Well, here we are, the last chapter of Mirage. There will be at least two more sequels. One that's Post-CW and Pre-BP with some BP. The third one will deal with IW. That'll be interesting. Thank you all who read this, either on your own or from reading jinXed and making your way here. Here are the people who favorited, reviewed, and followed since the last chapter: GeographicallyDisplaced, elljayde, and dethwatch. Also Jamie is speaking Spanish in the beginning of this chapter, using (*) to show that. But regular italic is still spoken Sokovian. On ward!
Bucky smiled as Jamie held up another drawing, her voice excited as she pointed to the mess of turquoise on the paper, her Spanish having advanced to full sentences after only two days of him teaching her.
*"And this is Uncle Pietro when he runs really fast but you can't really see him except for this pretty color. I don't know why though."* She picked up another drawling filled with stick figures, pointing out who she'd replicated. *"That's Mama and Uncle Pietro, and Uncle Steve. And this one's Uncle Sam and…"*
She continued on but Bucky took a quick glance at Wanda who stood near by, her eyes roving about the Wakandan medical wing. She was worried, he could tell by her crossed arms and tucked shoulders, but this was for the best.
That first day, after Wanda had taken Jamie back to their room and returned, they'd needed to do the words and he'd surprised her and everyone else by saying that she had to be the one to say the triggers. When Sully (the name was still funny to Bucky) was activated the handler was completely off limits. Sully would obey them no matter what and protect them from any threats.
Which was why he'd wanted Wanda to do it. He couldn't risk her, not with Jamie waiting for her to return.
He could see how much it bothered the Sokovian. The words were painful, a flash of the torture used for each Russian term coming back to him fresh in his mind. He hadn't meant to yell or scream but the remembrance was too strong at times. She'd started crying at one point, saying she couldn't continue but he'd pleaded with her. This needed to happen. He'd never be free from Hydra unless they finished.
It took a bit but she did complete the sequence and Bucky had blacked out, Sully taking over. It hadn't been long according to his alter, only a few minutes so Shuri could get her scans and then Sully had pulled away so he was in control again.
T'Challa gave him a firm nod, trying to keep the sympathy off his face but Bucky could see it in his eyes. Okoye had bowed her head at him, her face impassive but he liked to think there was a bit of respect in the lines of her lips. Steve, of course, looked horrible. Sad eyes and slumped shoulders. Bucky hadn't wanted him to be there but the damn punk was too stubborn. As for Wanda, she hadn't been in the room when he came back to himself. Steve had said she'd had to leave the lab.
He'd found her afterward, red-eyed and pale, apologizing but she'd waved it off. She understood why he'd chosen her but it had still made her uneasy knowing she'd be causing him pain.
That was two days ago.
In the mean time, he'd made good on his promise to Jamie. The visiting group had asked T'Challa if they were allowed to take a look around. Not only had he approved wholeheartedly, he'd given them the tour personally. Shuri had tagged along, pointing out things and making jokes at her brother's expense. It reminded Bucky of the way him and his siblings would act with each other, especially his sister. The teasing back and forth was welcoming.
The Wakandan princess and Jamie had bonded immediately when it was discovered how smart his daughter was. It made him happy that Jamie could continue learning even though they were in hiding. Wanda had explained to him how it was almost impossible to find things to mentally stimulate the toddler.
Shuri took it as a personal challenge.
But today was different than the carefree atmosphere of yesterday. For one he was hooked up to last minute fluids and he'd changed clothes, white scrub pants and a matching muscle shirt. Another was the looming cryrogenic chamber behind Wanda. He could see her eyeing it warily every few minutes. He knew she had issues with his decision, as did Steve, but she didn't voice them. Which was the opposite of Steve.
But the two of them had talked and Wanda had offered something he was still thinking about. Most of her abilities were mental based which put him a bit on edge but what she was talking about was different. She could project into his head but she wouldn't actually be in his head. She wanted to show him what Jamie was doing while he slept, either in real time or memories from the day. Her link would be limited as well. He would see her memories of Jamie or see through her own eyes but he wouldn't be able to see anything else, any thoughts or other memories other than what she was showing him.
And the same went for her. She was only projecting, she wasn't in his head so she hear or see anything he would be dreaming about or seeing any of the nightmares he had, the memories that bothered him even in cryrosleep. It was tempting. He didn't want her in his head. He'd had enough people digging around it to last him lifetimes but he was mostly scared.
If she knew, if she really knew and saw what he'd done? If she saw all the necks he'd broken or the headshots taken? It didn't matter if it was Sully. It was his body doing it. He hadn't been strong enough. He'd let them win.
And if she saw that? Everything up until that point wouldn't matter anymore, she would look at him differently.
His other fear, one so potent to the point of nausea and shaking hands, was Jamie. Wanda had told him her suspicions of Jamie's emerging abilities and the fact that his daughter could possibly get into his head and see what he'd done while embedded with Hydra was his greatest horror.
"Uncle Steve!"
Bucky broke out of his thoughts, watching as Jamie gathered up several drawings and ran to Steve who was walking toward the small group, stopping him by showing off each piece of paper she held.
"It'll be fine."
His words seemed to startle Wanda who looked away from their daughter, green eyes trying to hide her concern. She only nodded.
"You don't like my decision." It was a statement.
She gave off a hum, her lips curling into a tired smile. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that it's your decision."
They were quiet for a few seconds, listening and watching as Jamie showed off another drawing to her patient Godfather.
"Okay. We'll do it."
She looked over at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"You know I'm not a big fan of people in my head, and thanks for respecting that, but…" He paused, watching Jamie laugh at a joke Steve had just told her. "…I don't wanna miss her growing up anymore."
"Neither do I."
The silent moment stretched between them enough that Steve looked up at them questioningly. Wanda seemed to take that as a some kind of cue. She looked down at her feet. "It'd probably make sense for me to keep the memories of the day and share them in the evening. It that alright?"
He gave her a soft smile and nod. "However you wanna do it."
A nurse came over, nodding at them before reaching to unhook Bucky from the IV. Wanda seemed unsure about something, her fists clenching and unclenching before he saw a flash of determination in her eyes, cementing some sort of resolve in her.
She reached a hand out and ran it through the left side of his hair, tucking a few wayward bits behind his ear. Afterward she laid that same hand gently on his stubble covered cheek, maintaining eye contact. "Come back soon, yes? Come back to Jamie."
He heard the slightest quiver in her voice and he flexed his jaw, nearly unconscious of his chest puffing up at her words. He knew she would be by herself in the coming days, weeks, and possible months taking care of their daughter. Steve was determined to rescue the others, including her brother, but an operation like that took time, took careful planning, and then they would have to drop the others off to hide away. Chances are Steve would wait until it was completely safe before bringing Pietro to Wakanda. Who knew how long that would be. Until then it would just be her and Jamie in a country where the citizens would not be happy if they happened to find out the Scarlet Witch was within their borders.
He really hoped Shuri could figure his head out as soon as possible. He couldn't leave them defenseless.
Bucky locked eyes with her, giving a firm nod. "I'll be back. As soon as I can."
She watched him for a second, looking for something in his expression. She must of found it because the tension in her shoulders let up and she pulled away. She glanced to her left and Bucky followed her line of sight just in time to see Steve look back down at Jamie. Punk had seen their exchange and now Wanda refused to look at him, her cheeks a rosy tint.
"You probably want to talk to Steve. I'll just grab Jamie and we'll give you some privacy."
A pang of something flowed through him as she walked away without another glance, stopping to briefly say hello to Steve before speaking with Jamie and walking further off to stand at the large floor-to-ceiling windows on the other side of the wing.
Steve made his way over to him, glancing back to where Wanda was crouched down and talking to Jamie, before turning back to smirk softly at Bucky.
"Leave it alone Punk." He'd seen how Steve watching a few seconds ago had made Wanda uncomfortable and he didn't want his friend making her feel worse.
"What? What did I do? I haven't done or said anything." Steve's wide eyes and earnest expression displayed absolute innocence that could fool the masses.
Unless you were Bucky Barnes.
He gave his blonde friend a slight frown and quirked eyebrow causing Steve to give off a light chuckle. The mood took a different direction when the super soldier glanced at the pod Bucky was going to be staying in.
Steve let out a sigh. "You sure about this?"
Bucky studied the machine, different than the dark one used in Siberia. "I can't trust my own mind, Steve." He gave a huff, letting his eyes cut over to Wanda and his daughter. "Those words are still out there. And I can't take that chance. Not with Jamie and Wanda. I know Sully would protect them, he would, but if someone were to get their hands on those words? It would be pointless. If something were to happen to them because of me? If someone made me…" Bucky stopped, looking down so he could fight back the nausea crawling up his throat. He couldn't think about it. He had early this morning and it caused him to be sick in the bathroom of his suite.
He took in a breath to calm himself before continuing. "I can't risk it, Steve. I just can't. So until Shuri can figure out how to get those words out of my head, this is what's best. For everyone." He looked back up at Steve, his friend's face calm but slightly grim. He nodded at Bucky.
"Sergeant Barnes? We're ready." He'd known Shuri was near by and had heard her inch her way forward, waiting until they were done talking before announcing her presence.
It was time.
~~~Mirage~~~
Steve watched from his spot by the windows as Jamie sat completely still, her gaze fixated on Bucky's frozen capsule. Wanda was sitting on the floor with her, the toddler on her lap while she ran her hand softly and slowly through the little girl's hair. He knew the motion soothed Jamie but he was sure it also helped Wanda when she was stressed.
He'd seen the exchange between his two friends and it had given him some hope. Bucky deserved peace, deserved a life.
For as long as Steve could remember, Bucky wasn't one for fighting or violence. Sure he was physically capable, a three-time boxing champion, but he wasn't the type to abuse that power or use it to lord over others. He only acted in self-defense. It was one of the reasons Steve was so adamant about joining the Army. He'd always felt that Bucky being drafted had been because he couldn't go. His peaceful friend had had to take Steve's place in a war he wanted nothing to do with.
While Bucky may have had a reputation with the ladies he was always respectful to whoever he was spending time with, never seeing more then one girl at a time, taking care of them. And while it seemed Buck was just having fun, Steve had known at the time, had absolutely known that his friend was in fact a family man. He knew that once Bucky found that one dame, that would be it. Buck would remember no other woman before and no other woman would exist after.
And children? Steve had seen how Bucky was with his siblings, how he was with other younger neighborhood kids. Bucky loved kids and Steve know he would absolutely adore and spoil his own.
Then the war and Hydra had happened. Bucky had been altered, irrevocably, and Steve hadn't been sure Bucky would get his chance.
But now? Seeing Wanda and him interact, seeing Jamie's face light up when she was picked up by Bucky, it gave him hope that Bucky could have a good life. A life with Jamie and maybe with Wanda. It would be nice, for both of them.
He knew there had been others who'd expressed an interest in Wanda. A few brave Shield agents who were usually deterred by the combined forces of Pietro and Clint. He'd seen Vision take an interest, trying to spend time with Wanda, just asking questions of her or talking to her. Something could have grown between the pair but Wanda hadn't the time for that. Motherhood and family had been her priority.
First had been the days she'd dedicated to being by Pietro's side as he slept after the fight in Sokovia. Not only that but Jamie had only been four months old at the time and had needed most of her attention. After Pietro had woken up, Clint had whisked the Sokovians off to his farm, figuring the small family needed somewhere to stay while the construction of the new facility was under way. Even coming back Wanda stayed focused on being a mother and her Avenger training. There hadn't been time for socializing.
But now, with no avenging and Jamie getting more independent, it was something she could possibly think about. Chances are she would be spending much of her time with Jamie, who in turn would want to spend nearly all of her time with her father. All that time together could foster a genuine friendship which could potentially grow into something much more.
At least that was Steve's hope. He just wanted them to be happy. Them being happy together was just a bonus.
He looked away from Wanda and Jamie to his left, T'Challa's footsteps near silent as the new king joined him.
"Thank you. For this."
"My father and your friend, Sergeant Barnes. They were both victims. If I can help give one of them peace…" T'Challa trailed off, glancing over at Wanda and Jamie as they conversed quietly in Sokovian. "Family is important to me, to Wakanda. Your friend's family is small but quite precious. I wish to ensure their happiness."
Steve smiled, looking back over as Jamie's voice took on a singing quality. She was still staring up at Bucky, her mother cradling her, but her lips sang the familiar song that the blonde super soldier knew was a lullaby Wanda's own mother would sing to her when she was young.
He turned away, staring out the window as his thoughts turned in a different direction. "You know they'll come for him, for her and Jamie, if anyone finds out they're here, right?"
T'Challa's back straightened, his chin held high and jaw squared off in determination. "I made a promise to that child." His voice took on a deep, serious tone. "Let them try."
And thus ends the Civil War arch. I'll probably take a break from this series, finish up on jinXed and start on an A4 one-shot. Warning, it's sad. But then again its A4 so yeah, it'll be sad. Let me know what you guys have thought about this fic. I did leave a few clues about somethings that will answered in the next sequel. Thanks for reading everyone. Goodbye! Peace out. -Mez
