2001
Jolting up, Johnny immediately bent over the side of the bed and threw up. Resting his head against the mattress of the bed, his last memories suddenly come crashing down on him, making Johnny bolt upright again. Frantically looking around he holt's in shock as his eyes land on the TV in the corner quietly playing the news. He barely registered the nurse trying to get his attention, eyes focused on the date, more specifically the year.
2001.
‘What the fuck?’
‘Good morning sir.’
Johnny's head snapped in the direction of the voice and almost gagged again. No one had ever called him sir before and he didn't think he liked it. He didn't feel old enough for that sort of talk and it reminded him of that one teacher Johnny had, called Mr. Sur that was borderline abusive towards him before Johnny dropped out. Sudden memories of curling up to Steve everyday after school, trying to hide away from the world came to the forefront of his mind. Johnny had to swallow hard to stop himself from crying, because he wanted nothing more than to snuggle up to Steve and forget about being in a hospital, forget about it being 2001, forget about still looking young and forget about the car crash. Forget about everything.
‘It’s Johnny.’
‘Well Johnny, how are you feeling?’
‘I feel fine.’
‘You came in as a John Doe, so if it's ok I'm going to ask you some questions?’
‘Yeah, Yeah l, sure.’ The nurse went to the end of the bed and took out a file. Johnny was in so much shock that he couldn't even find it in himself to smile or flirt with her. Another nurse came in as well and started to take Johnny's OBS. ‘Your full name please.’
‘Johnathan Lowell Spencer Rogers.’
‘Age.’
‘17.’
‘And your date of birth.’
‘Ummm ahh, yeah. The 4th of the 11th, 19…74.’ (november 4th)
‘Open your mouth please.’ The other nurse directed and Johnny obediently did as asked, closing his mouth when the thermometer was placed inside. He sat in silence as the nurses went back and forth, moving around the room and doing things that seemed unnecessary to Johnny but was probably what they had to do unless they wanted to be fired. The sound of the thermometer beeping brought him back to the presence and away from the quickly darkening thoughts that were filling his head. The nurse that had placed it in his mouth took it out and choked on a gasp as she read Johnny’s temp. Looking up at Johnny wide eyed she hesitantly asks, ‘Are you sure that you’re alright? This says that your temperature is 43 degrees (109.4 F).’ Johnny’s eyes also widened, but other than feeling like his life was collapsing in on itself he felt fine. Suddenly feeling very defensive he got up from the bed and moved as far away from the nurses as he could.
‘I feel completely fine, and the last time I checked you can’t hold me, also who’s been paying for my stay?’ Johnny hated how he could feel himself shrink on himself, he never liked feeling small or hospitals for that matter, they reminded him of his lowest points with Steve barely clinging onto life. ‘That would be the people that found you, the Storm family. They wanted to make sure you made a full recovery and got back to your family.’ The nurse still holding his file softly spoke. The tone of voice made Johnny’s skin crawl, he’d only experienced one room in 2001 and everything was already so completely different. Nurses back in the 30s weren’t ever that soft spoken.
Thinking about it now, maybe he should have thought this through more. After those nurses had left, he stole some clothes off of the old guy in the room across from him (the clothes he had reminded him of the 30s) and took as much money as he dared to get his hands on. Johnny then made his way to a library, because books he could handle, books were familiar, Bucky was always reading after his parents died and his sisters were moved out of state, and right now Johnny didn’t want to think about anything. When he got to the library and had read for a while, Johnny had managed to pull himself together somewhat, enough to put on a charming smile and gain the confidence to ask how to use the computer. Because realistically thinking there was a good chance that his brother and Bucky were still alive, especially with advancing medical treatment. Johnny didn’t think that there was a chance that they got into the military to be killed off, Steve because of his list of health issues as tall as a mountain and Bucky because contrary to popular belief he wasn’t a fighter. So realistically speaking they were old and wrinkly in some nice looking place in the middle of Brooklyn, probably cuddled up together right now (reading and drawing respectively), they were always overly in love like that.
Johnny could have had a heart attack when he successfully managed to search up his brother's name.
So, yes Johnny probably should have thought this through more, because now he was on a bus to Washington to check out some section of a museum that’s supposedly dedicated to his apparently superhero brother Steve. Johnny’s trip to D.C then leads him back to New York to Brooklyn, because Steve and Bucky became such hero’s that the apartment they shared was preserved.
Stepping into the small apartment that Bucky and Steve lived in after Sarah had died felt like coming home. Even if it wasn't the place he grew up in it felt like home, because it was so Steve and Bucky that it made everything in him ache for that sort of comfort again, even if he had only just found out he'd lost it. Knowing that he wouldn’t get it again was the worst sort of pain he had experienced. Looking over at the bed that could barely be considered a twin sized mattress, Johnny felt himself choke on air. Because there sat over the pillow was his Jacket. The bomber jacket that Johnny had had since he was 10 and had covered with more patches then he could count. He could already picture in his mind how tenderly Steve probably treated the Jacket after he was gone considering the current condition of said jacket.
And suddenly Johnny couldn’t breathe and without thinking he moved over the barrier to grab the jacket.
It was like the weight of the world had suddenly been lifted off of his shoulders when his hand made contact with the jacket and Johnny was now very aware of his surroundings. This was properly the first time he despised the eyes that were on him. Johnny didn’t think he could wish to go back in time more than in this moment. Aware of the eyes but only now aware of the hand that had a slowly tightening grip on his upper arm, reluctantly Johnny forced his hand to move away from the familiar comforting feeling of the jacket. As the man started pulling Johnny away he suddenly felt extremely warm, like the fever that the nurses said he had was suddenly catching up with him.
So yeah, thinking about it now he should have thought this through more, because now the man that was holding him was going to hospital for third degree burns on his hand. Johnny was missing his left sleeve, drenched in sweat and currently sitting in a Brooklyn holding cell for assault, assault against an officer and arson. Every time someone walked past the door, Johnny hated how in the back of his mind he always thought it was Bucky coming to bail him out like it was just another Thursday night where Steve and Johnny had gotten into some trouble and Buck had come to break them out before dawn, so Mama Sarah didn’t get mad. Thursday nights were usually the only nights they ended up in the holding cell, because Officer Booker was on duty and was the only officer who still arrested the twins for causing trouble. It didn’t help that Officer Booker’s brother was the principal of the school and Fridays always ended up being a nightmare. Johnny and Bucky had honestly been convinced that Officer Booker and Principal Booker were the same person, no one knew their first names, they looked practically identical (even if they say they ain’t twins) and have the exact same personality, always itching to catch people out of line.
Brought out of his thoughts by the call of his name, Johnny looked up to see a young woman, who was probably a few years older than Johnny, stood next to an older man and woman. Before he knew it he was out of the holding cell and sitting in some fancy cafe without even saying a single word. ‘I know this is a lot to take in, and we got some of your details from the hospital when we got notified, but we really need your help to get you back to your family.’ The lady, who had introduced herself as Susan Storm, soothingly spoke, calming Johnny to the point where he could almost forget what the topic of the conversation was. ‘There all gone.’ With shaking hands Johnny drank from his cup to try and distract himself from the even softer looks he was getting from the three across from him. ‘Well, I’m sure we can set yo-’
‘I’m not going to one of those orphanages or group homes, whatever you call them. I know what happens in those places.’ Johnny cut Susan off from continuing because he knows what happens in those places. He’s seen what happens to Bucky whenever he stays the night at the orphanage instead of just moving in with the Rogers and it always makes Johnny want to puke.
‘She wasn't going to suggest that son. I know what happens in those places too and it's a shame that those things are even considered to be done to children in the first place.’ The words seemed to relax Johnny slightly and soon they all got to talking, discuing really, about everything, well basically everything, there was no way that he was ready to tell them that he was actually from the 30s, not like they would believe him.
Weeks later and a whole lot of adjusting Johnny found himself walking into the Baxter building with Sue. ‘Are you sure me moving in with you and your boyfriend is ok Sis? I mean I haven't even met the guy. What if we hate each other?’ The ‘Sis’ slid off his tongue before he could even let his mind think about it. ‘It’ll be fine Johnny. I'm sure Reed will love you. And we will get to spend more time together as siblings.’ Susan explained, love lacing her tone as the elevator doors closed. ‘You know a sibling I can be, a little brother I can be. And it feels weird that I already see you as ma sister.’
‘Calm down Johnny, we might not have known each other for long but the papers went through, you're my brother. You’re Johnny Storm now, my little brother.’ Johnny found himself smiling at Sue’s words as she placed a comforting hand on his upper arm. She reminded him of Steve in that way of fierce determination and Johnny found himself covering a watery smile with a smirk. ‘You know Sue, a little brother I can be and… just don't ever question the fact if I love you or not because the answer won't change, I do love you because you're now my sister.’
‘Why would I question that.’
‘Because I’m an asshole.’