Third Person's POV-
Steve watched as Aiden's car drove out of the compound while Bucky was pacing anxiously behind him.
"What the hell happened Steve?" Bucky said. "I thought you were going to talk her down."
"I was… I just… froze." Steve said before sighing and flopping down on the couch. "This is a mess."
"That's one word for it." Bucky said. "She can't be out there. She doesn't have any powers, she doesn't have Aya and she's out of her own time. Nora's defenseless out there."
"I don't think she cares." Steve said.
"Which is why we have to do something." Bucky said still pacing.
"Do what Buck? She made it very clear she doesn't want to be here and short of locking her up which I doubt would actually hold her down for long, there's not really much we can do." Steve said.
"We can try talking some sense into her?" Bucky said.
"I tried that already." Steve said.
"You didn't even get a word in." Bucky deadpanned as Connor walked in.
"Are you two fighting?" Connor said surprised.
"No." Steve and Bucky answered at the same time.
"Uhuh… I just needed to order some things, Uncle Aiden sent me a text asking me if I could install Friday in the other apartment wanted to know if there was anything else I should order along with that." Connor asked.
"We're fine." Steve said just as Connor was about to head out.
"Wait, Aiden asked you to install Friday in his other apartment?" Bucky said giving Steve a look.
"Yeah, Thought he was going to wait until after he was done with the construction or even started construction but I guess he wanted to start small." Connor said. "Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Night." Steve said before turning to Bucky. "Buck."
"He gave her, her own apartment. Connor's going to install Friday… There's no way we'll get her to come back now." Bucky said.
"We'll think of something." Steve said.
Nora's POV-
Aiden parked the car in the underground garage before we unloaded everything and headed to the elevator. He entered a code to the elevator before we got in. Once inside he pressed a button for the top floor and the elevator started moving.
"Is this some secret safe house?" I asked.
"Something like that." Aiden answered. The doors opened and we walked into a hallway. I followed him to the end of the hall before we made a right turn. We walked to the second to last door at the end of the hall and took out his keys. It wasn't a key exactly more like a keychain.
He pressed it against the doorknob and a green circle appeared before he opened the door.
.
"After you." He said.
I walked in cautiously but couldn't see anything except from the lights coming from outside. I heard a light switch flick on and the lights turned on. The apartment had a great view of the park and city. There was a navy and tan L shaped couch and a very sleek and metallic kitchen. There was a metal staircase leading upstairs where the bedroom probably was since I just figured out this was a loft apartment.
"I like your apartment." I said.
"This isn't actually my apartment." He said tossing me the keychain. "Well I own it but I'm not staying in it. You are."
"Seriously?" I asked.
"You said you needed space without anyone hovering so here it is." Aiden said. "I live next door. I bought this place a few months ago, wanted to tear down a few walls and turn it into a duplex."
"Real estate is a good investment." I said.
"Washer dryer unit is through those doors next to the kitchen. Upstairs you have a master bedroom with a walk in closet, steam and rainfall shower. I got you the essentials, some bedding some cookware, etc. I'll get Connor to come over and install Friday in a few days. Until then you'll have to make do with this." He said handing me a rectangular glass that I recognized to be a phone. "Keep it on you in case of emergencies and also for any purchases. Just tap it against the cash receiver at the registers and it'll charge it to the expense account."
"So it's like applepay." I said.
"Pretty much. Paper currency was discontinued over a decade ago and it's more secure than a credit card." Aiden said. "Any questions?"
"Uh no just… thank you." I said.
"You don't have to thank me Nora." Aiden said. "You've done this and more for me before. I'll come by tomorrow and we'll go grab breakfast and go get groceries while we're at it."
"Actually is it okay if I go out for a run in the morning?" I asked.
"You don't have to ask permission. Just take your phone." Aiden said.
"Okay." I said.
"I'll let you get settled. I'll be next door if you need anything." Aiden said.
"Thank you." I said and he gave me a look. "Really, you went to bat for me with Steve and Bucky. Take the thanks dude."
"Good night Nora." He said.
"Night." I said watching him leave. I looked around and smiled. For the first time since I got here I actually felt like everything was going to be okay. I picked up my bags and headed upstairs to unpack.
The Next Morning- Third Person's POV
I woke up early just as the sun was starting to rise from the best nights rest I'd had in weeks.
I got up and got dressed in some black and grey lined tights with a strappy black sports bra. It was still early and probably a bit cold so I topped it with a long sleeved maroon top with cutouts on the back. I put my hair up as best as I could before heading out.
.
I headed out through the lobby before running to the park. It felt amazing to feel the wind rushing through my hair and watching as everything around you changed.
Third Person's POV-
Bucky and Steve sat across from each other in the office staring at each other in silence before Wren teleported in.
"Hey, either of you seen mom? Brought over some crepes from Paris. I remember how much she loved those." Wren said.
"You should ask your Uncle." Bucky said.
"Is she out with him right now? She wasn't in the gym, the common room or her room." Wren said.
"Your mom… moved out." Steve said.
"What do you mean moved out?" Wren said.
"She isn't staying here anymore. Your uncle moved her out." Bucky said.
"What?! Is he insane?!" Wren said. "And you two just let her leave?"
"She didn't really give us a choice." Steve said. "Your mom can be pretty stubborn."
"And even after a hundred years your Dad still doesn't know how to talk to her." Bucky said.
"I said I was sorry." Steve said.
"Did you go deer in headlights on her again?" Wren asked.
"No." Steve said.
"Yes." Bucky said at the same time.
"Dads!" Wren said before he froze and his eyes glowed green. "You have got to be kidding me."
"Time Jump?" Bucky said.
"Time Jump." Wren said resigned. "Be back when I can."
With that Wren started glowing and disappeared.
"Impeccable timing as always Aya." Bucky groaned. Steve sighed. "Let's go."
"Fine but this time I'm doing the talking." Bucky said.
Nora's POV-
I got home and showered before getting dressed in some dark maroon jeans and some blue grey draped top with a jacket that had black suede sleeves and a charcoal grey vest.
.
I grabbed some boots before looking in the mirror. My hair was still too bright for what I was used too. I shook it off and picked up my phone.
I'm downstairs- Aiden.
Well that saves me some time. I headed downstairs.
"Morning." I said heading downstairs. Aiden looked up from his phone.
"You're doing better." Aiden said.
"Yeah, I went for a run. I actually beat my best time. That steam shower is amazing." I said.
"That's the only reason I look forward to working out." Aiden said. "You ready?"
"Sure just…Is this okay?" I said referring to my outfit.
"Yeah. Elle did a good job teaching you about modern fashion." Aiden said getting up.
"And I didn't even need the glasses to pick it out." I said.
"I was thinking we go grab breakfast and then go buy some groceries and anything else you might need." Aiden said.
"Sounds good." I said following him out.
We headed to the elevator and down to the garage.
"Hey can I drive?" I asked.
Aiden froze and looked at me skeptically. "I don't think I've ever seen you drive before. Do you even know how?" He asked.
"Yeah, Dad taught me. I wasn't always able to teleport." I said. "It has been a while though."
"Well, it's better if you get some practice in before we go to work." Aiden said opening the driver's side door for me. I got in and he closed the door before getting in. I bucked in and adjusted the mirrors before starting the car and driving out of the garage. The GPS told me exactly where to go so that wasn't much of an issue, what did give me some trouble were the crappy drivers out there. The one thing that does not change over time is how bad taxi drivers in New York are.
We ended up at some bistro where Aiden was on a first name basis with the entire staff. He even had a usual order. This coming from the guy who never stayed at a girl's house for breakfast the morning after so they wouldn't get the wrong idea.
Once we got to the grocery store the first thing I noticed was that there wasn't any cash registers.
"Uh Aiden, where are all the cashiers?" I asked.
"Right I forgot to tell you that most major grocery stores discontinued the use of cash registers and cashiers about fifteen years ago." Aiden said.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Yes. The entire store is monitored by security cameras and sensors on the shelves. You pick up an item it automatically adds it to your cart." He said showing me on my phone. "You put it back down and it gets taken off. Once you pass the sensors at the door everything gets charged to your card."
"And no more waiting in line." I said.
We kept going through the aisles picking out everything and I gasped a few times at the prices. I started putting things back but Aiden put them back in when I wasn't looking which led us to the conversation we were having as we got back.
"This grocery bill is insane." I said looking through my phone.
"Nora it's fine, it's normal inflation." Aiden said. "Besides when have you ever cared about prices, you're filthy rich."
"It's called common sense, I'm not my dad. I remember once as a kid I asked him for a dollar for ice cream and he handed me a hundred dollar bill." I said.
"Tony never did have a sense of money." Aiden said.
"But seriously Aiden, twenty dollars for a chocolate bar. A regular Hershey's bar? In what world does that make sense?" I said.
"That is a result of inflation combined with a cocoa bean shortage caused by global warming." Aiden said.
"This is hell, and I lived through the Nixon administration." I said.
"Just wait until…" Aiden started.
"Nora." Someone said. I looked down the hall and saw that Steve and Bucky were waiting at the door of Aiden's apartment.
"Hey guys." I said. "What are you two doing here?"
"Waiting for you." Bucky said. "Can we talk?"
I already knew where this conversation was headed.
"Sure." I said looking at Aiden and taking my other bag of groceries from him before heading to my place with Bucky and leaving Aiden with Steve.
"Oh here." Bucky said taking my bags.
"Thank you." I said before quickly unlocking the door and letting him in. "You can just put those on the counter."
"Over here." He said turning to the kitchen.
"Yeah." I said closing the door.
Bucky whistled. "That's a great view."
"Yeah, I love all of the natural light." I said. "Couch is really comfy too."
"I'm sure it is." Bucky said as I started putting things away.
"Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" I asked.
"No thank you." He said. "Doll you need to come back to the compound."
"I'm going to stop you right there. I understand that I may not be fully aware of everything that's happened over the last thirty or so years but one thing I am the expert at is time traveling and being out of my own time. I know the rules and I'm pretty sure I've drilled them into all of you. The biggest one being unless Aya tells you not to do something its fair game. I've been out of the compound for almost a day and we haven't heard a peep from her." I said. "I'm in the clear."
"Maybe but there are still threats you don't know about." Bucky said.
"Yeah and those threats aren't looking for a blonde twenty three year old. They're looking for a brunette greying woman in her early fifties." I said and I didn't miss how Bucky winced at the mention of my future.
"You're defenseless without your powers." Bucky argued.
"I wasn't helpless when we met in Azzano, or when we met in the sixties and you were still the Winter Soldier." I said.
"You got captured by Hydra and I killed you." Bucky deadpanned.
"And I've had over twenty years to get better." I retorted.
"Nora you're not safe here. You need to come back with us." Bucky said.
"No I don't." I said. "I get that you and Steve are trying to look out for me but you're not. You're smothering me. I'm not useless."
"Of course not Doll…" Bucky started.
"But that's what it feels like with you all treating me like I'm made out of glass. When you left Dallas to go figure things out, I didn't agree with it and it broke my heart but I still let you go because that was what you needed. Why can't you do the same for me?" I said. Bucky frowned and sighed.
"You're right. You did let me do that. You did everything you could to make things easier for me when I came back. Even let me be a part of Wren's life." Bucky said tearing up. "That kid's my world."
"I know." I said.
"You're right, you gave me the space to put myself together and figure things out when I needed it and you should have the chance to do the same." Bucky said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah." Bucky said giving me a small smile. "Just… don't shut us out and hide things from us. We love you and we want to help but…"
I couldn't let him keep talking without breaking down so I hugged him
"Oh." He said surprised but he didn't hesitate this time and hugged me back. It felt nice to be hugged. He held onto me for a bit before he let go. "I should go. I need to update Steve."
"It's been pretty quiet over there. We should probably go check on them." I said.
"Good call." Bucky said before we walked out. We walked over and let ourselves into Aiden's apartment.
"Yes I do know what's at stake I was there." Aiden said whispering harshly.
"She needs to be at the compound where we can keep an eye on her and everyone that goes near her." Steve said.
"You may as well lock her in a cell while you're at it." Aiden said.
"That's not happening." Bucky said before Steve could say anything else.
"Of course not." Steve said looking at me.
"Good because I don't plan on going anywhere." I said.
"Nora." Steve started.
"Steve, she's right." Bucky said.
"What?" Steve said surprised.
"We can't keep her locked away forever. Nora can handle herself and if she needs any of us we're a phone call away." Bucky said giving me a small smile.
"Bucky I thought we talked about this." Steve said.
"We did and we were wrong." Bucky said. "Nora wants to do this and after everything we owe it to her."
"This is a bad idea." Steve said.
"Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it's a bad idea." Aiden said.
"I'm staying deal with it." I said.
"Maybe but there is no way you're going out in the field." Steve said.
"That's not your call to make. We agreed that I run my missions however I see fit and includes whom my partner is. I pick Nora." Aiden said.
"I accept." I said.
"I told you I'm not letting her go out there alone and not before making sure she's ready. I'll keep you updated." Aiden said.
"I… I can't." Steve said before storming off.
"Be careful." Bucky said before following off after Steve.
"Wha…" Aiden started but I lifted a finger for him to wait. I listened in to hear the elevator ding and the doors open and close before giving him the go ahead. "What did you tell him to get him to back off?"
"I reminded him that when he needed time and space to figure things out I gave it to him." I said.
"Well that that's out of the way, we need to talk about your training." Aiden said. "We're starting after lunch."
"What are we talking, hand to hand? Stealth? Tech?" I asked.
"We're going to the park." Aiden said.
"Huh?" I asked confused.
"You heard right." He said.
Third Person's POV- 2013
Wren waited for the chills to pass before he opened his eyes. He was in an alley outside a bar somewhere. Judging my the music playing he was somewhere in Germany.
"Aya." Wren whispered.
"It's twenty thirteen. Go inside and order a pint." Aya said.
"Is it really the best time for this?" Wren muttered.
"You're trying to figure out how to handle your mom so that's what I'm helping you with." Aya said.
"Where were you when she decided to move out?" Wren retorted but Aya stayed quiet. "Fine I'll go in for a drink."
Wren walked in to the bar and noticed it was mostly empty. There was a group of guys playing darts and a few other people scattered around. Wren slipped off his coat and took a seat at the bar.
"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked in German.
"A pint of Hefeweizer" Wren answered.
"Coming right up."He said.
"You have good taste in beer." Someone said down the bar. Wren looked to his left and almost fell out of his seat surprised at who he was looking at.
"Better than American beer." Wren said his voice cracking as he looked at his older mirror image. They had the same reddish blonde hair and blue eyes.
"That's because it's not watered down." He said with a smirk.
"Mh… That never gets old." Wren said taking a sip.
"Long Day?" He asked.
"And it's just getting started." Wren said. "What about you? Wife giving you trouble?"
Wren chuckled. "Not married thankfully."
"Then work giving you trouble?" Wren asked his father.
"No more than usual." He said finishing his beer before signaling the bartender for another. "There's this girl,"
"Girlfriend?" Wren asked.
"No well there is a girlfriend. She's… typical." The older man said. Wren eyed him skeptically but the way he was drinking his beer he could tell it was far from his first one. "There's this girl. Came into my life when I least expected it and I was okay before. I had work and everything I needed. She was… is great. Nora pulled me out of the dark and gave me a home, a family. She even encouraged me to go out with Kate."
"Kate's the girlfriend?" Wren asked confused.
"Yeah she's… She's a lot different than before I moved in. She nags a lot. I hate being home." He said. "She was all for it but as soon as I said I was moving out it was like I meant nothing to her."
"Did she actually say that?" Wren asked.
"No. She said that if I moved out it wouldn't make a difference to her." He said.
"I think you may have read that the wrong way." Wren said.
"But she's ignoring me." He said. "And I don't even know why it's bothering me so much."
"Maybe it's because you love her." Wren said and his father looked at him incredulously.
"Love is for children. We were friend. She was my student, protégé at most." He said.
"So are you drinking for her or for Kate?" Wren asked.
"For the brat." He said making Wren laugh. "She's not a brat." Wren said retracting his earlier statement. "Nora's young but she's gone through more than anyone should ever have to. Probably why it was so easy for me to let her in. She's honest, kind, strong and selfless to a fault. She was a kid when I met her and I remember I was afraid to let her out of my sight when we were out in the field but she didn't need a nanny, Nora's a fighter. Has been since the day she was born."
"There's nothing wrong with trying to protect the people you care about." Wren said. "Just because they think they can handle things on their own doesn't mean they're right."
"No of course not…" He said.
"And yeah she's strong and she's been through this before but it's not the same." Wren said.
"Sure…" He said nodding along.
"She doesn't know what's really going on and she can't know because if she did…"
"She'd leave your ass for cheating on her?" He asked.
"What? No." Wren said. "No one's cheating on anyone. I have someone that I care about and they're going through a rough time. Everyone around her is trying to protect her but she is so damn stubborn. She thinks she can handle it and she probably could but she shouldn't have to because knowing and keeping this from her…"
"Kid." He said. "Hey… hey look at me."
Wren panted before listening to his father. "Take a breath."
"I'm…" Wren argued.
"Just take a deep breath." He said putting a hand on Wren's shoulder. He did as he was told and inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Okay good."
"Sorry." Wren apologized.
"Don't apologize. You obviously have a lot on your plate." He said.
"You have no idea." Wren said.
"You remind me of her." He said making Wren chuckle a bit. "You kind of smile like her too. Nora's the strongest person I know but that doesn't mean she's invincible. She breaks but with some help she always puts herself back together and stronger than before. Your friend's going to be okay."
"How can you be so sure?" Wren asked.
"Because if she falls, she'll have you to help her put back together." He said.
"That's what you did for Nora." Wren said.
"No, it's what she did for me." He said finishing his beer and standing up. "Thanks for the company. Hope everything works out for your friend."
"Same with you and Nora. She sounds special." Wren said.
"That doesn't even come close to describing her." He said.
"And how would you describe her?" Wren asked.
"She's… She's the sun." Wren said before walking away.
"Did that help at all?" Aya asked.
Wren watched his father pay the bartender before he looked back at him and waved him goodbye. He watched him walk out of the bar before nodding. "Yeah, I get it." Wren said picking up his glass and finishing his beer. "We can't always protect the people we love but we can help them get up when fall."
"Your mom's a fighter Wren. Nazi's, Communists, Hydra, Ultron, Snow, Death and even me, that didn't keep her down." Aya said.
"He did." Wren said.
"He doesn't matter here." Aya said. "She does."
"I know." Wren said standing up to go pay his tab.
"It's already been taken care of." The bartender said.
"Really?" Wren asked.
"The other redhead." The bartender said.
"Thanks Dad." Wren said before putting on his coat and walking out to head back.
Third Person's POV- 2016
"Sh, sh…" Bucky said gently rocking Wren.
"WAH! AHHH!" Wren screamed out.
"Why is he crying?!" Sam said covering his ears.
"I don't know." Bucky said panicking. "I fed him and burped him and even changed his diaper."
"WAHHH!" Wren screamed out.
"He misses his mother." Wanda said.
"Are you reading his mind?" Rhodey said.
"It's hard not too. His thoughts are too loud." Wanda groaned.
"AH! AHH uh AH!" Wren cried putting his tiny fist into his mouth.
"What is going on?" Pietro said running in.
"Ah!" Wren screamed.
"Unbelievable, I'm gone for a few hours and you can't even keep a baby calm." Aya said making energy blobs float around Wren in different shapes. He stopped crying and sniffled a little bit. "That's better."
"Did you find a way to get Nora back?" Steve asked.
"No but I found a way to talk to her." Aya said pulling out a folded up page.
"A note? That's your big idea?" Bucky said.
"It's a spell. Depending on where in the time line she is there is one direction of communication. If Nora was in the past the timeline would have changed or she would have found a way to get a message to us already." Aya said.
"Like in Back to the Future II." Clint said.
"This isn't a movie." Bucky said.
"It's actually exactly like the movie." Aya said. "We have nothing from her which means she's ahead of us in the timeline, and we can send messages to her but she can't send any back."
"Then what's the point of sending messages in the first place if she can't answer back?" Wanda asked.
"We're going in circles." Steve said.
"And what else can we do?" Bucky retorted.
"I don't know maybe do something other than run around chacing our own tails!" Steve said.
"Ah!" Wren started crying.
"Now look what you did!" Rhodey said.
"Stop shouting you're making it worse." Wanda said.
"Wah!" Wren shouted.
"Just listen." Aya started.
"Why is it that every time I come visit something bad happens?" Pietro said.
"Maybe if you were around more often you'd be able to help." Wanda chastised.
Slowly one by one they all started shouted at each other. Wren's screaming got louder and louder.
"I'm not you, I just run really fast!" Pietro said about to run off but then something happened.
"SHUT UP!" Aya shouted freezing time but Pietro was already running. Aya took a deep breath and looked around the room. "How does she put up with you all?" Aya muttered rubbing her temples before turning back the clock before everything got out of control.
But as soon as she did she saw a flash of silver and two Pietros. The chaos started again and the one fighting with Wanda ran off again but this time he didn't go back in time he just went away.
"What was that?" Pietro said and Aya stared at him shocked.
"You… You were… there and there" Aya said pointing at the two spots. "But he… and you… you time traveled."
"What?" Rhodey said.
"I thought you said you couldn't time travel, not without Nora." Steve said.
"I didn't time travel. He did." Aya said.
"I just ran." Pietro said. "That wasn't as fast as I can go."
"But I slowed time down and then turned it back." Aya said starting to laugh.
"Aya?" Bucky said.
"Einstein's theory of relativity." Aya said. "If you can move faster than the speed of light then you can move faster than time and thus move back in time."
"Pietro's fast but he's not that fast." Rhodey said.
"Hey." Pietro said offended.
"The speed of light is almost three hundred million meters per second." Aya said.
"I'm not that fast." Pietro admitted.
"Then how did he do it?" Bucky said.
"When I froze time and moved it backwards I slowed everything down but him. He was moving in the opposite direction and thus faster than light and he moved backwards in time." Aya said. "You time traveled. You can time travel. Oh I knew I let you live for a reason."
"That means that once we find Nora we can get her back." Steve said.
"No." Aya said.
"No?" Bucky said.
"He can only move back in time. Nora's in the future." Aya said. "This entire time I thought the time traveling was the answer to getting her back but I was looking at this the wrong way. We don't need another time traveler. We need a teleporter."