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GEMINI WAS AWAKE early, though she didn't want to be. Bucky was sound asleep to her left, his face inches away from her cheek. His prosthetic arm was in its case, on the dresser. She didn't want to bother him, wriggling her way out of bed quietly.
She rooted quickly through the wardrobe, pulling out her clothes. Getting dressed quickly, she sat at the very end of the bed, tying her shoelaces. She sighed, brushing her hands through her hair before clicking her tongue to Dixon. Grabbing his leash and her phone, she left Bucky asleep in bed.
Besides Vision, no-one was awake. She sighed, grabbing herself a bottle of water before grabbing her coat. She hated the cold of New York but she didn't want to stay in the Compound in that moment.
Tugging slightly on Dixon's leash, they both made their way out of the door, locking it behind them.
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Bucky woke up to the empty half of the bed. Immediate fear settled in his chest when he didn't see Gemini or Dixon in the room. Listening for the shower, he couldn't hear anything. Rubbing his face with his right hand, he sat up quickly and jumped for his metal arm. Dressing quickly, he didn't care that his hair was all over the place.
He realised what the date was. Gemini had told him about it a few months ago. February was always the month that hit the Braddock's - and the Easton's - the hardest. The worry kept building in him. He knew the past few weeks, Gemini had been okay sine her incident but he couldn't risk it.
Walking out of the room, he followed the sound of voices in the kitchen. He knew it was late in the morning, he didn't know specifically.
"Oh, so nice of you to join us." Steve joked with him lightly. "It's nearly twelve."
Bucky shrugged his shoulders not fully comprehending what his friend was saying. Sam snorted behind Bucky, appearing in the room. "Bad hair day, Barnes?"
He ignored him, searching the room for his girlfriend. "Has anyone seen Gemini?"
"No-one's seen your girlfriend Barnes." Sam replied exasperatedly.
Bucky brushed his hand through his hair, his nerves now completely shot. "Sam, this is serious." He pointed out to him, looking the man dead in the eye.
Tony's attention was quickly caught by the concern in the man's voice. "What is it?"
"She wasn't there when I got up." He explained. He leaned against the bar for support. "It's her dad's anniversary." Nat's head shot up from the table at the mention of the date, standing quickly.
"I'll ring Toni." She answered running for her phone.
"I've got Nate." Tony replied. "Call Theo." He ordered Bucky as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled the new number in his contacts.
"Fucking hell Bucky. Bit early to be calling." Theo's voice could be heard down the phone.
"Theo, have you seen Gem at all?" Bucky could hear Theo shuffling.
"Not since yesterday. Why?" He asked worried. "What time is it?" He asked himself, checking something. Theo noticed the date on his phone screen, cursing under his breath. "Shit, one sec. Taur!" Bucky heard him shout for his sister. "Taury!"
"What?"
"You seen Gem?" Bucky couldn't see the girl but Theo's reaction connected the dots. "We've not seen her. Have you called Nate and Toni?"
Bucky cleared his throat, starting to get really scared. "Um, Tony and Nat are calling them." Theo could hear the fear in the man's voice.
"We'll keep an eye out for her. Don't worry." Taury called through the phone. "We'll let you know if we she comes hear." Bucky hummed in reply, hanging up the phone.
His stomach churned at the worst thoughts in his head. He couldn't handle it. He excused himself from the room, running his hands over his head and going into his and Gem's room and straight to the bathroom. The contents of his stomach reared through his body as he gagged. He felt so ill with worry.
Leaning against the sink, he held his head between his knees, hyperventilating. He didn't know what to do. He was panicking. He didn't want to think about the amount of possible things that could be happening.
A knock at the bathroom door caught his attention. Looking up he saw Steve. "She'll be alright." He assured him.
"What if she's not Steve?" He worried. "What if something's happened or she's done something. She been fine for weeks but she warned me that today was a tough day for her. There's a million things that could happen and I don't-- Steve I can't think about that, but that's all I can think about."
Steve decided to sit on the floor opposite of his best friend. "Buck. She's gonna be okay. Dixon's with her, which means she's not gonna do anything that would endanger him. She's gonna be okay. I know you're scared after her incident but she's been okay the passed two weeks and you've looked after her. She just needs that little bit of space right now and she'll be home soon."
Bucky sighed, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "I guess you're right." He pushed himself off the floor. "I'm still keeping myself busy."
"Sparring in the training room?" Steve suggested earning a quick nod before the pair walked out.
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Gemini's hands trembled as she walked towards the door. The shaking was a mixture of the cold and her anxiety. She only just realised how scared the others would be. She hadn't left a note or any indication on where she was going. She felt guilty knowing they would worry.
Knocking on the door, it quickly swung open revealing a relieved Joe on the phone. "It's alright Nate, I've got her." He reassured her brother down the phone, hanging up quickly. "You've had everyone worried like hell Gem, what the hell were you thinking?" She shrugged, staying completely still making him realise how much the girl was actually shaking. "Come here, Zodiac."
She clung onto the man and his warmth as she felt tears spill. She sighed a shaky breath, letting go of Dixon's leash as he ran into the apartment. "I know Gem, I know." Joe comforted her. "I miss him too. We all do." He rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm his friend down. "Let's get you in before you turn into Steve." He tried to lighten the mood, earning a small smirk from the girl and a thanks.
Sitting on the couch, Becky came running out of her room at the sound of Joe speaking. "Auntie Gem." She ran to the woman, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay, Uncle Nate sounded worried on the phone?" She asked her.
Gemini nodded. "I'm okay Becks. I'm just missing my dad." She explained. "Especially today."
"Dad told me." She clarified as Gemini looked to Joe over the girl's shoulder. "He's with you though, so's Grandma Katelyn." She hugged her again. "They love you too, even though you can't hear them." For a young girl, Becky was wise beyond her years. Gemini smiled at the girl, thanking her for the sentiment before she wandered away to give Dixon attention.
Joe sat beside her, handing her a mug of hot chocolate. "What's up Zodiac? Besides the date." He replied.
Gemini shrugged. "I don't know. I just couldn't go and bother Nate and Toni. It was their dad too and I feel almost sly saying that I miss him more."
"That's cause you had less years with him than they had." Joe pointed out. "You were eighteen when he died Gem. Nate was in his twenty-two and Toni was twenty-four. You were all robbed but none as much as you." He explained. "Toni and Nate at least had your dad at their graduation. Hell, Toni was lucky to have both Armino and Katelyn at her's." Gemini nodded.
"I just didn't want them to think I was lessening their feelings." She replied, placing the mug on the coffee table.
"They wouldn't think that. That's your overthinking getting the best of you." He pointed to his head. "Gem, they both know you've been dealt probably the worst hand at the age you were. I could list of a bunch a things that happened just after I moved to the states, not to mention the things before I did." Joe explained. "Zodiac, you've survived so much more than people think and you still find a way - yeah sometimes difficult - but you still find a way to get up in the morning. Not many people who have been in your situation could do that."
Gemini smiled to Joe. "Thanks, Josephine." He glared at her jokingly but held his hand out to her.
"Anytime Zodiac. I'm always here." He smiled. "I love you girl."
"I love you too." She nodded, picking up her mug again. Joe had gone full out on her hot chocolate, marshmallows and whipped cream on it. "Can we watch something?"
"Sure." He pondered for a moment. "I've got a show you might like." He searched it up in his Netflix account before clicking on it.
"Peaky Blinders?" She signed it out. She nodded her head as Joe clicked the first episode.
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Many hours had passed since Gemini had arrived at Joe's. Luckily he had the day the day off from both Braddock's and The Raven. It was beginning to get late.
"I'll drop you off at home if you want." Joe offered. "Could ask Tony to stay the night too." Becky's head shot up at the mention of staying at the Compound.
"Could we?" She asked excitedly. Gemini agreed, grabbing her things. "We still need dinner." Becky stated simply. Gemini chuckled as the three of them and Dixon made their way to the car.
Shutting the door to the passenger side. "I'm not that hungry right now, Becky." Joe replied, as he got into the car. "But we can ask Tony to get you something." He joked with the girls. Gemini scoffed playfully at his comment.
Starting up the car they began driving back to the Compound, deciding to make it a family ordeal by inviting the others.
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Bucky felt as if we to pass out at any given moment. It had been hours without hearing anything from Gemini. He'd kept himself mainly distracted by training and sparring with Steve, taking out his aggression on a dummy.
He currently sat at the breakfast, twirling his phone between his fingers of one hand, and tapping the table with the other. His leg bounced uncontrollably as he waited for any sort of notice that she was okay.
The sound of the front door opening made him and the others stand up. Shadows from the light created figures. The first person to walk in being that of Becky.
She quickly ran to Bucky, hugging him tight via instruction by both Gemini and Joe. "Hi Uncle Buck. Are you okay?" She asked him worried. Her observation skills were very good. "You seem worried." She stated.
Bucky cleared his throat looking away for a moment from the hallway. "Yeah, Becky I'm okay. Whereabouts is your dad?" He asked her curiously.
Becky pointed behind her. "Speaking with Tony. He'll be in in a minute." She nodded, hugging him again. She smiled at him before running to Natasha. "Hi Nat." She greeted.
"Your favourite lesbian German has arrived." Taury announced her presence to the Avengers.
"And her despairing brother is in tow." Theo replied.
Nate and Toni walked in behind them, Nate's arm over Toni's shoulders as they both nodded to Bucky.
"So you're okay?" Bucky heard someone ask. They didn't reply giving him a slight bit of hope.
"She's fine, Tony." He heard Joe reply just as he appeared with Dixon's leash in hand. "Get ready." He said aloud.
Gemini appeared, a look of guilt and apology on her face as her eyes landed on Bucky. She expected him to be pissed at her. However, his face held relief that she was stood there. He wasted no time closing the gap between the pair, picking the small woman into his arms and holding her there.
"Thank fucking God." He mumbled into her shoulder. Gemini buried her head into his neck as he walked to the breakfast bar. "You had us all worried fucking sick." He told her, the nerves evident in his voice as it cracked. "Where did you go?" He asked her, placing her on the breakfast bar, standing between her legs.
"I'm sorry." She apologised, stroking his hair. "I didn't want to bother you today, cause you've been there for me these past few weeks and I could tell it was affecting you." She explained. Bucky sighed, tilting his head to her. "I went to Joe's instead. I just vented to him and we watched something on his Netflix."
"You could've texted me." He whispered, vulnerability clear in his voice.
"My phone died." She pulled out the object trying to turn it on but to no avail. Bucky kissed her head. "I'm sorry, bub."
Bucky pulled her back into another hug. "Did it help?" She nodded. "Good." He kissed her cheek, holding her still. "I love you, doll." She returned the statement. Bucky let go of her and turned to Joe, holding out his hand. "Thank you."
"Anytime Bucky." He replied, taking his hand and shaking it. He quite liked how polite Bucky was to him and the others. He admired it really on how he didn't try and push them away like previous relationships.
Gemini stayed pretty close to Bucky for the rest of the night. And by pretty close being she was sat on his lap, straddling him with her arms wrapped around his body. Bucky kept whispering things into her ear making her smile slightly.
Her, Nate and Toni had talked about their father when they picked them up. They expressed how out of all of them, they could definitely tell that he was most proud of everything the youngest of his children had overcome. They understood why it hit Gemini harder than either of them. Nate smirked at the contact between Gemini and Bucky. He could even tell that the man kept his little sister happy and made her feel safe.
Tony got everyone's attention quickly, handing out an alcoholic drink for everyone over twenty-one. "Right. I know that no-one really knew him except these six, but he gave us three amazing people so I'm gonna say this. Thank you Armino - and Katelyn - for bringing these three people into this world and thank you for bringing them up in a good way. I know I'm thankful to have met them and I know you're watching over them everyday proud."
Gemini looked down at the speech Tony was giving. This hit him quite hard also, making him think of - mainly - his mother. "Armino Braddock is watching over you all, I know that. He's watching proud of the individual people you've all become. And he's happy that you're all happy." He smiled at Gemini during this statement watching as Bucky lay his hand on her lower back, kissing her cheek. Tony held his glass in the sky. "To Armino."
"To Armino." Everyone replied, holding up their glasses. Gemini held her glass in the air, looking up.
I love you Pa. She thought as she quickly stood up and excused herself from the room, leaving her bedroom door open as she looked for something.
She pulled out a photo album from when she was younger and smiled at a photo of her, her father and grandfather.
"Thank you Papa." She smiled to herself. Closing the book, she pulled out the box full of albums and carrying them into the room with the others. She placed the box on the coffee table, holding her arms out to the box.
The others pulled out the albums flicking through the pictures, laughing at certain ones. Bucky held onto his girlfriend. He looked at the photo album, smiling at the many photos of a younger version of herself.
He looked up to the sky a smile on his lips as he thanked Armino.
He thanked him for creating such an amazing person.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter
I look pretty good for a dead bitch
Nah, I'm back I'm glad to be back
Sorry that the chapter is kind of depressing but this has been the idea for this chapter for a while
Just trying to show the friendship between Gem and Joe
The next chapter will be out soon
Kayla Lou xxx