"Nora look out!" He shouted.
I turned around and saw one of the Hydra guards from before pointing a gun at me. I didn't have time to move. I heard a gunshot. I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands. Then there was another gunshot.
I was expecting to feel a burning stabbing pain so many people use to describe gunshot wounds but I didn't feel anything. Slowly, I opened my eyes and what I saw was unbelievable. It was something right out of a sci-fi movie. There was a green glowing force field around me. I turned to look at Bucky and saw that he wasn't alone anymore. Steve and the rest of the team were next to him just staring at me. I lowered my arms and started taking deep breaths to try and stay calm. Then the force field disappeared.
"Didn't know you could do that?" Steve said.
"Neither did I." I said trying to get over the shock.
"Are you all right?" asked Bucky coming over and giving me once over just to make sure.
"I'm fine. It should have hit me but it didn't" I told them.
"But it did hit whatever was shielding you." Said Dugan picking up something from the ground then showing it to us. The bullet that was shot at me was crushed.
"Wow." Said Morita.
"How did you do that?" Gabe asked
"I really don't know." I answered still in shock.
"Let's get back to camp. We need to get some rest then move out in the morning." Steve said.
The rest of the walk to camp was quiet. Bucky and Steve were practically glued to my side the entire walk. Once we all talked about what happened while we were split up.
Dugan had hot-wired a car while Steve and Morita covered him. They then drove the truck through the gates and distracted the soldiers long enough for Gabe and Dernier to sneak through. They snuck into the factory and set up the charges.
I needed to check both of their ears since they were both talking louder than normal. There was not blood so luckily not pierced eardrums. Just a bit of swelling that should go down in a few days.
Then it was our turn to tell out side of the story. As soon as Bucky got to the part where we got separated in the forest I started glowing.
"Oh, shit." I said interrupting Bucky's story.
"Nora," Steve said worried and then a look of realization passed his face.
"It's happening again." Bucky said standing up.
"What's happening?" Falsworth asked confused.
"Time Jump." Bucky and Steve answered at the same time.
That's when I got really bright and couldn't see anything. When the brightness finally went away I was back in the kitchen of my house in Texas except I wasn't alone.
"You're back already. Did you get the milk?" The man in my kitchen asked. He had reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. He was a taller than I was by a few inches and had an accent. I'm guessing British.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?" I demanded.
"Nora what are you talking about?" He said finally looking up from the stove and his eyes widening.
"Oh crap. You're not her." He muttered.
"Don't know who you're talking about buddy, but you're in my kitchen and I don't remember ever meeting you or inviting you in so start talking or I'll call the cops." I said making my way towards the phone and knife set.
"Friday a little help." He called out.
"She's not from this time, boss. Judging by her appearance and the clothes she's wearing she came from the 1940's and is Nora from 2011." My robotic butler answered him.
I heard barking and was then tackled by Axl. "Ouch hey buddy." I looked at my dog and he was not the same puppy I left at the dog hotel in 2011.
"Axl off, come on outside." The man from before said. Axl immediately got off of me and obeyed. He never did that in 2011. He basically tried to kill anyone who tried to get near me and here he is playing with this stranger and actually obeying.
"Good to know he still likes you." The guy said trying to lighten the mood.
"Who are you?" I said.
He was about to answer when a little boy walked into the kitchen in his pajamas. He was small, around five years old, with hazel eyes and brown hair. He walked up to me and pulled on my coat. I looked down at him and was utterly terrified. He lifted his arms signaling he wanted to be picked up.
I was about to say no, but the guy gave me a look that practically say 'don't you dare' and I looked down to see the little boy pouting and on the verge of crying. So I put my feeling aside and picked him up and rested him on my hip.
"You okay bud?"
"When is daddy coming?" He asked sleepily.
"His flight lands in a few hours so later"
"Auntie Nora, can Ellie and I watch a movie." He said to me. Who's Ellie? I looked to my left and he just nodded.
"Sure sweetheart." I said putting him down.
"Connor go set up the movie, I'll call you and your sister when breakfast is ready." The guy said giving the little boy a smile.
"Okay." He said and walked to the TV room.
"Explain, Now!" I demanded in a low voice to not scare Connor and Ellie who were apparently somehow my niece and nephew.
"I need to know a few things first."
"Like what."
"What was the last thing that happened before you got here?" He said opening a drawer and pulling out a red journal.
"I was in 1943, the Commandos and I had just taken down the first Hydra base in Greece. I was running in the forest with Bucky to meet up with the rest of the team. We got split up and some guy tried to shoot me. Somehow I was okay and then we regrouped. We were giving a recap and then poof. I was here." I said omitting the part about the force field. Not sure who this guy was can't give him too much info.
"So you stopped the bullet with a force field." He said looking through the notebook.
"How did you know that?" I said surprised he knew that.
"You wrote it down here. Did it so that if something like this, you know meeting a past version of you, happened I wouldn't give away too much information that could alter the timeline." He said.
"Why would I give you that or let alone tell you I can travel through time?" I say.
"Because you trust me just like I trust you. We're really good friends, hell we're housemates. You told me about Bucky and Steve and I told you about being an orphan raised in boarding schools, something I never told anyone. You told me about the time stone and time traveling and I told you about this." He said disappearing into thin air and then appearing next to me.
"Teleporting." I whispered.
"Yes. You don't know me now but you will. And if that's not enough proof there's this." He said taking out a picture from the same drawer. It's a picture of Sam, Jess, Him and me sitting in the booth of a bar. I was wearing a headband that said '21 Bitch' and there was a cake in front of me.
"That's…"
"It hasn't happened yet. It was your 21st birthday and you just wanted a quiet night after a long day at work. I said I would drive and you were in the passenger seat you fell asleep and didn't wake up until we got to that place that sells your favorite loaded potato skins on…"
"Main Street." I finished for him. "I'm guessing we're good friends." I said.
"The best. So much we went to a karaoke bar and did a duet of "You've Got a friend in me". Jess recorded the entire thing. We were pretty blitzed."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Wren. I'm not telling you the rest since you'll find out eventually. Let's not ruin all the surprises." He said with a smirk.
"Well Wren if you're here, and those kids are my niece and nephew…" I start.
"Godson and goddaughter actually, you don't have any blood siblings," he got up and pulled out some mugs for coffee. "you still take your coffee with three creams and two sugars?"
"Yeah just add the…"
"Sugar before the cream. I know. Some things never change." He definitely knows me well. He hands me my favorite mug, a yellow one with "You got this" in white letters.
"So you're also they're uncle?" I ask.
"I'm Ellie's godfather but I'm only Connor's adopted uncle. Can't tell you more than that. Spoilers." That sounded just like what dad said when I saw him the last time I time traveled.
"Okay, so where is future me?" I said and he just sighed.
"What was that?" I said giving him a look knowing something was wrong.
"Before you got here and the kids were still asleep, I gave you some news and you didn't take it well. You grabbed your keys and said you were going out for milk." He said sounding a bit worried.
"Sounds like something I'd do." I say quietly.
"Like father like daughter." He says making me raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"I've met Tony before, you introduced us. Like I said before really close friends." He says giving me a smile.
"I've never told anyone that before, not even Jess." I say.
"I know, you said I had silent bragging rights." Wren said with a chuckle.
"You want to tell me this news that made future me run out of the house."
"Wish I could. But again Spoilers."
"Figures, If its any consolation I probably didn't drive that far away. I'm probably sitting down by the lake processing everything, trying to think of a solution if there is one."
"Thought so. I was going to give you some space before trying to talk to you again."
"Good idea, I don't handle bad news well."
"Now time to deal with your problem." He said.
"You can help me stop the time jumps?" I asked hopefully.
"No, but I can help you with the force fields."
"The time jumps don't ever stop do they?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"They get better over time, from what you've told me anyway." He says trying to ease my worry. "So the force fields are a projection of the energy the the stone. It's similar to the energy from the time jumps with the difference that you can actually control it."
"I don't know how I did it last time. I think it was a fight or flight response."
"That's normal, something similar happened to me and that's how I discovered I could teleport. The key to controlling it is visualization. You channel the energy, and then visualize what you want it to do, and project." He says.
"You make it sound so easy." I retort.
"With a lot of practice it will be."
"Uncle Wren, Is Breakfast ready we're hungry." Said Connor walking into the kitchen with a little girl crawling behind him.
"Hold that thought," He said to me. "What do you feel like eating?" I turned to look at them and as soon as the baby saw me she let out a cry of joy and crawled to me. I couldn't help but smile at the little cutie.
I picked her up and kissed her forehead. "Hi there cutie" I cooed and she started giggling. Something about her seemed so familiar.
"I'll get started on the French toast, go finish the movie." I heard Wren tell Connor.
"Okay," He answered before running off to the TV room. I'm guessing he spends a lot of time here.
"You mind feeding her while I make breakfast." Wren said handing me a Gerber bottle and a spoon.
"Guessing I don't have a choice?" I said.
"Think of it as practice for the future."
"Ha Ha very funny." I said setting the baby down on the high chair.
Wren continued his lecture on channeling and projecting energy as he made breakfast. Half way through feeding Ellie I started getting the chills. Wren noticed.
"It's happening again isn't it." He asked.
"I just got cold." I said.
"Chills down your spine or goosebumps cold." He asked.
"Spine why?"
"That's one of the first symptoms which is good. Time for target practice. Stand up and close your eyes."
I did as he said.
"Take a deep breath and feel the energy. The tingles in you fingers crawling to your center."
I nodded. It felt like ants crawling under my skin to my stomach.
"Now imagine the camp site where all the commandos were at before you left. Imagine being there with Steve and Bucky."
I did and the energy felt warmer. I opened my eyes and saw the glowing again.
"See you in a few years Nora." He said waving.
Then the light got brighter and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again I was back at the camp.
They were sitting around the fire and just stared at me.
"Hey guys." I said walking to sit in between Steve and Bucky. "How long was I gone this time?"
Bucky lifted up his coat sleeve and said. "A little over an hour. You?"
"A little over six hours." I said checking my watch.
"Where did you go this time?" Steve asked.
"I landed in my house in Texas. Some time in the future, not sure exactly the date. Apparently I have a god son and god daughter. Oh and a housemate. Should get the specifics on how that happened next time. Oh I also got some tips on how to control the force fields."
"Hey that's great!" Bucky said.
"Yeah it was pretty good. And I was only gone for an hour. Things are starting to look up." I said faking a smile. I didn't want to let them know how many questions this actually raised. I met Wren in the future, which means at some point I do end up going back. If that happens what does that mean for Bucky and Steve. No, I can't let that happen. The future isn't set in stone. I can still change it. Like my favorite mug said, I got this.
"We should get some sleep we have an early day tomorrow. We have to find the closest allied camp and report to HQ to see if they have any leads." Steve said getting up and pulling me up with him.
"We set up our tent while you were gone doll." Said Bucky.
"Night guys." I said following him to out tent.
"Night fellas," Steve called out. Following after us.
Apparently Dugan was on watch and then Bucky and then Steve. They decided while I was gone. Bucky had two hours to sleep so as soon as he laid down he was out. Since Steve was our improvised space heater he was in the middle. Once he was there Bucky rolled over to get warm. That made us laugh.
"You all right?" Steve asked
"Yeah just been a long day." I said
"You sure?"
"Yeah just have a lot to think about." I said as I cuddled into his side.
"You know you can talk to us about it right?" He said kissing the top of my head. Oh Steve if only you knew.
"What about you? First mission went off without a hitch."
"I wouldn't say it went off without a hitch, you almost got shot." He said pulling me closer.
"Key word being almost." I retort.
"You have no idea how close you came to getting hurt do you?"
"I saw the bullet Steve, I know it was a close call."
"You didn't see the look on Bucky's face, how terrified he was. I haven't seen him make that face since I got pneumonia a couple of years ago. He didn't even make that face when I rescued the both of you in Azzano. You couldn't have felt the pain in my chest when I saw that guy take a shot at you." The look he gave me made me feel so guilty. He had tears in his eyes he was forcing not to fall.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think about that." I said looking away. If I looked at him right now I would cry from the amount of guilt I was feeling.
"You got lucky this time but it could've gone worse." He said
"I'll be more careful. I shouldn't have gotten separated from Bucky in the first place. I got distracted while we were heading back to camp. I thought I saw something and then we got split up. It was my fault."
"I don't want to think about what could've happened. We just found you and…."
"You're not going to loose me. I promise." And all things considered I'm more worried about loosing you two, I think to myself. "but if for whatever reason that were to happen, I'd want the two of you to move on." I say.
"What?!" He says shocked I'd even mention something like that.
"If you two make it out of this mess without me, I'd want you two to move on with your lives. Go on and do whatever you were thinking before you joined the army. Go back to art school or something. Make sure Bucky does too he's got a brain for numbers he could be a great student if he worked for it."
"Nora…"
"I'm serious Steve. We're in a war and no matter how much we hope it doesn't happen there's always that possibility."
"Where is this coming from?" He asks.
"If there is one thing I learned today is that tomorrow is not a sure thing for anyone. If it wasn't for my dumb luck I would be dead." I felt him shiver when I said that. "And it's the same for you or Bucky. So promise me that if worse comes to worse you'll look after each other and move on."
"Nora, I…"
"Steve, Please, for me?" I say trying to hold back the tears.
"Okay, I promise. Bucky's going to be harder to convince." He says
"I know, I'll talk to him when I get the chance but for now lets get some sleep. You have to be up in a few hours."
"I know. Same for you. Night beautiful."
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Night Handsome." I said resting my head on his chest and resting my hand on Bucky's.
I really didn't want to have to say that but as of now anything's possible.
2011- Tony's POV.
The clean up for the entrance to the lower levels was going slow. Too slow. I could've done it myself but no, I didn't have a structural engineering degree and would compromise the structural integrity of the already fragile structure.
So here I am waiting for these amateurs to come up with a plan.
Out of nowhere the suit started beeping.
"Jarvis, find anything?" I asked.
"Sir the signal from the tracker on Miss Stark's necklace is not on the premises."
"Could just be interference from all the rubble blocking the signal."
"That is highly unlikely. The military grade transceiver you used in the tracker would prevent that from occurring. There is also another thing."
"What?" I said dreading whatever Jarvis was about to tell me.
"The roster for the conference said there were 45 people in attendance but only 44 heat signatures have been detected."
"Run it again." I demanded.
"I have run it three time sir." This isn't good.
"Jarvis scan the entrance and tell me the best way to move the rubble. I need to get in there now."