Chapter 43- Returns
Yelizaveta raised her sword as Stark's training dummy came at her. She had woken up and taken care not to wake up her mother and father. Bucky sat in a chair and Diana had slept next to her. Both were sound asleep and would probably be that way for hours.
Yelizaveta moved like a flash as the dummy came to her and she smacked it with her sword and then twirled it in her hand.
Bucky came out of his daughter's room, trying not to feel panic at not seeing Elizabeth sleeping next to her mother. Diana was still asleep and Bucky left her that way. He looked up at Steve who was busy at a stove, stirring something in a pan. "You've learned how to cook, Stevie," Bucky said.
Steve turned with a smile. "You know how to cook too, Pal. Your mother taught both you and me. And your pop said cooking was for girls," Steve said. Bucky smiled briefly.
"I don't remember that. Me and Diana had rations that she cooked, but I don't remember learning how. Does Elizabeth cook?" Bucky asked.
"No, Dad, I don't," Elizabeth said and Bucky turned to look at his daughter. She was wearing a gray t-shirt and yoga pants and trainers. He could see the hilt of her sword on her back peeking over her shoulder.
"Where have you been? I was worried when I didn't see you sleeping next to your mother," Bucky said, going to her and hugging her tightly in his arms.
"Training. I don't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA anymore, but no sense in letting training go. I've been doing this since I was five and Madame B used to pit us against each other in the Red Room," Elizabeth said.
"So, how do you know who won?" Steve asked.
"Easy. The one who's dead doesn't," Elizabeth said, a little too flippant for Bucky's liking.
"I don't know if I like you being this calm about a fight to the death, Elizabeth," Bucky said, fisting his fingers into his daughter's hair and raising her head to look him in the eyes.
"Story of my life, Dad, and I have the knife injury to prove it," Elizabeth said as the door opened and Clint walked in.
"Cap, Vetty," Clint greeted both Steve and Elizabeth.
"Hey, Clint. How are you feeling after what Loki did?" Elizabeth asked.
"Pretty good. Good thing I had a crazy twelve-year-old Winter Soldier to hit me in the head," Clint said as Elizabeth left Bucky's side and went to him.
"Yeah, well, it was the only thing I could think to do at the time, Barton. It brought you back to your senses didn't it?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged Clint.
"Guess you have a point," Clint said.
"I'm just sorry I had to. You saved me when I was eight and that's how I thank you," Elizabeth said, making a face.
"I brought something for you. My mother told me that you loved her chicken and dumplings when you came to visit a few months ago," Clint said holding a large crock.
"I'll have to call your mother and thank her. Did she put biscuits in there? You can't have chicken and dumplings without biscuits," Elizabeth said.
"She thought you'd say that and remedied it," Clint said, holding up a plastic container.
"I'm going to call her and thank her," Elizabeth said.
"I hear what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sorry, Vetty," Clint said.
"I'm not. I can live with it, Clint. It's like I told Loki; regimes do rise and fall every day. I tend not to cry over that. I'm Russian or I was until I was eight," Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, well, you never was, Liz," Steve said.
"Can't argue with that," Elizabeth muttered under her breath.
"Buck, this is Clint Barton. Everyone calls him Hawkeye. Clint, this is my friend Bucky Barnes," Steve said, making introductions.
"Pleased to meet you," Clint said, shaking Bucky's hand.
"He's also my father," Elizabeth chimed in, glomping to Bucky's side. Bucky wrapped his flesh arm around her, holding her tightly to his chest.
"Yeah, I can see it. You have the same eyes," Clint said.
"Actually she looks like Bucky's mother, Elizabeth, and his sister, Rebecca," Steve said.
"Wish I had pictures to see what my grandmother and aunt looked like," Elizabeth said.
"I think the Smithsonian has some as they had your pop's old uniform and his dogtags," Steve said.
"Well, the Smithsonian might not be fans for awhile. I did steal Dad's old uniform and dogtags," Elizabeth said as a loud burst of color and thunder hit outside.
"What on Earth?" Bucky asked, slightly startled.
"Sounds like Thor's back," Clint said.
"Indeed. He's the only one who would make a theatrical entrance," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes as a muscular man with armor, a hammer, and long blond hair and beard entered the room. A thin man with dark hair dressed in green and gold stood behind him and had a gag in his mouth. (A/N: Yes, Loki is going to be in this as most authors like to write that he gets his punishment on Earth and gets redemption. And I do like that idea better than him pretending to be Odin and Frigga dying by Malekith. This story is going to have major character and storyline changes.)
"My friends!" The man shouted.
"Welcome back, Thor," Steve greeted the man as the man shook his and Clint's hands. The man then spied Elizabeth.
"The Winter Warrior!" The man shouted, clapping Elizabeth hard on the shoulder.
"Nice to see you too, Thor. I was wondering how we were going to contact you," Elizabeth said dryly.
"Heimdall told me you needed my help against the warriors that trained you to fight," Thor said.
"They are not warriors. They are cowards. They hurt women and children," Elizabeth said.
"Of course. Now who is this?" Thor asked, noticing Bucky.
"Oh, right. Thor, this is my best friend, Bucky Barnes and he's Liz's father,. Bucky, this is Thor," Steve introduced them.
"You are another Winter Warrior, like the little one," Thor said.
"That would be correct. Thor. HYDRA decided to breed a Winter Soldier. So they had him kidnap my mother and I was with them until I was two and then they sent me to train. And what did you bring him here for?" Elizabeth asked, noticing the man next to him.
"My father decided his punishment will be here," Thor said.
"Surprising that Odin didn't kill him," Elizabeth muttered, rolling her eyes.
"He was all prepared to until the dark elves tried to take over and Loki saved our mother and Jane. The leader Malekith nearly killed our mother," Thor said.
"Is your mother okay?" Clint asked.
"She's fine. A sword injury, but that was enough to require bed rest," Thor said.
"That's good and if Loki saved your mother and Jane Foster, then who are we to go against Odin?" Elizabeth asked.
"All of you seem to forget what he did to me. I could have killed Natasha and Vetty if Vetty hadn't stopped me first," Clint said sourly.
"He is forbidden to use his magic and he doesn't have his scepter," Thor said. Steve looked at Loki, who had a somewhat hateful look in his eyes as he glared at each of them.
'We'll have to discuss this with Stark and Dr. Banner. They are in the lab, going over tests," Steve said with finality