Six Years After the Fall of Hydra
Sarah hummed to herself as she carefully sliced up the strawberries to add to her masterpiece. Once she'd placed three sliced strawberries on each plate of waffles, she grabbed the banana slices she'd cut earlier and arranged them, taking a step back to admire her work.
"You know they're just going to shovel those into their mouths right? They won't even notice all the work you're putting into breakfast, not even your father."
Sarah pursed her lips thoughtfully as she grabbed a sifter and deposited the perfect amount of powdered sugar on each of the five plates. She leaned over and grabbed her phone from the counter beside the fridge, taking a photo of the finished product. "I know. I don't do it for them. It makes me happy."
"Then that's all that matters." Kayla purred as she took a sip of her coffee happily. She watched her daughter pull out another plate and deposit one waffle before layering it sloppily with fruit. "Let me guess, little one's yours?"
"Well it sure isn't enough to feed Dad, James, and Uncle Bucky." Sarah snorted, looking out the corner of her eyes at her mom, "Or even you." Kayla pretended to be insulted as she set down her mug and leaned against the back of her chair, waiting for her daughter to continue her teasing. Sarah just grinned though, beginning to move the plates to the table as Kayla went back to reading her book, "Speaking of my brother and father, shouldn't they be back by now?"
"They've been on their run for two hours, they could be halfway to Canada by now." Kayla grumbled in response, not lifting her eyes from the pages as her daughter continued preparing for company. Kayla only looked up when her phone buzzed, "They're about five minutes out."
"Well then I'm glad we are ready for them." Sarah beamed as she brought over the last of the waffles, wiping her hands on her jeans before doubling back to the fridge. She returned with a carton of milk in one hand and a jug of orange juice in the other. Her arms wavered from the weight, but she was determined, and her mother didn't bring it up. Her fifteen year-old- daughter knew her limits. Kayla wasn't going to remind Sarah of them.
When someone knocked on the door, Sarah sprinted toward the foyer with Zawadi hot on her heels. She flung open the red door and squealed with excitement as Tessa embraced the teenager lovingly. Bucky herded them into the house, holding out his left hand to keep the Rhodesian Ridgeback inside the house as the dog tried to jump on him.
"Zaddi! Sit! Please..." Bucky groaned as the dog pushed her front paws against the man. Bucky played with the dog's ears as Zawadi tried to reach his long tongue to Bucky's clean-shaven face.
Kayla chuckled as she appeared around the corner from the kitchen, opening her arms to envelop Tessa in a hug, "You two have come a long way. He used to hate you."
"Yeah. I remember." Bucky barked as Zawadi finally got one long stroke of his tongue against the former soldier's smooth jaw. Bucky grimaced and wiped the slobber away after Kayla clicked her tongue, beckoning her pet back to her side. "How old is he anyway?"
"Not sure." Kayla lied as she moved to hug Barnes. "How was your trip home?"
"Long. Boring." Tessa droned and scratched Zawadi's head fondly. She looked up at Bucky lovingly, but her smile faltered for a moment until Sarah led them back into the kitchen. Tessa followed, but Bucky stayed behind with Kayla and the dog, kicking his boot against the carpet for a moment before pulling off his shoes.
Kayla watched him silently, wondering if she should wait for her husband's return to breach the sensitive subject. When Bucky stood up straight and looked around, she decided to jump in, "Steve and James aren't back from their run yet. They should be here any moment."
"Oh." Bucky said simply, taking a step closer to the kitchen before stopping again and scratching behind his short hair. "We, uh, didn't have much luck."
Kayla nodded, keeping tight lipped as she listened to Sarah showing off her impeccably designed waffles to Tessa. "You or her?"
"Me." Bucky answered quietly. His blue eyes were stone cold as he stared toward the kitchen. "It's probably for the best."
"Don't say that." Kayla hissed as the door began to unlock behind her. She grabbed Bucky's arm to pull his attention to her for one more moment, "Have you talked to Doctor Banner? Even Doctor Strange- Shuri?"
"Everyone. The results are still the same. I'm a hundred and twenty years old, Kayla. It's not a surprise." Bucky mumbled as the door flew open and Steve emerged from the outside, closing the gap between himself and his best friend with a happy yell.
Kayla stepped aside to let her son into the house, the sixteen-year-old pouncing onto his uncle the moment Steve gave him a second to breathe. Bucky laughed loudly and waved his hand in front of his face, "You two reek!"
"And now so will you." Tessa giggled as she walked up to Steve and hugged him nonetheless. When she pulled away she looked to James, looking him up and down in wonder, "I can't believe how much you've grown! What are you now, twenty?"
"Sixteen." James laughed as he slung his arm over his aunt. "It's good to see you both."
"Breakfast is ready, but you aren't sitting at my table looking like that." Kayla motioned all over Steve's sweat drenched body. She winked at him and nodded upstairs, but Steve snatched her hand and pulled her into a quick kiss before leaving.
James shook his head, no surprise in his expression as he slowly followed his father upstairs. Tessa followed Kayla back into the kitchen, leaving Bucky standing in the living room with Zawadi panting next to him.
He stared down at the dog curiously, knowing there were a lot of things he didn't understand. But he understood that a dog as large as the Rhodesian shouldn't live to twenty years old. Zawadi didn't act like a senior dog, he acted as energetic and devoted as the first time Bucky encountered him in Wakanda. Time came and went for the Winter Soldier, but he'd been out of the ice long enough to know that something else was at play. He looked up toward the kitchen, catching Kayla's gaze as she switched off the coffee machine.
Zawadi tilted his head, his left ear twitching up as he stared at Bucky. He snorted and pat the dog one last time as Steve came trotting down the stairs. Whereas Bucky was clean-shaven, Steve had grown out his beard again. It was thick but well kept, and his hair was shorter than he used to wear it. Bucky's smile faltered a bit when he considered how different Steve looked from the man he used to know. Even Kayla had hacked off her beautiful hair years ago, keeping it no longer than her shoulders. She'd begun wearing glasses, just like Steve, to hide her recognizable expression. Their logic was simple: the older the kids got, the more chances they'd have to see their parents in the history books. Which meant Steve and Kayla had to be diligent about erasing who they used to be.
The worst part for Bucky was that they seemed fine with it.
"Let's eat. I'm sure you're starving." Bucky told Steve quietly as his friend lead him into the kitchen toward the table. Bucky sat first, taking in the spread eagerly, "Sarah, did you do all this? It's beautiful."
"Thank you! See, someone appreciates my hard work." Sarah looked expectantly to her mother. She leaned back in her chair, looking to the empty one beside her, "Where's James?"
"I'll go hurry him up a bit. You guys start eating." Kayla exclaimed as she stood and motioned toward the food.
Steve followed his wife for a few steps and looked up the stairs, hearing her tap on their son's door. He then turned to his company who were getting settled, "Can I get you guys anything to drink? Water, orange juice, coffee- milk?" He listed as he took stock of what his daughter had set out. Bucky looked around the table, then silently reached for the orange juice while Tessa considered her options. Steve poured himself a mug of coffee and sipped it as he looked up the stairs again, wondering what was taking his son so long.
Tessa raised her hand to get Steve's attention, "If you don't mind, I'd love a cup of coffee? I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and we've been driving since six this morning."
"Yeah, of course!" Steve replied, pulling out a mug for her beverage. He carefully carried it over and handed it to Tessa, "Let me know if you need cream or anything."
Tessa took a long, slow sip of the coffee as Kayla came trotting down the stairs with James right behind her. "Your son was using up all the hot water-" Kayla's words died on her lips when she saw Tessa with a mug in her hand. Kayla swallowed hard, eyes darting around as James passed her and sat at his spot at the table.
"Sorry, one of my friends was asking if I was free to hang out this afternoon. We don't have any real plans, do we?" James questioned his father as Steve sat down, stabbing his fork into his waffles to begin devouring them.
None of them realized Kayla was frozen in her place by the stove until Tessa twisted her face uncomfortably and groaned. Bucky looked her up and down worriedly, "What's wrong?"
"I- I don't know. Something's not right." Tessa mumbled as she bent over, her cup dropping to the ground and shattering. She winced as she held her stomach, "I'm sorry- I just feel... oh my gosh it hurts so much!"
Steve looked down at his own coffee, taking another sip to find it normal. He looked at the food, realizing she hadn't started yet. Bucky followed his train of thought and jumped to his feet, taking a swig of the coffee for himself. He narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher the taste, "This is the same stuff she had, right?"
"Yeah. I poured them at the same time." Steve answered before Bucky dropped to his knees to hold Tessa's face as she cried out in anguish.
James reached out to take the mug from his father, asking if he could try some until his mother yelled out, "No!"
At the sound of her voice, Steve looked up at his wife to see her frozen in place with a horrified look on her face. But there wasn't panic, per say, only guilt. Kayla always made sure to clean out the coffee machine before they had company, but she had a late night errand to run the night before. Sarah and Steve hadn't thought to clean it out. They didn't realize they had need to.
Sarah dropped her fork and pulled out her phone, "Should I call 911?"
"Wait, will the cops come to the house?" James asked nervously through a mouthful of waffles. His anxious green eyes met his mother's petrified ones and she gave him a warning glare before turning back to the task at hand.
"No- no need for that, I think it's just an allergic reaction- James, take the van, go get some Benadryl from the drugstore. Sarah, go with your brother." Kayla ordered as she finally broke from her trance and crossed the kitchen to kneel beside her friend as she continued to cry. She looked up one more time at her kids before yelling, "Go! Now!"
James stumbled to his feet, grabbing the keys off the counter as Sarah scurried behind him, looking over her shoulder one more time. "She's going to be alright." Sarah said confidently, but she wasn't sure where that certainty came from.
The moment the front door closed, Steve was on his feet and surging toward his wife furiously, "What have you done? What is it?"
"It's a stimulant." Kayla admitted nervously, and Tessa looked up at her with wide eyes as she began to pant, only breaking from her panic to let out another anguished scream. Kayla grimaced as Steve pinned her against the cabinets. She was quivering as he towered over her, taking in how powerful he still was, "I'm sorry."
"Why? Why is there a stimulant in my coffee Kayla? How long?" Steve breathed, and Kayla looked away to catch a glimpse of Tessa. The brunette was now seated on the floor in Bucky's arms as he wiped her forehead. She was whimpering as she held his arm tightly. Steve smacked his hand against the cabinet, "Answer me, Kayla!"
"Three years!" She yelped out, shaking as she met her husband's disgusted face. Tears began to fill her green eyes, "After Tony and Pepper left, I- I panicked. You were getting older. I was scared... I can't lose you-"
"That's not your decision to make Kayla, it's how the world works! Jesus, you've been drugging me to keep me younger? What does the stimulant do? What'll it do to her?"
"It just reactivates the super soldier serum, it doesn't add anything to it." Kayla breathed, but Steve tilted his head, showing he didn't believe she was telling the full truth, so she added, "It helps regenerate cells and creates a protective barrier around organs."
"What will it do to Tessa?" Bucky repeated evenly and Steve pulled away so his wife could assess the situation she'd created.
Kayla swallowed hard, looking from her best friend to Bucky, "It will regenerate cells and form a protective barrier around her organs. She doesn't have the steroids in her already, it won't make her stronger."
"Why the fuck does it hurt so bad?" Tessa snarled as she looked up at her best friend, "Can't you stop it?"
"I can- let me, let me get my stuff-" Kayla scrambled to her feet, but something rubbery caught her wrist, and she quickly registered it was Bucky's prosthetic hand. Tessa looked up at her husband as he stared at Kayla, trying to find the words to say.
"What if you don't?" He croaked quietly. "What if you don't stop it?"
Kayla didn't understand what Bucky was asking, and she looked to Steve frantically, but he couldn't look her in the eyes. Tessa breathed deeply, finally beginning to feel the slightest bit of relief. She looked at her hands, realizing she didn't look any different, but she felt different.
Bucky finally released Kayla's hand and she backed away a step, opening and closing her mouth quickly in an attempt to find the correct words, "It's not the serum-"
"I know. But it'll keep her healthy?" Bucky asked and Tessa began to follow his train of thought.
"And potentially live longer?" Tessa questioned, and Kayla looked to her husband, but he crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "Kay?" Kayla's head snapped to Tessa and the brunette stretched a little before nodding at her husband to help her up. "It's okay."
"No. No, it's not okay." Steve grumbled as he shook his head in disbelief. He stormed away with Zawadi following him with his tail between his legs.
Bucky pulled Tessa close to him and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, keeping his eyes locked on Steve as he dropped himself into his easy chair, "Listen... this could be a great thing for us."
"Or not." Kayla muttered as she turned back to look at her friends. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Nobody was ever supposed to find out."
"You're a fucking idiot." Tessa breathed before twisting her lips thoughtfully. Kayla pushed her glasses up on top of her head and rubbed the inner corners of her eyes as she groaned. Tessa snapped her fingers in Kayla's face, bringing the woman back to reality, "Hey. You really fucked this up. What are we going to do?"
"I can make an anti-stimulant. But I don't recommend it." Kayla mumbled, finally meeting Tessa's eyes and leveling with her, "If I do that, it'll kill off your cells and weaken your organs. I did what I thought I needed to do to protect my hundred-and-nineteen-year-old husband. I'm so sorry this happened, but I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally. You're family."
Tessa sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, nodding her head understandingly, "Yeah, I know. I know. I forgive you."
A frustrated moan rumbled from the easy chair in the other room. Kayla blanched at the sound and leaned her head against the cabinets before looking back at her friend sadly, "I almost wish you wouldn't. That would make him easier to live with."
"I said I forgive you. That-" Tessa pointed out into the living room where Steve was sulking, "is a very different story."
"Can we borrow your room? I'm going to take Tessa to lie down." Bucky asked as he led his wife up the stairs for some rest. Kayla nodded dully, despite Bucky and Tessa already being gone. She collected the broom from the kitchen closet and began sweeping up the shattered pieces of the mug. She was only vaguely aware when the front door opened and Sarah called that they were back.
"Tessa's upstairs. Can you take her the medicine?" Kayla's voice cracked and she heard as Sarah's light footsteps moved up the stairs. She dumped the shattered mug into the trash, pulling her glasses down to cover her puffy eyes.