.  Great wheeled machines dove into the ground, undercutting the dome and entering inside.  So devastating were they that the only one who could handle them was Wanda who had left the medical centre to join the fight.  Once she was there an attack was made on Vision inside the medical centre and he came out fighting as best he could.  For a few moments everyone thought they had a chance then Cap called everyone to his position as they all noticed a change in the wind.  Bucky, who was far out on the field began running towards the trees and fired his weapon at a giant of a man who must have been Thanos.   He just pushed Bucky aside as if he was nothing.  He watched painfully from the ground as everyone tried to stop Thanos and failed.  When Thanos plucked the Mind Stone from Vision's head and felt its power rush through him Bucky tried once more to get up but he couldn't.  Thor's axe suddenly came through the air and pierced Thanos' heart but it didn't stop him from snapping his fingers before disappearing into a portal.  Only then could Bucky rise, along with the others.  He felt strange and called out to Steve before seeing his prosthetic arm turn to dust, the processing moving up towards the rest of his body.  His last thought was "It's happening," then he was no more.

Chapter 14>>

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[sjsmith56]

The Fae Elements, Part 5 - Battle

Summary: The safety of the sanctuary is breached setting up a deadly battle between Buck and Rumlow.

Length: 4.8 K

Characters: Buck, Sage, Rumlow, Thor, Hope

Warnings: Violence causing death, death of an adult child, grief.

Author notes: The images displayed in the banner above were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot app, in Designer mode.

<<Part 4

⛈️🪽🗡️

A thunderstorm came that night, along with a heavy rain. The flashes and booms frightened me, and I clutched at Buck, fearing that the cottage would be struck or that a tree would come crashing down upon us.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured, his warm body my only comfort. "Thor is sending thunderstorms to many places. Dark fae don't like the water in any form, but especially in one that flows. The rains from this storm will swell the rivers making it impossible for them to cross. They won't venture out in it, either."

His soft caresses and gentle kisses helped allay my fears enough for me to fall asleep. When I awoke in the morning it was still raining but it was a soft and comforting gentle rain; it's thrumming on the roof a reminder that I was safe in the arms of my lover. How I loved thinking of Buck in that way. The way our bodies were intertwined in the soft bed under the window was the stuff of fantasies. Almost as if he heard my thoughts Buck roused and opened his eyes, turning his head towards me.

"Good morning," he rumbled, before kissing my forehead and looking outside. "Looks like we get to stay in bed for a while."

"Was that something the fae king ordered?" I asked.

"Well, I might have let it slip that you accepted my proposal," he grinned. "My council were pretty sure you would."

"In all of the fantasy books I read I never heard of a fae king having a council. Is that an unusual thing?"

"I brought it up when I was first made fae king." He shifted to his side so that he could look at me while he played with my hair. "Having spent so long living in the mortal world with my father I wasn't sure I knew enough to rule by myself." I looked at him questioningly. "My mother asked my father to raise me and teach me how he lived. She was ... different, even among fae kind. I sometimes wonder if she had the "second sight," the ability to see into the future.  I spent my first 40 years with him until he died. Twenty-five years later I was called as a candidate. It was unprecedented for a half-fae and one so young to be chosen. I presented the thought of a council to advise me to the sacred tree, and it selected trustworthy fae to it. I've been told I'm a good king, a natural leader."

"Is she still alive?"

"No, she truly loved my father and followed him just a few years after his death. She was already over 400 years of age, considered old for many fae. Rulers draw power from the earth, sky and water so it lengthens our life span. Thor is the only one who is older than I am, as his bloodline has the gift of longevity. He has been part of my council since the beginning. Even Loki, as his brother, hasn't lived as long, as he is from a different bloodline, the Frost Giants. He was orphaned as a baby and adopted into Thor's family. You probably noticed his touch was cooler."

"Is everything alright between you two?" I asked. "I sensed some tension when he greeted me."

"That's just because he fancies himself as irresistible." He lowered his lips to mine to kiss me. "He's quite the flirt and has bedded many, both mortal and fae. I ... I was pleased to see you seemed immune to his charms."

"For a brief time, I thought he might be the Dark Overlord," I said. "Then he showed up at the beach and I realized I was wrong."

"I suspected Rumlow of being the one for some time," said Buck. He sighed. "We have a past. I knew him during the troubles. For a fae, he seemed remarkably unconcerned when several were accused of being in league with the dark one. He defended some individuals more than he defended others, including Daere's sister. It was obvious, in retrospect. All this time he's been rebuilding his powers and his personal wealth. You know I'm not really a billionaire. It all belongs to Gaia Life. I get a substantial salary as "CEO", but my actual worth is considerably less." He smiled. "Just in case you were marrying me for my money."

I smiled back at him as we kissed. "If you were a regular man, not a fae, what would you do?"

He took his time thinking of an answer as he shifted to look up at the ceiling of the bedroom, the sound of the gentle rain in the background.

"A carpenter," he finally said. "Not the type that builds houses, although I could do that and enjoy it. I would make furniture, creating something beautiful and functional out of wood. It's kind of how I relax now. I go into the forest and look for newly fallen trees, dragging them here and stripping them of their bark. After that I cut them into planks or lumber and let them dry. Once they've dried enough, I can build something out of it. I built this bed, the dressers, and cupboards and bookshelves downstairs."

Shifting so he was laying on his side he gazed at me, occasionally stroking my hair or arm. It didn't take long before he was hovering over me and I had the vision of him, the same one that I had after he asked me out to dinner. Except his hair was already loose, and I ran my hand through it just before he lowered his lips to mine. When his lips explored more of my body, it was uncanny how he knew what I liked. Every part of my being was alight with desire for him as he brought me closer to ecstasy. With the soft light of the grey skies falling on the bed, and the sound of the rain adding to the romantic ambience it felt like I was in the middle of a great love story. Here in his retreat in the middle of the forest, we were free to be our authentic selves, without the responsibility of our callings, or the fear of outside forces.

Even as we released our bodies to the bliss that we brought out of each other there was something that kept telling me it was all an enchantment, something fragile that could be lost before it ever had a chance to begin. The strangest part of it was that I was more afraid for Buck than I was for myself. He mentioned his mother having "second sight", a term I understood to mean a form of clairvoyance. Was I experiencing that for myself? Because somewhere, at the edge of my mind, at the perimeter of my thoughts was another vision of me hovering over Buck, as the colour drained from his face and his eyes lost their inner light. It was a vision that only came out after I saw Rumlow transform the night before. I never told Buck that I thought I had a vision of his death, which frightened me more than any thought of the Dark Overlord coming for me. I'm sure he knew because our lovemaking that morning was so gentle, yet so passionate it was like he was trying to convince me that I had nothing to worry about it.

Over the next while Buck schooled me in the ways of the fae, teaching me how to use my existing powers to listen to the life forces of my surroundings. I could hear the sound of wings high above me in the air, or the scratch of a mouse, as it dragged a nut into its den. It was all part of the unseen life around us in the forest. We did receive updates, either by thoughts shared between Buck and his council, or by the occasional nighttime visit of Sam, Steve, or Hope. I started getting up for those, joining Buck outside as he communed with the night, when the cycle of the moon waning was followed by the darkness of the new moon. They brought news of the preparations for our marriage ceremony. Hope told me more about my part in the ceremony and how my body would change in the 24 hours of that longest day and shortest night. In the evenings, our quiet time by the fireplace was followed by more passion in the bedroom, passion that I had always longed for before I met Buck.

There was one thing that hadn't yet happened but when I brought it up, Buck smiled and agreed that it was time. It was the week before we were to be married and he had yet to show me his true form. Standing in front of me, outside in the sun, shirtless, I watched as his tattoos and wings visibly changed in front of me. His wings changed first, into something more ethereal, with smaller finer feathers that were delicate in appearance. His tattoo changed to that of a single great tree, its textured roots extending below his navel, while the trunk extended up over his abdomen then spread into branches over his chest and shoulders, then down his arms. The raised texture of the tattoo pulsed as if the tree itself was living. Around us, the daylight had darkened, reminding me of a solar eclipse, and I could see stars behind him. A blue glow became visible in his eyes, tattoo and wings, pulsing with an otherworldly energy. His ears elongated taking the shape of those of an elf, followed by the sprouting of small branches from his head. It was beautiful, as it showed his love for the forest.

"This is my true self," he said, his blue eyes focused on me. "I am the spirit of the forest. It's safety and wellbeing are my greatest concern. Throughout the ages I have helped the mortals who respected this space, sharing its gifts with them, sheltering them under the thick canopies when they have been lost, hiding them when they were troubled. When the religion of the One came my ancestors were called pagan, yet they adapted some of our beliefs into their own because we worshipped creation as they did, at the beginning. Now they worship profit, sacrificing this world for their need for riches."

I came closer, tentatively touching his tree tattoo, watching as his face reacted to my touch. Then he smiled at me and pressed his lips into my neck, breathing his warmth into the place where my own pulse beat. Somehow, we were suddenly unclothed, and I was lying on a soft bed of moss, this otherworldly being of incredible beauty looking down on me, making me feel I was the centre of his existence. We made love in the middle of the forest, giving and taking pleasure with each other.

On the next day, a cloudy one, we hiked for a couple of hours, ending up at a natural hot spring, bubbling out of a rock formation. The water cascaded down into several levels of pools. Although it smelled of sulphur it was a more natural scent than the one that lingered in my apartment after the Horde were there. We undressed and sat in one of the warm pools for an hour, making love, then basking in its warmth before drying off and getting dressed again. Buck flew us back, taking the opportunity to share a bird's eye view of his haven. On our return he prepared to cut some more wood, so I took the opportunity to forage for mushrooms, greens, and nuts for our dinner. Just as I was satisfied with my haul, I began the return to the cottage, then stopped for I could smell the burnt sulphurous smell of the man who attacked me. At the same time, I heard a tortured cry from the direction of the cottage. Turning, I saw a pair of red eyes, only this time they were in the head of a wolf-like beast. It's low growl, deep from within its throat, struck a chord of fear in me.

"Buck," I thought. "Help. I'm in trouble."

"Beloved. I'm coming."

Slowly, I backed away from the beast, taking care not to stumble, for I was certain it would leap at me. It was slow going, as I didn't want to look away, afraid if I did it would attack. It was joined by two others, and they stalked me with an intent that was obvious. Just as I had reached a part of the forest where I would have to look elsewhere to step safely, I heard Buck's voice in my head.

"I'm coming in by wing. Leave the food."

The sound of his great wings flapping while he slowed to reach me, signalled me to drop the basket and I did so, as Buck grasped me around the waist and lifted me straight up in the air. Immediately, all three beasts launched themselves at us, and Buck shot up even higher, so we were out of their reach. Just as he was about to turn, a dark winged figure attacked him from above, and he almost dropped me.

"Hold on," he said, as he swooped away from the winged creature and flew towards a flowing river with an island in the middle. "Its beasts won't go into the water. I'm going to have to fight so as soon as I let you go, run for cover while I protect your retreat."

Several times he had to swerve to avoid the attack of the dark figure that flew with us. Then suddenly, we were over the island and Buck dropped me from a height of several feet, then turned to meet the attacker again. I ran for a hidden space in a rock formation, watching as the two of them grappled in the air. The creature, covered in thick leathery skin of a dark grey colour, with the addition of black feathers on parts of its wing, several horns sprouting from its head, long black hair, and claws for fingers was relentless in its assault on Buck. Whenever one of them slammed into the ground I could feel the reverberations through the terrain. It was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

The sounds of howls from across the river drew attention to the presence of the wolf-like beasts that had cornered me in the forest. As Buck said, they didn't try to cross the flowing water, but did transform into their human shape, revealing them to be part of the Horde, which meant the winged attacker was likely Rumlow. He answered his underlings, landing on the ground and facing Buck with his wings unfurled. A carved black weapon appeared in his hand, seeming to be part sword and part staff.

"Well, Barnes, I told your little slut that I would find a way into your haven," he sneered. "You thought your magic was strong enough to keep me out but my claim on her is stronger than yours."

Buck landed also, with a look of pure and desperate fury. I watched as his clothing transformed into battle gear. His arms and body were covered in chain mail, with a protective silver-grey metal armour adorned with beautiful symmetrical etchings, while his knees and shins were protected with coverings of the same metal. A sword magically appeared in his hand, looking remarkably comfortable in his grip.

"Your claim was thrown out years ago," he replied, in a voice that seethed with anger. "She has been under my protection since she was a child."

"She is the reincarnation of my bride!" Rumlow roared in anger. "I want her back."

"She was never your bride by choice," stated Buck, his blue eyes flashing. "You kidnapped her, forced her to eat your food to be beholden to you, then abused her until she took her own life. The sacred tree decreed it so."

"That's a lie!"

"You're the liar." Buck shifted so that he was blocking the path towards me. "You were supposed to perform 13 tasks to even be considered a suitor. Too much work for a dark fae so you broke the law and just took her against her will. The sacred hawthorn assigned me to be Sage's protector and I will do my duty to my last breath."

"So be it," answered Rumlow, leaping towards Buck with his weapon overhead. "You will die as easily as your spawn did."

The clash of metal on metal made a great sound that hurt my ears and I covered them with my hands, as the two men swung their weapons at each other over and over again. Rumlow was bigger and perhaps stronger, but Buck was quicker and more skilled as a fighter, drawing blood several times as he scored the arms and legs of the bigger fae. When the black-coloured ichor hit the ground, it sizzled and burned a hole in the grasses, an indicator of the toxicity that filled the dark fae. Several times they grappled together, punching each other with a force that probably could have shattered a great tree. Then one or the other would stagger back before regaining a foothold and trying to sweep the legs of the other out from under them, hoping to get the advantage by having them on the ground. At one point, I heard a distinct cracking sound emanate from Buck's left side and he winced in agony, as he went down on one knee, protecting that side with his bent arm. A cruel smile erupted on Rumlow's face, and he focussed on hitting Buck repeatedly in the same spot.

"NO!" I cried out and suddenly several rocks the size of my fist flew through the air, hitting Rumlow in the shoulder and head.

He roared at the distraction and stepped back, giving Buck an opening. He raised himself and thrust his sword into the other man's abdomen, burying it right up to the hilt. The black blood spurted out from the wound and Rumlow went down on one knee. Pulling the sword out, Buck thrust it in again, this time into the heart and a shriek like nothing I ever heard flew out of Rumlow's mouth.

"Sage, look away!"

I looked at Buck, at the fury in his face, and he commanded me again to look away. A terrible sound of flesh and bone being torn apart reached my ears and I covered them for it was a sound I never wanted to hear again. After a few moments, I dared to look and saw Buck standing over the body of Rumlow, black blood dripping from what looked like the heart he held in his hand. He dropped it and fell to one knee, just as a thunderbolt flew down from the sky, hitting the ground and revealing Thor, Sam, Steve and Hope. She came to me while the others went to Buck, immediately helping him to the river, where they physically removed his clothes and Thor carried him into the water.

"Why are they doing that?" I asked, suddenly afraid, recalling the vision I had of him dying.

"He needs cleansing from the kill," said Hope. "A dark fae's blood has evil properties that can infect him like a fever. Removing the heart is the only way to kill a dark fae overlord, which meant Buck had to reach inside Rumlow's body to get it. Flowing water is the only way to cleanse him of the effects of the blood." She looked across the river, seeing the bodies of the Horde. She made a small sign in the air with her hand that left a blue/green mark in the air. "Their souls have been released from their slavery. Each will face the creator before being allowed to move on. Come, we can return to the stronghold now. You will be safer there. My father needs to receive treatment in the healing pool."

While Steve and Sam covered Buck in a cloak, Thor raised a hammer to the sky and brought lightning down on the body of Rumlow, burning it into ash. Then he went across the river and did the same to the three bodies over there. Leaping back to the island, he looked kindly at me.

"I sense you have more questions," he said, sombrely. "Hold them for now until we take care of our king. He is weak from all that he was required to do to protect you and from the battle. You will have answers, I promise."

Hope led me closer to the others, with Sam and Steve supporting Buck between them. The three of them enclosed us with their wings, then Thor raised his hammer to the sky once more, bringing lightning down upon us. That enclosed us in a tunnel of light that we sped along for several long seconds, stopping on the same spot at the stronghold where we left several weeks before. Several attendants waited for us. A gurney was produced for Buck, and they wheeled him away, presumably to the healing pool, while I was led to a different room than where I was before. This one was larger, richly appointed, but still had that magnificent view of the valley.

"There are clothes in the closet for you, Lady Sage," said the attendant, a blonde woman I had never seen before. "When you have changed, I will be waiting to take you to the dining room where the council awaits your presence for dinner."

After quickly showering and getting dressed I opened the door and found her waiting. She smiled but said nothing as she led me down one of those hallways lit by the glowing walls, until we came to a large glass walled room with a large dining table. It looked out over the valley, making me wonder if every room in the stronghold looked out over it. I counted a dozen people waiting for me, none of them Buck, making me the 13th. I wondered if that was an omen for something bad.

"Lady Sage, please don't be alarmed," said Thor. "Our king is still healing in the pool but will be there for some time replenishing his energy. Join us and make our number equal the full council."

"But that's 13," I said. "It's an unlucky number."

"To the followers of the one god, yes," he replied. "To the fae, it isn't as it is a sacred number for many reasons."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"I know, but it is not unlucky to us. Please, sit and we will attempt to enlighten you."

As the meal was served, and the wine poured, I learned that 13 is considered lucky in many mythologies including pagan and Norse ones. Associated with the menstrual cycle of a woman, of which there were 13 cycles in a year, the same as lunar cycles, it symbolized fertility. Their council, since it followed the pagan way, had to be made up of 13 individuals, usually including the king. Also associated with fertility was the hawthorn tree, of which my last name was based on. It was connected to the source of my powers, as I wasn't just a descendant of Lilith, I was apparently a descendant of the first fae king, Hawthorn, who planted the tree and imbued it with the powers of the forest, then with his own spirit after his death. Even though I was mortal, I apparently had a stronger bloodline than many of the council.

"What does that all mean?" I asked. "Buck said during the fight with Rumlow that he was assigned to be my protector by the sacred hawthorn. He accused Rumlow of stealing an ancestor of mine and forcing her to be his wife."

"It's true," said Thor. "When the first fae king Hawthorn moved on, his spirit stayed with the tree. He has looked out for his descendants ever since. Each king vows to protect the descendants of that Hawthorn as part of their covenant with the light fae. Your father was a descendant of him, and so was protected by Buck. His cancer could not be healed in our healing pools but could by the laying on of the hands of the king. But to do so meant Buck's ability to protect you would be weakened. Your father declined the offer, sacrificing his life for you, Sage. He wanted to keep you safe above all else. Buck had already gifted you the pendant you wear, which was also a sacrifice, in a sense. It meant that your parents were agreeing to you becoming his wife; a protective bond as strong as any magic, even if you're not aware of it. Buck had little choice in the matter, as his powers were stretched thinly, protecting you, your family, the light fae, the stronghold, the sanctuaries he created, and many other areas he felt responsible for. He took so much on, more than we were aware. But he is at heart a protector and felt it was his duty. Even though the pendant gave him the right to claim you as his bride, it was always your choice. He would not have forced himself on you, unlike Rumlow."

"Rumlow presented himself as a suitor for an ancestor of yours," added Hope. "Each suitor was to perform 13 tasks as proof of their integrity. Instead, he secretly kidnapped her, took her to his home and didn't feed her hunger or her thirst for several days. When he finally offered her food, she took it, effectively giving herself to him willingly, even though it wasn't done honestly. He was not a good mate, and she tried many times to escape his reach, succeeding only when she killed herself. The sacred tree ruled he must be cast out and his powers removed as his crime made him a blight on our kind. That was likely when he offered himself to the Dark Overlord of the time. He lived as a mortal, his longevity being the only fae quality he retained. When Rumlow reappeared as the owner of HYDRA Mining in the 1950s Buck became more visible in the mortal world, concerned about the man's activities. When Buck found your mother, he was concerned about Rumlow trying to kidnap her to reacquire his powers. The realization of your father's bloodline made protecting you even more important. Rumlow would have stripped you of all your powers, keeping you as little more than a concubine, subject to his perversions."

It was frightening to consider what would have happened if Rumlow had taken me that night or had killed Buck during the battle. A cough from Loki brought my attention back to the council.

"You must tell her the rest," he said, solemnly. "It is her right to know, especially now that her powers have begun manifesting before the marriage ceremony and the Solstice rituals. Now that the king knows how Rumlow found them, she must be informed to provide him comfort." He looked at me. "We're aware you were able to hit Rumlow with rocks using your powers. It means your powers are considerable."

Hope swallowed noticeably. "My brother, Richard, the youngest of my father's children, was taken," she said, sadly. "Even though he gave up his fae powers to live as a mortal he still had a bond with my father. He was slain in a ritual that only a dark overlord could perform so that your location could be determined. Then the barrier to the sanctuary was breached with a single thought from another location. Although we thought Rumlow was the Dark Overlord, he was not, as he was already outside the sanctuary waiting for the breach while we searched for Richard before they harmed him. A dark fae prisoner told us Rumlow was a familiar, the overlord's champion. It means the Dark Overlord is someone else, but we don't know who, except that he still lives. I'm sorry, but you're still in danger."

My first thought was Buck, and I left the dining room, running through the hallways, trying to find the healing pool. No matter which way I turned I was led back to the room I left when I first arrived, so I entered the door, finding him curled up on the bed. His grief-stricken face showed that he knew about his son, and I laid next to him, covering him with my arms. As he wept for the loss of his mortal son, I held him, trying to soothe him to the best of my abilities. It was even more important that we go through with the Solstice ritual now. My life depended on it and so did his, I suspected.

Part 6>>

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