Bozhe Moi

Our Last Summer

Becca snuck out of the hotel and saw the men walking outside. She went after them in a panic, hoping that they weren't leaving.

"Wait," she yelled out while running towards them.

They turned and stopped when they saw her. Bruce smiled in greeting, Bucky nodded and Steve gave her his full attention.

"Where are you going," she asked once she caught up to them. "I thought you were staying at the hotel."

"Your mom caught us," Bruce answered. "Don't worry, she doesn't know why we're here. We were just going to the head to the docs, take in the view and hang out."

"You're welcome to join us," Steve added.

"How do you know where the docs are," she asked curiously.

"I used to live here for a while," Bucky said. "Not this exact neighborhood, but I lived in the town."

"When did you live here," Becca asked Bucky.

"Around 19 years ago," he answered. "A couple of years after I got back from the war I traveled a lot. Ever been to Wakanda?"

"No, but I hear it's beautiful there. My fiancée is fascinated with Wakanda."

"If you ever want to go, let me know and I can help you out, I know Queen Shuri. And it's as beautiful as you've heard, trust me."

"Thanks!"

On the way to the docs, Becca pulled out her pocket notebook as an idea for her hypothesis came to mind. She wrote it down and turned her head when she felt someone looking at the book.

"What's that," Bruce asked with curiosity in his voice.

"Oh, sometimes I get ideas and jot them down," she explained. "My grandma is a scientist and ever since I was a kid I've always loved the subject. Sometimes I help out the science department at S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Really," he asked happily. "I'm a scientist for Stark Industries, so if you ever want me to look anything over while I'm here, I'd be happy to help out."

"That would be great actually. Thank you," she said as she showed him her notebook and explained the hypothesis.

The duo had fallen back a bit, letting Bucky lead the way while Steve was in the middle of the group.

He pulled out a pen but halted when an old photo came out of his pocket. Becca picked it up before he could, and she saw it was of him and Natasha when they were younger. They looked happy and in love.

Becca handed it back to him and he thanked her before pocketing it again.

"Is this from when you met mom," she asked him.

Yeah," he answered. He appeared lost in his memories as he continued, "I was visiting my mother in Ohio when I met her. I saw Natasha across the street from where my car was and I smiled and waved, then introduced myself. The picture was taken a week before I found out I had to go back to the military base I was stationed at."

As they group reached the docs, Rebecca saw two of her co-workers doing something stupid that could hijink an upcoming mission. She launched into boss mode as she got ahead of the men.

"Billy, Tommy," she yelled out. "What did I say about that wire?"

They looked up as they were caught and scrambled as they both yelled out, "Sorry, ma'am!"

"Just get that back to base and don't mees with it again until you are given the all clear," she ordered. "Next time, I tell Director Romanoff."

The twins nodded and ran to the direction of the base. Becca sighed in frustration and turned her attention back to the men.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Maxamoff twins. They're always getting into trouble, but they're smart. One is fast as lighting on the field and the other is practically a wizard."

"You have good leadership skills," Steve complemented.

"I get it from mom. She's head of the Russian S.H.I.E.L.D. base and I learned a lot by watching her."

Steve nodded in approval and amazement. Bruce and Bucky seemed impressed, but not surprised.

Becca sat down at the edge and Steve sat next to her while Brue and Bucky were having their own conversation.

"Ever been to New York," Steve asked.

"No, but I know mom used to live there," Rebecca answered.

"That's where I met her after coming home from the army," Steve said. "I wasn't paying attention and ran straight into her."

"What do you do now?"

"I'm with the F.B.I.," he answered. "Used to live in London, then I moved back to New York."

He seemed somber but shook out of it and handed her a photo of him with Natasha when they were younger. Becca noticed the look of first love on her mom's face and happiness on Steve's. She handed the picture back to him and he thanked her.

"Why the F.B.I.," she asked.

"I wanted to. Everyone used to call me a natural born leader, so I used it to my advantage and joined the F.B.I. Now, I'm working my way up in the ranks."

Before she could ask him more questions, Bruce sat down on Steve's other side and she noticed Bucky planting his feet wrong for a fight stance. Becca excused herself to correct the other man.

"Your feet are planted wrong," she told him.

"Oh, thanks. Haven't done this move in a few days and I'm out of practice," he told her as he made the correction. "You do martial arts?"

"Yeah," Becca answered. "My family's been teaching me to fight for as long as I can remember."

"Makes since Natasha would teach you," Bucky mused then quickly kicked his leg and brought it down. "You know I met her in a martial arts class?"

"Really?"

"Yep. We were sparring partners until I went to another place closer to my apartment. I had severe PTSD back then and martial arts helped, but I also needed therapy and treatment."

He pulled out a photo and handed it to her. She looked at it to see it was of him and Natasha, and Becca noticed that they both looked happy. She handed it back to Bucky, who pocketed it and thanked her.

"Did the therapy help," she asked him.

"Yeah," he said with relief in his voice. "I consider myself lucky."

"You spar a lot?"

"Yeah, ever since I was a kid. Eventually started my own place when I was done travelling. Over the years I've taught veterans, people with mental illnesses and any type of disabilities." He took off his glove to reveal a meatal hand and said, "I lost my arm in the war. When I lived in Wakanda for a while, they gave me a prosthetic arm that looks like metal."

All of the photos that showed her mom was happy in her past relationships and the similarities Becca had with each man led her to wonder which of three was her real father. Did she really get her skills from her family, or did she inherit something from one of the men?

As she mulled over this new information, she and Bucky went to sit with Steve and Bruce.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Bruce asked, "So are you in college?"

"No," she answered. "I went straight from high school to S.H.I.E.L.D., but mom hasn't let me on the field yet. I do what I can on the computers or in the labs."

Before she could continue, her phone went off, signaling a text message. She looked at the device to see that Rick was wondering where she was and she replied she was at the docs but would be at the hotel in a few minutes.

"I've got to go," she told the guys. "But you're coming to my wedding right?"

They all reassured her they would be there, and she ran to find Rick. 

Note: Next chapter is another flashback!