#i didnt expect this ask today so now you get an unexpected response in return

[samwise1548]

[ID: A screenshot of an ask by user adamofingolstadt that reads “The ‘K’ in ‘Martin K Blackwood’ stands for Kettle” with a heart at the end of the message. \End ID]

AAAAAAAAOH NOOOOO!!! @adamofingolstadt WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO HIM?!?!?!?!?? NOW HE'S KETTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ID: An animated gif of Martin Blackwood from the Magnus Archives from the waste up. He’s drawn in a chibi style and only colored in blue. The animation is of his head transforming into a kettle. His expression through the process is of agony. \End ID]

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

The Good Life: Chapter 5

Hello, my lovelies! Another week, another chapter of this story. I don’t really have too much to say before this chapter, so I suppose I’ll just get right to it.

Need to get caught up? The Good Life: Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4

If you want to be added (or removed) from the tags list for this story, just feel free to let me know!

@pink-royaute @believethaticanandiwill @milllott @likeashootingstarfades @i-dream-of-emus

The Good Life: Chapter 5

The bell to the lift chimed as the metal doors slowly slid open, signaling that they had reached their desired floor, and Finn stepped aside to allow Rae to walk out first.

“I still can’t believe that we’re on the fifth floor of the building!” Rae mused as she looked over the railing outside of the lift that overlooked one of the busy city streets.

“It’s a good thing neither of us are scared of heights, huh?” Finn joked as he adjusted his grip on the large box he was carrying in his arms.

Finn and Rae turned left after exiting the hallway with the lift, already becoming familiar with navigating the building after following the same path numerous times.

When Finn stopped in front of one of the doors, he turned to look at Rae, who was lagging behind slightly as she walked leisurely to take in the view from the top floor of the building.

“Do you have the keys, Finn, or do I?”

“I do, but I can’t get to them with this box,” Finn replied.

“Do ya want me to take the box from you?”

“No, it’s pretty heavy,” Finn replied with a slight grunt as he adjusted his grip on the box to prove his point, “but can you get the keys out of my pocket?”

“Er, sure...which pocket?”

“Back left pocket of my jeans,” Finn said as he angled his body towards her so she could easily reach his pocket.

“Alright,” Rae replied as she hesitantly reached her hand into the pocket of Finn’s jeans to grab the set of keys.

“Uh, sorry,” Finn replied sheepishly when Rae pulled the keys out of his pocket and it elicited an unexpected giggle from him, “that tickled more than I expected.”

Rae laughed and shook her head, but stepped in front of Finn to unlock the door and allow him to walk inside first.

Once inside the door, Finn walked into the large open space that would eventually resemble a living room and placed the box he was carrying beside the other tall stacks of boxes.

“Was that the last box?” Finn asked over his shoulder as he restacked some of the boxes to reduce some of the clutter.

“Indeed! Who knew that between the two of us, we’d have so much stuff?” Rae asked with a laugh as she looked around the room at dozens of cardboard boxes that had been piled haphazardly around the room.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m very proud of how efficient we were today. We got all your stuff and my stuff packed into the moving truck and got it all brought up to the apartment all in a matter of hours!”

“That’s pretty impressive! We make a good team, huh?” Rae asked as she walked to stand beside Finn and bumped his hip with hers playfully.

“We absolutely do,” Finn replied as he wrapped an arm around Rae’s shoulders and pulled her slightly closer, “I think we deserve to reward our hard work. We should order some takeaway since we have no food here yet and then after we’ve eaten if we feel up to it, we can start unpacking boxes. What do you think about that?”

“I think it’s a great idea. I’ll order and you can go pick it up, if that’s alright with you? What do you want to eat?”

“Of course! I don’t have a preference, I’m just starving and would like a lot of food,” Finn added with a smile as he walked away.

Rae called in their takeaway order while Finn reorganized the boxes against the perimeter of the room to ensure that they had a clear path to walk around without tripping.

“Alright, our order should be ready in less than half an hour. I ordered from the Chinese restaurant just down the street because their online reviews looked really good. I hope that’s alright with you.”

“It’s great, thank you. I’ll leave to go pick it up as soon as I find my keys again,” Finn replied with a nervous chuckle.

“Your keys are on the kitchen counter,” Rae replied with a fond smile at Finn’s forgetfulness, “Do you want me to try to find some plates and utensils in one of these boxes while you’re gone?”

“Yeah, that’d be great!”

Once Finn grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone off of the counter where he had left them, he left to go pick up their takeaway order.

Rae searched through the stacks of boxes trying to find whatever she thought Finn and she would need to eat their takeaway and before long she heard the door unlock and Finn walking through the door.

“Sorry if I took longer than you expected. I, uh, wanted to--what is this?”

Rae beamed with pride at the look of surprise on Finn’s face when he walked into the living room to see a small lamp on top of a short stack of boxes to subtly light the room as well as a pile of pillows and blankets strategically arranged to make the floor more comfortable to sit on, since the couch they had bought online wouldn’t be delivered until next weekend.

“I was looking for the boxes with dishes in them and I got a little carried away,” Rae replied with a shrug as she walked up to take the bags of food from Finn.

“Well it looks great! I thought it seemed appropriate that we mark the occasion today with a drink,” Finn replied as he pulled a pack of beer from one of the bags Rae had placed on the kitchen counter, “so I picked this up too. I know it’s not champagne or anything fancy, but...”

“Don’t worry about it. Champagne is disgusting anyways,” Rae replied with a chuckle as she continued unpacking the bags of takeaway containers onto the counter.

“We can go ahead and serve ourselves food and then I also have my laptop here if you wanted to watch something or listen to music while we eat.”

“I don’t feel like paying close attention to anything, so maybe we can just put on some music?” Rae suggested.

After they had served themselves plates full of various entrees, noodles, and sautéed vegetables, Rae sat down on the pile of pillows and blankets as Finn grabbed his laptop to put on one of his many playlists to listen to in the background.

“It’s crazy to think how quickly everything has moved. I mean, less than a month ago I was panicking about how I was going to find a roommate and a little over a week ago we were barely starting to tour potential apartment!” Rae mused as she ate.

“No kidding! If you’d told me over a month ago that I would have moved out of my Da’s house and be living with you, I wouldn’t ever believe it,”

“Oh wow! Thanks, Finn!” Rae scoffed.

“That’s not what I meant! I just meant that I wasn’t serious about moving out until I found out how badly you needed to find a roommate. Even when I first suggested it, it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. I couldn’t even fathom why you had agreed to be my roommate, if I’m being honest.”

“Well I’m glad that this whole thing worked out as well as it has so far!”

“Me too, Rae!” Finn replied as he lifted his can of beer into the air in cheers.

The pair continued eating and talking until both were completely stuffed and pleasantly buzzed on cheap beer.

“Wow,” Rae began after a long yawn, “I’m so exhausted!”

“I know what you mean! After lifting all those boxes, I’m sure both our arms are gonna be sore tomorrow.”

Rae leaned over to place both of their now-empty plates on top of one of the nearby boxes. When she sat back, Rae angled her body so she was leaning into Finn’s side.

She looked over at him, silently asking if that was okay, and while he looked a bit surprised, he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her in a loose embrace.

“I don’t want to unpack boxes tonight. I have the day off of work tomorrow as well, so I’ll unpack tomorrow while you’re at work.”

“I can’t let you unpack everything alone! I’ll play hooky from work and stay here to unpack with you,” Finn replied.

“You don’t have to!”

“No, but I want to.”

“Alright,” Rae replied with a small smile as she allowed her eyes to slowly drift shut as they continued talking and listening to music.

When Finn stood from the ground and grabbed the dirty dishes to wash, he looked back to see Rae curled up on the pile of blankets, scrolling through her phone.

“Did you want another beer before I put them in the fridge?” Finn asked from the kitchen after he had finished washing their dishes and setting them aside to dry.

When he did not get a response, Finn walked out into the living room and was surprised to see Rae asleep on the pile of blankets, snoring lightly.

Finn chuckled quietly, walking back into the kitchen only long enough to turn off the light and returned to the living room.

Finn grabbed Rae’s phone from beside her face where she was laying down and set it on the box closest to her so she could easily find it in the morning.

With all of their larger furniture being delivered over the next week, Finn and Rae had already determined that they would be sleeping on the floor for the foreseeable future, so Finn simply unfolded one of the blankets that Rae was not laying on top of and covered her up with it. Finn considered his options for just a moment before shrugging and laying down on the pile of blankets and pillows in the space beside Rae and allowed the dizzying combination of exertion and excitement to lull him into a state of much needed sleep.

A/N: Yay! Move-in day is over and Finn and Rae are OFFICIALLY roommates! I know this point took a while to build up to, so I made a point to make this chapter extra cute and show how quickly Rae and Finn are getting used to the idea of living together and how adorably domestic these two idiots are even though they’ve only lived together less than a day.

The cuteness has only just begun and even just based on the chapters that I’ve already written or mapped out, there is a lot of fun shenanigans in the upcoming chapters. I know the last couple chapters have been super dialogue-heavy between Rae and Finn (idk how y’all feel about this...I LOVE to read/write dialogue-heavy stuff, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea), but in the future chapters I’m bringing the gang back and we’ll get to see how the gang feels about the Rae/Finn living situation now that more time has passed.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and as always: Stay awesome, my friends! :)

[takingcourage]

The Start of Forever - Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Pairing: Drake x MC

Word Count: 2,387

Series Summary: The wedding has passed and the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria are free to begin their lives together away from the constraints of court. While honeymooning in Texas, they’re confronted with questions from their past that raise implications about their future. (Slight AU)

Chapter Summary: Drake and Jena spend some time alone after a difficult conversation with his mother. 

Author’s Note: Whew! Apologies for the unexpected hiatus on this story. Now that I have some free time again, I should be able to finish posting this story. I appreciate your patience through the long delay!

Tagging: @andy-loves-corgis, @carabeth, @speedyoperarascalparty

All things considered, Karen Walker had been rather more understanding than she’d expected. As Jena loaded her cereal bowl into the dishwasher, she thought back over the painstaking conversation that had ended less than an hour before.

Drake had not underestimated the effect that their news would have on his mother. On learning that her son had been given a duchy, color had drained slowly from the older woman’s face until a dull white shell was all that remained. In spite of her polite responses, the visceral reactions had been painful for all three of them.

Shortly after their previous discussion had finished, Karen had pulled Drake aside for a private word. After what she'd seen over the past eighteen hours, Jena could only hope that the woman was doing him no further damage.

She tried to convince herself that she’d done nothing but hurry along the inevitable, but guilt assailed her all the same. This certainly wasn’t the way she’d envisioned this day going. At this point, so much of their morning had been consumed by unpleasant conversation that she wondered if Drake would want to leave early for their night back in Dallas. She glanced a the stovetop clock, trying not to get her hopes up.

The quiet intonations from down the hall were at least somewhat reassuring. There had been no yelling -- of that was certain. If she was venturing to guess, she didn’t think she’d heard anything that sounded like crying either. Both seemed like signs in favor of productive conversation between mother and son.

Jena found a rag draped across the head of the faucet, dampened it, and set about clearing crumbs from the table. As she finished the final swipe across the width, she sensed a presence coming toward her.

“You don’t have to do that, Wittman.” The soft-spoken words startled out of her thoughts, despite her intuition.

“I know. But I needed something to do.” She cupped her hand underneath the cloth and shook the contents into a nearby trash can. “You doing okay?” Having rinsed the rag, she returned it to its former spot and rubbed her hands down the front of her jeans.

“Fine.” His brown eyes were trained on her, and she raised a quizzical brow as he opened and shut his mouth. Eventually, the words ventured forth. “Would you be interested in going riding? I was hoping to get the chance to show you around the ranch…”

“I’d like that a lot, actually,” she assured, still taking in his appearance.

Drake looked tired. It was evident in the exaggerated slackness of the skin around his eyes. A pang of guilt plagued her as she contrasted this with their time at the cabin. He’d been so peaceful there. After all of the stress she’d seen on that face in the past months, it sickened her to think that she’d been the cause of more.

“Good. We may as well get over to the stables. Have you ever actually saddled a horse, Wittman?” He raised his brow in challenge.

“No, but I think I’m about to learn how.” 

“Just as long as you don’t go scaring the horses. I don’t want to have to reenact that rescue from the derby.”

Jena scoffed at the slight, shaking her head in disbelief as she followed him out the front door. “You know that’s not how it happened, Walker.”

“Of course not,” he acquiesced, treating her to a half smile. She rolled her eyes and fell into step at his side, slipping her fingers into his. 

Jena had only ridden horses a few times during childhood, but she’d adjusted to the practice fairly quickly after coming to Cordonia. When she wasn’t taking day-long treks for foxhunting, she found that she actually enjoyed it very much -- especially when she was fortunate enough to have her husband’s company.

Riding around his family’s property spawned memories of exploring Valtoria with him on horseback, and she felt a pang of longing for their home. There was so much waiting for them when they returned. As much as she had enjoyed the honeymoon, some part of her was giddy at the thought of starting real life together.

Today, however, she was focused on Drake’s wellbeing. Other than the extremely thorough instructions as he’d guided her through the process of saddling the horses, he’d been fairly quiet since coming to find her in the kitchen. Jena's mind overflowed with words that could fill the silence, but nothing felt right. She breathed a grateful sigh when he chose to speak instead.

“I was pretty upset with you this morning, Wittman. I was sitting there drinking coffee and thinking that you were being unreasonable -- that you’d judged my mom too harshly. I’m not so sure anymore.”

The uncertainty in his voice halted her instinctive response. Jena breathed out slowly through her nose, biding her time in case there was more he wanted to say.

“I’ve never felt so angry with her before. She can doubt me all she wants, but doubting you -- I never thought she’d go that far. That’s a line she shouldn’t have crossed. I feel like I don’t even know her anymore...”

“For the record, I didn’t want to be right,” Jena admitted softly, grateful that they kept their horses at a relaxed pace so that she could meet his gaze. Her heart clenched at the distance in his deep brown eyes. “I just know what it’s like to defend someone who doesn’t deserve it. Finding out they’re not who you thought they were...it’s a hard pill to swallow.” She fiddled with the leather reins between her fingers, hoping that she was treading lightly enough to cause no offense.

“Your dad?” he asked simply.

Nodding, she met his eyes. The distant look gave way to a tenderness that mirrored her own worry for him, and she was struck by just how broken both of their families had been. “I wasted a lot of years making excuses for him, Drake. When I finally forgave him, it wasn’t because he’d done anything to deserve it. I just needed closure.” Drake stretched out a hand and she took it gratefully before continuing. “I don’t want you to have to go through all of that with your mom. I hope you’re able to figure things out and find a way to start over, but please don’t beat yourself up about it if you’re not.”

Her husband sighed, taking his time to respond as he turned his gaze to the horizon. “I sort of have to. I mean, dad’s not around any more. She doesn’t exactly have anyone else.”

Jena shook her head in an attempt to clear the conflicting emotions. She’d realized long ago that his protective instinct would have a propensity for getting them in trouble. She just hadn’t expected the trouble to take this form. “You always want to defend the people you care about, Drake. It’s one of the first things I noticed about you -- one of the things I love most about you too. But sometimes you have to think about protecting yourself. Sometimes that may even mean letting others protect you.”

“I don’t like to have people worrying about me.”

“We’ve been over this before…”

“I know. And sometimes having you around to worry about me is a good thing. I wouldn’t have come clean with my mom if it hadn’t been for you.”

“I hope it was the right decision.” She’d spent the past several hours second guessing her encouragement from the night before. “Did things...go okay?”

“Heh.”

She waited several moments, but he elaborated no further. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she ventured finally.

“Just that I think it’s going to take some time for her to adjust to the idea that I’m a noble and that I’m staying in Cordonia for good. But I think some part of her is proud too. Maybe someday she’ll come around to the idea that I’m not just wasting my life over there.”

“Does she really think that?” The words felt strangled as Jena worked them out of her throat. So many of her early interactions with Drake became clearer as she considered Karen’s likely influence.

He clicked his tongue to encourage the horse, but her question remained unanswered. Several paces later, he came to a sudden stop. Jena pulled the reins gently and dismounted to stand beside him in the tall grass.

“We’ll let the horses graze for a bit.”

She stroked the mare’s bony cheek and dropped the reins, putting her hands in her pockets instead. Squinting against the mid-morning sun, she followed Drake to a line of fencing nearby. Green stretched before them on every side, the light wind stirring long blades of grass into mesmerizing waves. She wondered vaguely if this was the sight that had enticed Karen to come back from Cordonia. Out here, in the warmth of late spring, it wasn’t hard to imagine the appeal that this land must have held.

Drake leaned against the nearest post, a wrinkle forming between his brows. With ease, Jena mounted the fence beside him, steadying herself with a certain hand.

Did I cross a line? Why hasn’t he answered my question? Jena hated the thought that her carelessness might have caused such distress. A week ago, she wouldn’t have been so bothered by the thought. Now, as this man’s wife, she felt some measure of responsibility to read his mind. The notion was ridiculous, but present nonetheless. Just as she was clearing her throat, he spoke.

“I’m not sure what my mother thinks anymore. She didn’t take it very well when I moved back to Cordonia. Wanted me to forge my own path instead of running back to the palace.”

“Do you ever regret it?”

“Going back?” At her nod, he continued. “I had a lot of questions at the time, but in a way, mom’s right. I’d been following Liam around for so long that it was easier to just settle back into that when I came back from the States. It took me a while to find where I belonged in all of it.  But no, I don’t regret it. Cordonia is home.”

“You’ve found your way now. And with or without the courtly graces, you’re still Drake Walker,” she beamed encouragingly. “I just wish your mom had taken the chance to get to who that man is.” A fresh sting of remorse accompanied the words, and she looped her fingers around the hand that rested beside her on the fence.

Drake interlocked his fingers with her own and lifted his face tentatively. “I think I’d like for her to get the chance to.”

Her pulse quickened at the meaning that underpinned his words. Biting her tongue, she shifted her weight toward him and took in his pensive expression.

“I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He hiked a hand through his hair. “But I’m not sure I’d ever forgive myself if I cut the relationship off completely. I’d always wonder if things could have been different. I’m not saying that I want to come out here for Christmases or anything, but--” preoccupied, he ceased speaking as she squeezed his hand. 

“I’ll support whatever you choose, Drake. I can’t say I have a very good first impression of her, but I respect how much she means to you. If I had any hope of my dad changing for the better, I’d probably make the same choice.” Her tone grew wistful at the impossible notion. “But I think we’re going to have to find a compromise. I don’t want you bending over backward to make her a part of our lives if she won’t even meet you halfway. You can’t do that to yourself, Drake.”

“Agreed.”

“So she’s going to have to understand that there are boundaries she can’t cross. It’s going to take some time for us to establish trust again.”

“Sounds fair to me,” he considered, stroking her knuckles with his thumb as he looked to her face. “She’s been through a lot, Jena. I don’t want to put her through more than she deserves.”

“I know,” she responded quickly to the flash of pain in his eyes. “But if she puts you through more than you deserve, she’ll have me to contend with.” Although her tone was light, they both knew that the threat was genuine.

He hoisted himself onto the fence beside her, dropping his hands to his sides. “I never thought I’d be so happy to get back to Valtoria, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

She offered a wry smile. “I am too. I know we’re going to try to work things out here, but I can’t wait to get back to Dallas and then home.”

“It’s the last night of our trip, Wittman. How do you want to spend it?”

“Seeing as it’s the last night of our honeymoon,” she emphasized, “I was thinking room service, hot tub, and…some drinks.”

“Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”

“I’m not going overboard though. We’ve got a day full of traveling tomorrow.”

“We’ll sleep it off on the plane.”

“Maybe you will," she joked, hopping down from the fence. “I’ll be awake for it all.”

“Even if I keep you up all night?”

Jena threw him a look over her shoulder. "That didn’t exactly work for the trip out here." He extended a hand toward her and she settled into the space between his legs, running her palms against toned thighs that were stretched taut from his heels pressing into the lower rail.

"I’ll take that as a challenge.” The glint in his eyes sent tendrils of heat through her core.

“Just keeping you on your toes, Walker.” 

Drake shook his head at her accompanying wink. 

“Ready when you are,” she announced, rising to the tips of her toes. Drake cradled her cheek in his hand and leaned into the kiss. His lips were soft and warm, heated by the morning sun. She snaked her arms around his waist and melted into him with pleasure. When she finally pulled away, it took several moments for her head to clear.

The kiss told her all she needed to know. They would make it through this.  Together. 

[teamevilwinter-blog]

Luna (A Winter Soldier Story) Part 9

Pairing: Bucky x OC(Luna) 

Summary: Character is a super soldier who escaped Hydra after S.H.E.I.L.D fell. As she recounts her past she finds herself in New York City seeking out a certain soldier who is the only one who can help her find peace within herself.

 In this part Luna learns about a disturbing plan that Hydra had lined up for her and Bucky. How will things ever be the same? 

Word Count: 2,497 

A/N:  AHh Omg! Its finally here, I cannot believe it took me so long to write this chapter!! A LOT of history of revealed in this part so I hope it doesn't get too confusing! As always enjoy and feedback is appreciated!!!  

~Catch up here~ Luna Masterlist  

Luna’s POV 

“What the hell is going on?” 

My voice rang against the walls of the lab silencing Natasha and Tony. Natasha, who had been facing away from me, whipped her head around at my unexpected entrance. Being an elite and highly trained agent meant she was able to mask her surprise well. But I saw right through it.   

Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she spoke calmly, “Luna? We didn’t think you would be in today. How are you feeling?” I knew she was being sincere in her asking but I also knew that she was trying to play it off. They were not going to get away this easy.

“Fine,” my response was sharp, evidencing my displeasure. “What were you two just talking about?” 

Natasha eyes darted quickly to Tony and then back to me. She sighed slowly before finally giving in. “Luna…what exactly did you hear?” 

“I heard enough to know that I wasn’t given the whole story. The whole truth.” I crossed my arms, my face one of complete seriousness. 

It was Tony who responded instead, ”Your right. We have been withholding some information. But just know it was in an effort to not put too much stress on you at once.” 

“Stress?! Your worried about my stress level?? Sorry, but in the last week alone my whole life has changed in more ways than I can count.” My hand gestured to the monitors. ”Learning of Project Alliance and obtaining bizarre, hormonal, psychic connections. Not to mention being faced with the decision of ending my memory attacks at the cost of my life! And now this?? If anything it makes things worse!” I hadn’t meant to go off like that. Like I mentioned before I’m not a very emotional person, but when it came to my life and my past, nothing gets held back. Nothing. 

Natasha stood up, moving towards me. In a surprise response, I stepped back. My eyes bore into hers, daring her to refuse me. “I need to know everything.” 

She nodded curtly and moved towards the monitor. A few taps and several documents popped up. They were titled Generation Nova. “First a little history lesson. Even after the creation of the Winter Soldier, Hydra never saw it as enough. They continued their plans to extend their super soldier program. Trying their best to replicate the serum and going through several trial and errors. At times they were successful,” she glanced at me ,” but mostly things didnt go according to plan.”

She paced slowly as she talked,“You see, Hydra thought the best way to go about this was to inject an already perfectly trained soldier who could handle the effects of the serum. It worked…but only for a short time. Most soldiers would go rogue, attacking and killing mercilessly. Their mind would turn to mush, unable to cooperate any longer. They figured that the problem was that these soldiers were past a crucial development stage. They were fully mature with their own minds resisting the serum. So they started experimenting younger…much younger. Results got significantly better but still it wasn’t good enough. Hence Generation Nova. Potential assets would be injected with the serum…while still in development.“  

“Still in development?? As in they were still in the womb?” It was hard to believe what I was hearing.

“Precisely”, Natasha continued, “The baby was injected whilst the mother was still pregnant. Then in time a genetically pre-engineered child would be born. Created to do one thing only— serve under Hydra.”

I ran a hand through my hair, processing it all. “That’s so sick! No child-or mother- should have to go through that! But how does this tie in with me though?”

Tony shifted his feet, knowing exactly what was coming next. Natasha spoke slowly at first, “As usual Hydra was always looking for the next best thing. The mothers that carried these children were normal civilians with absolutely no previous enhancements. Hydra wanted to see if super soldier DNA could possibly be inherited. So they set their sights on a new focus…you. You were their greatest creation since the Winter Soldier. And while you were an integral part of Project Alliance, they looked to the future. When you would no longer be able to keep up like before, becoming weaker with age.”

She crossed her arms, locking eyes with me,“To them you were a valuable resource. Imagine a child born from a mother with the best of the serum. A child destined to tower above all, a wonder of genetic engineering.” 

“So that was their plan?! To impregnate me with their latest and greatest creation?? Who would no doubt grow up to be a killer!” I shouted, my head beginning to pound from the onslaught of intense emotions. Before, I had been frustrated but now I was becoming increasingly angry.

Tony spoke up for the first time since Natasha had started talking,“There’s more.”

“More!?”I asked incredulously.

“You wanted us to tell you the whole truth didn’t you?” I nodded allowing him to continue.

“So yes, Hydra planned for you to be a carrier for a new breed of soldier. But there were to be no injections. This baby would be conceived naturally.”

It took me a moment to catch on to what he was saying. “No…no that’s-thats just wrong! So they were just going to put me in bed with some random Hydra goon and expect me to comply?!?”

“It wasn’t random. It was meant to be someone you were already comfortable with.” Tony eyes looked everywhere but mine. Then it dawned on me.

Bucky. They had expected me to have a baby with Bucky.

I turned my attention back to Natasha.“You knew! This whole time you knew! Yesterday in the debriefing you hesitated while telling us about our connection. It wasn’t just there to ease tension. It was there to ensure, that when the time came, we would conceive successfully!" 

Natasha reached for my arm. I pulled back not wanting anybody touching me. This felt wrong. So wrong. She spoke calmly, "Luna, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yesterday. I just didn’t want to overwhelm the two of you.”

Overwhelmed was an understatement. What little stability I thought I had in my life was slipping out from under me. Every time I got to my feet, it seemed I was pushed back down again by Hydra. Even after their demise, their actions still haunted me.

I knew for certain now what had to be done. My eyes found Tony’s as I spoke my death wish, “I want it out. I want this disk out of my head and I want it done as soon as possible. No matter the risk.”

I felt Natasha tense beside me. “Luna-”

“I don’t want to hear it! I’ve already gotten that lecture. I’m dead serious. This disk is my last connection to Hydra–and I want it gone.” Never in my life had I felt this angry. Not at Natasha or Tony but at Hydra. They were the ones who did this to me. They were the ones who took my memories. They were the ones who created Project Alliance and Generation Nova.

 They took my life away from me.

I wanted every last trace of their existence erased from me. Even if it cost me my life. 

 Bucky’s POV

“F.r.i.d.a.y?” I gazed at the ceiling not entirely sure where to look when conversing with the A.I.

“Yes, Mr.Barnes.” The voiced echoed from seemingly everywhere.

“Is Stark here yet?”

“Yes, he just arrived ten minutes ago. Currently in Lab Room 3C.”

“And, um, Luna?”

“Still in her suite.”  

I gave out a deep sigh and fell back against the mattress of my bed. Luna hadn’t left her suite in nearly a week. I had only seen her once, and it was just a glimpse as she rounded the corner back to her room. I was tempted to follow her, ask her if everything was ok. But I already knew the answer to that. Even when we were apart the connection between us was strengthening. I sensed feelings that weren’t my own, and I knew that somewhere in the tower she was dealing with them. I felt what she felt and vice versa. 

Stark will know whats up. I had been waiting for him to return, hoping he had answers. Quickly I made my way to Lab Room 3C and sure enough, Stark was tapping away on some monitor, lost in his own bubble. 

It wasn’t until I cleared my throat that he turned around. “Oh Barnes! What a pleasure to see you…” 

Rolling my eyes at his sarcasm, I decided to just ask him straight up,”So Stark, has anything significant happened with Luna? She seems a bit..off lately.” 

Stark turned slowly, giving me a hard look.”Thats really not my business to tell.” 

“What? Your personally in charge of her case, how is it your not allowed to say anything?” 

He shrugged,”Personal request. Its called patient confidentially, Barnes.” 

“But she trusts me. Why would-” It was then I noticed the monitor screen. Pictures of brain scans, more specifically, Luna’s brain scans. Suddenly the pieces in my mind started to snap into place. Luna’s sudden distance, Stark’s censored remarks and the worried feeling knotted inside me the past few days. Luna’s worry.  

“No…Stark don’t tell me she agreed to do this.” 

"Unfortunately yes.”

 "Are you insane?!? How could you agree to do this??!!“ I all but exploded at Stark. 

Stark gave me a look of steel as he returned the tone. "I had no choice. Believe it or not she threatened me! Said that she would leave the tower and go find another scientist that would do it for her. And I know for a fact that there are those in this city that would kill to get their hands on someone like her! To poke and prode in her mind, without any caution to the damage they may be causing. They would’ve treated her like a specimen, not a human. I couldn't– I wouldn’t let that happen! So I apologize if instead of sending her out to her imminent death I kept her here where I knew she still had a chance!!" 

It was true that Stark and I had tension, but in this moment it seemed to finally be boiling over. My breaths were heavy as I tried to get my frustrations under control. I had to realize that this wasn’t entirely Stark’s fault. He was just doing the best he could to save her life. Luna. How could she? Had the conversation on the roof meant nothing to her? Perhaps the tears were all for show. No. She isn’t like that. Something must have happened for her to decide so hastily. 

I steadied my voice as best as I could as I talked, “What happened? Something must have gone down for her to want to do this so suddenly.” 

Stark sighed as he fixed me with another look, “I told you Barnes. Patient confidentiality. If your truly desperate, then go ask her yourself.” 

After several seconds, I broke away from his intense gaze, conceding.“Fine. This better be one hell of a story.” 

Luna’s POV 

I had given Tony and Bruce ten days. Ten days to take the disk out or I would walk out those doors. I knew it was demanding but I didnt have any other choice. Just the thought of that piece of metal embedded in my brain, made me want to tear at my head until I could rip it out myself. 

I just couldn’t take it anymore and each passing day was torture. Knowing what  could have been had Hydra never fallen. The prospect made my skin crawl. 

A knock at the door shook me out of my grimacing thoughts. Crazy how I always know it’s him. Its not exactly that I was avoiding Bucky but rather I just lost the will to talk to anyone really. No doubt he’s found out about my decision by now. He has the right to know why. After all Generation Nova does involve him too. I sat up a little straighter as I called out to the door.  “Come in!” 

I heard the door open then close. Footsteps padded over to my place on the bed and I felt the mattress sink beside me. I continued to look forward, my eyes focusing on the buildings just outside the window. I had expected him to start asking questions. Like why I had chosen to go through with the procedure after all that talk on the roof. Why I chose not to tell him right away. Or rather the simple ‘what the hell is going on?’. But he stayed silent and it was me instead that asked he first question. 

“Did Stark tell you?” 

I felt Bucky shift slightly, “About the procedure yes, but not about why you agreed so suddenly. He said it was confidential. That if I really wanted to know, to come to you.” 

I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my crisscrossed legs.”I just….I just want it to end. Not just the memory attacks but Hydra’s influence. I know its always been there, but lately it feels like a wound that won’t stop bleeding. Keeps getting worse and worse and the only way I can stop it is to stitch it up. Which will leave a scar. A scar I’m willing to have.” 

“The bleeding got worse. But why? Luna, what happened?” 

My eyes met his and I nearly broke down from what I saw in them. I wasn't expecting such raw emotion. Over the past week I had sensed his confusion and concern but most of all the pain. Did I cause that pain? He was hurt, because I had kept something from him. I trusted him but apparently not enough to let him help me. That needed to be fixed. 

“Oh Bucky, the things they planned. I knew Hydra was cynical but this just hit a whole new level.” I paused to gather my thoughts or else I would collapse again like I did on the roof that one night. “Hydra made this program called Generation Nova. It was essentially a new wave of super soldiers. But most trials failed. So they took different measures. One of those measures was a soldier with inherited super soldier DNA….and I was to carry the first one.” 

Bucky’s body visibly tensed and his head turned away from me. I angled my body to face his. A feeling was growing steadily in the pit of stomach. I took a moment before I realized what it was. Anger. That’s why he had turned away, to try to calm down. I could only imagine the thoughts running through his head. He finally spoke, his voice strained under the effort to keep it steady “Luna…I am so- 

“Theres more. I need you to hear the whole thing.” I gently placed my hand on his upper arm, letting the connection flow through us and ease the tension. It worked as his expression softened and he stayed quiet, waiting for me to go on. 

“Bucky, Hydra’s plan wasn’t just to throw me with some agent or artificially inseminate me. This link that we share, that bonds us. It went way past Project Alliance. Together, we were meant to create the next generation of killers.” 

Part 10A  

~sigh~ I really, really wanted to continue this chapter and write Bucky’s reaction but then I realized that that would lead to a whole series of events that would just make this chapter super long. I just wanted to get more of the story out as soon as possible since I havent updated in so long! Next chapter will probably be the most intense one yet and I have a feeling it is going to be super long! So thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoyed it!!! 

Tags: @nodramaaloud @peony13 @chipilerendi (tag list is open)