Odette raised her head to see Brock standing in the corner across from her. "Brock, I seriously don't wanna fight with you today" she said as she rolled her head on her shoulders listening to the cracking noise her neck made as the joints popped in and out of place. Brock stayed silent for the remainder of the time he stood in the room with her. She simply laid her head back in the chair and stared at the ceiling, she was so tired of counting the same 100 tiles in the roof everyday. The sound of the door opening caused her to crain her neck to the side to see Alexander standing in the door with a smile on his face, "We've got him, he turned himself in" the words knocked the wind out of her chest.
'No, he couldn't have done that, Im gonna kill him myself' She thought to herself as Brock untied her from the chair.
"Time to see if it's really him" Brock said as he jerked on her arm, bringing her out of the door. The light from the sun temporarily blinded her as she tried to take in her surroundings. She heard people shouting and sounds all around her, as she opened her eyes she saw a man standing infront of her that in no way could be her Bucky.
"Soldat?" Pierce said as he walked towards Bucky. He didn't respond as the man got closer, he had a mask covering his mouth and his hair was all in his face. Pierce struck him across the face causing Odette to whimper in pain for him. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM" she shouted as Bucky slowly turned his head around to face her. Brock struck her across the face causing her to fall to the ground.
"Extraction, now" Pierce said to Bucky, causing him to walk over to her and grab her by the throat. She gasped as she watched his eyes and grabbed his hands. She saw him shake his head slightly and he glanced up, she glanced up to see a red figure burling down from the sky, James quickly grabbed her by the waist and threw her up into the air as Tony caught her.
"WHAT THE FUCK" Pierce said as Bucky turned around, pointing the pistol at him. He heard the sound of a gun safety click off behind his head, he smiled as he heard another gun shot and a thump to the ground. "One down, one more piece of shit to go" He whispered as he walked towards Pierce.
Suddenly Sam, Tony and Steve joined at his side. Pierce shook his head and laughed at the four of them. "Wow, mass murderer to hero, how convienient" He laughed out as James walked over to him still holding the gun to him. "You fucked with the wrong girl Pierce" he spoke before he fired 3 rounds into Pierce. He threw the mask at him and smiled to himself, before firing off one more round to be sure he was dead. Nat pulled him away from the two bodies before he completly tortured them "They are dead Buck" Nat said with a smile "Just making sure they are really gone this time" He said as he pulled off his vest and left it on the ground.
"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME TONY!!!" Odette yelled as Tony tried to hold her still from hitting him, she was gonna hurt herself, she didn't know that yet though. She turned and glared at him as he released his grip on her "calm down tiger, I'm here to help, not hurt" Tony said as he pushed himself back a bit.
"Where is Bucky? I have a few bones to pick with him" She replied as she whipped her head around to look for him. As she searched for him she caught glimpse of some famiiar faces walking towards her, well almost familiar. "Clint? Nat? Bruce? Peter?! What are you guys doing here and why are you guys dressed like that?" Odette said as she eyed them up and down several times. They all looked at eachother before looking back to their sweet friend and smiled weakly "Odette, um, we are... apart of the Avenegers"
Odette stared at them for a while before she doubled over in laughter. "No, no way" She said inbetween laughs and gasps. They all silently stare at her waiting for her to calm down. Once she realizes they aren't laughing with her, she freezes and doesn't say a single word to any of them. She stares at them for a while, praying for a got ya moment, but it never comes. As soon as she opens her mouth to speak, a familiar voice and nickname greet her ears.
"...Pretty girl?"
She turns slowly to see Bucky smiling at her, she rolls her eyes and brushes past him. He turns to look at the group, but they all roll their eyes as she walks away. "Tony I know you flew out here, take me back home please" Odette said as she made her way over to Tony again, with a nicer approach this time. Steve appears from behind Bucky and smiles at her, Odette felt her jaw drop as she spotted the man that the news claims to be dead. "I thought you were dead? But then again I thought my friends respected me enough to not keep secrets, but here we are." She said as she followed Tony towards the Quinjet.
Bucky jogged over to her and grabbed her arm forcing her to stop in her tracks, she whipped her head around and stared at him.
"Can we talk, please?" He whispered.
"Hmm let me think on it, no" she said trying to make her way to the jet.
"Odette, please..." he groaned.
She stopped and hung her head "Bucky. I don't wanna do this right now and wait... how'd you know my name?" She muttered.
"Um, So here's the deal. We need to sit down and have a long conversation about some things" He said as he started to walk towards the jet. She followed quickly behind him.
"Uh alright" she replied, sitting down on the couch inside of the jet.
"So, here we go. My name is James Barnes, Captain Americas best friend. If you know about Steve's history then you know mine. I'm 106 years old..."
"106, holy shit...She gasped clasping her hand over her mouth.
"I know you are smart as a whip and you'll figure it out. But I am... "
"Your J... the guy from the letters..." She whispered causing Bucky's breath to hitch in his throat. He stared down at the floor, wanting to avoid her watchful eyes.
"Yes... I am..." He whispered while still holding the floor in his sight.
Odette smiled, she felt some sort of excitement run through her veins. She glanced to see Bucky still staring down at the ground. She leaned forward, grabbed his hand and spoke softly.
"I love the name James, but can I call you Bucky?"
Bucky snapped his head up to see her smiling at him, "you can call me anything you want doll"
Odette smiled as she squeezed his hand once more for reassurance. He smiled back at her as he felt the warmth coming off of her skin. It was a feeling he had longed to feel, someone just holding his hand...
"Bucky..."
"Yes Doll?"
Odette paused when Nat walked into the jet. Nat have a weak smile before approaching the two, Odette never letting go of Bucky's hand. Bucky watched the contact between the two before he dropped Odettes hand and walked away from the two.
"I'm sorry... that I kept this from you.... I just didn't want you to worry about us is all..."
"Nat, it's okay... I would just like to go home..."
"About that, you won't be able to go home" Tony boomed as he walked into the room.
"Why is that?" Odette asked standing to face him.
Tony sat down beside Bucky and Odette before glancing between the two with uncertainty. "Brock quite frankly destroyed the place, so you will be placed into a temporary living situation".
Odette sighed and put her head in her hands, she had put her bestfriends in a horrible position, and she hated herself for what she did to them. But she was also thankful that they showed up when they did. So many emotions ran through her mind, Bucky noticed the mood change then quietly motioned for Nat and Tony to give her some space. The three of them left the room to join the others, Bucky joined Nat and Tony to discuss the living situation. While they were discussing where Nat and Odette would be staying, a loud crash caused Bucky to jolt to the room Odette stood in.
"FUCK" Odette yelled as she held her hand tightly to her chest. Blood spilled from her hands. Bucky glanced from the broken mirror back to her quickly before grabbing her hand to lead her into the bathroom. He quickly started to clean her hand, while tears streamed from Odettes eyes.
"Bucky" "Bucky STOP" she yelled pulling her hand away from him, but he quickly gripped it again continuing to wrap the guaze around it regardless of the endless thrashing she was doing.
"ODETTE" Bucky yelled causing the frantic girl to still. She stared at him and let her arm go limp while he tied up the guaze.
Bucky smiled at her as he placed her hand back into her lap, he then started to put the materials away. He then swiftly moved to the other room to pick up shards of glass that were scattered into the floor. Odette sat still on the counter watching Bucky move around the room, she had no words, no emotions, just empty.
Numb.
Bucky glanced over to her, she sat still staring at the floor. In one swift motion he picked her up and placed her onto the couch. He made her lay down and covered her up, he then sat beside her as the rest of the team finally started to pile into the jet. He held his finger up to his lips as they walked by them, making sure that no one disturbed her at this moment. He gently put her legs on his lap and began to rub them slowly, every once in a while he would glance over to her. When he looked at her one final time, sleep took over her entire being. He was thankful that she was finally able to rest, after the week she had, she needed some well deserved rest.
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The aroma of bacon, toast, eggs and coffee caused Odette to stir from sleep. When she sat up she glanced around to realize that she wasn't in the jet anymore. She was in someones bed, and the paranoia kicked in. She knew Nat wasn't around because nothing smelled burnt. She stumbled out of bed and ran into the kitchen to see Bucky holding out a coffee cup for her.
"Mornin sunshine" He said as he smirked still flipping the bacon that was crackling in the pan.
"Mornin" She mumbled as she slowly took the coffee cup from him.
"Make yourself at home, breakfast is almost done" He said as he watched Odette glance around the room with suspicion. "It's my apartment, you are safe here. I slept on the couch and gave you the bed" he added as she walked towards the big bay windows that overlooked New York.
"I figured, my letters are neatly placed on your table" She whispered as she stared out the window while sipping her coffee.
Bucky glanced over to the table to see the letters still laying on the table. He mentally cursed himself, he meant to put those away. "Yeah, I meant to put those up" He said as he shuffled over to the table quickly picking up the letters and putting them on the counter. Odette smiled at his nervousness, "I don't mind, Im glad you looked forward to them like I did" She said as she walked over to the counter.
"Need any help"
"No. Sit" He replied as he pointed to the table.
Odette smiled and sat down at the table, she watched as he moved through the kitchen with ease. "I never got your other letter, can you tell me what it said" she asked watching him freeze in the middle of the kitchen. This is the first time she had seen him freeze, she enjoyed it.
"Uh, yeah, let me finish this" He said as he walked over the plated food. He sat a plate infront of her and watched her face for a second. She smiled at it, he let out a little sigh and walked to grab his coffee cup.
"Where is yours?" She asked leaning her head to glance at the counter behind him.
"Eat. I'm okay" He said as he took a seat infront of her. He watched as she silently put her head down and mumbled to herself, she was praying. He put his head down and prayed with her. It made him smile wildly at her when he raised his head to see her grinning at him.
"So the letter, speak" She said mimicking his bossy nature. He smirked at how cute it was coming from her.
He rose from the table and walked over to the counter to grab his notebook, she took a bite of bacon as she watched him flip through the pages. He then cleared his throat and started to speak.
"Dear O,
Please don't apologize for the absence, I would lie and say I didn't notice... but I did.
I hope you are doing well, I hope things are okay now. If you'd like to talk about anything, I am all ears, always.
I don't know if I would feel so privilaged to write to someone so old, I heard that old people can be quite the bore. I am glad that you understood the comedy behind that phrase.
You know, another phrase I have always heard is that laughter is the best medicine. So I will now insert a dad joke for you.
Where do you learn to make a banana split? Sundae School.... I'm so sorry that may or may not have been horrible. I hope it made you giggle.
Also, I would love to hear all of your questions and answers. But to answer the two you have prepared for me.
I am afraid of being alone, I hate to admit that. But it's the raw and honest truth, being alone has to be my biggest fear. I am worried that I won't be able to find someone to spend this one incredible life with. And for the second one, I look forward to writing to you more and giving you the best dad jokes and answers you have ever heard in your life. My question for you is, How do you feel about us meeting one day? How do you invison a 106 year old man. Question number 2 is. What is your biggest fear?
I hope you are doing beyond amazing and this letter brings you great joy. I look forward to hearing from you again.
-All my love, J"
Odette smiled as Bucky read his letter to her. To hear a voice attached to the words made her heart swell.
"Got a piece of paper?" She asked as she finished up her breakfast.
Bucky raised his eyebrows at her "You still want to write, even though you met me?"
Odette giggled "Yes, gotta keep the sparks going Buck"
Bucky smiled and grabbed her a piece of paper and a pen. He watched as the words flowed from the pen like water. He tried to peak at her writing but she put her arm around the paper like a wall to block his view. He smiled as sipped his coffee watching her closely. He noticed the small things about her in that moment. How when she was focused, she bit her lip and scruntched her nose. How irritated she got when her hair would fall in her face, obstucting her view of the paper. He watched the dimples form in her cheeks when she wrote something funny. He was enamored by this woman already.
"Envelope and Stamp please" She said as she folded up the letter neatly.
Bucky smiled and didn't even try to argue with her. She could've just given it to him, but she chose to mail it to him. He handed her the envelope and stamp, she slipped the piece of paper in then licked the adhesive on the back. She placed the stamp on the front and jotted his address down before she smiled to herself. She kissed the letter and placed it on the table.
"Are you gonna mail it?" He asked glancing down at the letter, temptation told him to grab the letter and run to a room to rip it open. But that all went out the door when she nodded at him.
"Yes I am. Don't touch" She said as she stood up from the table, grabbing her plate and the letter.
He smiled as he watched her walk around the kitchen. He could get used to her being here with him everyday like this. Waking up to cook for her, watching her write and walk around in her pajamas. It was the highlight of his morning, if she wanted to keep writing, he would too.
He would do anything to see the brighter side of this woman.