Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
/\/\/\
Skye was up early the next morning and grabbed some breakfast before getting dressed in a new pair of gray skinny-leg jeans and a black tank top over her super suit. She put on a dark purple hoodie with a panda print and the word hello stitched into the front. She added a pair of black sneakers before going to her bathroom.
She brushed through her long hair, which she put into a high ponytail before grabbing a mini backpack and heading out to the living room where Bucky was, as she knew he was the one driving her into town today.
"Like the new jeans," Yelena said from the couch.
"Thanks," Skye said.
Bucky tilted his head.
"What?" Skye asked Bucky.
"Aren't they a bit tight?" Bucky asked.
"No," Skye said, scoffing.
Yelena smirked. "They could be much tighter."
Bucky shook his head.
Skye let out a breath. "Are you going to try and make me change?"
Bucky raised an eyebrow. "If I wanted you to change, you would be changing before I would take you anywhere, so there would be no try."
"Sorry," Skye said.
"No, I'm not going to make you change," Bucky said as he got up.
"Thank you," Skye said.
The two of them left and started the drive into the city.
"Are you angry with me?" Skye asked softly
"No, you apologized. It's forgiven," Bucky said.
Skye nodded.
"And I know I'm not your dad. I don't get a say in what you wear," Bucky said.
Skye shrugged. "If you told me to go change and I argued, how do you think my dad would feel about that?"
"He probably would be upset with you," Bucky said.
"And your opinion does matter to me," Skye said.
Bucky nodded. "Good to know."
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Skye asked.
"You can ask. I can't promise to answer," Bucky said.
"Your arm, the metal one, does it ever hurt?" Skye asked.
"Where it connects to my shoulder sometimes," Bucky said.
Skye nodded.
"Do you remember at all when you were the winter soldier?" Skye asked.
Bucky took a breath.
"Sorry," Skye said quickly.
"Don't apologize for asking a question when I told you that you could," Bucky said.
"Okay," Skye said.
"I remember bits and pieces. But I won't go into details about it," Bucky said.
Skye nodded. "Understood."
"My turn to ask you a question?" Bucky asked.
"Fair is fair," Skye said with a chuckle.
"You have had your share of trauma in your life. And you agreed to therapy, but you haven't gone. Why?" Bucky asked.
Skye sighed. "I think therapy doesn't work for everyone."
"I used to think therapy was pointless, too, until I was forced to because of the things I did as the Winter Solider. And it helped. I used to constantly blame myself for the things that I did. Now it's only sometimes," Bucky said.
Skye nodded.
"I know your dad has asked you to consider it. He doesn't want to force you. But being forced is what I needed. And you have said my opinion matters to you, so I'm telling you that you need to do it," Bucky said. "I have a name suggested by my therapist. I can make an appointment for you. But you are going."
Skye opened her mouth to argue.
"It's not up for debate. You're doing it," Bucky said before she could say anything.
Skye sighed. "Okay."
Bucky pulled in across the street from the bodega where Tucker worked.
"Tucker is driving you home correct?" Bucky asked.
"Yes," Skye said.
"Call me if something changes or there is any issue," Bucky said.
"I will, thanks, Bucky," Skye said as she unbuckled and got out. She looked both ways before she crossed the street and went inside the bodega.
Tucker saw her and smiled. "Hey, Skye."
"Hi," she said with a smile as she looked around. "Place looks exactly the same."
Tucker chuckled. "Yes, it does."
Skye went over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Cherry Coke Zero before going to the cash register to pay for it.
"I'll cover it, Skye," Tucker said.
"Not a chance," Skye said, putting the cash on the counter.
Tucker shook his head. He rang it through and gave her the change.
Skye put the change in her pocket and picked up her drink, opening it and taking a sip. "Owner around?"
"He's in his office. He will be coming down soon. He takes over when my shift is over," Tucker said.
Skye nodded. "How many others work here?"
"One other," Tucker said. "They work days during the week usually."
"That's cool," Skye said.
The owner came in from his office. "I always knew you two would stay friends."
Skye smiled, "Whether he likes it or not, he is stuck with me."
Tucker chuckled. "More like the other way around."
"Your shift is over, go," the owner said.
Tucker smiled and went to grab his stuff from the back room before saying bye and going with Skye.
"So, pizza and Central Park?" he asked.
"Perfect," Skye said with a smile as they walked toward their favorite pizza place.
"So, have you had any run-ins with anyone you shouldn't?" Tucker asked.
"No," Skye said.
"Good," Tucker said as he held open the door to the pizza place.
Skye went in, and Tucker went in behind her. They ordered their food, and Tucker paid before they left and started the walk toward Central Park.
"You haven't had any visits from anyone who looks like me before today, right?" Skye asked.
"No, I would have called you if I had," Tucker said.
Skye nodded. "Okay, good."
"So, you want to explain to me how someone who looks like you isn't you, and not that idiot who pretended to be you?" Tucker asked.
Skye took a breath. "I've explained the multi-verse to you, and how I went to try and get some answers."
"And got hurt, yeah, I remember," Tucker said.
"Well, this girl is a variant of mine from another universe, maybe from the one I went to. Maybe another universe. We don't know anything until we find her," Skye said.
Tucker nodded. "So she might not be here to hurt you?"
"Hopefully," Skye said. "But I have now been told to wear my suit under my clothes wherever I go."
"You've got your suit on under there?" he asked.
"Yup," Skye said.
"Cause I've never seen it," Tucker said.
Skye took out her phone and looked through her gallery to find a picture of her in the suit and showed it to him.
Tucker took her phone and looked at it before handing her back her phone. "Pretty cool."
"I've been told I look hot in it," Skye said with a smirk.
"By whom?" Tucker asked.
Skye smirked. "Why? You jealous?"
"Maybe a little," he admitted.
"By other enhanced teens, no one with any interest in me," Skye said.
Tucker nodded a bit as they walked into the park and found a place to sit.
"Tuck, you know there is no one else I have any interest in, right?" Skye asked.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean others won't have interest in you," Tucker pointed out.
"And vice versa," Skye said. "And I'm not the only person you have ever had feelings for. I have never had feelings for anyone else."
Tucker nodded. "That's true, but at the moment you are the only one I have any interest in."
"I trust you. But you can't get jealous if other people think I'm hot. I can't control that," Skye said.
"You're right. I'm sorry," Tucker said.
"It's okay. I admit I was a little jealous when I found out you had been with someone else. But I think the anger and the feeling of betrayal took over," Skye said as she took a slice of pizza out of the box and started to eat it.
Tucker took a breath. "We were kids, it didn't mean anything. And I get that I did fuck up by not telling you."
"Hey, I've forgiven you. I'm just making sure you know you're not the only one who has felt jealous about other people," Skye said.
"Okay," Tucker said, taking a slice as well and joining his friend in eating their pizza.
"Tuck, I'm serious, I'm over it," Skye said.
Tucker nodded. "Okay. I believe you, and I'm glad."
"So, have you heard from your family?" Skye asked.
"No, and I don't think I ever will again," Tucker said.
Skye looked at him.
"Miss Walters has kept me informed about what happened. Carly is in big trouble. And my aunt thinks I need to take the hit because it's my fault Carly did what she did. I am at fault in her mind. I know she has tried to get access to the money I get from the trust set by my parents, but no one can until I start college or whatnot. And even then, it's only me,"
"Well, it's good your parents set it up that way," Skye said.
Tucker nodded. "I've found out a lot about my parent's thought process lately."
"What do you mean?" Skye asked.
"A few months before the accident, my parents were changing their will and what would happen to me if something happened to them. I was supposed to go with some friends of theirs. I vaguely remember them. But anyway, my parents didn't get to sign it before the accident. So the courts had to honor their old one, which left me with my uncle. I think my parents were starting to stop trusting my aunt and uncle," Tucker said.
"Tuck, I'm so sorry," Skye said.
"I'm angry things happened the way they did. But everything that has happened has made me who I am, so I can't say I wish things had been different. And no matter where I was supposed to be, I made the choices I did. No one made me do the things I did," Tucker said.
"No, but if your uncle and aunt had been better to you, who knows where you could have ended up," Skye said.
"Maybe, but if I ended up with the people they wanted, I'd have never met you. I've got more support from you and your family than I ever did from them. I don't know who exactly made the call, but someone did call NYU, and I am still going to be able to do the summer program," Tucker said.
Skye smiled. "I mentioned it to my dad. I don't know if he made the call, but maybe."
Tucker nodded. "I owe you and your dad everything."
"No, you don't," Skye said. "Tucker, if it wasn't for everything you have done for me, I would have spent time in jail, too. And my dad wanted to help you because he knows that. And he knows how important you are to me. So don't think for one second you owe me anything but friendship."
"That I can do," Tucker said with a smile.
"How is your daughter?" Skye asked.
"She has finished her most recent round of treatment, so it's a waiting game at this point," Tucker said.
Skye nodded. "Does she know you are her biological father?"
"She knows what she is old enough to understand. But yeah she knows. She doesn't call me dad or anything," Tucker said, "Which is fine. Her parents are amazing and give her a life I could never have."
"You did an amazing selfless thing by giving her up to parents who could," Skye said.
Tucker smiled and nodded. "And I don't regret it at all."
"Good," Skye said.
They both finished their pizza and threw the box out before they got up and continued to walk through Central Park.
"So, I might be wearing my dad down to letting me date before I'm sixteen," Skye said.
Tucker smiled. "Oh?"
"We had a conversation about it. He said he would think about it, which is more than I have ever gotten on the subject," Skye said.
"So, where is your security detail today? I haven't seen anyone," Tucker asked.
"I don't have any, my dad trusts me," Skye said.
"That is a major step," Tucker said.
"You have no idea how much," Skye said. "He doesn't just trust that I won't do anything stupid. He trusts that I can take care of myself if I have to."
Tucker nodded. "That's great, Skye."
They kept walking and talking, eventually walking back towards Tucker's car, and he started to drive her home. Skye kept talking, but Tucker had gone quiet.
"Tucker, what's wrong?" Skye asked.
"Hrm?" Tucker asked.
"You have gone pretty quiet," Skye said.
"Just focusing on driving," he said.
"Am I distracting you?" Skye asked.
"No," Tucker said.
Skye nodded a little but got quiet, too.
"I promise, you are not distracting me," Tucker said after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Okay," Skye said. "Can you tell me the real reason you're being really quiet?"
"I'm just thinking about how far you have come, the changes you have made, and how lucky I am to have you and your family. I know you said I don't owe you anything but friendship, but that doesn't mean I am ever going to feel like that is enough," Tucker said.
"If the roles were reversed and it was your family who helped me, would you expect anything from me?" Skye asked.
"No," Tucker admitted.
"So why is it any different for me to not expect more?" Skye asked.
"It's not," Tucker said. "But I'm sure, if the roles were reversed, you would feel the same as me."
"Fair enough, but please keep reminding yourself that all I want from you is continued friendship," Skye said.
"I will try," Tucker said.
Skye nodded.
Tucker pulled in at the compound, and he got out with her, and walked her to the door. They hugged and said bye.
"Text me that you got home, okay," Skye told him.
"I will," Tucker said before he went back to the car, and Skye went inside.