Chapter 48- Reunions
Diana being scared was not an overstatement. If she squeezed Bucky's hand any tighter, it would snap. The only other time Bucky had seen panic in his wife's eyes was when they said their vows on the day they married. Fortunately, the fear hadn't lasted long as Diana and Bucky grew to love each other. Bucky raised his wife's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Diana smiled at him faintly.
"All right. We are landing," Clint Barton said as he landed in a field.
"Mama, breathe," Elizabeth said. Bucky chuckled dryly. Diana turned her eyes to him.
"James, that's not funny," Diana said, stiffly.
"She's not wrong, doll," Bucky said.
"I guess not. I just don't know how they are going to react when they see me. I left to be a doctor and return 15 years later? No one would probably understand that I was forced to marry and have a baby," Diana said, licking her lips nervously. In the 15 years she had been married to Bucky, that had been her go-to when she was nervous.
"Just tell them the truth. I'm sure they'll understand that HYDRA kidnapped you and forced marriage and a baby on you," Steve said.
"Oh, yeah, as if the truth really isn't stranger than fiction in this case. If I hadn't lived in the Red Room, I would have trouble swallowing all that HYDRA ever did wrong. And, believe me, that list of wrongs is long," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes.
"So, HYDRA was that bad?" Jimmy asked.
"Yuh-huh. Ask Clint how I looked the day he got me out of that basement when I was eight," Elizabeth said.
"Skinny, malnourished, half-naked with blue mottled skin, bruises and whip marks, and scared when me and Coulson touched her shoulder. The poor kid screamed and started crying and backed into a corner. It took a long time for her to get over her trust issues," Clint said, looking out the viewscreen.
"Who said I did? I never trusted Pierce or Brock Rumlow," Elizabeth said.
"Kid's got a point. I never liked Pierce and Fury had so many secrets, it's hard to trust him," Stark said.
"No, I never had that problem with trusting Fury. It really is like what Johnny Depp said in "Pirates of the Caribbean." You can trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. He won't lie to you about being dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you gotta look out for, because you never know when they're going to do something incredibly stupid," Elizabeth said.
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" You have seen that?" Banner asked.
"Yeah. I watch Disney too. Of course, I like Orlando Bloom. He's Legolas in "Lord of the Rings" and Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean," Elizabeth said.
"Disney has changed a lot since me and your pop took two girls to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Do you remember that, Buck?" Steve asked James.
"I think so. Was there a dwarf in it named Dopey?" James asked, wrinkling his forehead.
"Yeah, Dad, there was. I either like Dopey or Grumpy. Sneezy's pretty funny too," Elizabeth said as Clint opened the hatch door.
"You saw "Snow White when it first came out, Cap?" Clint asked Steve.
"Yeah. Bucky and me took two girls to see it as he was always setting me up on dates. Girls liked him and always had friends who needed a date," Steve said.
"Should I be concerned, James?" Diana asked as they left the quinjet.
"No. You are my wife. You are the one I love," Bucky said.
"Good," Diana said.
"And also all the girls he liked are either dead or close to it, Diana," Steve said.
"Man's gotta point, Mama," Elizabeth said.
"There was that time we came back to the city from Rockaway Beach in a freezer truck after spending the day at the carnival," Steve said.
"Was that the time we spent all our money on hot dogs?" Bucky asked with a smile.
"You blew three bucks trying to win a bear to impress some redhead," Steve said.
"What was her name again?" Bucky asked.
"Delores. You called her Dot," Steve said.
"She has got to be 100 years old," Bucky said.
"Hey, so are we, pal, or close to it," Steve said, clapping Bucky's shoulder.
Diana held James's hand tightly as they made their way through Seattle. Jarvis had located the address for her parents after she had gotten off the phone. Diana felt like she had the first time she had willingly kissed James. Butterflies were all in her stomach that day and now. The upside had been that James always wanted to kiss her as he acted like he couldn't breathe unless his lips were on her lips or kissing her neck or kissing her ears as he made her sit on his lap
"Well, looks like a nice house," Elizabeth commented as they pulled into what looked like a mansion. Diana vaguely remembered that her father was a judge and her mother was a doctor like her. Considering how old they were, they had to have retired by now. Diana swallowed convulsively at the sight of two elderly people in front of the house. "Mrs. Macklin, and Jennings. The housekeeper and butler," Diana said as the car came to a stop. Jennings was also married to the cook, Gertrude and Mrs. Macklin had married her father's chauffeur.
"Miss Diana!" Mrs. Macklin exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her in her breathlessly tight hugs. The woman had always been like a grandmother to Diana and her brother Albert. It showed some things never changed.
"Mrs. Macklin, Jennings, this is my husband James and daughter Elizabeth," Diana said, introducing Elizabeth and James. Mrs. Macklin's eyes filled with tears as she went to Elizabeth and hugged her like she used to do Diana.
"Welcome, Miss Elizabeth. You look like a lot like your mother and Uncle Albert did at your age," Mrs. Macklin said as she squeezed Elizabeth's face and tilted it slightly.
"Really? I'm told I look more like my father's sister, Rebecca and the grandmother I'm named after," Elizabeth said as Mrs. Macklin hugged her tightly.
"I'll show you pictures of your mother and uncle at your age. You're what? Fourteen? Fifteen?" Mrs. Macklin asked.
"Fourteen about a month ago," Elizabeth said as they were led into the mansion. Diana looked around the foyer. The smell of lemon hit her, followed by a million memories.
"Oh, James, I remember!" Diana said, squeezing James's flesh arm.
"Good," James said, lightly running one of his metal fingers on her nose and cheek. A woman with salt-and-pepper hair came out of the parlor. She was wearing an outfit that was a white blouse, emerald skirt, and emerald jacket with a pair of emerald pumps.
"Diana?" The Woman's voice wobbled slightly as she made her way to her and hugged her tightly.
"Mom? Oh, Mom!" Diana exclaimed as Rachel Mackenzie pressed kisses to her forehead and hair. It didn't take long for her father to come out of his study and both her parents were hugging and kissing her.