Chapter 8. Answers

Tracey came for dinner that Monday evening and they all sat outside after in the warm evening, under the glow of the fairy lights, listening to a mixture of crooners and instrumentals from the 1940s through to current day. Bucky brought up Tracey moving in with them and Rebecca agreed it would be something she would like.

"I'll clear out some of the basement," said Bucky. "We can make room for Tracey's things down there then go through everything and sell what we don't want to keep. Does that sound alright to both of you?"

"We could have a yard sale," said Rebecca. "I'm sure I have some old things down there that would sell. What do they call it now ... retro or vintage furniture?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that," insisted Tracey. "It is your house."

"And Bucky's," stated Rebecca. "If it's in the basement I likely haven't used it for years. Better it go to someone who will use it and enjoy it. We can put the money towards something else, like a new roof or something."

"What's wrong with the roof?" he asked. "I was just up there a few weeks ago. It looked alright."

"It was just an example," replied his sister, rolling her eyes a little bit. "You never know what will come up. You'll bring Alley Cat with you, won't you Tracey?"

"Absolutely," she replied. They were all quiet for a moment. "Did you hear from Matt Murdock?"

"Yeah, they still won't give him an answer," said Bucky. "I've been thinking of phoning Colonel Rhodes. He's still with the Department of Defence, and has been trying to get the Avengers formally reinstated. He might be able to find out if it's the Army that filed an objection."

The others thought that was a good idea. When it was time for Rebecca to go to bed Bucky carried her into the bathroom, where Tracey helped her then dressed her for bed. He carried her to bed, read her another bedtime story from the book that Tracey bought them then tucked Rebecca in before kissing her goodnight. Out in the hallway he put his arms around Tracey.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to stay but I think you want an uninterrupted sleep tonight," he smiled. "I could do with a proper sleep myself."

"Is my fatigue that obvious?" she asked, jokingly. "You don't mind, do you? We could make plans for me to stay over Friday and Saturday, as long as you don't mind if I bring Alley Cat with me. I hate imposing on my neighbour to look after him. He tends to use it as an excuse to ask me out."

Bucky's eyebrows raised. "I have competition?" Pulling Tracey closer, he kissed her sensuously, while running his hands down her back. "Do I have anything to worry about?"

She shook her head slowly while looking him in the eye. "He's rather creepy but he does try to be helpful. So, I'm safe to give my notice to vacate my apartment at the end of next month?"

"Uh huh," he replied. "How big is your bed?"

"Queen size, bigger than yours," she said, with a smile. "We could always buy a king size. I think it would fit in that room."

"Queen size is good enough for a while," answered Bucky. "Don't want to have too far to reach for you."

They kissed again and Bucky walked her out to her car, kissed her once more, then watched from the street as she drove into the night.

"Nice looking girlfriend," said a man's voice and Bucky turned towards it, seeing a man leaning against the light post and smoking a cigarette.

"Do I know you?" asked Bucky, his senses alerted.

"Just stopped for a smoke," said the man. "Didn't want to interrupt you kissing your girlfriend."

Even in the dark Bucky could see the tells for someone lying. "You live near here?" he asked.

"Next street over. My wife thinks I've quit smoking so I walk around the block and have it over here."

"Funny, I've never noticed you before," replied Bucky.

"That's because you usually take off at this time," said the man, a little too casually. "Figured you work night shift or something."

"No, you misunderstand me," said Bucky, standing square to the man. "I mean I'm an observant guy and I've never seen you walking around this neighbourhood, never smelled anyone smoking the type of cigarette you're smoking. So, either you're lying about being a neighbour, or this is your first time watching my house. Which is it?"

The man smirked. "Wow, you're paranoid," he replied, then he threw his cigarette down onto the sidewalk and crushed it under his shoe. "I guess I'm going home. You have a nice night."

Bucky watched as the man walked away, making sure he was out of sight before he picked up the crushed cigarette with his artificial hand. He brought it into the house and laid it on a tissue. Then he placed a phone call.

"Matt? It's Bucky. I just caught a strange guy outside on the sidewalk smoking. He says he lives in the neighbourhood but I've never seen him and I don't know many guys living in Brooklyn smoking a Japanese brand." Bucky was silent for a moment. "Okay, I'll put it in a plastic bag. I'm not being paranoid but everything about this guy made my senses alert, you know?"

He said goodbye and pulled a sandwich bag out of the pantry, then picked up the butt and put it inside the bag. After he turned off the lights he looked out the window cutout on the door, making sure he was in the shadow. A few minutes after he started looking the man came back, leaned against the lamp post, lit up another cigarette, then watched the house. Stepping away slowly Bucky looked at the plastic bag in his hand and went into the bathroom. He pulled out the box of Rebecca's adult diapers and placed the bag in the bottom, sliding it in between a couple of them. Then he changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt, picked up a pillow from his bed and came out to the living room, lying on the couch. Pulling a throw blanket on top he laid there watching the door until he fell asleep.

He was awakened during the night by sounds outside. Looking through the cutout window he couldn't see anything but did notice several intact cigarettes scattered on the road, visible in the streetlight's glow. For about 15 minutes he watched but he didn't notice any movement and eventually returned to the couch, falling asleep quickly.

His phone woke him up at 5:45 am and he opened the door to go out to the sidewalk and get the newspaper. The cigarettes were all gone but he noticed several drops of blood that seemed to lead away from the house. He kneeled down to get a better look at the blood and saw an intact cigarette under a bush on their neighbour's property. Extending his metal hand he picked it up, confirming it as the same brand as the crushed one from the previous night. There was also a faint scent of aftershave, something that he had smelled before but he couldn't place where.

"Interesting," he said out loud, then looked all around but he was alone on the street.

Returning to the house he started up the coffee, put the intact cigarette in another sandwich bag, and made his breakfast. Sitting at the table when it was ready he ate and read the newspaper. It contained much the same news as it always did except for a couple of things that caught his eye. The first was a news article about a masked vigilante taking on certain elements of the criminal underworld. Police were reluctant to call him a criminal himself as he had often deposited individuals onto the front steps of certain precincts with a note detailing their crimes. The second article that got his attention was buried deep in one of the sections announcing the appointment of a new CIA director. Her name was Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and it had her picture. He recognized her as John Walker's employer, and as someone who had apparently tried to have Clint Barton killed by Yelena Belova, according to Sam.

He texted about the second news article to Foggy Nelson, wondering if Fontaine might be the one who filed an objection. After finishing his breakfast he got dressed, retrieved the crushed and intact cigarettes, putting them in his jacket pocket, and waited for Kalyna to arrive for her shift of looking after Rebecca. As soon as she did he headed towards the docks, clocked in, and met with the other supervisors to go over the ships expected to dock that day, their manifests, and which crews would be assigned to which ships. It was a busy day broken only by the sight of Matt Murdock waiting for Bucky as he came out of the security gate to grab some lunch at a nearby café. His appearance was expected as he wanted to "see" the crushed cigarette Bucky picked up the night before.

"Hi," said Bucky, noticing some cuts and bruises on Matt's face. "What happened to you?"

A small grimace flickered across the lawyer's face.

"Walked into some low hanging branches," he replied. "Really did a number on my face."

Bucky hummed. "You want something to eat?" he asked. "My treat."

"Thanks, just coffee," said Matt. "You go ahead."

They sat at a table and Bucky ordered coffee for both of them plus a double order of a club sandwich and fries for himself. While they waited he pulled out the two baggies and put the one with the crushed butt in Matt's hands.

Murdock opened it and smelled the tobacco.

"It does smell different," he commented. "Was that the clue that something was up?"

"Partially," said Bucky. "In my previous occupation I did a lot of surveillance, watching people. Got to read them very well. He had tells that he was lying. The cigarettes were odd for a westerner to smoke unless he had spent time working in Japan especially with the Yakuza as each clan has their favourite brand. Don't ask me how I know that. He came back after I sent him on his way. Then during the night I heard what sounded like a scuffle. He was gone but his cigarettes were scattered. When I got up in the morning they were gone as well except for this single one that was under a bush. There were blood drops on the sidewalk as well as a faint scent of aftershave in the air, similar to what you're wearing."

He placed the second bag in Murdock's hand then watched him intently, noting his reaction. A small smile crossed the lawyers's lips.

"Busted," he said in a voice so low that only Bucky would hear him.

"You're him," said Bucky, in an equally low voice. "Your secret's safe with me, although I'm curious how a blind man's senses are on extreme overdrive. Did he tell you anything?"

"Hired by untraceable text. Money transferred from a secret account. He was only to watch you, not interact. I think they're trying to establish your routine so they can take you at some point."

"Strange this happens just as the CIA gets a new director," stated Bucky. "Sometimes a coincidence isn't."

"My thoughts also," said Murdock, taking a sip. "Watch your back. They might try something with your sister or Tracey."

"She's moving in," stated Bucky. "I can handle anyone that comes at me here or in transit but if they threaten Rebecca or Tracey I'll likely go overboard."

"Understood," said Murdock, finishing his coffee and preparing to leave.

"Matt," said Bucky. "Come to me if you get hurt. I have unique field medical experience. There's ways to speed up healing. I have your six if it comes to that."

"I appreciate the offer," said the lawyer and he extended his hand.

Bucky shook it. His food was delivered a minute later and he enjoyed every last bite.

Friday

The crew of dockworkers under Bucky's supervision had just finished unloading the cargo ship. He told everyone it was quitting time and to have a good weekend. There was some paperwork he had to finish up and he returned to the office to do it. By the time he was done the place was deserted. It would get busy later in the evening as the overnight crew came on and began organizing the shipping containers to load the ship for the return journey across the Atlantic. As he signed off on the last of his paperwork Bucky stretched and stopped at the dock manager's office.

"I'm off, Rick," he said to the burly man who would stay for another couple of hours finishing his own paperwork.

"Nice work this week, Buck," he said. "I'm glad to have you on as a supervisor. The crew respects you. How different is it from when you worked here in the 30s and 40s?"

"Well, we didn't have the nice forklifts then," said Bucky. "It was a lot more back breaking. We had cranes but not these heavy duty ones that can pick up an entire shipping container. Everything was on pallets. Still the same goal; get it loaded and unloaded as quickly as possible."

Rick smirked then wished Bucky a good weekend. He went to his locker, put his jacket on and checked his phone. Tracey was already over at the house. He smiled, considering himself a lucky man. He texted that he was just leaving and would be there shortly. Waving at the security guard he left the secure part of the dock facility and began the walk home. An SUV at the side of the road drew his attention to the presence of an individual in it and he slowed up. The person in the driver's seat got out and turned to him.

"Get in, I'll give you a ride home," said John Walker, the last person he expected to see waiting for him. "We need to talk."

"No offence, John, but there's been some weird shit going on for a while," replied Bucky. "You'll have to forgive me for not trusting you."

The man sighed. "I get it. You have my word I'm taking you straight home."

Bucky took a breath and made the decision to go with Walker. He got into the front seat and buckled himself in.

"So, what do we need to talk about?" asked Bucky.

"The people who ordered your arrest, for starters," said Walker. "I had nothing to do with it. As far as I'm concerned you've paid your debt to society and deserve to be left alone but I'm in a minority."

"Fontaine was behind it?" asked Bucky.

"It was her great idea," said Walker, sarcastically. "But she is being pushed by someone else. Thaddeus Ross."

Bucky's lip curled. "Why does he want me arrested? I was pardoned by the President himself. Can't he leave well enough alone?"

"You don't understand," said Walker. "They don't want you in prison. They want you working for them and they want you to do for them what you did for HYDRA."

Bucky didn't know what to say as he was suddenly very angry. It took a few minutes for him to get his emotions under control. "I don't kill."

"I told them," stated Walker. "Said you're not the Winter Soldier anymore. Ross just laughed. Said once a killer, always a killer."

"So why are you telling me this?" asked Bucky. "It's not like we're good friends or anything."

"No, but I do owe you something," he replied as he pulled up in front of Bucky's house. "I never should have taken the serum. I thought it would make it easier to do what I do but it's so easy to lose control and I'm terrified I'll do to someone what I did to that Flag Smasher, as much as I felt justified at the time. I never realized why you kept yourself restrained. I get it now. You do it so you don't become a monster. I was cocky when they gave me the shield but I didn't deserve it. Sam was Steve Roger's choice and I know why. He's a much more honourable man than I'll ever be." He took a frustrated breath before continuing. "They're still considering their options to force you to work for them. Expect them to get dirty. At some point they may ask me to come after you and I won't have much choice to say no. They know things about me, things I did in the heat of battle. It's why I still work for Val."

Bucky nodded in understanding at this unloading of emotions coming out of Walker. "They have you over a barrel, in other words. I appreciate the heads up, John. I do. But I won't be forced into killing again, for no one. Do they know you're here, talking to me?"

"Sort of. I said I could probably convince you but I just said that so I could warn you. I'll tell them you turned me down, which you did. Whatever they ask me to do personally, I won't hurt your sister or your girlfriend. I won't cross that line but it doesn't mean they won't find someone who will. Watch your back and tell Sam to watch his. They're also the ones behind the campaign to defund the Avengers."

Walker stuck his hand out and Bucky looked at it for a moment then shook it. It took guts for John Walker to tell him this to his face. Perhaps their cooperation against the Flag Smashers in New York had changed him enough to try to walk a straighter path. Regardless, he had answers now and with answers perhaps he could find the right ammunition to fight Ross and Fontaine. He got out and Walker raised a hand to his forehead before driving off. Bucky watched him until he was out of sight. The door to the house opened and Tracey was there waiting for him. God, she was beautiful; his own angel. He felt a warmth deep in his core at the thought of them in bed later.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"John Walker," he replied, debating at first whether he should tell her more. "I'll tell the rest inside. You and Rebecca both need to hear what he told me. I'm going to get Sam, Matt and Colonel Rhodes on the phone as well. We may have a fight on our hands."

Ten minutes later he finished telling them everything Walker told him. No one said anything then Matt's voice came over the phone speaker.

"Well, I guess we need to do some deep digging. There has to be something these two have done that we can use against them."

"I don't know," said Rhodes. "Ross was Secretary of State for President Ellis. That's a lot of political power and he would have been thoroughly vetted before being offered the position."

"That's true, but he was also in charge of the super soldier project involving Bruce Banner, right?" said Matt. "I've done some homework already as I wondered if he was behind your payout being delayed. What if he made overtures to HYDRA at that time to get their intel? He might have even known about you, Bucky. One of my sources speculated that SHIELD was able to unthaw Steve Rogers successfully because they had access to how HYDRA took you out of cryostasis without mentioning you by name." Bucky breathed heavily when he heard that but didn't respond. "Let me do some digging. There has to be someone somewhere who knows something."

"Try Helmut Zemo," said Bucky. "He's the one who framed me but he also decrypted more HYDRA files than anyone. You might have a hard time getting hold of him as he's in the Raft now. His right hand man is an old guy named Oeznik. As for Val, she's not clean, I know that much. I wouldn't be surprised if she blackmailed her way into her position."

"She was married to a guy named Everett Ross," said Rhodes. "Had him arrested recently but he was "kidnapped" on his way into custody. Rumour has it that the Wakandans have him."

"I'm not sure he'll help either," said Bucky. "He was the Deputy Commander of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre when I was taken into custody. Sharon Carter worked for him and she helped us. Maybe she knows something."

There was silence until Rhodes spoke. "Buck, she's dropped out of sight. In fact, she might be one of the targets that the CIA wants eliminated. There's a rumour she's back in Madripoor."

"I can go there," offered Sam. "But it would be dangerous for me."

"I could go with you," said Bucky, an offer that was met with a resounding no from both Rhodes and Matt.

"If you try to leave the country you'll just give Fontaine and Ross fuel to take you into custody," said Matt. "You need to keep doing what you've done for the past year. Go to work, look after your family, and stay out of trouble as much as possible."

Everyone agreed with that plan and Bucky accepted their reasoning. For a man who had been an asset used to track down and kill HYDRA's enemies he felt somewhat helpless but he also knew that he was walking a very public tightrope. Ross and Fontaine had resources to take him down and the last thing he needed to do was make it easy for them. After the others hung up he sat back on the couch with his arm on the back of the sofa.

"So how was your day?" he asked Rebecca and Tracey in an understated tone.

Rebecca had a gleam in her eye and Tracey went to the bedroom. She came out with a walker and positioned it in front of the older woman. Grasping the handles Rebecca raised herself and walked around the coffee table towards Bucky. Slowly she turned turned around and sat down next to him, looking at him triumphantly.

"After my physiotherapy session yesterday Melinda put in for a walker," she said. "It was delivered today, during Marie's visit. She was so excited that she showed me herself how to use it. She's trying to expedite that ramp."

Smiling, he put his arm around Rebecca's shoulders. It was gratifying to see her walking. Having mobility would help her feel better and less helpless. There was a meow sound and Alley Cat suddenly jumped up onto the couch, settling down on Rebecca's lap.

"You brought him," said Bucky to Tracey.

"I guess he was exploring the house while we were on the phone," she said. "I put his litter box in the basement. You did a good job clearing space for my things. I could add some things to the yard sale."

"You don't have to sell your stuff," said Bucky.

"I'm going to be part of the household, aren't I?" she asked, with a soft smile.

"Yes, you are," answered Rebecca firmly, reaching across Bucky to grasp Tracey's hand. "You can add whatever you want to it. We're in this together now."

Bucky put his arms out to both sides and drew both women in close, kissing each of them on the sides of their heads. Rebecca getting stronger and Tracey moving in were both important milestones for him. The year before he first met Tracey had been hard and while he had no regrets about devoting his life to taking care of his sister the commitment had taken its toll on him emotionally and socially. Just having another person to share even part of the load was a big weight off of his shoulders. In many ways, it was close to the life he envisioned for himself before he went to war. A home, a wife and family, perhaps looking after his parents as they aged. So much had been denied to him and now it seemed he was finally getting that life, bit by precious bit. There was no way he was going to give that up for the likes of Fontaine and Ross.

Author's note: Is this shadowy group that Thaddeus Ross and Val de Fontaine organizing the Thunderbolts? Possibly. I'm not familiar enough with the comic book story of that group but Marvel doesn't really seem to be following that anyways from what I can see on the internet. I can tell you that the threat of Ross and Fontaine will hang over Bucky, Tracey, and Rebecca by appearing in future chapters. Since this book already doesn't follow canon, in that it deviates from Falcon and the Winter Soldier storyline (Bucky living with his sister in Brooklyn) it may just deviate from putting him in the Thunderbolts. You'll just have to keep reading to find out for sure.