Bucky Barnes (notzimniysoldat) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-03-07 10:15:00 |
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WHO Bucky Barnes, Veronica Rogers Mars, & Steve Rogers
WHAT Making a discovery
WHEN Last Thursday (3/2)
WHERE The Rogers-Barnes house (old one)
WARNINGS Bullying, threatening, etc
STATUS Closed | Complete
Bucky was looking forward to moving completely into the new house, even if it did mean going through every last bit of their current house. Some things were easier than others to clean out and pack up, so that was where he'd started. It was a group effort absolutely, but he wanted to do more than just his share because moving down the street had been on him.
Today's project was the various drawers around the main floor of the house. There was a lot of odds and ends, some notebooks and various bits of paper. Bucky touched everything, sorting it first by owner (or potential owner) and then by what he thought would be keep and what would be trash. He'd made some good progress so far, and had just pulled out a couple of notes addressed to Steve when he heard a knock at the door.
"Coming!" he called as he read through them, trying to figure out who the notes were from. They were threatening enough that the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. When he opened the door and saw V, he just held out the notes. "Do you have any idea what this is about?" Bucky asked, bypassing any kind of normal hello.
***
Veronica was stopping over to drop off some more empty boxes on her way home from the office. She left them right inside the door and took the papers that Bucky held out. After scanning them for a moment, her face went pale and she felt dizzy, stumbling and needing to lean against the wall for support.
The papers fell out of her hand, flitting to the ground, as she tried to catch her breath.
***
Bucky knew the signs of a panic attack better than just about anyone. "Woah, hey. V?" He immediately put his hands on her arms to help keep her steady, just in case. The notes were completely ignored as he focused entirely on her to make sure she was okay. Whatever it was, it meant something to her.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Neither will Steve. You're safe here, V. I swear on my life, okay?" He was missing a big part of the story, obviously, but he'd get that later. She was his top priority at the moment.
***
It had been a long time since Veronica thought about what happened with Lindsey. The last time he’d actually been remotely a threat was more than a year and a half ago and Gunn had taken care of that before she was ever actually in danger. Feeling Bucky’s hands on her arms helped ground her and she gripped his arms tightly, needing that connection to keep her from completely panicking.
“I need to sit down,” she said after a moment. Why hadn’t Steve told her that he was getting threats? It was obvious that Lindsey found out about their marriage. Why hadn’t they been notified that he was out again? Was he out? If so, she was definitely staying with Steve and Bucky until they found him and locked him up again.
***
He didn't waste a moment's time guiding her inside, shutting and locking the door behind them quickly and efficiently out of habit now that he was on high alert. Bucky guided her to the couch and sat down right next to her, his hands never leaving her completely because he wanted to provide that anchor for her.
Despite wanting to know what the hell was going on, Bucky had the patience of a sniper. He was absolutely in Soldier mode, clearly a little distant in his eyes, as he waited for her to settle and come out of her panic attack. Once it was clear she was at least able to breathe a little better, he took her hands in his.
"What was it?"
***
Veronica couldn’t even remember the last time she talked about any of this, but obviously Bucky needed to know what was going on. If Lindsey was out, there was real danger for all of them and he needed to be on alert.
“A few years ago, there was a girl in town named Elle who looked like me,” she explained. “She was… damaged.” That was putting it nicely. “She ended up in a relationship with this guy Lindsey. He’s from the same world as Wes and Faith. When the dome sent her back, he kind of went off the deep end.” Again, an understatement, which would be made obvious when she shared the rest of the story. “He deluded himself into believing that I was really Elle and started stalking me. Eventually, he kidnapped me and held me captive for a couple of days until people realized I was missing. Molly used her powers to find me.”
That was something she still regretted, especially now that she knew that Molly could see what was happening and not just where someone was. “My business partner, Angel, also knew him from home and was able to get him committed to the mental hospital here in town. About a year and a half ago, he was part of a work release program for good behavior. He started stalking me again and ended up attacking Gunn, my boyfriend at the time. Since then, we haven’t heard a peep.”
***
Bucky felt himself detaching from the situation, removing his personal feelings and reactions so that he could focus completely on the facts. This was Important, so important that it could mean life or death for someone. V. Lindsey. Bucky would stake his life on it being the latter long before it was the former. He'd swear that on his own life. As he listened, he picked out what he needed to do next to gather more information. Talking to Faith and Wes would be his next step, if not outright talking to this Lindsey.
He absolutely wouldn't talk to Molly about it, would do everything he could to protect her from even hearing about Lindsey.
"You're safe here," he promised her, the dark look in his eyes proof of that. "We'll find out his status, find out what's going on. We'll deal with this." Even if it meant eliminating the threat once and for all.
***
“Thanks,” Veronica said, still feeling a little shaky, but knowing that neither Steve nor Bucky would ever let anything happen to her. She just couldn’t imagine why Steve hadn’t said anything about the threats. It seemed like they started shortly after the wedding.
She took a moment to collect herself and then gave him a weak smile. “Do you mind if I make some tea?”
***
Bucky gave her hands another reassuring squeeze. He would give her no less than what he would give Steve to keep her safe. "Not at all," he replied, to her request to make tea. "I'll be in in a moment." Once she walked into the kitchen, he went back to the front door and collected the notes again, sliding them into his back pocket. He'd talk to Faith and Wes, and leave the first crack at confrontation to V. It was her right now, as his wife.
When he walked into the kitchen, it was with a more pleasant, human expression on his face. "How are things going for the move? Nearly all packed up?" Much safer a topic of conversation, and he wanted to give her space.
***
It was good for Veronica to have something to focus on, though her hands were still shaking a little as she filled the kettle with water and got it on the stove. The idea that Lindsey was going to have more of an impact on her life, especially at a time when she was supposed to be happy, was frustrating.
When Bucky joined her, she was busying herself with mugs and teabags and sugar. “I think so,” she said. “I brought over some boxes for you guys.”
***
Had Steve been home rather than out dropping Molly off somewhere, Veronica and Bucky finding out about something he didn't see any reason to worry about could have been prevented.
“Hi,” he greeted when he came back to see Veronica there, lighting up at the visit. They were married, and living apart felt wrong. He was looking forward to getting the move over with so they could actually be a married couple.
A second later his smile faltered as he looked between the two of them, noticed the tension in the room. “What's going on?”
He didn't think for a second it might be something as innocent as Bucky and Veronica just not getting along.
***
Bucky waited for V, allowing her to take first crack since she ranked higher than him at the moment, but she deferred to him with a nod. He turned to level a very unimpressed look at his best friend.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, pulling the notes from his back pocket and handing them to Steve. He was doing his best to not detach again, not completely, but the Winter Soldier was there, lurking underneath the surface. The skills he'd been given as the Fist of HYDRA would be put to good use if he had a say in it, as terrifying as that could end up being. His own fear was second to keeping his family safe, and V was now a part of that.
***
Taking the papers with a frown, Steve glanced at them to see what they were, then just shook his head and tossed them on the table. “Those are nothing to worry about.”
If it had been anything to be concerned about, he would have mentioned it, but Steve didn’t see a real threat. The notes were just pieces of paper, didn’t make a lot of sense, didn’t promise anything he couldn’t handle even if they did prove to have some sort of danger behind them.
And looking at the people he loved, Bucky starting to shut down, retreat back into what he’d been trained for, and Veronica looking white as a sheet, that was exactly what he’d intended on avoiding.
***
“Yes, they are,” Veronica said, her voice a lot smaller and quieter than usual. “He attacked Gunn. Tried to get him out of the picture so he could come after me.”
And while Steve was a far more formidable opponent, Lindsey was cunning and shouldn’t be underestimated. “We need to know how he’s doing this. Is he out? They haven’t notified me, but it’s possible something happened and they didn’t realize they were supposed to.” Especially since Angel was the contact for them and he’d been gone for so long now.
***
Bucky thought Steve knew better than to not take threats seriously. Especially someone as formidable as this Lindsey character seemed to be. Veronica wasn't a woman easily scared, so to see her so shaken told him how seriously she took the threat. They also had Molly and Summer to consider, because if Lindsay really wanted to fuck with any of them, he could very well go after either one or both of the teenagers. His metal hand whirred as he flexed his hand, action simmering beneath the surface.
The very dark part of Bucky wondered why this threat was even still alive if that was the kind of man he was. He had always been the one to keep Steve safe, to watch his six and do the terrible things so that Steve wouldn't have to. But Steve had done some of those terrible things, too. That was the cost of war, something they paid in spades many times over.
"Any threat against this family should be taken seriously."
***
Steve thought Bucky should know better than to think he’d do anything but what he had.
The two of them clearly had information he didn’t. The notes weren’t signed, there was no mark that said where they’d come from. A couple had just shown up, and he hadn’t seen anything to take seriously in them. Clearly, these two did.
“You know who they’re coming from.” It wasn’t a question. Obviously they knew. Steve didn’t, and that part of Veronica’s life had been before Steve had been a part of it. He might have known of her long before he’d actually gotten to know her, but known of was about it.
He still didn’t think anything would come of it, if there was a real danger, the threats would have been action instead. No one with real ill intent delivered multiple vaguely threatening letters.
***
Veronica nodded, her hands shaking so badly that she needed to set down her teacup. “You may not remember this, but I was kidnapped a few years ago. Molly used her powers to find me. He’s… crazy. And delusional. He thinks I’m his girlfriend who disappeared from town a long time ago.”
It wasn’t something she’d thought to mention to Steve since she was under the impression that Lindsey was safely ensconced in the mental hospital. “I should call Wes and Faith.”
***
Bucky softened just a touch, since he'd been under the impression that Steve had been aware of what had gone on with Lindsay and Veronica, but the threats still mattered. They were something to be investigated and vetted instead of just brushed off. "His name is Lindsey," Bucky added, because Veronica didn't seem able to say that.
Then he looked to her and honestly, he didn't want her to have to get involved if it was just going to upset her so badly. "Steve and I can look into it, V." If he'd known, if he'd been better prepared, he never would have showed her in the first place.
***
“Look.” Steve noticed just how bad the shaking was, immediately went over to take Veronica’s hands in his, much steadier, without a single bit of fear in him. Not about this. Probably not about enough things, but definitely not about this. “You have nothing to be worried about.” He cast a glance back to Bucky, adding pointedly: “Either of you.”
Sometimes he wondered if his friend forgot that he wasn’t the scrappy little guy he’d been before. Now when he stood up for himself, he really could do it.
“If it’ll make you feel better, make sure he’s still locked up.” But Steve was convinced that he was, convinced that if anything was going to happen, it would have, and it would be nothing he couldn’t have handled alone.
***
Steve’s touch was calming and steadying. “I’ll have Wes call the hospital,” he said. “Let them know he’s been in contact so they can figure out how.” She was pretty sure that if Lindsey was actually out, he would have made a play by now. But he obviously had a way of getting messages out and that was terrifying in and of itself.
“I wish you had told me about the letters though,” she said. “I know you probably aren’t in any danger from him, but you need to know the whole story.”
***
Bucky barely managed to bite back that it would make him feel better if Lindsey was taught a lesson to leave Veronica alone for good, regardless of whether or not anyone was in Madison Valley with her. If that meant killing him, so be it. It would be more than worth it as far as he was concerned, because with them coming from other worlds, there was no guarantee they'd be in Madison Valley with her forever.
"So they can put a stop to it." Because it was going to stop. It had to.
***
There were a lot of stories Steve needed to know, but didn’t. They hadn’t gotten to know each other well enough, but they’d get there. They’d talk.
He didn’t think the letters were a big issue, paper and words didn’t hurt anyone, but it was obvious both Veronica and Bucky were upset by their existence. For that, Steve regretted keeping it from them.
“Alright. But Buck’s right, you know. If you want us to handle it….” He wouldn’t suggest that she couldn’t, he liked Veronica because she was strong, could take care of herself, but Steve and Bucky could take on anything if they were doing it together. “Think you two can calm down now?”
He’d like his friend back to himself, and for his wife to not be panicking.
***
“I’ll handle it,” Veronica said. Or she’d have Wes and Faith handle it. “But if you don’t mind, I think Summer and I will stay here until we move.”
She didn’t think she would feel safe with the two of them alone and she especially wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if anything happened to Summer.
***
Bucky would talk to Faith about it, get the full story and the blunt truth about how dangerous this man was. Even locked away, some men were just as dangerous as they were if they were wandering free. He wasn't going to underestimate Lindsey, but he could focus on letting go of the desire to just settle this right off. Keeping his family safe could be done in a number of ways, so for right now, he could focus on helping Veronica and Summer settle here before they all moved.
"Of course you guys are welcome here. I'll go to the grocery store later, make sure we've got plenty of food." He'd take care of them in a way he knew Steve would approve of, and that was okay. "And we'll get the new house set up in no time." He'd also make sure there was a very thorough security system in place.
***
That was the kind of worrying that Steve could, and did, approve of. And something he was actually comfortable with. If the notes really were a cause for concern, if they made Veronica nervous, he wanted her close. He’d prefer if she stayed close anyway, hadn’t particularly been enjoying the fact that their first week of marriage was spent in separate houses.
“I think you guys staying here might be a good idea.” For their own peace of mind more than his. He’d just feel better if they felt safer. And it was only for a few days at the most. Hopefully the girls wouldn’t cause problems.
Well, one girl. Steve doubted Summer would.
***
“We’re pretty much packed anyway,” Veronica said. “So it’ll only be a few days until we’re all in the new house.” The girls could manage to share for that long she hoped. Of course, she was fairly certain that if Molly knew why Veronica and Summer were staying, she would be completely fine with it.
***