Jerika's eyes widened, "Don't tell me... you didn't already make us grandparents with this Nola, did you?". Sweet blushed as he chuckled, "Yeah...", when he rubbed the back of his neck, "Might want to keep sitting because it's triplets too.".
Moses' eyes widened, "Holy Christ...Triplets...Is that usual for her people?", and Sweet replied, "No. Mainly single babies, rarely twins...And by now, she's four months along...", with a awed smile before exhaling, "And before you ask, Ma...One of the reasons I'm here...I'm scared because it's triplets, and I'd go already to be there by her side through everything, and I know I can deliver, but three at once...I know I trust the other healers because they have been taught by Nola and all, but...I'd feel better if you or Poppa were there...And I...I can't lose her if it would be...be too much on her...".
"You're asking us to come with you? All the way back to Atlantis?", Moses asked as Sweet nodded, "At least this time, things would be much easier and less danger; that's for sure.".
Jerika looked at her son, "You really love her, and you've embraced the idea of being a father...I honestly thought you'd not have a chance to find someone you would love, and now...seeing that look in your eyes...She really means something to you, doesn't she?".
"More than you'd ever imagine, Ma...She gives me so many feelings that I never thought I'd have known, due to my age and the notion of being married to my job, and yet I feel like I am more with her, and having children with her, I love her so much...I...I know it's a lot to ask, leaving the homestead you literally built with your hands, where I grew up through my puberty years after moving around so much...But I don't want to regret not having you meet my wife, getting to know her, and spoiling your grandchildren that you deserve to do...Nola, she never had her parents all her life as they died when she was a child, with her father first, and then her mother a few years later, and she almost had a first love as well, but lost it when she was almost close to marriage age in her culture. The only family she gained was in the royals when she became their personal healer, and she was very dedicated to her job, keeping her busy from thinking of her past until she met me, and I changed her life, her perspective, and her heart...", with a small, almost sad, fond smile as he looked back at her memories she gave him.
"So, what's the worry?", Moses chuckled as Sweet gave him a bit of a confused look. "Are you worried we'd say no or something?".
"Um, sort of...", Sweet admitted. "It's... not exactly as simple as just taking a train or car somewhere...", biting his lip as he's already surprised that they are fine with going with him.
Jerika glanced at Moses, "You realize that we'd have a hard time to convince the...the government that I could leave the reservation land...", and Moses scoffed, "Those darn bootlickers don't know the meaning of hard work! And I have a feeling here that our son has connections that we don't.".
Sweet nodded, "I do, Father.", determined to make a phone call to Whitmore to get the President free his mother from being restricted to travel beyond the reservation land, and it was a miracle that his father, being a Black, was free to travel to nearby towns for materials or trade or such.
Moses then replied, "Then it's settled. One way or another, we're coming with you, to meet our daughter-in-law, and help out with our grandchildren. No way in hell that we can't be held back from having more family we deserve to know.", with a firm nod.
Jerika smiled softly, kissing her husband's cheek, "And we'll have faith that the Lord, the Creator, and your wife's Great Kings will see us through, son. In the meantime, we'll just have to somehow figure how to sell the crops and the mules and take only needed things from this house, so we can travel with you, to the final spot where we can go under the sea...Speaking of, how are we to do that?".
Sweet said, "Don't worry, Ma, one of my dear friends has a big-evac sub, an essentially small submarine, enough to fit all three of us plus some others, he's currently having a plan to bring it to American soil without detection and clean it anew from German radar and all. And the Levithan sees crystals as the gate key, giving permission for the ones wearing them, and they sense good intentions as well, so I'm sure he would see that you are my parents, having good intentions to be with me and my newfound family.".
"Sounds like quite a lot of planning...", Jerika said as Sweet chuckled. "Yeah, well, at least now we've got most of the kinks worked out and aren't flying blind like the first time.", he said.
Moses nodded, "Good. Now, why don't you tell us more about Nola? She must be an incredibly good healer if she is the personal healer of the royal family and the head healer of the hospital.", and Sweet chuckled, "You're lucky that she gave me permission to be loose about the stories she had of healing.".
And so, Sweet went to spend much missed time with his parents, glancing at the sketch of his wife every night for those same three weeks, helping his parents figure out how to get the homestead sold, and with joy, with a phone call to Whitmore like he swore to himself, his mother is forever free from the reservation, with the government guys of the reservation thinking that his mother is going to another reservation out of America, due to the President's orders and slight lies which is technically true yet not true as Atlantis is not a reservation, but a lost, now rediscovered civilization, but technically preserved since it's a mythical place as well.
Meanwhile, it was Audrey and Bucky's turn, and Bucky was conflicted between going to check on his sisters as he has been gone for close to three years in the war, yet going to Mexico or Detroit as Audrey said that there are two mechanic shops of the family now like she always wished for, to meet her family, with Audrey mentioning that she only has been gone for a year and a bit of change, since her father had convinced the army that she was a very good mechanic despite being 17 at the time, and now since she's over 18, there's no question now of her qualifications or her maturity, though of course, the bigotry of men thinking that they're better than women is still around, even if women has been working factories and such over the years of war in America and all, to feed their families and such.
Audrey smiled softly at Bucky as they laid in bed the second night of their stay in the Whitmore mansion, "My family can wait a bit longer...Your sisters waited long enough, and yeah, they'd be shocked to see that you got a stump, but I'm sure they'd be so relieved and happy that you're alive.".
"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that.", Bucky said. "Still, probably will be a shock for them... how do you think I should break it to them? Just say that it's gone the second I see them?".
Audrey hummed thoughtfully, "You could say that the real arm is gone for good, but people including me is looking for a way to make a replacement, probably prototypes of hooks, wood, and such, and that you are mandated temporary from the army for test runs on the prototype, and if the final product works after testing the prototypes, you'd have to take some time to get used to using it like for basic stuff, and then eventually hard stuff like propping up rifles and such to shoot.".
Bucky blinked, "Because a prosthetic arm is rarely unheard of in those days, right?", and Audrey nodded, "Yeah...With Atlantean technology, they would perhaps have some sort of way to make a prosthetic arm, probably steel or something, probably trying to make it less heavy to balance fairly to your other arm.".
"Good point...And yeah, that explanation for my sisters sounds very plausible enough...How did I ever get lucky to have a beautiful, smart woman?", Bucky smiled, using his good arm to tuck over her body, bringing her closer, kissing her nose.
Audrey giggled, "Very lucky, Bucky...", before leaning up slightly to kiss him on the lips deeply and tenderly, and they held into that kiss for a minute before parting away for air, and Bucky chuckled, "I love you too, Audrey...".
"I love you too, Bucky.", Audrey smiled, caressing his cheek, tracing his clean-shaven jaw. He was lucky that his left hand was his shaving hand, through Audrey had to help with the cream part, and the towel part.
They then went to sleep, settled about the decision to check on Bucky's sisters, and so, with some money to get tickets for the train within the next day, with luggage and such, they went to New York City.
They went first to check on Bucky's eldest sister, with Bucky hoping that she hadn't moved from her known address he knew, knowing that when he left, dear Catherine just had a newborn son, and her husband is a good man, having a job as a morse codebreaker in the army, a safe desk job which Catherine was so glad for.
And then of course, after checking upon Catherine, he'd have to check on his middle sister, Julia who got recently married to a fine and loyal milk truck driver before he left, and then there's his youngest and favorite sister, Rebecca, who was barely 13 when he left, not that he tries to love all his sisters equally, but those two knew that Rebecca and Bucky had a close relationship of siblings.
At least things were going fairly smoothly with the meet ups. Obviously, his sisters were so happy to see him alive, stunned by the injury, but they'd much prefer if he lost an arm rather than losing his life.
Of course, there was a gloomy and strange feeling after he checked up on Catherine who had a beautiful daughter, close to toddler age while her newborn son was already sprouting up into a fine, talkative toddler, and she was hesitant, but she asked Bucky not to be mad after he goes to check up on Julia who got surprised with twins, for she is having Rebecca as a guest for some big reason.
Bucky was confused and a bit concerned as he shared looks with Audrey over her warning, and after having a heartful and warm goodbye with Catherine as the kids were hogging her attention, they got to the next sister's place which was only a few blocks down from Catherine's place, and of course, Julia was naturally happy to see him, yet stunned by the injury.
Bucky replied, smirking, "At least I'm perfectly intact in the humor department to tease you. Those twins are sure mischievous...You probably wished for girls, eh?", as Julia's twins were identical twin boys, learning to walk everywhere and touch everything.
Julia rolled her eyes, "Har, har, very funny, but they keep me on my feet, alright...Did Cathy tell you about Rebecca?", and Bucky nodded, "Yeah, she told me not to be mad...Julia, is something wrong with Rekki?", using his fond nickname for his favorite sister.
Julia sighed deeply, "Don't scream or shout or anything right now...Or you'll upset the boys, and she'd think you are hating her...Rebecca was real homesick, missing ya, and she got better at times when she was with us, babysitting her nieces and nephews for us while we were on date nights and such...Then she decided to try going into the dating loop, going on nights with some of her school friends...Then she found a man, a charming and good-looking guy, and he made jokes with our husbands, gave toys to the kids, distracting them and all...They went out a lot, and we were concerned because she was nearing the age where she should find a job to work, and she promised that she'd find a job, and so, she did, being a waitress, hoping if she is working and paying good, he might just propose to her sooner or later. The job decreased time for her to be with him, but he seemed fine about it. And then a bit after her 16th birthday, we noticed that she was throwing up and all, and so, we told her to take a doctor visit, see what's wrong as she seemed like she was having the flu.".
Audrey gasped softly as she is connecting the dots as Bucky listened, and Julia continued, "Shocked yet happy, she went to tell him...I...I heard them as she was on a babysitting night with the kids...My husband, he couldn't dare to kick her out for he knew that I was in charge of Rebecca, loving my sister dearly, understanding me, after that...that...b-a-s-t-a-r-d slammed the door on her, calling her...words I couldn't say around the boys right now, and now, she has kept it, not wanting to be a murderer by...a-abortion as she was found to be two months along at the time...And now, she's five months along..., and she is judged by those nosey neighbors who couldn't keep their nose out...", with a heavy sigh and an angry look.
Bucky took a deep sigh as he closed his eyes, as Julia said, "Bucky, please, don't be upset at her, the last thing she needs is her family to become divided.".
"No...", Bucky said. "I'd never be upset at her... but... where is tha-", growling lowly. "James Buchanan Barnes...", Julia's tone went dark. "I know what you're thinking there; no, beating up that man or worse isn't the answer either...".
"Well, what the hell do you want me to do, Julia?! Just let the guy off scot-free from this?!", Bucky shouted, looking at his middle sister with anger.
Audrey clutched his hand, "Bucky, please, don't do that, don't do that around the little ones.", and Bucky took a deep breath, and Julia sighed deeply, "And that man wasn't stupid to stick around either...Found out that he left west to California...Rebecca, she has been trying to be healthy for the little one, even if she's a bit scared that it would turn out to be a boy like him, but she's determined to believe that the little one is innocent of their father's sins...and her sins...I...you should have seen it...people judging her even before they care for the truth...Gods, even the market was barely tolerated when I accompanied her...16 years old, Bucky...She has been a wonderful aunt to the kids and they do cheer her up, thank goodness, but I have been praying for a miracle that you'd come back alive as yes, it was quite a help when you sent money to me and our other sisters to assist into the financial bills and such, and I love her, Bucky, but with the kids and all, it's...it's not easy these days, even if the Depression was already over with...".
"I know...", Bucky sighed. "I'm sorry, I... just hate I couldn't be everywhere at once... maybe... I don't know, maybe things might have been different if I was around.".
"Honestly, I don't know about that.", Julia admitted. "You probably would've liked him all the same as the rest of us did at first; I don't think anyone would've been able to see what was coming there.".
Bucky nodded, and exhaled, "Where's Rekki?", and Julia got up, gesturing with her head, and Bucky glanced at Audrey who smiled, "I'll keep an eye on the tykes for a minute. Go.", and Bucky smiled softly, getting up, following Julia through the apartment, to one of the rooms, from the living room, and Julia knocked on the door warmly, "Rebecca? Bucky's here.".
A faint voice replied, "Send him in...", and Julia glanced at Bucky with a reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder, and returned back to her sons and Audrey.
Bucky took a deep breath, and opened the door, walking in, closing it as he glanced at his youngest sister...Catherine took to have their father's black hair and their mother's warm brown eyes like Bucky, while Julia took to have their mother's brown hair like Bucky, and their father's dark blue eyes, and Rebecca, she got their grandmother's ginger red hair off their mother's side, and dark blue eyes.
"Hey...", Bucky spoke as she sighed, not really looking at him. "Julia told me you're expecting...", he said as Rebecca nodded.
Bucky replied, "If you heard me yelling for a minute there, it wasn't at you...that was at that bastard...", as he slowly sat on the bed, as Rebecca was turned back, not looking at him as she was on the other side of the bed, hearing him taking a deep sigh, "I would never disown you or anything, Rekki...You know our folks taught us that family may be separated to have their lives, but they would never forget their loved ones, and that if in situations, they stick together through good and bad...".