A/N: In the Marvel-verse, Steve Rogers isn't rescued from the ice until 2011. Bucky doesn't make his appearance this soon either. However, for this story, since it is AU, I've modified the timelines.
~~~~~
Year: 2009
The owner of Midway Realtors reprimanded Tracy Sadler and placed her on probation. It wasn't her first warning about her unprofessional behaviour. To be honest, the woman deserved to lose her job. I learned Lester's sister worked at Midway Realtors and was supposed to show us the building. Another client called her away for a showing. Lester recorded everything once Tracy met us at the door. He noticed her reaction to seeing Carlos and me holding hands, and it set off his intuition like she set off my spidey sense. I didn't see her as dangerous, just a nuisance. Tracy argued that the complaint was unfounded until Lester sent the proof to her boss.
Our dinner with Victoria Hastings is entertaining. She brings the paperwork for the property sale as promised. I shove it in my purse without reading it over, knowing whatever Tony accepted for the price would aggravate me. It isn't that I don't appreciate his generosity, but he tends to prevent me from spending my money, which is how I amassed a significant small fortune to afford the purchase.
I notice Victoria is cozy with Tank. He seems enthralled with her and I see it's mutual. Victoria giggles as Tank places a hand on her lower back to guide her inside the restaurant. She wore four-inch heels, making her close to six foot two. My two-inch heels put me closer to Carlos' height.
Lester and Bobby have women joining us at the table. I quirk my head to the side, questioning who they are. Bobby and Lester laugh. "I'm Maria," the gorgeous brunette says. "Lester's my brother, and Rick is my cousin. I'm sorry about missing our appointment this morning. Lester told me what happened with that skank Tracy." She sits beside Lester and punches his shoulder. I like her already.
"And I'm Gabriela. Rick's youngest sister," the beautiful Latina woman adds. "I've heard a lot about you, Stephanie."
"Really? From who?" I ask.
It surprises me that Carlos told his sister about me. "Babe, she's the black sheep in the family. Gabriela lives with Abuela Rosa," Carlos explains.
"From the guys, but not my brother. He's very secretive about you," Gabriela giggles. "Don't worry, Maria and I won't talk." Gabriela winks at me, and I feel more at ease. Carlos told me about his sisters and brother without mentioning their names. He knows how to protect our families from the dangers they aren't aware exist. I only know Celia is his oldest sister's name because of Bobby.
"Who mentioned my name?" I ask, glaring at Lester, who gives me a sheepish smile.
"I told them about you during our boot camp days," Lester confesses.
"Oh. That changes how I feel about you mentioning my name. We weren't in the military yet," I reply.
Victoria finds our conversation amusing. I catch her eye, and she motions to zip her lips. She will keep everything she learns during dinner to herself. Gabriela giggles and mimics the motion. She offers her pinkie to swear. I laugh and let Gabriela and Maria pinkie swear they will keep everything about me private.
Tank and Victoria exchange numbers before leaving the restaurant. She has to get home to feed her cats. I thought Tank's reaction to learning she loves the furry felines amusing. It seems the man loves those moody creatures.
Maria and Gabriela pass me their phone numbers to call the next time I'm in Miami so we can go shopping together. It seems like a good idea, but I'll have to ensure Carlos doesn't mind me hanging out with his baby sister and cousin.
Carlos guides me back to his hotel room. We have the best sex of our lives. Not seeing each other for several months makes reconnecting explosive—neither of us lasts very long the first time. I feel things are changing. It began as a gentle hum in the background. Now, it feels like a swarm of bees about to consume me as Carlos and I drift off to sleep. I'm unsure what it means, and I don't spend time worrying about it.
Speaking of buzzing, there's a buzz in New York. Men working off an oil rig found Captain America, Steve Rogers, buried beneath the ice in the Arctic. SHIELD is being secretive as Steve Rogers thaws. They have him confined to a room inside a warehouse in New York City, attempting to emulate the year 1945. It doesn't take long for Steve Rogers to realize he's living in an alternate reality. The baseball game some morons chose to play in the background is one Steve Rogers attended with his father. Talk about messing up the intel.
SHIELD has Steve Rogers in their organization while rehabilitating him to function in the current decade. It will take years for Rogers to acclimatize to the present. Technology is more advanced than he could have imagined.
"Babe, what's on your mind?" Carlos asks, breaking me from my thoughts. It seems to be the way it is. My mind goes on some kind of tangent, and Carlos returns me to reality—his hand strokes from my neck to my waist and back up. I roll to lie on his chest and lift my head to look into his gorgeous eyes.
"Thinking about SHIELD finding Steve Rogers perfectly concealed inside the ice like a natural cryogenic container," I confess.
"I heard about that. Any deficiencies?" Carlos asks.
"Not that I heard. However, I did hear a certain rumour about a man they call Ranger. Could that be you?" I tease. I know it's him. I'm fishing to see if he confesses.
"You already know the answer," he chuckles. The motion of his chest rubs against my nipples, making them peak and beg for attention. Carlos swiftly rolls me beneath him. I scream his name several minutes later. We spend a few more hours in bed before deciding to organize things for the day.
The following four weeks pass way too fast for my liking. Carlos and his men had to leave the previous week for a mission. I was left to oversee the construction to get our new company, Rangeman Securities LLC, ready to launch.
Before we let the contractors install the drywall, Carlos had his friend from Newark come to Miami to install the wiring for the internal cameras. As promised, Stark Industries perfected the cameras we needed for the internal system. Hector Hernandez, an ex-gang computer and technology wizard, installed everything required to secure the building. He insisted on installing cameras and panic buttons in the eighth-floor apartments. Carlos plans to live onsite while the company launches. It's a brilliant idea. He wants the men to live inside the building, too. It will give them a sense of home between missions.
Hector sets up an apartment for himself onsite and promises to oversee the remaining renovations. He's a sweet man who is definitely gay. I caught him looking at the other men's asses enough times to be confident in his sexual preferences. Hopefully, he finds a suitable partner who accepts him with a gang and teardrop tattoo.
I interview military men when I return to my apartment in New York since it's easier to maneuver in the city with transportation. Tony is refurbishing a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan. I plan to move into it once he completes the apartment renovations. He hopes to move Natasha and Clint into the building once everything is ready.
The men I'm interviewing have worked with Carlos and his team. It gives me more insight into their jobs as Rangers. Thankfully, I have the necessary clearance to search their military records to ensure they are who they claim to be. You could never be too careful.
After interviewing Manuel Ramos, I left the restaurant and felt someone watching me. I'm aware of my surroundings as I walk toward the coffee shop. Leading the person to my home feels like the wrong choice. Manny gets into the cab and waves. I smile and wave goodbye. He's lovely, and I plan to hire him at Rangeman.
My hand is at my back, and I'm removing my service weapon from its holster. I have it ready to shoot when Cindy steps from the alley. She isn't a threat, but my spidey sense is going wild as I detect another person is watching me.
Cindy steps forward. She has a stun gun in her hand. "Hi, Cindy," I cheerfully say. I keep my service weapon in my hand, listening to my instincts about protecting myself. "What are you doing here?" Her blond hair is messy, and her clothes are torn from travelling or homelessness. Cindy smells like she's living on the street.
"You should know," she spits. "Dickie cheated on me, and I know you put that skank Barnhardt up to it. When I confronted him, he kicked me out on the street with just the clothes on my back." Cindy plucks at her shirt, while discharging the taser. I feel the barbs hit my arm, but the current isn't strong enough to shock me. It's like the irritating itch from a mosquito bite.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I say.
She flicks her other hand, and I catch the sun reflecting off the blade of her knife. Cindy snorts. "You're lying," she yells. I see people recording us on their phones.
"I'm putting my weapon away," I warn, hoping Cindy will follow suit. "What happened with Dickie?" I'm trying to keep her talking until I can disarm her.
"I got pregnant," Cindy replies. Her lip quivers.
"And you miscarried?" I ask. Cindy shakes her head. "Oh. You terminated the pregnancy."
"Yes. And you told Dickie. Then he cheated on me with Barnhardt to punish me!" Cindy claims.
"Cindy, I haven't talked to Dickie since I caught you riding him reverse cowboy, wearing the engagement ring everyone thought he gave me," I explain. Her eyes spark in anger. It's evident that Cindy doesn't believe me.
She lunges as a knife whips past my ear and embeds into her chest. Cindy reflexively pulls the knife free. I'm unable to stop the action. She watches the blood soak her shirt before falling to the ground. My knives are still in my boots, and I wonder who threw the blade.
An imposing man steps out of the alley to my right. "Bucky?" I hear from my left.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Bucky asks.
"I'm fine," I reply.
"You have something stuck in your arm," he says, pointing to my left arm. I tug the barbs free and toss them to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I see Steve Rogers approaching. His white shirt is stretched across his chest, accentuating his muscular abs and pecs. Steve Rogers is an attractive man.
"Thanks," I mumble.
"I'm James Buchanan Barnes. Everyone calls me Bucky," he says.
"Stephanie Plummeri. Everyone calls me Bomba," I reply, smiling at my rescuer.
I see Natasha and Nick Fury approaching. The latter has a phone to his ear, asking someone to clean up the mess. Natasha examines me before talking to Steve. Bucky is refusing to leave my side. I slip him a card with my address. Steve catches the exchange. Bucky disappears before anyone can stop him.
"What happened?" Nick demands.
"Cindy accused me of getting my childhood nemesis to sleep with her husband. I haven't been to my hometown or talked to anyone from home in years," I explain. "She shot me with her taser."
"And you're still standing?" Nick asks. Natasha whispers my military codename. Nick raises a brow and offers, "I'd like you to join SHIELD. We could use you on our team."
"Thank you for your offer, but I must decline," I reply.
Natasha gives me an apologetic smile before guiding Steve Rogers to the black SUV Nick drove. I know it isn't the last I will see of Steve Rogers.
When I get home, I find Bucky inside my apartment. "Are you okay?" Bucky asks.
"I should be asking you that question. What do you need?"
"Help."
Bucky sits at the table and explains the situation as he waits for me to wash my hands. I remove ingredients from the refrigerator to make sandwiches. Once I had everything on the counter, Bucky washed his hands to prepare something to eat. I grab a plate for him from the cupboard. "Would you like one?" he asks, placing a few slices of bread on the plate.
"I can eat," I reply. Bucky opens the cupboard to get a second plate and makes me a sandwich for a snack. I thank Bucky for making my sandwich, which tastes delicious.
We eat in companionable silence. Once Bucky finishes his sandwich, I get up to wash the plates. He grabs a towel to dry. It's awfully domestic of Bucky to assist with dishes. "Is there a reason you've been following me?" I ask.
Bucky chuckles as he puts away the dishes. "Hydra is watching you," he replies. "I'm keeping you safe."
"Oh. Thank you. I never sensed anyone watching me," I argue.
"That's because I've been protecting you. The Hydra agents never get close enough to activate your senses," Bucky explains. I shake my head and empty the water from the sink.
"Why?"
He understands I'm asking why he's protecting me. "You have things they want." I sense there is something else Bucky knows but isn't sharing. "I'll be around. Don't go anywhere alone at night. Steve will help if you ask," Bucky says. He hangs the towel on the handle of my stove and disappears.
Bucky's cryptic message makes me nervous. I wonder if I should hire Manny and Hector as my bodyguards. Allowing my spidey sense to take control, I make the call. Manny and Hector jump at the chance. Hector promises to arrive after the construction team finishes drywalling the control room floor. He can set up the cameras and other monitoring devices to watch from New York.
I call my best friend from my childhood, Mary Lou. Something about Cindy's situation is niggling in my mind. Why did Cindy think I told Dickie about her abortion? I never knew Cindy got pregnant. How long ago did that happen? Who told Cindy I lived in New York? I have too many questions and no answers. If anyone has the gossip, it will be Mary Lou.
My friend answers the phone, sounding slightly out of breath and tired. "Hello. You have reached the Stankovic's residence," she replies.
"Hi, Lou. It's Stephanie," I reply.
"Oh my gosh. I have a story for you," Mary Lou excitedly says. She launches into the tale of Dickie, Cindy and Joyce. "Apparently, a woman kept calling Dickie's phone. Cindy assumed it was you, but I think it was really Barnhardt. You know how she is with being the whore of the Burg. Anyway, one time, Cindy answers Dickie's phone when he forgot it at home. The woman claims to be you. I know you don't have Dickie's mobile number, and I really tried to tell Cindy. She refused to listen."
Mary Lou goes off-topic, talking about the other women in the neighbourhood catching Joyce climbing out their main floor windows almost naked. "Lou!" I shout.
"Sorry," Mary Lou sheepishly replies. "Anyway, Cindy knows you and Joyce have a history. It's hard not to know because everyone in the Burg still talks about how Joyce used to torment you in elementary school. Also, they talk about how Cindy snatched Dickie from under your nose because you were too naive to pay attention to the signs he was fucking around on you."
Sighing, I say, "Lou, what does that have to do with Cindy thinking I told Dickie about her abortion?"
"I'm getting to that. You have to be patient, Steph," Mary Lou giggles. "Anyway, back to the part where Cindy answered the phone. She recorded it, too. I have to admit it does sound like you."
"Are you fucking kidding?" I ask.
"Unfortunately, I'm not. The woman threatened to tell Dickie about Cindy's abortion. I guess she must have gone through with the threat because Cindy got kicked out of the house later that night," Mary Lou replies.
"Do you know who would set me up like that?" I ask.
"Only one person comes to mind," Mary Lou confesses.
"Joyce," we both reply.
"Oh, and she knows you work for Tony Stark. Your mom saw you on television with him and bragged about your engagement. I think that's when Cindy broke. She left almost a year ago, and nobody has heard from her since."
"How did Cindy know I live in New York and not California?"
"Maybe she checked in California first," Mary Lou suggests. "It's possible someone told her you were in New York."
"Lou, none of the Stark Industries employees will divulge my location," I argue. "Cindy must have staked out the place and never noticed my arrival. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not dating or engaged to Tony Stark."
"I know, Steph. You don't have to get defensive with me. Take care of yourself. I have to get back to dressing the boys for bed," Mary Lou ends the call.
Before retiring for the night, I log onto my laptop to use Stark Industries' programs to grab the phone log for Dickie's phone. I don't have his phone number, but it doesn't stop JARVIS from assisting and finding the information I need. It takes ten minutes for JARVIS to inform me that the calls are from a burner phone purchased by a woman wearing a brown curly wig. I was on a mission when the woman bought the phone. When I retrieved the details from Joyce's DMV records, JARVIS confirmed she was likely the woman in the video.
"What is she up to?" I wonder.
"I will continue tracking her," JARVIS replies. I shake my head and log out of the program. Someone needs to neutralize Joyce Barnhardt.