A/N: Set one year after Snowflakes and Weddingbells

Day 8

Train stations and Children in Threes

Darcy Lewis December Challenge

xXx

Admittedly Bucky could have reacted better when Darcy told him she was pregnant. The fact that she looked nervous wore heavily on him. If there was one thing a wife should never be around their husband it's nervous (at least in a negative way). He could blame her really; they had agreed to wait to have children until things had settled down with the team. Unfortunately the best laid plans of mice and men and all that jazz.

Despite all of that Bucky would stand behind his reaction to finding out one daughter was one of three; triplets. They were going to have triplets; three little girls, and if they were anything like Darcy he was screwed. So when the room went dark and he woke up with Steve and Natasha and Darcy starring down at him with concern, he couldn't even find the grace to be embarrassed.

Nine months had been hell, and not just the metaphorical hell, it was a literal hell. In fact Bucky was extremely surprised (and grateful) that Darcy hadn't tried to kill him in his sleep with how miserable she had been. Having three human children, all of whom were probably enhanced in some way, growing inside her, moving around, kicking her in several major organs, was like torture. She was enormous and uncomfortable and all Bucky could do was watch while she struggled because she refused to ask for help.

So when on one day late in her third trimester she had a weird craving for a pastry on the other side of the city he had all but jumped at the chance to go out and get it for her. He didn't want to make her wait, but he also wasn't in a huge hurry to get back so he took the subway all the way out to Long Island where he got what she'd asked for and headed back. He was switching trains when his cellphone went off.

"Barnes." Answered boarding the train.

"Where the hell are you?" Steve's frantic voice replied.

"I'm on my way back, why?"

"Darcy's water broke; you need to get back here now."

"What!" Bucky exclaimed ignoring the gazes of other passengers. "I'm like twenty minutes out."

"Well hurry cause she's going fast."

Bucky hung up shortly after and turned his attention outward. He could feel the onset of panic around the edges of his consciousness. He observed his fellow passengers trying to calm himself. His gaze moved from one to another taking each one in and cataloging them into categories like civilian or combatant. There were six civilians, one female transit cop, two ex-military in plain clothes, and one suspicious individual who couldn't be classified just yet.

The individual wasn't very tall, but he was jittery; biting his nails and swaying slightly as he stared down at the ground. It was almost as if he were working up the nerve to do something. Bucky locked eyes with the transit cop before discretely gesturing to the man at the far end of the car. The military guys seemed to notice too as they carefully shifted into a place to act quicker. The cop walked slowly toward the man, stopping in front of him.

"Excuse me sir, are you alright?" She asked him. He looked up before abruptly cutting off eye contact. Never a good sign. "Sir, you look a bit ill do you need medical help?" He didn't reply, holding perfectly still.

Suddenly, the man stood pulling the emergency brake above him. The train jerked around and the military guys jumped up as the man wrestled the cop's gun from her. She went down with a fist to the jaw and as the train leveled out he pointed it out in front of him.

The civilians panicked trying to move away from him as best they could while the military guys put their hands up, eyes moving between the man and the cop on the ground.

"Hey now." The biggest of the military guys soothed. "Just stay calm okay. There's no need to hurt anyone."

"No need? No need? There's always a need! I mean that's how the world works right? To get to the top ya gotta trample a few innocent people a few friends even family. Now, sit down." He growled. They did.

Bucky watched from the back, aware of the two men looking back at him occasionally. He was royally fucked at this point. Darcy was going to kill him if he didn't get back to the tower soon and in one piece.

His phone kept buzzing in his pocket; all texts from Steve and the rest of the team asking where he was; Darcy was getting worried.

"Hey, you, in the back!" The man yelled across the car. Slowly, Bucky looked up, his best Winter Soldier stare in place. Either the guy was stupid or he was really stoned because he didn't even flinch. "What are you doing back there? Move up here."

Bucky didn't budge. Judging by this guy's high and mighty demeanor if Bucky stayed put long enough the man would come to him where he would be out of reach of the other passengers and clear to take him down. This was the kind of guy who believed, because he had a gun he was unstoppable.

"I said move!" True to his belief the man began to advance on him with intent and it took all his will power not to let the Soldier out. He needed to get to Darcy when this was over and if the soldier came out he could almost guarantee that wouldn't happen.

The man stopped in front of Bucky, gun raised at him. "Are you def? Move!" Bucky took only a minute to glance at the two soldiers. It would appear they had figured out who he was. They nodded at him discreetly, signaling they would back him up.

Slowly Bucky stood, unzipping his hoody as he did. "The way I see it kid, you've got two options." He pulled off his right sleeve. You can either give me that gun and walk out of here relatively unscathed, or," He peeled off the left sleeve and it was at this moment the man realized he was in trouble. "I can take that gun from you and shove it down your throat." He man didn't budge and Bucky could tell he was debating whether or not he was bluffing. He decided to give him a not so gentle push. "You know I don't kill people anymore, but my wife just went into labor and I'm willing to make an exception if it means getting out of here."

The man slowly turned the gun grip to Bucky as the two soldiers came up behind and restrained him. The transit cop moved down the car cuffing the man for them. Bucky returned her gun.

xXx

Bucky took off in a sprint as the elevator doors opened, racing down the hall at breakneck speeds and practically stopping on a dime as he reached everyone.

"Where the hell have you been jerk?" Steve exclaimed.

"Sorry, hostage situation on the subway."

"Only you man." Sam lamented. Bucky agreed as he caught the doctor's eye down the hall and followed him into changing room. He cleaned up and put on some scrubs, tying his hair back and putting on a paper cap. When he was done a nurse led him back into the delivery room.

"Gʼát ẕw dʼanqʻn.(1)" Darcy breathed, laying back against the bed. "Where have you been?" Bucky rushed to her side taking her hand. Her mother was on her opposite side wiping sweat from Darcy's forehead.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. I'll tell you later just focus on your breathing right now okay."

xXx

Three baby girls. Three beautiful baby girls. Each bundled up in soft pink blankets with little socks on their heads. Bucky just couldn't get enough of them as held them all across his lap. He just watched them, smiling at the little movements and noises they made as they slept so peacefully.

Phillis was the oldest, followed by Francesca and then Alison.

Just looking at them, Bucky knew he'd never been happier.