TWO WEEKS LATER

★ ★ ★

It was nearing two o'clock in the afternoon. Greyson's house was relatively quiet, the only sound being that of the living room television. Greyson was upstairs getting ready to leave for his shift at the hospital, while Marlena sat on the couch with a pen in her hand and a pile of paperwork on her lap. Mason was in school, and Bucky and Wanda were somewhere roaming the city. The two had originally planned for her to join them on their little outing, but Marlena had denied their invitation, claiming she didn't exactly feel the best. It had been a lie, though it wasn't a complete lie.

Marlena was stressed to the max. Not only did it have to do with the lingering pain and anger from her mother's death, it had to do with the fact that she was the executor of her mother's estate. This meant that she was in charge of taking care of Mason, taking care of her mother's belongings, and, unfortunately, taking care of her mother's bills.

She had taken a special trip to her house just after Bucky and Wanda had left. Her original plans were to pack up the rest of her clothes, as well as Bucky's, Wanda's, and Mason's, but when she arrived she noticed that her mailbox was full of various bills that needed to be paid. The sight only made everything seem much realer, and despite the fact that Marlena wanted nothing more than to rip the bills up and throw them in the trash, she knew they needed to be paid, and she knew she needed to take the responsibility and pay them. She didn't want to disappoint her mom, regardless of whether or not she was around, nor did she want to disappoint Mason.

Marlena pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose before letting out a sigh and running a hand through her tousled brown hair. She was aware paying bills and managing the money used to pay them was fairly difficult, but she wasn't aware of just how difficult it was. Until now, she only ever had to worry about paying for the food she and Mason ate while their mom worked, as well as clothes and shoes for Mason and herself when it became a necessity. Paying bills and living up to other adult responsibilities were definitely not her forte, but it seemed as if now they would have to be.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs caught Marlena's attention, and she looked up, her eyes meeting those of Greyson. She gave him a small smile before looking back down at the copious amount of paperwork in front of her. She had been working very diligently since she arrived back at the house. She'd hardly had a break since then and was more than thankful she was almost done.

"What are you doin' there, sweet pea?" Greyson asked as he made his way over to her.

She pursed her lips and shoved her most recently written check into its appropriate envelope. "Paying bills," she answered, sealing the envelope and throwing it onto the table in front of her.

Greyson eyed the pile of envelopes on his coffee table and let out a sigh. Paying bills was the last thing he wanted Marlena to be worrying about at the moment. He understood people her age needed to learn how to deal with the responsibilities that came with being an adult, but he preferred that she didn't stress over something so irrelevant when she had more important things going on. "You don't need to do that, y'know?"

"But I do," Marlena breathed out as she began writing another check. "If I don't get it done, it'll never get done. Besides, I'm almost done anyway."

"I can take care of it, Mar. Please don't stress yourself over this," Greyson said, his tone serious and slightly concerned.

Marlena put her pen down and looked at him. "I'm not stressed, Grey."

"You're easier to read than a children's book, Marlena Claire," Greyson remarked. "Don't lie to me."

She frowned and began scribbling away once more. "Fine, I'm stressed out, okay? But I have to get over it—not only for my sake, but for Mason's and everyone else's. I have no choice but to be an adult now, and I know I'll never be half the one my mom was, but I have to try."

"If it's anything to you, I think you're absolutely fantastic at adulting," Greyson chuckled, giving Marlena's arm a gentle squeeze. "You took care of Mason for so many years while your mom worked her ass off to pay the house bills; you provided clothes and food for him all while trying to manage your own issues. Most people your age can barely do half of that for themselves."

"I guess you're right," Marlena sighed, "but this is just one more thing I have to add to the list. I just want the best for us—I just want the best for Mason."

Greyson smiled at her words. "And that's exactly what you'll give him. Your mom would be so proud of you, y'know?"

"I would hope so." Marlena smiled up at Greyson, "I just wanna thank you for everything, Grey."

Greyson chuckled. "You're practically my kids. I'd do anything for you. But I've gotta be heading off to work now, though," Greyson informed her as he removed himself from the couch. "Think you could have dinner ready for me when I get home at three in the morning?"

Marlena gave him a look, earning a laugh from Greyson.

"I'm totally kidding," he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, "but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Marlena smiled and nodded, continuing her work with the numerous bills. Greyson moved to open the front door, only to stop as it swung open in front of him.

"Oh, Greyson," Wanda snickered. "I apologize."

Greyson raised his brow at her peculiar demeanor before shifting his gaze to Bucky, who stood behind her trying to hide the amused smile on his face. He wasn't quite sure what the two found so funny, and he didn't think he wanted to know. All he wanted to do was get to work and somehow forget he was sharing his residency with a bunch of physically enhanced idiots.

"Have I ever told you what a delight it is having you weird ass superhumans living inside my home?" Greyson remarked.

Bucky pushed his way passed Wanda, patting Greyson on the shoulder as he did so. "No, but you could stand to mention it more."

"Please for the love of God don't break anything," Greyson said as he inched out the door.

Wanda smiled at him. "I make no promises."

Greyson merely rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him, leaving Wanda and Bucky scurrying off to find Marlena. They headed into the living room, where Marlena was still more than focused on writing checks for bills. The two exchanged glances with one another before heading over to the couch and plopping down on either side of her.

"What are you doing?" Wanda asked as she grabbed the check from Marlena's lap. "And what's Dish Network?"

"I'm paying bills like normal adults do," she replied, grabbing the check from her hands. "And it's a TV thing—I don't know."

Wanda made a face and sat back in her seat. "I've never heard of that before."

Marlena chuckled and signed the check, placing it into yet another envelope. "What? Paying bills or Dish Network?"

"Paying bills," Bucky answered, examining the paperwork on her lap. "Since when do you pay bills?"

"Since today, I guess," she shrugged, "I am officially an adult, and it's disgusting."

"Why don't you just let Greyson pay them?" Wanda asked.

"It's not his responsibility to do so," Marlena answered simply. "I'm twenty-one; I'm more than capable of paying bills."

Wanda looked at Bucky, who merely shrugged in response. Neither of them knew what to say, nor did they know what to do.

Wanda let out a breath and stood up, swiping her hands across her thighs. "Well, I'm going to find some food. Would you two like anything?"

"I just bought you Panera, Wan," Bucky reminded her, though she didn't seem to care.

"And I appreciate it, but I'm still hungry," Wanda retorted before running into the kitchen.

Marlena let out a soft chuckle at her cousin before glancing over at Bucky. "You two are getting along fairly well."

Bucky sat back against the couch, wrapping his arm around Marlena's shoulders. "She only loves me because I bought her food and a new pair of shoes."

"Hmm, you both love each other regardless," Marlena said as she sealed another envelope. "You don't want to admit it, but I know you do."

"She reminds me so much of Rebecca," he said with a sigh.

Marlena furrowed her brows as she looked at him. "Your younger sister, Rebecca?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I guess I can't help but love her, can I?"

"I guess not."

"You seem stressed, Mar," Bucky said, squeezing her arm slightly. "What's goin' on? Besides the obvious, of course."

Marlena let out a breath and looked up at him, tightening her grip on her pen. "I dunno, Buck, but this entire situation is just annoying and it pisses me off."

Bucky laughed at the tone of her voice and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her arm. "How long has it been since you've just done something that doesn't make you. . .feel like shit?"

"I dunno—I ate a funnel cake about three days ago. Does that count?"

Bucky hummed in response to her words and removed the various papers from her lap, much to her surprise. "No, it does not count. And I don't think I've ever told you, but you look absolutely stunning in your glasses."

Marlena let out a surprised squeal as Bucky wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to her neck before she had the chance to respond, leaving her slightly flustered.

"I didn't know you meant you, you idiot," she said through clenched teeth, grabbing his arm tightly. She was trying to compose herself, as Wanda was currently in the house with them.

Bucky laughed and pulled her closer as he continued trailing kisses down the length of her neck and jawline. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and he loved more than anything that he had such an effect on her.

"B-Bucky, we can't," Marlena told him, pushing his chest lightly with her hand.

He smirked and placed his hands on either side of her face, leaning in closer to her. "And why not?"

"Because Wan—"

Her words were cut off by his lips on hers, and Marlena gave in to him almost immediately. She could not resist Bucky, no matter how hard she tried to do so. It was as if his actions had completely drained her of the negative emotions inside her body, and she was grateful for that. She craved him—she craved every part of him so much that she seemed to forget about a certain Scarlet Witch a mere feet away in the kitchen.

Marlena had pulled Bucky closer to her when Wanda stepped back into the living room, a donut in one hand and a bottle of Ginger Ale in the other. Her face contorted in disgust as she watched the situation unfold, and at the moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her donut at the couple on the couch who seemed to be excruciatingly hungry for each other. She found that she was even hungrier for her donut, however, which prevented her from doing so.

"I am horrified, though I am definitely not surprised," Wanda spoke, startling the two of them (Marlena more than Bucky).

Marlena pushed Bucky's face away from hers and sat up, straightening her glasses and her clothes; Bucky only sat at the end of the couch with a smirk on his face as he watched her.

"It was his fault," Marlena said quickly.

Bucky scoffed and shook his head. "She definitely wanted it."

"You both disgust me," Wanda scoffed, shoving her donut into her mouth.

"You're just mad because your little android boyfriend can't give you any," Bucky teased, earning a glare from Wanda.

"Bucky, stop being an asshole," Marlena said as she glanced at the clock on the wall. The moment she saw that it was 2:25, she jumped up from her seat and ran to grab her keys, attracting Bucky and Wanda's attention.

"What are you doing, Mar?" Bucky asked as he stood up.

Marlena began pulling her boot onto her foot, nearly falling over in the process. "I have to go get Mason; his school lets out in ten minutes. That's what I was trying to tell you when you put your lips on my face."

"Oops," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, why don't you stay here and Wanda and I will go get him?"

Wanda gave him a look. "Why must you continue to volunteer me for things?"

"Because I can," Bucky answered as he snatched the car keys from Marlena's hands.

"You don't have to, really," Marlena assured the two of them, reaching for her keys.

Bucky placed them behind his back and out of her reach. "It's okay," he kissed her on the lips, "we'll be back, my love."

"Whatever," Wanda grumbled as she sat her drink down on the side table by the couch. She hurried over to Bucky, grabbing the keys from his hands and heading outside.

Marlena chuckled as she watched her cousin and glanced at Bucky. "I think you've angered her."

"She'll be okay," he smiled, pressing another kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, Buck. Thank you."

He simply winked at her before heading out the door, closing it behind him. By the time he had reached the car, Wanda had already started it. He hopped into the driver's seat and put the car in gear before taking off down the road.

The ride was quiet for the most part, though Bucky couldn't help but sense a change in Wanda's mood. She seemed a lot more somber than she had been when the two returned back to Greyson's house the first time. He wasn't sure what it was that was bothering her, but part of him couldn't help but be afraid it was something he had done or said.

Wanda let out a soft chuckle, attracting Bucky's attention. "You didn't do anything, Bucky. You may have said something that prompted my change in mood, but that is about all."

A confused expression flashed across Bucky's face as he glanced back at the road, though it disappeared seconds later as realization hit him. "Sometimes I forget Marlena isn't the only one who can read minds. But what did I say?"

"When you said my android boyfriend could not give me any," Wanda sighed. "I would like to point out, however, that he isn't my android boyfriend; he is merely my android companion."

"An android companion that you're infatuated with," Bucky remarked.

"That may be true, but I can't be with him the way I want to—I can't be with him the way you are with Marlena simply because of that particular reason," Wanda explained to him. "It sucks wanting someone you know you can never be with."

Bucky frowned and glanced over at her. "I was more or less kidding when I said what I said, Wanda; please don't take it to heart. If you want to be with Vision, then you should be with him. You shouldn't let anything stop you, especially something as irrelevant as his lack of human parts. Relationships are about love and dedication to your significant other; they're more than just sex, though that is a plus. And you're what? Eighteen? You don't need to be doing that stuff anyway."

Wanda rolled her eyes playfully, an amused smile pulling onto her face. "I am almost twenty, actually, and I'm really glad I can count on you to give me relationship advice."

"Another piece of advice if you care for it: relationships aren't easy either. Take it from someone with experience," Bucky started as he pulled up to the curb at Mason's school. "Marlena and I have had a rough couple of years, but I love her enough not to let that affect us. I'd never be able to handle it if I allowed something to come between us."

Wanda narrowed her eyes as she sensed the shift in his tone. His feelings had taken a drastic shift downhill as he spoke, and that worried Wanda slightly. "You're afraid, Bucky."

He let out a breath and looked over at her. "I won't lie to you."

"Did something happen? What is it?"

"The other night I had a nightmare," Bucky started, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "I woke up and looked to find Marlena beside me as I would normally do during the night. Everything inside of me, though, was telling me to kill her—to eliminate her rather than hold her. And it pains me to say that I almost made an attempt to do so; had I not realized what was going on inside my head I probably would have."

Wanda's breath caught in her throat as the words registered inside her mind. "Winter. . .you are afraid he will be the end of you and her."

Bucky nodded and ran a hand over his face. "I'm only getting worse, Wanda, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. I'm terrified of what might happen because of it."

"Does she know?"

"No," Bucky shook his head. "I don't have the heart to tell her—not now. She's got enough on her plate as it is, and I can't risk this making it worse."

"But what will you do if you relapse again, Bucky? What will you do if the next time is worse than the last?" Wanda questioned him.

Bucky looked over at her with sad eyes. "I'll have no choice but to leave; it's the only thing I'll be able to do to make sure she remains safe."

Wanda let out a breath and sat back in her seat. "Leaving would end you two regardless, Bucky; you cannot do that to her."

"If I lose myself to him—if I lose her to him—then that alone would be the end," Bucky told her.

Wanda could feel the pain in his voice as he spoke. She knew how much his mind had been torturing him as of lately, and she wanted nothing more than for the torment to go away. She didn't want him to lose Marlena, and she didn't want Marlena to lose him. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure the end does not come for you two," Wanda assured him as she placed her hand over top of his.

Bucky smiled at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, little witch."

"You're welcome, soldier."

Bucky glanced at the clock on the dash to see that it was 2:47. Mason's school had let out over ten minutes ago, yet Mason had not made an appearance. The school grounds were growing emptier; most of the students had left with their parents, leaving only athletes and students participating in extra curricular activities roaming around at the high school. Mason wasn't a spring athlete, nor did he participate in any extra curricular activities. He was always very punctual in regards to getting out of school, though, meaning that he should've been out by now.

"Mason should've been out by now," Bucky mused, letting out a breath as he fixed his gaze upon the entrance to the large school.

"What do you mean?" Wanda asked, her brows furrowing.

Bucky opened his mouth to respond but was stopped as he watched the school doors burst open. Mason hurried out, a pile of books in his hands and his backpack slung over one shoulder. Three boys trailed behind him, each of them with similar smirks on their faces.

Bucky narrowed his eyes as he watched the three of them, and Wanda snapped her head over towards the front of the schoolyard as one of the boys' thoughts made its way into her mind. She barely even had the time to react before the boy standing in the middle extended his arm towards Mason, shoving him slightly, though it was enough to make a difference.

Mason wound up losing his balance as he stepped off of the final step in front of the school. He fell onto his knees, sending his books and the contents of his open backpack down to the ground as well.

Bucky sucked in a breath as he watched, and in seconds he was pulling a baseball cap onto his head and hopping out of Marlena's Jeep, Wanda following closely behind him. Their anger regarding the situation had heightened drastically; the two were very protective over Mason, and seeing a group of boys bullying him was not something they were about to take lightly.

"I fail to see what's so funny," Bucky spoke up as he approached Mason and the boys laughing behind him. The boys stopped laughing, their expressions shifting to that slight fear as they took in the angry blue eyes of the ex-assassin.

"We were just pickin' on him," the boy who pushed him defended. "We didn't mean any harm."

Wanda glared at the boys and knelt down beside Mason to help him pick up his belongings. He looked so defeated, so upset, and that was something Wanda didn't like to see, nor was it something she liked to feel. Though he was her younger cousin, he had become more of a little brother to her over the course of the year; she loved him to death and wanted nothing more than to see him smile.

"Are you okay, Mase?" Wanda asked as she gathered up the rest of his books.

He only nodded, refusing to make eye contact with her. Wanda scanned his mind and let out a sigh; he was lying, but she would address that at a later time. At the moment she was only worried about gathering his stuff and making sure the boys who were mean to him got what they deserved.

"We can't help that he has poor balance and fell," one of the boys scoffed. "In actuality, it's his own fault."

"You put your hands on him when you had no business doing so," Wanda snapped, pulling Mason protectively between her and Bucky. "If it's anyone's fault, it's yours."

The boy to the right of the one who had originally pushed Mason gave Wanda a once-over before his eyes widened; he took a step backward, latching onto his friend's shirt in an attempt to pull him as well.

"Pretty sure that's Wanda Maximoff, the weird Avenger chick," the boy said through clenched teeth. "I think we should go before she blasts us out of existence."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Unlike you three, I have morals and care about the wellbeing of others. And as much as I would love to 'blast' you three out of existence, I'm not going to do so."

"You three are lucky, actually," Bucky started, tightening his grip on Mason's shoulders. "If his sister was here she wouldn't hesitate to use physical force on you."

"Marlena Claire?" the boy in the middle scoffed. "She could barely handle herself when she dated my brother; I doubt anything has changed."

A barely audible growl could be heard inside Bucky's chest. He grew angrier, especially after learning that the boy who had originally instigated the entire thing was related to Dylan, let alone his younger brother. He wanted to choke him out, not only for laying his hands on Mason, but also for being related to such an arrogant and narcissistic piece of shit. He wouldn't do so, though, as Mason was present and he could not risk getting himself into trouble.

"Would you like to know what has changed about Marlena Claire?" Wanda questioned calmly as she took a step toward the trio.

She held her hand out in front of her, displaying her curled fingers to the boys.

"This. . .this is what has changed about Marlena," Wanda told them as the red haze of her energy moved to and from each of her fingers and back again, frightening the boys slightly. "She is much like me, you see? Though she can be a lot more brutal then I am. And if you touch Mason ever again, I can guarantee you will figure that out."

"Well, shit," one of the boys muttered, pulling his friends back.

"We're really sorry; it'll never happen again," Dylan's younger brother claimed.

Bucky glared at him. "It better not, or you'll be dealing with more than just his sister."

"Bucky, calm down please," Wanda said quietly as she latched onto Bucky's arm. She could feel him growing angrier; she could feel his psyche beginning its transition, and that frightened her; she didn't want him to lose himself.

Bucky looked down at her, his eyes softening only slightly.

"Don't you dare make me use my abilities on you."

Bucky simply glanced back at the boys before turning around, grabbing Mason's arm and pulling him back to the Jeep. Once the three of them were situated inside the vehicle, Bucky took off down the road, wasting no time at all in questioning Mason about the situation they had just gotten out of.

"Why the hell were those guys picking on you, Mase?" he asked, his grip tightening on the wheel. "And don't you dare lie to me."

"They were making fun of me because I don't have any parents," Mason said quietly.

Wanda and Bucky exchanged sad glances with one another, and Bucky sped up as if to prevent from turning back around and bashing the boys' heads into a wall.

"Welcome to the club, buddy."

"Why would they make fun of you because of that, though?" Wanda asked with furrowed brows.

Mason shrugged and began playing with his hands. "Because they're mean kids, but it's okay. I miss my mom a lot, but I have two parental figures that I love more than anything, so that's all that really matters to me."

"Are you referring to Greyson and Marlena?" Bucky asked.

"No," Mason answered. "You and Mar, Buck. You guys take care of me, and you're always there for me when I need you to be. I can never thank you both enough for what you do for me."

Bucky let out a breath at his confession. He wasn't sure what it was, but Mason's words made him happy. He loved the little boy to death, and to know that Mason felt so strongly about him touched him more than he thought it would. "Well, Mase, you know Mar and I would do anything for you."

"That's why I love you guys," Mason chuckled, leaning forward in his seat. "You know that I love you, too, Wan."

Wanda smiled at him, patting his arm in a comforting manner. "And I love you, too, Mason."