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Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
Status: Ongoing
Read Part 1 here.
Read Part 2 here.
Read Part 3 here.
Read Part 4 here.
Read Part 5 here.
Read Part 6 here.
Read Part 7 here.
Read Part 8 here.
Read Part 9 here.
Read Part 10 here.
Read Part 11 here.
Read Part 12 here.
Read Part 13 here.
Read Part 14 here.
Read Part 15 here.
Read Part 16 here.
Read Part 17 here.
Read Part 18 here.
tumblr staff: hey i got a great idea hows about we screw up everyone's decade of muscle memory by splitting the perfectly functioning reblog button into two separate things. and make every basic task take more clicks to perform than before. this is ideal. yup. yeah go ahead and push the update to all users and ignore all feedback. s'all good
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: Surprise! I'm back. Sorry life got so hectic and even though I was FINALLY to the chapter I'd been really wanting to write, I just kinda lost the flow for a bit. Have a New Avengers tower fic in the middle of the angst. TW for mentions of addiction recovery
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here. Read Part 13 here. Read Part 14 here. Read Part 15 here. Read Part 16 here. Read Part 17 here.
"Look Yelena, I said I'll talk to Sam, I'll talk to him."
"Well you better do it soon because this is what you call a PR disaster."
"Which disaster now?" Bob asked from the kitchen as the two walked into the room. "I thought we were celebrating?"
"Celebrating?" Bucky asked.
"Yes!" John said as he walked in, freshly showered. "We had a successful mission and Alexei and I think we should celebrate."
"John, I don't think-"
"No, he's right," Yelena cut him off. Bucky furrowed his brow and turned to her.
"I think we should take one-one-evening and celebrate how far we've come, and get to know each other better. Unless you were going to talk to Sam Wilson tonight?"
She gave him a pointed look that let him know he'd lost this one, and he sighed.
"Alright. Just the team. Here."
"Yeeesss!!!" Alexei cheered from where he'd been listening around the corner.
And how do 3 super soldiers, 2 recovering addicts, and a science experiment gone wrong celebrate? Junk food and football apparently.
They'd only made it through the first 3 minutes of play before Ava started complaining about how it shouldn't be called football and the conversation grew from there, the game almost forgotten by half time (aside from John and Alexei, who would float in and out of the conversation and let everyone know when something exciting was happening by trash talking each other).
Topics were fluid, from sports to social media trends to politics to heroic stories. Before they knew it the game was done, and Alexei brought up the forbidden yet inevitable topic.
"So, Lena," he said as he sat beside her, feeling victorious as his team had won (or maybe it was just that John's team had lost). "Anything new on the dating scene?"
Yelena groaned. Bucky chuckled uncomfortably.
"If I wanted you to know, you would know."
"I also don't think any of us are getting much action," Ava cut in. "Or should I say any of you?" She smirked and Yelena shoved her shoulder.
"Speak for yourself," Alexei said, chest puffed up. John shook his head as Bucky's brows raised suspiciously.
"What? I am a very attractive man. The ladies cannot get enough of the Red Guardian!" A series of groans, mumbles, and chuckles spread through the room as he paused.
"AND if you believe the tabloids, the Winter Soldier here is perhaps just as irresistible, eh?" Alexei raised his cup to Bucky as he looked at the floor and shook his head.
"Who believes tabloids?" Ava asked.
"I mean we don't even have to listen to them," John said. "Between the number of women he has seemed oblivious to absolutely throwing themselves at him-remember that one reporter?"
Bucky rolled his eyes as Yelena gave a "hmmm" in remembrance as she nodded slowly.
"And then there was that radio interview back when you were running that obviously you were thrown off."
Bucky's eyes shot to John, unable to stop himself from glaring daggers.
"What?"
"Oh I remember that one," Ava spoke up. "I thought you deflected that really well."
"He hesitated," John said. "It makes the rounds on the internet every so often. Half the internet wants to be with you and the other half thinks that pause meant there is already someone you keep secret."
"Yeah and which percentage thinks that someone is you?" Yelena jabbed and John threw a piece of popcorn at her.
"Well and there's the ring," Bob piped up, smiling wide like he was in on a joke with everyone, but then all eyes went to him.
"Wait, what ring?" Yelena asked, incredulous, looking between Bob and Bucky.
The latter's face twisted oddly as shock gave way to rage.
"Yeah, Bob," Bucky said through gritted teeth. "What. ring."
"Well, I mean, just the one you tried to hide away really fast when Yelena sent me to get you for the mission earlier."
Bucky's cheeks were redder than Yelena had ever seen him. Alexei was whooping, calling Bucky a dog for keeping his lady-friend a secret so long and demanding to know everything about her. Ava just smirked as the questions poured out of him. John tried to talk over Alexei and give some half-hearted marriage advice. Yelena was trying to continue the joking mood while moving ever so slightly between Bucky and Bob.
"Alright, alright, enough," Bucky tried to stop them. When that didn't work he looked down at his hands and raised his voice.
"ENOUGH! I am not seeing nor intending to propose to anyone!"
Yelena studied him as the room went quiet. She saw a man at war.
This was his new team. If he couldn't trust them, who could he trust? Sure he'd told Sam but that took time. He hadn't even had the chance to tell Steve really. He'd carried the fear that Y/N had died on his watch to the end. He was just about to leave the room when Bob broke the silence.
"Well then whose ring is it?"
He let out a shaky breath. Ah to hell with it.
"I was...engaged...A long time ago." He stared down at his hands, hoping everyone would just drop it there, but after a few seconds he looked up and saw he had everyone's rapt attention.
"And what happened to her?" Alexei asked.
Bucky sighed, taking a long drink before starting at the beginning.
"Well, we met before I became...before I was the Winter Soldier. While I was just Sergeant Barnes of the 107th."
And he told them the story. Of how he met Charlie, and how he was so instantly taken with her. How he felt he never wanted a life without her. How he proposed with his mother's ring in the snow outside a bar in Italy. And how shortly there after, he fell from that train.
"And you've carried this ring with you all this time?" Alexei asked, like it was the most romantic thing he'd ever heard. Then John cut in.
"Obviously not. She would've had the ring when he fell, and I don't think Hydra was letting their brainwashed assassin have a souvenir of the life they tried to replace."
A heaviness fell over the room as they all came to the natural conclusion.
"So, you found her here, and now she's gone?" Yelena stated, more than asked.
Tears started to prick the back of his eyes as he nodded, eyes locked on his hands.
Ava's hand found his shoulder. "Did she at least live a good life?"
Bucky let out a dry laugh that threw everyone off. The easy thing would be to just leave it there. It's not like he was likely to ever see her again. But he looked up to Yelena, and it was at this point, he realized he really didn't have anything else to lose.
"Well, that's the thing. I only told you half the story."
-
A/N: I know it's shorter, but I'm already working on the next chapter, and we are getting into the final act.
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: I'm baaaack! I am so so sorry this took so long, but here you go!!! Hopefully next wait won't be as long now that this chapter is done. And I believe I know exactly where we're headed now. So buckle up! (tw: nightmares)
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here. Read Part 13 here. Read Part 14 here. Read Part 15 here. Read Part 16 here.
You'd gotten better at knowing when you were dreaming. If only you could be so good at snapping yourself out of them.
This dream wasn't new. You watched Bucky turn to dust as Steve looked on. You knew it was a dream, but it was still hard to watch and know there was nothing you could do.
At least this time it isn't causing an unplanned dimensional jump. You thought to yourself.
Just as the dream was about to come to its normal close, movement caught your eye.
As you made eye contact with the pale, dark-haired man, his eyes widened slightly, as though not expecting you to see him.
Then you blinked and he was gone.
You opened your eyes to see the wall of your room at the X-Mansion, more confused than anything.
In the last 8 months, you'd settled into a routine, focusing on growing in your powers and not really planning to go home except in your dreams, which so far couldn't be helped. Besides, maybe this was home now. You had work and family here.
The dreams had almost become routine at this point, until now.
"Who was that?" you asked yourself aloud. You knew he was familiar, but something was off. You couldn't place him. And he'd never been in your dreams before.
You closed your eyes and recalled the face as best you could, scouring your memories to find a match.
Not one of the X-Men. Or the Brotherhood. Or the Fantastic Four. Not an Avenger. Not a soldier.
Then it came to you, and you recalled the image from your dream over and over to be sure, but it was impossible.
Loki? What would Loki be doing in that dream? How would he be there?
You sighed and tried to push the thoughts to the back of your mind. Your alarm would be going off soon anyway, and it really was just a dream. Maybe your brain sensed your boredom and threw you a curveball.
You turned off your alarm and headed outside to get some early training in.
-
How far did you get this time? Charles rolled up the path to where you were sitting, sweating and a little dizzy.
In one go? Almost 4 minutes that last time.
He raised his eyebrows. That's quite the improvement.
You closed your eyes and focused on breathing steadily.
"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked aloud.
You shook your head. "Just training."
"Y/N, something is bothering you." I don't have to read your mind to know that.
You sighed. "It was another dream."
"About him?"
"Charles..."
"I know, I know. You've made it clear that for now you have no intention of leaving-"
Here we go.
"And I appreciate that. I love that you feel at home here. But if you're still bothered this much by a dream about him after all this time-"
You groaned and started to stand. "That's not even it."
"Oh? Then enlighten me."
You sighed and settled back into the bench. "It's probably nothing."
He nodded. "Even so."
You took a deep breath and opened your mind, recalling the dream.
It was typical until the end. Until he showed up.
You and Charles focused on the figure-Loki.
You know him?
I know of him, you corrected. He was Thor's brother and an enemy of the Avengers, but he wasn't here.
Charles studied Loki, and the surroundings.
Perhaps it is nothing. He stated, but his facial expression said otherwise as he continued.
We won't know unless he appears again.
-
Weeks passed before Loki appeared in your dreams again. This time you were in a familiar memory. One where your heels clacked and your dress swayed as you walked to your desk at Stark Industries.
Howard bid you good morning and you set about your work for the day.
These dreams were somehow the worst, because your brain would get stuck in monotonous work mode as you tried to fix schedules and you somehow kept forgetting to get Howard his coffee.
You answered the phone when it rang, adding a meeting to Howard's schedule.
7:00pm
December 16, 1991
Sergeant Barnes
You blinked rapidly as the ink turned red and smeared as drops of blood fell from your hand holding the pen and onto the paper.
Howard stepped out of his office. "I'm off to lunch. Need anything?"
You looked up from the paper to see blood dripping down his face.
Your eyes widened, and Howard shrugged, said, "Alright suit yourself," and walked away.
Then you saw him again. Standing at the end of the hall, watching you-studying you-dressed in a suit with his hair slicked back like he belonged and was just arriving for a business meeting.
You stood up. "What do you want?"
He smiled a bit before replying.
"It's time to wake up now."
-
You didn't wait for Charles to come to you this time. You walked into his office, coffee in hand.
"Good morning Y/N-"
"He's back." Charles raise a brow for a moment before catching up to your meaning.
He reviewed what you remembered of the dream.
"It was definitely Loki, and he definitely talked to me."
"That is...strange."
"Strange? That's the best you can do?"
Charles opened his mouth then shut it again without saying anything.
"Perhaps he will show up again, and you'll be able to ask him yourself. Hank and I have often theorized that some dreams almost bring our consciousness across or at least between timelines or dimensions. For you that would of course be even more so. Perhaps this Loki is trying to get a message to you."
"By not speaking to me? He's not trying to communicate. He's trying to learn."
"Perhaps, but he hasn't shown any nefarious intent."
"Yet."
Charles sighed and conceded. "Yet."
You ran your hand down your face and got up to leave the room. Before you left the room, you felt like you'd been punched in the gut. With the wind knocked out of you, you dropped your coffee mug to the floor.
Something was wrong, and you couldn't tell what.
Charles was talking, but it was like you were underwater. There was another voice, but all you could focus on was feeling like you were being torn apart.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the feeling was gone. Your hearing and vision cleared as you heard Logan.
"I'm gonna go get Hank."
"It's alright. I'm alright." You groaned as you used a chair to support you as you stood up. Logan looked between you and the professor.
"What was that?" he asked.
You shrugged. "Honestly, no clue but I'd rather it never happen again."
Hank burst into the room. "Professor, you've got to see this. Some kind of anomaly-"
It was at this point that he took in the attitude of the room.
"What kind of anomaly?" you asked.
"Are you alri-"
"What kind of anomaly, Hank?" you repeated, holding your hand out for the tablet he was holding.
Hank started explaining his theories that ultimately amounted to him being unsure and thinking they should send someone to take readings in space. You looked at the data he did have, and you couldn't make much more sense of it than him.
Logan spoke up, "So are we just going to ignore the fact that this happened at the exact same time Y/N collapsed? That's gotta mean something, right?"
Charles held his chin in his hand. "It does not seem like a coincidence. Y/N, could you describe-"
Then a third interruption, this time it was Jean in your heads.
Get to med-bay. Binary is here. Headed down with a...guest.
-
Maria Rambeau, aka Binary, had brought a young woman who she had found at the anomaly into the mansion, and straight to medical.
Hank seemed certain based on the anomaly, Binary's story, and some tests he'd run that she was from home.
Your home.
You reached into her mind, gathering jumbled surface thoughts about how she'd arrived here.
"Something about closing a rift," you said. "That's all I can get right now without diving deeper, but I don't think she's a threat."
"And if the anomaly was some sort of rift between universes, it's not entirely illogical that you would have some kind of...reaction," Hank posited. You nodded.
Maria stayed by the young woman's side day and night, sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She assured you she would let you know when she woke up.
You went to sleep, utterly exhausted, hoping for at least a few hours of oblivious, dreamless rest.
If only.
You were at a familiar little bar in Italy, rolling your eyes at the bar as the Howling Commandos broke out into a terrible rendition of God Bless America.
Bucky got up from the table and walked over to you, silently inviting you to join him outside.
It was summer now, so finding a more private corner where you weren't freezing to death wasn't too difficult, and your breath left you as Bucky kissed you.
As you pulled away and opened your eyes, you caught sight of a now familiar figure over Bucky's shoulder.
"Hey!" you called, walking past Bucky who didn't seem to notice you were stepping away from him as he whispered sweet nothings to the wall in front of him. This dream would take a turn soon anyway, and today you were getting answers.
Loki raised his head and grinned. He was still in the black suit form the last dream.
"I suppose my attempts at blending in weren't quite enough."
"Not hardly." You stormed up to him. "What are you doing in my dreams?"
"I am simply observing. You are a fascinating creature."
"Oh does that line ever work for you?"
"You misunderstand me."
"Then explain yourself."
He sighed. "Perhaps one day, but not yet."
His outline became blurry for a moment.
"No!" you cried out in frustration, reaching out and grabbing his arm, holding him there. He looked down at his arm, amused surprise coloring his features.
"You chose to enter into my mind. I decide when you leave."
He chuckled. "I am beginning to understand why Kang had such fear of you."
"Kang? Who's Kang?"
"He didn't use that name with you, did he? I suppose not, and He Who Remains is such a mouthful. Let me guess...Would he truly have been so carless as to use the name Victor Timely?"
Your eyes widened in recognition, the pieces beginning to fall into place.
He clocked your reaction immediately. "Ah, so it was Victor. My predecessor continues to surprise me."
"Why would Victor be afraid of me?"
Loki gave you a pointed look. "Do you honestly not know? I mean, he all but told you."
You racked your brain as snow began to fall. "No, no, no."
"Ah, yes, I do believe that means this dream is coming to an end, and you are about to need to wake up. Think on it, and I will see you again soon, no hiding this time."
You heard a click behind you and turned to see Bucky-your Bucky-one arm lying on the ground useless and the other pointing a gun at you.
"Why didn't you save me?"
-
Read Part 18 here.
A/N: The chessboard is being set for the final act. Should be an interesting one (and for those who only like hea, don't worry, this will still be hea, just lots of angst along the way)
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Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: Ok, this week apparently meant tonight, but you know I like to under-promise, over-deliver. This chapter sort of serves as a recap and emotional catharsis chapter, but hang in there to the end! (tw: alcohol use)
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here. Read Part 13 here. Read Part 14 here. Read Part 15 here.
You were going to regret drinking this much come morning, and it was likely you wouldn't even remember parts of this conversation, but it felt good to just tell someone everything.
"So wait, let me get this straight," Logan said as he finished his drink. "Your mom comes to this universe...well somehow and falls in love with Charles. She disappears and Charles never knew she was pregnant, so you grew up in a different universe, were experimented on, got powers and joined these Revenge guys-"
"A-vengerrrrs," you corrected.
"Right, the Avengers, things went bad, you broke up, you started to fall for this damaged ex-assassin who'd been brainwashed, went on a mission, and ended up here in the 60s."
You nodded along, mostly processing the information as he repeated it back to you. Sober, you would've protested the idea that you'd fallen for him all the way back then, but what did it matter really?
"So you wake up here, find out Charles is your father, teach here for a few years, and then you think your friend is in trouble so you go try to find him in the Avengers universe in the 40s."
"When Cap'n America throws his mighty shield..." you hummed before laughing.
"Right, then you brainwashed yourself into believing you weren't you so you wouldn't mess with the timeline, then you fell for this Bucky guy hard, got engaged after three months-"
"It-" you interjected as you raised a hand to point at Logan. "It was the forties."
He held his hands up. "Hey, no judgement here. I was born in the 19th century." You fell into a fit of laughter for a few moments before he continued.
"So you get engaged, your subconscious mind wakes you up, some pompous guy named Victor tells you not to save him, so you don't-"
"Showed. He showed me the future."
"Right, my mistake. He showed you what would happen so you did the right thing and let him go, so everyone assumes Bucky is dead but you know he's in the future getting his brain fixed and then eventually you end up back here, which is when we met. How am I doing so far?"
You gave a thumbs up. "Preeeetty much covers it."
Logan nodded. "So I left, then what?"
You groaned and tried to take a sip from your now empty glass. You reached for the bottle but it wasn't on the table anymore.
"Come on, Y/N," Logan urged. "You weren't losing sleep tonight over all that, at least not just that."
You sat back and sighed.
"Hank-genius-he figured out that it wasn't someone else that was moving me, it was me that was moving me, the someone else just said where. Or was that Reed? I get ahead..." You paused, trying to remember but ended up just waving your hand to brush the question away.
"Whoever's idea it was, I decided to try to go home."
"To Bucky."
You smiled softly. "Yeah..." You absent mindedly reached for the ring that wasn't around your neck anymore.
"Well what happened?"
"The someone else-Victor...I think-anyway he put up a..." you gestured with your hands as you looked for the words. "A timey wimey wall in place so I couldn't get through."
"A wall?"
You nodded, sitting forward. "Yeah it was like I could see him but something pushed me back and kept me from really...being there. And then I fell down I think and met stretchy doctor man and he figured out the wall and that Victor was the bad guy who made the wall and instead of doing the science-y thing of trying to figure out where the wall was I just ran at it again."
"Hold on, you went to another alternate universe?"
"Yeah, in the 60s again, not sure what that's about. But anyway, I ran at the wall, but this time I kinda...I don't know, followed it? And looked for a weak spot."
"Did you find one?"
You leaned back again, throwing your head back on the chair.
"Yuuup," you drew out, popping the p.
"So you found him?"
"Mmhmm."
"So what's the matter? Why are you back here? And without a ring?"
You mumbled an answer, not really caring if he understood.
"What was that?"
You sighed, still looking at the ceiling.
"He hates me."
"Oh...." Logan let the moment hang before asking a follow up question.
"He tell you that?"
You laughed dryly. "He didn't have to."
The silence stretched between you as Logan waited for you to continue. You still didn't look at him when you finally did.
"I was at his house, in the middle of the night. He wasn't dressed, but that's not the point because then he was and he cut his hair and I looked into his eyes and he just looked so...."
You let the sentence hang and ran a hand down your face.
"Did you tell him?" Logan asked.
You sat up and nodded, pulling your hand away from your face to find it damp before wiping it on your pants.
"Everything?"
You started to nod, but then shook your head.
"I told him what he needed to know, but not about Victor."
Logan scoffed. "Well why not? That part seems pretty important to me."
You shook your head. "I...I couldn't...The barrier was still...I was still being pushed away. And if he thought I was in trouble..."
"He'd still try to save you."
You nodded, trying to wipe the tears away, but they just wouldn't stop.
"And I take it you haven't told anyone about this?"
You shrugged. "I mean Charles knows, at least some of it."
"That's not the same."
You pressed your face into your hands, and before you knew it, Logan was next to you, wrapping his arm around you.
"I mean, I'm not exactly good at this whole 'emotional support' thing, but I do know that much. And I know how...how hard it can be to share. Especially when you're the only one who went through it."
You didn't say anything for a while, just sat there until the tears subsided.
"Didn't take you for the warm and fuzzy type," you finally spoke again as he sat back down.
"I'm not, and no one will believe you if you tell them otherwise." You chuckled, but then the smile fell from your face as a dark thought returned to your mind.
"What is it?"
"It's just...I'm glad this-" you gestured to the space you were sitting in, "all worked out. Really I am. It just makes me wonder-"
"Did you make the right choice?"
You nodded slowly.
Logan sighed and picked up the bottle you'd been searching for. "I'm not sure anyone can tell you that. But at the time, you believed this Victor guy, and I think part of you still does. Just because he's a bad guy doesn't mean he was lying. In my experience they're sometimes the most truthful. Just depends on the type." He poured himself a glass as he talked.
"And you sacrificed a happy life to ensure the safety and happiness of others. And if you ask me-" He held out the bottle to you.
"There's nothing more heroic than that."
-
"A radio show, Deana? Really?" Bucky asked as he straightened his tie in the back of a car next to his campaign manager.
"It will let voters get to know you better in an informal setting. People want to know who James Barnes is in the 21st century, especially since you're entering the race so...well, late. And unexpectedly."
"Right..." He sighed and settled back into his seat. After a minute he furrowed his brow and looked back at her.
"Does anyone even listen to radio anymore?"
She shrugged. "Old people do, and young people will listen and/or watch when it gets put on YouTube."
"Ah," he conceded as he nodded slowly, watching New York go by.
The car came to a stop all too early.
"You ready?" Deana asked. Bucky nodded, but she continued anyway. "We wanna focus on the fact that you are a veteran and a hero, but also humanize you. I've told them not to ask about the, ya know..."
"The Winter Soldier?"
"Yeah, that. Because that's not who you are and we wanna make sure the people know that. The real you."
He chuckled. The real me.
Who was the real Bucky Barnes anymore? Whoever he was, that was definitely not who was sitting down at a table with 2 men and a woman for this interview.
"Thank you for joining us Mr. Barnes."
"Oh please, call me Bucky."
It was mostly boring stuff. Favorite food, policy plans, favorite memory with Captain America. He wasn't running on autopilot, per se, but these questions weren't throwing any curve balls.
"So, Bucky," the woman (her name was...Helen he thinks) started, "everyone is wondering, what's your love life really like? Are you single?"
Bucky was taken aback for a moment as she batted her eyelashes. One of the other hosts suavely dove in to fill the awkward pause.
"Oh come on Helen, that's quite a personal question to ask."
She held up her hands. "Can't blame a girl for asking what half the internet wants to know."
He came back to himself as he caught Deana's eyes on the other side of the glass, staring him down.
"Only half the internet? Wow, I guess my age is starting to show." The whole table laughed.
They let that matter drop and the interview came to an end, but he couldn't shake an uneasiness that started from that question.
It had been nearly 3 years since you'd shown up and turned his understanding of his life upside down. He'd even gone on a date or two in that time, but nothing...clicked.
The feeling stuck with him throughout the rest of the day, fading into the background. It came up to full volume as he walked in the house and saw it. Still on the coffee table.
He'd picked it up after you left. Less than a minute after you walked out the door he had the ring in hand and had run out the door, looking for you. But you'd vanished.
When he realized there was no hope of finding you, he'd gone inside, and just stared at the ring before breaking down in tears.
Before he left for the day, he set it down on the coffee table, and he just hadn't had it in him to choose a new place for it yet.
So he picked it up today, staring at his mother's ring. One of the happiest moments of his life had been the moment you said yes to marrying him. Seeing this ring on your hand made his heart soar.
Why had you come here? Why had you left this? Had you moved on?
It only made sense. It had been so long, he wasn't the same person anymore, from either time you'd met.
Maybe he should put it in a safer, less seen place. Besides, was he going to be moving soon? This was a family heirloom after all.
He sighed and set the ring down.
We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
-
Read Part 17 here.
A/N: See I told you you'd get something hanging in to the end of the chapter. I don't really plan to do a ton of dual perspective, but I just couldn't wait to give us a little more Bucky in this Bucky series.
I know it's only been two weeks but I was on a roll before and given my track record of not finishing WIPs I wanted to reassure y'all.
Did a bunch of travelling for a couple weeks but I'm back now! Should have a new chapter of Out of Sync for you this week! So stay tuned. And in the meantime you can catch up to Part 15 here.
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: I told y'all (and myself) that I should've paced myself with putting out parts. (tw: nightmares)
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here. Read Part 13 here. Read Part 14 here.
"She's never been out this long."
"She's also never been gone this long."
Voices cut through the fog as you begrudgingly crawled your way to consciousness. If you could just get the strength to open your eyes-
The moment you cracked them open you realized your mistake, the bright lights of the infirmary blinding you momentarily. You squeezed your eyes closed tighter.
"Y/N?" The British accent was easier to make out now. "Y/N, it's me, Charles. Can you hear me?"
You let out a weak groan in response, letting your head fall to the side the voice was coming from as you blinked rapidly, trying to let your eyes adjust.
His face was blurry at first, but finally Charles's face came into focus. If you weren't so exhausted you might've jumped. This Charles was much older than the last one you'd seen only a few days ago. Or had it been longer? Time travel coupled with interdimensional travel was starting to mess with your perception of time.
Finally, you let out a couple words, you voice horse and weak.
"Your...your hair..."
Charles chuckled. You'd of course seen this version of him before through Logan's mind, but that only lightly lessened the shock.
"Yes, a lot has changed since you've been gone. We started to wonder if you'd ever come back to us."
Your eyes found Hank on the other side of you, who's future form you hadn't seen. He was in his blue form, and much more...well buff than you remembered him. Charles chuckled as this though passed through your brain.
He smiled and nodded toward you, his voice coming out in a rich deep tone. "It's good to see you old friend."
You smiled weakly, nodding back before trying to speak again.
"How long-" You cut yourself off by coughing.
"You really should rest before trying to speak," Hank urged. "You honestly had us worried there for a moment."
You furrowed your brow as you looked at him. You both turned to Charles.
"You arrived here 6 days ago. You've had a couple moments where we though you might be coming around, but just fleeting moments of near-consciousness. Whatever you did, it took a lot out of you. Possibly nearly killed you."
Your jaw dropped as you let out a breath. What could possibly-?
Bucky.
Yes, Charles replied in your head. I have tried to piece together what I could as you slept. We can discuss later. He smiled at you sadly before continuing aloud.
"For now you should rest. As soon as Hank thinks you are ready to move you can, but for now you should get what you can down and sleep."
-
The next time you woke up, Logan, now with quite a bit of grey in his hair, was sitting next to you, reading a book.
"Well hey there sleepyhead."
You sighed in response. He looked back at his book before continuing.
"Ya know, when I woke up back here a couple weeks ago, I was shocked to hear that you'd been gone nearly as long as me. Or this version of me, I guess."
You furrowed your brow and looked back at him, quickly scanning his mind.
There was no doubt this was the same Logan you'd met in 1973, which would make this 2023.
"40 years?" you breathed out.
"They hadn't told you?" You shook your head slowly.
You'd known time had obviously passed, but that long? You'd left for that long? Could you even fix that? No that wouldn't make sense since Steve and Bucky knew Charlie before you ever were her.
But if you had been able to get to Bucky and stay home, would you have done things differently?
Then it hit you.
"It worked," you whispered. Logan nodded.
"Yeah, I'd say it did."
You stared up at the ceiling. The plan had worked. You should be happy. You changed time and things didn't fall apart.
That fact combined with the recent realization that Victor had to be behind everything made your stomach twist unpleasantly, and allowed an old doubt to creep back into your mind.
How do I know I made the right choice?
-
So went the next few weeks. A lot of Hank worrying and starting you with some liquids and you getting exhausted far too easily for your liking. Hank assured you that your patience would pay off and you would heal, it would just take time.
Two days after you woke up you finally were able and allowed to stand and try walking around, and you accidentally knocked a cup off the table. Before it hit the ground you instinctively skipped back a couple seconds. That was a mistake that had Hank truly fretting all over again.
"You really shouldn't strain yourself at all right now."
"It was just a couple seconds," you managed to get out.
He sighed and ran a hand down his face before forcing you to drink the water and lie down again.
Three days after that incident you were allowed to move to a room. Not your room specifically, but it was a room made to be as comfortable as possible for you with as much of your things as Charles still had. Though the clothes weren't exactly in fashion anymore.
40 years will do that, you thought to yourself
It was clear you weren't going anywhere any time soon, so you spent some time getting caught up and used to the new normal.
You liked everyone well enough. Scott reminded you of Alex in some ways, and Charles really trusted him to run things one day.
About a month in, Jean and Storm invited you out for a girls' night, which was honestly some of the most fun you'd had in a long time. At some point Jean let slip that you were Charles's daughter and Ororo's jaw dropped.
"What?!" You shook your head and rolled your eyes.
"I'm so sorry!" Jean apologized. "I mean I knew it was a secret but telepath and all-"
"It's fine Jean. It's a little less awkward for it to come out now. He's at least old enough to be my dad. When we met..." You made a face that sent them both into a laughing fit.
At that point you were bored of doing nothing. You were working to get your strength back up, and there were a lot more people to practice with now. The Danger Room was a wonderful addition that let you practice and teach, which you insisted you do sometimes as sitting doing nothing was boring you. You had as much experience using your powers on a team as anyone, and it helped pass the time.
You'd explained Reed's theory to Hank, and that you thought he was right. You just weren't sure what you were being kept away from, or how far the barrier stretched.
"Well that explains why you were so exhausted this time. You completely drained yourself pushing against that boundary."
You nodded, continuing to eat your sandwich.
"Might I ask, what was so important?"
You looked up. "Hm?"
"What was so important that you had to stay? It had to be painful. So I can only imagine."
You hadn't outright told Hank about Bucky, but you were positive he had seen the ring, even if he hadn't said anything.
It felt odd, not having it. You kept reaching for it to make sure it was still there or to fidget with it, only to remember.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hank asked.
You shook your head. "No, not really."
He nodded. "I figured as much." As he stood to leave, he stopped in the door.
"If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
-
It took 2 months for you to be back to full strength. And you'd be lying if you said you couldn't almost forget the idea of trying to go home.
The past several years of your life had been spent here. Sure you'd missed some things, but you had family here, biological and chosen. You could almost just consider this home and let yourself forget about your past with the Avengers.
Well almost...
Nightmares just kept coming. Natasha falling. The kid Tony had brought to Germany disintegrating. Bucky reaching for you as he fell from the train. The Winter Soldier's eyes staring down at you, flashing to Bucky's in his apartment.
You shot up in bed. Every time you had a nightmare, it usually ended up involving Bucky. Sometimes it seemed like events bleeding across time, maybe having to do with the Blip. But either the Winter Soldier's eyes or Bucky's were the last thing you saw before you woke up nearly every time.
Tonight it was Bucky's, looking up at you lost and hurt and angry all at once as you left his apartment. And honestly those were worse.
You sighed and went downstairs. There was no use in trying to go back to sleep. You found yourself wishing for the days when Charles kept the good stuff in his office. Now there was too much risk the students would find it, and that was very frowned upon this being the 21st Century and all.
So you settled for a cup of tea as you entered the kitchen and began to brew it, focusing on each step to keep your thoughts on the present.
Until you were startled by someone clearing his throat in the doorway.
"Sorry," Logan said as he walked into the kitchen. "Didn't mean to spook ya."
You took a deep breath, offered a half-hearted smile, and went back to pouring your tea.
"Can't sleep?" he asked as he sat down at the counter.
You shook your head.
"Me neither. I mean, the war may not have actually happened now, but I still..." He shook his head.
You let out a dry laugh. "Welcome to the club."
Logan nodded. "Yeah. I guess you would understand what that's like. Better than anyone probably."
You didn't reply as you took a sip of your tea. It was comforting. Maybe not quite calming yet, but you could work with comfort. You gestured to the kettle to offer it to Logan.
Logan looked at it for a moment before shaking his head.
"How about something stronger?"
You paused mid sip before setting the tea cup down and nodding.
-
Read Part 16 here.
A/N: I hope you're enjoying this story! Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: Honestly, I have no words for this part. Enjoy! (Sorry not sorry...)
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here. Read Part 13 here.
Bucky woke with a start on the floor of his apartment.
Another night reliving something terrible he'd done. Dr. Raynor would want to hear about this next session no doubt.
He tried to catch his breath as he looked to the clock on the wall.
3 am. Might as well call it quits at this point.
He got up to get a glass of water, thinking through the routine of the next few hours. A cold shower, maybe watch a show or read a book. Mostly just sitting around trying to pass the time.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
-
You'd tried to jump to about a year later than the last date you'd tried, but it seemed the boundary was even stronger there, pushing you away. This time, instead of trying to push against it, you followed along it, reaching out with your mind for Bucky. Suddenly you found a soft spot and you were standing on a street, looking up at an apartment building.
You felt Bucky's mind as he woke up from a nightmare.
You'd done it. You were home. And you'd managed not to pass out this time.
Your hand found the ring you wore on your neck. What were you doing here? What was your plan? Just show up at his apartment in the middle of the night? Tell him your insane story?
Well he is awake, you thought to yourself. And he deserves to know.
So, you steeled your nerves, tucked the ring into your shirt and started walking up the stairs.
It wasn't until you reached the landing that you realized you were still feeling the pull. With each step you felt like you were pushing against a taut piece of fabric, and you felt a pain in your stomach like you were the anchor in a game of tug of war.
I guess the barrier isn't entirely gone here either. You sighed as you approached the door you knew he was behind. You raised your hand to knock and paused.
Now or never.
Who were you kidding. Of course you were going to knock.
-
Both of you got a shock as the door opened.
On his part, you were standing in front of him after disappearing nearly 6 years ago. Even though he had only experienced a year of that given the snap, it was still jarring.
And you were not expecting him to answer the door in only his underwear.
"Y/N?"
You smiled shyly. "Hi. I...I'm sorry to bother you. I know it's the middle of the night and-"
"No, um, just, come inside. You look...well you look like you could use a drink."
Bucky let you in before going to put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He came back in and grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, opening them and handing one to you before sitting down in an arm chair next to the couch.
"You cut your hair." It was all you could think to say. He chuckled.
"You disappear into thin air for six years and show up at my apartment looking like you've gone through hell and my hair is what you comment on?"
You took a big swig. "Honestly I think this conversation calls for something stronger."
"Tell me about it." He took a drink and the two of you sat in silence for a moment.
You were running out of time. You could feel it. If you wanted to explain-
"Is that some new band?"
You were shaken from your spiral and looked down at your shirt. You'd forgotten your previous hosts had seen fit to dress you in their merch.
You chuckled and shook your head. "Not exactly."
Silence fell over the room again. How in the world were you going to start this conversation? What were you thinking? You never should've come here.
"What happened to you, Y/N?"
You sighed, taking another drink before setting it down.
"It's...well it's a very long and complicated story."
"Yeah," he scoffed. "Sure it is."
"Yeah...wait," you blinked rapidly as you recognized his tone, "what is that supposed to mean?"
Bucky shook his head and looked down. "I don't even know ok? What you managed to go into hiding of some kind and then got blipped right? Just why show up now?"
"Blipped?" you asked. "What do you mean blipped?"
He looked up sharply, studying your face, then his eyes went wide.
"You really don't know do you?"
You shook your head, resisting the urge to look in his mind. His surface thoughts were unavoidable, but mostly amounted to wonderings about where you'd been and if you were ok.
Dang I must look awful.
"The short version is Thanos gathered all the Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers, ending half of all life in the universe in an instant."
Your eyes widened. As Bucky told the story, the pull in your stomach grew, but the shock was enough to make you almost ignore it.
"About five years later Tony and Steve and the rest of the Avengers that were left managed to invent time travel and retrieve their own set of Infinity Stones to undo the original snap. All of us that died were back like no time had passed."
"All of us?"
Bucky nodded and looked down at the floor. "Yeah. Us."
This had to be what Victor didn't want you messing with, but why?
Apparently, even here after the blip was over with was too close for comfort, Victor did not want you here, and the pain was growing.
"Y/N, where have you been?" You looked up and caught concern in his eyes, and it made your heart melt a bit. Before you could stop it, what you were thinking fell out of your mouth.
"It's good to hear you say my name."
Bucky's eyebrows raised and you cursed internally. Not like you could roll back time to undo that one.
"I know that sounds strange but...ugh." You groaned as a wave of pain hit you.
"Are you ok?"
You held up a hand. "I'm fine. Or I will be. I just...I needed to see you...To tell you the truth."
Your hands trembled as you reached for the clasp behind your neck, removing the ring and placing it on the coffee table for him to see. His jaw dropped.
"How did you-?"
"When I disappeared on that mission, I tried to skip back to try to get away from a grenade, but this time I didn't just travel through time. I went to another universe. A completely different earth. Then, I had a dream that made me think Steve needed my help, and not being able to control my power I ended up in 1943."
Bucky still looked confused as he looked from the ring to you.
"Bucky, I am Charlie. Or at least, she was an alias I made for myself and used my psychic powers to convince my conscious mind that's who I was so I wouldn't jeopardize the timeline."
"That anxiety she always felt..." Bucky trailed off, staring at the ring.
After a moment he turned to you.
"You knew. The whole time you knew."
"Not the whole time. Not consciously. But I went and fell in love with you and my subconscious mind wouldn't shut up..."
"But you knew before I went on the mission."
He didn't ask. He simply stated a fact, not looking at you. Not that you could bring yourself to meet his gaze if he was.
You didn't need to confirm it. Your silence was all he needed.
You debated telling him about Victor. But you thought better of it.
You'd given him the truth he needed to know, and maybe one day you'd tell him the rest.
If you could even find your way back to him. And then if he'd every speak to you after this.
"I'm sorry Bucky." You looked up at him, tears in your eyes.
"I wanted to save you. To have a life with you. But even I don't always get that choice. In fact recently..." you took a deep breath as another wave of pain hit you. "It feels like I never do."
You stood up and made for the door.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I just...I need to go." I really don't want him to see this. He doesn't need that burden. Even if he hates me, he's too good a man to let it go if he thinks something bad is happening to me.
"Not a day goes by that I don't wish things had gone differently. And I felt you deserved to know the truth so you didn't have to keep mourning someone who didn't exist. Not really anyway." Your hand found the doorknob.
"Goodbye Bucky."
Once you were through the door you made your way down the stairs and into an alley as quickly as you could before finally leaning into the pull that was taking you away from here.
You looked up to see the now familiar facade of the mansion through tears as you collapsed again on the lawn.
A/N: I tried to warn you... Though for those who only like to read stories with a happy ending, rest assured we will get there. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged!
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: I have officially opened up a tag list for this story, so if you'd like to be added let me know! Thank you everyone for all the love so far.
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here. Read Part 12 here.
FIC:
"So you're telling me that you've been to 2 other universes already, and this is your third?" Reed asked as he looked at his whiteboard, then back at you.
You nodded from your chair as you took a sip of the coffee you'd been given.
"And that you have naturally had the ability to travel through time for years, but now you can suddenly jump from universe to universe, and seemingly further backwards or forwards in said timelines from another universe?"
You were struggling to follow exactly what he was saying, but it sounded right, and the diagram he'd drawn of your travels seemed accurate.
He shook his head as he stood back from the board, taking it all in. He turned back to you, half sitting on a table.
"And how do I know any of this is true?"
You shrugged, leaning back. "Honestly, you don't. I could be making up the whole thing."
As you spoke, an alarm of sorts went off. You could only assume it was to alert the Fantastic 4 of a need that required their attention from the way Reed looked up and starting walking toward the door.
"We'll finish-any of this is true?"
Reed was half-sitting again, arms crossed, waiting for an answer.
You sighed. "You're going to need to go in about 3...2...1..." And you pointed at the source of the alarm noise as it began.
He squinted at you, perhaps not entirely convinced. Nevertheless he walked toward the door.
"I'll be back shortly. Make yourself at home."
-
You watched a live broadcast as Reed addressed the press, having taken down the threat to the city. Apparently this was a normal afternoon for them.
What is with me showing up in '60s eras? Why can't I land somewhere with internet?
The family arrived at home quickly after their press conference ended, Ben and Johnny recounting what had happened, trying to one up each other.
You smiled faintly. This could almost feel like home too.
Reed looked at you.
"Y/N, you feeling up to continuing our discussion?"
"Reed!" Sue scolded.
"If you're worried about him being impolite, don't be." She looked up at you.
"From what I can tell we can help each other. He can learn what I know, and this is by far the best chance I have to get home. Believe it or not I haven't run into many multiverse experts wanting to offer their help."
Sue held your gaze for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then."
You and Reed went back to the Yellow Room as he called it. The man was the definition of compartmentalization.
"Now, where were we?"
"You not believing me."
Reed sighed. "Right. That. I mean can you blame me?"
You shook your head. "Not really. It sounds insane. But what's more likely, that I'm insane and have imagined all this, I'm lying and this is some kind of trap, or I'm telling the truth? Bearing in mind that I appeared from thin air."
He looked at the whiteboard, then at you, then back at the board.
"And even if I am lying, what do you have to lose?"
In his mind Reed thought of Sue, and how focusing too much on this could and likely would strain their relationship.
You had decided to keep your telepathic abilities a secret for now. It would almost be impossible for them to trust you if they knew.
"I honestly don't know how else to prove it, and I know you don't know me, but I am asking for your help. I need to get home, and to do that I need you to trust me."
Reed sighed before turning back to you.
"Alright then. Let's start back at the beginning again."
So you did. You explained everything about each jump in as much detail as you could remember.
You got to your second time being pulled away. That you'd awoken in the middle of the night to the same pain and panicked.
"Did anything happen just before?"
You shook your head. "I told you I was sleeping."
"No sounds or dreams?"
An image flashed through your mind has he reminded you. Steve on the ground, looking lost. Oh God....
"There was a dream," you started. "A friend, looking as bad as I'd ever seen him. He was in trouble. In fact it seemed a lot of people were."
Reed nodded. "And then you ended up in 1943?"
You nodded slowly. "Yeah. In my home timeline I think. Otherwise it wouldn't have made sense for Victor to tell me not to change the timeline."
"Victor...Right the one who called himself the caretaker of the timeline."
"Yeah that's the one."
He nodded, bringing his hand to his chin as he stared at the board.
"And the next time you jumped?"
You explained again how you'd been at work and Peggy had called, wanting to speak with you and Howard. And then the pain started again. He let out a "hmmmm" as he nodded along.
"And then your next jump was voluntary." This time it wasn't a question.
"Yeah. My friend Hank had theorized that I had the power to do those jumps myself, but someone else was controlling it. So I worked with him and my dad to figure out if that was true."
That had been a very difficult week. Not in the sense that it was difficult for you to figure out, but you could feel how conflicted Charles was. And Hank for that matter.
And maybe before....the first time you'd met them, you wouldn't have been so quick to try. And besides if he was right you could always come back after-
"You were trying to get back to him?" Reed was now looking at you, and he pointed to the ring a chain you hadn't realized you were fiddling with.
You took a deep breath and let it fall against your chest, folding your hands in your lap.
"Yes, I was trying to get back to my own time, and I used my feelings for and connection to him as an anchor."
Reed nodded slowly, turning back to the board.
"I think you're giving this other person too much credit."
"Who?"
He walked up to the board and pointed to where he had noted "outside force."
"You said you thought someone else was controlling your powers, but what if they aren't? At least not to the extent you think they are."
"I don't understand."
"The first time you jumped universes you were trying to escape a life threatening situation. You needed to get somewhere safe. You even tried to use the abilities you knew of to simply travel through time, but you knew that wouldn't be enough." Reed was getting excited, like he was on a roll, about to truly have a breakthrough.
"Your familial connection to your father seems to have directed you here." He pointed with the chalk to the point on a second timeline representing your first jump. "Then you dreamed your friend was in trouble, but I'm guessing it was more real than a normal dream?"
You nodded. "I mean yes but-"
"Tell me this," he interrupted. "Was the friend you saw in the 1940s when you got there?"
"I mean not immediately but yeah."
"And you knew he would be?"
"Of course."
Reed smiled. "And so you wanted to help him, but not understanding your powers you simply ended up in the right timeline, but on the wrong date. And by the sounds of it you did in fact help him."
Your brow furrowed even more as you tried to track with the doctor.
"And the third time, you were trying to lay low, to not risk being tempted to change anything, yes?"
"Yeah that was why I took the job I did-"
"And why your body may have taken over and gone into flight mode, removing you from the situation. Taking you home to someone you knew you could talk to about everything."
He stared at you, studying your face to watch your reaction.
You squeeze your eyes shut and shook your head. "Are you insinuating that I jumped each time? Simply out of lack of control?"
Reed nodded, and you began to pace. "But that can't...It doesn't make... I never would've chosen to leave..."
Reed continued to watch as you paced, rambling and trying to convince yourself he was wrong.
Until you finally stopped, turning around to face him.
"Let's say you're right. Then why couldn't I get through before? Why did I end up here? And 30 feet in the air no less?"
Reed stood up. "Now you're asking the right question."
He went back to the white board. "What was the date you were aiming for?"
"January 3, 2018," you answered. "I had wanted to leave a bit of a gap from when I disappeared, and I figured that was as good a date as any."
Reed made a mark on the timeline with red chalk.
"And when you went to your own timeline but back to 1943, there was nothing stopping you. So you aren't entirely blocked from your own timeline, but you are blocked from a certain period of time."
"Blocked?"
"Oh, yes. I believe you were right that some outside force is affecting your powers, but more blocking you from interfering with something they don't want you involved in."
"I've had my eye on you for a while."
"I couldn't stop you from doing what you want if I tried."
You walked up to the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk, and where he'd written "outside force" you crossed it out and wrote Victor.
Reed looked at you, an eyebrow raised.
"I can't believe I didn't see it before. 'Caretaker of the Timeline.' I don't know what he wants me to stay out of, but it has to be him."
"Why reveal himself to you?"
You shook your head. "To size me up? Or he simply didn't have another option when I was about to change things. He waited until the last moment."
"Why not kill you?"
You shrugged. "Maybe he can't. Maybe he needs me for something else."
You both stared at the board, letting your ideas stew.
"So I now the only things to figure out are what does this 'Victor' want, and how far does the block he put in place go?"
You stared at the red mark on the timeline diagram Reed had made for a moment before turning to him.
"Only one way to find out."
And with that, you felt the now-familiar tugging feeling in your stomach.
A/N: I'm really happy y'all are enjoying this so far. Let me know what you think! Also in case you haven't noticed, my upload schedule is a little sporadic because I have very little impulse control to wait and schedule parts to post weekly. So you're pretty much getting the parts as fast as I can write them lol.
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter, but we haven't seen Bucky in so many chapters I was ready to get this one out so we could catch up with him a bit.
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here.
FIC:
Bucky looked out over the water before turning his eyes to his hand.
He was free. Truly his mind was his own now. He could hardly believe it, but thanks to Shuri and her team...
And you.
His mind travelled, remembering those walks with you in the early days of his...treatments. The feeling of your mind connecting with his.
T'Challa had told him what happened, or at least what Steve understood to have happened.
You went in, things went bad, there were multiple explosions, a grenade...and then you were just gone. No body, no gear. Every trace just vanished.
Steve and the others had looked for you. Shuri had run a program using facial recognition and Wakanda's satellite network for months and nothing had come up.
If you were on Earth, you didn't want to be found and were ridiculously good at hiding, and Steve and Sam especially seemed completely unconvinced that you would choose to just ghost them.
But time had passed, and other priorities had arisen.
He missed you. Maybe it was that you reminded him of Charlie, but it wasn't just that.
You'd been kind to him. Other than from Steve, true acts of kindness toward him had been few and far between in the last several decades. And you had literally seen his worst, but-
"Bucky!"
He turned around, broken from his thoughts.
"It can't be..." he whispered to himself, scanning the area.
Then he heard your voice again, faint, but recognizable.
He turned in the direction he though it was coming from.
"Hello?" he called out.
Silence.
After a few more moments of listening, he sighed.
The wind must be playing tricks on me, he thought. He went to sit by the water, feeling the wind come off of it, watching his reflection warp in it.
He heard your voice again, this time in the form of a memory.
"I'll be back in a few days, maybe a week."
He plucked some grass from the ground before tossing it into the water as he whispered, knowing you couldn't hear him this time.
"Stay safe out there."
-
You reached up to grab your head. It was throbbing. And Hank's stupid medical devices wouldn't stop beeping.
How many times am I going to have to appear for him to not need to do a check up?
There was no reply. You reached out with your mind to find Charles or Hank. Maybe they were just sleeping.
That was not who you found.
You shot up, the heart rate monitor beeping more rapidly. You weren't sitting up for long though before you had to lie back down.
This was not the mansion. And that mind you'd touched was not one you knew.
You took stock of the room around you. This wasn't a lab exactly. More like a very nice and comfortable hospital room, but there weren't enough people here for it to be a hospital.
About 90 seconds after you woke up, dark haired man in a lab coat walked into the room.
"Oh good, you're awake."
"Where am I?" you asked as you tried to sit up again.
"You're safe, and please don't try to sit up. You took a nasty fall."
"Fall?" That didn't sound right.
"Mmhmm," the man confirmed, checking your vitals and making sure you hadn't taken the IV out of your arm.
"Yes, you fell about 30 feet after appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the sky."
Well that's new.
"I wasn't able to get to you before you hit the ground. My wife wasn't either. We were all a bit shocked."
You blinked rapidly, processing the information, and then were taken aback when this man stretched his arm halfway across the room to grab a clipboard.
He caught your surprised look, seemingly taking note of something.
"Oh how rude of me. I am Dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic 4. You are in our home and headquarters. Given the...well fantastical nature of your appearance, my family and I thought it pertinent to have you treated here. None of us are medical doctors, but we've called in the best to help treat you."
As he spoke, you gathered your wits enough to scan his mind.
You saw a team of four superheroes fighting side by side. Astronauts going into space and receiving powers by a solar flare. Awards being given out. Adoring fans waving. The man in front of you kissing a blonde woman.
What concerned you was there was a clear fascination with the multiverse. A fascination that rose suspicion about you.
"Well, thank you for your help. But truly I'm fine."
At that moment the blonde woman you'd seen in his mind came into the room.
"I see our guest is awake." Reed nodded.
"Yes and seems to be in good spirits."
"Well I can call the doctor and have them come look her over."
"That sounds like a perfect idea."
She walked up and kissed him on the cheek before whispering to him, "Don't go crazy with this," before pulling away smiling.
She came up to you and took your hand. "I promise everything is going to be alright."
You knew they weren't lying to per say, but oddly enough even a telepath - or perhaps especially a telepath - can have trust issues.
You spoke up after she left the room.
"Your wife is lovely."
"Why thank you, I do think so myself." He studied you, like a researcher studying a new specimen.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
Before you could decide how truthful you wanted to be, your breath left you.
Because the last thing you remembered was Bucky, standing beside a lake in Wakanda, looking right through you.
You'd seen him, and he'd heard you.
But this time was different from every other time you'd jumped between universes. This time it was incredibly painful, and you felt like you were pushing against a brick wall to get to him.
"Hank was right," you whispered under your breath.
"Excuse me?"
You looked up at him, and before you could think better of it asked a question you were fairly certain you knew the answer to.
"How much do you know about the multiverse?"
He leaned back against a wall and shrugged. "Not much. It's a theory that intrigues me."
His wife - Sue - came back in. "The doctor will be here soon." She looked between the two of you before giving Reed a pointed look.
He sighed. "You really should rest." The man was busting at the seams with excitement and curiosity. A scientist who had perhaps had a massive breakthrough in his life's work sitting mere meters from him and his wife was making him be polite.
You rolled your eyes. "Listen-"
"You can talk shop later," Sue interrupted. "We'll let the doctor take a look and you get some rest, then maybe - if you're feeling up to it, you can talk.
"Sue's right. I'm being a terrible host." He walked toward the door as a robot led a man you hadn't met yet into the room.
"We'll talk soon."
You rolled your eyes and allowed the doctor to look you over. You didn't want to admit it, but you were exhausted. Maybe Sue was right.
The doctor recommended rest as well, and it wasn't too long before you were nodding off, a memory of Bucky's voice breaking through the fog.
"Stay safe out there."
-
A/N: So close but then so far! You enjoying this so far? I am so I hope you are. (also in case you're reading this later this is being written before Fantastic Four (2025) comes out, so if my understanding of events and characterization aren't accurate to that movie, that's why)
Summary: You've found yourself with the 107th fighting Hydra, where you meet a handsome Sergeant. But something just isn't right.
A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter, but we haven't seen Bucky in so many chapters I was ready to get this one out so we could catch up with him a bit.
Read Part 1 here. Read Part 2 here. Read Part 3 here. Read Part 4 here. Read Part 5 here. Read Part 6 here. Read Part 7 here. Read Part 8 here. Read Part 9 here. Read Part 10 here. Read Part 11 here.
FIC:
Bucky looked out over the water before turning his eyes to his hand.
He was free. Truly his mind was his own now. He could hardly believe it, but thanks to Shuri and her team...
And you.
His mind travelled, remembering those walks with you in the early days of his...treatments. The feeling of your mind connecting with his.
T'Challa had told him what happened, or at least what Steve understood to have happened.
You went in, things went bad, there were multiple explosions, a grenade...and then you were just gone. No body, no gear. Every trace just vanished.
Steve and the others had looked for you. Shuri had run a program using facial recognition and Wakanda's satellite network for months and nothing had come up.
If you were on Earth, you didn't want to be found and were ridiculously good at hiding, and Steve and Sam especially seemed completely unconvinced that you would choose to just ghost them.
But time had passed, and other priorities had arisen.
He missed you. Maybe it was that you reminded him of Charlie, but it wasn't just that.
You'd been kind to him. Other than from Steve, true acts of kindness toward him had been few and far between in the last several decades. And you had literally seen his worst, but-
"Bucky!"
He turned around, broken from his thoughts.
"It can't be..." he whispered to himself, scanning the area.
Then he heard your voice again, faint, but recognizable.
He turned in the direction he though it was coming from.
"Hello?" he called out.
Silence.
After a few more moments of listening, he sighed.
The wind must be playing tricks on me, he thought. He went to sit by the water, feeling the wind come off of it, watching his reflection warp in it.
He heard your voice again, this time in the form of a memory.
"I'll be back in a few days, maybe a week."
He plucked some grass from the ground before tossing it into the water as he whispered, knowing you couldn't hear him this time.
"Stay safe out there."
-
You reached up to grab your head. It was throbbing. And Hank's stupid medical devices wouldn't stop beeping.
How many times am I going to have to appear for him to not need to do a check up?
There was no reply. You reached out with your mind to find Charles or Hank. Maybe they were just sleeping.
That was not who you found.
You shot up, the heart rate monitor beeping more rapidly. You weren't sitting up for long though before you had to lie back down.
This was not the mansion. And that mind you'd touched was not one you knew.
You took stock of the room around you. This wasn't a lab exactly. More like a very nice and comfortable hospital room, but there weren't enough people here for it to be a hospital.
About 90 seconds after you woke up, dark haired man in a lab coat walked into the room.
"Oh good, you're awake."
"Where am I?" you asked as you tried to sit up again.
"You're safe, and please don't try to sit up. You took a nasty fall."
"Fall?" That didn't sound right.
"Mmhmm," the man confirmed, checking your vitals and making sure you hadn't taken the IV out of your arm.
"Yes, you fell about 30 feet after appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the sky."
Well that's new.
"I wasn't able to get to you before you hit the ground. My wife wasn't either. We were all a bit shocked."
You blinked rapidly, processing the information, and then were taken aback when this man stretched his arm halfway across the room to grab a clipboard.
He caught your surprised look, seemingly taking note of something.
"Oh how rude of me. I am Dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic 4. You are in our home and headquarters. Given the...well fantastical nature of your appearance, my family and I thought it pertinent to have you treated here. None of us are medical doctors, but we've called in the best to help treat you."
As he spoke, you gathered your wits enough to scan his mind.
You saw a team of four superheroes fighting side by side. Astronauts going into space and receiving powers by a solar flare. Awards being given out. Adoring fans waving. The man in front of you kissing a blonde woman.
What concerned you was there was a clear fascination with the multiverse. A fascination that rose suspicion about you.
"Well, thank you for your help. But truly I'm fine."
At that moment the blonde woman you'd seen in his mind came into the room.
"I see our guest is awake." Reed nodded.
"Yes and seems to be in good spirits."
"Well I can call the doctor and have them come look her over."
"That sounds like a perfect idea."
She walked up and kissed him on the cheek before whispering to him, "Don't go crazy with this," before pulling away smiling.
She came up to you and took your hand. "I promise everything is going to be alright."
You knew they weren't lying to per say, but oddly enough even a telepath - or perhaps especially a telepath - can have trust issues.
You spoke up after she left the room.
"Your wife is lovely."
"Why thank you, I do think so myself." He studied you, like a researcher studying a new specimen.
"What's the last thing you remember?"
Before you could decide how truthful you wanted to be, your breath left you.
Because the last thing you remembered was Bucky, standing beside a lake in Wakanda, looking right through you.
You'd seen him, and he'd heard you.
But this time was different from every other time you'd jumped between universes. This time it was incredibly painful, and you felt like you were pushing against a brick wall to get to him.
"Hank was right," you whispered under your breath.
"Excuse me?"
You looked up at him, and before you could think better of it asked a question you were fairly certain you knew the answer to.
"How much do you know about the multiverse?"
He leaned back against a wall and shrugged. "Not much. It's a theory that intrigues me."
His wife - Sue - came back in. "The doctor will be here soon." She looked between the two of you before giving Reed a pointed look.
He sighed. "You really should rest." The man was busting at the seams with excitement and curiosity. A scientist who had perhaps had a massive breakthrough in his life's work sitting mere meters from him and his wife was making him be polite.
You rolled your eyes. "Listen-"
"You can talk shop later," Sue interrupted. "We'll let the doctor take a look and you get some rest, then maybe - if you're feeling up to it, you can talk.
"Sue's right. I'm being a terrible host." He walked toward the door as a robot led a man you hadn't met yet into the room.
"We'll talk soon."
You rolled your eyes and allowed the doctor to look you over. You didn't want to admit it, but you were exhausted. Maybe Sue was right.
The doctor recommended rest as well, and it wasn't too long before you were nodding off, a memory of Bucky's voice breaking through the fog.
"Stay safe out there."
-
Read Part 13 here.
A/N: So close but then so far! You enjoying this so far? I am so I hope you are. (also in case you're reading this later this is being written before Fantastic Four (2025) comes out, so if my understanding of events and characterization aren't accurate to that movie, that's why)
