cycleofages | Action

Entry tags:

Action | Intro

Who: Bucky Barnes and OPEN
What: Arrival
Where: Around HQ
When: 9/28
Warnings: N/A! Will also match action brackets

Bucky was disoriented when he opened his eyes. He didn't remember passing out or anything that could have led to waking up in an entirely different location. What was even more worrying was that nothing that greeted him looked like Siberia. Even worse? Steve wasn't there. No one was there. He barely stayed in the hospital wing long enough for the stranger to show up and tell him what was going on. Bucky took the phone, but the explanation wasn't satisfactory.

He left the hospital even though he had plenty of reason to stay, being as sweaty, bruised, and aching as he was, but he knew there wasn't much they could do for broken ribs. He'd just have to wrap them himself later, after he'd found Steve and figured out what was going on. That was also the hard part, because he didn't know where he was as he wandered the halls and he was too stubborn to ask anyone for directions. Not that it would have helped, unless someone could give him directions to a quinjet or a tall blonde. He would just have to search the place from top to bottom.

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By now Bucky had gotten used to strange and unexpected things happening to him. There was a long list of terrible things he'd experienced. But a small child hugging him and calling him papa? That one was new. He raised his hands out of the way when she hugged him, wincing for a second.

He stared down at her before awkwardly patting her on the back with his flesh hand. "Sorry, kid," he said. "You've got me confused for someone else."

Grace looked up at him, her hazel eyes watery and bright. She dropped her arms but shook her head defiantly.

"No I don't. You're Papa... you look just like him and you have his eyes." She felt her tears gather and spill down her pale cheeks. Grace sniffled once trying with all her might not to cry. "He was here but he left me... Please."

She didn't want to think that it wasn't her father. With that singular thought she felt her heart breaking.

No, he'd honestly never seen her before in his life. She was too young for him to have forgotten her in some way or another. He thought, at least.

"I'm sorry." It wasn't his fault in the slightest but he couldn't help but feel guilty. Carefully, he crouched down to her level, as uncomfortable as it was for him right now. "Do you know anyone else here? Is someone taking care of you?" He couldn't just leave her if she was here alone, especially not when she was so upset.

Grace shook her head though it did nothing to stop the fresh flood of tears. She'd thought she'd gotten over it, he'd left her before, but over the past month she kept hearing his voice. He'd told her that he loved her and then would vanish again.

This man wasn't her father but they had the same voice. It was a sound she'd fallen asleep to a hundred times, listening to his stories. Grace pressed her palm against his eyes while trying to stop her crying. Good girls don't cry.

"I'm fine. I have..." She looked down at her hands and then turned to see the papers behind her. "The kids in the day care. I take care of them. I had their drawings. I was bringing them to the cafeteria to hang up." Grace was hoping to distract herself but it hurt and it felt as if the pain might never go away.

That didn't actually answer all of his questions. "But is anyone here taking care of you?" Not that he thought she automatically needed it because she was a child, but because everybody needed somebody to look out for them, from children to super soldiers.

He took a deep breath, instantly regretted it, and straightened up. "Maybe we can walk to the cafeteria together." Not that he knew where it was, but he could find out if they walked there.

Grace felt a little nervous. Her brain sternly told her that this wasn't her father but looking at his eyes made that hard to believe. They looked hurt but strong, the eyes of someone who was fighting; the same eyes as her fathers. She swallowed and knelt to pick up the colorful pictures.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she gathered them into her arms. She had to tuck her long hair behind her ear a few times before she finally stood again. She didn't feel right asking for help. "We can. I can show you the way." Grace had been here for a while and knew her way around to the areas that she was aloud to go. She tried her best to smile at Bucky and while it was rather convincing it didn't reach her eyes.

"I think everyone takes care of me or tries to. They just don't want me to know it because I told them I wanted to do it myself." She was a rather perceptive child.

Bucky smiled. It was a good enough answer, considering he didn't know much about this place. "It's good that you're not alone," he said. "And there's nothing wrong with letting other people help you." Not that he followed that advice himself, but that wasn't the point. He was better at offering help than he was at accepting it.

Grace shook her head stubbornly while leading them towards the cafeteria. "It's okay. There is so much to do here... I don't want people to waste the time worrying about me. I'm strong enough to be on my own. It's been like this for a while now and I look after the younger kids a lot of them don't have parents either. I think having a big sister cheers them up."

Even when she'd been left in the care of her neighbors she'd tried to be strong, this world wasn't any different and Grace was never the type to give up or be unreasonable.

"It's not a waste of time, kid. Everyone deserves to be cared about." And worried about. "It's good that you're looking after the other kids, but you're important too." Everybody was important. Even as banged up as he was right now, Bucky could still acknowledge that. And maybe, just maybe, she reminded him a little of Steve.

"I know and I'm really happy that people do." She smiled up at him as they walked down the halls. It wasn't too far from where they were now. "But I can take care of myself too."

She paused for a second before continuing. "I'm really good at finding mushrooms." A little bit like a pig. "My papa-" she paused her voice faltering before she continued with her usual sweet tone. "I know how to make tea and sew and I'm learning math and writing now. I already knew how to read and I was given a book that read before bed here." It made her feel less lonely in her room, she wasn't used to sleeping alone. Most of the poorer houses in the Enchanted forest comprised of a single room and everyone slept nearby.

"That's good." Least she wasn't as stubborn about that as Steve was. Steve had never liked anyone helping him, not when he'd been small, anyway.

"Are there a lot of mushrooms?" There didn't seem like there would be a lot of mushrooms here. Maybe it was a skill from home. He had a lot of skills that he didn't know if he'd need here. He hoped he didn't need a lot of them here.

The more important question though, was- "How old are you?"

Grace shook her head. "Not many, I found a few in the forest. We- I lived in the Enchanted forest and used to help and find mushrooms for us to sell." They didn't have a lot of money.

"I'm 10. I was told that I was born in the fall so I'll be turning eleven soon." She didn't actually know when the first day of fall was. For all she knew she missed her birthday.

"The Enchanted Forest?" That sounded like something in a fairy tale. In fact, he was pretty sure there were lots of enchanted forests in fairy tales. It probably wasn't the official name of the forest.

Ten. It was older than he'd been thinking but still too young to be alone without her family. "Are you going to have a party?"

Grace shook her head as if to indicate no. "We would sometimes have tea parties with my stuffed animals." She didn't want to have her father spend money on her when their funds were to tight. She'd been happy just to have him around. She didn't need presents or birthdays or anything else.

"I've never had a party for my birthday." She paused in thought. "Our neighbors made me a small bag for my last birthday. I used it to collect tea leaves."

When they reached the cafeteria Grace pushed open the door and peeked inside. She didn't see anyone but she assumed that the cook was back in the kitchen.

She move towards the bulletin board and began to hang a few of the pictures, all where she could reach which wasn't very high. Maybe if she pulled over a chair she could tack them higher.

"I haven't had a birthday party in a long time, myself." He'd spent so many of them on ice, or out in the field killing. He'd lost decades worth, and after getting free he didn't see a point to celebrating, especially not by himself. His memories of his last birthday in the 40s was fuzzy. It hadn't been much of a party then, either, seeing as it'd been during the war.

He followed her into the cafeteria, taking a look around. It was quieter than he'd been expecting, but quiet was good right now. He watched her hang the pictures for a few seconds before speaking up. "Want some help? I could get them higher." Spread them out a little more.

Grace turned towards Bucky with a gentle smile. "Yes, if you can put these two up there?" She pointed where she wanted them and hoped that it was okay. She was quite for a few moments and when she spoke her voice was softer, careful.

"When's your birthday? I can throw you a party?" She didn't know what she'd do but she'd think of something.

"Sure." He took the drawings, carefully tacking them up where she pointed, making sure they hung straight.

He shrugged. "Not for a while. It's in March, on the tenth."

Grace smiled. "I'll remember." She'll make sure to do something that he'll really like and given they were heading into winter she had time to learn what Bucky really liked.

Her head tilted as he pinned up the picture. "Can you please hang this one next to it?"

He didn't expect much, given how far away his birthday was and how no one had celebrated it with him in a very long time, but he'd hold onto a little hope, at least.

"Sure thing," he said, hanging the next picture beside the last one.

If they are still here when it's his birthday she's going to throw a party. It'd be a nice surprise for him.

"Thank you. That's perfect." After putting up the last picture Grace began to shift her weight awkwardly between her feet. "I'm sorry about before." Her head hung low while her eyes fixed on the ground.

"You look a lot like Papa and sound like him too."

"No problem." He never would have thought, in a million years, that he'd end up standing in a cafeteria helping a little girl hang up pictures. It still felt surreal.

"It's alright. I've never been mistaken for someone's dad before." He hadn't thought he was father material, honestly.

Grace wasn't sure what to say to him.

She had a serious expression pull across her features which didn't fit her cute stature. After a moment she pulled up a chair from one of the tables and climbed on its seat so that she was eye level with Bucky. Her lips tugged into a warm smile.

"I am sorry." She was very sorry about crying in front of him and hugging him and calling him dad. "I think you'd be an amazing father. Your eyes are a little sad but they are very strong and kind. I can tell."

Oh. That hadn't been what he'd expected her to say. Then again, nothing that was happening today was anything that he expected. It all came out of left field. First Siberia, now a little girl telling him he'd be a good father. It was emotional whiplash.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, kid." He hadn't minded, he'd just been confused. "I'm not so sure about that, but I appreciate the thought."

Grace shook her head. "I'm sure I don't but it feels like the right thing to do. I also didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I really believe it though and I think that it takes other people to see the good in ourselves sometimes. You can't always see it."

She smiled at him and carefully stepped down from the chair. She didn't want to fall. After placing it back where she found it she turned towards Bucky. "Where are you staying? I can take you to your room. I know the way."

Doing the right thing was important and he respected that. She reminded him a lot of Steve--the good qualities, not the special knack for getting into fights, but the other things. The things that didn't drive Bucky up a wall.

"Thanks." He smiled. Her opinion was unbiased, but he didn't know if it would still be the same if she actually knew about him. He didn't plan on telling her.

Right, his room. He remembered being told about that. "Room 201," he said, "In the...sea dorms?" He was pretty sure that was right, at least.

Grace smiled and turned to show him the way. "I'm in the Sun Dorm. The Star Dorm is down the hall from me." She knew where it was simply because she explored all the dorms in her first week here.

As Grace walked forward and reached for Bucky's hand, tugging him gently along.

"Are they all named like that?" he asked, following her even though he was hesitant to take her hand. Sea, Sun, Star...they had some kind of nature theme going on.

"Yes. I don't know all the names but they all have to do with the outside somewhere." She turned the corner, her expression thoughtful.

"There is Sun and Moon. Sea, Star, Forest and Mountain I think." She was missing some but that was a few.

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