Duty (An Armorer/Paladin Story)

Finally, a cease-fire.

Before I went to bed, I chatted with my friend, giving her the general context of Bucky and explaining what the trouble was here. As I'd expected, she had some helpful suggestions for me, and I clicked off Skype feeling a lot better.

The next morning, the pups bolted their breakfast and went outside to play while I selected a hearty breakfast from the buffet. I was reflecting on the previous night's conversation when I felt a hand on the nape of my neck. I looked up, startled, to see Steve with his plate. I waved at the other chairs at the table. "Have a seat."

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to talk after last night," he said, sitting down, then standing again. "Forgot my coffee. Can I bring you anything?" I still had an almost full mug of coffee, so I asked for orange juice. While I waited, I crunched my way through a piece of thick-cut bacon. So good.

"I had a conversation with my therapist friend last night," I told him when he'd started eating. "Both to give her some background about Bucky's situation and to get some insight about the situation here." Steve looked up, surprised and attentive. "She had an idea that I'd like to run past you, suggesting that he do his initial therapy in New York rather than coming here and doing it remotely. It might be easier for him to work through everything he's experienced on his own. I think it would serve two purposes, actually: one, making his transition from Winter Soldier to an autonomous person easier, and second, easing pressure here. There would be more time for consideration and deciding what to do. There's certainly the possibility that he might not want to join the Avengers, that he might want to choose an ordinary life," I said gently.

Steve poked his fork around his eggs. He didn't say anything. "I told Constance that I'd cover his bills and expenses," I said. "I don't know what his finances are like or even if HYDRA bothered to pay him anything, but I'm willing to ensure that he's got somewhere to live and funding while he does therapy and gets on his feet. I've got more money than I know what to do with, thanks to Stark's ego, and a great financial advisor, so I can afford it."

"Why would you do that?" Steve asked. "After all he's done."

I swallowed some juice. Fresh squeezed. There are definite advantages to being an Avenger. "Because he's important to you, and we're friends, so that makes it important to me.  It's the same reason I've made an effort with Loki, because Thor's my friend, and why I'll make an effort with Sif. Why I haven't just crossed Stark off. Because we're more than friends, we're a kind of hugely dysfunctional family. And  frankly, it's good for me too. I've been really focused on myself for a long time, that dysfunction extends to me. But here's an opportunity to help someone with specific, substantial problems. The money isn't really important past the ability to get what I need, but here I can use my skills to rebuild an arm, make a real difference for somebody. A whole, functioning arm, which is something that had never crossed my mind. I don't really like blood, so I never wanted to be a doctor. But this I can do, and then I can help other vets with prosthetics. Maybe I can manage a sort of flesh tone to the metal so it blends a little better." I stop and ponder that.  "Have to find out where he'd like to live," I mumble, starting to compile a list. "A house would probably be better than an apartment that has neighbors who might make a fuss. I wonder if he's got valid ID."

Steve cleared his throat and I looked at him. "Thanks."

I smiled a little and went back to breakfast. "This means that the pressure on Stark can be lowered and maybe then he can creep out of the corner he's backed himself into. Gives everybody some breathing room."

"I'll be talking to T'Challa after breakfast," Steve said.

"Great. Get his input on all this. He probably knows Bucky's state of mind pretty well right now. Also ask him if he can send me the specs for the arm? If I've got the measurements and schematics, I can start the work, maybe get it done by the time they get here, and then it will just be a matter of sticking it on and making sure it works." I gestured with my hands, demonstrating.