June 24th, 2015 - Avengers Compound -- Upper State New York
"Crossbones?" Wanda said the name slowly.
"Also known as Brock Rumlow." AJ said in a sneer. "He worked for Hydra within SHIELD as part of Steve's strike team. Despite his scumbag qualities, he was good at his job. Which means trouble for us. We haven't run into him since D.C, when he collapsed with a building after fighting with Wilson,"
"You're welcome." Sam smirked.
"Tone down the cockiness, Sam. You didn't kill him." Natasha said in a dry tone, sitting across from AJ and Wanda at the table. Sam huffed, leaning against the glass wall.
"The point is," Steve walked forward "We need to bring him in."
Or not. They could just take him out ; that's what AJ preferred. After everything Rumlow had done to Bucky — he deserved worse than death. AJ would like nothing more than to be the one to end his life. But Steve did not approve of that plan. He had questions that only Rumlow has the answers to. Most of them involving Bucky. And even though she wished Rumlow were dead, she wanted to find Bucky more.
She rubbed at her temples, sitting back in her chair as she listened to Steve lay out their plan of action. Her headaches were less frequent now, but when she did have one, it was always after she used too much of her power. Today, Tony's science squad had run tests on her to see how her body reacted while she used her powers. She was completely fine while using, but after, maybe five minutes later, the nosebleeds would start and her head would start to ache.
Steve said it was stress.
And maybe he was right. Maybe her body was trying to tell her something.
"Jay?" Steve called her name causing her to look over at him. "You good with the plan?"
She forced a smile. "Of course."
Steve stared at her for a long moment before turning to the rest of the team. "Dismissed." He said before turning his attention back to AJ. "Can we talk?"
"No can do, Cap." Natasha said as she moved to stand behind AJ. "Adge and I have plans." Steve raised his brow at that, as did AJ. She hadn't recalled making plans with Natasha. But if it got her out of a lecture from Steve, she'd go along.
"Big plans." AJ went along with the lie.
"Yup." Natasha agreed. "We're taking her back to her old roots." She said, causing AJ to look up at her. Natasha then plucked a strand of hair from AJ head. "Literally."
"Wait, what?" AJ said, watching as Natasha smirked at her.
Natasha really had meant literally when she referred to getting AJ back to her old roots. Roots meaning her hair. The blonde was gone and back was AJ's original hair color. Well, a lighter chestnut brown color. The dark color would come back eventually, but the newer light brown color was a reminder of who she used to be; who she was trying to get back to being.
She ran her fingers through her hair that now touched just a little below her shoulders; not the short cut that she had gotten a few months earlier for the mission in St. Petersburg. Her mission with Clint felt like years ago instead of months. But a lot had happened in those couple of months to make it seem that way.
"I like it." Jordan said, sitting across from AJ next to Natasha as they ate dinner in the private eating quarters for the Avengers in the compound. AJ looked to her side to see Wanda smiling, nodding her head in approval as well. "It's more... you ." AJ snorted, she hadn't felt like herself in years. "It brings out the green in your eyes too."
"Steve will think you've gone back in time." Natasha smirked.
"Oh, if only that were possible." AJ commented, wishing more than anything she could go back and time and change things. Bucky. She'd go back in time and save him; she'd stop him from getting on the train -- stop the mission completely. He'd be safe; Steve would be safe. They'd find another way to get Zola and destroy Hydra.
She often wondered that if Steve hadn't gone into the water, if he had found another way -- would Hydra have ever been able to infiltrate SHIELD? Steve would have stopped it from happening, he'd have known . Just like he knew something was off about SHIELD when he first came out of the ice. AJ had been blind, so ready to accept something created by Peggy and Howard, that she never questioned it. It wasn't until Steve returned that questions began to linger in her head.
"Jay," Her name came out in a quick breath causing AJ to look up from her plate of dinner to see that Steve had entered the room with Sam. Slowly, his lips formed into a large grin.
"Damn, Jay." Sam commented, walking over to the table. "You look good ." He winked at her. "Not that you didn't look hot as a blonde but...damn."
AJ shook her head, laughing at Sam's compliment.
"So," Steve moved to sit at the end of the table and looked to Natasha. "When you said you were getting her back to her old roots,"
"Yup." Natasha said causing Steve to chuckle. "She's been undercover long enough," Natasha then looked to AJ. "I shouldn't have talked you out of going back to your natural color after you testified before congress I just," She sighed. "I didn't want you doing it for the wrong reasons."
For Bucky. That's the only reason why AJ had wanted to go back to her natural color after D.C. But now , it was a reminder to never forget who she really was. It wasn't for Bucky; it was for her.
"But the real question is, do blondes have more fun?" Sam said, sniping some food off of AJ's plate.
AJ swatted at his hand as Jordan told Sam that yes, blondes do have more fun. "You should go blonde, Nat." She added, "You could pull it off."
"Oh, I know I can." Natasha smirked. "I just don't think you all could handle it."
AJ laughed loudly, clapping her hand over her mouth as the rest of the group laughed as well. It was times like these that she really enjoyed living in the compound.
"How's it feel?" Steve asked when the rest of the group left for their private quarters. "The hair?"
AJ chuckled, "the same but darker?" She teased, looking over at him. Steve smiled, looking down at his plate. "I don't know. I still feel like me, or, the person I've become since waking up."
"Yeah," Steve said, understanding what she meant. "But you look beautiful." He complimented her causing AJ to chuckle.
"Flattery will only get you so far, Steven."
"I like it." Steve continued on. "It reminds me of being back in Brooklyn, hanging out in your apartment before you left for Camp McCoy. You, me, Lydia and Jane."
AJs eyes softened. Lydia and Jane. "I haven't thought about them in forever." She admitted.
"They were good to me while you were away. They'd show up to my apartment after their shifts at the station and make me go to the dance halls with them."
She quirked her brow in surprise. "You never told me you went dancing with them."
He chuckled. "I didn't dance. Which they'd complain about but I was just," he sighed, looking off into the distance.
"Waiting for the right partner." She smiled softly. He nodded, forcing a smile. AJ knew how badly he wished he could have gotten that dance with Peggy. "How's she doing?" It had been a while since AJ visited Peggy, and Steve hadn't left the compound since it had opened, too busy running the place.
"Her nurse has been keeping me updated." Steve said.
"Still sassy as ever?" AJ smirked.
He nodded. "Ordering everyone around at the home."
"Sounds like Peggy." She smiled. Steve sighed, causing AJ to frown. "We should plan a visit." She suggested.
He shook his head, looking around the room. "Too much to do at the compound."
AJ reached out and grabbed his hand. "You need to visit her, Steve. Soon we'll be gearing up to go after Rumlow and he could lead us to Bucky." She leaned in closer. "And you and I both know that when we find him...we're disappearing with him."
It was unsaid until now. But Steve nodded his head in agreement. When they found them, they'd go on the run with him. The Winter Soldier had pissed off too many people in the past to just bring Bucky back to the compound and think he'd be safe there. There were warrants for his arrest, a price on his head -- he wasn't safe. But that didn't mean they were going to let him be alone.
"Wanna spar?" AJ asked, changing the subject.
Steve blew air out of his nose. "If you think you can take me."
"I made you." AJ taunted him. "Meet me in the gym in five minutes."
Steve laughed loudly but agreed.
AJ walked back to her room, catching her reflection in the glass windows on the way there. She smiled, liking the new color. She closed her eyes, picturing it back in the curls she wore in the 40's. Bucky loved the curls, he always ran his fingers through them at night as they laid next to one another, both so tired but wanting to stay up longer to spend more time together.
When she walked into her room, AJ locked her door and walked over to her dresser to change into something more suitable for sparring with Steve. Her mind went back to Bucky, thinking of what he might think of the color. Or, if it even mattered to him.
"I think he'll like it."
She jumped, hearing the voice. "No." AJ groaned, throwing her head back in frustration. "Why?"
Loki chuckled. "I certainly like it." He continued on, complimenting her hair. "Darker hair suits you, Adelyn." She turned to face where the voice came from, seeing Loki draped across her bed, booted feet on her comforter. She made a face, walking over to him to swat away his feet only to have her hand go through him like if she were hitting a hologram. Loki grinned, lifting his feet off the bed and got up, walking over to AJ's drawers. "Have you missed me, darling?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Not in the slightest." AJ said in a dry tone.
"I don't believe you." Loki turned to face her. "I think you like our little chats."
"I don't." She glared. "You appearing to me only makes me paranoid that I have some sort of tumor and you're just a hallucination caused by said tumor." She told Loki. "Not to mention, I don't like you." She stressed the word.
Loki smirked. "I think that's a lie."
"You can think all you want but it doesn't make it the truth."
"Well, I like you." Loki told her. "Your wit, your sharp tongue; it's all traits I admire. Plus, it helps that you and I are the same."
AJ rolled her eyes. "We're not the same." She told him. "I'm not an offspring of a Frost Giant, I'm Inhuman." He blinked in surprise. It made AJ happy to see that he didn't knoweverything . "Oh, you didn't know that? I figured you would have picked that up while you've been peeping on me." Her voice rasped.
"You're Kree?" Loki finally spoke.
"I'm Inhuman." She corrected him.
He grinned. "An experiment made by the Kree. Fascinating." He moved away from her dresser and moved to stand in front of her. "How much has my brother told you?"
"Everything."
He gave her a skeptical look. "Are you positive?" Loki raised his brow. "Did he tell you about the wars? The torture they inflicted?"
"Yeah, yeah, they're the bad guys. He told me all about it." She said dryly.
"Did he tell you about Hala?" He asked causing AJ to pause. Hala ? "He didn't." Loki smirked.
"What is Hala?" She asked, already regretting it. If she had gone with Andrew, she could have learned more about being Inhuman and their history. But with Loki...she was about to learn about her creators.
He grinned. "Your planet."
AJ shook her head. "My planet is Earth."
"Yet your DNA comes from Hala. A beautiful planet, far more advanced than your little planet here." He told her, disgust in his tone. But then his eyes softened. "I could take you there."
AJ laughed at that, causing Loki to glare. "I will never willingly go anywhere with you, Loki."
He inhaled deeply, a taunting look in his eyes. "What if I looked like this?" Loki snapped his fingers and Bucky stood in front of her. Or, Loki using his magic to make it appear that Bucky was standing in front of her. Either way, it still took her breath away.
It was the way he looked before he left with Steve to capture Zola. His hair combed back neatly as his blue eyes shined. It took everything in AJ not to try and reach out and touch him. Instead, she turned away from him and closed his eyes. "Don't do that." She said in a sharp tone.
"I know you miss him." Loki said, in his own voice. AJ scoffed, turning around to face Loki, who was back to looking like himself. "I thought it might bring you some comfort."
"It doesn't." AJ glared. "Because you're not him . And you'll never be him." She shook her head in anger. "I want you to leave." Loki raised a brow up at her. "I mean it. Leave. Or I'm going to find some way to get in touch with Thor and I'll have him take me to Asgard or wherever the hell you are so I can show you just how much I hate you."
Loki looked at her for a long moment before he disappeared.
AJ sighed in relief only to jump when someone began to knock on her door.
"Jay?"
Steve. She was supposed to meet him to spar.
"Just give me a second, Steve." She said, trying to gather her thoughts.
"Are you okay?" he questioned through the door.
She didn't answer, she only dressed quickly and threw her hair up lazily.
"Jay?"
She walked to the door and opened it; forcing a smile. "Ready?"
Steve had a worried look on his face. "What happened?"
AJ didn't want to lie to Steve, but it would only worry him. "I just got distracted." She told him, trying to shrug it off. "Let's go."
Steve didn't force her to talk about what was really wrong and she loved him for that. But she also knew that Steve was well aware of when she was lying; he just wasn't pressing the subject. On the way to the gym, AJ brought up Steve's upcoming birthday.
"We're going to celebrate it at the Avengers Tower." AJ told him her and Tony's plans for the night. "There will be a firework show too." Steve opened his mouth to speak but AJ stopped him. "Hey, you two make a big a fuss out of my birthday; I get to make a big fuss over yours. Besides, ninety-seven is a big deal. I should know." She smirked as they walked into the gym.
Steve sighed. "Fine." He agreed. "But no candles on the cake." He added quickly.
AJ made a face. "I can't promise that." She told him. "Tony may or may not have bought a fire extinguisher for you to blow out your candles." Steve laughed, shaking his head.
AJ grinned, always happy to see Steve laugh. It was much better than furrowed brows and worry lines. it was carefree; it was happiness. And she was glad she could give him a little bit of that.
They sparred for a few hours and when AJ returned to her room, Loki was still gone.
She was glad for that.
She dreamt of dancing with Bucky under fireworks, his lips pressed to hers softly, fingers running through her chestnut brown hair. It was the happiest she had felt since Andrew left. But when she woke up, she felt emptiness in her chest that caused tears to form in her eyes. She muffled her sobs with a pillow, clutching onto her covers as she cried. All she wanted was to feel his arms wrapped around her in that moment, to have him hold her.
But she was alone.
_
July 4th, 2015 - Bucharest, Romania
"We've learned that there will be a dramatic fireworks display at the Avengers Tower tonight, on the fourth of July, in NYC. Have a great, happy, and safe fourth of July." WHiH World News reported.
It was Steve's birthday.
He wondered what his best friend was doing. Bucky knew that his day would likely be spent with AJ, that she'd help him celebrate his birthday. And as happy as it made him to know Steve wouldn't be alone, Bucky couldn't help but feel a bitterness build up that he couldn't be there as well. That he couldn't be the one to take Steve out with AJ. Before the war, it had been a tradition that Bucky would take Steve out for his birthday to a local diner for a slice of pie. That's all Steve had wanted to do. Bucky had tried his best to pursue Steve into going to one of the dance halls in the neighborhood, but Steve had been insistent on not wanting to go. It hadn't bothered Bucky because Steve was Steve and once he put his foot down, that was it.
Bucky wondered if AJ would try to get Steve to dance tonight. If anyone could get Steve to dance, it was Adelyn Frost.
He closed his eyes, the memory of holding her in his arms fresh. He could feel her face resting against his chest, smell the shampoo she used in her hair, feel her hand resting on his arm, squeezing it lightly when he'd press a kiss to the top of her head as the danced.
He was staying put. Bucky would stay in Romania for as long as he could, he'd be careful and keep his head low but this is where he needed to be. Besides, it felt nice staying in one place for a change. And as much as he wished AJ were with him, he knew that the world needed her. He had seen what happened in Sokovia, even watched footage of AJ fighting off one of the bots and felt so much pride when he watched her take it down. He saw her use her powers, something she most definitely did not have when they were together. Bucky had a feeling of how she got her powers; she had been a prisoner of Hydra's and they experimented on their prisoners. it's what they had done to him. Bucky wanted to kill them all if that were the case.
No more killing, he told himself. No more fighting.
He had seen a picture of AJ in the papers earlier that week. He had paid for the paper and brought it home with him, a tightening in his chest as he looked down at her picture. It was from some Romanian tabloid. The article wrote about AJ being seen in Brooklyn with a man Bucky remembered fighting with in D.C. Sam Wilson. Her hair was dark again and when Bucky saw the picture his breath had caught in his throat; his mind flooding with memories of her. He remembered how it felt to run his fingers through her hair, spotting her from across the room while her back was facing him with the pencil holding her hair up as she worked in the lab.
God dammit. He'd give anything to just... see her again. But it wasn't safe. Not for her. And he'd rather die than have AJ go through anymore pain because of him. She was a target for Hydra because of him -- they knew that despite the mind wipes, when they made AJ his mission, he could never finish the job. Maybe it had been his heart stopping him from going through with it but either way, he could never kill her. Even when she was standing right in front of him.
He clutched his metal hand, trying to fight against the images playing in his head of his metal hand wrapped around AJ's neck, the light in her eyes fading. He had hurt her. Something he swore he'd never do. He had caused her physical pain , and it haunted him every night, every day, every second. It killed him.
"It's not your fault." He could practically hear her saying.
It was what she had told him late at night when he'd have nightmares of Zola's torture and when the faces of men he had lost at war haunted him. "You did your job." She had told him. "That's what makes you a good soldier."
"Because I follow orders blindly?" He had questioned in a dry tone only to feel her fingers trace the line of his jaw.
"No. Because you're a leader. You weigh out all your options in front of you , not just with your head, but with your heart too."
"You're mistaking me for Steve, sweetheart." He had smiled, not able to take the compliment.
AJ had given him a look, causing him to smile. He had known she was ready to sass him. "Where do you think Steve learned it from?" She had asked with a quirked brow. "You're courageous, you're smart, and you're a good soldier, Buck. Honestly, I always wondered why you weren't in the line up for Project Rebirth."
"Steve was the better candidate." Bucky had said, knowing it was the truth.
AJ's finger had tapped against the dimple in on his chin. "You didn't need to be enhanced. You're perfect the way you are, James Buchanan Barnes."
He had rolled his eyes while smiling at AJ. Bucky remembered how badly he wanted to tell her that he was in love with her, but he had been too scared. It was early in their relationship and Bucky was still holding his breath in fear that she'd pull away from him if he said it too early, that it'd scare her away.
"You're perfect." He had replied, causing AJ to snort.
"Far from it."
"You're perfect to me." He had said, cupping her cheek with his hand.
A hand that would later be replaced with something that would hurt AJ in the future.
A metal arm that only caused harm.
He was a monster.
Bucky sat up and walked into his kitchen where the picture of AJ hung on his fridge. She was smiling, probably laughing at something that man with her had said. He touched his fingers to the picture, tracing the shape of her head.
She had a life, a life without him. AJ had friends that cared for her and made sure she was always smiling. It stirred a bit of jealousy in Bucky, but mostly he was just happy to see AJ's smile. He remembered the first time he watched her smile -- it was towards Steve, of course. But that smile stayed in his head for weeks. And when Steve had gifted him a picture of AJ, he had been be so damn happy he could hardly find the words to say to thank you. He didn't, of course. But Steve knew Bucky was grateful. "She's going to be my wife." He had told Steve as he looked down at the drawing.
"I hate to break it to you Buck, but I don't see that happening. Her distaste for you was pretty obvious."
"She'll warm up to me." Bucky had insisted.
Steve had laughed, thinking Bucky was crazy. "We live in big city, I doubt you two will ever run into each other again."
But they had.
And Bucky may have gone to the recruitment station with hopes that she'd be working after he was drafted -- the point was that he saw her again, just like he told Steve he would.
When he saw her at Camp McCoy, he had thought he'd been hallucinating. The drills he'd had to do left him exhausted. When he saw a woman being harassed by two soldiers, he hadn't thought the woman he saved from them would be AJ.
I'd hardly call it 'saving me', he could hear AJ saying in his head. Her stubborn nature was what made him so weak in the knees for her. Because she refused to admit she liked him and Bucky knew that wasn't true. At first; maybe. But by the end of their stay at Camp McCoy, he could tell that she liked him.
Bucky closed his eyes, envisioning himself sitting under their tree at Camp McCoy, the comfortable silence between them as they ate their dinner giving him a sense of calm he hadn't felt in a while. He could hear her talking about working with her teammates, about her drunk of a boss, Sharkbait. How she wished that in a man's world, she could be taken seriously as a scientist. Bucky would tell her about how he was afraid he wasn't a good enough soldier to fight overseas. How he was afraid he'd never make it back home.
He remembered the look in AJ's eyes when he had told her that fear. How much concern shined in the green of her eyes. But she hadn't said anything to him; she had only pressed her hand to his knee and for the rest of their time under the tree that evening, it had stayed there.
When the sun went down and Bucky climbed into bed, he could hear the faint noise of his neighbor watching television, a Romanian broadcaster talking about the firework show in New York.
He pictured AJ lit up under a sea of fireworks, a smile on her face as she watched the show while Steve stood next to her, along with all her other friends.
She has a life now, he thought to himself.
Maybe staying away from her really was what was best.
No.
Not in the slightest.
_
July 4th, 2015 - Brooklyn, New York
"You know that Tony's pissed, right?" AJ asked Steve as they sat in the tiny diner together. "He's sending me texts every couple of minutes to get you to the tower."
Steve gave AJ a slight smile. It wasn't that he wanted to upset Tony. He just wanted to do something lowkey without the glitz and glam of Tony's lifestyle. Sharing a slice of pie with AJ was good enough for him, he didn't need the firework show. "I'm sorry, Jay." Steve said, knowing he was putting AJ in an uncomfortable situation.
She shrugged her shoulders and turned her phone off. "Tony will forgive me." She said, picking up her fork and cut into the piece of pie to take a bite. "I'm his favorite after all."
Steve playfully rolled his eyes, pulling the plate closer to him so he could take a bite. "This is what Buck and I used to do." He admitted, thinking of his friend. "Every year for my birthday he'd take me out for a slice of pie. Mom would come too, before she got sick."
AJ frowned. "I wish I could have met her." She told Steve. "Bucky only ever said good things about her."
"She was a good woman." Steve took another bite of pie. He looked to AJ, wanting to change the subject from his mother to something else. "Have you heard at all from Andrew?"
She shook her head. "Fury says he made it to his team and that he was settling in well. But that's all he'll tell me. I don't know why he's been so goddamn secretive." She said in huff causing Steve to smirk.
"Fury secretive?"
"Har-har." She playfully glared at him. "I just," AJ looked away from Steve and out the diners window. "I miss Andrew. It was nice to have another Frost around." She admitted. "And hearing stories about Henry...it made me forget for a moment how much I miss them all. My brothers, my parents..." AJ shook her head. "Sometimes I wish someone could wipe me of all my past memories so that I can just start over in this new world."
"I know the feeling." Steve said quietly. AJ shook her head, stealing the plate away from Steve to take another bite of the pie. Steve knew it was time to change the subject.
"The Smithsonian got in contact with Tony asking if you and I will come to the grand re-opening of the Captain America exhibit. Apparently you're added to the exhibit now." He said, hoping it would make her happy.
"Why?" AJ asked, no happiness in her tone.
"Well, Jay -- as you like to remind me each time we spar, you did create me."
She hadn't rolled her eyes at him like Steve had expected; instead, her eyes grew wide. "I'm being recognized as one of the scientists who created the serum?"
Steve smiled softly, nodding his head. "Figured it as about time you got the credit you deserved." He told her. "And I know that puts a huge target on your back for people who want to replicate the serum, but you're safe at the compound."
He watched as AJ blinked, not knowing what to say.
"Should Tony and I have told them no?" He asked, worried he had upset her.
She shook her head. "No, of course not. I just...I-I," AJ sighed. "I never thought the world would know I was part of creating the serum."
"So...will you be my date to the grand opening?" He asked in a playful tone.
AJ laughed, nodding her head. But she quickly began to frown. "I still don't approve of them taking down any mention of Bucky."
"So be the one to mention him." Steve told AJ. "If they ask about him...tell them the truth. Tell them about the real James Buchanan Barnes. Not the Winter Soldier."
AJ smiled softly at Steve. "You know this is going to be a PR nightmare."
Steve chuckled. "Let Tony handle the aftermath." AJ laughed as well.
Steve offered AJ the last bite of pie only to have her refuse. "It's your birthday; you get the last bite." She told him causing Steve to raise his brows in surprise, not used to AJ letting him have the last bite of any food they were sharing.
When the fireworks started, AJ drug Steve out of the booth, and they stood on the sidewalk looking up at the sky where the firework display showed visions of red, white, and blue lighting up the sky. "Happy birthday, Stevie." AJ said, grabbing a hold of his hand to hold in her own.
Steve smiled down at her, watching as she watched the show in wonder. He looked up just as a giant "A" filled the sky, the symbol of the Avengers. "Let's get to Tony's party." He told AJ. "I think we've left him waiting long enough."
AJ smiled, nodding her head in agreement.
They went to the party and only got the cold shoulder from Tony for the first twenty minutes of their arrival. Or, in AJ's case, ten minutes. Steve watched as AJ danced with Tony and Sam, and even Natasha. But when the last song of the night played, AJ walked over to Steve and took a seat next to him where he sat. "Good birthday?" She asked.
He nodded his head. Steve couldn't help but think it would have been better if Bucky were there. But he'd never tell AJ that. He knew she was trying and that she missed Bucky just as much as he did. He also wished that Peggy were here too. AJ was right; they needed to visit her, Steve didn't know how much time she had left on this earth.
"What are you thinking about?" AJ asked Steve, sensing his sadness.
"I never got my dance with Peggy." He said quietly.
AJ frowned. "I'm sorry, Steve." She said, moving her hand to rest on his knee.
He looked out at the dance floor, watching as Natasha danced with her girlfriend and Tony danced with Pepper. Sam had even found someone to dance with. He and AJ were the only ones without a partner.
He shook his head, not liking that thought. Steve grabbed AJ's hand and pulled her up from where she sat. She looked up at him with a kink of her brow, confused by the action. "We deserve a dance." He told AJ causing her to smile.
"Are you sure?" She asked. "I know I'm not the partner you're wanting,"
Steve smiled. "I could say the same thing about you."
AJ chuckled, nodding her head. "Lead the way." She told him.
They danced together, only a little left of the song. When the music stopped, AJ stepped on her toes and pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek. "Thank you." She said, eyes tearing up. He nodded his head, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before hugging her tightly. He knew how much AJ missed Bucky -- probably as much as he missed Peggy.
But at least Steve still had the opportunity to see the woman he loved. AJ was still waiting for the day she'd see Bucky again.
Steve hoped it was soon, because even though he knew AJ would hold out hope of being with Bucky again forever, it might never happen and Steve wanted her to have happiness.
She deserved happiness.
_
July 19th, 2015 - Avengers Compound - Upper State New York
"And I quote;" Tony said dramatically as he read from the article, causing AJ to roll her eyes. "- the fact that Bucky Barnes was removed from the Captain America exhibit is an insult to everyone who knew him and worked with him during the war. That man was a hero and deserves to be known as one." Tony narrowed his eyes at AJ, shaking his head. "When we reminded Ms. Frost of Barnes working closely with Russia and Hydra, the woman in time said; James Buchanan Barnes is a victim, not a villain. He was brainwashed and tortured for years, forced to do unspeakable crimes against his will -- if you don't see the difference between a victim and a villain, I pity you. Hydra is the enemy. Not Bucky." Tony set his phone down and looked directly at AJ, brows raise, waiting for an explanation.
"I said what I believe, Tony." AJ said, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I like it." Natasha said with a shrug, taking the phone from Tony so she could read the rest of the article.
"Well because of Adelyn's little outburst, the world things we're hiding Barnes at the facility." Tony said with a sigh, rubbing at his temples. He looked to AJ. "Couldn't you just spend the night boasting about what a success you were at such a young age -- there was a lot to brag about. Why'd you have to bring Barnes into it?"
AJ rolled her eyes. "They asked me my opinion of the changes in the exhibit."
"I'm pretty sure they meant you being added to it." Tony said, shaking his head in anger. "Have you seen what people are saying? They think that you're hiding him here at the compound -- the US Attorney General contacted me asking if the rumors were true. They want to do a search of the building!"
"Enough, Tony." Steve said, walking into the room. He looked to AJ, giving her a little nod as he moved to sit across from her next to Natasha
"You need to make a retraction." Tony told AJ.
"Like hell!" She laughed. "I'm not going to let the world smear good Bucky's name because of what Hydra forced him to do!"
Tony sighed, "Look, I get it -- you loved the guy. But do you even know him anymore? Who's to say that he's the same man you fell in love with, Adelyn." Tony said the last part softly, knowing it'd upset AJ.
It did.
AJ walked out of the room causing Tony to throw his head back dramatically. "And now she's mad at me." She heard him say.
"Adge, wait." Natasha called, out only to be ignored by AJ as well. She just kept walking, ignoring even Steve who was telling her to come back, quickly followed by him and Tony starting to argue over Bucky.
She took the elevator down to her private quarters, walking past Wanda's room on her way. "Jay," The young woman called out upon seeing her.
AJ stopped, sighing a little before she walked into the room. She walked right up to Wanda's bed and laid down in it, causing Wanda to chuckle as she sat on the edge with a sketchbook in her hand. "I just got in trouble with Tony."
"Oh," Wanda drew out the word. "Did he ground you?" She asked, getting a laugh out of AJ.
She sat up and looked to Wanda, smiling. "No. Though I'm sure if I had stayed, that would have come next." AJ looked down at the sketchpad Wanda was holding. "Mind if I look?" She asked. Wanda shrugged, passing over the book of drawings. She smiled, seeing a drawing of the team together. "Steve might have some competition." AJ said, flipping to a very detailed drawing of Vision's face.
"Steve draws?" Wanda said in surprise.
AJ nodded her head, turning to the next page to see a picture of herself. She smiled, seeing it was a sketch of her using her powers. "This is really beautiful, Wanda." she complimented, looking back to Wanda. "You're very talented."
The younger woman smiled. "I used to draw in my spare time when Pietro and I were younger. He'd be out hitting on every girl in Sokovia while I sat at home drawing. That was before we volunteered for Hydra." She said the word quietly. "Before I could simply conjure up one of my drawings," She said, a red mist leaving her fingers as she drew a circle in the air, causing AJ to smile.
AJ held out her hand, palm up and ran her finger along the palm, creating a large snowflake, large enough so that they could see all the details. "That's my party trick."
Wanda smiled, only to jump slightly when Vision walked through the wall into her bedroom. "Sorry to intrude," He said, seeing he had startled Wanda. He then looked to AJ. "Mr. Stark is looking for you."
"I don't care." AJ replied, causing Vision to blink in response. "Sorry," She mumbled, getting up from the bed. She looked to Wanda. "You should show your drawings to Steve." She told her. "I'm sure he'd love to look at them."
Wanda smiled, nodding her head. When AJ left the room, she heard Vision asking to take a look at Wanda's sketches. AJ walked to her room, locking the door and turning on her television.
"Just who was the Winter Soldier to Adelyn Frost?" A voice said causing AJ to glare in the direction of the TV. "After her angry outburst last night at the Captain America Exhibit, we're left wondering just how close Ms. Frost had gotten to the assassin during their time together in the war." She flipped the channel, going to some show about remodeling homes. But she soon grew tired, her eyelids heavy.
"I don't know much about Midgard's currency," A voice said beside her causing AJ to groan in annoyance. "-But no amount of money will save this estate."
She ignored Loki, turning her back away from him.
"Oh, come on!" He chuckled. "I stayed away for a while."
"Not nearly long enough."
He huffed, "And here I thought you wanted an explanation for these visits," He sat up from the bed and began to walk away. "But I know when I'm not wanted."
"Wait," AJ called out, watching as a green shimmer appeared around him, the same green shimmer that appeared whenever he was about to disappear. Loki looked over his shoulder at her, smiling. "Are you actually going to tell me or are you just going to annoy me?"
He chuckled, moving back to her bed. "I did enchant the necklace Thor gave you for your birthday. It was a way to watch over you and the other Avengers in case I ever truly planned to come back to Midgard for my revenge."
"Why me?"
"You're vulnerable." He said simply. "I may not have been able to penetrate your heart with my scepter, but my magic...that's a different story. My brother gave you the gift on your birthday, a day you were incredibly vulnerable; it was easy to get into your head. The more you wore the necklace, the more power I gained over you."
AJ glared at him. "You have absolutely no power over me."
"I do." He smiled. "I could conjure you to Asgard right now if I wanted to. I can make you see everything I'm seeing at this very moment."
"Liar." AJ said back. Loki smirked and snapped his fingers, and when AJ blinked, she was in a large room with Loki, so many colors surrounding them. "Holy shit," She said, pinching herself to try and wake herself up from whatever spell he put her under.
"Don't worry," Loki chuckled, moving to stand next to her. He touched her arm, leading her to a balcony that overlooked a wondrous city. "You're not truly here." He snapped his fingers again and they were back in her room. "That was only an astral projection."
AJ took a step away from Loki, sitting down on her bed. "I can astral project?"
"With my help, yes." Loki sat next to her on the bed.
"But you can't actually...conjure me. It's just an astral projection." He nodded his head. "How come you could touch me?" She asked, moving her hand to show him that when she tried to touch him, a green shimmer would cause her hand to go through him.
"It's my magic." He told her.
AJ rolled her eyes at that. "It doesn't matter." She told him, getting up from where she sat. "This is going to be your last visit; I'm telling Steve and Tony. I've kept this from them long enough."
"Yeah, that was me." Loki admitted. "And, you aren't going to tell them, sorry. I see you being useful to me in the future and I can't have you telling Stark or Captain Rogers and have them interfere with our connection."
AJ laughed at that, but Loki snapped his fingers and her mind went blank.
She blinked, but her eyelids wouldn't open. Had she fallen asleep? AJ's eyes finally opened and she saw the ceiling in her room. The windows in her room were still open, the night sky visible. AJ rubbed her temples, a headache forming. She sighed, sitting up in her bed. "F.R.I.D.A.Y?" She called out.
"Yes, Ms. Frost?"
"What time is it?" She asked.
"It is two in the morning."
No -- no, that couldn't be right. What had happened? AJ had been with Wanda and then had returned to her room; she watched a home renovation show and...must have fallen asleep.
AJ rolled on her side, looking at her phone charging on the desk. There were no messages from Tony on her phone, no apology waiting for her to reply to. She glared at it, setting her phone back down.
"Captain Rogers tried to see you but I let him know that you were sleeping. According to your heart rhythm and vitals , that was my assessment. Was I wrong?" F.R.I.D.A.Y asked.
"No," AJ answered back, rubbing her eyes. "No, you were right."
She laid back down in bed, facing the window. "Would you like me to draw the blinds, Ms. Frost?"
"No, thank you," AJ replied, liking the view of the stars.
"Good night, Ms. Frost."
"Goodnight, F.R.I.D.A.Y." AJ mumbled, quickly falling back asleep.
That night she dreamt of a colorful world and dancing in a silk gown in the streets with people she didn't recognize, a pair of blue eyes watching her carefully.
