I bring you Gravity, the sequel to Mirage. This actually takes place during Infinity War and I know I said I'd make a Black Panther one-shot but I figured I'd just touch on that movie instead. Also to those of you who have read or are reading my other fic Welcome Wagon, I decided to place that fic in with this series. It would take place after this fic, so I will probably add one more chapter but after that I'll have to wait until I finish this one. I had a new idea today for an Endgame version in this universe of mine, I just gotta get this done quickly before the actual Endgame comes out. As always I don't own the characters but non canon stuff is mine.
It is highly advised that you go read Mirage before you continue on. Nothing will make sense other wise. Also FYI, italics is spoken Sokovian. Without further ado…Read on!
With nonexistent strain Bucky pounded the wooden post into the ground, poking at it to test its sturdiness. A section of the goat pen had snapped, due to an agitated billy, and he'd woken up early to get it done. He didn't mind the labor, it was easy work. Not to mention the prosthetic Shuri had created for him helped everything move faster as well.
After waking up he'd been unsure about a limb replacement, considering all the harm he'd done and Shuri had acknowledged his request but she had asked that he wear the initial one she'd created for him for at least a week so she knew how she would need to improve for the future. He wasn't naïve, with Steve as his friend there was bound to be trouble. That was just the kind of punk he was. By the end of the week he'd folded and asked if Shuri could create an arm for him, something for everyday use. Being able to pick up and cuddle with Jamie had been the deciding factor, especially when she would fall asleep and he got to pick her up to place her in bed.
Giving the post a last smack of his disguised metal arm he was satisfied with the job, walking a few feet away to grab more posts for the rails. Near by two nannies barely flinched at his manhandling of the wooden planks, continuing to munch on the grass and no doubt enjoy the early morning dew that clung to the green blades. He took a quick moment to gaze around himself, the hills still in shadow with barely a glow of light in the distance. He'd never figure his life would be like this, homesteader and goat minder, but he was content, happy for the first time since in a very long time. As horrible as being framed for terrorism and hunted down by everyone had been those couple years ago, it had been worth it for this payoff. Being freed from Hydra played a part in this.
When Bucky had been getting ready to be put back under, Shuri had told him she would be figuring out how to free him from the words. She'd said it wouldn't be easy but she would get it done. At the time the country of Wakanda would be entering a state of mourning, which would last sixty days. Typically, other than what was absolutely necessary, no Wakandan citizen would be working during this period but considering Shuri was the fallen king's daughter, no one was going to tell her what to do, especially if working was her way of coping.
Which it would be, Shuri had told him hours before putting him under. Her way of coping with her father's death but also doing the right thing by Bucky and his small family. She'd told him it could take some time before she was able to figure out a solution, which he was use to. Hydra would have him in cryro for months or years at a time before they woke him for an assignment, so waiting for a permanent answer to the obedience impulse in his mind was no trouble.
The time he had been spent under was made easier by the others.
Per his agreement with Wanda, she gave him visuals of Jamie and memories of how she spent her day. There had been two scheduled visits that were made without fail. Once in the morning right when they had woken up and once in the evening before going to bed.
In the mornings, via Wanda, he would watch as Jamie told him about any dreams she had or her plans for the day, his daughter looking up at his cryro-chamber or looking at Wanda which made it seem like he was actually interacting with her. In the evenings Jamie would come running into the medical wing speaking in rapid Spanish mixed with Sokovian about what she had done that day, twelve hours condensed into two and a half minutes.
During the day she would come in to visit randomly, escorted by Wanda and one of the Dora Milaje, whether to show him a flower she'd been allowed to pluck or to tape drawings onto his cryro-chamber. A few times she'd set herself on the floor with a book or any number of coloring books, crayons scattered around her. With Wanda's help he'd seen the educational books Shuri had gotten for his daughter, equations reminiscent of a foggy memory about the math he'd had to do in his head when he was a sniper with Steve and the others. He'd always been sharp, top of his classes when in school from what he could remember, and knowing he'd passed that on to his child made him proud.
Later on, after Jamie had fallen asleep, Wanda would come back and share the memories of Jamie's day with him so he could see how she did, matching up events with the report she had just given him or little stories that Jamie hadn't told him about. He remembered Wanda showing him the memory of T'Challa offering to teach more Spanish to Jamie, only for the little girl to firmly rebuff him. Apparently, according to Wanda, Jamie had announced that only her father was to teach her that language but she'd made the interim king a counteroffer of Xhosa lessons.
Others came as well; Shuri, T'Challa, and of course Steve. Granted Sully had to bring him slightly closer to the surface but just enough that he was able to make out their words.
Shuri always gushed to him about Jamie, how smart and polite his daughter was but also the mischievous streak she had. Apparently the two had commenced a prank war against her brother and Jamie's puppy eyes were invaluable and lethal. She also let him know how she was doing in regards to disabling the words in his head. She sounded confidant so he wasn't overly worried.
T'Challa would let him know how Wanda was, considering she never spoke of herself. He'd talked to the families of those who'd been killed or hurt in Lagos, but so far the pain was too fresh and he'd advised Wanda against meeting the families. While it had stressed him out, Bucky had been happy to know she didn't have to face them. If the time came for that, he wanted to be there to back her up.
Steve came often as well. Mostly he was silent but he did talk about Jamie and Wanda, about things that had happened when they had made the move to the US from Sokovia. Jamie eating ice cream for the first time. Jamie smacking Clint when he'd gently smeared frosting on her face on her first birthday.
Other times he talked about his plan for getting the rest of the team out of wherever they'd been taken, going over all the different scenarios he might come across. The last time Steve had visited he'd told Bucky he had to leave. He'd gotten a message from the red-haired woman, Natasha, and he was going to meet up with her. Apparently she was also on the run due to helping them escape at the airport. She'd been doing her own investigation and had found where the others were. He'd said he wasn't sure how long it would take, with the planning to be done but this could be the last time they talk for a while.
When he did get everyone out, he could very well not be able to come back. Ross would have everyone on alert looking for the rogue Avengers; last thing Steve wanted to do was somehow lead them back to Wakanda, back to Bucky and his family. He could understand that. He couldn't let them take his daughter or Wanda.
Over all, his time under had been pleasant, even if the time had started to bleed together. Which was why he was surprised to wake up to the two royal siblings, Wanda, and his beaming daughter a mere three weeks and a solution later.
"Hey."
Jolting out of his thoughts he looked over his shoulder to see the Sokovian, sleepy-eyed and dressed in a colorful red dress with a blanket draped from around her shoulders down to her feet shuffling toward him.
That was something that had also changed. The first time Wanda had done the live telepathic feed as arranged, he'd seen the faint red haze in the mental house where him and Sully shared space. On impulse he'd panicked and almost kicked her out but his alter had reminded him of what was going on, why there was a haze and he'd relaxed, letting Wanda continue. After the first couple times he'd no longer jolted or became distressed, even getting to the point where he eagerly welcomed the red energy.
Toward the end of his self-exile he'd begun to speak to his daughter's mother through their connection. It had started with a memory of Jamie falling while she had been playing outside the palace and he'd blurted out a question, wanting to know if the little girl was okay. It had taken Wanda a few seconds to answer back, surprised no doubt, but she did speak and it had grown from there.
He'd gone from asking about whatever memory he was seeing to asking Wanda how her day was going or random questions about herself and Jamie. One of the major milestones between them was Bucky being so comfortable with Wanda that he was fine with her using her abilities to manifest a mental projection of herself into his mind, showing up in the little mind space the alters and himself used.
He remembered the last time they had mentally talked, before he'd been woken up, and it had been a full blown conversation that had lasted nearly two hours. He realized how much their relationship had changed when, after coming out of cryro, he'd actually craved talking to her, both face-to-face and mentally; he hadn't been able to relax otherwise.
It always amazed him just how far they'd come since that first meeting nearly six years ago.
"What are you doing up so early? You were dead asleep when I left."
She let out a yawn, hair sticking up from where it had escaped her braid. "It wasn't my choice." She opened one side of the blanket to reveal the small face tucked behind her amongst the cozy haven of wool.
Bucky smiled, dropping the wood railings and holding out his arms to welcome his child. "What are you doing up? You should be sleeping."
"Wanting to know what Dad was doing, that is what." Wanda let out another yawn as she released their daughter.
Lifting the little girl into his arms Bucky gave her a hug, the scent of baby emanating from her person, the smell having a calming effect on him. He glanced back at Wanda. "You should go back to sleep. She can hang out here with me."
She snorted. "I doubt I can go back to sleep. Besides…" She reached out a hand to run through their daughter's brunette tresses. "you know how they are. If she's awake…"
"Then Alec won't be far behind." He finished, sharing a sympathetic smile with Wanda.
The Sokovian let out a tired chuckle. "Now I know how my mother felt. I'll get some breakfast going. Maybe Jamie will wake before Alec, that way she can keep him busy." Wanda stepped closer, going up on the tips of her toes to give Bucky a firm kiss.
He reached an arm out, wrapping it around Wanda and lifting her up to take the strain off her feet. Neither of them were big on public displays of affection, only being…keen when they were by themselves and away from the kids. In front of the children and Pietro they traded modest hugs and kisses but showed nothing in mixed company.
Though sometimes Wanda could be quite mischievous, using their mental connection to bait him. He didn't mind in the least, giving as good as he got. It always made him proud whenever he saw the heated expression on her face afterward. He was convinced the twins had been conceived due to one of their telepathic amatory exchanges.
Though their lips separated Bucky kept the Sokovian close, getting reassurance and warmth from the press of her body against him. Everyday he was amazed and thankful for the petite woman in his arms. He'd found kinship with her through their shared Hydra experiences, that feeling changing into a firm, loyal friendship which morphed into a deep level of love, something he thought he'd never experience. How she could feel that way about him baffled him to the point of speechlessness.
When they had first started sharing a home, at the time for Jamie's sake, he'd been half out of his mind, disaster personified. Nightmares that debilitated him, horrific night terrors that would have him bolting awake and screaming himself hoarse. Certain things, small or big, would trigger him into either a whimpering mess or an attacking force of destruction. Thankfully Sully kept him from hurting Wanda or Jamie but his daughter's mother was always the one able to coax him back from the edge.
The depth of his gratitude and pure love for the Godsend in his arms was infinite.
He let her go, Wanda's attention transferring to their daughter, her small body tucked against his shoulder. "Behave for your father, yes?"
He grinned, blowing a raspberry on the giggling child's cheek. "What are you talking about? Our Stephanie is an angel. Isn't that right?"
Wrapping small arms around his neck he could see her steel-blue eyes widen, beaming smile playing at purity. "I'm angel."
Bucky held back a chuckle when Wanda shot him an unimpressed look, starting to walk back to the house. "I blame you and Steve."
This time he did grin, giving an impish wink to his youngest daughter. When he'd named her after his best friend he'd had no idea that it would somehow invoke the man's ability to deceive others with innocence and transfer to his child. Although it came in handy when the two of them conspired in swiping desserts off the table during the dinners they had with T'Challa and Shuri.
Switching from Sokovian to English, the hint of Brooklyn in his tone, Bucky placed Stephanie on the ground. "Dad's gotta finish this fence but you go keep those girls company, yeah baby girl?"
She gave a large nod, making her way over to the two nannies who knew his children and didn't blink an eye as Stephanie began to randomly talk to them, the little girl ripping out bits of grass to offer.
He took in a deep breath, letting the warmth and comfort fill him. He had Wanda and his children and he had Steve, his best friend. That was all he needed. He smiled, taking in the beauty that was the Wakandan sunrise. Yes, he was content. He was happy.
Yay! Obviously I've made this into a WinterWitch fic, because I love that pairing. Sorry to all those wanting otherwise, you won't find it here. Let me know what you guys think, I'll try getting this finished quickly. Peace out. -Mez
