Winter's Child

Chapter 4 The Journey

Bucky flew as far as Paris, where he and Kagome abandoned the plane. Bucky had ripped out the transponder so they wouldn't be tracked, but to be safe, he decided they would take other means to the United States. Bucky knew how to travel incognito to avoid Hydra and any other authorities if necessary. If necessary, he could rough it and live off the land, but he was concerned that his daughter couldn't.

When Bucky told Kagome about his concerns, she smiled and hugged her dad, “Dad, don't worry about me; I'm used to roughing it. But what we need to do is fix the brainwashing that they did on you and get rid of the trigger words,” Kagome told her father.

Bucky looked at his daughter, intrigued. Then he remembered what Emi told him about her family. She was from a long time of priests and priestesses.

“A long time ago, my ancestors could purify Youkai and had healing powers. It's been many generations since someone in our line had active priestess powers,” Emi explained.

Bucky's eyes widened as he realized his daughter had priestess powers from her maternal line, “You have priestess powers, don't you, Kagome?”

Kagome looked at her father in shock, “How do you know about that?” She inquired.

Bucky smiled at his daughter. It was Bucky's first genuine smile in decades, “Your mother told me all about her family history when we lived in Paris. I'm so proud that you are the first Miko in generations. Now I understand why Hydra kidnapped you. They wanted to condition you and use your powers,” Bucky concluded.

“It wasn't only that. I heard them say you passed on your super soldier abilities to me. They would inject me with the serum, but it wasn't necessary.” Kagome added.

Bucky nodded, but inside, he was seething. How dare they try to condition his daughter! Bucky knew that a lot of pain would have been involved, and if Kagome's abilities healed her as her mother said, they would torture Kagome until she became a shell of her former self. There was no way Bucky would let that happen to his child. He would rather die protecting Kagome.

So, now that Bucky knew that Kagome had healing powers and that she was very powerful, he let her work on him to remove the brainwashing. Now that it was settled, Bucky bought camping equipment and stole a car. They used the car to get out of Paris, and from there, they would travel cross-country to avoid people.

As they traveled, Kagome and her father exchanged stories. Bucky learned of Kagome's feudal-era adventures, and Kagome learned about Bucky's life. He didn't want to tell her at first, but Kagome assured him that whatever she told him would never stop her from loving him. So, Bucky reluctantly told her everything he could remember. Every night, with the help of Kagome's powers, he remembered more about his life, and faster than he thought possible, Kagome fixed his mind and erased the trigger words. By the time they reached Paris, Bucky was his old self again and remembered everything about his past, the good and the bad.

It was 1,035.1 kilometers or 643.181 miles to Barcelona, Spain, from Paris, and it took them thirty-eight days to reach Barcelona, traveling on foot; it was worth it, though. Kagome and Bucky got to know each other, and their bond as father and daughter strengthened. Even though it was a long and challenging journey, Kagome enjoyed every minute. When they finally reached Barcelona, they took a ship across the Atlantic to New York. From there, they would travel to New Orleans.

While they traveled on the cruise ship, Bucky “borrowed” someone's computer, hacked into their bank account, and stole enough money to buy a car and a house in New Orleans. Later, when it was safer, Bucky would contact Emi and bring her and her son to New Orleans.

When they arrived in New York, Kagome and Bucky bought an SUV, new clothes, untraceable phones, and other necessities for their trip to New Orleans. It took them twenty-five hours to reach New Orleans, taking The Blue Ridge Parkway Route. As they drove to New Orleans, Bucky was always on alert for any Hydra agents, but once they entered New Orleans, he relaxed a bit more. He knew there were no Hydra cells in New Orleans, and if there were, they would not be in the French Quarter.

Kagome marveled at the sights as they went through New Orleans to the French Quarter. The minute they entered the French Quarter, Kagome was on alert. Bucky looked at his daughter.

“What's the matter, Kagome?” Bucky asked his daughter.

Kagome looked at her father, “I feel something strange here. Almost as if the French Quarter were full of Youkai.”

Bucky nodded, “That's probably the Supernatural beings that live here,” Bucky answered.

“What do you mean, Supernatural beings?”

“There are vampires, witches, and werewolves living in the French Quarter. The vampires were the reason Hydra couldn't get a foothold in this place. The agents were either killed or compelled to leave the city. The only one they couldn't do that to was me. And even though I can take on vampires, I can't take them all alone. But don't worry, as long as we're discreet and don't call attention to ourselves, they won't try anything against us,” Bucky assured his daughter.

If Kagome was anything like him, she could resist the vampire's compulsion, and with her priestess powers, the witches were no match for her. So, Bucky wasn't worried; he would still keep an eye on his daughter, though.

Father and daughter drove through the French Quarter to their new home. Before they reached New Orleans, Bucky got online and purchased a home for them in the middle of the French Quarter, and Kagome bought all the furniture for the house online. She only had to arrange it the way she wanted it. But before they got to the house, they needed to stop by the store and buy groceries. Tonight, Kagome would make a home-cooked meal for her dad.

After buying the groceries and other necessities, Kagome and Bucky drove to the house. They arrived, and Bucky got out first. He scanned the area, making sure it was as secure as it was going to get with them living in a Supernatural city. Once he was satisfied that there was no danger, Bucky opened the door for Kagome, and she got out of the SUV. Bucky found the key where he instructed the real estate agency to leave it. He unlocked the door and walked in first, ensuring everything was clear. Kagome came in once her dad was safe. She marveled at the beauty of their new home. It turned out that Kagome didn't have to change anything. The setup in the house was perfect.

After picking out their rooms, Kagome and Bucky went downstairs to unload the SUV. Bucky brought in their luggage, while Kagome brought in the groceries. She put everything away and then went upstairs to shower to wash off the travel grime. When she finished her shower, Kagome dressed comfortably and put her hair in a messy bun. Kagome stepped out onto her balcony to watch the sunset. She stood out there for a bit, admiring the sights and sounds of her new home. Just as Kagome was about to go in, she spotted a well-built man with brown hair who was wearing an expensive suit walk into the gated home across the street from her. She could feel his aura from that distance, and Kagome knew she was looking at her first vampire.

‘He looks harmless enough,’ Kagome thought, but looks can be deceiving; she had enough experience. So she wasn't going to take any chances. Kagome would later put up sacred sutras to keep out malicious Supernatural beings. Kagome nodded to herself and went inside to start dinner.

What Kagome didn't see was Elijah Mikaelson looking up at the last second and spotting her retreating form, ‘We have new neighbors,’ Elijah thought.

Elijah continued his way into The Abattoir, and as he walked into the compound, Elijah thought that maybe he should get to know their new neighbors. He saw the young lady on the balcony as she went inside, and Elijah was captivated. He didn't know why, but Elijah wanted to meet her. Little did he know that their new neighbors would change his life forever.