Pt 1: Go ask Alice
2024, Brooklyn NY
Post-TFATWS
You were asleep and once again you found yourself staring into the vast void. It was as deep as the ocean, stretching to unknown ends. In the distance you could just barely make out a light, piercing the abyss. Its glow grew into a familiar shape and color bright orange. Glowing as if the Sun itself had shone through, blinding you. It had a pulsing gravity to it, drawing you nearer with each beat. Closer and closer still it dragged you into its own orbit. Your breathing became labored but dark red tendrils held your place, barely having the room to breathe as they slinked around your neck and limbs. The tendrils kept on like a vice, as from their disgusting appendages oozed dark red and smelled of iron, blood. Just as the stone gained speed and grazed your sternum you screamed out.
With a terrifying jolt you woke from your dream drenched in sweat, the outline of your body left in the mattress. The cool a/c treated air sent shivers up an down your spine, the lingering sweat not doing anything to help. You searched your forearms for marks from the beast and fortunately found none. Still your breathing could not be calmed. In a rush the door flung open, Bucky coming through shirtless and just as terrified to hear your screams, his wife's screams.
Once confirming you were not in danger, scanning the room with his cold steel blue orbs, ready to kill whomever had intended to do you harm, his features softened. Gaining distance on you he rumbled quietly,
"Oh, Doll. Another Nightmare? Come here. S'alright."
His weight buckled his side of the bed, where he fell asleep initially. He'd wandered after hours of tossing and turning, feeling like he'd sunk into quicksand and needing the rigidity of hardwood floors.
He pressed your trembling body close to his chest, as he always did when either of you had nightmares. He rubbed soothing circles into your back with his flesh hand. And took your hand in his Vibrianium one.
He brought your dainty hand to his soft lips, kissing the gold and black wedding ring he gave you. He'd requested it in Wakanda while you stayed with him. It was the best gift he could give you.
"I will always love you, Doll. Don't ever forget that." He said. His voice steady, and tender. He landed gentle kisses on your neck and temple in an effort to calm your racing heart. You remembered to breathe and closed your eyes, resting your head firmly in his chest. You tried to forget the fear that took a hold of you in your dream but one thing stuck out, the stone.
"Bucky?" you asked staring into the TV aimlessly. a random program playing, recognizing FRIENDS was on. Bucky continued to stroke your back and kissed your hair.
"Yes, Doll?"
"Do you think if you could re-do it all would you? i mean if the whole Thanos thing didn't happen in the first place. where would we even be? Tony would still be here, Nat, and you'd still have Steve." you asked.
Bucky thought, turning to you, the brilliant blue of his eyes boring into your own. He let out a long sigh. "Yeah i think i would. but something like that– i don't know, it's not without major consequences."
you bit the inside of your cheek, thinking, hoping. you settled your gaze on his in the dim light that the TV was giving off.
"You're right, but. What if we could try? Just make things right. You know?" you pondered out loud. Bucky re-adjusted himself on the bed, facing you more clearly, his legs closing in bringing you closer to him.
"What do you mean, Y/N?"
"My nightmare. I saw– I saw a second soul stone. And i dunno, i feel it. Can't we just try?" you spoke unsure if he would accept your decision.
He sighed deeply, his chest rising and falling with the exhale. his flesh hand caressed your cheek, you leaned into the warmth.
"I don't like it Doll, but we'll need a bird-brain to help us. We'll go tomorrow. For now, rest." he smiled enjoying staring at you, thinking how he could ever land someone as beautiful as you. it wasn't your physical beauty he saw, but rather what your personality was. You reminded him of some flicker of himself, his old self– before HYDRA.
He tucked you into bed, crawling under the covers after you, dragging your head close to his chest, so you'd be soothed to sleep by the beating, the drumming of his heart still strong inside his sternum. You opened your mouth slightly to speak. you were going to ask him if he thought you were going crazy. but you didn't mention it. you stayed silent just listening to that beautiful sound. you were so glad to have him. you held on to him a little tighter as you fell asleep.
You spent the morning nearly tearing your hair out. you needed to find this second soul stone, needing it almost as much as air to breathe. now you were staring down a heavily guarded HYDRA base. one you didn't even know existed until now. it was nestled high on a mountain in the vast desolation that was Alaska's infamous Denali mountain. The howling wind ominous in your ears only made you stare down the base with more determination.
"Just had to be Denali, huh?" Sam chided to your left.
"Nice to know you were so willing to come." you responded fighting fire with fire. And he smirked at you, shaking his head letting the conversation fall on deaf ears.
"I hate the cold. But, I'll go anywhere with you Y/N." Bucky said through slightly chattering teeth. a sudden sickening feeling found itself into the pit of your stomach. You hadn't thought of that before, how he had always hated the sharp chill of winter. it must bring back painful memories of his torture. you grabbed his flesh hand in yours and used your powers carefully to warm him.
You had the abilities of fire, burning in bright blue flames. You loved that color, reminding you of the blue of Bucky's eyes. In a way even if you were alone, you'd see your fires and think of him. Not that the cold didn't effect you. you hated it too. but regarding your powers, it was easier for you to fight off.
"Thank you, Doll." he said as he looked into your e/c orbs. He took this small moment and caught you off guard, swooping you into a long kiss. Always the romantic Casanova.
"Can i get some of that?" Sam interrupted.
"NO! I don't share my Doll." Bucky looked deeply offended, holding you closer to him, possessively. you chuckled holding out your hand, the surface glowing a familiar blue hue.
"God! i didn't mean it that way. You know i think all those freezes killed off more than a few brain cells, Buck. oooooh God, thank you so much, Y/N." Sam melted into my touch. i shook my head.
"What would you two do without me?" you said chuckling slightly. Your attention was suddenly averted to the base. to it's center, no to the right, maybe in the left corner? The stone was calling to you like an unrelenting siren's song. sweet and irresistible. A sickening feeling fluttered into your stomach, making you nauseous and grimace.
"Bird-Brain would definitely get frostbite. What's wrong Doll?" Bucky's attention sharpening at the sight of his wife in pain.
"It's moving? it doesn't want me to catch it. We need to go before i lose it. Are you ready Boys?" you asked.
"Ladies first." Sam said warming his hands together and blowing warm air into them.
As much as you wanted to storm the front gate and set them ablaze, that wasn't smart. it would set off an alarm and then who knows what they'd do with the stone? You popped you head just barely above the cavern to scope out the area. three guards, armed, about Bucky's size, all male. you rolled your eyes. just like HYDRA to be sexists. Bucky was better at stealth than yourself but, you didn't mind the challenge.
"We can take them, be careful of the camera's Doll. Doll?" Bucky questioned noticing too late that you were no longer by his side, striding into the eye of the storm head on. "Shit!" He cursed, having no choice but to follow.
The guards noticed you, one of them reaching for the alarm. in a split second you conjured a fireball to your palm and hurled it, making contact with his hand. the man screamed, or at least tried to. Bucky muffled the man with his vibranium hand. Bucky tussled with the man which was odd. Super Soldiers? was all you had time to think about when one of the men squared you up.
"Heh. Small and weak." he said. Oh, Now you're pissed. Yeah you're only 5 feet even. But, you ain't weak. He went to punch and you caught his forearm, blazing beneath my palm a charring blue. He screamed, Damn! There goes our cover! You grabbed the mans throat, unable to encapsulate it completely due to your small frame. That didn't matter much, you burned through his wind pipe in a matter of seconds. You heard the familiar sound of a gun cocking, ready to exhibit lethal force. you turned your head in time to see the barrel. Bucky covered you with his body, his vibrainium arm covering your face.
Great metallic wings swoop him up and throw him off the cave entrance. All that was left of the guard was his screams echoing downward to the rocky base below. Bucky held you out by the shoulders his eyes scanning for injuries.
"You alright, Doll?"
You smiled up at him, "Peachy."
Swooping in for a landing Sam came back to the cave entrance. His large wings folding in on themselves and forming to his body.
"Nobody messes with my favorite heater." Sam said standing next to you and Bucky. You don't have much time left, despite your efforts to stay undetected the alarm was still triggered. Sending an ominous shrieking throughout the mountain. You didn't even have time to make a witty come back towards Sam. All three of you went into action mode, not that you weren't already in that kind of a mood. Adrenaline pumping through your veins, making your senses wired, attention sharp as a blade.
You tried to make sense of the stone, feeling where it might be. Bucky and Sam made good work of debilitating as much of the HYDRA minions as they could. You came to a fork in the passages. winding endlessly into the darkened corridors filled with unknown assailants and various experiments. You had to keep going, running as fast as you could towards the stone. it was fading from your senses. it's pulse weakening like that of a dying heart. Bucky called out to you, needing you in sight. He desperately wanted your wellbeing to be paramount. His attention focused on you, one of the HYDRA men struck his bicep with a blade, blood and pain searing into him.
"Y/N! Come back!" he yelled out. Sam was preoccupied with his own minions. your heart racing, thumping wildly beneath your chest, panting, fighting to keep oxygen in your lungs. You stopped dead in your tracks seeing the stone nestled in a room, caged in glass. You looked around for a keypad or something of the like to open the door.
"Guys! I'm okay! I found it! I gotta open this case somehow." You yelled out to your team mates. you heard boots coming towards you from your left. Bucky must be so worried, what a cute little watch dog.
"C'mon, man. It's probably just a HYDRA trick. I know it sounds like her–" Sam's voiced was exasperated. You didn't turn your back to look still figuring out how to open the room. Bucky wasn't saying anything, which you thought was odd but you didn't have time to find out why.
"Fuck it. When in Rome." you said to yourself and loud enough to where Bucky could hear you. You hand glowed that brilliant blue and you touched the glass, melting it with ease. The orange glow of the stone grew as your hand reached out for it. it was too far away to grab. Still you tried, "C'mon!" the jewel floated to your hand, as if it was meant to be there. You were surprised, was Wanda there helping you?
You heard the loud clang of a heavy metal door closing to your right, a large man with formidable looking guns, if you could call them that, ready to turn their hyper-beams on you. To turn you into a mere vapor. You ducked with the stone still firmly in you grasp. You waited for impact, to disappear before your eyes. Was this really how you were gonna go out? but nothing happened. Contrarily you heard an oddly familiar clang, and a whoosh of air streaming past you, blowing your hair.
"Are you hurt Doll?" said Bucky's voice, it rattled with a tinge of sadness, but was otherwise strangely sweet. His voice barely had the rasp that you knew.
You looked up at your savior, Bucky was wielding Steve's shield and was garnished with his Captain America costume. Most puzzling was his left arm, it was… flesh and bone and muscle. it was so weird seeing him like this. He held out his hand as you dared not to break eye contact with him. You took it without hesitation. He pulled you up from the ground and to your feet. Something snapped in you.
Angrily you jabbed your index finger into his chest, in the center of the bright white star.
"Don't you Doll me when you decide to play fucked up dress up! Where did you even get Cap's suit? and–and his shield?! Did Sam give it to you? Did you lose a bet?" you rambled on as more footsteps approached from the left.
Bucky's eyes frantically scanned your features, his lips beginning to quiver, his orbs filling with tears threatening to spill over. he took you face in his massive hands and kissed you, as if he was devoid of love for a long time. he continued to pepper kisses to your lips.
"Y/N. I. love. you. so much!" he vowed to you as he peppered his kisses.
"Y/N? Cap? You alright in the head, man? What the–" Sam stopped in his tracks clothed in his old red and black Falcon's suit.
"Babe, is this really happening? Pinch me." Sam continued talking to someone on his left. A gloved hand punches him and the person comes into view. brushing her long red locks out of her face, satisfied with Sam's reaction.
"Goddamn Baby! I said pinch not punch! Holy shit, that's really her ain't it?" Sam replied to–Nat. No way. Did your theory actually work? You felt the stone beneath your palm and looked at it, it cracked and fell apart into miniscule shards. Shit! The lair's alarms went into over drive and sounded shrilly. Bucky scooped you up, and trudged forward towards the exit. twisting in his grasp to look at the remnants of what was the stone.
"Dammit Bucky! I need that! We need that! Listen to me!" you said desperate. But it was fruitless. The Stone was obliterated. Bucky shhhed you, his grip tightening on you. in response you slapped his chest, discontent with his shh-ing. He touched the communication device in his ear.
"All units depart as soon as possible." He looked down at you ending his order to whomever was on the other end. "It's alright Y/N. You're safe now."
He carried you out of the complex Nat and Sam following behind, no HYDRA operative in sight. Nat smiled at Sam, "Look at you in one piece. HYDRA won't be having KFC tonight after all, huh?"
"Oh, that's cold. You'll have to make up for that punch Babe. How 'bout a little R 'n' R?" Sam said pulling Nat closer to him as his hands traveled down to clasp the globes of her ass, squeezing with want. Nat chuckled seductively and laced her hands together and held onto his neck kissing him with a soft passion.
"Maybe if you can find someone to watch the kids tonight." Nat replied. Kids? I thought Nat couldn't have kids. You found yourself staring at the couple. this was all so weird. Bucky cleared his throat to politely get your attention.
"What's wrong? They've been married for a while now. I was the best man and you were one of Nat's bride's maids. Don't you?– God. Did HYDRA wipe your memory that much Doll?" Bucky explained. Married?! Kids?! Best men and Bride's maids? What the hell is going on?!
A large gust of wind came from nowhere as the Quinjet lined up with the opening of the cave. You all entered the Quinjet like normal, taking your respective seats. All except Bucky, rather he sat with you in his lap, unable to keep his gaze off of you. If he did, he feared he might lose you again.
"You always take too long, how did the raid go this time?" a distinct European accent called from the pilot's seat.
"Pretty damned good Twinkle-Toes. We got Y/N back." said Sam with pride as he finished strapping himself into his seat.
"What? I thought Y/N,–" the voice questioned as he turned around in his seat, not paying attention to his duty of being the pilot. You recognized his face but you couldn't put a name to it.
"Just take us home Pietro," Bucky ordered as he stroked your arm to warm you from the cold, "On second thought, take us to the Safehouse." You were so confused you felt your stomach bend in knots making you nauseated.
"Aye, Aye, Captain." Pietro responded grumpily, the hatch to the Quinjet closing. You felt the ride of the Quinjet soothing you to sleep, even though you wished to be awake. You had to stay awake, everything was so topsy-turvy. You had to see what else had changed. You struggled to keep your eyes open, feeling exhausted.
"It's fine Doll, sleep. I'll be here when you wake." Bucky said, his voice soft and familiar. After a while of resisting, you gave up and let yourself succumb to the tiring events of the day. What else is there? What else is screwed to hell? Was the last conscious thoughts your remember.
end part 1….