Chapter Nine

Gran'ma Cathy

*Bucky's POV*

We end up leaving multiple stores with nothing because apparently, we got too many things for the car. I briefly thought of telling him to slow down, then dismissed that almost immediately. There's no slowing Tony down. Tony tells all that someone will be there soon to collect, then we're back in the car and heading back home. A real home. Nerves and joy twist inside me when we stop and I do my best to gauge Percy's reaction as I get out with her in my arms.

"Steve and I used to live here in the 1940s, Percy," I tell her as we approach the old bricks. Steve looks just like I did when I came here alone. As if we've been teleported to a time our own but not quite. Which I guess is pretty true. "I've got a surprise to show both of you when we get there." I glance over at a surprised Steve whose hand is grazing the walls as we walk. As if he can read the stories this building could tell like braille. Tony starts complaining after the first flight of stairs, but each flight fills Steve and me with energy. This is our home. Time hasn't changed that. "You excited?" I ask Percy and she nods with wide eyes. We stop in front of the door and I set her down, handing her the key. "Go ahead and open it for us, Percy." I encourage, hoping to god that she likes the place. With a wide grin on her face, she inserts the key and twists. Her little hand closes around the knob and turns. She and I push the door open together and I hold my breath.

Percy's eyes rove over the room before she laughs and jumps happily. The next two minutes, it is a small apartment after all, are filled with her sprinting around the place laughing and flipping happily. I sigh with more than relief when she finally stops in front of me with a big grin. "Bucky it's so nice!" She tells me and Tony has the decency to keep his scoff to himself.

"You like it?" I ask and lift her up so she's close to me. She nods enthusiastically.

"It's so different." Steve murmurs, staring out the old windows.

"Not everything," I tell him and he turns to me. "Come on." I beckon and we pile into Steve's old room; now to be Percy's. The molding is still on the floor, so the height markers are still in the open. "Remember these?" I tap one and Steve instantly chuckles with disbelief.

"I cannot believe that these are still here." He whispers and it does me good to see I can still bring a smile to his face.

"Wow Rogers, you're shorter than I thought you were." Natasha teases as Steve's fingers skim the many lines.

"You damage this property already, Robocop?" Tony asks and I shrug. He shakes his head with an unsurprised smirk. "Course you did."

"Anyways, Percy. This a sort of chart of Steve and I growing up." I tell her and set her down so she can get close.

"I'm taller than he was!" She announces proudly and we all chuckle.

"It's likely to be that way all the way up, Perce," Steve says self-deprecatingly.

"Not nowadays, Cap." Tony reminds him.

"Could make a mark for you, Steve. And you, Percy." I tickle her side and she giggles. Tony pulls out a pen from that goddamn trench coat and hands it to me. I tilt my head in thanks before crouching and turning back to Persephone.

"Alright, stand with your back to the wall and I'll make you your own mark." Percy is quick to obey and stands as straight as she can. Nostalgia bites at my heart as I make the little tick mark among Steve and I's. "Okay. Now we put your name." I hand the pen to her and she scribbles it down. She hands me back the pen and tucks herself to my side. "then the date." I write that and stand with Percy on my hip. "We'll keep doing that as you get taller and taller." She nods.

"You and Steve's turn." She waves excitedly. Steve steps into place and I make the tick. It seems so strange to see this mark and this date, but also right. It's also hilarious that the mark is at least a foot higher than Steve's previously highest mark. He writes his name and the date before stealing Percy from me.

"Your turn, Buck." He says with a smirk. I sigh and step into position. Steve makes the mark and instantly laughs when I step away. "Finally, taller than you." He teases as I snatch back the pen and write my name.

"It's a sliver taller. Thinner than a fingernail."

"Mmhmm. Right. Still taller." He brags and I roll my eyes. I look back to Percy's smiling face and glimmering eyes.

"This is your room, Percy. Blue just for you." Natasha's nose scrunches when I unintentionally rhyme, but I focus on Percy. Her eyes are wide and disbelieving.

"This is my room?" I nod.

"All yours. We'll decorate it how you want and I'm in the room just next door. As well as whoever else is staying." That'll be an interesting arrangement, but that can be settled later.

"What do you think, little genius? We'll come visit and you can come stay with the rest of us whenever you want." Tony asks with a hand wiggling her little foot. She thinks about it a moment.

"And Bucky stays with me all the time?" She asks and her eyes land on me. I grin victoriously.

"All the time, kiddo," I assure her. Percy nods once and smiles.

"Then I love it very much." Finally, all the stress in my body falls away.

"You'll love it even more with furniture, Percy." Natasha teases and looks over at me with a rare smile. A silent not bad, Barnes drifts to me from her eyes and I smirk in return.

"Which should be here soon! I'll head out and direct. These narrow hallways should make things interesting." Tony pecks Percy's cheek and heads out.

"I'll stay here and help the design," Natasha says. "You three might want to tell your landlady what's going on." Tentativeness strikes me at visiting Catherine again, but then smugness when I realize Steve will be there too.

"Right. Steve?" He nods and we head back down. I take a breath and lift a fist to knock on the door only for the woman to whip it open before skin hits wood. Just as before, that frown turns into a smile the moment she sees me.

"Bout time you came back to see me, sweetie! Been wanting to see that sweet face." Steve stifles a small chuckle and her penetrating eyes swivel to him and Percy in his arms. "Hot men travel in packs, yep, I've always said so. Now, let me see that sweet girl you told me bout." I'm grinning at Steve's shocked face as I take Percy and set her on her feet.

"This is my best girl, Persephone." I introduce her proudly. Percy immediately extends a hand to the woman.

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm Percy." My heart gleams with pride for the little girl in front of me. Especially since it seems she's surprised the infallible woman in front of me.

"Manners! Finally, no young person in New York knows anything about em." Catherine takes Percy's hand and doesn't bother shaking it, she just gently tugs her inside. "Got some good cookies just out of the oven for you, sweetheart. Had a feeling I'd need some treats for a special someone today." Steve and I watch as Percy is stolen from us.

"This is our landlady?" Steve murmurs. My mouth opens to answer, but she beats me to it.

"Yes, young man and you'd be smart to remember that when you're talking about me. Get in here, the both of you. Idiots." She shakes her head and I shove Steve in, shutting the door behind us. "Hop on that stool just there, hon. There you go. Now I can see you." Percy sits nicely on the stool on the other side of the counter where a steaming plate of cookies lies. Cathy stares at Percy intently as Percy grins at her.

"You have lovely eyes." She compliments her earnestly and Cathy cackles.

"That I do, honey. You look lovely yourself if a little on the thin side. Need some of my good cooking to fill you up." She coos affectionately. Percy giggles and looks over at me happily. Well, at least the two of them like each other. Thank god. Cathy piles at least a dozen cookies on a plate in front of Percy who looks over at me with wide eyes. I nod to her in encouragement.

"Thank you." She thanks her sweetly before gingerly taking one cookie and biting it. Cathy turns towards Steve and I and we immediately stand at attention.

"And what are you two sweeties doing? Get yourselves a cookie." She commands. Steve and I take cookies from the tray quickly. "Not like animals! Get a paper towel! Goodness." She curses and Percy giggles softly while we obey Catherine. I'm thankful when her attention is focused on Percy once again. "You call me Gran'ma Cathy, sweet thing. You come see me whenever you like. I'll teach you all the good stuff about life. Cooking good food, good music, good books, all that delicious life juice. That's what I say, life juice gives your soul flavor." Percy nods along to this with wide eyes and continues nibbling at her cookie. They are damn good cookies, I'll admit that. "Making some jambalaya tonight. You two bring those other two in here for dinner. After everyone is done making all that racket moving stuff." Her green eyes turn to us and she waves a wrinkled finger at us.

"Yes, ma'am." I agree after Percy nods happily at me. Steve still seems like he's in shock. Not that I blame him.

"Uh, ma'am, about talking about you. I-"

"Oh, hush honey I'm just giving you a hard time." She pats his arm with a teasing smile. "You men have such thin skin." Cathy murmurs to herself as she shuffles back and forth across the kitchen, eventually setting a small cup of milk in front of Percy. Steve meets my eyes and I bite my tongue to keep from laughing at his blue eyes wide as saucers. "What's your favorite color, sweet little thing?" Cathy asks Percy as she finishes her second cookie.

"Blue. Like Bucky's eyes." She tells her with a tender glance my way. My lips lift at the action and at the fact that her favorite anything includes me.

"Oh, really?" Cathy hums and turns towards me. Her hand snatches a fistful of my shirt and tugs my face down to her height with a shocking amount of strength. She examines my eyes while being a nose-breadth away from me before releasing my shirt and shuffling away to her knitting corner. I'm quick to take the chance and move closer to Percy.

"How you doin, kid?" I question her sparkling eyes.

"Bucky, I love her. She's so funny!" She tells me jovially. I chuckle and sigh.

"Alright then. You're okay with coming here for dinner?" I question again. Percy's comfort is my number one concern, not the possibility of Catherine either bedding me or murdering me. Potentially in that order. Percy nods vigorously and I nod back. I step back beside Steve as Catherine shuffles back over with a blue blanket the exact shade of my eyes in her hands.

"Here you are, sweet thing. You keep warm in that little apartment up there." She tells her kindly and lays the blanket in her lap.

"Thank you so much," Percy says as if she was just given a pound of gold. God, I love this kid. "Bucky, it's so soft!" She tells me and I grin.

"We'll put it on your bed, huh? Nice and snuggly." I tell her and she nods. Steve clears his throat.

"Snuggly?"

"Shut it."

"I'm going to make you a little to go bag of cookies, sweetie. Go on and fix up that place of yours with the little one and come right back." Catherine tells me and hands me a bag of cookies that feels like it weighs two pounds.

"Yes, ma'am," I affirm and she reaches up to pat my cheek.

"Good boy." She says and turns back to the kitchen. I toss the cookies to Steve and scoop up my little girl.

"Thank you for the cookies, Gran'ma Cathy." Percy waves and the woman wiggles her fingers back before Steve shuts the door behind us. We make our way back upstairs and wait until we're on the fourth floor before chuckling.

"Wow." Steve sighs and scratches the back of his neck. "Haven't had a woman make me that nervous since-"

"Grammy Dottie. Yeah." I finish his sentence with a grin. "I like her though. In a strange way." Steve shrugs.

"She's a character, I'll give her that." He admits as we duck back into the apartment. "Dinner will definitely be...interesting."

The apartment actually looks nearly done, but that's not the first thing that catches my eye. Percy's either.

A/N

We'll be coming to a close here soon, folks. Once again, Cathy brings joy to all. And fear to some. Precious. :D Hope you all like where this is going, but what do you think Percy and Bucky see? Something bad? Something good? Hm...

Please, keep reading! :)