After their little walk in the fresh air, it was decided that neither of them would panic about their current situation. It helped when they turned on the news and statistics were brought up explaining how many other people found themselves in Bucky's shoes. Apparently statistically, over 20,000 other parents had just been brought back from the dead only to find out they had become parents. It seemed to calm Bucky to find out he wasn't alone.
For the first time ever, Bea put Brooke at the back of her mind to focus on Bucky. He spent the rest of the day teasing her about her newfound powers, and testing them, asking her to punch him to see how hard she could hit.
At first, she resisted, realising she had the proper potential to hurt him. But he continued until her fist came flying up at his jaw.
"Holy shit Bea!" he exclaimed, flying back into her couch and tipping it backwards. She ran to help him up.
"I'm sorry!"
"I didn't actually expect you to punch me."
"You asked me too!"
"You could knock a man out like that."
"Good," She settled smugly when she saw he was fine and laughing the whole thing off. A nasty bruise began to grow on his jaw just an hour later but he didn't mind.
The day light fell, and shadows crept up her walls. She tried her best to get on with her nightly routine, wiping the surface in the kitchen, brushing her hair and watching the daily news but she kept seeing him from the corner of her eye, unsure of what to do himself. She wasn't used to having anyone here that wasn't Brooke or Steve.
When it came for bed, she slide into bed and Bucky followed in the room behind. Her eyes drooping tiredly from resisting going upstairs but she couldn't put it off any longer and had to face the uncomfortable truth settling between them. The stilted awkwardness between them became more apparent as she didn't know how to tell him she had spent the last five years sleeping alone.
He stepped in the room and look at the spot she'd left for him next to her on the bed. She really wasn't sure how she felt about him filling that space.
"-I'll sleep on the couch."
"Bucky…" but he's disappeared too quickly.
Breathing a sigh of relief as she heard the clunk of his feet go downstairs, her heart faltered. She felt like the young girl again, they hadn't even kissed since he'd come back and when they touched it felt like electric shocks passing between them. She hadn't meant for it to feel like this. Like there was an awkward knife stringing in the air between them with unspoken words. This was how it was when they met, her sleeping in her own room whilst he took residence on her couch. Had five years been too long apart?
The following day came and Bucky woke her with a soft kiss to the head. Not used to the dip on the other side of the bed, she jumped at the touch. Recoiling backwards, she fell off the bed with a loud thump.
"I was only waking you…" Bucky tried to contain his embarrassment that she'd flinched away from his touch.
"I-I was… was not… not expecting that," She fumbled around sleepily, feeling the cold wooden floor to find her footing. "Sorry!"
They managed to turn the awkwardness into a laugh this time, but it didn't last long when Beatrice informed him they'd be going to get Brooke today. His laughs turned into nervous pacing.
Before she could think about travelling to England, they made a detour to Fifteen to which Bucky was more than happy about. His tense shoulders relieved for a minute and he actually started talking again.
They got into the hospital room to find she wasn't alone.
"Hey Sam," Bea greeted, taking the seat opposite him leaving Bucky standing by the door, "I haven't had the time to properly say hello to you yet."
Sam wafted his hand, "Ey, it's okay. You had other things to worry about and to me, it was only a day since I last saw you."
How she missed him. Whether it was just his tone, he always made her smile, "Well hello anyway. It's been too long for me…" She looked over at Fifteen. Her face was mostly concealed with some sort of cling wrap but the damage was clear. Her face was misshapen, bumpy and scarred. Her hair burnt at the scalp, leaving her almost bald whilst red swelling travelled all the way down one side of her body, awful blisters bubbling from one of her hands. Sam had taken claim of her other one. "And all this time you teased me for falling for a Hydra agent…"
"She's going to be okay," Sam nodded confidently, passively ignoring her previous comment, "just needs time."
"It's all my fault."
"Bea…" Sam said seriously, which was always a cause for concern. She ripped her eyes from Fifteen to brave Sam's anger but found there was none. "Don't even think about blaming yourself. I've been there. You can't always have your partners back and she's still very much alive thanks to you getting her to the hospital even with all this crazy shit going on-" his eyes wandered to Bucky, "Speaking of which, how are you holding up mate? Heard you're a dad now."
"Never better," came Bucky's dry response.
"-and I heard there's, what… two Bucky's around now…" the corner of his eyes creased in amusement, "What? One wasn't enough for you, Bea. I could barely deal with the first."
Her head sunk back in the chair, as she held in a groan, "This is going to become a running joke now, isn't it?"
"Yep. You bet it is. And now you're a super-soldier! Come on… I thought you were with me. We agreed we were the slow ones of the group."
"Not anymore, my friend…" she shook her head.
"-How long do you think until she wakes up?" Bucky asked, breaking up the natural banter flowing between the two friends. Sam shrugged, a sombre look overcoming his face.
"Nurses have no clue and they're understaffed at the minute because they've suddenly just got double the patients in. If I'm being honest, they're not paying close enough attention to her – but don't worry, I'll see to it she's treated right."
Despite wanting to sit and stay forever in Sam's relaxed company, listening to the soft though ragged breaths of Fifteen to prove she was very much alive, she had promised her mother that she'd get to their house before dinner this evening and quinjets could only go so fast.
"Hey, we better go. We'll be late for Brooke."
"Ah, yeah. And when do I get to meet her?"
She stared at him through narrowed eyes, "Oh I don't know if getting you two together would be a good idea…" The pranks that would be pulled would be enough to make Beatrice tear her hair out, "Maybe when you grow up?" She finished with a smirk.
"I'm a grown man!"
"I meant emotionally."
"pfft," Sam waved a hand, "I'm going to turn your kid against you so fast. Totally going to encourage her that drawing on the walls is a good idea."
She had to push Bucky out of the door. His feet permanently glued to the ground, "Goodbye Sam."
*~It started with Pizza~*
Her mum now lived in a remote area of Kent, where trees merged together and a splash of green surrounded every tight corner they passed. She hates these types of roads. They were too thin and winding. With each turn she gripped the steering wheel harder, preparing for another car to come speeding at them.
"I can drive if you want," Bucky offered seeing her mini scream when she slammed on her breaks for the fifth time that journey as a squirrel scurried across the road to avoid her.
"-No, no it's fine, I'm just getting used to these roads. I'm used to the slow traffic of New York." Nor did she think Bucky was in a particularly good place to drive anywhere. Not with the beads of sweat currently accumulating down his face making his veins pop from his face like he was about to explode. His fingers holding an orange coloured teddy bear in his hands so tightly she thought he'd explode all the stuffing. No. I think I'll stick with the wheel.
"Who in your family disappeared then?"
"My dad," She nodded, excited to get to see him again, "and my sisters' husband. We were pretty lucky otherwise, unlike some families. Mum's ecstatic. I don't know if you heard her screaming out in happiness down the phone at me yesterday."
"I did." He replied gravely, "Is your mom going to be okay with me coming?"
"Well, she knows you're coming and she didn't say anything against it." Bea said, "I promise you though, she's changed. I wouldn't have left Brooke with her if I thought for a second she'd go and do something stupid like contact Hydra again. I think she's finally learned what's important."
Bucky nodded along, "I've just noticed something…"
"What's that?"
"You've got a bit of an American accent now."
People kept telling her that.
"I guess."
The eye-sore of a mom's house could be seen from way down the road. Painted an awful shade of bubbly pink with a rose bush circling around it like it was a fortress. Bea had been so distracted dropping Brooke off last time, she had barely noticed how ugly the house was.
"Your mom chose this place?" Bucky cringed, leaning forward to get a good look at the house, but instantly recoiled at the sight.
"Unfortunately. It is very her style." That was because there was absolutely no style to this place.
They got out and knocked on the doorknob. It shot open and her mum's arms were instantly suffocating her. "-Mum. Calm down. I'm alive."
"You did it, sweetheart!" She cheered, still hugging her whilst pulling her on the arm, "You saved the world. Your dad- he's back… everyone's back and my daughter saved them."
"I mean, the rest of the Avengers helped too," Bea said quietly dragged into a hallway where it seemed her whole family was waiting. She recognised Her sister and her husband and gave a little wave to them. Her brother hung casually over the bannister, with a cigarette hidden behind his ear which only made her crave one. Aunts and uncles that she had never met before. She hadn't expected her whole family to be gathered and Bucky paled white at her side.
"Beatrice…" someone spoke, hidden behind her mum and he suddenly pounced out.
"DAD!" she hugged him tight, "I can't believe you're back."
"Only just got here myself – I turned up in Scotland. Some farmer almost shot me when I turned up in his living room. Can't believe it's been five years but eh… least people can stop calling me the old one of the family. Your mums caught up now."
She chuckled and parted from her dad, surprised even more to find Bucky being embraced by her mother. Something pushed at Bea's leg and she parted out of the way, thinking it was Brooke, but it was instead a seven-year-old with tight blonde ringlets. Beatrice recognised it to be her sister's daughter; Freya, as she was trying to part her way through the sea of people.
"Move! She's going to tag me…" The seven-year-old demanded ferociously but it was too late as a hand smacked on her back.
"GOT YOU!"
"BROOKE!" The seven-year-old wailed dramatically, clutching her arm like she'd been shot, "Don't slap so hard."
But the kid ignored her cousin, her eyes fixating on her mum across the hall. "MUMMA!" she cried, and suddenly she was in her arms with a mound of brunette hair clouded her vision, "I missed you!"
"I missed you so much, baby!" Bea squeezed her from side to side, reminding herself that it had been less than a week since she saw her in this timeline and she shouldn't get weepy… she really, really shouldn't – her whole family would judge – but oh god she missed her the most. She was perfect in every single way.
Tearing her away from her shoulder, Bea wanted to look at her face again. She was somewhere between struggling to believe that this wasn't a picture hidden at the bottom of her satchel, but her daughter actually in her arms. The feeling of home's warm embrace gripped at her arm. Her home's eyes big and doe like with long lashes and a button-like nose.
"How you been, Brooke?" Her voiced croaked out finally.
"So much fun! I made some cookies, and nana called 'dem Brookie Cookies, like you call me," She rambled intensely. It was only then that Beatrice noticed the atrocious purple puffy dress donned on her daughter, surely the work of her mother, "and nana let me eat all 'de chocolate ice c'weam. Then we went down to park. it so nice here. The park is w'eally empty and really big. We played soccer and had picnic. Auntie Sophie joined us too!"
The kid rambled without taking a breath and Beatrice suddenly became aware of an arm knocking her other shoulders as Bucky tried to hide behind her. He would have been successful too if he didn't knock over an umbrella stand in his attempt and Brooke's eyes went wide at the sight.
"BUCKA!" Brooke flew from her arms and straight into Bucky's. He fumbled to catch her. "Nana said you be here soon."
"uh- nice to meet you," Bucky shakily said, slowly dipping his arms so that Brooke's feet touched the floor again but she remained stubbornly hugging him. "I'm Bucky."
"I know!" Brooke giggled, letting go, "Mumma talks about you all the time and I got a bear dat looks just like 'du."
"You… you do?"
"Bucka Bear. Hang on I'll go get him."
She raced upstairs, in her rush she tripped onto her knees, but just continued to crawl up. When she was out of sight, Beatrice turned to her mum, "Hey, would you mind if I asked for you all to leave the house for ten minutes or so. Maybe you could go down to the park. Just so we can have some space."
"Of course," her mum nodded and began clapping her hands like a man ordering his squad into formation. The family that didn't get the chance to greet her when she first arrived, did so, and then they were all tripping over each other trying to get their shoes on. When Brooke arrived at the top of the staircase with a bear clutched tightly at her side, the front door closed behind the three of them.
"Where are they all going?"
"They've gone out for a bit."
"Can we go with 'dem," From three steps up on the stairs, Brooke deemed it unnecessary to walk the rest of the way and leapt, landing right in front of her shoes. She fumbled to get them on.
"We're not going with them, sweetie… here, come in the living room for a moment, I want to talk with you."
As Beatrice guided her, Brooke held up her Bucka bear proudly to her father. With small steps, Bucky plodded behind them, his back sunken and keeping a wary distance between him and his daughter. When Bea sat Brooke on the sofa, Bucky took the furthest seat away from them, until Beatrice's glare called him closer and he pulled up a chair opposite them.
"She's not scary," She mouthed to him.
"I don't know if I can do this…" he mistakenly said out loud. In an instant, Brooke's head snapped over to him like a vulture ready to eat him. Or at least that's what she suspected he saw from the way he tried to melt into his chair.
"What can't you do?" Brooke tilted her head curiously, "Mumma says 'du can do any'fing you set your mind to."
"I'll keep that in mind." But his face coloured green with sickness.
Okay- it wasn't going terribly. Bucky hadn't run out of the room yet, but by the way his feet angled towards the door unnaturally, she was pretty sure he was 'this' close too. She didn't understand. This was a man who had gone on hundreds of missions, fought off Hydra, and an alien army and all she was asking of him was to talk to a little girl. The most innocent, open girl she could possibly imagine. Firmly, she placed a hand on his shoulder and cleared her throat, "Bucky got you something, Brooke."
"What?" Bucky's eyes flew up to hers in confusion.
"The bear in your hand." She nudged his arm, forcing it to lift. Quickly, he mechanically shoved the bright orange bear to Brooke, almost wacking her with it when she moved closer to inspect it. "Hope you like it." He spluttered out.
Brooke's eyes shone with delight as she pulled the bear in for a hug and cradled it softly. How – How was Bucky so scared of her. "What should I name it?" Her question was fired at Bucky.
Brooke's question seemed to stun Bucky into momentary silence. Beatrice prepared, quickly trying to think of names herself to step in for him – snuggles, fluffy, cuddles. But none seemed special enough. This was Bucky's first present to his daughter she wanted it to mean something-
"How about 'Tasha." Bucky suggested out of nowhere.
"Tasha?" Brooke tested the name like it was a funny taste, "Like Auntie Natasha."
"Just like you're auntie Natasha."
"She would like that." Brooke decided blankly and nodded to settle with the name. She took the bears arm and violently shook it, "Nice to meet you 'Tasha."
She hadn't expected her name to fall into the air so suddenly. She had no time to prepare the attack against her chest, making her slam her jaw shut to cover the quiver erupting in her throat. Her and Bucky had yet to speak about the deaths that had occurred to bring everyone back but she suspected he saw the photos lined along her walls in her living room. Most were of Brooke, naturally. But, others were of Natasha… or Auntie 'Tasha as she knew her now. Smiling and still very much alive.
She was facing Brooke and tried to hide the tears falling from her, but couldn't do it without raising attention to herself. So, as quietly as she could, rose and left the room. If she stayed, Brooke would notice and she'd have to explain why she was crying. Right this second was not the best place to break the news of Natasha's death.
Bucky watched her leave. His arm twitching to pull her back. After all, she'd made a promise that she wouldn't leave him alone with her.
From behind the door, she dabbed her tears on a tissue. When the freefall of tears was successfully collected she stayed where she was, lightly pressing an ear against the door to listen on.
"So… I don't if your grandmother said anything, but… I kinda just want to get to know you and maybe you can get to know me too." His voice sounded stronger, and Bea considered that maybe it was for the best she'd left the room.
"I already know every'fing about you." She could practically hear the eye roll.
"Like what?"
"Wonkle Stevie took me to the smiff-onie- smiffoni- I can't say it…" the five-year-old sighed in defeat, "It was dat mooseum with you in it."
"Smithsonian?"
"That's it!" rejoiced Brooke, "I liked it there. Stevie took me to see all the planes and there was dis really big one 'dat hanged above us."
"Planes… you like planes?"
"Yes. I want to fly in them one day. I've only been on one in my whole life. It was last week, Mumma took me on it to get to here. But it wasn't a proper plane, Auntie 'Tasha called it quinn-ey jet. What is that? Why's it diff-went from other planes?"
"Uh – a Quinjet's what most the Avengers use to get to places 'cause it's faster. We should be going on one to get home."
"Are you an Avenger?"
Beatrice smiled behind the door. Brooke was always the same, moving onto the next topic as quickly as the first one came. She wanted to go back into the room and join in on the conversation, missing her bubbly personality that seemed to light up any room but she knew she had to give them this moment. Not wanting to pry, Bea pushed herself away from the door. This was his moment to be with her daughter. No matter how much she missed Brooke, she wouldn't ruin this memory by butting in.
*~It started with Pizza~*
Bucky's POV:
"I fought with the Avengers but, no… I'm not one."
Brooke slumped in her chair, "that's okay. Mumma says she's not one either but I looked on that tablet over there and there was a picture of her fighting and they called her an Avenger. She looked really cool. So maybe you are an Avenger and don't know it."
This wasn't… that bad.
And as subtly as she might like to think she left the room, Bucky noticed Bea's lack of presence and heard her scuttling away from listening in. Strangely, he wasn't panicking and was actually quite… alright with it.
She had been right; Brooke could talk for hours as she chimed on about planes and how fast they can travel. Bouncing up and down at the thought of getting on one, announcing to the room that she'd dreamt about trying plane food as she'd heard it was disgusting. He chuckled at that part… she had a weirds dreams, which somehow reminded him of Beatrice and her odd love of food... It was relaxing. Calming. Peaceful even, just to be in her company of someone who felt so familiar.
three thoughts raced in scattered pieces through his mind in that very moment;
one… He had a weirdo for a daughter. What kind of kid was obsessed with planes?
Two… He wouldn't have it any other way.
And finally three… He was already, most definitely, in love with her.
"Will you be staying with me and Mumma?"
The question caught him off guard and he managed a jutted nod. "I hope so. If that's okay with you?"
Like a dark cloud that had suddenly covered the room, the once happy features that brightened the girls face fell. The orange bear he had given her was swapped for a toy plane resting on the floor as she slid down as if the gravity of the world had pulled her there.
Did he not want her to live with him? She had seemed so happy to meet him– it didn't matter, he could live with Steve for the time being… he didn't want to impose if she didn't want him there-
"you're not going to hurt Mumma like Allie did, are you?"
"Allie?" What? Beatrice hadn't mentioned an Allie. Who the hell was Allie?
"Mumma said he pretended to like me but really wanted to hurt me. He lived with us for a bit." She shrugged casually but her face gave away the hurt as she flinched at the memory. Like an impulse his, body reacted, he wanted to reach down and hug her whole – who was this Allie? Why had he hurt Brooke and Beatrice? Why hadn't Bea told him about this?
Brooke had said this Allie had lived with them.
The obvious conclusion was that Beatrice had, had someone in the last five years. But that didn't seem right. "What-what did he do to your mom?"
The girl shrugged, "he slapped her, but she pushed him down the stairs."
His chest suddenly felt tight.
Someone had dared touch his girl. Five years. Five years he'd been away. Bea had spent all day giving an explanation to him on all the things he'd missed out on, but it seemed there would always be more. He hadn't been there to protect her.
He wanted to ask more. Or run out and demand an explanation from Bea herself. Tempted, he analysed Brooke's facial expression. She was expressive like her mother. He could read how she was feeling, but not necessarily understand why she was feeling like that. Nevertheless, he opted to change the subject for her sake and got down on his hands and knees to join her on the floor.
A toy plane was the closest thing on the carpet to reach. In fact, most of her toys seemed to be somehow sky related. A large pink Rocketship was tucked away in the corner. A doll she had was dressed in astronaut gear. Countless models' planes littered the floor like bits of Lego.
"So, do you want to me a pilot when you're older?"
"what's a pilot?"
"Someone who flies planes."
"Yes!" her body jumped as she spoke as if the words themselves weren't getting rid of enough energy, "dats what I want to be."
"I, uh- know how to fly a plane."
"You do?"
The skip of happiness that beat through her tone, made Bucky's heart swell with pride. He'd teach her one day… maybe… if she'd like that and if Bea was okay with it.
Maybe not everything Hydra taught him would go to waste.
"Yeah," He said, coughing on his words, "I'm flying a quinjet back home, you can watch me."
She smiled from ear to ear, "I'd like that."
Suddenly she sprung up. A bounce in her knees as she leaps onto the sofa. Her arms spread out like eagles as she prepares to jump onto the next chair, "I saw a video of dat red witch woman flying but flying with her hands. Have you met her?"
"Maximoff?" He frowned, but he could hardly concentrating on what she was saying. Instead watching how her toes were very close to the edge of the sofa. She was small after all. And if she fell, the fall would hurt. He didn't want his first time alone spent with his daughter to end in her getting hurt. "Yeah, I know her."
"I want to fly like her."
Brooke steadied herself to jump. Her arms back and knees bent. Eyes focused on its target. If he'd been training someone, he would tell say she had the perfect and safest pose to jump, but this was a little girl… his little girl and the sofa was a bit too far away for his liking for her to safely make it without risk of injury.
His blood pressure spiked as she took the leap and he dived up himself. Before she could execute the perfect jump, his metal arm reacted, catching her around the middle and spinning to land her on the floor safely.
When he turned to check she was okay, Brooke pouted and cross her arms angrily.
"Are you gonna be boring like mumma? She never lets me have fun…"
"Maybe, just…uh… be careful," he hesitated in saying, letting her go and taking a far step back. He looked around, trying to see if Beatrice would be back any second? Didn't she promise he wouldn't leave her. He could really do with her coming back right about now.
If Brooke noticed the sudden tension, she didn't show it as she splattered back down on the floor again, picked up her toys and with a sound that was akin to an explosion, pretended her toy plane blew up. She dropped it again, and looked up at him with those wide eyes.
"Are you my actual dadda?" Brooke challenged.
Did this kid have any sort of filter? He wondered wildly. "I guess so…"
"I like you better than Allie."
There was that name again. Allie. "Allie was your dad for a bit, huh?"
"I thought he was, Mumma never liked that though – have you really got a metal arm?"
This was by far the wildest conversation he had ever had. Double blinking, he tried to catch up with the verbal diarrhoea spilling from her mouth. Completely oblivious to the sweat beads dripping down her dad's head – Why couldn't they continue talking about planes? That conversation was safe. What if he scared her off by showing her his arm?
"I think wonkle Stevie was lying when he said you had a metal arm."
She already knew about it, and judging by the bear lying by her side… Bucka bear she had called it… she knew what to expect. Nervously, he played with the ends of his glove and like a band-aid, ripped it clean off, exposing the vibranium metal hidden underneath.
Brooke's eyes widened in shock and for a moment he thought he'd traumatised the kid, but suddenly she flew up and grabbed his hand to her level and curiously she inspected each grove, turning his hand as if trying to work out how it moved.
"Whoa!" Brooke exclaimed loudly, "This is so cool. I wonder how it works… can you beat people up with this?"
"What the hell are you two talking about?" without warning Beatrice re-entered the room, a plateful of cookies in her hand. Bucky snapped his hand away from Brooke's and quickly covered it again. Was she mad? Shit. He didn't mean to show her-
Beatrice was smiling.
Looking between them both like she'd just won a million dollars.
Relaxing, Bucky kept the glove off, deciding that… maybe he had.
A/N So Bucky's finally met his daughter! What'd you guys feel about this chapter?
Also I replied to last chapters reviews because I felt bad I hadn't replied to them.
Narnian702: Hope this lives up to expectations and don't worry it'll happen soon and it'll be epic
Guest: he did a little bit of both. Run away and heart melting and all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Goldenfightergirl: eek, Brooke's running mouth mentioned Alex for her. Let me know what you thought about this chapter.
Fede67489: Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Thank you so much for the review and about your previous chapter review thank you so so so much. You made me feel a lot more confident about my writing and I really appreciate it more than I can express *big hugs*
LunaEvanna Longbottom: haha, I'm very sorry for putting you through these rollercoaster of emotions. I wish I could say it gets easier, but I'm only going to lay harder on the emotions. Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter babe. Thank you for the review x
NeoMulder: Ah glad you liked the chapter and thank you so much for the review. Bucky's only really just piecing together Beatrice's feelings for his past self – there's a lot Bea's got to catch him up with (and maybe some stuff she doesn't exactly want to tell him). Glad you're enjoying it so far, let me know what you thought about Brooke and Bucky's meeting.
Badwolffor3ver: Thank you for the birthday wishes and also if I haven't said it before – I absolutely love your username.
SomebodyWhoCares: Thank you for the review!
SilverIce523: You were right. Bucky fell in love with Brooke almost immediately. But who can blame him. Also absolutely love how you're calling them Bucky #1 and #2. Might have to try that in the fic because I'm getting just as confused writing between them, lol, especially when they're in the same scene together. Thank you for the birthday wishes! It means so much x
BuckyBarnes07: Thank you so much for your words about my writing, I really means a lot and I hope this chapter holds up to expectations.
