The Hurt And The Healing: Bucky X OC

Chapter Twenty Nine: My Father's Temper

The Wakandans were incredible hosts, providing each guest with their own suite in the royal palace. Shuri had been especially generous, giving Mara two sets of clothes with vibranium woven into the fabric.

"If you are going to stay friends with Bucky, you should have protection," Shuri mused as Mara moved around getting used to the surprisingly lightweight fabric. They were in her lab, and Shuri watched from her desk, making notes for future improvements. "People tend to shoot at him."

"Believe me, I know," Mara replied. "I've fished so many bullets out of him I could melt them into a cannon ball." She looked at herself in a mirror, admiring the dark athletic clothes as if they were the crown jewels. "Thank you again, Shuri. For everything."

"Are you sure that you want to go with them?" Shuri asked for the fifth time that day. "Those men attract trouble like a rhinoceros's ass attracts flies."

"I'm sure," Mara answered, squaring her shoulders and facing Shuri. "If Alex's body is still out there, I have to bring him home. And if they get into as much trouble as you say, they'll need a doctor nearby."

"But does Nonna have to go too?" Shuri said worriedly.

"No, but you try telling her that," Mara smiled ruefully. "Knowing her, if I told her to stay put she'd just pack herself into a suitcase and stow away on the plane."

Shuri sighed and nodded. "I wish I could send one of the Dora Milaje with you, but things are too unsteady here after the Blip. When my brother decided to welcome the world's refugees to our land, he had no idea that half of the world would need homes." Shuri frowned and Mara walked over to the desk, pulling up a chair. "My father warned of the dangers of bringing the world into Wakanda. We had thrived without outside influence and problems. But the world's problems are our problems too."

"My father always said that we have to take care of our own. And every human being is one of our own," Mara replied.

"Sounds like our fathers would have had a lot to discuss," Shuri said with a smile. Mara laughed.

"Dad loved to argue with anything and everyone. I might look like my mother, but I certainly got his temper," she admitted.

"That's probably why Bucky likes you so much," said Shuri. "Based on what T'Challa told me, Captain Rogers also had a temper. When something upset him he was not one to hide it."

"Bucky says the same thing," Mara agreed, smiling at the memory of some of the stories that he had told her.

The beads on Shuri's wrist chirped and she lifted them up. Ayo's face and shoulders floated over her hand and once again Mara was amazed by the technology of Wakanda. "Princess, the prisoner's surgery is complete. He and the others will depart in one hour."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Shuri replied. "Dr. Anderson and I will be there shortly." Ayo nodded and the hologram vanished.

"What exactly is Wakanda's immigration policy?" Mara asked, still staring at where the woman's head had been just moments ago. Shuri laughed.

"We are still working on that. Currently Bucky is our only citizen who does not have Wakandan blood," Shuri answered. "When he was ordered to stand trial in the States for the Winter Soldier's actions we made him one for his own protection. If he was not pardoned, we would extradite him back to our country. My brother and I were determined to not see him pay for another man's crimes."

"Did your brother testify at his trial?" Mara asked, remembering the testimony from the redacted name. Shuri nodded.

"T'Challa felt great remorse for his quick condemnation of Bucky after our father's death," she explained. "When Captain Rogers asked us to help him, we couldn't say no."