Chapter 1- Snowing
Summary: Bucky, Diana, and Yelizaveta celebrate their first Christmas together at the tower.
Bucky Barnes felt a smile cross his lips as he looked at his daughter, Elizabeth, sound asleep in her bed. Since they had found each other, Elizabeth had insisted on taking a morning run with Steve and Sam. But with the snow coming down, that didn't seem possible, and it was also 8:00 in the morning and not the customary 4:30. He hated having to wake her as she was so adorable while sleeping, but breakfast was ready. Bucky brushed strands of her dark hair back and she blinked her blue eyes sleepily like an adorable kitten.
"Morning, Dad. What is it?" Elizabeth asked as he smoothed her face gently with his flesh hand.
"Your mother made breakfast and you were asleep," Bucky said with a smile as he pulled the blankets off his daughter and helped her sit up.
"Right. Five more minutes, please," Elizabeth said with a yawn.
"I'd love to give you that, doll, but it's eight O'clock. Also look outside," Bucky suggested, leading her to the picture window.
"Whoa!" Elizabeth said as she watched the snowflakes fall. Bucky stood beside her, wrapping his flesh arm around her shoulders.
"I honestly don't remember it snowing much at Christmas when me and your Uncle Steve were growing up," Bucky said as he kissed her through her hair.
"Yeah, well, when I lived in Belarus and Russia, I saw more white Christmases than I liked. By the time I came here, I was wishing Bing Crosby would shut up about dreaming of a white Christmas. Clint and his family adore that movie. I prefer "A Christmas Carol" or "It's a Wonderful Life," Elizabeth said as she watched the flakes fall lazily.
Bucky chuckled as he picked Elizabeth up, bridal-style, and walked to her door. "Uh, Dad, I can walk," Elizabeth said.
Bucky ghosted a kiss through her dark hair onto her scalp. "I know that, but I want to make up for not holding you. You used to love it when I held you," Bucky said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his stubbled cheek. Usually when Bucky said things like that Elizabeth would humor him by backing off and letting him hold her, kissing his cheek.
"I was two, right?" Elizabeth asked as she traced her fingers across one of the ridges of his metal shoulder.
"You were that. Me and your mother were so happy to have you. You weren't afraid of me and my arm when you first saw me as the Winter Soldier when you were a baby. You cuddled up to me right away," Bucky said.
"So, what's Mama cooking for breakfast?" Elizabeth asked, changing the subject.
"Eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits," Bucky said.
"Gravy too?" Elizabeth asked, a hopeful look in her eyes that made him think of his sister Rebecca.
"Of course. You can't have all that without gravy. Your grandmother never cooked that without gravy," Bucky said as he entered the Avengers' common room. Everyone was gathered around the island watching Diana as she prepared fried eggs.
"G'morning, Buck, Liz," Steve greeted them as Bucky put his daughter down.
"Morning, Pal," Bucky said. All of his memories hadn't completely come back yet, but a majority had. He had taken Steve's suggestion and cut his hair and his memories came pretty quickly after that. Diana had been disappointed as she loved his long hair, but she had understood his reasons. Diana turned from the stove, smiling at their daughter.
"Good morning, baby. did you sleep well?" Diana asked, placing a kiss on Elizabeth's forehead.
"More or less until Dad woke me up," Elizabeth said as Diana cupped her face gently.
"You're not mad that we let you sleep in?" Steve asked.
"Not really. It's snowing. We go out in that and one of us could break a leg," Elizabeth said as Sam handed a glass of orange juice.
"I take it that living in Belarus taught you to be careful," Sam said.
"Yep, it did. The Red Room doesn't raise idiots when it comes to dealing with winter weather," Elizabeth said as she took a small sip of the juice. Elizabeth loved drinking coffee, but Bucky had stopped that as he didn't feel girls that were 14 years old should drink coffee. To his relief, Elizabeth hadn't fought him on it.
"So, when is Barton coming?" Steve asked.
"I talked with him last night. Should be sometime today. He's bringing Laura and the kids and Natasha is going to be with them too," Elizabeth said.
"I guess she found a new cover then," Steve said. Natasha's cover had been blown exposing HYDRA and she had gone off to find a new one.
"I wouldn't know. Clint hasn't said anything yet. You know Nat. She was an enigma before we took down S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA," Elizabeth said.
"She was always that much of a mystery?" Banner asked.
"Uh-huh. To this day I still don't know how she knew about me being in Moscow when she and Clint got me out of that basement. Black Widows didn't train with Winter Soldiers. We all trained differently and none of us were friends. I guess it's like the slave in the movie "Spartacus." If I make friends with anyone there, I may have to kill them in combat. It was better if they weren't my friend," Elizabeth said.
"Should we know about that movie, Elizabeth?" Bucky asked.
"It came out in the 60's, so probably not. Kurt Douglas and I am Spartacus," Elizabeth said.
"I loved that movie, Kate," Stark commented, holding a cup of coffee in his hands.
"Stark, you liked that movie? Doesn't strike me as your type of movie," Elizabeth said, raising her dark eyebrows.
"Doesn't strike me as a movie you'd like either as we all sat and watched "War and Peace" with you a few weeks ago," Sam pointed out.
"Touche. I deserved that, I guess, as the book and movie are really long," Elizabeth said as Bucky sat down and she sat on his lap, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.
"I didn't believe you when you said that you read it," Steve said.
"Yep. I spent months in bed. I had nothing better to do after I left Russia. So I read a lot. With the serum I can read a lot of thick books and "War and Peace is as thick as "Gone With the Wind," Elizabeth said.
"You've read "Gone With the Wind?" Bucky asked.
"I've seen the movie," Elizabeth said as Jarvis's voice filled the room.
"Miss Barnes, you asked me to tell you when Agent Barton arrived with his family," Jarvis said.
"Oh, thanks, Jarvis," Elizabeth said as she stood up. Clint Barton walked in.
"Hey, everyone," Barton said by way of greeting.
"You almost missed breakfast, birdbrain," Elizabeth teased.
"Smells good, Vetty. But I wager you didn't cook it," Barton said as Elizabeth hugged him.
"No. Cooking is not a skill I have as every meal I have tried to cook is a burnt sacrifice," Elizabeth said,
"Yeah, you're the only person I know of who burns Jell-O," Clint said.
"Very funny. I eat food better than I cook it," Elizabeth said.
A brunette woman and two children came into the room, followed by Natasha Romanoff, a petite dark-haired woman, a blonde, and a man with a bushy beard.
"Yizzy!" The little girl screamed and ran to Elizabeth. The little girl hugged her tightly.
"Lila, I missed you too, but you just saw me last spring before we took down S.H.I.E.L.D.," Elizabeth said.
"I know, but I missed you. Daddy says that you were fighting the bad people who hurt you before you came to us," Lila said.
"I did. I don't feel guilty for it though," Elizabeth said as she hugged the little girl back.
"Kick butt and take names, Yitsy?" The boy asked.
"More or less and you shouldn't say "butt." Your mom will kill you," Elizabeth said, looking over at the brunette next to Clint.
"Yelizaveta's right, Cooper. I don't care for your choice of language," the woman said with a smile.
"Hi, Laura," Elizabeth said.
"Hello, Yelizaveta. It's been a while," Laura said as she hugged Elizabeth.
"Last spring, before we took down HYDRA. So how ya doing?" Elizabeth asked.
"Clint and the kids wanted to see you and I'm pregnant," Laura said.
"That's great! Boy or girl?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'll find out in January. Nat already wants it named after her," Laura said.
"Figures. Hello, Nat, and you do realize that Laura could have a boy, right?" Elizabeth asked.
"I know. How are you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm doing okay. Everyone, this is my family. My sister, Yelena, and my parents, Melina and Alexei," Natasha said introducing the three people behind her.
"I know who she is. She's one of the Winter Soldiers from the Red Room. I helped them with that program," Melina said, indicating Elizabeth.
"I don't remember you, but I do remember seeing Yelena. She's a Black Widow and I definitely know who he is," Elizabeth said, indicating Alexei.
"You know me?" Alexei asked in a heavy Russian accent.
"Da. Everyone in the Red Room knew about the Red Guardian. Last I heard you were in prison. All the Winter Soldiers speculated that you had made fun of either Dreykov or HYDRA or the communist party in general," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes.
"Everyone, breakfast is ready. I hope you brought your appetites," Diana said and everyone went to the table.