Fifth (yikes!) in the Supernova Series... this story follows hot on the heels of Reclamation. I suggest reading the other parts first to get acquainted with Tessa, though if you want to continue on without, the facts are these...
Dr. Tessa Sullivan (now Barnes) is a mutant - with the power to control and manipulate energy - who was raised in Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Through an unfortunate incident years ago, she managed to bring the energy of the Dark Phoenix within, making her more powerful than even she could fathom. Straining to move away from the X-Men and the painful memories of that life, she landed a job working for Tony Stark - doing genetic research - and moved into the role of lead physician for the Avengers. This is where she not only found a new family, but a love as well... former Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes.
Disclaimer: I own the character of Tessa... the rest, sadly, are all Marvel and Disney.
The world feels… still. And quiet. Even with the gentle wind sweeping through the trees, the prattling and laughing of children dancing on the air. Even with the soft music leaking out an open window, ringing in the background, just barely reaching her ears. Even so, it all seems somehow… silent.
She looks up and takes in the setting. A house by the lake. Trees dripping bright green leaves, fluttering in the cool breeze. Strawberry blonde hair swishes back and forth behind the kitchen window as a call comes from the house. Time for lunch.
They race up the sprawling porch – the two of them – the pitter-patter of tiny feet breaking through the profound silence. And then… stop. They halt with a shared breath and a gasp as a sudden swell of sounds comes to life around them. Birds chirping and branches bending under the weight of animals that hadn't been there even a moment ago. Scurries and chitters and squeals echo from every inch of the woods they're nestled in, creating a cacophony louder than she's ever heard. Ever, in all her life.
She spins in a slow, wide arc, gazing up at the sky with wonder, watching in awe as a giant flock of birds takes flight, celebrating in joyous leaps and spins and dives, right above her. The world has never felt this alive. This full. A beaming smile stretches across her face as she takes it all in.
And then, off in the distance, a sound. A boom. An earth-shaking explosion that causes her heart to jump, and a sudden simple fear – devoid of any suspicions or questions… because her mind is so young, so innocent and pure – takes over. Far, far off in the distance, a billowing pillar of smoke begins to rise. And with it a cry also rises from deep in her chest. For mama and papa. A desperate scream – a plea – for them to come and get her, take her home, keep her safe.
Tessa wakes with a start, bolting up and pitching forward as a long wheeze pulls from her lungs, followed quickly by a sharp gulp of air.
"You okay?" he asks, his palm pressed to her back before she even realizes he's awake. Though, of course he's awake. He always wakes when she sputters back to life like this. He's always there when she's harshly thrust back into the waking world.
"Yeah," she breathes out, leaning back into his hand with a sigh. "Yeah. Sorry."
The sheets tug and pull as Bucky shifts beside her, his fingers delicately tracing along her spine. "Another dream?" he asks, voice muddled with sleep.
She nods, the light of the full moon outside their window bouncing off of her dark and disheveled curls. "Yeah. It's fine." She cranes her neck to see him, looks down at his heavy lidded eyes, split with concern, and she smiles – "Go back to sleep." – before pulling away and scooting towards the edge of the bed.
His hand shoots forward, folding around her ribcage, the other grasping her wrist as he easily tugs her back to him. "No," he whines, a petulant air to his weary tone. "Stay." He pulls her down, the only resistance offered by her too-tired body being a swift eyeroll that, if he even manages to catch, is quickly ignored. He folds her to his chest, both arms wrapped tenderly around her, and lays a sleepy kiss to her forehead, his eyes drifting shut as he repeats softly, "Stay."
000
Despite the brief interruption in sleep – perhaps a bit more than brief for Tessa, as she continued to lay in the dark for an hour or more, merely thinking while her husband snored on beside her – both Bucky and Tessa manage to feel fairly refreshed the next morning, rising early and preparing to head out to tend the herd just as the sound of a car engine cutting echoes from outside their front door.
"It's T'Challa," Bucky murmurs softly as he peeks through the curtain of the front window. He's alone but for the aide driving the Jeep – a young, nervous looking man who continues to sit straight and tall as his king leaps from the vehicle and begins a purposeful stalk through their yard.
Tessa sets down the last washed mug, flipping off the faucet, and leans a hip into the sink as she turns to watch Bucky swing open the door. "Hello," T'Challa greets, amicable – though always guarded – smile stretching along his face. "May I come in?"
"It's your… kingdom," he says by way of a welcome, the flippant response causing Tessa to roll her eyes.
She walks over as he enters, extends a hand in greeting. "How are you, T'Challa?" she asks, giving Bucky a bit of a reprimanding side-eye glare.
"I am well," he replies, a relaxed grin taking over as he settles his gaze on her. "And you, Dr. Barnes? I trust that you are taking good care of yourself?"
Bucky lets out a thick scoff from behind. "Don't think she even knows what that means."
"Hilarious," she deadpans.
He barely acknowledges her interjection, training a wary stare on the man before him instead. "Not to be rude," he declares, the gruff tone sounding in stark opposition to his words. "But, what are you doing here?"
Tessa folds her arms tightly over her chest and rolls her eyes dramatically. "Normally when someone comes to visit, you offer them a drink, not disdain." She looks at T'Challa, notes the amused quirk of his lips. "He's a little rusty on welcoming guests."
"He's not a guest," Bucky argues, bouncing his gaze up to meet hers for just a fraction of a moment before dropping it back to the king. "He's not just… stopping by to say hi."
T'Challa nods slowly. "He is right," he confirms before flashing a gracious smile Tessa's way. "Though I do appreciate your defense of good manners."
"What is it?" Bucky asks, his shoulders pulling even tighter, the suspicious edge to his energy sharpening into a pointed fear that pricks solidly at Tessa's senses. "Something bad?" he asks, voice dropping an octave, the dark knowledge in his eyes showing that he already knows the answer.
He nods simply – shortly – and waves a hand towards the Jeep outside. "We can talk on the way."
000
"So aliens came back to Earth and they're looking for the fancy jewel inside Vision's head," Bucky recounts, tossing his chin in the direction of the beat-to-hell android being seen to in the next room. "And more are coming?"
Steve nods, swift and purposeful, as he takes a step forward, pulling ahead of the small group of regathered Avengers currently assembling in the hall of the Wakandan palace. "And they won't stop until they get it."
He rubs his heavily stubbled chin in thought, thumb and forefinger pinching his face as his brain works to make sense of the rapid onslaught of information that has just been thrown at them. "And Stark got… beamed up?"
Another nod, albeit more hesitant than the first.
Bucky's brows rise appreciatively. "Well, there's that piece of good news at least."
Steve stifles a scoff. "Look, I know this all seems… sudden. And crazy. But," he tosses a quick glance over to a stolid Natasha at his right, an agitated Bruce at his left. "Thanos is coming. And he's not going to stop until he gets that stone."
"Thanos?" Tessa asks, head cocked curiously. Her nose wrinkles in both confusion and something akin to annoyance. "What the hell kind of name is that anyway?"
"Not really important here, Tess," he huffs out as he runs an exhausted hand down the length of his face. "The point is that – "
"He's big and scary and… undefeatable," Bruce interjects from his side. He levels Tessa with a terror-stricken glare, eyes wide and wild. "I met him. I tried to fight him. The Hulk…" He shakes his head. "If Heimdall hadn't have sent me back here, I'd be dead. I know that. Nothing can kill the Hulk… but he could."
Her brows scrunch in confusion, face twisting in curiosity even as the others around them slip into a frightened, solemn silence. "Wait… Heimdall sent you back? You were… in space?"
He nods, only just now realizing that they really hadn't caught up much over the past year or so, and he hadn't actually recounted this particular part of the story for them, everything happening in such a rush. "Yeah. For a bit."
Her eyes blow wide as saucers. "And you met Heimdall?"
He shrugs. "Sort of."
"And you saw him summon the Bifrost?" Another nod. "And you… rode it… here? Back to Earth? From… space?"
A low groan pulls from Steve's chest – alongside a choked chortle from Rhodes as both he and Sam work to hide their amusement behind him. "Also," the blond breathes out with an irritated sigh. "Not really the point."
She turns back to Bruce with a frown. "Why does everyone get to go to space but me?"
"Help us end this alien bastard and maybe we can send you up for a victory lap," Natasha suggests with a crooked smirk.
She returns the expression with a wide, wily smile of her own. "If that's your idea of a bribe, suggesting space travel as a break from slinging manure and milking goats… you officially have my attention."
"Can we be serious for just one minute here?" Steve breaks in, the stern Captain voice taking over as he drops his hands to his hips and straightens to his full height. He lets out a soft breath, the tightness between his brows settling just the slightest bit. "Look. We don't really know what to expect. Not exactly…"
"But whatever it is," Bruce steps in. "It'll probably make the Battle of New York look like a Disney theme park ride."
"Weird analogy," Tessa mutters, the small grin falling from her face, features pulling into a contemplative mask. "You guys remember when everyone thought that people like me were the scariest things out there? And we all needed to be… locked up or killed?"
"Yeah," Sam says with a nod. "And now the most powerful mutants on Earth are in the wind because of it. Damn. We could really use the X-Men right about now too."
"Well, we've got one of them, at least," Steve declares, brows raised high. "Maybe the most important one."
"Ahem," sounds abruptly from just outside the tightly clustered group, T'Challa now standing beside the circle of friends. "I do not to wish to interrupt," he says, far more diplomatically that needed… considering that these people just brought an intergalactic war to his country. All eyes turn on him and he thanks everyone for their attention with a swift and fleeting smile. "If I may, Captain," he says to Steve – utterly ignoring his earlier pleas to, Just call me Steve – "The Wakandan forces are gathered."
"That was quick," Rhodey mutters under his breath.
The corner of T'Challa's mouth quirks at the comment, but he doesn't remove his gaze from the unspoken leader of the group. "If any of your men – and women – need to prepare…"
"Yeah," he breathes out casually before clenching his muscles – and his will – and moving into commander mode. He spins to face Rhodes and Sam. "You two go suit up and take flight, get a lay of the land." Then, turning to Bruce and raising a questioning brow, he asks, "You ready to try out the HulkBuster?"
"As I'll ever be, I guess," he replies sullenly before looking back to Tessa and giving her a quick nod, then heading off behind the two flight-trained members of their team.
"Wanda needs to stay with Vision," Steve goes on, as though anyone was confused about that part of the mission plan. "But you two," he says, angling his head towards Bucky and Tessa, "need to dig out your suits."
Bucky's face pulls tight, his jaw clenching and ticking to the side. "No," seeps out of him in a long, fluid – dangerous – breath. "Not her."
Steve pulls back in surprise, all stoicism lost as his shoulders drop, stance fading from one of control to confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"
T'Challa backs away from the group slowly, a somewhat amused – seemingly knowing – look on his face. "I will leave you to it," he states as he takes off and heads back to his troops, far away from the tense showdown building in the hall.
Bucky stands bullishly across from Steve, his fists slowly clenching and releasing at his sides. "She can stay up here and help Shuri and Wanda. Or she can go home and hide. But she's not stepping foot into battle."
"Buck," he huffs out dramatically. "Did you not hear what we just said?"
"Yeah," he nods. "You said that you don't know what to expect, but it'll be bad. Worse than New York. And I don't want her out there in that."
Tessa reaches up to lay an open palm on Bucky's shoulder, aiming for calming when she says simply, "Babe," but somehow molding the single word into an utterance of condescension, her face holding the same general attitude.
He swivels towards her, "Don't look at me like that," seething through tightly gritted teeth.
She cocks her head, narrowing her eyes dully. "James," she intones, a warning note to her voice.
He holds up a single pointed finger, brows rising and face setting in that way it used to, back in the day, when he was about to issue an impatient command to an unruly recruit. Steve recognizes it immediately, his own brows rising and twisting as he watches with interest, unconsciously taking a single – rather intrusive – step towards the couple when he hears Bucky breathe out the staunch order, "No."
Tessa's hands fall to her hips, her head shaking in a slow arc, lips pinching tight before opening just enough for her to utter, "You can't say that to me. Not now. Not about this."
"Not now?" he asks, a bitter edge to his tone as he moves closer to his wife, almost towers over her. "Yes, now. Are you nuts?"
"Are you?" Natasha interjects blithely. Bucky's head swivels to face her, his blue eyes dark and dangerous. "We're talking about universal destruction here, Barnes. The end of the world," she goes on, not intimidated by his anger nor hulking presence in the least. "We need everyone we can get. And she," the newly platinum blonde ticks her head along with a pointed thumb in Tessa's direction. "Is more powerful than the rest of us combined. Or have you settled so deep into your goat farming fantasy life that you forgot that?"
Tessa drops a deep sigh, her eyes blinking shut for a brief moment as she swivels to put herself in between her friend and her positively fuming husband. "Natasha," she tries, never quite managing to break the heated stare between the two former Soviet assassins. "He's just… worried," she states. "Freaked out."
"We all are," she replies sharply.
Steve steps up then, dropping an open palm to Nat's shoulder and tugging her back. He looks to Bucky, eyes soft and imploring. "That's right," he says, echoing her sentiment while keeping his gaze completely trained on his seemingly incensed friend. "We're all worried. And I know… I know that the last time Tess used her powers it…"
"Almost killed her," the brooding super soldier supplies bitterly.
Steve nods, his eyes ticking away for a brief moment, blinking back his own memories of that day up in Canada, seeing his friend's face and flesh split into wide burning gashes, her eyes red rimmed and oddly hollow – and all the days that followed, when she lingered in a coma as Shuri tried desperately to reverse what they all feared was irreparable damage. "We need her, Buck. Nat's right, she's the most powerful of all of us. And what we're about to face…" He shakes his head languidly, bright blue eyes shining with an edge of desperation as he returns his gaze to Bucky. "Remember when Thor said that something was coming? And that whatever it was, it was bad… and that it could destroy the universe?"
He issues out a swift snort. "You don't really think that's what's happening here," he states, no question to his voice.
Steve leans in, his tone dropping an octave as he stays, "That's exactly what I think is happening here." He jerks his chin in Tessa's direction, still not breaking eye contact with the unwavering soldier in front of him. "He said that her power was enough to protect us from that. The Phoenix might be the only thing – "
"No," he barks out, lips curling into a snarl. "I said, no."
Steve pulls back, stunned expression rolling over his face. "What's with you, man? I get that you're nervous, but…" His head swivels between Bucky and Tessa – one looking positively livid, the other oddly calm as she absently gnaws at her bottom lip. "You know she can take care of herself."
"You're damn right she can," Natasha interjects from behind, her arms folded tightly over her chest, face a mask of righteous indignation.
"First of all," Bucky spits out before rocking back on his heels, "I don't know that. She's fucking terrible at taking care of herself." His eyes tick over to Tessa, expecting to see hostility flash boldly across her face. When he's met with little more than an annoyed smirk, a soft sigh escapes him, his tone cooling as he states simply, "It's not about her being able to take care of herself. It's not that."
Steve's face pinches in confusion, his own agitation rising even as Bucky's begins to wane. "What then? You think she'll wind up like… like she was after killing Lobe… or Sublime, or whoever the hell he was? Because Shuri removed the electrodes from her brain, right? And Wanda said she's in control of her powers."
Tessa shuffles uneasily in place, digging her toe into the tile floor as she mutters, "Not really a fan of people talking about me like I'm not here."
"We need her," the blond super soldier issues out again, ignoring her plight entirely. But Bucky's stalwart demeanor doesn't change, his face holding stony and defiant. Steve lets out a loud huff. "What?!" he nearly screams in his friend's face. "What is it then? Why are you being so… so…"
"She's pregnant," he blurts out, even-toned voice spilling from between still clenched teeth. His eyes arc over to his wife, linger there just long enough to see her face fall – though whether it's from relief or disappointment, he can't quite tell – before moving back to the stunned man before him.
Steve's brows slowly unfurl, his face softening, jaw going slack, as he takes in his friend's words. From behind, he hears Natasha's voice – "Are you serious?" – vague and distant. And he spins around to look at her.
"When were you going to say something?" she asks, advancing on Tessa. Her face is awash with something akin to shock, but her eyes also shine and crinkle merrily at the edges as she goes on. "When? When did this happen? Or… when are you due? And when the hell were you going to tell us?"
"Uh," Tessa sputters for a moment, her gaze shifting across all three sets of eyes now glued to her. "Well, I mean… we wanted to tell you in person. So, I guess… the next time you came to visit?"
A look of abject horror crosses Nat's face. "What if we didn't make it back for… months? What, were you just gonna greet us at the door with a baby?!"
A thoughtful frown pulls at her lips, brows furrowing as she shrugs. "Maybe?"
Bucky lets out a scoff and sidles up next to her, reaching down with his vibranium hand and slowly twining his fingers with hers. "We would've told you before she was born," he says with a rather sardonic twang.
"Her?" Steve chokes out, his mouth still falling agape in surprise as he pivots to face the couple before him. He looks over at Bucky, feels a wide smile begin to split his face as he watches his friend – his best damn friend – shyly duck his head and grin.
"Yeah," he mutters simply before looking back up and locking onto Steve's gaze. The corners of his eyes crinkle, pure joy spilling from the bright blue depths. The talk of fighting – of intergalactic war and universal destruction – all fade away for this one perfect moment. He can't share this with his mother… nor his sister or father or any other family. The only blood he has now – that he's aware of, anyway – rests inches away from his hand, nestled deep in the warm cocoon of his wife's body. But damn if this man standing before him isn't just as much a brother as anyone could ever be. "Yeah," he says again, nodding slowly. "We're gonna have a baby girl."
Steve pulls in a quick breath, lets it out in a soft, sweet laugh amid an airy, blissful, "Congratulations," and leans slowly forward to wrap his friend in a bone-crushing embrace. From the corner of his eye, he sees Natasha launch herself at Tessa, the fervent joy seeping from the typically impassive, collected woman causing another chuckle to burble up from his chest. "You're gonna be a dad, Buck," he breathes out, giving one more firm squeeze. He unfurls his arms and slams his palm to Bucky's shoulder in a solid pat. "You're gonna have a daughter."
The look on Bucky's face is one he's certain he's never seen before. Lost somewhere between elated and utterly placid… as though, as excited as he surely is, hearing those words – you're gonna be a dad. You're gonna have a daughter – merely echoes a truth he's somehow known all along.
"And you're going to name her Natasha, right?" Nat asks, pulling away and quickly swiping at tears she only hopes no one notices.
Bucky glares at her from the corner of his eye. "No way in hell."
"Oh, come on," she gripes. "What if I kick ass in this… alien battle?" Her still glassy eyes shift excitedly back and forth between Bucky and Tessa. "I could earn it."
He shakes his head. "I doubt it."
"What if I die?" she asks, raising a questioning brow.
He shrugs. "Give it a shot and we'll see what happens."
Tessa slaps him upside the head, eliciting a sharp wince, but absolutely no apology. She turns to Natasha. "We're not naming her after anybody. We already decided that."
Bucky rubs the back of his head gingerly, muttering under his breath, "Didn't decide anything."
She rolls her eyes at her husband. "I decided. And as long as I have to give birth, I get the final say."
Natasha shrugs – "Seems fair." – and narrows her eyes as she stares assessingly at her friend, gaze traveling slowly over the length of her body. "Your boobs look a little bigger…"
"Thank you," Tessa says with a genuine lilt and a pleased grin.
"But otherwise, I don't see it…" Her eyes veer down to Tessa's middle, to her still predominantly flat stomach, nothing but the slightest swell – food baby, as she had joked just this morning when getting dressed – visible. "How far along are you?
"Twelve weeks," Bucky answers for her as he leans in and drapes his metal arm around her, fingers brushing delicately just along the side of her abdomen. "But she went and started testing almost right away," he goes on, now rolling his own eyes. "Geneticists."
"Testing?" Steve asks, a hint of realization peppering the word. "For the serum?"
Tessa shrugs. "Can't really test for the serum itself," she tells him. "And so far, there aren't really any markers – nothing concrete, anyway – that makes me think she inherited it. At least not like you're probably thinking." She casually snuggles a bit deeper into Bucky's side as she goes on. "I don't know if she'll have any enhancements like you two do. But the serum did cause your cells to replicate in a certain manner… it altered your genetic code. So…" Another shrug. "She'll probably have… something from her father." She shifts her face to beam up at the man by her side. "Hopefully his eyes if nothing else."
"Ugh," Natasha moans, deep and guttural. "Sure, he's got nice eyes. Whatever. Between the two of you, I'd take a little Tessa over a tiny Winter Soldier any day."
Bucky shoots her a harsh glare, reminding her – as though she doesn't already know – just how much he hates that name. And hearing it in reference to his daughter makes him not only angry, but actually a bit sick to his stomach. Tessa feels the slithering fear and doubt – and regret – that rises up in him any time the words Winter Soldier are uttered. And she reaches up to softly trail her hand down his now taut and rigid back. "I mostly wanted to know about the X-gene," she tells their friends, carrying on their conversation and giving Bucky a moment to relax.
"And?" Steve asks.
"And… yeah. She's got it."
Natasha nods appreciatively. "So not only are you giving our family a little girl – who's middle name is Natasha – but you also made her into a possibly enhanced mutant. Nice work."
"Well, I haven't actually finished making her yet," she intones. "But… thanks."
"Alright," Steve says suddenly, a look of deep concern rolling over his features. "I get it now." He turns a rather sober stare on Bucky. "I get why you don't want her fighting."
"But I have to," Tessa announces, dropping her hand to her husband's hip and giving his once again terribly tense body a bit of a jostle. "And I can."
Steve turns the worried stare on her. "Are you sure. I mean…" He shakes his head, expression morphing into one of vulnerable bewilderment.
He too thinks she has to fight. They came here – to Wakanda – to help Vision, sure. And the plan all along was to enlist the help of T'Challa and Bucky and whatever troops they could muster. But the moment they set course for this mystical land, he knew that they were coming for Tessa more than anyone. Because, for well over a year now – ever since Thor blazed into the compound looking for the power of the Phoenix only to vanish days later without a word – he'd been replaying what the alien god had said over and over and over again in his head.
We need this power. And someone to wield it. All of us need it… the entire universe.
"Steve," she says, the gentle yet earnest tone pulling him from the sudden onslaught inside his head. "I can do this." She turns to glance at her husband's once again stony face, the muscles of his jaw ticking nervously beneath his flesh. "I won't put the baby at risk."
"Going out onto a battlefield puts her at risk," Bucky seethes, his tone settling just a bit when he gazes down at her to utter, "It puts you at risk."
Her lips pinch tightly together and she nods slowly, thoughtfully. "Maybe so. Maybe I should say I won't put us at any undue risk. But, Jamie, I can't let you go out there…" Her eyes shift to Steve, to Natasha. Then she glances back over their shoulders and through the glass leading to the lab where Vision and Wanda sit curled tightly round one another. "I can't let all of you go out there without my help. Not when we all know what I'm capable of. It might be shitty timing, but… there's really no way that any of us are going to be able to sit this one out."
Bucky shakes his head, forlorn expression taking over, burning at the edges of his – just moments ago, blessedly joyous – face. "I don't want you to do it," he says, voice low and small and just for her.
She nods. "I know. But you don't get to decide."
Author's Note: Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm super excited about moving forward with this. I have A LOT of ideas... though, I'm not gonna lie, some of them are pretty dark. Beware... much angst this way lies! But there will also be a ton of sweetness and joy and fun. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to drop a comment. Thanks for reading!