Finding Jade - A Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 16. Ride With Me (Sexual Content)

Eight months after Bucky left the Bunker.  Four days after Bucky left New York.

Jade was busy scrubbing the dirt off the rocks she had collected that morning.  There were some good specimens in there.  Good enough to bring in some money at the rock hounds sale in Santa Fe in a month once she sliced and polished them.   The rock hounds club in Albuquerque had asked her to set up a table there but she had declined.  Still too many dark memories of that town.  She could hear Ben laughing in the house and looked at Ma.

"He's talking to Peter," she said.  "He's supposed to be teaching him but they're talking about gaming."

"Can you tell them both to get back at it?" she asked.  "Honestly, you would think Peter would know better.  I've a good mind to phone May."

Ma laughed.  "You're sounding more and more like a normal mother every day," she said.  "What happened to you?"

"Don't go there, Ma," said Jade.  "It was my decision.  Normal mother sounds good to me right now."

She bent back over the bucket and scrubbed too hard on the one stone.  She splashed water on her shorts but ignored it as the dry New Mexico air would take care of it.  It had been almost nine months since the showdown with the cult in Albuquerque, eight and a half months since they implemented the plan to destroy all the Others' queens, eight months since she last saw or heard from Bucky.  That wasn't quite true as he sent a postcard from New York City, showing it being rebuilt after the attack on the Others there.  All it said was "Thinking of you, Bucky".  That had been over a month ago and since then, nothing from him directly. 

Peter had sent out little snippets of information since they all left, complete with links to news video coverage.  About six weeks after Bucky left there was a live streaming event of a news crew at Avengers HQ shadowing the various members of the Avengers.  Some of them like Steve, Peter and Sam were very open and informative.  Scott was very popular being the friendly man that he was in real life.  Bucky was reclusive, not wanting to be filmed or interviewed.  When they did finally get him in a sit down situation he was abrupt and clearly uncomfortable.  The footage of him and Steve taking on a series of nests by themselves and running so fast as they dropped off the flash bangs that they were both a blur was popular, generating a lot of likes on social media. 

Just a month and a half ago the Avengers were given the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and the Congressional Gold Medal for their efforts in fighting the Others.  A week later they were interviewed on CBS Mornings in New York in the rebuilt Times Square with fans behind security barriers holding up signs naming their favourites.  The signs with Bucky's name were being held by predominantly female fans.  His reclusive nature had appealed to a certain type of woman who all thought he should show his face more.  The hosts showed a picture of Bucky with his short hair working on his motorcycle to the screams of his female fans.  Word from Peter was that Bucky was still debating whether to stay in New York with the Avengers.  Apparently his decision was still unknown. 

She heard Cherry nicker in her paddock and called to the mare, one of the three horses the Avengers had bought from the outfitter.  Cherry was the first one she had connected with and they still had a good relationship, just not a telepathic one anymore.  Apple, a chestnut mare, and Butch, a roan gelding, had also made the trip to their home.  Clint would have liked to take them to Missouri but thought it was too long a trip to subject them to so when she and Ma moved near Santa Fe after finding that big hunk of gold they brought the horses with them.  Drying her hands she went over to the fence.

"What is it, girl?" she asked.  "Am I not giving you enough attention?"

She felt inside the food bucket and brought out a piece of carrot for each of them, stroking their necks as they crunched through their favourite vegetable.  Two miles away where the road to their property came off the highway she caught the sound of a big motorcycle, loud and loved by gear heads, slowing down on the highway and turning onto their road.  At first she thought it was somebody using it to turn around but the dust plume from the rear of the bike kept coming closer.  Buddy sat up, his ears perked forward, watching the rider approach.