[Virginia AU] we rose up from the falling waters

[nerves_of_ice]

A little over a week goes by, and as it does Bucky falls into a pattern, slow but sure. He wakes with Sharon in the mornings, shares coffee and something that suffices for breakfast, then works a little on searches and checking contacts and sources from other time zones and locations. Mid-morning finds him at the Task Force offices with Riley and his team. Early afternoon finds him meeting with Ross, if there's any reason to; mid-afternoon he checks in with Steve, with Tony, or with Natasha before he goes back to tracing rumors and hints.

Today's different, though. Today is Sharon's first day back at work after her suspension, and Bucky's determined not to do a single damn thing that might possibly make it difficult for her.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"You know the drill," Ross tells her. "Get to it. Barnes, you too."

Bucky nods and rises, then steps outside to wait.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon follows him out, lifting a hand in farewell to Marta as she goes, then pauses in the corridor with him. "Is Riley in this morning?" she asks.

"He's got a number of contacts we might be able to use, too."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He is," Bucky confirms. "Although I think he had a few meetings. Avis has been helping with data analysis, once we got the whole set from Natasha, plus what I had."

He glances down the hall toward her office, then nods in the direction of his workspace. "Your call."

[from_the_outside]

"Bring him and Avis over to my office when he's back," Sharon tells him. "I'll go through everything you can send me and everything Ross has until then."

She grins at him, vibrantly pleased. "Time to get to work."

[nerves_of_ice]

She's delighted and practically glowing, happy to be back at work, and he knows how good she is at what she does. Bucky swears to himself that he won't do anything else that could put her career at risk, and smiles back as he nods. "You got it. See you soon."

[from_the_outside]

Her main takeaway, from reviewing Bucky and Ross's intel and going over Avis's data, is that Klaue wants to be found and to make a deal. Bucky's contacts report that Klaue is being anything but coy, and Riley's offer the same intelligence.

It's not a surprise, maybe. Klaue has sold to governments before. If he wants to make a deal for his vibranium, it behooves him to be available.

She's going over Avis's most recent report at the table after dinner, a half-drunk cup of coffee at her elbow as she scrolls through the pages. "I thought it went pretty well today," she says to Bucky, off-handed and half-distracted. "Even with HR."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Mm-hm," he agrees. Bucky crosses over to make another half-pot of coffee, then leans back against the counter while it brews. "Glad to hear it. You seem happy to be back."

[from_the_outside]

"I am," she confirms, highlighting a line of Avis's report and adding it to her notes. "Suspension is crazy boring. And Klaue is a nutjob, but he's an interesting nutjob."

She tears her focus away from the screen and glances over at him. "If this intel is right, this is the most vibranium anyone's seen since Steve's shield."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm not sure how it'd compare weight for weight to what ended up in the Ultron mess," he muses, "but probably. It's definitely enough to cause a lot of trouble."

Dryly, he adds, "Which is anything but boring."

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah," Sharon agrees. "Isn't it great?"

It's not that she's a thrill seeker or an adrenaline junkie – although she is, both – it's just that she hasn't been able to do her damn job for months now. She lifts her coffee and sips at it, then makes a face at tasting the bone-cold liquid. "More to the point, it's enough to get some serious attention from governments, which it looks like Klaue's banking on. I think he'll agree to a buy."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Here." He beckons for her to give him her mug so he can refill it.

"Makes sense. It doesn't do him any good unless he can sell it. Bidding war or contract buy?"

[from_the_outside]

She hands over her mug without argument. "Contract would be better," she points out. "Those bidding wars can get messy. At least with a contract we'd be able to stake out a location and establish some control over the meet."

[nerves_of_ice]

He freshens her mug, adding cream and cinnamon, and brings it back over. "Who'd be on point to do the buy?"

He has a suspicion he knows, but might as well ask.

[from_the_outside]

Her mouth twitches as she accepts the mug and looks up at him. "I thought maybe Ross would want to go back into the field for this one."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky eyes her. "Is he any good undercover?"

[from_the_outside]

"He wouldn't need to be undercover," she points out. "Although Klaue might be more likely to do business with him if he thinks Ross is working under orders from the CIA, not the Task Force."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Fair point, and I agree." He goes back to refill his own coffee mug and leans back against the counter again, sipping it. "CIA's reputation's sufficiently shadowy in certain circles to make it work."

[from_the_outside]

"That's us," she says. "Shady government officials."

She sips at her coffee and leans back, watching him. "The rest of the team would be undercover, for security. And we shouldn't pick a place that's too public, but not so private people won't look the other way while a deal is going down."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Only some of you," he drawls. "Anyway, if the rest of the team's undercover, then I can be part of it pretty easily."

[from_the_outside]

"Oh, yeah?"

She gives him an amused, appraising glance. "If Ross lets you come, you mean."

[nerves_of_ice]

"The Avengers have a direct interest in this," he points out, mildly.

[from_the_outside]

"True," she agrees. "And Klaue's a little trigger-happy, so it'd be good to have someone with your reflexes around."

She smiles over at him. "Looks like we'll get to go on a mission together."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky smiles back.

"Officially, this time."

[from_the_outside]

"Remind me to get Ross some antacids," she teases, then looks thoughtful. "Your contact said Klaue was in Asia, right? I might have an option for a meeting space."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Maybe aspirin, too." Bucky tilts his head as her expression shifts, and nods. "Yeah. When last contacted, anyway."

He comes back to join her at the table, reaching for his phone and the tablet he's using to write. "Let's see what we can figure out."