No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor)
Chapter 42: Disposable Teens (Part 2)
Howard Stark was fixing something called a "Combine" Harvester, which was a giant tool used for gathering up corn and other grains.
Eugene Strange always gave him a call whenever something needed repair, and Howard was always neighborly and happy to oblige. He was also good friends with "Bucky Barnes", so…there you go.
The inventor was more than thrilled to see Bucky, and he started showing him where and how the machine got jammed up the most.
Bucky was listening to Howard, and he was also watching his every move… until something pretty caught his eye way off in the distance. A flash of color started making its way around the family home, and it pulled Bucky's focus straight away.
Eugene and Howard noticed his distraction, so the two of them followed along. They both looked down toward the house, and they both cleared their throats when they saw who showed up.
Donna Strange always wore something with color. It looked like a summer dress from where Bucky was located, but honestly, he wasn't sure..
He began to wonder why Donna was there. It was her family home, yeah, but it had been a long while since she paid any of them a visit. Donna didn't really visit her parents, so… he had to wonder.
…
"AHEM, so Bucky, this machine here is called a Combine because it's taking care of several different jobs at once. It cuts and separates the crop. Did ya hear me?"
…
Howard was trying to keep the young man engaged, but it suddenly seemed as if Bucky Barnes was a million miles away. He gave Eugene Strange a small smile, then he playfully nudged Bucky's shoulder.
Hold up. Say what? Oh. Right, the harvester did two things at once? Bucky heard what Howard said, but the somber brunette failed to speak. Call it being tongue-tied, or whatever, cuz his mind was still processing Donna's random visit.
Bucky could see that she actually drove to the house? From where? Normally Donna used a portal, and she never really drove a car around…
Uhh, she was heading their way. Bucky didn't know what to think about that, so the silence remained.
…
"Maybe we can finish fixing this another time Howard. We've clearly lost our audience."
…
Eugene's words almost cut through the void going on in Bucky's mind, but Donna's presence was too distracting.
The father of three didn't mind Bucky's behavior at that point. They had their chat about Donna, and… after a while, Eugene began to think of Bucky as an apprentice of sorts.
He clearly wanted to learn something there every day, and his help around the land was deeply appreciated.
…
"Dad, I need to borrow James for a second. I hope you don't mind.."
…
"Well, we'll only mind if you don't bring him back.."
…
LOL. Donna Strange smiled at her father. She spoke with her mother and Maria Stark for only a moment, then she made her way over to the giant harvester as soon as she could.
The meeting regarding the Church of Human Potential came to an end, so Donna started making arrangements for her trip out toward Loup County.
Ezekiel Stane wanted to send two people into every location, so the sister inwardly chose her plus one during the meeting. She kept that information to herself of course, and she smiled at James as he made his was off the old machine.
His feet hit the dirt a short distance from Donna, then Bucky started wiping his hands off on his filthy jeans. He had tractor grease on his hands and arms, plus all the dirt you could find in Nebraska.
…
"What brings you out here?"
…
"I need you, for a favor. Are you busy today?"
…
Busy? Bucky almost laughed. No, he was never actually busy, and the thought of making time for Donna Strange immediately crossed his mind.
She was wearing a summer dress. Bucky liked the color, so he glanced down at his own clothes. He definitely needed to wash up and change what he had on, but the man had to ask about the favor first.
…
"I'm not busy at all, so… what's up?"
…
Donna looked up at her father and Howard Stark. Those two were like peas and carrots up there, watching them. The middle child felt amused with the humble scene, but she couldn't tell James anything with the two of them watching.
…
"I need you to come with me to a place called Loup County. It's an hour drive from here, and… we'll be gone a couple days. Ok?"
…
Donna tried to be as matter-of-fact as she could in that moment, cuz she didn't want her parents getting some sort of crazy idea. She wanted them to think of it as a business venture, or something.
She did her best to keep her emotions out of the equation too, but she smiled a little when she watched someone's eyebrow arch upward. James wasn't sure what was happening, but he was good with whatever was going on..
…
"Sure. Of course. I'll get ready, and… pack up some stuff.."
…
Bucky glanced back up toward Howard and Eugene, but he didn't look long enough to catch their reaction. He needed to wash off a blanket of dirt and pack, so the man just walked off toward the guest house where he was staying.
Donna watched him leave, then she gave her father a friendly bright smile.
Chapter: END
Thanks for reading.