[Leipzig AU] a means to a necessary end

[nerves_of_ice]

It's a long flight from Berlin to Novosibirsk and the secret location far beyond it, even in a Quinjet. They spend the time planning and coordinating. Bucky describes the structure and security of the facility itself as best he remembers. Tony calls up plans and blueprints from god knows where and throws them into the middle of the plane for all to see. They're not the same as what Bucky remembers, they figure out fairly quickly, but they're better than nothing.

Tony also takes over the back of the plane and snaps at anyone who comes close, doing something that involves shifting screens and models of buildings and wave patterns and a human skull, and the eventually the low humming grind of a machine. Soon after, he stalks back up to the front of the plane and shoves a set of custom-fabricated earplugs at Bucky, who stares at them and then at Tony.

"Noise-cancelling all the way to total sound blackout. Tap the end of the earpiece to deafen yourself," Tony informs him. "Last thing we need's for you to be his puppet." Bucky starts to stammer a thanks, but Tony growls something under his breath and stalks back to the back of the plane again to work on something else. Steve catches Bucky's eye and shakes his head, and Bucky decides to leave well enough alone.

Sam advises everyone to rest in shifts; Bucky knows he's not wrong, but neither he nor Steve can do it, and after a while Sam stops trying to convince them. Natasha sits with him for a while, her eyes dark with concern. They don't say much, but there's no need to.

A Snowcat is parked outside the door of the facility when they land. Bucky's jaw sets in hard lines at the sight of it, and he trades a look with Steve.

They're already here.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

It's almost unimaginable luxury everywhere he looks, along with an almost unthinkable amount of choice, and for a split second Bucky's certain he's going to collapse. Somehow he manages to keep from freezing in place like a startled deer as they walk into the penthouse suite.

Steve's acting like this is normal. Maybe it is normal, for Tony Stark, for the Avengers, for those around them. Maybe it's just him who's broken.

He trails the others like a shadow through the room. He shakes his head at the sundae bar - when was the last time he had ice cream? He doesn't know, and it's not been something that he'd spent any time seeking out in the last few years - but fills one of the glasses as much like everyone else as he can.

If his selections happen to mirror Steve's, hopefully no one will notice. He can't make those decisions, not right now. He can't.

Bucky settles carefully in an armchair and listens to the conversation between Tony and Sam, and does his best to be near-invisible. Steve's happy. He will be, too.

[from_the_outside]

* * * * *

"Agent Carter," the receptionist at the clinic greets her. "How nice to see you. Again."

She makes a face at him and fills out the necessary forms, then takes a seat with Nat in the waiting room.

They can't possibly keep her overnight. She's fine. It's not like this is the first time she'll have to recover from a concussion or a fight.

(It is the first time she has to recover from being put into a cryo tank and drugged with God only knows what, but she does her best not to think about that just now.)

[marvel_npc]

"So...," Nat drawls. "Come here often?"

She stretches her legs out in front of the chair, crosses her ankles, and slants a sideways look at Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

"No," Sharon says, annoyed, then purses her lips, forced to amend.

"It's just that I was here recently. Checking up on some broken ribs."

[marvel_npc]

"Uh-huh." Annoyance is good. Annoyance is resistance, which is the opposite of compliance, which means the injection isn't reasserting its hold. Nat decides it's one of the very, very few times in her life she's been truly grateful for the existence of cryostasis.

"Should I ask?"

[from_the_outside]

"Got shot while wearing body armor," Sharon tells her, after a second's deliberation.

This isn't really the time or place to tell Nat the whole story. "Plus some hand to hand. It wasn't that bad."

[marvel_npc]

"Ouch," she says, lightly. "Better to be shot with than without the armor, though."

"Mrs. Carter?" the nurse calls, and Nat manages to stifle a laugh. "They never do manage to get that quite right, do they? It's the language," she murmurs. "Want me to come back with you?"

[from_the_outside]

"You'd think they'd stick with 'agent,'" Sharon mutters, as she gets up.

Her thoughts are still a little slower than she'd like, but it doesn't take her long to consider and nod. "Yeah. Then they can see I've got someone to go back with."

There's no way in hell she's staying here overnight.

[marvel_npc]

"Exactly."

She walks with Sharon through the doors and down the hallways to the exam room, listening quietly as her friend answers questions and submits to various assessments. When Sharon admits that she was injected with something but doesn't know what it was, the medical staff swing into a brisk flurry of activity, drawing enough blood for a small flock of vampires.

Nat'll be surprised if they find the formula on any of the standard tests, but she makes a note to get a look at Sharon's test results all the same.

[from_the_outside]

The blood drawn, she submits to further testing to determine the severity of her injuries. The team is unhappy – to say the least – about her time spent in a cryo chamber, and the doctor who comes to speak with her about it looks grave and strongly recommends that she stay overnight for observation.

"We can't know what, if any, long-term side effects might be," he tells her, but reluctantly accepts when she refuses to stay, with the caveat that she return on a regular basis so the clinic can track her recovery and keep an eye on any unexpected after-effects.

[marvel_npc]

"I'll watch her," Nat promises, blithely. "She'll stay with me tonight. Don't worry, she won't get away with hiding any symptoms."

She's absolutely certain of it, knowing James. She smiles at Sharon. "Ready to go?"

[from_the_outside]

Sharon gives her friend a grateful look and nods. "Definitely."

She's got her prescription in hand – a mild sedative to help her sleep – and thanks the team before making her escape. Their Task Force-appointed driver gives her a speaking look, but opts not to argue. Soon enough they're pulling away and headed for the hotel, and Sharon leans back against the seatback, closing her eyes as she finds Nat's hand with hers and gives it a squeeze.

"Thanks," she murmurs.

[marvel_npc]

"You're more than welcome," she assures her, with a return squeeze. "It's been a long time since we had a sleepover."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon huffs a laugh and slants a sidelong glance at her.

"It sure has been. We've got a lot to catch up on."

[marvel_npc]

"We really do," she agrees, with an arch look.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon presses her lips at that teasing glance and rolls her eyes.

"All will be revealed," she says, grandly, and promptly closes her eyes again, then keeps them closed for the rest of the ride.

[marvel_npc]

Once they reach the hotel, Nat sends the driver away with a cheerful smile and escorts Sharon right past the desk and to the elevator. “Steve texted,” she explains. “Apparently Tony’s throwing an ice cream party in the penthouse.”

[from_the_outside]

The last thing she wants to do is hang around the Avengers and be forced to pretend that she's fine, to socialize and make small-talk, but it'll look bad if she doesn't.

So she smiles, slight, as Nat hits the button for the penthouse. "Great. Hopefully there's still some ice cream left."

[marvel_npc]

"Knowing Tony? There's an entire store's worth," Nat assures her.

Deliberately casual, she adds, "James should be there too. Steve mentioned he came back with them."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon's mouth twitches.

"Then I guess I'll be able to get all my updates out of the way to everyone all at once," she says, just as casually.

"Until tomorrow morning, anyway."

[marvel_npc]

"Mm-hm." Amusement dances in her eyes as the elevator emits a quiet 'ding' and the doors slide open.

"This way."

[marvel_npc]

They've been hanging out for a while when the door to the penthouse suite opens and Natasha enters, smiling, leading Sharon.

She looks fine, Steve's happy to note. Drawn and tired and still more pale than he'd like, but upright, and that's a win in his book. "Hey," he says, and gets up to greet them, smiling. "I hope you two are hungry."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Tony got a lot of ice cream," Sam adds, with a grin.

"What? Everyone likes ice cream," Tony defends himself. "What's wrong with ice cream?"

Bucky doesn't say anything, but rises to his feet automatically in an echo of Steve's politeness. His glance is sharp and searching as he takes in every nuance of Sharon's appearance.

[from_the_outside]

"I like ice cream," Sharon says, and follows Nat to the kitchen to get some. She catches Bucky's intent glance as she dips out some mint chip, and gives him a small, hopefully reassuring smile in return.

She'd give a lot to be able to retreat with just him to some quiet space somewhere, but it looks like that's not in the cards right this second.

[nerves_of_ice]

He settles back into his seat as Natasha, teasing, sticks some kind of waffle-printed cookie into the top of Sharon's ice cream and adds one to her own dish before wandering with it to a small sofa.

"So," Natasha asks, as she toes off her shoes and curls her feet under her in the corner of the little couch. "What'd we miss?"

"Not much," Sam replies. "You know, just the usual madness." Steve rolls his eyes at him.

"Oh?" He's half expecting it when she shoots a look at him. "Well, in that case - James, are we driving you crazy yet?"

"Not at all," he returns, dryly. "I'm already pretty crazy as it is, I figure."