Central Park
Bucky was on the prowl. He heard through the grapevine that John Walker was going to be there with his wife, Olivia. Now was the time. He tracked them down to the lake and stood back, observing. He scowled at Walker's audacity to play happy husband when he had gone out of his way to sabotage him and Phoenix. Now she was down south healing from a terrible injury and left Bucky wondering if this was something he could come back from. Knowing that Walker was the most likely culprit behind the entire fiasco cemented his already-strong feelings of hate for the man even harder. The White Wolf took a deep breath and started his approach. "Enjoying the day?" he asked, catching the Walkers' attention. Walker's eyebrows raised when he saw him. "Sergeant Barnes. Something I can do for you?" he asked. Bucky just gave him a look. "How about you and I take a walk? I have something I need to talk to you about and it's not for your wife to listen to," he said.
Understanding dawned on his face and Walker looked down at Olivia. "Mind waiting for me here, honey? This won't take long," he said. "What's going on, John?" she asked. "Don't worry about it. It's just business," Walker responded. He gave her a quick kiss before following Bucky. They went to a more secluded place not far from the lake and Walker dove right in. "Alone, huh? Where's your little pretender?" he asked. Bucky's expression turned thunderous. "What the hell did you tell Phoenix?" he demanded. Walker cocked an eyebrow before smirking. "I told her the truth," he said simply. Bucky's hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar. "What truth?" he snarled. Walker knocked his hand off with a glare. "Don't play dumb with me, Barnes. I know Nixxie is involved with you. I merely pointed out that she's just a distraction until you find someone else," he snapped back.
It took everything in Bucky to not deck him then and there. "So you turned her limitations against her? She almost died!" he went off. "So what if I did? Both of you need to wake up to reality. She's playacting at being a human at best and you want to pretend she isn't some sort of freakish animal," Walker shot back. If the look on Bucky's face could kill, the former Cap would've been dead many times over. "Your interference pushed her into trying theoretical magic meant to trigger form expulsion, you son of a bitch. Her previous pair-bond actually had to intervene before she killed herself trying it. You nearly destroyed what she and I had, caused Seiryu to expend a lot of energy and risk his own position to teleport here, and put me in a bad position with him. He trusted me to keep her safe," he ground out.
Walker gave him a small shove. "How happy could she possibly make you? She was very forthcoming about the fact she can't give you what you need as a man. Admit it, Barnes. A time will come when you get frustrated with the fact she can't put out and you'll throw her aside like the trash she is. You're just having what little fun you can with her until something better comes along," he goaded. Bucky just stared at him. John Walker, a married man himself, had just reduced his relationship with Phoenix down to whether or not they could have any fun in the bedroom. The White Wolf couldn't remember the last time he had been so thoroughly insulted but even worse was that he dragged Phoenix in a way no woman should ever be. That did it for him, Bucky hauled off and socked Walker in the face so hard, the former Cap hit the dirt. "Stay away from my girl or this Wolf is going to bite hard enough to make that punch seem like a love tap," he warned before turning on his heel and walking away before he killed the man.
"You know I'm right, Barnes! The moment a real woman comes along, you'll throw that thing aside! Just you wait!" he heard Walker call after him. Bucky just kept walking. He was furious, more for Phoenix than he was for himself. After everything he had lived through, Bucky didn't care what he said about him. But Phoenix was different and Bucky was a protective soul. Walker was practically the living embodiment of all the stories she had ever told him of what growing up in the Wilds of All World was like. Not knowing kindness and acceptance. Just fear, hatred, and cruelty all over things beyond her control. Phoenix didn't ask to be made. Still, the entire confrontation with Walker was enlightening. Bucky was no longer mad that Phoenix tried to change despite him wanting her the way she was. But his disappointment that she believed Walker over him wasn't so easily brushed aside. It made his opinion seem invalidated. They had a lot to talk about. For now, though, it was a waiting game for the spell to break, and even then, he wasn't sure she'd come back.
Bucky just decided to leave it for the time being. Sarah would let him know either way. Walking down the path, he let nature surround him and he felt some of his worries melt away. He looked ahead and paused, a frown on his face. Off the path was a filthy white lump. Curiosity got the best of him and he slowly approached the lump. He knelt down and saw that it was a kitten. It looked half-drowned and ill. It was very still except for the shallow breathing. Bucky gently touched it and it let out a weak cry. His frown deepened at how odd it sounded but that didn't matter compared to the fact the kitten was in dire need. Reaching into a pocket, Bucky pulled out a handkerchief and used it to pick the little animal up. He stood up with it and it slowly opened its blue eyes to look at him. He smiled bitterly. Blue eyes on a white cat came with a good chance the cat was deaf. But what really got him was that this kitten was just barely old enough to be away from its mother.
Bucky wrapped it up in his handkerchief, his mind made up. He pulled out his phone and started looking up vet offices. He found an affordable one not far from his apartment and planted his feet on the path to exit the park and catch a bus. The kitten's eyes were closed and he felt the tiny pricks of tiny claws in his chest. He just smiled. One thing that HYDRA never managed to squash was his love for animals. That was part of the reason he bonded with Phoenix in the beginning. Now, animals were never directly involved in any of his past missions as the Winter Soldier but there was a time or two when animals would approach him while he was waiting for a target to appear. Even under mind control, Bucky never felt the inclination to hit them and get them away. There was even a time when he was on a sniper's mission and a raven of all things landed on his shoulder and just roosted there the entire time he was waiting to pull the trigger. Phoenix had been the only exception but while she was undoubtedly an animal, her status as a chimera likely caused a disconnect between her and other animals. So the Soldier had no qualms about shooting her until she claimed to know him.
A short bus ride later and Bucky alighted in front of the vet clinic. He walked in and went up to the desk. "Can I help you?" the tech asked. "I found this kitten while I was walking," Bucky explained before setting the little bundle on the counter. The tech stood up and opened up the handkerchief to take a look. "This looks bad. We'll have to keep her for a night or two just to see if she'll respond to treatment," the woman said. "Do what you can. I'll pay for whatever needs doing," the White Wolf said. "Can I get your name and number?" the tech asked as she handed the kitten over to her coworker. Bucky gave all the relevant information which the tech took down. "That should do it, Mr. Barnes. We'll give you a call if something happens. Any questions for me?" she asked.
"Is it possible for me to adopt her from here? Being a stray and all…," he ventured. "We'll check for a microchip but given how small and young she is, it's not very likely she'll be claimed. Far as the clinic is concerned, you found her, she's unowned, she's yours," the tech said with a smile. Bucky looked at the kitten in the other tech's hands. "Do what you can," he said before reaching out. The tech held the kitten out and he gently rubbed her head. "You got this," he thought before the little feline was whisked away to the back for treatment. Leaving the clinic, Bucky headed for home. He had a phone call to make. Once home, he locked up behind him and pulled out his phone. He called up Sarah. "It's Bucky. Just wanted to tell you that I took care of things. Is the spell broken yet? Not yet? Okay. Listen, can you pass Nix a message from me when you get a chance? Tell her…tell her I want her to come home. I want to talk things out and get her side of things. Can you do that for me?" he asked.
Sarah's response made Bucky's heart sink a little. She had posed the question of what if Phoenix decided to return to All World when she regained access to her magic. "If that turns out to be the case, then I won't fight her about it. She knows what's best for her and I want the best for her as well. I just hope she'll see me before then, though. I'd hate for us to end on such bad terms," he said. He was given words of encouragement but it did little to stay the idea that Phoenix might leave him. Bucky recentered himself by reminding himself to take things one day at a time. They both had a lot to work on and he wanted to believe things could be repaired. Knowing she didn't attempt form expulsion on a whim did take the edge off but in the end, she still believed Walker over Bucky, and that hurt. Bucky had made his hopes known. He wanted her to come home. The ball was in her court. It was her choice if she wanted to come home.