Anamnesis [Lacuna #2] {Completed}

Chapter Two

"Hiraeth (n.) a homesickness for a home in which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past."

~Erin~

"This is Brooklyn?" Bucky asked, turning in a circle. "Are you sure?"

"I told you it was different." Erin mused. "See the bridge is just over there." Erin pointed towards the Brooklyn Bridge.

Bucky turned his head towards where she was pointing and narrowed his eyes suspiciously, like it might be a gimmick of some kind.

Once they had changed and freshened up on the jet, they ate what could be found in the mini fridge and pantry (it was T'Challa's jet after all) and Wanda had stocked several things to make sure they wouldn't starve before they left. After a brief breakfast they headed out into the streets of New York.

They parked the plane near the eastern tip of Brooklyn in a low traffic area. Not many people lived in that area since it was so close to the beach that it was too sandy for housing.

They walked from the jet to the very outskirts of Brooklyn. They considered taking the train into the city, but decided there would be too much surveillance and people in subways to risk it. They had spent the last 2 days cooped up in the jet so a little walking wouldn't be bad for them. So they set out on foot.

It was nearly the end of October and there was a crisp chill in the air, but Erin didn't mind. It was a welcomed change after so many months in the constant Wakanda sun. They remained mostly in silence as they entered the depth of the city, each lost in their own thoughts. Erin watched Bucky from the corner of her eye taking in New York for the first time with fresh eyes.

Every once in a while, Bucky would ask a question about a statue or building he couldn't quite remember. She didn't know New York as well as her home close to D.C. but her family used to come to New York a lot when she was younger.

He was always amazed at just how much the city had grown since he was a resident there. The city had nearly doubled its size in just seventy years.

After another long stretch of silence, Bucky suddenly asked, "When was the last time you were in New York?"

Erin thought about the question for a moment, trying to remember the last time she had seen a play on Broadway with her mom or taken a walk through Central Park with her dad and James. "I'm actually not really sure." She confessed. "My father attended Columbia University here for college." Erin felt a smile play on her lips, "It's where he met my mom. They graduated top of their class, so they were always both welcomed back to the University to give guest lectures or catch up with old friends and colleagues. Once both James and I were old enough, they started taking us with them. New York felt like a second home when I was younger." She paused for a moment. This was the first time she had thought about her family trips to New York since her mom died. It made her chest happy but ache at the same time. "We would stay for weeks at a time during the summers. On the weekends, dad used to take James and I on the ferry over to Staten Island." She half smiled remembering her dad hold onto her as she would lean over the edge of the boat to watch the waves lap against the sides of the ferry.

She looked Bucky walking next to her. He was looking at her thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked him, half laughing.

"You miss them don't you?"

Erin's smile faded. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but it wasn't that.

She faced forward swallowing hard. To distract herself, she pulled the letter with the address out of her pocket. "The address on the letter should be just a few more blocks and streets over." She pushed ahead of Bucky. She knew she was avoiding talking to him about her family, but it wasn't a subject she was sure she was ready to talk about... not yet.