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Chapter 5: Epilogue

Summary:

Bucky Barnes learns the result of his conversation with Tony Stark, and things change between himself and the Avengers.

Notes:

(*) These events took place in the story “Two O’clock at the Tower.”

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

After Tony’s departure, Bucky resumed working on his analysis for Nick Fury. When he was finished with the report, he saved and forwarded it. He did not share its details with Natasha nor did she ask about it because as a spy, she knew that Bucky’s work for Nick was always on a need-to-know basis.

While he worked, Natasha had been preparing lunch – a tossed salad and leftover roasted chicken which she heated up. Other than breakfast, she did not often cook, but roasted chicken was her specialty and Bucky loved it.

When he closed his laptop, Natasha called from the kitchen, “Lunch is ready!”

Sitting down across from her at the dining table, Bucky clapped his hands once, rubbed them together and said, “Yum!”

As the spy picked casually at her meal, the assassin ate with gusto.

“You’re eating like you haven’t had a meal in weeks. Did Steve feed you this morning?”

Looking up from his plate, Bucky replied, “Yeah, but that was hours ago. I’m starving!”

She smiled at him admiring his boyish face and rested her bare right foot on his chair between his thighs.

“So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day?” Natasha asked.

Grinning, he replied, “I think we should go back to bed.”

“We can do that  tonight. You really don’t want to do anything else today?”

Pretending to think for a moment, he said, “Nope.”

Bucky placed his fork on his empty plate, reached between his legs and began to gently massage Natasha’s right foot. Giving her a seductive look, he asked, “Well...?”

“What are we waiting for?” she asked with a smirk.

“The last one naked gets sent to Siberia!” he joked and began to rise from the table.

Just then, Natasha’s cell phone rang.

“Leave it!” he yelled as he strode toward the bedroom.

“I can’t! It’s Tony,” she said.

Returning to the kitchen, he asked, “He only left here an hour ago. What could he want?”

“Yes, Tony?” Natasha asked as Bucky stood waiting with his arms folded.

“Hey, ‘Tasha. Listen, I met an old friend outside your building, and we went for coffee...”

“You’re telling me this because...?” she wondered.

“Well, over coffee, I got to thinking about the briefing tomorrow and thought you might...bring your boyfriend along.”

“James?” she asked with surprise.

Upon hearing his name, Bucky looked at her curiously.

“Yeah, I think he could help us out. He’ll be your ‘plus one.’”

“Tony, if this is a joke...”

“Now, would I kid you, ‘Tasha? Seriously, I think we can put his skills to good use.”

“I’ll see what he says. Thank you, Tony,” she said.

Without replying, Tony ended the call.

“What’s up?” Bucky asked with his interest piqued.

“He wants you at the briefing tomorrow morning,” she said cautiously.

“Me?  Why? Is this another one of his ambushes?”

“No! He’s serious. He thinks you can help the team,” she insisted.

“What’s the briefing about, Nat?”

“I can’t say.”

“You can’t or you won’t?”  he queried.

“Look, you know as well as I do that in our line of work, things are on a need-to-know basis. You’re not an Avenger, so I don’t know how much Tony and Cap want you to know right now. It’s nothing personal – just business,” she advised.

“You’re right,” he agreed.

“So, will you go?”

“Yes, if I can be of assistance,” he assured her.

“Great! Then, it’s settled.”

“Now, where were we? Oh, yeah...you and I were about to have our own briefing...in the bedroom,” Bucky said raising his eyebrows.

“What was that you said about Siberia?” Natasha asked as she briskly walked toward the hallway.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Late that evening, the elevator opened onto the living quarters level at Avengers Tower. Natasha stepped out dressed casually in a navy blouse, jeans and black boots.

It was quiet as most of the team had retired to their respective rooms to relax or prepare for the briefing the next morning.

As Natasha turned down the hallway heading to her room, she spoke into her cell phone.

“All clear,” she said and opened the door to her bedroom.

Downstairs, Bucky hacked into Tony’s artificial intelligence assistant, Friday, and entered a code which shut her down for 3 minutes. As usual, Friday would not detect his unauthorized entry into Avengers Tower, but he still needed to time things perfectly to avoid being seen by the team.

Dressed in a black henley and jeans, Bucky quickly rode the elevator up and followed Natasha. When he reached her bedroom, he silently shut the door behind him.

“If I was invited here tomorrow, why am I sneaking in tonight – force of habit?” he asked.

“I just thought it was best since you’re not ‘official’ yet,” she said as she folded her arms around his waist.

“‘Yet?’  I don’t think I’ll ever be ‘official,’ but thanks for your vote of confidence, babe.”

Natasha stood on her toes, reached behind him, and removed the band that held his hair in a bun. As his hair cascaded over his face, she kissed him tenderly.

“Let’s call it a night, shall we?” he whispered.

*  *  *  *  *  *

The next morning, most of the Avengers rose and ate a leisurely breakfast before the briefing.

Steve had not seen Natasha yet, so he knocked lightly on her door.

“‘Tasha, you up?” he asked.

Hearing Steve, Bucky rolled out of the far side of Natasha’s bed and lay naked on the floor hidden from view.

“Uh...yes!” she called after a short pause.

Steve opened the door and saw that she was still in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” he exclaimed.

“No, it’s okay. What’s up?” she asked.

“I just wondered if you were coming to breakfast,” he said.

She stared at him for a moment and then replied, “Uh...sure! I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

“Good! I’ll see you there.”

Nat smiled sweetly as he began to close the door.

Steve abruptly paused and said, “Morning, Buck!” before he left.

From where he lay on the floor, Bucky sat up and peered over the mattress.

“Damn it! How’d he know I was here?” he exclaimed as he rose and climbed back into bed.

“‘Force of habit,’ I guess,” she teased. “Come on. You get in the shower, and I’ll borrow clothes for you.”

“You sure you won’t join me?” he asked hopefully.

Laughing, she replied, “I’m convinced that the word ‘shower’ is code for ‘sex’ with you, and we don’t have time for round three.”

Sulking, Bucky walked to her en suite bathroom and shut the door.

Natasha slipped into her robe and walked across the hall to Steve’s room. Normally, she rummaged through his drawers and selected clothes for Bucky but today, Steve left a shirt and jeans atop the dresser for her.

She smiled, picked up the items, and returned to her room. Suddenly, she had a thought and began removing things from the top drawer of her dresser. When it was empty, she stood admiring her work before closing the drawer.

A few minutes later, Bucky stepped into the room wearing only a bath towel wrapped around his waist. His long, brown hair was damp as he stood looking at Natasha.

“Why do you look so excited?” he asked.

“Ta-da!” she exclaimed extending both hands toward the chest of drawers.

“‘Ta-da’  what?” he asked curiously.

“Ta-da!” she repeated.

“Babe, in this country, ‘Ta-da’  is usually followed by a big reveal. What am I looking at?” he wondered.

“Open the top drawer, silly!” she said putting her arms down.

He opened it and looked at her oddly.

“It’s empty, Nat.”

“Yes!” she proclaimed proudly.

“So...?”

“So, it’s yours now! You can keep your clothes in it,” she said merrily.

“‘Czarina,’ I can’t move in here,” he admitted sadly.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not one of you. I’ve got my place, and I’ve got your place. I’m fine with that,” he explained and kissed her on the forehead.

“I just thought you could leave some things here so you don’t have to keep borrowing Steve’s clothes.”

“He doesn’t mind, and I technically shouldn’t be here anyway,” the soldier replied.

Sadly, she said, “Well, if you’re sure...”

“Besides, isn’t it more fun if I sneak in?” he asked with a smile. “Go on. Get showered so we can eat.”

Bucky was sorry to disappoint her, but he wanted to be realistic about his presence there.

While Natasha was in the bathroom, Bucky dried his hair and put on Steve’s clothes. He then sat on the bed and watched TV until she returned. As she dressed, he watched her adoringly.

When she was finished, Natasha turned to Bucky and asked, “Ready?”

“Yes, ma’am!” he chirped. He turned off the TV and followed her into the hallway. As they reached the dining room, all the other Avengers were there.

“Morning, ‘Tasha. Hey, man! Whatcha doing here?” Sam exclaimed when he saw Bucky.

“Morning, Sam. Tony invited James to join us for the briefing,” Natasha informed him.

Shocked, Sam held his mouth gaping for a moment.

“Really? Well, Hell must have frozen over. Welcome, man!” he said extending his right hand to Bucky.

“Thanks, Sam,” he replied while shaking it.

“My, are you and Cap sharing the same wardrobe, Barnes? You could be twins,” Tony quipped as he walked up from behind.

“I’m sure we just have similar taste,” Bucky replied guardedly.

“Help yourself to coffee, by the way,” Tony offered as he winked and walked away.

“Don’t! It’s awful. Thor made it,” Clint whispered as he passed Natasha and Bucky.

Surprised, she asked, “Thor?”

“Yeah, it could take the paint off a car, but Wanda seems to like it. I guess that’s an indication of what the coffee’s like in her native Sokovia.”

Natasha laughed and rubbed Bucky’s back.

Addressing Bucky, Clint said, “Look man, I know we’ve had our differences in the past. I’m willing to put that behind us if we’re going to be working together.”

Bucky felt he was being sincere, so he replied, “Me too.”

Changing the subject, Natasha asked, “So, what’s with the big spread? Usually we make our own breakfast.”

“Tony decided to have it catered today for the briefing. Eat up! It’s good stuff. Just remember to drink the catered coffee – not Thor’s,” Clint reminded her with a wink before walking to the dining table to join Wanda.

“What’s your pleasure, James – eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, yogurt, fruit...?” Natasha asked.

“How about you!”  he replied before kissing her on the lips.

From the dining room, Tony stood watching the two embrace in the kitchen.

“Break it up, you two! Folks are trying to eat here,” quipped Steve feigning disgust.

“Morning, pal,” Bucky answered with a smile.

“What’d you do – dive under the bed when I knocked?” Steve joked.

“Pretty much,” admitted Bucky.

“You’re getting predictable. So, are you hungry?”

“I’m starving!” Bucky said.

“He’s always hungry. I think we don’t feed him enough,” Natasha advised as she rubbed his chiseled stomach.

Handing his best friend a plate, Steve said, “Dig in!”

Bucky kissed Natasha again and held out his plate as she started to spoon scrambled eggs and sausage onto it.

Still watching them from the dining room, Tony asked Sam, “Is it me, or do they just ‘do it’ all the time?”

Surprised by his question, Sam replied, “The man suffers from decades of sensory deprivation. We need to cut him some slack.”

“Wow...I can’t imagine going decades without –”

“Tony!” Sam snapped and nodded toward teenaged Wanda who was sitting next to them.

Quietly, Tony continued.

“Come on, Sam. Surely, the idea has crossed your mind. Could you imagine going seventy years without ‘physical contact?’”

“Not everyone is like you, Tony,” Sam said raising an eyebrow. “Sensory deprivation is a serious thing. It can cause deep seeded psychological issues. The man is touch starved and no doubt craves the tactile stimulation she gives him. It’s vital to his recovery as a P.O.W.”

“You make it sound so scientific, Sam. I just call it being ‘horny.’”

“Tony, as usual, you’re so eloquent,” Sam replied shaking his head.

When Natasha was finished serving Bucky and herself, they joined Steve at the dining table. As his friends chatted with their fellow Avengers, Bucky quietly listened and watched as he ate. He noticed that Dr. Bruce Banner – the Hulk – was much more talkative than her remembered him to be at the party to introduce Tony’s new drone.(*) Looking around the room, he also noticed that The Vision was missing and assumed that the android might not wish to be present while the humans were eating.

After another twenty minutes, it was time to begin the briefing, so the group adjourned to the conference table in the next room where they were joined by The Vision.

Tony was seated at one end of the table, and Steve sat at the other end with Bucky on his right and Sam on his left. Next to Bucky sat Natasha who rested her left hand on his right thigh.

Beginning the briefing, Tony said, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. Today, we’re joined by Cap’s significant other, Sergeant James Barnes.”

Steve, Bucky and Natasha each gave Tony a nasty look while the rest of the team smirked.

“Barnes, according to Cap, during the war you were an elite scout for your unit, an expert at reconnaissance and intelligence with keen observational skills. Is that correct?” Tony asked.

Not knowing where he was going with his questioning, Bucky looked at Steve.

“Now is not the time for modesty, Buck,” Steve advised.

Returning his attention to Tony, he replied simply, “Yes.”

“Good. We have a situation before us that requires some of those skills, and we’re asking for your assistance,” Tony informed him.

“I need some details,” said Bucky.

“Of course. In front of each of you is a folder containing intel on a possible Skrull threat. S.H.I.E.L.D. has obtained information that there may be a Skrull posing as a member of the city council, and we’d like your assistance in determining which one, Sergeant.”

As the others opened their folders containing typed notes and photos of different individuals, Bucky stared at Tony.

“Me?”

“Yes, Sergeant. You’ve had experience dealing with Skrulls in the past, correct?” Tony pressed.

“...Yes, I have,” Bucky replied.

“Well, we’d like you to analyze the recent activity of the council members and observe their mannerisms to advise us on which one might be a Skrull imposter.”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to look at photos and tell you which person is a Skrull? They’re shapeshifters and very good ones, I might add. You could get Friday or The Vision to examine their activity to tell you who’s been out of town or missing in action. Why do you need me?” Bucky asked curiously.

“We need you because as you know, Sergeant, Skrulls are adept at taking on the likeness of humans. However, they can never exactly duplicate natural, human mannerisms nor can they call upon a person’s memories – nothing that isn’t in a database or of public record. Friday and The Vision are both artificial intelligence devoid of human emotions. They can’t identify something they don’t understand or know themselves. You’re an expert at observation. We’d like you to examine some background data and study the mannerisms of the council members to see if there’s something that’s not quite human about any of them – anything that seems odd to you. Can you do that?”

Thinking for a moment, Bucky replied, “Without intimate knowledge of a person’s mannerisms, it would be difficult to tell you whether or not someone is a Skrull imposter. If you want me to analyze what seems like legitimate human responses, I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Just narrow it down for us. That’s all we’re asking for,” Tony assured him.

“What’s my timeframe?” asked Bucky.

“We need an answer by tomorrow,” said Tony.

“‘Tomorrow?’  That means I need to start right now,” the shocked soldier exclaimed. He looked at Steve for reassurance.

Steve nodded to give him moral support.

“Cap and I have a private meeting with the council members tomorrow. Before that happens, we really need an idea of who to examine closely,” said Tony.

Sighing, Bucky stipulated, “I’d need a quiet, secure place to work.”

“You can work from Cap’s office here in Avengers Tower. Friday and The Vision will assist you with the data and sorting through video footage.”

“How do you feel about this, Buck?” Steve asked cautiously.

“I’d rather be in the field instead of behind a computer, but I’ll do what I can.”

“Great!” said Tony. “Let’s get you set up so you can start working.”

As he rose to follow Tony, Bucky gave Natasha a long look.

“I know you can do this,” she assured him.

“Thanks, babe. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. They hugged and he turned to join Tony.

As they walked down the hallway to Steve’s office, Tony spoke frankly with Bucky.

“I realize that we haven’t seen eye-to-eye on things, Sergeant, but I want you to know that I appreciate this. I guess it turns out that we didn’t need group therapy after all to learn how to work together. Apparently, we just needed a crisis.”

Stopping in the doorway of Steve’s office, Bucky replied, “I don’t know if therapy works or not, and I don’t really care. All I know is that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to assist with this and any other situation that threatens the public. The sooner I start, the sooner I can give you an answer.”

Entering the office first, Tony led him to Steve’s desk and sat down. He pulled up the files that the soldier would need and rose from the chair.

“It’s all yours, Sergeant. Friday, help him with anything he needs.”

“Sure thing, boss,” the assistant replied as Bucky sat down.

“If you need me, have Friday call me.”

“Thanks,” Bucky said earnestly as Tony closed the door behind him.

The stressful group therapy sessions of the previous days had left Bucky feeling even more alienated than before. However, with this offer of working as part of a team, he felt accepted and valued with a new sense of purpose. His close friends were still by his side, but now he had the other Avengers who trusted and depended upon him as well. The soldier was determined that he would not let them down.

“Friday?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“Let’s begin.”

Notes:

© 2017 Planet Press

The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights.