Please review. I hope you enjoy it. This is probably the most PG related fic I've written in years but I'm rating it Teen in case I added some romance...
The phone ringing jarred him, followed by remembering Sam had changed his ringtone to some awful disco song as punishment for mocking his music. Bucky had just fallen asleep, so this didn't help his mood. He didn't open his eyes as he answered, "This better be good, Sam."
There was a long pause before a woman's voice said, "Is this James Barnes?" He glanced at the screen and saw on the display that the call was from Tennessee.
Sitting up slowly because of the fight he'd been in last night had left him sore, Bucky sighed and said, "Yes, this is him. Who's calling?"
"My name is Mrs. Krenshaw. I'm calling from the Tennessee's Sullivan County Department of Children's Services in Bristol Tennessee," she said, sounding very much like a principal or teacher. He could even imagine her as a white-haired old lady with a tight bun and glasses hanging from a chain around her neck. And wearing fake pearls, likely.
"Are you sure you have the right James Barnes? This is James Buchanan Barnes in Brooklyn, New York."
"Yes, you were born on March 10, 1917, correct? I'll admit that threw me for a bit of a loop, so I looked up your information and it's really a fascinating story… I'm sorry, that's not the reason I'm calling. Your younger sister, Mary, had three children. They had children, their children have children, and their only child was James Barnes, V. He and his wife, Lisa, died three weeks ago in a car crash. You will be notified by an attorney after this call about Mr. and Mrs. Barnes' will."
She finally paused for a breath and Bucky ran his hand through his hair. "But Mr. Barnes, you are the last living relative on James' side of the family. Mrs. Barnes' remaining family are elderly, too unwell, and unable to care for the three surviving Barnes children. Which is why I am calling you," she explained, then paused. "Mr. Barnes, if you're unable to take care of these children, they'll likely end up in foster care or be adopted. The boy is only five months old so there are eager parents willing to adopt him, likely his youngest sister as well, but there is no guarantee that they would stay together. And unlikely their older sister would be fostered in the same home."
Bucky thought about Mary and how she used to follow him and Steve around. She tried to do everything they did, but if they all got into trouble, she was the first person to play victim and get away with it. She tormented their sisters because they were girly and played with dolls, but the sun rose and set on Bucky. In school, he was always getting into fights with boys who messed with his sisters, especially Mary because she was so pretty, but thought boys were mostly idiots and told them. Steve once accused her of being the female version of Bucky, which she took as the best compliment and bragged about it to everyone.
He'd checked for any relatives left in New York after the government pardoned him, but he didn't really know who to look for and where. Steve told him he'd looked for Bucky's family too, but had no luck. It had left Bucky feeling truly alone afterwards. He'd had a big family with uncles, aunts, and cousins spread out all over Brooklyn. Apparently, World War II and the Vietnam War had wiped out most of the male line. The wars in the Middle East hadn't discriminated as much and took males and females relatives. Once he got down a couple of generations it grew to nearly impossible to track them. After the Blip, things became even harder.
He could almost imagine the children looking like versions of his little sister with her wispy blond hair, huge blue eyes and just a scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Maria had been a momma's girl and Emily a daddy's girl, but Mary had always just been Bucky's shadow. He could remember how she cried when the army drafted him. She hardly ever shed a tear and that day she cried more than his mother. The tightness in his chest made it hard for him to breathe.
"Mr. Barnes?"
Clearing his throat, he asked, "How old are the girls?"
"Well, Tessa is almost five, but her sister, Amy, is eleven. She's a bit of a handful, which is why I was concerned about them staying together," she said, with a slight laugh. "Honestly, she's more than a handful but I think she'll eventually settle down after recovering from her parents' death." Bucky resisted the urge to ask when she thought teenage girls recover from losing both their parents at once.
"Amy lived through the Blip as well and lost some young friends, as well as some of her parents' friends and fellow church members. Her remaining grandparents passed away or they have dementia bad enough to not remember the children. She was an only child at the time and her mother had a high-risk pregnancy and they all had concern that the Blip would happen again. Sadly, she's used to losing people and has developed a tough skin. She's very smart and had good grades until now. I actually thought you might relate to her trauma on some level."
Bucky glanced around his small apartment. Where would he put three kids even if he took them?
"Her little sister, Tessa is a joy, full of laughter and smiles. She knows her parents died and misses them, but she's too young to understand it all enough to mourn. Unfortunately, she is almost mostly deaf, but Amy knows sign language until you can learn."
"I know sign language. Is this because of a current health issue or a past problem?" he asked, growing concerned.
"Tessa was born hearing impaired due to complications in her mother's pregnancy. I don't remember the exact cause. But as you can imagine you'd need to have more supervision over her than most children her age and she'll need a special school. I have already looked up some information on the schools near you. We also recommend a house alarm and there are specialists that can evaluate your needs in your house such as flashing lights in addition to regular alarms. A lot of parents attempt to do it themselves but it never fails, they always miss something. And there are programs in Brooklyn and the other boroughs that provide different therapies for her and support for you. I will provide a list." Bucky couldn't speak for fear he'd scream in complete terror. Why are these people trying to give him children, especially children who need more care than a cat or house plant? Come to think of it, his one plant died. But at the same time, he felt something for these children already. Perhaps, admiration and respect for how tough they were.
"Oh, and there is a dog. He was supposed to be trained as a service dog for Tessa but Amy ended up attached to him before he was fully trained, so they intended to get another dog eventually and one that was pre-trained. Apparently, he wasn't the right type of dog anyway. Their neighbor has it now but the girls insist they won't go without him. Of course, that's not a condition of adopting them but it might make things much easier with Amy especially."
Three kids and a dog? The tightness in his chest wasn't going away anytime soon. He knew he couldn't take the dog away from a traumatized girl. She needed it now more than ever. In the back of his mind, he could hear Mary's voice as clear as day demanding he do it. It was crazy for him to even consider it, he knew but he found himself saying, "What do I need to do?"
Silence at the end of the phone showed Bucky how likely the woman had expected that response. "Well, let's see… since you're a relative, you wouldn't need to go through screening as a foster parent. But they would need the basic check, criminal history, drug test, etc. then they would be yours. If you wanted to take them to New York, you could without any delay, of course. But there is some property here that would be sold on their behalf or kept, whichever you decide, and there is some money as well, but the lawyer will explain that."
"And if things don't work out? I mean, if I take them and can't keep them…"
Another long pause and Bucky pulled the phone away to look at the screen. Nope, she was still there. "Sir, there is not a return policy. They are children, not property," Mrs. Krenshaw said, in a stern voice. "If you cannot make it work, you would need to speak to social services in New York. But it would be extremely traumatic on them to be given up."
"I'm not planning on just giving them up," Bucky said, with clear annoyance. "I am asking if something unavoidable happens, what should I do. I have a high-risk job and let's face it, I'm over one hundred years old. And I would need some time, a few days at least. I need to find a larger place to live, at least. Wait, did you say the baby was a boy? I don't remember you saying his name."
"James Buchanan Barnes actually. Apparently, his parents had known of your relation and attempted to get in touch with you but had no luck," she replied. "I know this is a lot all at one time, Mr. Barnes, especially for a man with your history, but…"
"I'll take them, but as I said, I need to find a new place to live. Can you email me the information and maybe a list of things I would need to buy? Like baby and kid stuff." Bucky couldn't believe he's doing this, but he wasn't going to put Mary's great-great-great grandchild in foster care. She's haunt him until his last day. "If their parents' house hasn't been sold, can I get a key to it so they can get the things that they want? I'll just rent a van and drive back."
"With three young children and a dog? You are brave." She chuckled. "The house is as they left it. Unfortunately, one thing is all they're allowed to bring here, like a stuffed animal or another comfort item, so all of their things, including clothing, are there. The lawyer, Mr. Wells, has the keys."
Bucky couldn't help but wonder about their choice. "What did the girls bring as their comfort item?"
"Let's see. Megan brought a stuffed hippo and Amy brought her journal." Ah, a girl after his own heart.
After coordinating everything with Ms. Krenshaw, Bucky laid back down and stared at the ceiling. Anxiety came crashing down and the tightness returned. Eventually, he grabbed the phone, dialing Sam. When he answered with a half-asleep voice, Bucky just started rattling off things to him without giving him any time to wake up. "They're giving me three kids. They're like great-great-great grand-nephew and nieces. Maybe that's too many greats or maybe not enough, I'm not sure. My sister Mary had kids, who had kids, and so on. I'm their only living relative. There are two boys and a girl. No, wait, two girls and a boy. And a dog! One of them is hearing impaired too."
Sam was silent for so long Bucky thought he went back to sleep. Finally, he heard laughter. "That's funny Buck. I thought you were serious for a minute there."
"I am serious!"
"Who would give you kids? I mean… do they know what you do for a living? Or how old you are? Do you even know anything about kids?" Sam sputtered in shock. "Are you sure this isn't a prank?"
"I didn't think you'd make me feel worse when I called you, Sam," Bucky replied before massaging his temples. "Aren't you supposed to be the positive one?"
"Man, I'm sorry. I'm just a little shocked. But seriously, do you have much experience with kids? And is the dog or a kid hearing impaired? You could always find a nanny to sleep at your house, so if you needed to go on missions, she could watch them. Do you want me to call Sarah? She could walk you through the basics."
"I was the oldest of four kids, so I know a little bit but that was back in the 20s and 30s. I'm sure there are all new things you have to do. And the boy is only five months old. I didn't ask if he could walk yet. I should have." He was starting to feel like this was a mistake. "The middle girl is hearing impaired. She's only four but apparently her and her sister know sign language. Before you ask, yes, I actually do know sign language. That's one thing in my favor."
"I think babies are usually two years old before walking, but I'm not sure. Let me just google it," Sam replied, and Bucky heard him moving around and shuffling things. "Anywhere from 9 months to 18 months so you have a little time."
"I have to find a new place to live, with bedrooms and maybe a yard for the dog. And I suppose the kids want a yard too. I'm never going to find one in Brooklyn," Bucky said, reluctantly. "I have three days before I have to go to Tennessee and pick them up. Then I'm driving back nine to ten hours with a dog and three kids I just met."
"How big is this dog?" Sam asked, and Bucky closed his eyes, then began cursing. "Okay, I'm taking that as another 'I don't know'. Damn Bucky, you didn't ask the right questions."
"Well, next time they give me three kids, I will!"
Sam chuckled at Bucky's complete loss of cool. "Calm down man. You know screaming at me won't fix anything. You need to find out about the dog because there are limits on sizes and breeds if you have a dog and rent an apartment. Maybe it's time you looked outside of Brooklyn. I know it's your old stomping grounds, but that was a long time ago and you're a father of three now. You could find a larger place outside the city."
"Uncle of three. I'm not listing how many greats from this point forward. What do you want me to do? Move to Queens?" Bucky said, totally annoyed. Next Sam would suggest he live upstate. "I'm from Brooklyn and will stay here if I can. I guess I need to call a real estate agent."
"Oh, I know someone you can call! Someone who can relate to what you're going through…"
Bucky was still processing things in his head when he saw a call coming in. "Hey Sam, someone is calling from Tennessee, so I suspect it's the lawyer. I'll call you when I know something."
After talking to the lawyer, he felt better about some things. The parents had left money for the guardians including a hefty sum for Tessa's school and he would probably be able to get a decent sized place and maybe with a yard. He'd just rent for six months or year, so he can find the right place and not just what he could find in three days. The parents must have been well off because the children all had substantial inheritances and college funds, not to mention sizable life insurance. Least he didn't have to worry about paying for college.
Apparently, the original guardians were their grandparents, one who died and the other who had dementia. His multiple-greats nephew must not have changed the will because he thought they had plenty of time. And in their mid-thirties, they should have.
Bucky agreed to sell the business property, but he'd wait on selling the house. He wanted to see if Amy was attached to it, since apparently, she had grown up there. The lawyer would meet with him at the house in four days' time and would arrange for a large van and trailer. He didn't want to have to limit the children to only having so many things they could take. He'd rather they be around familiar things. The lawyer agreed to hire people to pack up their parents' things and rent storage for them until a later date. He also would find a real estate agent to rent out the house and sell the business property. James Barnes V had been a pediatrician with his own practice. The parents also had an accountant who Bucky intended to have him help process all the financial matters, since he already knew what the parents wanted for the kids. He really wanted to make sure he invested the insurance and money from the property wisely for the children. Bucky had never had this kind of money, and he figured he'd have more pressing things to do.
He read the emails from Mrs. Krenshaw and the information the lawyer had sent. He saw there were pictures and he clicked on them. He smiled at the chubby-cheeked, dark-haired baby sucking on a bottle in his father's lap. Bucky studied both the father and son looking for something familiar, but he supposed they were so many generations apart, it's unlikely they would look like his sister. The picture of Tessa revealed she was bursting with personality. Unlike her brother, she was tiny. She had white-blond curly hair and big green eyes, unlike Bucky and his sisters who all had blue eyes, but her hair was similar to Mary. Couples would likely climb over his dead body to adopt these kids, even with Tessa's hearing impairment. Both were beautiful and clearly very cheerful kids plus they were young enough they wouldn't have as much baggage. There were more pictures of the two youngest and their parents. Their mom seemed like she was sweet, attractive, and a hands-on mother.
The next few photos were of Amy. She reminded Bucky of his mother, so much so he felt a little ache. Her long, straight, dark hair and upturned blue eyes, high well-defined cheekbones, little nose and more of a smirk, than a smile. The face was his mother's, the smirk his sister's, and she was tall and thin. Willowy is what he thought people call it. The pictures of her were taken mostly outside where she skated, rode bikes, and swam in a backyard pool with either one of her parents or her little sister. She seemed unreadable unlike her siblings.
The last photos were of the whole family at different holidays or on vacation. Their house intimidated him. Their yard sprawled in every direction. It might even be considered an estate and a mansion, he wasn't sure. Growing up in Brooklyn, Bucky had never even had a yard. How the hell was he going to provide the lifestyle they were used to? Unless he counted Siberia as a holiday, he'd never even been on vacation. His generation went to see family within the state as a 'vacation'. Well, at least the baby might adjust easily.
As soon as he hung up with the lawyer, Bucky called Dr Raynor and left a message asking if she had any suggestions about Amy and if she thought she would need therapy. Bucky wasn't certain he believed in therapy helping but it didn't hurt him at least. And kids aren't as stubborn and set in their ways as he was. Stripping off his clothes, he jumped in the shower before calling a real estate agent. He had seventy-two hours to find a house. Damnit, he forgot to call about the dog's size.
xOxOx
"Sam called and told me what is happening. I'm on my way to the airport with the boys. Sam said you might need help finding a decent house. We'll be there before supper. And thanks for this. If you hadn't gotten three kids, Sam would never have flown us to New York for a week!" Sarah said on his voicemail and Bucky was torn between being amused at Sarah and annoyed with Sam. But he understood Sam attempted to help.
His phone was righting again. He never gets more than a phone call a day and he forgot to change the damn ringtone. Actually, he wasn't sure how to change it. "What? I mean, hello," he said in a rush.
"Is this Bucky Barnes?" The voice sounded like a teenage male. Maybe they gave Amy his number and she had a boy's voice? He decided to be nice just in case.
"Yes, this is him. Who's this?" He realized he was smiling as he said it because apparently, it's that hard for him to be nice without looking ridiculous.
"This is Peter Parker." Bucky thought for a while. Name sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where. "We met in Germany. At the Airport? Also, at the Avengers compound then at Mr. Stark's funeral." Damn he knew he should know, but he didn't. "Spiderman?"
"Oh you! Hey kid, what's up?" Why the hell was Spiderman calling him?
"Oh, nothing big. Just school and all that…" Dead silence then Bucky noticed a woman's voice in the background telling him to tell Bucky something.
"You want to just give her the phone?" Bucky said, resisting the urge to give the kid a hard time.
"Yes, sir," Peter replied, and he heard him saying. "I told you he didn't like me. You should have just called him yourself."
Bucky yelled, "I don't dislike you kid, except when you're throwing me off the second story."
"Hey James. Can I call you James?" a woman said. She didn't sound old enough to be Parker's mother.
"I prefer Bucky, but sure," he replied with a touch of charm. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Parker?"
"Its Ms. Parker but call me May. Sam Wilson got our number from Happy because he remembered that we lived in Queens." Bucky didn't know who Happy was. "He told me what has happened with the kids and I wanted to offer you some help, if you need some." Her voice took on a tender tone when she said, quieter, "My husband and I became Peter's guardians when he was three. Then my husband passed away so I'm raising him by myself too. I can't imagine raising three even with a husband so you're braver than me."
Bucky chuckled nervously. "Well, if I imagine what it will be like, I might not make it through the day."
Laughing, she said, "I'm sure you'll be fine. So, would you like me to show you some neighborhoods in Queens that might work out for you? Sam said you were insisting you wanted to stay in Brooklyn but if not, then I'd be happy to help. Or I have a friend who is a real estate agent part-time. I already talked to her and she said she can should you some family friendly places in both Brooklyn and Queens, even further outside the city if you wanted her to. I didn't know your price range, so I couldn't help her narrow it down at all. I'm texting you her number now."
"Thank you, May. I'm grateful," Bucky said, wondering what on earth he'd done to deserve her help. Maybe she was just a nice lady. Peter seemed polite enough. Bucky kind of regretting attempting to punch him.
"Oh, it's no problem. I know you guys did the hard part protecting us both before and after the Blip. Since Mr. Stark, Ms. Romanoff, and Captain Rogers gone, I guess we all need to stick together. This is the least I can do to help. I told Sam but if you guys ever need Peter in the city, like what happened with the Flag Smashers, don't hesitate calling him. He's literally climbing the walls sometimes." She snorted-laughed and added, "No pun intended. And if you need help with the kids or anything really, don't hesitate to call me. If all else fails, we can get Peter to entertain them."
"Thanks again, May." Bucky truly felt humbled. After she hung up, he saved her and Peter's number in his phone, although he would never willingly add Peter to a mission. He's too damn young.
Maybe Shuri would send some Doras for him. The phone rang again and Bucky wondered if Sam called out the National Guard. Seeing another Tennessee number, he answered it. "Hello?"
"Yes, is this Bucky Barnes?" Sighing, Bucky stretched out his legs and leaned back against the chair.
First the accountant, then the neighbor with their dog who wanted to chat about the children and their parents and, also, 'did he ever see Captain America?' Bucky now knew the dog to be a fifthteen-pound Frenchie. He liked dogs, but he didn't think that was even a real dog, but a designer dog. Mrs. Krenshaw called again. It was an hour later when he finally called the real estate agent. He was actually glad to keep busy, so he didn't think too much about what he was doing. After all, what did he know about kids? He helped with his sisters, but his parents were within shouting distance of them, and now these crazy people in Tennessee were going to give him three kids.
And a fucking designer dog.
Before anyone asks, yes, the name of the fiction is after the song that Sebastian sang on Instagram. I was writing this while listening to youtube video and it auto-played a clip video of him singing I Wanna Know What Love Is by Foreigner. I didn't remember how catchy that song was lol It kind of got stuck in my head. I figured family love is love, too.