Chapter 9

As Natasha (and the others loyal to S.H.E.I.L.D.) worked her 'magic', took down Hydra and released everything on the internet, staring coolly at the men and women who destroyed so many lives, Steve Rogers was standing helplessly by staring at the closed guest door in the Stark mansion where they moved Bucky aka the Winter Soldier to once Loki and his mother deemed him good enough to move from Sam's house by the bifrost surprisingly a very quiet trip unlike all the rest of the bifrost trips.

Diana was frowning at the closed door and turned towards Steve. If he was like her Steve, he needed something to do.

"Is there any family of Bucky still living?" Her soft question spurred Captain Rogers into action.

"Becca." Steve Roger breathed a hopeful light in his eyes as he rushed out the door.

Diana felt the air move when he passed and distantly noted the motorcycle squealing tires as it roared to life speeding out of the mansion's parking space which was located in New York but had enough space around it, at least six aches, to have some breathing space which was hard to do in New York.

She raised a eyebrow at the amused looking redhead called Natasha who was leaning against the far wall staring also at the closed door. Her wound was fixed up and her face gave away nothing as she explained to Diana.

"Rebecca 'Becca' Barnes Proctor is the reason with Trevor that succeeded in getting Tony to make his family's mansion his own." Natasha had a rare smile on her face as she explained to Diana how Becca would be able to help. Hopefully.

Diana kept her thoughts to herself on this Bucky and Natasha's relationship. She suspected them to be close, but before Diana could ask, Natasha excused herself leaving for parts unknown. She had an urge to seek out her own little sister.

**

Unfortunately for Steve, Mrs. Proctor wasn't at home in her residence in New York, a quiet home in the suburbs. Instead she was in her hometown of Shelbyville, Indiana visiting her grandchildren.
Steve now that S.H.E.I.L.D was not a option for him, asked Sam to help him get to Indiana.

Sam glanced at Steve as they drove down the highway to Shelbyville, Indiana. "Tell me why exactly we are driving," he took a quick glance at his gps on his cell phone, "a little over ten hours to Indiana when we could be flying?"

Steve felt a slow smile light up his face. "Well first we need to keep off the Hydra radar even if we did take down the organization or at least most of it. We'll be on clean up for a while. As for how I know Becca, she's Bucky's little sister. And still a great pain in my backside. Trevor helped well honestly it was Becca who helped Tony realize to let go of the bad memories of the past and keep the good memories."

Year 2012 A few months after the ending of the Battle of New York

Stark Tower
Tony's Lab

Tony Stark realized that JARVIS was calling his name, but in his defense, his mind was deep into a new Iron Man suit, maybe he could invent a shield around the Earth so nothing like the last battle would ever happen again?

"Sir, an older lady is insisting on speaking with you." JARVIS informed Tony who realized he was very hungry, which would explain why his hands were shaking. Tony dropped the wench and stood up realizing he was in the same position for a few hours. Or he amended in his mind as he asked for the time, it was another overnight project, it was nearing eleven o'clock in the morning.

"Who is this old lady and why should I care?" Tony asked as he realized that he was out of bottled water in his mini-fridge and had to go to a real kitchen to get anything to eat.

"She claimed to know Steve Rogers, Captain America and is insisting on speaking with him. I and your staff had told her that she should go through another channel of communication and have provided her with say communication but she insisting on speaking with you."

Tony at this point in time was making himself a quick PB and J sandwich. "Bring her up and tell me her name."

He was chewing when JARVIS replied. "A Mrs. Rebecca Barnes Proctor. Her records indicate she is the younger sister of James "Bucky" Barnes, a old friend of Captain America."

Tony let out a low whistle at the picture of Mrs. Proctor in her wedding dress. With her dark hair and blue eyes, she was quite a looker when she was younger. The older picture still had her graceful looks but in silver hair and a lot more wrinkles.

He glanced up from making his third sandwich as JARVIS announced the arrival of Mrs. Proctor who curiously enough, was talking quite forcefully with Pepper, who was to Tony's eyes was getting quite frustrated.

The wiry 78 year old woman was dressed in a neat flowered white blouse and a blue skirt, the only jewelry she had on was her wedding ring and gold earrings. Her wooden cane looked heavy but not as heavy as her large blue leather purse bag. She sat down on one of the kitchen table wooden chairs and waited, setting her cane and purse to the side of her.

Pepper pull out the chair not containing Mrs. Proctor's personal items, and sat down bushing a lock of her strawberry blonde hair away from her face. "Now Mrs. Proctor," she started to say firmly.

But she was cut off by Mrs. Proctor whose gaze was riveted to Tony who was eating. It was slightly uncomfortable feeling. "I told you to call me Becca, Ms. Potts. I was in Shelbyville, Indiana visiting my grandchildren, when Sarah my daughter, came running out of the house saying something about attacking aliens and Captain America on the television. Thankfully I was already sitting down just after a commercial break when Steve Rogers appeared on the screen." Becca started to make herself a PB and J sandwich snagging the butter-knife from where Tony stuck it into the peanut butter jar.

Becca looked at the grape jelly jar and asked "Do you have anything else? Raspberry jam would be nice or blueberry." Tony wordlessly got up and fetched both. He had a feeling that Becca wouldn't explain why she was there until she was done with her sandwich. Make that two sandwiches he amended when she started on a second.

After Becca had cut her sandwiches into neat little triangles, and finished swallowing the first raspberry and blueberry square, she fished out a document from her large purse and slammed it on the table. "Tell me why exactly you are requesting my grandson for your company." It was a bundle of letters explaining that they wanted to hire Scott Proctor. There were at least three of them. All opened with the plane tickets included in them missing.

Tony frowned, he had requested Scott Proctor because he was made of the stuff that make Stark Technologies blossom. Scott was one of the ones he with JARVIS hunted for personally twice a year. It was quite a job, but Tony wanted to keep a hands on position in his company even if he had handed the day to day stuff to Pepper.

"I, myself recruited him because he's brilliant. He'll be a good asset to the company." Another bundle of papers, more gently then the first was placed on top of the other letters. Tony studied this handwritten document, or as handwritten as 1940's job placement applications went. Tony recognized his father's script immediately, and then it clicked when he studied the job seeker's signature. "My dad was going to hire your brother? Wait, I thought you wanted to talk about Capsicle."

Becca gave him a annoyed look. "That was rude about Steve. This is the Steve I remember and my grandson will work for you if you do me a little tiny favor."

Tony wasn't listening but studying the old faded photograph of a very young Steve Rogers, he assumed was Becca and her brother James "Bucky" Barnes. Steve Rogers was a tiny thing, but he was grinning ear to ear with a blooming black eye. His friend looked worst off. Becca's dress was slightly torn, but she too was grinning cheerfully.

"What happened?" Becca told Tony what happened. Long story short, she was being bullied on the way home and Steve and her brother defended her. It was one of the first fights that Steve didn't get his ass completely handed to him so Becca insisted on a photograph. She was nine at the time.

Tony was realizing that he might have to apologize to Steve, not all of his powers came out of a bottle. Maybe or not.

"So about that favor." Becca probed.

"What?" Tony asked blinking at the old lady as he snagged a piece of her food.

"I said Scott can work for you if I get to tour all of the Stark Mansion. Do you know how many times I wanted to sneak in when I was younger?" Becca said rubbing her hands together in glee, blue eyes bright with hope.

Tony felt cold. He hadn't gone back there since his parents died. He should have sold the place instead of just locking it up and getting JARVIS to hire cleaning people once a year.

"I could let Pepper walk you through it." Tony started to say but Becca knocked that idea out of the park.

"Nope. You. Your dad never let me in, but your mom was nice enough to come out and explain why I couldn't come in when I showed up a few times a year after I got married and I explained why I was hanging out around their gate. She made me some awesome cookies. I wonder if the recipe is still there. She told me that I could come visit once Howard got Steve Rogers back since I had proof that I was friends with him when he was little. I guess that Howard just wanted embarrassing baby stories or something and I intend to collect on that promise now that Steve Rogers is around. That and your mom helped me with some funds to move to my hometown after I told her I was moving. She claimed it was a token of what Bucky would have earned or at least that what she told me in her letter when I got married. She was a sweet lady."

Tom didn't speak for a time because Becca's memory of his mom's homemade cookies let in a flood of good memories of his parents brief as they were. "JARVIS get the mansion ready for visitors. We'll going over." Tony mentally added, 'this way I can purge my memories for real and possible toss the house to someone who might use it.'

Tony held back an eye-roll as Becca squealed loudly as she was driving to the Stark Mansion by Tony Stark himself as her grandson started the paperwork to work for Stark Industries. The 78-year-old woman was practically bouncing in her seat she was so excited.

Oh, Becca knew it wouldn't be like it was back in heyday of the Starks, but to even step inside the massive grounds and explore. Oh so exciting. Honestly she could have done so when the place was open to the public once or twice a year but she wanted to keep Maria's promise, even if it was hopeless at times and seriously she couldn't go without her brother and Steve. Now that at least Steve was around maybe they can go.

"This place is huge!" Becca exclaimed as it took over seven minutes to drive up the driveway from the secured gate, the whole property was lined with stone walls, huge lawns and trees lining the drive.

"My father bought the surrounding blocks so he'll have some resemblance of peace and quiet. I think he put in a golf course or something. All I know it's in the shape of a trapezoid for some strange reason." Tony parked right next to the front door, mentally steeled himself and unlocked the door. Becca tapped him aside and went into the mansion squealing like she was in Paradise. Then Becca said something that made Tony laugh.

"Who in world decided that dark wood paneling was the best? Oh we need more light in here."

"That's why my mom said when dad put the paneling up." Tony said as JARVIS flicked on all the mansion lights as he follow Becca as she went into the living room.

Becca turned to him as she flicked the drapes open in the living room flooding the room with desperately needed light. "So what did you mom want? Did you have any say in it?"

"I was already at school and she wanted a different lighter feel, not so closed in." Tony remembered how his mother would grumble out of earshot of Howard of how the bedroom or the bathroom would look better like this or that.

"Ok then change it. That's what I did when I moved in my new house in Shelbyville. For some reason the former owners painted a bedroom with dark red and when the light hit it just right, it turned the walls pink. Ugh. And don't let me get started on the downstairs wallpaper."

Tony followed Becca as she moved from room to room asking questions and commenting on Tony's comments about the place. At one point Becca had to use the bathroom.

"Did you get all that?" Tony ask JARVIS who was keeping the rooms all lit.

"If you mean Becca Proctor has better taste then your father ever did? Then yes. I've been taking down a list of the suggestions that you like so you can hire someone to redo the mansion as you and your mother pleased. After all Sir, as she had pointed out many times throughout this tour, this is your house now. Not Howard's. She did mention her children had redone some of her old house as well. She even admitted it looked better and more homey."

"Quite right JARVIS. After all new memories can be made of old spaces. Like the one we made right here today." Becca patted Tony on his head, which was strange since she was not as tall as him.

"Now just give me Steve's phone number and address so I can rip him a new one and I'll be on my way."

Tony did not do that, but he did drop her off after seeing if Capsicle, that is if Steve was in.

A few weeks later Steve stormed onto the Stark Mansion property dodging all the workmen and equipment. Tony had just taken a bite of his sandwich and couldn't speak as Captain America tried to speak and just kept closing his mouth.

Trevor was twitching a smile as he followed his 'nephew' to the Stark Mansion. He had help Tony, James Rhodey, Happy Hogan and Steve as Tony had teared down all the interior walls of the mansion in case if 'dear old dad' had any secrets hidden in the walls or anywhere else.

It was quite a bonding experience. Tony got more insight into Steve drawing abilities as he got roped into drawing a few mock ups of what Tony wanted for the mansion. He wasn't too pleased about the bonding Rhodey and Happy had going on. Who had worst stories about Tony was a bit grading after a while.

Trevor helped himself to a sandwich as he watch his 'nephew' try to speak and just kept failing. "You know," Trevor began to get Steve off of the hook, "we just watched the Titanic after you suggested it when Steve didn't know what Becca meant by finally letting him draw her like one of your French girls."

Tony just laughed and laughed.

And that is how Becca came into the Stark Mansion asking again when Steve would draw her yet. Much to Steve's embarrassment and Sam's amusement.

**

Natasha just wanted to get some sleep, but between taking down S.H.E.I.L.D aka HYDRA and helping her 'first family' take down the Red Room and freeing the Taskmaster, she couldn't because her little sister Yelena Belova had showed up at her apartment and just started to hang out with her. She had missed her big sister.

She was slowly falling asleep on her couch when Yelena stuck a pan of homemade mac' and cheese in her face. "You know Becca has wonderful ideas for food. You should take up on her offer to teach you to cook. She's quite good."

Natasha took a bite of the noodles and cheese, nodding to show that it was quite delicious and turned over on the couch pulling the quilt with her, closing her eyes, hoping that Yelena would take a hint.

**

Becca Barnes had walked into the mansion with Steve Rogers who made a beeline to Bucky's room, since he was gone almost a full three weeks. Becca refused to leave until she had told the family the whole situration, had a question and answer session and got ideas on how to help her brother. Also she needed to pack and attend a birthday party for a grandchild the following week.

Between trying to get Becca to get going, glaring at the amused Sam, who left after a while since he promised to give Steve updates on Bucky, and avoiding all the adoring grandchildren and their friends who kept following him around. He mostly gave them drawings that they demanded.

He forgot how the Barnes family could be. He hadn't drawn so much in years, but Steve was secretly delighted, even after a while his hand started to become numb. Then the ten hour trip took three days because Becca wanted to sight see or Steve privately wondered if she was stalling. She was, but mostly because of nerves.

Becca walked in slowly in the mansion feeling more nervous since she didn't know if her brother would recognize her. Loki and his mother were doing the best they could but it was mostly up the James, her brother. Apparently he was reliving his life backwards and sometimes jumbled so it was a rough couple of days the last two weeks.

Yelena walked right up to her and demanded her take a taste of this food. Natasha gave the introductions between Yelena and Becca or at least in Yelena's case. "Mrs. Proctor this is my sister Yelena."

Becca took one look at the food that Yelena offered, wriggling her nose. "That is not proper mac' and cheese. Don't tell me that you got it out of a box. I can help make you better mac' and cheese."

They were starting to grade multiple kinds of cheese when Steve came in slightly desperate. "Becca he's starting to sing."

Becca paused from helping drain the pasta at Steve's voice. "That song. The one he learned and just couldn't stop singing."

Becca slammed the drainer down and walked away muttering. "Thank you so much daddy dearest for sending James to spend his summers at military camp."

Natasha and Yelena exchanged glances, shut off the stove and followed.