Summer's End - Bucky and Mel Universe 1

Hey There Lonely Boy

James laid on his back in bed looking at the crack in the ceiling.  He was wondering what Melinda was doing right now.  He hoped she wasn't having as touch a time sleeping alone as he was.  He did get a message from Dr. Strange saying she did stop by and do some reading, he taught her a few things, met Wong.  He was secretly pleased she went.  It wasn't necessarily within her character, he knew curiosity would get the better of her.  If she could find out more about herself, perhaps she would find peace.  Not that she was tormented, he knew it bothered her she didn't have any memories of before being found.  However, perhaps that was a good thing.
Someone had been selling a new drug on the streets.  It gave individuals temporary super soldier powers, it did have consequences though, it ended up taking your worse qualities and amplifying them.  It didn't matter how good you were and if it was a small flaw.   It came out and came to haunt you.  The individuals who took it ended up not only hurting those they did the crime against, they would inadvertently hurt the ones they loved as well.  Even when taking it with the best intentions, they would at least be hurting themselves.  For example, let's say when you were nervous you over eat, we'll you would suddenly start eating and wouldn't stop until you literally ate yourself to death.  What was worse, it was pushed on younger individuals more than often.
He'd already spent a day following dead ends and trails that led nowhere.  Many of the individuals were already dead by the time he found them.  The others were so mentally far gone that he could get any information out of them.  What made it worse was the delivery system varied so much, it made a manufacturer near impossible to track down.  He did send a sample back to Bruce to see if it could be analyzed for any compounds that had a decisive locale.  He reached up to scratch his beard, only remembered he shaved.  He liked having his home self and mission self separate, it was an easy thing to do.  James wondered how Melinda would react.  She loved to nuzzle and run her fingers through his beard, it might be nice to leave it off to have more skin contact with her, me mused.
Sam knocked, "You asleep?"
"Nope."
"Come on let's get to work then, Bruce just sent us some info that might be helpful."
James got up and got dressed, picked up his phone noticing the time it was at home.  Mel would be waking up soon and getting ready for the school day ahead.  The thought that one of her students might have this drug pushed on them really bothered him.  They were all good kids, some had it rough, and she really tried to make a difference.  Ultimately, everyone had to make their own decisions in life.  Kids didn't get that and their decisions could haunt them for the rest of their lives.  Even the strongest characters could eventually be broken when pushed came to shove.  That wasn't a good lesson for the to learn the hard way.
James did check to see if Mel stayed at the compound.  He trusted her, deeply.  It was others he didn't trust.  The kimoyo bead he gave her had a tracker in it.  Sure enough, she was at the compound, according to the locale, she was in bed.  Whether she was asleep or not, he didn't know.  She always had difficulty sleeping when alone.  He hoped that since she was at the compound with others there, it would be easier for her.  Deep down, he knew she needed contact to someone more than anything to fall asleep and stay asleep.  A couple times they fell asleep together but he got up early to work on some reports.  He was in the other room, but could hear here dreams here fitful.  A few times, she woke up screaming.  When asked what it was over, she couldn't remember.  Perhaps it was for the best.
He shifted as he got dressed, still sore from the last fight they had.  That was the other thing he noticed when they slept together, all the aches and pains, cuts and bruises disappeared much faster than his normal super soldier metabolism allowed.  It was a theory he had that he wanted to test out when he got home.
Mel's week was pretty normal save for the fact that she used the sling ring to get around.  After school, she would stop by the New York sanctum and read the different books or worked with Wong or Strange for an hour or two.  Then headed back to the compound.  While she was always welcomed there, it did feel like a club she didn't belong to.  She was always glad to help whenever they asked, listen if someone needed to be heard, or give advice if asked.  She felt like an outsider all the same.
While James encouraged her to go out on a mission with the, she was afraid to let them down.  Although, with the extra training she had been getting from Wong and Strange, she was starting to feel a little more confident.  James said he'd be back in three more days the latest.  She could do it.
Thor came in last night with Love, she was proving to be a handful for most of the team members.  Although, the team remaining were male.  Love needed a firm hand, that was true.  Mel could get her to do things though when she asked.
"She's a little girl with the powers of a god," she explained.  "Your parents had other individuals to help raise you, you only have yourself.  I know it's tough, you'll both get there.  Set clear boundaries, be consistent, follow through with consequences, give options.  That's the best advice I can give."
Thor was in the kitchen with his head between his hands.
"You also got to remember, you're starting with a child, not a baby.  It's a little easier, I've been told when you start with your own."  She put a gentle and sympathetic hand on his shoulder and transferred some positive energy to him.  She could tell he was being worn thin.  "I'm pretty sure I can take her to school with me for the next couple days, perhaps being around kids the same age and with similar abilities will help."
"Yes, because the mighty Thor needs a nap," he joked.  "Love!  Come here."
In all honesty, this was something that would allow Mel to practice a lot of the spells she learned and it would be nice to have a little pal.  They explained their idea to her, she seemed really excited about being around other kids.  They set some ground rules for her.  If everything worked out well, perhaps she could stay and attend school on earth.  Love walked over to Mel and gave her a huge hug.  The next few days, Mel had a shadow following her everywhere.  Love was not a problem with any of the other students and was having lots of fun.  In the evenings, the two could be found in a corner somewhere cuddled up with hot cocoa and a book.  Thor usually had to carry Love to their rooms.  He always mouthed a thank you.  While Mel never had kids of her own, she loved children immensely.  It was bitter sweet the way she took care of Love.  In the back of her mind, she knew this was only a temporary fix for a friend, she enjoyed it while it lasted.
Mel decided she wanted a swim before turning in.  She had bought a new fitness watch and made sure it was working before she started her laps.  She set the count to fifty so an alarm would go off when she got there.  It didn't take that long.  Maybe she really did do that many laps the other day.  She restarted the counter and went back at it.  She was determined to wear herself out tonight.  Tomorrow was thanksgiving and she wanted to spend it either asleep or helping at St. Mark's.
It was well after midnight when Thor came to the pool.  He dove into his own lane and started his laps.  Mel kept a consistent pace not changing her stride to match his.  Her flip turns were perfect, he on the other hand was a bit clumsy.  Figuring she would give him some privacy, when she finished the last lap, she got out.
"Hey," Thor bellowed.  She stopped midway up the ladder, "no need to pop off, you can keep swimming if you'd like."
She liked Thor, sometimes he could be a bit of a larger personality than she needed.  "Um, it's ok," she said as she walked towards her robe and towel.  "Tomorrow's thanksgiving, lots of work to do."
"Oh the holiday with the bird," Thor smiled.
"Kind of, not everyone does turkey though."
"Hey, didn't you have a scar on your face, did you have it removed?"
"Yeah, it's still there though, trust me."
"No I'm pretty sure it's not there any longer."  This time he got out of the pool.  "Yeah, it's not there anymore.  Good for you."
"Ok?"  With that he tried to touch her face to get a better look, sue backed off turning promptly and leaving.  She felt really uncomfortable now around him.
When she got back to James' apartment, she checked it out.  Yes, sure enough, the scar was gone.  What the what? She thought.  Scar don't magically disappear.  Even though it was after midnight, she needed some answers.  Mel got dressed quickly.  She went to the New York sanctum and started researching.  It was morning by the time Strange found her under a pile of books.
"Happy thanksgiving, I don't recall inviting you to breakfast let alone thanksgiving dinner."
"Um, we have a problem.  By we, I mean me.  Sorry to intrude.  Do you know if Wong is at Karma Taj?"  She began putting all the books she pulled away.