Chapter 34: The Ealums

"Do you think Paulette and Matthäus are okay?" I asked Yori as I ducked a punch from her. I grabbed her tail and wrenched her off balance. She growled and retaliated with a spinning kick towards my face.

"I'd say so. I'm impressed HYDRA managed to catch the pair of them in the first place," she admitted as she dodged a bone that shot from my side and swung around the opposite direction.

"I'm surprised you ladies are still with us," Dugan said as he grunted and placed his weights back on the rack. "Don't dames usually take hours to get ready? You've only got four hours until Stark's party starts."

We'd made it back in time for Howard Stark's Christmas party with a truck full of documents for the labs to go through and try and decipher on whatever had been going on at the clinic-turned-nightmare. The other mutant there had been buried before we headed back and we'd found a name for her, so we were also going to try and notify her family.

Yori's response was to snarl and send a couple of warning sparks off her fingers. Dugan and the rest of the men laughed.

"You know our girls aren't like other dames," Bucky chided, and I felt warm. Not just Bucky's girl, but their girl. Yori and I were part of the team, really part of the team. We were their girls.

"Why am I not surprised to see you two roughhousing with the boys?"

The voice startled all of us, but none more than me. I whipped around so fast my back popped at the familiar accent. In the doorway stood the last person I'd expected to see – a nearly eighty-year-old woman with a neat coif of iron grey hair and blue eyes that glittered with mischief, leaning but not depending on a gold and ebony cane.

"You-" Yori breathed.

"Granny Nevade?" I said blankly. "How are you… You're here!" Elation welled up in me – it had been entirely too long since I'd seen my great-grandmother. I slithered between the ropes and ran at her eagerly, beyond delighted to see her again.

I nearly plowed head first into a wall. Suddenly, Nevade was standing a few feet away with an affronted look on her face.

"I am an eighty year old woman! I am delicate!" she rebuked.

"The hell you are," Yori snorted. Nevade scowled and suddenly she was next to Yori in the ring. She smacked her on the head with her cane and was back at my side before Yori could whip around and retaliate.

"Language," she simpered.

"It's wonderful to see you," I said, wrapping my grandmother in a hug. She hugged me back tightly, proving that no, she wasn't delicate at all. She pulled back, smiling at me as she cupped my cheeks between her hands and tilted my face down so she could plant a kiss on my forehead.

"It's good to see you, sugar," she said fondly, eyes full of love.

"It's good to see you too, Granny Nevade," I smiled at her. "But, what are you-"

"I received a call from your father saying he'd been invited to a Christmas party by Howard Stark," Nevade explained. "He wasn't interested until he found out you would be here. So, he called me. I decided I'd pop over to Greece, grab him and your gold digger of a stepmother just to spite her, and zap us all here to see you!"

Steve stepped forwards. "So when you said your grandmother was a mutant as well, she can-"

"I can teleport," Nevade said, turning me loose to stare at all of the men interestedly, "across ridiculously large distances. If you all would ever like a day trip to China or some such, do let me know." She eyed Steve up and down. "You're the one then, Captain America. I've seen your films."

Steve blushed slightly. "Ah, that…"

"Yes, that," Nevade said, smiling teasingly. "And may I say, you look better than a glob of butter melting on a stack of pancakes."

Steve went even brighter red and Yori had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from doubling over laughing.

"Yori, it's not polite to laugh," Nevade chided.

"Y-Yes," Yori stammered as she fought to smother laughter.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Falsworth said, coming forward. That triggered it and suddenly my grandmother was surrounded by the rest of the Howling Commandoes, holding court as they introduced themselves. I noticed Bucky send me a somewhat nervous look before a approaching her and giving his name, shaking her hand politely and smiling at her in that charming way he had.

"At the risk of sounding like that your gold digger of a stepmother," Nevade said, looking at the Howling Commandoes speculatively, "Josie dear, you are surrounded by some very good-looking men. Have any of them caught your attention?"

The boys might have practiced it for how quickly they stepped back and shoved Bucky forwards. He froze as Nevade eyed him up and down.

"Well, you're nice to look at," she mused, "but have you got a brain in your head, that's the question."

"I like to think so," Bucky replied uncertainly. "I mean, I'm nothing like Josie, but I think I keep up pretty well."

Nevade nodded in approval. "You admitted you're dumber than my granddaughter, so at least you're man enough for that and don't seem to have a problem with it." She patted him on the cheek encouragingly. "You get credit for that."

"…Thank you?"

"Nevade!" I hissed as Yori continued to smother laughter. Nevade looked at her challengingly.

"What about you, Yori? Any of these fine young men courting you?"

An ugly glare was sent Nevade's way. "I don't get courted, you old bat," Yori said darkly. "You know that."

Before it could get any tenser – Yori and Nevade normally got along fairly well but Nevade had a bad habit of pushing Yori's buttons, and she was a master of pushing buttons – I stepped in.

"You said father was here?"

"Yes. Last I saw him he was trying to reason with your gold digger of a stepmother," Nevade said. "I'll take you to them now, you should have enough time to catch up before the party tonight. And you." She prodded Bucky in the side with her cane. "You'll need to come too so that my grandson can threaten you." She turned on her heel sharply and headed for the door. "Come along!"

The Howling Commandoes stared at me in amusement and a shell-shocked Bucky in sympathy.

"My grandmother," I said weakly, gesturing after her.

"Now I knew where you get it from," Dugan ribbed me good-naturedly.

"Best of luck," Falsworth said, clapping Bucky on the shoulder. Steve slapped him on the back and Bucky jolted.

"Had to happen at some point," he said sympathetically.

Nevade poked her head into the room with one eyebrow raised. "Am I talking to air?"

"Coming," I called hastily, and grabbed Bucky's hand, dragging him after me. We trailed a few feet behind Nevade as she led us through the hallways like she'd been working there for years.

"Does she like me?" Bucky hissed, grabbing my hand in his and squeezing tightly. "I can't tell."

"She likes you," I assured him, confident. "She doesn't tease people she doesn't like. Besides, I like you and that counts for something."

Bucky smiled faintly. "Well I should hope you do. But…" He paled slightly. "Your father. I've never met a girl's father before."

"Haven't you?" I asked, honestly surprised. I knew he'd been a lady's man before the war and I'd assumed that at least one of those relationships had been somewhat serious. But Bucky shook his head.

"Never felt the need. Even when I liked a girl, I always knew I wasn't going to settle down with them. I never even considered meeting a girl's family until you," he assured me, squeezing my hand and raising the back of it to his lips for a quick kiss. I blushed.

Bucky laughed quietly, his expression lightening. "Does she ever call your stepmother anything else?"

"To answer your question, young man, I do like you, even more after eavesdropping on that conversation. And as for your other question – not unless I'm around her. I am a lady, after all," Nevade spoke up suddenly. She glanced over at me and smiled. "I was pleased when I heard that Josie was following my footsteps and joining the war effort. I'm even more pleased it led her to a good man. Of course, I reserve the right to pass judgment should you break her heart," Nevade warned.

"You were in a war?" Bucky asked in utter disbelief.

Nevade smiled slyly. "There may or may not have been messages that I may or may not have passed across Confederate lines to the Union army, and I may or may not have spied on Confederate forces. This all may or may not have happened, of course, I'm speaking entirely hypothetically."

Bucky stared at me in disbelief. I laughed a little at his expression. "Her mutation made her uniquely suited for a courier," I explained. "Even the people she was passing messages to and for never knew how she did it or who she was."

"Well of course not," Nevade sniffed. "I'm a lady. I'd never teleport and tell."

We paused outside of a door and Nevade stopped me as I reached for the door handle.

"Wait a moment." She pushed the door open ever so slightly and nodded to Bucky. "He deserves to know what he's about to walk into."

"Nevade," I begged, but she silenced me with a look. I glanced at Bucky, who looked to me for approval.

"Do you want me to hear this?" he asked, offering me the chance to say no. I sighed. He'd already heard the stories and if he was going to court me he should know what he was getting into with my family as well.

"I suppose you'll find out sooner or later," I allowed, and beckoned him closer to the door. I could hear my father and stepmother arguing inside the room and winced as Bucky took up a position by the crack in the door to listen.

"I could be having tea with the other embassy wives!" my stepmother Sarah was snarling. "Instead your grandmother dragged me here against my will with that horrible jumping of hers."

"Nevade only meant to give us a chance to see Josie," my father Thomas was trying to reason with her.

"The only time I want to see Josie is when she announces she's managed to nab a man and do something productive with her life," Sarah snapped. "I know she's your daughter, Thomas, but no man will take her if you don't start reigning her in a little."

"There's nothing wrong with Josie," my father said wearily. It was an argument he'd been a part of more than once.

Sarah sniffed. "Hopefully not. Hopefully the reason we've been invited here is because she's been smart enough to cozy up to Howard Stark. She may be decent with her test tubes but when it comes to men, Josephine is an idiot."

Bucky's fists were clenched at his side and an angry spark lit his eyes. He looked from the door to me. I shrugged, not sure what to say. It was nothing new to me, I'd heard her say that and worse to my face.

"How dare she?" he hissed. "She can't talk about you like that."

I laughed wryly. "Well she wasn't so far off about that last bit."

"Nevade had no right – she knows how I feel about her unnaturalness," Sarah continued. "What right does that old hag have to drag me halfway across Europe?"

"She only meant to give us a chance to see Josie," my father repeated, which was a sure sign that the argument as about to start all over again.

Nevade took that as her cue to throw the door open and urge Bucky and I inside with her cane. We spilled into the conference room with her behind us. She shut the door sharply and spun to face my parents.

"I found Josie," she said proudly, gesturing to me. She hooked the leg of a chair at the table and dragged it out, sitting down sharply.

"Josie."

My father was a sight for sore eyes. It had been years since I'd seen him and I drank in every bit of his appearance, from the grey eyes we shared to the militarily-neat brown hair flecked with grey to the broad shoulders and straight back. He was over six feet tall and well muscled, crow's feet and laugh lines only just beginning. He was in his khakis and looked every inch a model solider. I smiled.

"Daddy."

"Hello Jojo," my father said, his eyes alight with affection as he opened his arms. He was the only one allowed to call me Jojo. I flung myself into his arms, hugging him tightly. I laughed as he picked me up and spun me around before setting me down and tilting my face up to look at him. He kissed my forehead.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Better than I've ever been."

There was a sound of distaste from Sarah. I turned to look at her, sheltered in my father's arms.

Sarah was gorgeous, I had to give her that. Blonde-haired, blue-eyes, tall and curvy. She was Steve's looks in female form but with none of his good attributes. Only in her mid-thirties, she was a bit younger than my father which had led to the moniker Nevade used for her. She had a nose that was forever wrinkled like she smelled something bad and a permanent pout.

"You're still playing soldier?" Sarah asked in disgust, looking over my slacks and the slight sheen of sweat still lingering on my forehead from working out with Yori. "Is this the work of that horrible Tsukuda woman? I hear she's here as well."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yori and I aren't playing at anything, Sarah. We are soldiers."

"You're women, although I'd say that she's closer to an animal," Sarah said dismissively. "At the very least you're surrounded by men so you can't hide from them in your books. Tell me you've had the good sense to get close to Howard Stark."

"He's a friend," I said slowly. Sarah smiled sharply.

"Good," she purred, "you can work from that. I must say I am slightly impressed. I didn't think you would ever be able to get a man's attention. The way you look and act, I- ow!"

Nevade had whacked her sharply around the knees with her cane. She smiled innocently as Sarah whirled on her.

"So sorry," she said saccharinely. "It slipped."

"You saw that, didn't you Thomas?" Sarah demanded. "She hit me! That old hag actually hit me!"

"She said it slipped," my father said dully. He never allowed himself to take sides in their fights. "Sounds plausible to me."

"Oh grow a spine," Sarah snarled at him, glaring at Nevade. "You had better watch it old woman, because I-"

"Can be very easily abandoned in the middle of the Pacific and no one can charge me for jack squat because it's international waters," Nevade replied, her tone honey and syrup as she stood up. She was a good six inches shorter than Sarah but had a commanding air that Sarah decidedly lacked.

"Grandmother," father pleaded. "Don't start."

"Fine, I'll leave to get ready for the party tonight," Nevade said, throwing up her hands. "Josie, Thomas, gold digger." And with that, Nevade swept from the room, giving Bucky a wink as she left.

"That woman," Sarah fumed, before shaking herself from her rage. "Never mind her, she'll be dead soon anyway." Thomas stared at her askance. "What I want to know is how far you've gotten with Stark."

I glared. "He's a drinking buddy and a good friend, but that is all."

Sarah groaned. "Stupid girl, if you'd just…"

I turned my back on her and grabbed Bucky's hand, dragging him forwards. "Father," I said, "This is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky, this is my father, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ealum."

"Lieutenant Colonel," Bucky said, and saluted. Father waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't bother with that. I'm not here for the Army, I'm here for my daughter. As far as the Army is concerned I'm still in Athens," he shrugged, smiling slightly. He offered a hand to Bucky, who shook firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, son. Are you part of Jojo's team?"

Bucky glanced at me sideways and I knew I'd be hearing about 'Jojo' later. He smiled as he nodded. "Yes sir, I am."

"Thomas," my father insisted.

"Thomas," Bucky echoed, smiling and looking a bit more confident. His eyes immediately dimmed to dislike as Sarah stepped forwards.

"Excuse me, but why are you here?" she demanded rudely.

"Nevade told me I should come," Bucky shrugged.

"And why would she do that?" Sarah challenged. "What do you do, boy?"

Bucky's jaw clenched but he kept his cool and replied with, "I'm a soldier, ma'am."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "A dim one, apparently. Everyone's a soldier these days, I meant before that."

"I was a delivery boy in Brooklyn."

"Oh, a delivery boy," Sarah sneered, "in Brooklyn. Well, I don't see why we need a delivery boy here, so why don't you run along and unload some boxes, eh?"

Bucky turned his back on her, facing my father down instead. "I'm courting your daughter, sir," he announced confidently.

Father's eyes widened. He looked from Bucky to me questioningly. I stepped closer and wrapped my hand around Bucky's supportively. He looked at our entwined hands. "So you are," he observed. "I suppose you and I should take some time to talk later on, eh? I need to know your intentions towards my daughter."

"Intentions?" Sarah exclaimed in horror. "What do his intentions matter?" She looked at me hard. "You're to break off this foolishness at once, Josephine, and set your sights higher. You're the heiress to a ridiculously large fortune." To her credit she only managed to sound a little jealous. "You can do far better than a delivery boy," she sneered at Bucky. "Did you even finish school?"

"Shut up."

Rage pounded red in me and I felt Tigress roar inside my head protectively. She loved Bucky just as much as I did and she would tolerate insults to him even less than I would. I glared at Sarah, who gaped at me.

"Excuse me?" she huffed. "Shut up? How dare you address your mother that way?"

"I'm an eternally grateful we don't share the same genetic material," I told her coldly. "And the next time you so much as look at my Bucky the wrong way, I will make you regret it."

Sarah snarled. "How dare you? Who do you think you are? Just because the old hag has indulged your childishness…"

"You'll leave Nevade out of this if you're smart," I warned. "Don't dig your grave any deeper."

"Thomas!" Sarah appealed. "You won't let her talk to me that way, will you?" she batted her eyelashes father, who clenched his jaw.

"Josie," he began slowly. "You should show her some respect."

"When she earns it I will give it happily," I snapped. "Until then I'll treat her exactly as she deserves. She can say whatever she likes about me but I will not let her say anything about Bucky. He is kind and funny and intelligent and sweet and he may not have money but so what? I've got enough for the both of us and I'm sure as hell more likely to share my wealth with him than you," I snapped at Sarah. She opened her mouth to responds but I'd had enough of her vitriol. I opened my mouth and let out a roar that rocked the room. She went white and staggered back.

"You're a beastly girl," she murmured before fleeing the room.

Silence held on for a very pregnant moment.

"Time to back down, Tigress," my father said soothingly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "The fight's over."

The red faded and the urge to tear Sarah apart went with it. I slumped and ragged a hand over my eyes. "I'm sorry father," I said softly. "I know you love her…"

"You are my daughter," he insisted. "You are always first in my heart. But I should…" he hesitated. "I should go after her."

"Go," I urged. "I'll be fine."

"I'll see you later tonight," father said, kissing my forehead and hugging me quickly before following Sarah out of the room.

"How dare she?" Bucky demanded the moment the door shut. "Where does she get off talking to you like that? I swear if she were a man I'd have decked her right there!"

I smiled weakly as Bucky turned to look at me. The anger faded from his eyes and they clouded with pity. "Ah Belle," he murmured, and pulled me into his chest. I breathed in the soothing scent of him.

"I've mentioned my family's crazy, right?" I muttered into his chest.

"She shouldn't talk to you like that," Bucky growled, stroking my hair. "She shouldn't."

"She's been doing it for years and I doubt she'll stop any time soon," I sighed. "But for now that doesn't matter because I have you."

"Your Bucky?" he asked wryly, kissing the top of my head and chuckling.

"As much as I'm your Belle," I promised him, rising up to kiss him on the lips briefly. He wasn't having it. He cupped the back of my head and kept me there.

"I suppose it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to say you are very attractive when you're angry?" Bucky murmured against my lips. I laughed slightly and shook my head. "Hm. Good thing I didn't say it then," he said, and went back to kissing me.

Tigress reared her head and I fisted my hands tightly in Bucky's hair. "Mine," I growled against his mouth and felt Bucky's breath hitch.

"Whatever you say, Belle."