The Séance • Marvel

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier: Chapter 17

After they both finished their breakfast, Vanessa drove the final stretch of the journey. She parked a few meters away from her childhood home. "It looks just like I remember it," Vanessa said. The light yellow house with white pillars stood proudly. The red rose bushes lining the front of the house and if she remembered correctly the avocado tree in the backyard. "You ready?" Bucky asked. "Can we stay here just a minute longer?" Vanessa answered. "Of course."

"Vete de la casa y no quiero que regreses hasta que no seas normal" (Leave and don't return until you're normal) the words echoed inside her head. Almost as if she was hearing them again. Vanessa had to remind herself that her mother was gone and that they were not here for her. "Ok let's get this over with," she told Bucky. They walked up to the front door and Vanessa raised a shaky hand to knock.

Bucky notice Vanessa's shakiness and offered her his arm for support, which she took. Inside the house, there was running around, most likely by children. "Ma la puerta" (Mom the door) they heard someone yell. A few seconds later the door open to reveal a woman in her early thirties with straight dark brown hair and light hazel eyes. She wore a black sheath dress with her hair pulled back. She stared for a second at Vanessa before finally recognizing her, "Vanessa."

From inside the house, two other people stood up when they heard that name being mentioned. The first one to reach the door was a tall man with black hair and a slight beard. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and a black tie. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "Ana called. Told me the news, come to give you all my condolences" Vanessa said.

Another woman appeared at the door. She looked to be in her early twenties with short black hair and light hazel eyes. "Vanessa? Is that really you?" She asked. "Hello Jimena," Vanessa said. Jimena pulled the blazer she was wearing tighter around her body. "What are you doing here?" She asked, slightly nicer than the man. "As I told Javier I come to give my condolences about your loss," Vanessa said. "You're not welcomed here," Jimena said.

Vanessa tightened her grip on Bucky's arm. "Why are you really here Vanessa? The inheritance? Is that it?" Javier asked. "I don't want nor do I need any of your money. For all, I care keep it," Vanessa told them, "I came here to make peace with all of you. To see if there was any of our relationship that could be saved."

Jimena scoffed at Vanessa's words. "Why would we want that? Not after everything you did," she said. "And what did I do?" Vanessa asked, genuinely confused. "You ran away. It broke mom's heart when you left" Jimena said. "Didn't know she had a heart" Vanessa muttered under her breath. "She looked for you, she had to give up because it started affecting her health" Jimena continued.

Vanessa shook her head, unbelieving of what she was hearing. "Is that what she told you. That I ran away from home. That's the lie she made to cover her own ass" Vanessa said looking over at Javier, "You were there, you were old enough to remember. Do you want to fill us in on what actually happens?" Javier continued to glare at Vanessa but said nothing. "Fine, I'll tell you what actually happened. She kicked me out because she said I had the devil inside" Vanessa said.

Javier interrupted her before she could continue, "You were crazy, probably still are. Always coming up with stories about being able to see dead people and talking to yourself, pretending like there was someone there. You were a danger to all of us." Bucky clenched his fist to try and calm himself down before he did something he would regret.

Vanessa left all hope of ever making things right with her siblings. She knew that they were so brainwashed by their mother that they would never believe anything she told them. "And she did what she had to do right? Always the master manipulator" Vanessa said. Javier rose his hand to slap Vanessa, but Bucky reacted before Javier could reach her. He grabbed Vanessa by the waist and pulled her back, also grabbing Javier's arm with his Vibranium one. "Don't you fucking dare lay a hand on her" Bucky said, tightly gripping Javier's hand.

Vanessa grabbed Bucky's flesh hand and motioned him to release Javier, "it's not worth it," she told him. She then turned towards Javier, "You don't get to do that anymore Javier. I'm not the same scared little girl you used to push around." Vanessa continued to hold onto Bucky's hand, whether it's to stop him or calm herself neither of them was quite sure. "Next time somebody dies don't bother calling," Vanessa said and tried to pull Bucky with her.

Bucky turned to look at Vanessa but stood his ground. "I'll be right over doll," he said. "James," Vanessa said with a warning tone. "I'm not going to do anything. I just want to have a talk. That's all, I promise" he said, giving her hand a light squeeze and turning back to her siblings.

Vanessa nodded and walk back to her car. On the way there she suddenly realized what he'd called her. "Doll?" She asked herself, "What am I a fucking barbie?" As Vanessa sits in her car she notices the familiar house a few houses down. In front, there are two children playing, a boy and a girl. Vanessa is filled with memories of her and Jason playing in that same yard. She continues looking, not paying attention to Bucky or her siblings.

"What do you want?" Javier asks impatiently. "I want to have a talk about the way you've treated Vanessa," Bucky says with an eerily calm voice. "And what's it to you?" Javier asks him. Bucky talks a second before admitting, "She means a lot to me, and I'm not going to let her get hurt because of you." "I hurt her? I don't know what lies she's told you, but I've never tried to hurt her" Javier says, obviously lying. "You just tried to slap her" Bucky reminds him.

Ana steps forward to defend her brother, "Look she's always been a horrible person, okay? She's always been an attention seeker, doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets her way. Don't be surprised if everything she's told you is a lie. It's what she's good at." "Who even are you anyway? What are you her boyfriend or something? Why are you defending her so much?" Javier asks Bucky.

Without any hesitation whatsoever Bucky answers, " You have a problem with that? Like I said she means a lot to me." "How could you be with someone like her? I don't even know you and I already know you deserve much better than her" Javier says. Bucky shakes his head knowing that it's the other way around, "No. She deserves the world. None of you have any idea how much good she's done, how many people she's saved." Javier rolls his eyes not believing what Bucky is saying, "Her? Oh please."

Bucky answers, "You all will never know how powerful she is. You should all be proud of who she is, but you all can't see the truth even if it's right in front of you. And she's not lying about the ghost either, but no matter what I say you won't believe me." He begins to walk back to the car, but turns around and gives them a threatening smile, " Don't even contact her again or you'll be dealing with me."

Ana walks back inside thinking that it's all over, but Javier stays along with Jimena. She looks at Bucky recognizing him from somewhere, "I'm sorry, do I know you from somewhere?" Bucky turns around and looks at the woman. He tries to remember if he's encountered her, but draws a blank. "No, I don't think so." "What did you say your name was again?" She asks. "Sargent James Barnes," he says, knowing how recognizable that name is. And he is right. Jimena's face changes from confusion to realization. "We should go," she says, her voice trembling a bit, "We have things that we need to get done."

Bucky makes his way back to Vanessa, proud that he handled that without any violence. When he gets there he notices how Vanessa is looking at two children playing in the front yard of a house. He takes hold of her hand, but she hardly even notices.

Voices echo inside of Vanessa's head. Voices of ghosts, but ghosts of the past. "No me puedes alcanzar" (you can't catch me) the little girl yelled. "Puedo correr mas rapido que tu" (I can run faster than you) the little boy yelled back. Vanessa snapped out of her memories when she heard someone calling her name. She looked to her left and noticed that Bucky had returned to the car. "Hey, you alright?" He asked. "Yeah just thinking of the past," she said. "Should we begin the drive back?" Bucky asked. "No. There is somewhere I want to go" Vanessa said with a smile.