Chapter Seven: Helping Bucky Adjust To His New Life

After removing the words from Bucky's mind and leaving him in the lab to rest Tony and Bruce take Natasha, Steve and Sam up to the penthouse. Thinking Chalsea stormed off to her room they left her alone. But unbeknownst to them she was hiding in the shadows waiting for them to leave. She begs J.A.R.V.I.S not to alert the others upstairs as she enters the lab and he reluctantly agrees. She climbs up on the table next to the one Bucky is on and sits quietly with her legs crossed under her. She reads a book as she watches over him as he sleeps and an hour later he shoots up into a sitting position causing her to startle slightly. "Who are you? Where am I?" He questions. "I'm Chalsea Banner and you are in New York at Stark Tower." She explains softly while holding her hands up to show she means him no harm.

"Stark as in Howard and Maria? But they made me kill them. I remember it all. I tried to fight it but their hold on my mind was too strong." Bucky whispers. "More like Tony Stark, their son. He helped my father remove those words from your mind." She explains while placing her book down on the table next to her. "But they wiped my memories clean, how did I get them all back?" He asks, putting his hand on his head. "That would be because of me. I made a serum that Steve injected into your bloodstream back in D.C." She explains while gently scratching the back of her neck. "Steve is here?'' He asks, jumping down from the table and walking towards her.

"Yeah he's upstairs with Tony, my dad Natasha and Sam." She whispered. "Can you take me to him, please?'' He begs her. "Yeah but first you may want to shower and put some clean clothes on. You can use the shower in my room." She explains while looking away to hide a blush. "Yeah that's a good idea." He agrees. She jumps from the table landing on her toes before grabbing him by the arm. She leads him down the hall and up the secret stairs leading to her room. She pushes him in her room when she hears someone coming up the main stairs "Hide in my closet until I come and get you." She whispers to him. She jumps on her bed quickly grabbing a book and pretending to read it as her door opens. "Hey Dove, I just wanted to come up and apologize for teasing you about your crush on Bucky." Tony mumbled from the door.

"It's fine Uncle Tony, really." She replies while glancing at her closet sneakily. "Well we are ordering take out for dinner. Anything you have in mind?" He asks. "Yeah I could go for some Chinese food." She replies. "Ok see you down stairs for dinner." He says before closing the door after him. She jumps from her bed and goes to her door and locks it and listens to make sure he is gone. She steps back from her bedroom door "You can come out now." She calls out to Bucky in her closet.

The door opens and he steps out "So Tony Stark is your uncle?" He questions her quietly. "Not really, he took me in when I was fourteen and my dad had to go into hiding. So he became a surrogate uncle." She explains. "You're gonna have to explain that more to me some other time." He requested quietly. "The bathroom is through those doors. Everything you will need is on the shelves in the cupboards. I'll find you some clothes while you're in there." She mumbled before leaving her room to let him shower.

She joins the others down in the living room "I'm gonna go to the store Bucky is gonna need some fresh clothes when he wakes up." She announced to the room before going to the elevator. "Tell Buck when you get back to join us in the kitchen for dinner." Steve calls out making her freeze. "I don't know what you're talking about, he is still passed out in the lab." She squeaks before running into the elevator and closing the doors quickly. Once at the store she buys a bunch of men's sweatpants along with some long and short sleeve shirts and a few pullover and zip up hoodies. She also gets a bunch of jeans and a few pairs of sneakers and also a few pairs of biker boots. She carries all twenty bags passed the others in the living room all smirking at her causing her to flip them the bird.

"Chalsea Marie Banner!" Her father exclaims in shock. "Sorry dad, that wasn't for you. It's for the smirking triplets over there." She grumbled as she walked off up the stairs. She enters her room to hear the water still running in the bathroom. She places the bags on her bed before walking over to the bathroom door and knocking gently. "Bucky are you alright in there?" She calls out to be heard over the water. "I'm fine, coming out now." He calls back. She steps back and goes back over to her bed and climbs into the middle. She uses her book as a distraction to keep her from looking at him. "Those bags are yours. I didn't know what you like so I got a bunch of everything." She points out the bags at the foot of her bed.

"Thanks Chalsea." He replies quietly. "No problem and when you are done we can join the others downstairs. They know you're awake and are waiting for you." She explains. He changes into a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a black long sleeve shirt that he pushes up to his elbows. He combs his fingers through his hair brushing it away from his face; she looks away from her book when he's done. She gives him a small comforting smile as they leave her room he follows closely behind her. Once in view of the others she can see Tony, Steve and Natasha smirking when they notice Bucky behind her.

"Oh shut up all of you." She hisses as she sits down next to her father. "Hey Punk." Bucky speaks quietly. "Hey Jerk." Steve replies back and they pull each other in a tight embrace. She brings her legs up to rest under her and lean against her father. "I see our lovely Chalsea took great care of you since you woke up." Tony speaks up while smirking at her. She shoots him a glare to shut him up. "She did. I can't thank her enough for her help and the clothes." Bucky replies. Chalsea looks down to hide her blush; her father just wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her into his side to help hide her face.

"You all can stay here for the night or you can just move in. I had a floor for each member of the team added just after the invasion. Your names are next to the button for your floor. Natasha I put you and Clint on the same floor for when he shows up." Tony explains. "Thanks Tony. Well I'm gonna head down to my floor now I will see you all tomorrow. Goodnight Chalsea." Natasha yawns and Chalsea looks up from her father's side long enough to smile at her and look back down. "We'll head down to my floor as well." Steve comments while standing from his seat.

"I have all the bags containing Bucky's clothes in my room on my bed." Chalsea mumbles quietly. "I'll go get them." Bucky states. "I'll help you. I'm gonna stay up in my room dad after I help Bucky. Goodnight I love you." Chalsea offers before turning to hug her father and kiss his cheek. "Goodnight hummingbird, I love you too." He smiles. She jumps up from the couch and walks off with Bucky following her. Once in her room he grabs all the bags "Are you sure you don't want any help carrying them down to Steve's floor. I wouldn't mind." She offers him kindly. "I couldn't ask you to do that, you have already done so much for me and it's late you should get some sleep." He states quietly. "Well I will see you tomorrow then." She smiles.

"Goodnight Chalsea, sweet dreams." He whispers as he walks to her door. "Goodnight Bucky, sweet dreams." She calls after him as he shuts her door. She sighs as she falls backwards onto her bed and crawls under the covers. "I am so screwed." She whispers to her ceiling. She turns her lights off drawing her room into darkness and causing the galaxy on her walls and ceiling to glow. Her mind drifts off to thoughts of Bucky and how she can pretend she doesn't have a massive crush on him. All she's gotta do is convince the smirking triplets to never mention it around him and to keep it to themselves. But Tony Stark is one of them and when does he ever do what he is asked. Maybe if she sends Pepper after him he will keep it to himself then again maybe he won't she can only hope her plan will work. God forbid what's gonna happen when Clint shows up and finds out about her little crush.