Chapter 27. Old Friends

After speaking firmly to Billy about not jumping into the lake again Bucky made a call to Shuri using his kimoyo bead bracelet that had been in a drawer ever since he left Wakanda in 2023. She listened carefully to what Billy did and agreed it was time the whole family came for some genetic testing and physical assessment of the children's abilities. When Bucky brought up that Rebecca seemed normal she smiled.

"Normal is relative Sergeant Barnes," she replied. "Some of your abilities may be in both your X and Y chromosomes. Just because she hasn't shown signs of great strength or increased metabolism doesn't mean she won't have other abilities she has inherited from you. We can determine exactly what she is capable of as well as your son. I look forward to meeting them and your wife, who I understand is an interesting woman."

"She's the best," he replied. "You know she is on the autism spectrum, Asperger's in fact."

"I am aware of it," said Shuri. "I have also heard her described as brilliant. We will make every effort to make her and your children feel safe and welcomed while they are here."

The trip to Wakanda was arranged for January of 2030 and Shuri promised a private jet for them. It would arrive at Lake Tahoe Airport so that they wouldn't have to travel commercial. It also meant the children would be able to get up and move around in the cabin during the flight. After celebrating Rebecca's 3rd birthday, and Billy's 1st birthday in the fall, then spending Christmas with the extended family the day came in the New Year where Lydia drove them to the airport and waited with them for the jet to arrive. She was nervous about them being gone for so long as Shuri asked for a month to perform all the tests and assessments.

"What will I do without you both next door?" she asked Julia, who was already dealing with her own concerns of being in another country.

"Greg has promised to check on you," replied Bucky, as he put his arm around her. "So have several other neighbours. "We'll do a video call as much as we can. I promise."

As the jet landed and the refuelling truck came over a woman came out of the jet. Bucky almost didn't recognize her as she was dressed in civilian clothes. She came off the ramp, over to him and his family.

"Sergeant Barnes," she said. "Our Queen thought you would like a familiar face to accompany you on the flight. I had to go to Oakland to visit our outreach centre there so I volunteered to return with you."

"Julia, this is Ayo," said Bucky. "She is a member of the Dora Milaje, a unit of women warriors. I'm not used to seeing you in civilian clothes, Ayo."

She gave a brief smile but extended her hand to Julia. "Mrs. Barnes, it is a pleasure," she said. "Please introduce me to your children. They resemble both of you."

"My daughter is Rebecca and my son is Billy," replied Julia, somewhat taken aback by the tall, slender warrior. "You're the one who recited the activation words to Bucky when his treatment was complete."

"I am," she replied. "Sergeant Barnes is well known in Wakanda. Not just for his past as the Winter Soldier but also for his service to our country during the Battle of Wakanda when he was decimated by Thanos. His request for the assessment of your children's abilities was granted immediately as thanks. It will not be all medical tests, I assure you. There will be opportunities for you and your children to tour our country and experience our culture. You are our guests."

"I was expecting a quinjet," said Bucky.

"It was felt the comfort of your wife and children were more important than the speed of the flight," replied Ayo. "We have toys and activities on the jet that they can play with. There are seats that can be converted to a sleeping platform if they get tired and wish to have a nap."

"Are there elephants in Wakanda?" asked Rebecca.

"There are," said Ayo, in an almost whisper. "We also have rhinoceroses and gorillas. You will have an opportunity to see all of them. There are also goats, some of the older ones were raised by your father."

Rebecca looked at Bucky with big eyes. "Daddy, did you have goats?" she asked.

He smiled indulgently. "I did," he replied. "I helped them get born then I raised them before selling them to others who wanted goats. The baby goats are a lot of fun. Perhaps you can pet some."

Ayo's kimoyo bead bracelet vibrated with a message from the pilot that refuelling was complete. She gestured that they could board as a flight attendant came out to take their luggage. Bucky helped load the luggage on the jet. Lydia hugged and kissed all of them then stepped back to the car, watching as they boarded. Inside the flight attendant told them they could take any seat. They even had two child car seats for the children so they were properly strapped in during the take off. Rebecca was thrilled to be level with the window beside her seat and waited eagerly for the jet to begin taxiing. She looked at her brother who sat across from her.

"Don't be scared Billy," she said kindly. "The plane will go real fast then go up in the air and you can look down over the whole world."

Ayo smiled at Rebecca's words then looked at Julia. "I understand you worked as a consultant for police departments before your marriage," she said. "Please tell me more about what you did as a consultant."

"I went through cold case files mostly," replied Julia. "Reviewed the evidence and photographs to see if there were any clues that had been overlooked or dismissed prematurely. I also did the same for current cases that were at a standstill. I did it until Rebecca was a few months old then stopped when one of the cases revealed my ex-husband was a killer. It affected me emotionally and I haven't done it since."

"That is understandable," replied Ayo. "You must have a very good eye for detail. Is it possible you could look at a case in Wakanda, just as a courtesy?"

Bucky looked at Ayo questioningly. "A cold case in Wakanda?" he said. "I didn't think you had much trouble with serious crime."

"We don't but this case has been unsolved for almost three years," replied Ayo. "Deviant criminal behaviour is almost unheard of in our country so we don't often recognize someone who has learned to keep such activities hidden. There have been two murders that point to the same person but we are no closer to finding that person than we were at the beginning of the investigation. If Mrs. Barnes could provide some help with her expertise it would be greatly appreciated."

Bucky looked at Julia, concerned. She looked back at him and nodded slightly. "I could do that," she replied. "I'm not sure it will help but I've solved dozens of cases in the past."

Ayo nodded her thanks and looked out the window as the jet began taxiing. Smoothly the jet picked up speed then lifted gracefully up into the air. She looked over at the children and smiled that they took it all in stride as both looked eagerly out over the landscape, seemingly not bothered by the normal sounds and procedures of a takeoff. Part of the reason for her accompanying the family was to observe the children in the small environment of the aircraft. There had been great debate amongst their scientists whether a super soldier's abilities would be passed down to his children. As one of only two super soldiers known to the world at the time of his initial stay in Wakanda, James Barnes was studied extensively while undergoing treatment. It was hoped that he would stay and marry a Wakandan but when he chose to return to the United States King T'Challa said to let the man have a normal life of his own choosing and without their influence. It took some time and some therapy for him to fit back into American society but when they received word he married there were many who were truly happy for him, herself included. She could tell just by how Barnes and his wife looked at each other that they were well matched. They each had attributes that supported the other in a true partnership.

Over the next few hours Ayo watched and interacted with the children, finding both of them precocious socially. They made her laugh with their observations on various things and she became aware of Barnes watching her closely. When the children finally became tired enough to fall asleep and their mother chose to nap with them she brought out a double scotch for Barnes and herself then sat herself across from him. He took a good sip of the drink and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Macallan?" he asked. "An older vintage by its taste."

"Bought especially for you, Sergeant," she replied. "Your family is lovely. I have very much enjoyed my time with them on this flight."

"What have you learned?" he asked. "I'm fully aware you didn't really volunteer for this Ayo. This was your assignment ... to interact with and observe my wife and children in an enclosed environment. I'm not angry as I know you Wakandans have such eager scientific curiosity over many things. I'm just surprised to see a Dora Milaje acting as the researcher."

She nodded her head in respect of his observation. "I have always had a scientific curiosity about many things," she replied, "but I did volunteer for this assignment. I thought as someone of your acquaintance that I wouldn't be as cold and clinical as an actual research assistant. Your children are advanced socially but in a most delightful way. They are open and observant of many things, both physical and emotional. It was evident by how your daughter prepared your son for takeoff. Your parenting skills seem to be based on the validation of their feelings without you imposing your own feelings over theirs. I sense that much of your home life is calm and balanced."

"You make it sound boring," said Bucky. "We never wanted our kids to think they were ever a cause of stress. Both Julia and I do a grounding exercise when we feel stressed or overwhelmed. That's not to say I've never been angry at them or her because at times I have been. I just don't physically show the anger ... I use my words to show my disappointment or disapproval, and I never yell at any of them in anger."

"That must be hard for you sometimes," she noted.

"At times it hasn't been easy," he admitted. "When Julia had her breakdown I was angry that she hid much from me but I could understand her reluctance to share something that shamed her so much. She also didn't tell me everything about her first husband because she was afraid, with good reason, that I would hurt him, or worse. For a time I considered killing him until I realized it would destroy us."

"That breakdown greatly affected her ability to be a police consultant," said Ayo. "A shame, as we learned she was greatly respected for her abilities to glean the most minute clues from evidence that had been gone over by others. Her reluctance to return to that task has resulted in a significant drop in solved cases."

"I know," said Bucky, taking another sip. "I've brought it up a few times but she insists she won't do it again. Which surprised me when she agreed to look at the cold case you brought up. Is it legitimate?"

"Oh yes," said Ayo, leaning forward. "You know from your time in Wakanda that deviant behaviour, such as a serial killer, is almost unknown in our society. Even though it is only two murders it is obvious that the person responsible will likely commit a third, or more. Your wife's expertise is seriously needed as our police force has been unable to crack the case."

She sat back and looked out the window again as she sipped her scotch. Bucky looked at her. "Ayo, I had to see Zemo during the time of my wife's breakdown," he said. "He said something that gave me pause, making me wonder how he knew."

Her look back at him when he mentioned Zemo was guarded but curious. "I haven't seen him since we escorted him to the Raft," she replied. "What did he say?"

"I asked him about who would likely be involved in trying to kidnap Julia and Rebecca," he answered. "You're aware that an attempt was made on behalf of a HYDRA sympathizer in the Navy?" Ayo nodded. "He said then that Rebecca had no super soldier abilities, at least none that would benefit HYDRA, because my abilities were linked to my Y chromosome. The knowledge of that was not only gleaned from HYDRA files but he also implied that similar research was done on me in Wakanda."

He watched Ayo's face and had to give her credit that her reaction was so subtle that a normal person wouldn't have noticed it. But then he wasn't normal and had been programmed with exceptional observational skills that could tell that she had known about the research. She was also surprised Zemo knew about it. After a moment she took another drink of the scotch and looked him in the eye.

"It is true," she admitted. "They wished to understand the extent of the genetic implications of the super soldier treatment. But it was done to have a base level of understanding from which to plan your treatment. At that time it was unknown how much the super soldier treatment had changed your body, other than great strength, exceptional reflexes, and other abilities that allowed you to jump higher and farther, and to run as fast as a speeding car. They wished to know if the changes extended to a genetic level. I am shocked to hear that Zemo acquired this information and I will be instigating an investigation into how this left the research lab, not to mention the country. It was only ever meant to be used to treat you."

He could have argued the point but he knew Ayo was being completely truthful and he accepted her explanation. "So, if I am reading between the lines, there are other not so obvious benefits to being a super soldier that I may have passed on to Rebecca," he stated.

"Yes," she replied. "They will likely be looking to see if she has acquired your regenerative abilities, your good health, your sense of confidence in your physical abilities, and your intellectual skills, which combined with your wife's own intellectual ability may be considerable for one so young."

"Rebecca is pretty fearless," said Bucky. "She's been skiing for two winters and is very good at it. Swimming and horseback riding have also come easily to her. Neither she nor Billy have ever been sick which the paediatrician has noted is unusual. They're both in a high percentile for height and weight but their measurements are at an optimal ratio. Rebecca has already learned sight words and recognizes numbers."

"Then I would say you have raised an exceptional daughter so far," she replied. "If she were Wakandan she would have already come under scrutiny for future admittance to the Dora Milaje. It doesn't mean she's a super soldier, just that she has great potential. I would advise you to continue encouraging that potential. If she does have the other abilities it wouldn't be considered as enhanced so much as reinforcing that she is a unique individual in top physical condition."

For some reason that satisfied Bucky and he spoke no more about it, content to sip his scotch and gaze at his sleeping wife and children. When they awoke several hours later the flight attendant brought out an assortment of food for everyone. He noted that many of his kid's favourite dishes were on there making him wonder how the Wakandans knew. After their meal, toys were brought out and Ayo encouraged him to sit and play with the children while she spoke to Julia. Smiling lightly he listened in on their conversation, curious to know what Ayo had been instructed to ask Julia.

"Mrs. Barnes," said Ayo, in her accented voice. "How has the trip been for you so far? Am I right in understanding this is the first time out of your country for you?"

"It is the second time," replied Julia. "We drove to Canada when I was a teenager. That was fun. I didn't mind that."

"You didn't mind the trip or the destination?" asked Ayo.

"Either," answered Julia. "We had a trailer so that even though where ever we stopped was different the environment I was sleeping in was the same. We made stops in Oregon, Washington state, then up into Vancouver, British Columbia and over to Vancouver Island before driving back south to home. I really liked Vancouver Island. It reminded me of Lake Tahoe ... a sense of community, you know?"

Ayo nodded, smiling slightly. "I grew up in a farming village," she said. "The sixth of six children. Although I loved the village there was the expectation that I would get married and settle down which was the furthest thing from my mind. I heard about the Dora Milaje and decided that I wanted to be a warrior so I became more physically active, learning to fight and throw a spear. My dreams were realized when the chief nominated me to join their ranks. I have been all over the world in service to my ruler and have never regretted it."

"So you never fell in love or ever thought of marriage again?" asked Julia.

"There was a man I thought I could have a future with but he left Wakanda and is now happily married with a family," said Ayo. "It was better for both of us. I realized after he left that he needed the freedom to determine his own future without influence from me."

"Have you kept in touch with him?" asked Julia, genuinely curious.

"Briefly on a couple of occasions," replied Ayo. "Now, I am married to the Dora Milaje and have pledged my life to them."

Bucky froze slightly when he heard her describe the man and he wondered for a moment who she referred to. He glanced briefly at Ayo and their eyes met for an instant. He looked away and Ayo continued her conversation with Julia.

"I have been to San Francisco," said Ayo, to Julia. "Such a beautiful city. That is where you were born and raised, is it not? Our Wakandan Outreach Center is located in Oakland so I have been in the area several times. What made you decide to move to Lake Tahoe?"

"Well, my Grandpa was a park ranger nearby," said Julia. "He built a cabin there, then his house and we always went to visit. Did you know Bucky knew my Grandpa in World War II? We discovered that when he recognized a picture of my Grandpa as a young man."

Ayo turned to look at Bucky for confirmation. "Is that true Sergeant Barnes?" she asked. "You knew your wife's grandfather?"

"It's true," said Bucky. "I intervened when I saw some bullies in his unit beating him up and got him transferred to my unit. He lost his leg during a sniper attack and went back home. A month later I was taken prisoner by HYDRA for the first time."

"We wondered if our meeting in Lake Tahoe was karma," joked Julia. "We met when we were both out on the docks connected to our houses. I waved at him and he waved back. Then later in the house my cat dropped a mouse on me, making me scream. Bucky came to my rescue. It wasn't love at first sight because I did my observational thing on him but we made up later and it didn't take long to fall in love after that."

Bucky smiled broadly. "No, it didn't," he said. "I knew within days I didn't want to leave her. That's when I moved to Lake Tahoe."

"So you already lived there when you and Sergeant Barnes met," said Ayo.

"I was hiding out there," clarified Julia. "My marriage had ended suddenly, and after several months of trying to get a normal life back I just wanted out of San Francisco, away from anything that reminded me of my ex-husband. The decision to stay permanently was when Bucky asked to stay and live with me. It just felt right, like we belonged there together. I still feel that way."

She looked at Bucky lovingly and he returned the look. "It's quiet there, even in the summer when there are lots of tourists," he stated. "It just suits me."

Ayo nodded. "This observational thing you referred to," she noted as she looked at Julia. "What do you mean by that?"

Julia looked to Bucky who shrugged as if to say it was her choice if she wanted to assess Ayo. "Well, even though I have Asperger's and am on the autism spectrum, I can sort of read people," she said. "I can tell that you're very guarded in your dealings with people. Maybe it's your training but I think it might have started when you were a child and you thought decisions were being made for you without you being consulted. You didn't want to let people see how their words and actions affected you. You've kind of opened yourself up on this flight. I saw it with how you interacted with the kids and with Bucky, when you were talking while I rested. You're comfortable with them. I could say more but I don't want to offend you."

Ayo looked impassively at Julia for a moment then shook her head. "No, please, go on," she replied. "You are accurate and I'm curious to hear more."

"I think that you were disappointed that the man you were interested in didn't return your interest," said Julia carefully. "Perhaps he was preoccupied with other matters or he truly didn't see you in the same light that you saw him. You still respect him; that's evident by the fact there was no bitterness or anger in your voice when you talked about him. That's says a lot about you as a person. You are loyal to a fault and you have a strong moral code that you will never betray. I'm not surprised that you have dedicated yourself to your position. You are a protector and you always will be. While we're in Wakanda I suspect that you will protect me and the children, because you have already decided that our safety is paramount."

Ayo smiled broadly, which was something Bucky had never seen. "I'm impressed," she said in response. "My knowledge of Asperger's Disorder was that those with it had a difficult time with social interaction and communication. Yet, you seem very capable of reading people and expressing yourself in conversation. I think you are very accurate in how you have read me. Yes, I will strive to keep you and your children safe while you are guests in Wakanda. It will be my privilege to accompany you, as long as you are comfortable with my presence."

Julia smiled and reached out with her hand, grasping Ayo's hands. "I trust you," she said simply.

Ayo nodded. "If you will excuse me I need to use the restroom," she said and retired to the back of the aircraft.

Bucky looked at Julia from the floor of the jet. "You figured it out at the same time I did," he said. "I didn't know."

"I could tell," she replied. "You must have made quite the impression when you still considered yourself broken. She's a strong woman but I think she wanted us both to know what you meant to her. If you did notice her then your life would have been different and neither of us would have been the wiser. I think now she sees what might have been. I'm not jealous and I believe that she will make sure we're safe."

Bucky got up from the floor and pulled Julia up from the seat. Gently he ran his fingers through her hair then he kissed her tenderly. He gazed into her eyes then enclosed her in his arms, knowing that no words were necessary between them. They were still there when Ayo returned and asked the children if they wanted to see the cockpit. Giving them each one of her hands she took them to the front of the aircraft to meet the pilots and see the controls. Whatever she had felt for Bucky when he was previously in Wakanda was just a memory to her now. Her current life was fulfilled by duty and she would perform that duty by providing protection to the wife and children of White Wolf.