What is wrong with him? Okay, it has been a long time since he last courted a lady back in Britain, and he barely found time to court when he moved to America, so he's clearly rusty, but there's something about Lacey Casciano...something in her soul that is trying to come out to him where he couldn't just reach...He has to admit that she looks very lovely with her strawberry blonde hair and dark blue eyes, and the way her hair is cut, it's making her look like she's a noble lady out of a historical novel, yet she's remarkably part of 21st century with her clothes.
The doctor took a deep breath as he tried to regain himself. He clearly knew that this woman was making his heart weak but maybe that was all it was. He was a man of science after all; love at first sight was nothing more than an unproven theory to him.
"Everything alright, Doc?", Bucky asked as he nodded, "Just a little distracted... that's all.". Tara said nothing as she saw the smiles between them, and of course, it's normal for the Doc to space out on things, but there's something slightly off about his habit of spacing out, yet she decided to leave it alone.
"Well, Doc, you know our usual.", Tara replied, gently sitting down on one of the cushioned stools around the breakfast nook, and Doc smiled, "Indeed. Almost ready here. Do you want milk or orange juice, Lacey?".
Lacey smiled widely, "I'll have both. Granted I will be soon having a bathroom break from that, but I'm quite starving...Especially after this morning.", and Doc nodded in understanding.
Immediately, within minutes, the omelets were ready to be eaten, with Doc placing the drinks, and Doc seated down next to Bucky, and Tara gasped softly, "Oh, Doc, this is the fluffiest and best omelet ever!", with a wide, satisfied smile after eating a piece.
"Now I know you're saying that to make me feel better, Tara.", Doc shook his head with a smile, and Lacey shook her head, "No, she's right...This is the most amazing omelet I have ever had...Thank you!", with a blinding smile.
Doc blushed red for a few moments as he took another bite of his meal just so he could avoid looking at her and showing his blush. Tara obviously caught it and just smirked but kept it to herself as usual.
"I tell you what, I was never imagining this some days ago.", Lacey said. "I go to bed a week and a half ago, thinking I'll be going on a fairly good date with Derek... turn around, he's a monster, aliens exist, and I practically was the first one to make first contact, then all that with you guys the next day... it's been quite the whirlwind of events.".
Bucky chuckled, "It sure was a cloudburst storm of crazy stuff, but yeah, we're glad to have met you officially, Ms. Lacey.", and Lacey smiled, "Me too...Er, James, right?".
Bucky chuckled, "Only Tara calls me James, but you can call me Bucky. It's a nickname of my middle name.", and Lacey nodded, "Gotcha. And you don't have to be polite like that, just call me Lacey.".
"Sorry, habits. Even after turning into a monster, technically labeled as a werewolf, I still use idioms and everything from the '40s...", Bucky smiled sheepishly, and Tara chuckled, kissing his cheek, "And I love you for it, James. After all, you came from the time of the '40s.".
Lacey blinked, "I heard rumors about that...Were women really treated badly?", with a frown, and Bucky exhaled, "Not badly per second, but yeah, men saw women as not heard, only seen...Of course, Peggy changed that. You see, I was admittedly a flatterer and flirter, but when Peggy came into the war, as a giantess and everything, she changed my mind when I saw her with Steve, my brother...They somehow were and still are a perfect match for each other, treating each other with equality, respect, kindness, and an open heart...And then of course, I met Tara only a month ago, I felt like I wanted to be a better person for her.", leaving out the fact that he met her before in his dreams as that was deeply personal.
"And... is the Quantonium the reason why you still look like you were born around the 80s like me?", Lacey asked.
"Well, that and a mix up with an interdimensional portal that sent me and Susan to this world. Back in our original one, the Germans were even more desperate since thanks to Peggy and Steve in several places, the war was going better for the Western Allies.", Bucky explained.
Lacey blinked in surprise, "The war was won sooner?", and Bucky nodded, "From what Steve and Peggy told me, yeah. And we're all staying here for our family here, and I ain't leaving my mate or cub alone. After all, I have to admit that the 21st century is better in many places. Of course, I was annoyed and upset at the wars afterwards, but it was part of history that I couldn't help out...", with a sigh.
Tara squeezed his hand, "But you are able to help out now, James. After all, we're in the present now, and we make what we've got, and that includes being a father and more. And there's ways for you to teach people how to do self-defense and all, heck, maybe help out the police in tracking for your wolf skills are none to comparable, except maybe Mo.".
Bucky chuckled, squeezing her hand back while rubbing her baby bump, "As always, you find the positive lining in everything, my aurora.", and Doc smiled, "He's right. We would always need a bright lining no matter what...Speaking of which, I presume you want to ask me something important.".
"Oh, yes, almost forgot.", Tara said. "We were hoping if you could stay with Lacey for a little while and help her out in Santa Monica. She's going to be doing a bit of investigating for us, dealing with Derek and see if any other women were... damaged by him.".
Doc widened his eyes, and tapped his chin in thought, "That would be certainly proof...I can see the potential in exposing Derek...Along with the recorder Lacey used on catching your conversation, Tara...We just need to be careful...".
Lacey smiled, "You're coming along, then?", and Doc smiled warmly, "Lacey, it'd be my honor to accompany you to Santa Monica. I presume Dietl is still working in Fresno?".
Lacey scoffed, "Yep. And I hear you there, but we can avoid that easily by going west. Tara is leaning me her old car as she doesn't need it, clearly.", with a nod at Tara who smiled warmly
Doc chuckled, "Brilliant, my dear.", now instinctively coming with his fondness for Lacey as he mentally hit himself again. One time is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a habit.
Lacey smiled, blushing slightly which Doc didn't notice, but Tara did, and again, she said nothing about it. Bucky then replied, "Then let's not keep waiting. Food is getting a bit cold.".
"Right.", Doc once more got his head back in order and started eating once more. After chatting for a bit longer after lunch, Lacey and Doc would soon head out, first to the hotel room she got in town; Lacey is glad that at least she had brought a suitcase with her so she wouldn't have had to stop at her place in Fresno for anything, before they would head out to the Los Angeles area.
And so, the couple started to get to know each other for real as it's a bit boring to listen to the radio about five hours straight, with stops and all. As the college offices close around 5:30 pm, they decided to get a start in the next morning as it opens at 9, and saving money, thanks to Doc, went to share a hotel room with two beds.
The investigation went for a couple of weeks, from Santa Monica to the entire Los Angeles area, and to their disgust and horror, they found out that Derek wasn't just a rapist, but a womanizer for he damaged 6 other women's lives...
A couple of them aborted their pregnancies, a few of them was in squalor, trying to make ends meet, with toddlers that had Derek's features here and there, and one of them did suicide on herself.
All of this got to Lacey, intensifying up a nightmare for her one night in the hotel room in a breakdown at last for she had been keeping up smiles and all for Doc aka Richard during their coffee time and such.
Doc woke up to see her convulsing in her bed as her nightmare was horrible for her. "Lacey, Lacey!", Doc was trying to help ease her nightmare and wake her up before she finally opened her eyes, panting as she was in a cold sweat.
"Richard...?", Lacey whispered as Doc nodded, "Yes, I'm here. Just stay right there, I'll get some towels for you.".
Lacey wrapped her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth as Doc quickly went to the bathroom, grabbing the towels, and returning with them, sitting down respectfully distant not to crowd her, "Lacey...It's okay...Here, some towels.".
Lacey started to clean herself before blanking out, staring at something, and Doc carefully reached to touch her knee, "Lacey?", and Lacey slowly blinked, looking up at Doc, having concern, confusion, determination, and anxiety, but not sympathy or pity in his golden amber eyes.
"Richard!", Lacey sobbed, launching herself at Doc, breaking down as she sobbed and cried, pressing her face against his chest, wanting human contact desperately, wanting to be comforted and feel safe which she isn't feeling right now.
Doc didn't know what to do for a moment before he sighed and slowly wrapped his arms around her; obviously, she wanted comfort after what had happened, and he knew at least what the others probably would've done in this case. "Just let it all out, my dear... it's alright...".
Lacey kept sobbing and crying as she let it all out, harsh breaths escaping, slowly feeling the cocoon of warmth around her as she made out Richard's unique scent of books, coffee, soot, and that particular musky smell to his hidden cockroach self, feeling his hands rubbing her hair and back in smoothing circles, hearing his voice speak out in soft, comforting tones.
This lasted for 30 minutes before Lacey finally felt all warm and wrung out, and she noticed that she had soaked Doc's shirt, "Sorry I ruined your shirt, Richard.", whispering roughly. Doc shushed her, "It's okay, my dear. I have plenty of other shirts...Are you feeling better?".
Lacey started to speak, "Y-yeah...what time is it?", and Doc spoke, "Around 1, but don't fret, Lacey...We have no prior appointments for our investigation...You need to rest...".
"C-can't...Too wide awake...", Lacey spoke, and Doc nodded, "Ah...Do you want some tea and talk about it?".
Lacey whispered, "N-not right now, but can you hold me a bit longer? I don't want to be alone...", and Doc was surprised before smiling softly, "Of course, my dear. Say, did I ever tell you the time I went to a bar for the first and last time?".
"Oh?", Lacey whispered once more as she was staring straight ahead and not really looking at him.
"Well, it was more of a pub, but I was 18 and thought I might as well try it; so many other schoolmates had tried it and I admit I was swayed under peer pleasure to be like a true Englishman and get drunk.", Doc chuckled.
Lacey whispered, "What happened?", and Doc smiled, "Well, it was no issue with the less alcoholic drinks, but once I got into it, I may have danced on a pool table, and I was rather good...Then came that cursed drink...Tequila...One gulp, and it was blurry to tell the truth, but I was told that I fell sideways on my stool, and caused a collapse chain among the bar counter, causing people to fall. Drinks was thrown, destroyed, and flooded the floor...Let's say that I might have laughed crazily, and I was kicked out...", with a sheepish chuckle.
"So... sounds normal bar behavior.", Lacey gave a small chuckle as Doc smiled, "I suppose so; I have little memories of that night of course though so it might not have been as bad or maybe even worse than what I was told. Either way, I wasn't allowed back into that pub again for sure."
Lacey giggled, "I believe it, Richard.", and Doc smiled, his heart swelling up in relief and joy to hear her beautiful giggle like that, for he loves that about her. Doc had stopped hitting himself mentally, but he is shocked to realize that his heart is open to her, everything about her...
He is starting to use that word...yet he is nervous where this theory of love at first sight leads to...Doc shook himself out of his space, and replied, "Thank you, my dear. Are you feeling any better now?".
Lacey exhaled shakily, "Much better...but I am frazzled and frightened...", and Doc murmured, "It was only a nightmare, Lacey...".
"Not a normal nightmare, Richard...It felt so real and more...", Lacey whispered, and Doc rubbed her back reassuringly, "It's okay, my dear...I'm right here...".
"I...I didn't want to tell you of my secret earlier...It's related to the reason why I was asking for Tara and all...But I am afraid that you would hate me... Richard...I don't want to lose a best friend...", Lacey spoke quietly that Doc had to strain his ears to hear.
"I don't understand. What exactly could you say that would make me hate you?", Doc wondered as Lacey sighed.
"I was just about in almost the same situation as many of the other women were... Derek... he was on the verge of... of...", Lacey stammered as she found it hard to say the last part.
"Raping you?", Doc said as Lacey paused for a moment before nodding. "He would have too, if not for the robot landing near us. The ground quake it caused gave me just enough time to escape from him.", Lacey teared up.
Doc hesitated for a half second before wrapping his arms a bit firmer around her, narrowing his eyes, "No woman shouldn't have gone through that! W-was the nightmare the opposite of it?".
Lacey whispered, "He...trapped me...He threatened me...I gave birth to a boy that looked like him...I was forced to marry him...He humiliated me...he influenced the boy...he abused me after I aborted the next pregnancy. He called me a monster...You kept appearing in every moment of it...calling me every word in the British dictionary, some I understood, some I didn't, but the look of hatred, disgust, pity I understood completely...You k-kept turning around and walking away when I tried to reach you...".
"It's just a nightmare.", Doc assured her. "I wouldn't dare do that sort of thing to you, Lacey... leave you alone with that inexcusable waste of a human life like him.", he growled; obviously wanting to break Derek and make the rapist scream for mercy; it was nothing close to what he earned. His suffering should be... Doc quickly stopped thinking about it as Lacey tightened her hug on him.
Doc sighed deeply, closing his eyes, rubbing Lacey's back as Lacey gave out a few sobs, shocked and relieved to hear Richard's words, realizing that she truly has a best friend to look out for her, speaking, "You'd do that for me?".
Doc huffed, narrowing his eyes, "Of course I'd do that for you, Lacey. No one should put you out in the darkness like that, and have your light snuffed out. You have a truly beautiful light in your soul, your eyes...That's the best part I love about you, Lacey Casciano!", before freezing, widening his eyes, realizing that he blabbed out in his rant...He mentally hit himself so hard, closing his eyes, not wanting to see the look on Lacey's face, feeling her loosen her arms from him.
Great, he's going to be rejected...probably need to grab another hotel room...Damn his habit to blab in his rants...Cockroach or human, it always is the same thing...
There was no sound for a few moments before he felt her hugging him once more. "Thank you...", Doc heard her say as he looked back down at her. "I... I really needed to hear that, Richard...".
Doc exhaled slowly, "Y-you're welcome, my dear...", seeing Lacey lean on his chest, hugging him so tightly yet tenderly, looking up at him with a smile, and Doc hesitantly, slowly wrapped his arms around her again, "I...I mean it, Lacey...But you...I thought...you deserve someone better than me...a form-changing monster...a mad scientist...", instinctively bringing out his antennae, flopping them in sadness and wary anticipation, and he groaned, and was about to put them back into hiding when a hand reached and held one of his antennae gently, surprising Doc.
"I know you've had that instilled for quite a number of years... but I don't consider you a monster... not by your actions. A mad scientist... sure, but you've helped saved the world, not destroy it...", Lacey gave a small chuckle. "You're a good man... not a monster like Derek. If anyone should be called that, it's him.".