Chapter Six

Decisions

*Bucky's POV*

Today we get a break from court and I'm grateful. Not only for the chance to sleep in, but just to keep holding onto Percy. I felt her creep into my lap at night and wrap the blanket around us. She's such a sweetheart it's frustrating all this is happening to her. Sooner rather than later though, she's up and bouncing around the room.

"Hey, go brush your teeth and shower, alright? I'll pick out your stuff." I catch her as she jumps off the bed and shoo her towards the bathroom.

"Aw, but-"

"No, no, no. Go. I'll be waiting here for you." She huffs and walks into the bathroom. The shower sounds and I grab her some jeans and a short-sleeved shirt with blue flowers on it to change into afterward. After setting those on the bathroom counter I sit on the bed, looking up when the door opens. "Stark." I greet him. "She's in the shower. What's going on?"

He slips inside and looks me up and down. "Must say this is as well rested as I've ever seen you Robocop. Nothing's wrong. Just have some tests lined up and wanted to see if she was up for it." He leans back against the door and smirks. "You've become quite the daddy." My eyes narrow and I stand.

"You led the charge with your teenager in there. I'm just following suit. Pun intended." I shoot back and his smirk grows. "Breakfast first. Then we'll see." I allow and look up to find Percy smiling at us with damp hair.

"Good choice on the flowers, Bucky." She compliments and I ignore Tony's chortle.

"Thanks, kid. Time for breakfast, huh?" I scoop her up before Tony can and duck out the door.

"Leftover pancakes?" She suggests and Tony brightens by our side.

"You got it. I'll heat em up for you. Listen, afterwards, I've got a couple of tests I'd like to do. Would that be alright?" I shoot him a look, but he just smiles. "Your bodyguard can come too, of course." He posits before Percy can insist on it. She nods.

"That sounds okay." Percy allows and I press a quick kiss to her hair as we walk into the gathering room. "Peter!" She exclaims as soon as she sees him and I let her down to run over to him. Once she's firmly in his hands, I take a moment to pour myself a much-needed cup of coffee. When I hear Steve walking down the hall, I pour him a cup of orange juice too. I hold it to the open door as he steps through it and smirk when he looks surprised.

"Lived with you for long enough to know your morning routine." I shake my head as he takes the glass.

"And I know you're usually comatose in the morning. Someone wake you?" We both look over at Percy and Peter. Peter on the ceiling and Percy dangling from his arms. Steve smirks at the sudden concern on my face. "She's fine. Seems last night didn't slow her down a bit."

My head shakes as I take a gulp of coffee. "Nope. Took it like a champ." He nods as Stark joins our half circle staring at the giggling little girl.

"Agreed to some tests after breakfast." Beeping sounds and Percy's eyes snap over to us in excitement. "Which is now ready. Come on, Perce. You too, Pete." Tony beckons. Both kids walk over and sit at the stools while Tony puts the plate of pancakes in front of them with two empty plates.

"Thank you," Percy says first and Peter is quick to follow, putting a smile on all the adult's faces. Worry eats at me as I watch the little girl eat. She's so careful not to spill or make a mess and every movement is endearing. Kills me that she's got to go through all this bullshit.

"She's fine, Buck. We'll figure it out." His hand smooths over my shoulders and pats reassuringly. I nod once and a little tension leaves me.

"Bucky, you have to eat too." My lips lift as she rolls up a pancake and offers it to me, little face set sternly. I take it and dip it in her syrup, then eat as she watches with a satisfied smile. After that, she hops down and puts her stuff away, then walks back over to me and leans against my leg. A soft smile on my face, I scoop her up in my arms.

"Thanks for feeding me, kid. Up for a little check-up now?" I question and she nods. We both look to Tony who sighs.

"Alright, Spidey you're with us. Let's do it." Tony, Steve, Peter and I head out with Percy happily hanging onto me.

"Is this to see how weird I am?" Percy asks me with a small frown.

"Gifted, Perce." Tony corrects before I can. "We want to find out what special stuff you've got going on like your mom." Percy nods along to this.

"And like the rest of us, kid." I remind her and her shining blue eyes turn to me.

"Okay. I like all of you a lot." She relents and I'm glad to see her relax a little more. I'm also aware of Steve's eyes drifting between Percy and me with vague concern.

We reach Tony's lab and he steals her from me and takes her over to where he works. Steve, Peter, and I are close behind. "So, we're going to do a fun little experiment here kid. Peter helped me this morning." I move a little closer and snort when I see a pile of Legos. Percy glances behind her at me with a little smile. "Peter's good at this stuff and can do it lightning fast, so we're going to see how fast you can copy him. Alright?" Percy turns back to Tony and Peter and nods happily. Tony pats Peter's shoulder and Peter steps forward on the other side of the work table.

"Just watch me close, Perce." He tells her and she nods again. Peter starts moving and quickly his hands become a blur as he assembles a little something. He's finished in about a minute and wiggles his fingers over a little castle made from Legos.

"When you're ready, Percy." Tony encourages with a stopwatch in his hand. Out of all his technology, somehow he's still using a regular black stopwatch. Percy starts immediately and Tony's finger presses down. Percy flies through it without hesitation. She's done in half the time as Peter and Peter himself seems shocked by this. My fingers skim her back as I do my best not to worry about this.

"Nice job, kiddo." I encourage and she leans her head back into my chest sweetly.

"It was fun." She tells me and my lips lift at her shining eyes.

"Might have a new assistant in the lab, Tony," Steve comments with a soft smile. Despite what he thinks about my fondness for Percy, he's not distancing himself any better.

"Don't replace Peter just yet. Percy's just a kid." I retort. Tony swoops over and scoops Percy up in his arms.

"Who said we can't just be a team, huh?" He wiggles his fingers on Percy's ribs and we all chuckle at her laughter. "Come on, I've got a couple more things to go through." Tony spends the next hour testing her intelligence and it seems it's not just simply putting things together. It's physical as well. Whatever Peter does, she learns too. Thankfully, this excludes climbing up walls, but every flip, cartwheel, and somersault she copies instantly. Also, she manages to give me a heart attack every few minutes.

"Buck, she's fine. Look at her smile. Its probably been a while since she's just played like this." Steve tells me softly as she and Peter flip down the hallway to see who can get the farthest. "Don't you remember us tumbling down hills when we were younger?"

"Right, this is just normal play." I respond with a slight edge, sighing in relief when she lands on her feet inches from the far wall.

"Normal is relative for all of us. Not surprised she fits into that category. She does favor you, after all." Stark comments and rocks into me teasingly before I step out of our small huddle to intercept a running Percy. She laughs and immediately wraps her arms around my neck.

"How about a little break, kiddo? Get you a drink." She deflates slightly.

"Do we have to? I haven't had this much fun in ages." She tells me a bit out of breath. I nod and start walking.

"Yes, all you've had today is a sip of milk. You need hydration." Her pink lips pout slightly but her head lolls against my shoulder.

"Okay, Bucky. But then can I play after?" She requests with big blue eyes and I hear Steve's quiet chuckle behind me. He's used the same tactic on me a couple of times.

"Course, you can. We'll even go outside if you wanna." Her eyes light up at that and I can't resist smiling.

"Okay." She concedes as we enter the gathering room. I set her on the stool and grab two bottles of waters from the fridge. I twist the cap to break the seal and give it to her careful hands while Steve and Tony smirk behind her.

"Are we invited to play outside, Robocop?" Tony teases and Steve suppresses a laugh. I sigh and lean on the counter, looking down at Percy. As she screws the top down on a now half-empty water bottle, my hand brushes over her hair.

"What do ya think, kiddo? Can Steve and Tony come?" Her nod is instantaneous and this time Steve grabs her before I can. He sets her on his shoulders with a wide grin. My eyebrows raise at the sudden show of affection and a little hope creeps into my heart. Maybe this means he's considering her staying. Since we're the best place for a small alien. Not because of any other reason. Of course.

"Thanks for the invitation, Percy. Mind if I give you a ride this time?" He questions just as she lays herself across his head.

"Sure. I like being tall." Percy responds happily and lets herself fall backward while Steve holds her ankles. Giggling, she hangs there as we all slowly walk outside. Peter quickly takes the place just behind Steve to tease Percy, so Stark and I are the last to follow.

"You're not too bad at this, you know. Better than I thought, anyway."

I snort at the insult wrapped in a compliment. "Despite how long it's been, I do remember what it is to be a kid. And what a kid needs and deserves."

"Like a family?" He shoots back instantly and I stop in the hall. He pivots as if he expected this and raises his hands in mock surrender. "Look, I'm on your side in this. Just making sure it's the right side. Doesn't every kid deserve the chance to have a normal, loving family?"

"Because that worked out so well for you?" I snap and instantly see Tony's amber eyes harden. Dammit.

"I don't want to see her go any more than you. You're not the only one with skin in the game. But if you think for one second that I'd keep Peter from something better, you're wrong." My arms cross in front of me as Stark gets fired up. It's not the first time and won't be the last, but if he summons his suit this time, I'd like to be a little ready. He continues with fire in his eyes. "I encourage him to go see May, I tell him I'm proud that he's a friendly neighborhood hero, and the only reason I haven't sent him away to find another role model, a good one, to emulate is because it'd crush him." He spits and I grit my teeth together to keep my mouth shut. "I'm not thinking of myself when it comes to him. Ever. Can you say the same?" My metal arm whirs, but for once I don't have a comeback for him. He sighs and steps back. "If you can't win the argument against yourself, then it's faulty. Think it over." Tony nods to me and continues down the hall. I take a moment before following with slouched shoulders and a little too much on my mind.

*Percy's POV*

"What about a walking handstand?" Peter suggests and easily rolls from his seat on the grass into one, then walks a couple of feet with his hands on the ground. Laughing, I copy him and move up next to him.

"Not too bad, you two." We both look up to find Natasha looking down on us with a small smirk. Peter nudges my foot and I fall to the side with a small scream, then laughter.

"Tasha!" I shout my greeting before hopping to my feet. "Can you do any flips?" I ask her as Peter flips to his feet. Her little smirk grows.

"I'm the best at flips, but you know, Bucky is great at flips too." She tells me and glances to where Bucky and Tony are slowly coming down the hill beside the facility. Bucky seems down all of a sudden, even though his lips turn up when he sees me. I run over to him when he stops beside a sitting Steve and tug on his pants until he sits too.

"Tasha says you can do flips too, Bucky! Why didn't you say so?" I ask as my hands rub slightly on his rough scruff. He chuckles softly and shoots Natasha a look before removing my hands.

"You and Peter were doin' so good on your own. Didn't wanna stop ya." He tells me, but his voice is sad. My voice lowers and I move a little closer.

"Do you not like flips? Is that why you're sad now?" I whisper and he exhales while shaking his head.

"I'm not sad, baby doll. Just...I have a lot on my mind." He tells me. Pouting, I sit on his thigh and tug his left hand in my lap.

"Then don't think about it." I encourage while staring into his stormy blue eyes. "I can flip some more if that would make you happy?" His lips turn up and he presses a firm kiss to my forehead.

"You go play. Makes me happy to see you happy, kiddo." I grin and pat his hand in appreciation.

"I'm happy when you're happy too. You have a nice smile and I like the crinkles beside your eyes when you do." They instantly make an appearance and vindication runs through me. Suddenly his hand in my lap turns and starts tickling me. Peals of laughter ring in the courtyard before I manage to squirm away. I look back at him and he waves me away, so I leave him to sit with Steve. Instead, I run over to Peter and Tony. Tony has an arm around his shoulders as they talk quietly.

"Tony?" I call and I instantly have his attention.

"Yes, little genius?" He answers and scoops me up, resting me on his hip with bright eyes.

"I was just wondering...since you have Peter...where's your wife?" I ask curiously. Tony's eyes widen and Peter's jaw drops. Soft, semi-stifled laughter comes from the small group on the ground a little way away from us. "You don't have to answer if you don't wanna. Sorry." I apologize. If they're laughing maybe it's something he doesn't like to talk about. Tony shakes his head.

"You're fine, Perce. Just...not exactly expecting that." He's smiling amusedly at me, so that's good. "So, a few things to start. I'm not married. I have a lovely fiancee named Pepper. Hopefully, you'll meet her soon." He turns to face Peter who's nearly shaking in place. Tony's lips scrunch up as he thinks. "Pete's not my biological son, but he's...he's my protégé, my charge, my..."

"Son." Natasha corrects and Peter suddenly turns very red. Tony sighs.

"Our relationship is like yours with...Bucky." Tony trails off a bit and seems to have said something he hadn't meant to say. But this clears everything up for me.

"Oh, okay. You love each other. I get it. Thanks." I pat his shoulder and he sets me back down on my feet in a slight daze. His eyes are steady on Buckys across the lawn. I move back over to Bucky whose eyes are now staring at the small pile of grass he's apparently pulled up. My hands reach out and pat his knees. "Bucky? Are you thinking too hard?" I ask quietly. He looks up and his Adam's apple bobs.

"You wanna come talk to me for a bit, Percy?" He asks and I instantly nod. Gently, his arms reach out and gather me to him before he stands and walks away from the silent group of people. My arms are tentatively around his neck, but the mood is somber. I start to get a little nervous.

"Bucky...are you mad at me?" I ask him quietly. He stops in his tracks and kneels, setting me on my feet in front of him. His brows are furrowed over wide blue eyes and his lips are slightly parted. He doesn't look mad.

"No, Percy, course I'm not mad at you. We've just gotta talk about some things, okay?" I nod as he sits, but don't release his left hand. He sighs heavily and reaches up to rub the ropes of scars down his shoulder. "Have you thought about having another family? Like another house with a nice mom and dad?" I nod immediately.

"Sure. I used to think about that all the time when I was at my old house." I tell him confusedly. He nods slowly, considering me with tentative eyes.

"How 'bout since you've been here? Ever thought about having somethin like that again?" Bucky asks and I know he has a purpose to these questions, but I don't know what it is.

"Not really," I answer honestly, but he still looks conflicted. "I mean, when I saw the picture of my mom again, I remembered some nice times we had. At the park, or on the couch, and stuff like that." I do my best to explain. When Bucky's quiet I start tapping his hand nervously. "Is...is that something you want?" I ask back. A sardonic smile curves his lips up as he shakes his head.

"Don't think so. What I want is whatever is best for you. Wanna take care of you however I can, kiddo." He tells me firmly. A little smile works its way onto my face.

"Oh, well that's easy. I'm here with you. And if you want another house or something, I would go with you." I answer easily. He sighs and only now allows himself to relax, laying the rest of himself down in the bright grass. I maneuver myself so I'm splayed across his chest and my ear is pressed against his heart. His left-hand lifts and splays across my entire back while I claim his right hand instead. I hold it near to my heart while my eyes shut, the beating of Bucky's heart soothing and his heat warming me. He's quiet for a while and I start getting a little sleepy.

"I'm...I'm not exactly sayin I'd be with you, Persephone." He tells me hesitantly. "Just wanna make sure you have every opportunity, kiddo. Don't wanna keep ya from anything better." He continues softly, obviously still conflicted. My head snaps up and I move so I'm sitting on his ribcage.

"Bucky, you promised you'd stay with me. Promised." I emphasize and he nods.

"I know, Percy."

"So, you can't leave me ever. Cause you promised." Bucky sighs and I hit his chest to get his attention. "You said I fit in. You said I wasn't a freak when I'm here. You promised you'd stay with me. Promised!" My bottom lip is now quivering and eyes filling with tears. I definitely have his attention now. "If you take me to anyone else, I'll run away! I don't want anyone else! I want to stay here and stay with you!" I shove his hand away and jump up, sprinting back to where the others are. Tony is the closest to me and I immediately rush to him. He looks down and sees the tears on my face.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" He asks with furrowed brows as he picks me up in his arms. I don't answer, instead just embracing his neck and burying my face in his t-shirt. Soft footfalls have me balling my fists in Tony's shirt and he notices. "Hold it, Robocop. Think we need a break for a little while."

"Stark, come on. Percy-"

"Back off." Tony's voice is firm and hard. I feel us move backward a couple of steps. "You can't be indecisive with a kid, Barnes. Make up your goddamn mind." He tells him before his hand smooths over my back and we head inside. I lift my head up to see a dejected and sad Bucky before we go inside.

A/N

Okay, so this one really hurt. Bucky's really trying to do his best and after everything he's been through, it's hard for him to think that that's him. No matter his promises.

I do love the relationship between him and Tony in this though. It's something that just kind of happened and I adore it. Do you all agree or disagree? Who do you think is right? Should Percy stay with the team? Tell me, loves!

And as always, keep reading!