After spending most of the morning finishing the packing of the kids' beds and stuff from the house, then the rest of the morning on the phone about the orphanage issue, Bucky was finally ready to run by and talk to Mrs. Krenshaw in person. He could have left it to the authorities, but he wouldn't want to deprive himself of that pleasure. Beth had taken the children to see their grandparents since she knew them. She warned him that the grandparents most likely not remember who they were. Their mental state had declined so dramatically, made even worse by their daughter's death. Bucky warned Amy, but she still wanted to go, so he let them.
The task he had to accomplish before he left the house proved to be the hardest thing he had to do since he arrived in Tennessee. Beth had gotten some tranquilizers for the cat and dog and recommended he give it to them at least an hour before he left. The dog was fine. He ate the peanut buttered pill like it was the best thing he'd tasted and wanted another. The cat… why he had agreed to the cat, he didn't know… took him twenty minutes to give the pill. Most of the time, he was chasing after the cat. At one point, he even lunged for it and missed, falling flat on his face. Bucky doesn't miss and he sure as hell doesn't fall facedown. They're just not things he does. Sam would have a field day with that.
Every time he got the cat, he did what Beth said: opened the cat's mouth, pop the pill in and rub its throat until he swallowed. Great in theory! The first few times, the cat struggled away before he could rub its throat and the pill ended up on the carpet. Then a few times he was sure the cat had swallowed only to let go of him and the cat let the pill fall out of his mouth. And every time, the cat hauled ass after spitting up the pill. Bucky was pretty sure carpet fuzz covered the pill, but that's not his problem if the cat wants to spit it out. He had at least ten scratches on his right arm and hand. He laughed in victory when the cat scratched the vibranium arm. "Serves you right, you fucking demon spawn. You fur bag from hell." Finally, he achieved the impossible, drugging the cat, and Bucky felt like he needed a nap or a drink. Sadly, alcohol no longer affected him much.
Putting the dog and Satan's spawn in their carriers, he grabbed his keys and left. When he arrived at the Children's Services, a middle-aged man and a younger woman met him. The man came forward saying, "Good morning, Mr. Barnes. I'm Mr. Taylor. I report to the Deputy Commissioner in Tennessee's Department of Child's Services. He received your report from the Commission, who assigned Ms. Lawson and myself to resolve this situation. We handled seriously your complaint, especially since we received a couple of calls from Washington. You have friends in high places." The man smiled, and it was clear he admired that fact, rather than being annoyed by it.
"What will happen from now on?" Bucky asked, just hoping they took it as seriously as he said.
"In cases like these, they send someone here like Ms. Lawson to fill in for Mrs. Krenshaw while the matter is being investigated. We come in right away without notifying the person under investigation, so there is no question of records being altered, deleted, etc. We have had a few complaints about Mrs. Krenshaw, but nothing as serious as this, of course, or she wouldn't still be in her position."
"After what she did to separate a disabled child and put her in the care of someone not equipped to communicate with her, wasn't that a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act? I imagine if so, it would be in your office's best interest to handle this quickly to avoid a lawsuit. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to deal with a lawsuit either. But I want Mrs. Krenshaw to face consequences and never have interactions with at-risk children ever again." Bucky's not so subtle threat got attention, he could see. He hoped he didn't have to sue. "After all, we can't undo the damage and emotional trauma she put these kids through. What about the foster parents?"
Ms. Lawson spoke, for the first time. "Unfortunately, that will be more difficult. The foster parent didn't cause the injuries. It was another child. Granted the foster parent should have been more attentive to the kids, but it's impossible to watch children every minute of every day. I think all parents, foster or by birth, have had similar things happen in their care. But the Jones are very well-respected foster parents with an unblemished record. He's a doctor, she speaks Spanish and can also use sign language. Not to mention some of her foster children have grown up in her care since they were infants and one of them is physically disabled and another one mentally disabled. An investigation will be done but we won't remove the current foster kids until we have a better awareness of the situation there and see there is a serious problem. What Mrs. Jones did by not telling you about the incident before you found the bruises, made it look far worse than it was, I think. But we're not taking any chances and it will be investigated."
Bucky supposed she was right. Kids will argue and hurt each other. She should have been watching them but he knew in the last couple of days he wasn't watching Amy every moment because she was mature for her age and he felt sure she was fine on her own, especially in her own house. And he didn't want to deprive DCS of their only foster parents capable of sign language who also had disabled children in the house.
"We might need to interview the girls, especially the older one. But we can do it via video call since I know you're moving them out of state. Would that be acceptable?" Mr. Taylor asked.
"As long as I am present. And if it starts upsetting her, it ends immediately. She's suffered enough in the last month," Bucky stressed his response. "Can I speak to Mrs. Krenshaw before you tell her?"
After a pause, Mr. Taylor relented, "You may speak to her but one of us would need to be present in case she revealed something more. Ms. Lawson can go with you. Betty doesn't know her. Let's go inside and I'll wait in the hall."
They left Mr. Taylor sitting on a bench in the hall. Ms. Lawson kept glancing at him before she finally chuckled. "I can't help noticing that you're very eager to warn Betty Krenshaw of her fate."
Bucky smiled before explaining. "These kids have been through hell in the last month and her mistreatment of them was at a time when they were the most fragile."
"It's a relief they have such a good protector now and a superhero as well," she replied. "You seem to be already attached to them yet I thought I read you only met them in two days ago."
Bucky smiled a little and replied, "If you met these kids, you'd understand. And I don't really consider myself a superhero." They reached Mrs. Krenshaw's door and since it was open, Bucky walked right in. She quickly rose and greeted him warily.
"Sit back down," he said, his face stormy. "I've filed an official complaint against you and your agency about how you mistreated those poor kids. How dare you separate Tessa from the others and put her somewhere she couldn't communicate with anyone because no one could sign? Do you realize I could sue you and this whole agency for violating her rights because of the Americans with Disabilities Act? Why did you have to separate them at all? I know you have this place separated by age, and I can even understand putting the baby with other babies, I don't like it but I could understand it, but don't you think you could make an exception with these traumatized girls, especially one who had a disability."
"Mr. Barnes, I don't… know what you've been told… but the children were fine separated. And no one in the agency can sign, so even if she had been with her brother and sister, she wouldn't have had an interpreter," Mrs. Krenshaw stuttered with a visible cringe at his anger.
"Amy can sign, so she should have stayed with Tessa to help her communicate. Tessa is back to wetting the bed, because of your actions. Let's talk about how you told Amy, I wouldn't want her because she was older. That girl lived in fear you or I would separate her from her siblings for good and she could remain in this system. A place where she was treated with no care or regard for her situation and a bully could hurt her. You even told me she was a problem child, and she is the sweetest, least troublesome little girl. Both of my girls are sweet and lovable and you treated them like they were a problem after they lost the two most important people in their lives. And you prevented them from going to their own parents' funeral. I cannot understand what benefit that was to anyone. It was flat out cruelty," Bucky fumed. Without thinking, he hit his vibranium hand onto her desk. Not full force luckily, but it left a sizable hole. Both women jumped in surprise.
"Mr. Barnes…" Ms. Lawson's tone was an attempt at a warning, but Bucky could tell he scared her, too.
"Forgive me," he said directly to her and nodded to her in a way he hoped she understood he had it under control. "I would like to know why your people removed from their home. They were being cared for by a woman who had cared for them all their lives. A couple two doors down applied for emergency fostering. These people knew and loved these kids and their parents, plus they could all sign. But yet, despite all this, you took the kids away almost immediately after their parents died, traumatizing them further with apparently no cause."
"Mr. Barnes, we don't normally let children remain with a housekeeper after their parents' death. I find it disturbing you think these kids should have been at the funeral in the first place. They're too young and don't understand death," she said in a way that made Bucky feel like she thought he was stupid.
"Amy is eleven. She understands death just fine. But all of their parent's friends, fellow church members, and other special people in their lives were there and seeing them would have been good for the girls, but yet you forbid it." She opened her mouth to argue more, and Bucky held up his hand. "Don't say another word in defense of your actions because the damage is done. They can't go back and attend their parents' funeral. They likely will not see their parents' friends again except their housekeeper and the neighbor, who was their mother's closest friend. The trauma they suffered here cannot be undone. Tessa can't just get over what she suffered. But at least I can make sure this doesn't happen to other children like them." He paused and waited for Ms. Lawson to speak.
She stepped outside and signaled Mr. Taylor, then turned around to say, "Due to the serious complaints about the three Barnes children, including violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act protecting Tessa Barnes, there will be an investigation into your conduct."
As soon as Mr. Taylor walked in, Mrs. Krenshaw's face drained of all color. "Good morning Betty. I'm afraid that this issue is too serious to do an investigation while you remain working. You will be put on administrative leave effective right now. Before you leave, you need to give us anything you have belonging to this office, including but not limited to your laptop, and any agency provided cell phone. You need to stand up and step away from your desk and computer. Ms. Lawson will assume your duties immediately. If this investigation determines that you are at fault, you could face termination. Because of the violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, you could face additional penalties or be sued. Now please stand up and retrieve your laptop and phone plus any documents you have in your bag."
Mrs. Krenshaw started crying and sputtering excuses and pleading with Mr. Taylor. Bucky felt he had said enough. "Mr. Taylor, Ms. Lawson, thank you for your help in settling this matter. You have my contact information if you need anything further and I would appreciate being notified of any significant updates in the investigation. Oh, and send me the bill for a new desk." He shook both their hands and glanced over at Mrs. Krenshaw, sitting there pitifully crying. He normally would feel sympathy for her, but she hurt his kids, so his compassion was non-existent.
x0x0x
When he got back, Beth told him that the grandparents did seem to recall Amy a bit but referred to her as Lisa sometimes, thinking she was their daughter. Luckily it wasn't a stressful visit for the kids. Marta arrived to move back into the house to wrap things up there for Bucky. He let the kids spend time with them for a short time while he fed the baby.
Bucky gave the girls the gifts he'd brought them and they opened the excitedly. He had given them things to do on the trip. Tessa crawled in his lap to hug him as a thank you. He kissed her forehead and cuddled her for a few moments. Bucky knew at this point he totally adored these kids. In two short days, they had snuck into his heart. Amy came up quietly, as was her way, and hugged him. Bucky was always a bit more cautious with Amy because she was so skittish, but he kissed her on the top of the head when he returned her hug.
Marta was crying when Bucky looked up. He asked her what was wrong and she said, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just so glad that they have someone who genuinely cares about them and will do everything they can to make them happy. When I heard you were going to be the guardian, I had no idea what to expect but if they can't be here, I'm glad they're with you."
"I promise I'll bring them back when I can. And you're welcome to contact them anytime as well. I am really glad I met you and of course, Beth and your husband, John. It's nice to know there were people fighting for these kids from the first day. I'm just sorry the system made a mess of it. But Mrs. Krenshaw won't be working with children in the future, I don't think. Now, I hate to say it, but we need to get on the road. I've got to feed these two some lunch before we go, but then we'll be on the road." He turned to the girls and said, "Girls, you need to say your goodbyes."
While Bucky loaded the cat and dog into the mini-van, Beth and Marta hugged and cuddled the kids for a little bit and each of them hugged Bucky when he came inside, promising that they would take care of the house and if he needed anything with the kids to give them a call. He felt like he left the house in good hands. The lawyer had called and said the business had already sold to the doctor's office next door who wanted to expand. It was quite a lot of money so Bucky told him to give him a few days to talk to the accountant about where to deposit the money. He was going to have to dig into the financials at some point and find out what was where and how much. Although there was a fund for him to use on the kids, he wanted to use that money as little as possible. It was good to have that safety net and he might need the funds set aside for Tessa's school. Plus, he felt Amy would likely want to go to the private schools nearby. He found out last night they were Episcopalians which was good because that's probably the only church that Catholics felt comfortable with so she might be able to go to the Catholic's private school without converting. Once again, another thing he needed to research. Right now, he was just ready to go home.
After they stopped for lunch and got on the road, the girls watched a movie then Tessa fell asleep. Amy just watched another movie while she was coloring. He's check on them often but they were asleep or quiet. He made good time for almost four solid hours when the baby started crying and both girls needed to go to the bathroom. After they stopped at a park so they could run around for a while and eat a snack, the trip became a little less calm. Jamie stayed cranky and seemed unlikely to fall sleep. Tessa was restless and kept kicking the back of his seat so she could sign to him in the mirror. Amy tried to get her to stop but it continued. The cat was howling too. Bucky wondered if he actually gotten the cat drugged because he still should be knocked out. He stopped before he got to DC and found a nice hotel with an indoor pool that Bucky stayed in sometimes. It had a mall and restaurants next door. It was in an affluent area and was complete with a valet. He didn't want to try and juggle three kids, a dog, a cat, and get a folding crib and their bags out of the back.
"Sir, we can have a crib sent to your room if you'd like," the valet told him.
Bucky nodded. "I know, but who knows what germs are over it." When he looked at the guy, he caught his amused expression. "I know. I know, who knows who slept in the beds too. I've seen the specials."
"Yes, sir." A porter came out and took the things and the pets from Bucky and he picked up Tessa. He was lucky they accepted pets. After checking in, he let Tessa run around the suite while Amy looked out the window and Bucky fed Jamie.
"Is that Washington, DC?" Amy asked, pointing toward the Washington Monument in the distance.
"Yep. Have you guys ever been to DC?" he asked.
"No. We were going to go when Jamie turned two. I guess we won't be able to go now," she said, returning to looking out the window. "My dad wanted to see your section in the museum."
Instantly, Bucky wanted to take her to DC. But he couldn't imagine trying to do it by himself with Jamie and Tessa. "I'll tell you what. I'll take you guys to National Mall and you can see the outdoor monuments. I don't think Jamie or Tessa will go through a museum right now. But we have time to do the monuments."
Amy's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Can we see the White House too?"
"We'll be able to see it, but we can't take the tour tomorrow. We'll come back in the summer with a babysitter and stay a week," he promised. "I might even get you a special tour if some of my friends can help us out."
"Thank you!" she squealed and told Tessa. Tessa was a lot less impressed. She was hungry and fed up with everyone right now. Today was proof she wasn't always bubbly.
"Where do you want to go for dinner? I think that book tells you what is next door at the mall." He wondered if he was making a mistake giving them so many options. Of course, they disagreed. Tessa told him in no uncertain terms that she wanted Pizza Hut. "We just had pizza two days ago. What did you want Amy?"
"Sushi," she said, and he laughed when Tessa imitated throwing up. Amy rolled her eyes and looked at the book again. "Or maybe Olive Garden."
"Perfect! Everybody wins," he said and chuckled because Tessa was still trying to make her case for Pizza Hut. He signed back that Olive Garden had pizza, and it was either Olive Garden or sushi and if she was good, he'd take them swimming afterwards. Immediately, she stopped pouting. Apparently, he had to be prepared to bribe her at all times.
While they were at Olive Garden, Bucky caused a bit of a stir unintentionally, making him wish they had gotten room service. He used to move around without people noticing him because when they fought Thanos, he had long hair and the press caught all of them in pictures. But he forgot that the Flag Smashers thing happened his hair was the same as it was now and he had ended up on TV a few times during that fiasco.
"You're so much cuter in person, but I liked the long hair. It really gives you the bad boy sexiness," their server said with a giggle. If she was eighteen, he'd be surprised.
"Thank you," he answered, unsure what to say to that comment when he wasn't trying to flirt with the person, rather the child.
She looked at the kids, then at his hand and said, "Oh, you're not wearing a ring because of the metal hand. I didn't know you had kids though."
"I'm not married. But yes, these are… children," he answered. He almost said 'his children', but he didn't know how Amy would feel about that, so he needed a diversion. "Can we get some drinks and breadsticks or something?"
"He's our uncle," Amy explained, then looked at him. "Can we have chocolate milk?"
"Are you sure? Have you ever had chocolate milk with Italian food? It would be pretty gross," he asked with a smile. "You can have it, but do you want lemonade or raspberry lemonade instead?" Jamie decided he wanted to climb on the table from his booster seat. Bucky asked for a high chair as he grabbed the baby. When the server brought over the high chair, Tessa started pointing at things on the menu. He glanced at it and then asked Amy, "Can you tell your sister that she can have that?" He put the baby in the high chair, thrilled it had a seat belt.
"Can I touch your arm?" the waitress asked as she was reaching out to touch his arm. He almost died when she then slipped him a piece of paper with a phone number on it and gave him a big smile.
At this point, he had to just ignore her and her adoring looks or she'd end up in his lap. She didn't seem to care that she was doing this in front of three children. "Amy, do you know what you want?"
After the finished ordering and the waitress left, Amy looked at him funny. "I think she likes you."
Bucky struggled to be diplomatic. "I already have two young girls in my life. I don't need a third."
"You know, I heard there was someone here posing as an Avenger. But I never suspected it was you," a vaguely-familiar voice said from behind him. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Rhodey, "Whose kids did you steal?"
"Good to see you, man. Technically am I an Avenger? I don't even know. No one ever told me the secret handshake or anything," Bucky stood up and shook his hand. "They are giving kids away in Tennessee. These are mine apparently. I just claimed them. I'm surprised Sam didn't send you a blast text as he's my new social director."
"He's your social director and now you have three kids? Good to note."
"My great-great nephew passed away and I was their only blood relative," he kept his voice low.
"Wow. Father of three kids overnight. It's unreal that you're the only blood relative after two generations," Rhodey said. "But it's good that you're taking them in. Foster care would be difficult for them to stay together."
"Yeah. It was hard for them the few weeks they were in it. But they're great kids, so I'm very lucky," he admitted, turning to look at the kids. "I mean, it's a change of course, but I've been with them for three days and they're still alive so I think I got it under control." He couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you want to join us?"
"Are you an Avenger too?" Amy asked with a smile. "You're War Machine, aren't you?" Naturally, Rhodey sat beside her.
"I am. How did you recognize me without the suit?"
"I have all the Hero trading cards." Both Bucky and Rhodey looked at her strangely. "They have a picture of you in your regular clothes on one side and you in your uniform or suit on the other."
"There are trading cards? Like baseball cards?" Bucky asked, completely surprised.
"I don't know what baseball cards are, but these are like the size of the cards you use when you play go-fish. And you have to get a pack of three random ones. I had so many duplicates, but my dad went on eBay to get the final two that no one I knew had. It's almost impossible to get Black Widow and Iron Man." When she realized they were looking at her in disbelief, she added, "All the kids at school had them. They also came out with action figures. Originally, they only had the Avengers but after you defeated Thanos, they began having a lot of different ones."
Rhodey looked at him and laughed. "Who is making money off this merchandizing, because I'm not getting a cut at all?" Looking at Amy, he said, "So am I your favorite?"
Bucky saw Amy hesitate because he knew Rhodey wasn't her favorite and she was smart enough to know it would insult him. So, she smiled sweetly and said, "I like all the Avengers, but of course Bucky is my favorite." Smart little girl.
"Well, you're biased, but I guess it's expected." He talked to Tessa and Amy signed for him. Bucky was glad because frequently Tessa looked left out. Hopefully Shuri would change that. Until then, he just had to make sure she didn't feel left out. Amy was pretty good about including her. Losing their parents and being in the foster care system bonded them a lot, he suspected.
The server brought their drinks, and Rhodey ordered a drink and his food. He and Bucky chatted throughout dinner and as long as they were eating, the kids were good. When Tessa stopped eating because she 'was full', Rhodey said he'd show her a magic trick if she ate five more bites. He did three tricks before she decided she really was full. Bucky made a mental note to learn magic tricks before the child starved. Rhodey was actually good with kids. Not so good with Jamie though, after he bounced him a few times too many and got spit up on. Bucky bit back a laugh.
A woman came up and said, "Good evening. I'm the Night Supervisor and I just wanted to let you know your meal is on the house, gentleman. It's an honor to serve you."
"I appreciate it, but you don't need to do that," Bucky said, giving her one of his trademark charming 'aw shucks' smiles. This woman was actually an adult and very pretty too, with long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and an amazing smile.
"I insist. If you'd like to earn it, there are some people in the reception area that wanted to meet you and maybe take some pictures." She met Bucky's gaze confidentially. He realized she'd just suckered him. Damnit, he hated doing photos.
"I don't know how I can manage three kids and pose for photos. Rhodey, feel free to work off our tab," he said picking up Jamie.
"Are you really going to hide behind a baby?" Rhodey asked shaking his head.
"Sure am. He's a small but effective as a shield. Girls, are you guys ready?" He dropped a twenty on the table for a tip and he let Tessa and Amy take a few selfies with Rhodey. He even took one on his phone, which Bucky thought was nice.
The woman returned with an unhappy look on her face. "Mr. Barnes, Mr. Rhodes, someone called the press. I'm sorry if it was one of our staff but there is no way of knowing who it was,"
Looking down at the kids, Bucky quickly said, "There has to be a back door. I don't want the press around these kids. And we still have to walk to the hotel."
"I'll go out and distract them. It was good to see you, man. Take care of these guys. Bye, girls." Rhodey smoothly went towards the entrance after the girls said goodbye.
The supervisor led them to the backdoor. Bucky thanked her then opened the door, only to have a few photographers snap his picture. Apparently, they knew about the back door as well. Putting his hand up in front of the lens. "Don't take pictures of the kids. If I hear a sound from you or see the camera up to your face, I break it or your face," he growled at the guy. Glancing to the side, he told Amy to take her sister's hand, then he grabbed Tessa's other hand.
He kept walking, and the questions just blurred together. Are these your children, Bucky? Are you still in touch with Sam Wilson? Any news about the original Captain America? Are you still in contact with Steve Rogers? Have you heard the news about Wanda Maximoff? Why are you in Washington, DC? Will you or Sam Wilson take over leadership of the Avengers? Are you still considered the Winter Soldier?
A car came screeching up, and he heard, "Come on. Get in." He saw the supervisor waving him over.
He opened the back door for the girls and heard a click. Turning away from them, he grabbed the camera that was up to someone's face, jerking it away, crushing and dropping it. "I'm pretty sure I warned you."
Quickly, he jumped into the front seat. "Thank you. But if you drive away now, it will be all over the press that I rode with a baby in my lap. And right now, you're a mystery woman. If they can get a picture of you, they will. I'm sorry." He looked out the window and there were only two photographers now, but a bunch of reporters. "If you can hold the baby, I have an idea."
She took Jamie then said, "You won't crush people, will you?"
Smirking, he said, "Well, it's tempting, but no. I'm just going to give them what they want. Try to keep your head down and cover his face." Looking back at the girls, he realized they couldn't see Tessa because of her height, but he told Amy, "Keep your face down, sweetie, okay? I'll just be a few minutes, I promise. Don't worry. Can you keep Tessa calm?" Amy nodded, but both girls looked pretty afraid.
Getting out of the car, Bucky said, "If I let you ask me a few questions, not about the kids, will you leave?"
They agreed to it and Bucky walked to the other side of them so they weren't facing the car. He took about twenty questions before he stopped. He ignored all questions about Steve or the kids. When asked about his relationship status, he said it was private. Usually he said single but since he had three kids with him, he left it up in the air so they knew as little as possible about them. He let the two camera men left take a few pics then he waited until they left.
When he got back to the car, Tessa was crying and he picked her up to comfort her. Amy didn't look good either so he went over to her side and said, "It's alright. They're gone. They weren't going to hurt you. Sadly, the press is kind of nosy and they wanted to take pictures of us."
The supervisor got out of the car and handed him Jamie. "This one is about to fall asleep."
"Thank you for your help. I don't even know your name and you really saved my as…butt."
"I'm Sandy. It's fine. It was really nothing. I saw how worried you were and I didn't want the kids to get upset. But I guess I need to get back. It was a pleasure, Mr. Barnes."
"Please, call me Bucky."
"Bucky, if you're ever in DC again, drop by Olive Garden," she said with a smile. "I'll even give you some free breadsticks and unlimited salad."
"Wow, what a deal! I'll do that." He chuckled. "If you're ever in Brooklyn…"
"You could give her your number," Amy suggested innocently.
"Like the lady said," Bucky rattled off his number and Sandy texted him. Stressing she really had to go, he opened her car door for her and watched her drive away, then they walked the short distance to the hotel.
"So, you like her?" Amy asked. Apparently, she had a vested interest in him dating someone.
"Amy, she lives here and I live in Brooklyn. It would be difficult to date her. Besides, right now, my focus is on you three kids. It's not the time to date someone now. Like I said, I have two girls in my life now and that's enough for now."
They made it back to the hotel without another incident, and he took the girls swimming in the indoor pool. Luckily, Tessa and Amy could swim, so he didn't have to worry about holding them, just watching them. It thrilled Jamie to be in the water. Tessa amused him when she asked if his arm would rust. He said Amy, looking at the scars. He let them burn up some energy, so when they got back upstairs, he could order a movie and get them to fall asleep watching it. Jamie fell asleep eating, so it was an early night for everyone.
A tremendous storm ruined their plans for the next day. He drove them past the White House and the Capital and promised to return in the summer. The storm added to his driving time, too. Amy told him that her dad used to make the whole car sing on trips. So Bucky did something he never thought he'd do. He hosted a sing-a-long. But Tessa's face in the mirror hurt his soul. She didn't complain or anything, just once again looked left out. He made it in good time once he got away from the storm and avoided traffic, thankfully.
Pulling into the drive, Bucky saw Sam was there and someone else. "We're home." Everyone was tired and just ready to get out of the car. Sam, AJ, Cass, and Sarah came running out with Mae and Peter as well. Bucky introduced the kids to his friends. Tessa got very shy and hid behind him most of the time, but Sarah gave him a big hug before she took the baby while AJ and Cass talked to Amy. Mae hugged him, then crouched down to talk to Tessa. Bucky didn't know if Tessa caught much, but she did real lips a little. Peter gave him a wave and chatted up the kids. Sam smiled and asked him about the trip.
Eventually, they made it to the house with all of their things. The house was full of purple and pink balloons, streamers, and a huge Welcome Home sign plus food and a pink cake. Mae took the baby from Sarah, so she snatched up Tessa. She couldn't talk to her, but she just carried her around. Eventually, Tessa was laughing at Sarah. At one point, Bucky showed the girls around the house and they seemed relieved they were sharing a room. They'd have to sleep on the inflatable mattresses until tomorrow, but Tessa seemed excited about that. They took Otis outside to play with AJ and Cass. It seemed like they were okay, for now at least. Bucky breathed a sigh of relief.
Eventually, Tessa came into the house for a drink and, seeing how tired she was, he picked her up after she finished. As she rested her rested her head on his shoulder, Bucky watching his friends playing with Jamie and talking, he felt very content, possibly even happy. He grew up in a noisy, happy home and after the decades of silence in Siberia and the previous six months of living alone, he felt like he was starting a new chapter in his life. Maybe now, he could close the chapter of guilt and self-punishment so he could put everything into these kids who needed it more than he needed to feel guilt.