The next day Candace got up from the couch, Bucky was there, playing solitaire still.
"Good morning" she said cheerily as she sat up.
"Good morning Candy" he said smiling.
"You know Stark tried to call me Candy when I went to talk to him about getting news to Steve about how my dad would be willing to help you. I told him only you get to call that" she chuckled.
"Well I'll consider it a priviledge that money can't buy then" he joked blankly. He was still upset with Tony for splitting up the Avengers and upsetting Steve. Yet another thing that he had had a hand in. His bloody hand had smeared so much in history. Stark's family had been one of many wiped out of life by the metal arm of the Winter Soldier.
She chuckled at his comment. "Well I'm going to clean up, I still feel grungy from the drive and the plane ride. You gonna be alright?" she asked. She didn't know what might trigger him so she wanted to make sure his being alone wouldn't leave him susceptible.
"I've only got one arm, how much damage could I do" he said wryly. "But no, I should be fine, but thanks for asking." he said, watching her as she walked down the hall to her room.
She hadn't been gone long when Steve came out, fresh and clean and ready to take on the world, as usual. Bucky snorted to himself. He was fairly sure Steve was one of those Disney princesses, just a guy, and bigger, like Cinderella or something. Except he couldn't sing worth a shit. He cracked a grin thinking of standing next to Steve in church and hearing his wheezy little voice quake out the hymns. He had tried to cover for him by singing over his poor voice with his strong resonant one and then trying to tell everyone that had been Steve singing.
Steve came down the hall and saw Bucky on the floor, playing probably his 400th round of Solitaire. "You alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Candy just left to go shower. I think she was more tired than she was letting on last night" he said with another of his small almost smiles.
"I'll make us pancakes, there's a little kitchenette down this way" he said pointing down past the entertainment room to a door at the end of a corridor.
"Hey Steve" he said blandly.
"Yeah?" Captain Rogers asked in concern.
"You'll make someone a wonderful wife some day" he teased, a smile bending his lips and even going so far as to crinkle around his eyes.
"Stuff it" he said, but his own grin was enormous. That had been a bit of Bucky from back in the day, and that gave him hope. He got up off the floor and they both went to the kitchen, Bucky feeling slightly useless with only one hand.
A few minutes later Candy sailed in, her hair pulled up in a towel on her head making Bucky snort just a little at the comical conical climax of towel atop her head.
"Hey" she said noticing it "if I don't do this it won't curl right" she protested.
"You look like some gypsy fortune-teller" then he thought of they fortune teller woman who he had likely killed pushing out of the way to get to a target once and his face went back into it's dark blank expression of pain.
"Bucky" Steve said going over to his friend. Candace took over the cooking of pancakes while Cap tried to buck Bucky's spirits back up. He was wracked by so much guilt.
She set three plates on the table along with silverware and a bottle of syrup. The two men took seats while she came over with pancakes and served them up to them.
"Thank God I'm right handed" he said picking up the fork. It would be awful had he lost his dominant hand, trying to struggle with forks and other things with the weaker hand. Though he somehow felt that they would have found a way to compensate when they conditioned him to become the Winter Soldier. "These pancakes are delicious" he said through a mouthful of syrup covered pancake. He chewed and swallowed "I think someone just beat you at the best housewife around Steve" he said grinning at his friend. Steve rolled his eyes but grinned to hear his friend cracking jokes again.
"I'll take that as some praise, I may not be able to lift buildings like Mr Biceps over there" she said nodding towards Steve "but at least I make better pancakes. It's the truly important things that matter" she said with mock conceit before breaking out into giggles.
"Saving the world is only second best to making some great pancakes pal" Bucky teased. The three ate breakfast and before they could ask or get it themselves Candace has poured three glasses of milk.
The two boys born before the 1920's looked on appreciatively, knowing that a joy in householding skills was a dying art in girls of the 21st century. They thanked her, Bucky turning his pain-filled blue eyes up to that radiant joyful face that was open and full of trust and life.
"Do either of you know what time it would be in Dallas right now, I'd rather not wake dad up, he can be a real bear" she said.
"It's one in the morning. So probably not the best time depending on your father's sleeping habits" Bucky stated, giving her the facts like he had memorised the time zone differential.
Her and Steve looked at him a little strangely but moved on.
"They made me know what time it was everywhere" he said wearily, "they trained jet lag out of us so we'd always be read for our missions. But we still had to know what time it was for missions."
Candace reached out and put her hand comfortingly on his. It was weird, she wasn't a particularly physical person, but she somehow knew that Bucky needed to be touched, to be reassured in a tangible way that he wasn't alone. He brushed her fingers with his and then stood up, picking up his plate and silverware and carrying them to the sink.
"If you wash I'll put them away" he turned "Steve, you're drying" he called out to his friend who was trying to leave without assisting. The three of them teamed up and had the dishes washed, dried, and put away in no time.
T'Challa came in just as they were finishing up, cutting up at a joke Candace had just said. "Mr Barnes, I have something to show you" he said and then added, seeing the questioning faces of the others "both of you are welcome to come along."
Bucky walked a little behind the king of Wakanda, and Steve and Candace flanked him on each side. He felt he had the best set of body guards a guy who deserved death could possibly ask for, seeing as both seemed willing to do anything for him. He didn't merit any such companions. Steve and Candace were about two of the most pure people you could hope to meet, and somehow they both had adopted his lost cause as their own.
The king of Wakanda lead them to the portion of the hospital devoted to surgery the like.
"While you were under we had this made for you" he said gesturing to two nurses holding a custom made prosthetic arm. "It may not be quite right, but we can have it adjusted if it's uncomfortable. We based the strength levels off of Captain Rogers' left side, but decreased them a little" he said looking at the man he had nearly killed in mistaking.
Bucky's blue eyes turned to T'Challa in gratitude "thank you, your highness" he said. The two nurses moved to attach the arm to his shoulder. He had a flashback of the pretty nurses he had flirted his way through World War Two with. He came back to the current era and looked at the two of them. Nope, the urge to charm his way into their arms was not there. He looked over at Candace standing there. Deep down he wished he was worthy of a girl like that's love. He knew he was too scarred that to dare to attempt winning her would be a sin, she deserved someone whole and full of life. Maybe someone like Steve, well if Steve and Sharon weren't already together, if they still were. He smiled, recalling seeing his best pal finally get kissed. Someone better than him, that's all he knew when he thought about Candace. Of course he would tear the guy's arm off who hurt her, so there was that.
"How does it feel?" the nurse asked with her rich African accent.
He flicked his fingers and moved his arm like he was going to make a baseball pitch. "It's great" he said, and smiled. The material they had covered the prosthetic with felt surprisingly like skin, it was some smooth, flexible synthetic, he stroked his stubble with it, the touch registering with his brain. There was some serious tech behind this arm. Also, he needed to shave. And showering felt like a good idea too. "I can shower with this thing on right?" he asked.
"It withstands water and up to four hundred pounds of pressure so you can shower with it, sit on it, or do almost anything without damaging it. Watch out for EMP's though, they're the only real risk."
"So you must weigh four hundred pounds now Bucky, better ease up on the pancakes" Steve joked.
Bucky rolled his eyes but smiled. They were coming easier now. It didn't feel so out of character. He remembered watching the footage of him and Steve, he had always worn a smile back in those days.
After thanking the staff and T'Challa he went back to his room, he hadn't been in it since before going under. There wasn't much in it. He showered up and put on a dark blue shirt and some jeans.
Striding out he found that for some reason Hawkeye was sitting on the couch with Steve and Candace, while T'Challa stood by. Seriously, does the guy ever sit? Bucky wondered.
Clint looked up at the relatively normal looking Bucky. He immediately noticed the lack of metal arm. Bucky walked straight up to him.
"I'm sorry" he said.
"What do you mean?"
"You had a family, Steve told me, your involvement with us has surely made it where seeing them is much harder, and I'm sorry."
Clint shook his head "actually, I found a way, with a little help" he said looking at Cap "to get them back, and now it's my turn to do him a favor, considering as he's busted me out of jail and got me my family back."
"And what's that favor?" Bucky asked.
"Making sure Dr. Ross gets here without the government knowing that he's going or where he's headed. He can't just book a flight when the other Ross, the one with the big ugly mustache who hates freedom, has his eye on him from what we've heard. Tony's office was likely bugged. Which is surprising, you'd think genius, playboy, traitor would be a little better at anti-virus, maybe he needs to get Avast downloaded at the compound" he said, Candace laughed and T'Challa smiled. Steve and Bucky just looked a little lost.
"It's an antivirus software you can download for free" Candace explained. "I have it on my laptop. It's not great, but it's free." She turned to Hawkey "so you'll be my dad's escort is what you're saying?"
"If you mean bodyguard then yes, not the other kind of escort" he said. It was T'Challa's turn to be confused, meanwhile Bucky cracked a smile and Steve looked puzzled for a moment and then blushed deeply.
"When you talk to your dad, tell him you found a patient that has bad ptsd, which isn't false, try having a power hungry demi-god running around in your head for a while. Give him the name Charlie Barn" he told her.
"That is the most redneck sounding name I've heard since Cletus Range asked me to prom" she said giggling.
"Well no one will suspect me that way then."
"Really? you live on a farm Clint, that's a little redneck, you've got to admit it" Steve teased.
"Lived, I now live in a little obscure apartment complex in Rio de Janeiro." he quipped.
As soon as afternoon came Candace called her dad and made arrangements.
"What'd he say?" Steve asked as she came out of her room.
"Yes, he'll be out here next week, Thursday to be exact" she said.
Steve thanked her and then went to tell T'Challa. Hawkeye left to pack up and head to Texas, leaving her alone in the living room with Bucky.
"Why are you doing this Candy?" he asked.
She paused "doing what?" she said curiously, sitting down on the couch with him.
"Getting your dad, risking him and yourself for a wanted man who deserves death and prion."
"Don't you say that" she said, and he looked away, the pain and ghosts filling his blue eyes. She reached out and pulled his face back to face hers. "I'm doing this because you're a fellow human being, one whose been through hell, and you touched my life, I became aware you existed the night you saved me, after Vienna I found out who you were, and my heart bled for you even more. So much pain and guilt for things you had no control over. How could I do anything else but want to help you?" she asked.
He looked at her, her words touching his broken soul. Hesitantly, moving ever so slowly, he reached out and touched her hand, showing his gratitude. "Thank you" he said. "I don't deserve this, but I appreciate it. You and Steve have more belief in me than I feel I can live up to sometimes" he said retaking his hand.
"We just want you well and able to live a life not being afraid of your own shadow."
"That's a good way of putting it" he said with a wry smile.
"I meant it that way" she replied "I know you've no need of being frightened of others, you're pretty intimidating in a fight. The way you took out those guys who were trying to abduct me that night in Bucharest was impressive."
"Really?" he said giving a small smile. He looked down at her, she had this beautiful soul that he could see in her even with his eyes closed. They exchanged a smile.
"So, what about that poker we never got to last night?" she suggested and the two parked themselves on the floor like kids. They played card game after card game, Steve joined them for a bit, just watching. He left around ten o'clock. He looked back over his shoulder from down the hall, seeing Candace's blonde curls shaking as she rocked back in forth in mirthy laughter and Bucky wearing that Mona Lisa smile that was the best he could muster most of the time. But at least he was smiling. Steve knew that despite their friendship, Bucky felt guilty for not being the Bucky Steve had ground up with, that he couldn't be that Bucky again. With Candace there was no such expectation, besides, though nothing was there now, something might come of them, and while Bucky's mind still needed a lot of help to work out the conditioning, love had been known to do wonders to a person. He smiled to himself as he went in his room and shut the door. Candace still laughing at Bucky poking fun at Steve for going to bed so early like a grandpa.
"To be fair, he is old enough to be one" she joked.
"And I'm older than him, so where does that leave me?"
"Not a grandpa, because you don't insist on going to bed early like him" she replied.
He smiled that little smile again and shuffled and dealt another round. He liked having her around, he didn't feel as angry or sad when she was there. She laughed too much for him to feel too down. No one could dwell on horrors while they heard such sweet, dorky, awkward, beautiful laughter. It was sunshine to his frostbit soul. He didn't feel quite so cold or lonely with her there. She was like a less serious Steve, but a girl, and a very pretty one at that.