Hey all, just wanted to apologize for the delay. Had some errands to run but I finally got this done. I just want to give you all a heads up this chapter has some smut at the end. Its marked so if your not into it feel free to skip it. Anyway enjoy. :)
As Gramps predicted Peggy waited until after takeoff to start her interrogation. She was shocked to learn we actually managed to find the shop and Amara. She was even more surprised when we told her about Katya and her experience being the host of the time stone.
"You found the previous host of the stone?! That's great. Did she tell you anything that could help you control it?" She asked.
"Not exactly. When we found her she was catatonic. She couldn't keep her thoughts straight. The power of the stone and everything she saw drove her insane. She was drawing things she had seen, some that still hadn't happened. She was trying to say something but her thoughts kept getting mixed up so I told her sister I wanted to get into her head and talk to her." I said.
"Get into her head?" She asked.
"She drank some tea that knocked her out and put her in a coma for a week" Gramps blurted out.
"You drank some tea some stranger who threw a knife at you when you first met, gave you," She started before Gramps interrupted her.
"With the hair of an insane woman." Gramps oh so casually mentioned. I forgot how cranky he got when he was sleep deprived and on a plane he wasn't piloting.
"They put the hair in the tea?" Peggy said a bit grossed out.
"I'll admit the tea tasted horrible but it did work." I said.
"You have any idea how mad this all sounds? That tea could have been poisoned for all you know." She says a bit annoyed at my recklessness.
"Peggy it was the only shot we had to get any answers and no matter how illogical it sounded, has anything that's happened to me the past couple of months followed normal logic?" I said.
"It hasn't but that is still no excuse to be taking needless risks. You do enough of that when you're on the front lines Nora." She chastised. I had to admit she was right there.
The rest of the plane ride was fairly quiet. Gramps snoring was the only thing you could hear for most of it.
Jarvis met us at the airport and gave us a ride back to the hotel. Gramps gave him the rest of the day off and Peggy went back to the office. She had to tell Colonel Philips Gramps was back. She told me she expected us at headquarters bright and early the next morning.
Gramps and I just groaned. We marched into the elevator and to the suite. I knocked out until the next morning when Jarvis got there to wake us up. I was surprised to see Gramps up so early. He was packing up a briefcase when I walked in.
"Morning." I said.
"Morning, you seem happy this morning." He said.
"I wouldn't say I'm happier, I just feel… lighter." I said sitting down while Jarvis poured me some coffee.
"Lighter?" He asked confused.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I still need to sort thing out with Steve and Bucky, especially since I haven't seen them since the day I left but after seeing everything I saw in Katya's subconscious and my little chat with the stone, I got perspective."
"Perspective?"
"I saw what knowing too much about your own future did to Katya. She became consumed with changing something that she couldn't accept and it drove her insane. I'm not going to let the same thing happen to me. I'll find a way to stop it but I won't let it dictate my entire life." I said.
"That's good, because we have other things to worry about. First you have to talk to Barnes and Rogers."
"I know. I just don't know exactly what to say. I can't really tell them the real reason I left without disrupting the timeline." I said.
"Then don't tell them that. Tell them you love them and tell them everything I imagine you put into these letters," He said handing me the letters I wrote a weeks ago incase I never woke up. "With the exception of you saying goodbye of course."
"Think that'll be enough?" I said.
"You didn't see them after you left, you just saying hi will be enough." He said taking a sip of his coffee.
"I hope you're right."
"I am, now go get your coat, if we're late we'll never hear the end of it." He said. He may be in his twenties but he does have his old man moments.
"I just need a sec." I said taking one last sip from my coffee before going to grab my purse and coat.
One short drive, we were standing right in front of the entrance to SSR Headquarters.
"Time to go in," Gramps said.
"I know." I said just looking forward.
"Your meeting's in five minutes." He said looking at his watch.
"It is."
"Time to put one foot in front of the other and get in there. You're not going to talk about your relationship just battle plans. You can do this."
"I can do this."
"Yes you can, Perspective remember?"
"Yeah lets go." I said walking in.
I walked down the hall past all the receptionists to the conference room. Everyone was already sitting down and the only seat open was in between Steve and Bucky. So much for baby steps.
As I sat down everyone was quiet.
"Hey guys, how was you time off?" I said trying to break the silence.
"Good."
"It was fine."
"the usual."
"Ready to kick hydra butt"
They all answered. The room was awkwardly quiet. I had never been so happy to see Colonel Philips walk in.
"Alright men, and woman." He greeted. "I hope you enjoyed your time off because it'll be the last time you'll be in London for a while. The Intel you gathered in Poland had information on two Hydra bases. One in Poland and the other in France. Ideally we would've had you take out the remaining base in Poland but as you saw last time you were there, relations and collaboration with the Russians have not been going well. Not only that but the base is heavily fortified and extremely well guarded. Its miles away from the front lines and there is no way to get support out there to help you take it down.
So instead you're being shipped out to France. The Allies have taken back Paris and the South of the country so getting you into the country won't be a problem. We still don't have the exact location of the base but you should have no trouble finding out once you're on the ground. The allies are being based in Paris along with some of our intelligence officers. You'll coordinate with them once you get there. Your plane leaves 0800-tomorrow morning. Don't be late. Captain Rogers has all the contact information you'll need once you get to Paris. With that being said you're dismissed." He said nodding at Steve and walking out.
"I guess I'll see you all tomorrow" Said Gabe.
"Oui" Said Dernier following him out.
"Have a good day." Said Morita standing up with Falsworth following him off with a wave to us.
"Gonna hit the pub while I still can, Barnes, Rogers, Nora." Dugan said tipping his hat before leaving
I stood up and was about to say something before Steve beat me to it.
"How've you been? Haven't seen you in a week." Steve said.
"I'm good, been doing some research, took a trip to Dublin, was in a coma for the past week." I answered muttering that last part.
"Coma?" Steve asked confused.
"Are you okay?" Bucky asked looking worried.
"I'm fine it's just kind of a long story." I said.
"You want to give us a bit more than that?" Bucky said.
"I do, just not now, not here anyway. If you're not busy, would you like to maybe grab some lunch and we can go somewhere and talk?" I asked awkwardly. It used to be so easy to talk to them. Now I can't even ask them on a simple lunch date.
"Yeah of course." Steve said.
"Steve was going to make Lasagna for lunch. You want to come over? We can eat and talk without anyone overhearing." Bucky said.
"Sounds great. I haven't had a home cooked meal in a while. Plus Lasagna's my favorite." I said giving him a small smile.
"Perfect, you want to head over with us or meet us there?" Steve asked.
"I'll meet you there, got to let gramps know where I'll be. Need me to grab anything on my way there?" I ask.
"We got everything, just bring your gorgeous self over." Bucky said smiling.
"You're such a flirt." I said not being able to take the smile off my face.
"It's not flirting if it's the truth." He responds.
"I'll see you both there," I said walking out of the conference room and going to find Gramps.
He was exactly where I expected to find him, sitting behind a desk buried under piles of paperwork.
"How was the meeting?" He greeted when he saw me come in.
"It was good. We leave for France tomorrow." I said.
"That's good. Might pop over myself now that it's not controlled by Nazis" he said.
"Sounds fun. I'm going to have lunch with Steve and Bucky. Steve's making Lasagna. I'm heading over to the apartment." I said.
"I'm guessing that means you'll be staying the night." Gramps said.
"It's just lunch, we're gonna talk things out." I explained.
"Uhuh, I'm not waiting up for you. I can bet you ten dollars you're not coming back tonight."
"Gramps we're just talking. I don't even know if they're going to forgive me."
"Nora they love you, of course they'll forgive you. Now go make up with them. I've heard make up sex is pretty great." I was about to argue but then he stopped me. "Go already. I don't want you to keep moping around. I miss my wing man."
"Fine but if this doesn't work out, I'm going to be living with you permanently."
"And when it does work out you'll owe me." He says giving me the Stark smirk.
"I really hope you're right." I said putting on my coat and walking out of the lab.
I walked back to the apartment like I had done so many times before. Bucky said they didn't need anything but I felt weird arriving empty handed so I stopped by the bakery and grabbed a few pastries. Bucky has a huge sweet tooth and Steve does too even if he won't admit it.
I got to the apartment and stood at the door. I debated whether or not I should use my key but in the end I didn't have too. Steve opened the door.
"Hey you're here." He said sounding surprised I actually showed up.
"Yeah, sorry I took so long, Stopped by the bakery to get some pastries for coffee." I said.
"Oh sorry come in." Steve said moving aside so I could walk into the apartment.
"Thanks." I said walking in. "It smells great in here."
"Yeah it's the sauce." Steve said walking over to the stove to stir the pasta.
I heard the door to the room open and Bucky say, "You're here."
"Uh yeah, just got here. Brought pastries." I said offering him the box.
"Sounds good we can have coffee afterwards." He said.
I sighed. "Yeah but before anything, I just want to say I'm sorry. I really, really fucked things up between us. I hurt you, both of you, and I'm never going to forgive myself for that or do I expect you to but I want to make things right." I blurt out.
"Doll, it wasn't your fault. I was angry at what we saw in Poland, and the fact that Zola had a student following his example. It brought up some bad things and I took it out on you, you didn't deserve that." Bucky said.
"But you were right to be angry. I should've said something or at least given you some type of warning." I said starting to tear up.
Bucky came over and gave me a hug. "Doll, listen to me. We're not angry at you, we understand. You told us from the very beginning you wouldn't be able to tell us a lot of things. But you should've told us about meeting your mom. It was bothering you and hurting you. You shouldn't have had to suffer in silence." He said.
"I didn't want to bother you with it. We had other things to worry about."
"It doesn't matter Nora. None of that is more important than your well being." Steve said.
"I was trying to forget about it and I just couldn't because it meant that something else …" I couldn't help but start sobbing.
"Shhh, It's okay. You don't have to talk about it doll. We get it," Bucky said holding me and rubbing my back. "We love you and you love us, that's all that matters."
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." I said burying my face in his chest.
"Hey, there's nothing to forgive." Bucky said still hugging me. Steve came up from behind me and hugged us both.
"We just want you back Nora. We miss you. We need you." Steve said.
"I haven't slept well in over a week." Bucky whispered.
"I didn't get out of bed in three days. Only reason I got up was because Peggy dumped a bucket of ice water on me." I said starting to laugh.
"She dumped ice water on you?" Steve said chuckling a bit.
"She shot you, does this really sound that impossible." I retort.
"No, she just went easy on you." Steve says before I let out a yawn.
"Tired?" Bucky asked.
"A bit, you'd think after being in a coma for a week I would've gotten enough sleep for while." I mumble cuddling into Bucky.
"You still have to explain that" Steve said.
"You may want to sit down for that story." I said.
"Couch?" he said and I nodded.
Once we were sitting down, I started telling them.
"After Peggy and gramps got me out of bed, I told them everything that happened in Poland. We started talking things out and I remembered how I ended up with the stone in the first place. I was in Dublin visiting a friend and we went to an apothecary shop for some tea that was helping her with her morning sickness. When I was looking around this old lady came up to me and said she had something that would look better on me than a necklace I was looking at. She gave me the bracelet and then disappeared." I said.
"She disappeared?" Steve asked.
"There was no one else in the shop except the cashier and the two of us. When I was talking to Gramps and Peggy I remembered the shop was first opened in 1927 and that the old lady would probably be a teenager right now. So we took a trip to Dublin to look for the shop and see if she was there."
"Did you find her?" Bucky asked.
"Oh I found her, but that's not all I found. We got to the shop and I found the woman as a teenager wearing the bracelet. It didn't have the stone but it was the same woman. Her mom threw a knife at me when I asked her about it and…"
"She threw a knife at you?!" Steve shouted.
"Are you okay?" Bucky said looking me over.
"Guys, I'm fine. I blocked it with a force field. She realized I had the stone and took me to see her sister."
"What did her sister have to do with anything?" Steve asked.
"Her sister, Katya, was the previous host of the stone." I explained.
"What?!" They both said at the same time.
"Yeah, the next part is where it gets complicated so try not to ask questions. She was the host of the stone. She went to the future and saw her entire family be slaughtered. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't. So she started triggering time jumps to go back and warn herself. She disrupted her own timeline and created a paradox. The same person even from different times can't meet. It goes against the laws of physics and could potentially destroy the universe. To prevent that from happening the stone tried to correct it by rewinding time and sending her back exactly where it first found her but with all the knowledge she gained. Having to live through her parents murder knowing it was going to happen it drove her insane. Not only that, she was somehow still connected to the stone and would still get her premonitions. She couldn't speak and was catatonic. She couldn't tell anyone what she was seeing so she would draw out her visions, most of which were about me." I said.
"What about you exactly?" Bucky asked.
"She drew me being captured by Hydra, weeks before it happened. She drew things that happened to me as a kid, the symbol of my necklace, my godchildren, and other things." I said thinking about the picture where I was dead and Bucky and Steve were crying.
"How?" Steve asked.
"When the stone sent her back to the beginning she fought back and grabbed onto it. That created a connection that lasted all this time. I tried talking to her and realized she wanted to say something. I said I wish there was a way and as it turns out there was. There's this tea that let me dream walk into her subconscious. It knocked me out while I found her and talked to her. She told me about the stone how it chooses its host and her abilities. She tried to warn me about something but when she did the stone appeared."
"The stone appeared?" Bucky asked confused.
"The stone is just one manifestation, it can occasionally talk to its host when it wants to that is. It takes the form of someone I know; this time it chose my Nana. We talked, it told me to stop basing my entire life on the future and focus on the now." Okay I may have edited a few key details but I couldn't tell them their future so a vague interpretation it is. "Then it tried to get rid of Katya."
"What?" Steve said.
"Why?" Bucky asked.
"Katya had knowledge of future events that could've interfered with my timeline and other things, the stone didn't want another paradox. It tried to send her so far back in time she wouldn't be able to interfere anymore. I said no, and instead told it to find a way to erase any memories that could cause problems. Katya lost ten years worth of memories but she's no longer connected to the stone or catatonic. When I woke up it was a week later and here we are."
"You've had a busy week Doll." Bucky said.
"You really did, how do you feel?" Steve asked.
"Exhausted, a bit confused but better. I got some answers. Have more questions now but I think I'm better off figuring that out on my own." I said.
"Sounds a lot less dangerous that way." Steve said.
"I'd rather not go into another coma again." I said chuckling a bit.
"Uh Steve, I think you should check on the pasta." Bucky said looking over at the stove.
"Oh right." He said standing up and rushing to the stove.
After lunch, I was washing the dishes. I offered since Steve and Bucky cooked. I was almost done when someone wrapped their arms around my waist.
"I'm glad you're home." Steve said kissing the side of my head.
-SMUT-
"It's good to be back." I said turning my head and kissing him. The kiss started off slow and sweet. I opened my mouth and deepened the kiss. I turned around to face him and put my arms on his shoulder pulling him down a bit. He started kissing down my neck, making moan. Out of nowhere Bucky kissed my cheek before kissing my shoulder and slipping a hand under the skirt of my dress.
"God, Babydoll, you're drenched." Bucky said slipping his hand under my panties.
"Ah, Bucky" I moaned. Steve took that as his cue to start sucking on my pulse point. "Ahh, That f-feels good."
"Really? How about now?" Bucky said as he started rubbing my clit.
"AH! Shit please!" I shouted.
"Please, what baby girl?" Steve whispered in my ear.
"M-mo-more" I moaned out.
"All you had to do was ask, dollface." Bucky said going faster making me pant. Steve started unbuttoning my dress and playing with my breasts. Gently kneaded them pushing my bra down before dipping his head down and sucking on them. And just when I thought it couldn't get better, Bucky pushes a finger inside rubbing on just the right spot making me shout in pleasure.
"Please, I'm I'm so close" I pant.
"You look so good babygirl."
"Just let go dollface, let us take care of you."
And just like that I came. My ears were ringing, my heart was racing and the world outside the three of us just ceased to matter. By the time I came down Bucky and Steve were ripping each others clothes off. I leaned over and started kissing Steve's neck.
"Might be time to move this to the bedroom." I whispered into Steve's ear.
"You're right." He said panting before throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me to the room.
"You know I can walk right?" I said.
"Where's the fun in that Doll?" Bucky said giving me his panty-dropping grin.
Once we were in the room, Steve dropped me on the bed. He was on top of me and leaned down to kiss me.
"You're so beautiful, babygirl." He whispered kissing down my neck, to my breasts. I sat up a bit and took off my dress and bra. He laid me back down and continued kissing down my body until he reached my stomach. He started playing with the elastic. I lifted my hips and took off my panties.
He settled between my legs and put my legs over his shoulders before licking my slit, making me arch my back off the bed. Steve put an arm on my stomach holding me down as he started sucking on my clit.
"Ah, ah, Steve, so good." I panted.
He hummed a bit at the compliment and kept going. I felt the vibrations move through my body. He let go of my clit and licked his way down lower. I felt him move his hands to my lower back and lift me up a bit before liking at my entrance and moving his tongue in and out of me.
"AH, Yes, yes, YES!" I shouted as I came for the second time. Steve continued licking up all my juices until I finally came down from my high. He moved up on the bed and laid down next to me.
I didn't realize Bucky had taken Steve's place until I felt him kissing up my thigh. I tried holding back a moan by biting my lip.
"Don't do that doll. I want to hear you." Bucky said kissing my thigh and slowly putting a finger inside of me.
"Ah," I moaned out.
He slowly moved his finger in and out of me while sucking on clit. I was still sensitive from my previous orgasm so when he added another finger and started moving faster I came for the third time in a row.
"Ah! Yes Bucky, that's so good baby!" I shouted. He stopped sucking on my clit but kept his fingers inside of me moving in and out with the palm of his hand rubbed against my clit. He worked me through my orgasm until I was done.
"Wow." I said once I could talk again.
"That's one way to describe it." Steve said chuckling a bit.
"Tired yet babydoll?" Bucky said.
"Getting there. I have an idea I want to try." I said nuzzling into Bucky's neck.
"oh, and what would that be." He says smiling. I leaned up to whisper in his ear. His eyes went wide and he started to smile.
"I like the way you think." He whispered.
"What's going on?" Steve asked.
I moved over so I was straddling him and leaned down to kiss him. While he was distracted I moved my hand to grasp him and line him up to my entrance and lowered myself slowly down. Steve gasped and sat up a bit. When he was fully inside of me, he moaned into my neck. I lifted myself up and back down as fast as I could.
"Nora, AH, Babygirl, I'm not going to last if you keep that up. Ah…" He moaned out.
"Then what are you going to do about it," I whispered into his ear. With that, something in him snapped and he flipped us over. He started thrusted into me a few times before slowing down.
"You feel so good Babygirl," He moaned. Staying still as he admired the view below him.
"So do you handsome." I moaned out as he thrusted hard once more.
"AH!" I moaned out.
He stayed still trying to keep himself from letting go, before he felt Bucky kiss up his spine to the back of his neck.
"You're about to feel even better." Bucky whispered.
"What are you… AH!" Steve shouted as Bucky moaned.
"God, you're so good Stevie." Bucky moaned out.
"You… two… are going… to be the… death of me" Steve said in between pants.
"Good way to go though." I said kissing his neck and rocking my hips a bit.
"Ah, so good." He said thrusting into me just as Bucky did into him. That pushed Steve even deeper into me and it felt incredible. We managed to find a rhythm to match their thrusts as I rocked my hips.
"AH, I'm going to come. Need, to move." He panted.
"It's okay sweetie, you can come. Let go baby." I said as I ran my fingers through his hair and rested my other hand on my soul mark on his ribs.
At the okay he let go. He set a brutal pace and thrusted into me hitting all the right spots. I felt the hot liquid he let out splatter inside of me. I spasmed around him and moaned as I came for the fourth and most intense time that day. He moved inside me a few more times before he came with a shout and Bucky came as well. Steve collapsed in my arms as Bucky moved out of him. He panted for a bit before kissing me and pulling out of me and rolled over.
-end smut-
After a few minutes of silence, with the exception of a few pants, Steve finally broke the silence.
"Not that, that wasn't the best sex I've ever had, but what was that for?" he asked.
"You seriously don't know." I asked rolling over to look at him. He just looked at us confused.
"I can't believe you don't know, punk." Bucky said chuckling a bit.
"Know what jerk?" he said getting a bit annoyed.
"Steve, sweetie, Today's July, 4th, Your birthday." I said and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"It can't be how…"
"You've been pretty busy and stressed, mostly since you were worried about us. You lost track of time." Bucky said.
"I forgot my own birthday?" He said shocked.
"Apparently." I said smiling.
"Oh." He said before blushing.
"Sorry I didn't have time to bake you that apple pie I promised you." I said frowning.
"It's okay doll, there's always Thanksgiving," He said giving me a goofy smile.
I couldn't help but start laughing.
"Doll what are you laughing at?" Bucky asked
"I owe Gramps Ten Dollars." I said chuckling before moving over to hug Steve as Bucky spooned me. It was the best night's rest I'd had in weeks.