Stubborn Love
The hospital loomed over the young frazzled woman. She rushed through the glass doors and ran straight to the help desk. “Hello. Hi. Um what room is Natasha Rodgers in?” she asked out of breath.
“Your name and relation to the patient?” the mousy receptionist asks.
“Jude Romanoff and I’m her sister.” replies the young woman.
“Room 405 in the maternity ward.” says the receptionist, as she hands Jude a visitor’s pass.
“Thanks.”
Jude takes the pass and rushes to the elevator. The metal doors open with a clunk, Jude enters and presses the number four and then holds down the close door button. She impatiently taps her foot as the elevator makes its way up. A soft ding indicates that she had arrived; the door opens to reveal stark white halls and expectant fathers pacing. She sighs and runs her hand through her wind-whipped locks, she starts searching for her sister’s room.
Before she can knock on door 405 a shrill scream echoes through the hall, “Shit.” She mumbles under her breath. She steels herself and just opens the door, the room was the same white as the halls the only difference is the fact that there is a bed and a TV. After a quick scan of the room, she noticed two very important things: 1) Natasha was not here and 2) neither was Steve, Natasha’s husband.
“About time you got here, you do know that Natasha went into labor hours ago, right?” says a brute of a man.
“Shut up James, I came as soon as I could.” Jude replies with a glare. James shrugs his massive shoulders and pushes off the wall he was leaning on. “How are you even here, I thought only family could come?” she asks.
“I was the one who drove Natasha and Steve here. So I guess that means I get to stay.” He replies with a small smirk, which grew larger when Jude groaned “Really?”
“Really.”
“Jude be nice to Bucky. In fact, you should thank him for taking such good care of your sister and Steve.” intervenes Jude’s mother with a stern look and a pat on Bucky’s arm. “He’s a good boy.” She continues and Jude can’t help but roll her eyes.
Bucky releases himself from Melina Romanoff’s grasp and makes his way next to Jude. “Hear that Judith, I’m a good boy.” He stage-whispers toward Jude with an irksome grin. “Oh I hate you.” She whispers right back at him, his grin falters slightly but before he can say another word the door opens and Steve pops his head in.
“Jude! Good you made it. They’re on their way here.” Steve says with a grin so big it looked liked his face was about to split in half.
Everyone who wasn’t already standing jumped to their feet and made room for the new father and the soon to be arriving new mother and child. There were quite a few questions hanging in the air, “Was it boy or girl?” “How is Natasha feeling?” “Is the child named yet?” but none were spoken for they would be answered soon enough.
A MONTH LATER
“You want me to be what?” Jude asks as she sits in her sister’s home holding her niece.
“I want you to be Sarah’s Godmother.” Natasha repeats as she takes Sarah back into her arms. The baby quietly gurgles and coos at her mother.
“Why me? Why not Yelena? She is surprising good with kids.” Jude asks, still slightly stunned at the conversation. “Because you’re my sister and I want you to.” Natasha replies.
“Yelena’s your sister too.” Jude fires back almost instantly. Natasha rolls her eyes at her sister. “I picked you, Yelena can have the next one, now get over it.”
“Who’s the Godfather?” Jude questions as she picks up Sarah’s teddy bear from the floor. She doesn’t hear what Natasha mumbles and asks again.
“Oh that’s not important.” Natasha answers evasively and refuses to look at her younger sister.
“Who?” asks Jude as her eyes narrow.
Natasha looks down not saying anything, she looks guilty and it suddenly clicks in Jude’s mind. “No… NO! Bucky! It’s Bucky, oh Holy Mary Mother of God! No. NO. Seriously?” she whisper-yells at Natasha in an attempt not to scare Sarah, which failed.
“Sorry, but he is Steve’s best friend.” Natasha says trying to calm not only her daughter but her sister too. Jude groans loudly, Sarah cries loudly, and Natasha sighs softly and shakes her head slowly.
A YEAR LATER
“Alright, come to Auntie Jude. Come on.” Jude coaxes her small niece.
Sarah moves slowly and cautiously on her way to her aunt, one foot in front of the other, a set look of determination in her eyes, and about two feet in between her and her target.
“That’s my girl! Come on just a little closer kiddo.” Jude continues.
Since both Sarah and her aunt were preoccupied neither noticed the approach of Bucky, who could not help himself seeing the situation. He scoops up Sarah before she finished her journey to Jude, Sarah lets out a peal of giggles while Jude huffs at the man-child. Sarah’s laughter dies down as Bucky sets her back onto the ground. He looks up at Jude who is scowling at him; he smiles and says “What’s the matter Jude?”
“Nothing.” She replies and picks up Sarah. The girls head toward the kitchen, Bucky not wanting to be left behind trails after them.
“So Jude, I heard that you got a new job. Do you like it?” Bucky asks in attempt to actually get on Jude’s good side, something he has tried and failed at many times since Steve met Natasha and consequently, he met Jude.
“Yup.” Jude replies popping the ‘p’ at the end. She enters the kitchen and hands Sarah to her father. She turns and pulls out a can of coke from the fridge. Bucky watches as she takes a sip and waits until she finishes another sip.
“I think you’ll be a great guidance counselor.” He says.
“Thanks, I think so too.” Jude replies icily and leaves the kitchen.
“Man, I think the temperature just dropped ten degrees, what did you do?” Steve asks Bucky, who just shrugs in reply.
A MONTH LATER
“Bye! Have a nice trip.” Bucky calls from the doorway to Steve and Natasha, who are on their way to Steve’s cousin’s wedding and will be gone for two days leaving Jude and Bucky in charge of Sarah. The couple wave and drive off.
“This is going to be a long weekend.” Mumbles Jude as she enters the house. Bucky just smiles and swings Sarah in his arms.
AN HOUR LATER
Sarah’s cries shrilly from her room causing both of her devoted babysitters to rush to her, they enter the room and are hit by the most horrid smell they have ever encountered before.
“Oh Dear God.” “EW!” they exclaim at the same time.
“This is your job!” Jude yells as she runs from the room, gasping for clean air. Sarah is still shrieking. Bucky gags slightly.
“No, no this is your job. You’re a girl isn’t this what you do?” Bucky manages to say.
“Nope. Not doing it.” Jude replies and continues to flee the area.
“I don’t know how!” “Learn to!”
FIVE MINUTES LATER
“Yeah mom… we have a bit of a problem. How soon can you get here?” Jude asks her mother over the phone. Her mother replies with an “I’ll be right there.” and hangs up the phone. Sarah’s shrieking has subsided but the smell had not.
“My mom will be here in like two minutes. Thank God she lives close by.” Jude says to Bucky as he holds Sarah as far away from himself as possible, his shirt over his nose and tears forming in his eyes. He nods his head in response.
“I can’t believe they thought we were capable of handling this.” Jude sighs and goes to find some air freshener.
TEN MINUTES LATER
“Give her to me.” Melina says as soon as she walks through the door, Bucky responds quickly by giving Sarah to her grandmother. Melina rolls her eyes at the man and her daughter before leaving with Sarah.
Jude sprays sea breeze air freshener in front of Bucky’s face, he leans back and the two of them start laughing. “Wanna go open some windows or something?” she asks him with a genuine smile on her face. He smiles right back and nods.
“Hey, wanna order pizza for dinner?” He asks.
“Sure.”
THREE YEARS LATER
“I don’t like it.” Sarah says quietly to Jude.
“Don’t like what?” Jude asks just as quietly.
“The new baby.” Sarah says glaring out the window at the frost and snow.
“Oh… why don’t you like it?” Jude questions her niece.
“Everybody talks about it. New baby, new baby, new baby. No one talks about me anymore.” She replies not looking at Jude.
“Kiddo, they’re just nervous is all. They’re worried about the new baby, but they still love you. I still love ya. The new baby isn’t going to be here until the spring time and everyone is just trying to prepare for it.” Jude says softly, she runs her fingers through Sarah’s hair soothingly.
“Why?”
“Because that is what families do. They worry and over react and try their hardest to make everything go smoothly. We did the same thing when you were coming.”
“Really?”
“Oh baby girl, you have no idea how much everybody worried about you.” Jude laughs which causes a small smile to break on Sarah’s face.
“Tell me more! Please!”
“Alright, I will.”
A FEW MONTHS LATER
“Well that was eventful.” Jude mumbles.
“Yeah no kidding, last time her water broke in her kitchen this time in a packed restaurant! Oh man, some timing, right?” Bucky replies with a laugh and a tired smile.
“I am never having kids, that was horrifying. Did you see the waiter’s face, oh God we can never eat there again. Ever.” Jude says shaking her head. “We didn’t even get to eat. I mean couldn’t the baby wait twenty minutes.” She continues and holds her midsection.
“Your sister just had baby number two and all you can think about is food.” Bucky says.
“Yeah, I’m starving.” She says as her stomach lets out a grumble.
“Wanna go get some burgers?” he asks. “Yes. I need to go inside and let them know we’re leaving, ok?” she says, he responds with a nod.
Bucky grabs his jacket and keys while Jude says her goodbyes to her family including the newest addition baby Aiden. They head out together.
A WEEK LATER
Bucky sits at the bar waiting for Jude to show up. She’s running late as usual but texted saying she was five minutes away, which as far as Bucky knew meant that she was just leaving her apartment and would be fifteen minutes. The bar is practically empty because it is a Tuesday night and there aren’t any good sports on today.
Fifteen minutes pass and as if on cue the door opens to reveal Jude. She makes her way to the bar and slaps Bucky on the shoulder. “Sorry I’m late, traffic was a bitch.” She says and sits down.
“No worries, I got here a few minutes ago anyway.” He lies smoothly with a smile.
AN HOUR LATER
Jude takes a large sip of her new beer just as Bucky finishes his old one.
“So… you haven’t told me why you invited me out yet. I mean it’s not really like you to ask me out, even if it is just for drinks. So I’m slightly suspicious as to why.” Bucky says, he had been waiting all day to find out why Jude wanted to go out for drinks and couldn’t wait any longer.
“Well, you know that I really didn’t like you at first.” She says.
“Oh trust me I know.” He mumbles causing Jude to roll her eyes.
“Anyway, I figure we should stop trying to just be civil and maybe actually try to be friends. So this is me… trying to be friendly. I mean I’ve known you for years and I used to think you were nothing but a brainless frat boy, who couldn’t keep it in his pants, but you’ve grown up and so have I. So what do you say? Officially friends?” she says with a small shrug and hesitant smile.
“Brainless? I’ll have you know that in school I got higher grades than Steve. But yeah, friends sounds good for me. Hell I’ve been trying to get you to be friends with me since high school.” He replies with a laugh.
“What?! Bullshit, I call bullshit. You didn’t know I existed in high school, I was a little freshman and you were a mister big shot, football playing, man whoring senior.” She exclaims.
“My best friend was dating your sister, I knew who you were and in fact, I kept an eye on you because your sister asked me too. Sweet innocent little freshman my ass, don’t you remember I busted you at that house party and drove you home?” he says with a large grin spreading across his face.
“No I don’t remember that.” She replies with a laugh.
“Because you were drunk.”
“Shit, ok you win. But we’re friends now so cheers.” Jude says raising her glass and clinking it against Bucky’s empty one.
ONE YEAR LATER
The whole family and Bucky were gathered in Natasha and Steve’s backyard for a random get together, it had been decided that it had been too long since they had all been in the same house and that a barbeque was needed. The only person missing was Jude, who was running late to no one’s surprise.
“Hey, Buck how are you and Jude getting along? Are you still talking to one another or is she still mad about what you girlfriend said about her?” Steve asks as he starts the grill.
“It’s not me she’s mad at, she’s still super pissed at Clara, who by the way I broke up with last week.” Bucky replies nonchalantly.
“Ok, why did you break up with her? I thought you thought she was the one?” Steve says glancing up at Bucky who only looked away and shrugged.
“She called Jude an icy bitch, to her face and in front of me. And in all honesty if I was to continue to see her that would mean bringing her around here and around Jude more, which would lead to more fights and comments and gossip and drama.” He pauses to catch his breath and then says, “Also it has taken years to get on Jude’s good side and I don’t want to jeopardize that. Years man years. I can find another Clara but Jude is kind of a fixed point in my life, you know?” Bucky replies not looking at Steve slightly embarrassed.
“Ok, I see your point. You broke up with your girlfriend to make Jude happy. Jude, my sister-in-law, the girl you have been trying to get to like you since high school, the girl your too afraid to actually date, the girl who…” “Dude shut up!” Bucky interrupts Steve’s rant as Jude enters the backyard.
“Auntie Jude!” Sarah exclaims running across the backyard to her aunt. Jude smiles and bends down and swings the six year old in the air. “Hey kiddo! How you doing?” she asks.
“Good.” Sarah replies through peals of laughter.
“Buck, just go for it.” Steve says quietly.
“Shut up.” Bucky replies harshly.
A FEW MONTHS LATER
“Ok Sarah is your homework done?” Bucky asks as he prepares Aiden’s bottle.
“Uh-huh.” Sarah replies with an eager smile, she comes into the kitchen and stands on her tippy-toes, hands behind her back and looks up at the hulking man. “Can I have ice cream now?” she asks sweetly, batting her eyes at him.
“As soon I put Aiden to bed you can have as much ice cream you want. Just remember no telling your mom or dad, alright?” he replies quietly as to not alert Aiden of the fact that there is ice cream.
“Alright!” she exclaims and rushes out of the kitchen. Bucky shakes his head and starts feeding Aiden his milk. When the bottle is finished, Bucky makes his way up to Aiden’s room and lays him down. He sticks his head out the door and calls for Sarah.
“Yeah?” she replies. “Come here, I’m going to read a story.” Bucky says. Sarah climbs the stairs and finds her way into Bucky’s lap. He reads Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, once he see that Aiden is sound asleep, he picks up Sarah and carries her downstairs.
“Ice cream?” she asks.
“Yeah, what flavor do you want?”
“Vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream!” she grins up at her Godfather.
Bucky puts her down and starts to make her ice cream order. Sarah dances around his legs waiting for her dessert. Bucky laughs and places it on the dining room table; she grabs her spoon and plants herself in the chair. Just before she digs in she calls out a “Thank you.” to which Bucky nods and ruffles her locks.
There is a knock at the front door. Bucky goes over to the window to check out who it is and sees Jude. There is another knock. He makes his way to the door and opens it. Jude is standing just under the porch light; she looks up at him quickly and then just as quickly looks down.
“You’re not Natasha.” She says quietly. “Is she here or is she out?” she continues before he can interrupt.
“She and Steve are at a Halloween party; they won’t be back until 11ish. Why?” he says while trying to get a good look at her face, which is fixed on the ground and is blocked by her long hair.
“No reason. I’ll just go home then. See ya around.” she mumbles, still not looking up. She turns to leave but Bucky reaches out and grabs her arm to stop her.
“Hey… why don’t you come inside? I just took out some ice cream and Sarah would love to see you. She always loves to see you.” Bucky asks not letting go but loosening his grip.
“Shit… Fine.” She replies.
Jude turns back to Bucky; she pushes her hair behind her ear and reveals her tearstained cheeks. She sniffs and brings her hands up to her face to wipe away the make-up residue and excess tears. Bucky’s mouth becomes a tight line and his eyes narrow while taking in Jude appearance.
“What happened?” he asks, holding back his anger at who ever made Jude cry.
“Nothing, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” She replies stiffly.
“Jude.”
“James. I’m fine.” She says as she makes her way into her sister’s house. “Aiden is in bed?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
She nods and heads for the bathroom to wash her face. Bucky walks into the dining room to tell Sarah that Jude came over.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Bucky and Jude put Sarah to bed and began to walk downstairs. Bucky had been waiting to talk to Jude about earlier and now finally had his chance.
“Jude, what happened? And please don’t bullshit me.” He says once they were in the living room. She sighs and runs her hand through her hair.
“It’s really not a big deal. I got into a fight with Brock, we broke up that’s it. It was coming for a while now so… yeah. Oh well, good riddance and all that jazz.” She says with a shrug. “He was a bit of an ass anyway.”
“What was the fight about?” Bucky asks cautiously.
“Me.”
“What do you mean, you?”
“Oh you know, ‘Jude why can’t you spend more time with me?’ ‘Jude why are you going to the bar again?’ ‘Jude what do you mean we can’t go to my family’s for the holidays?’ Etcetera Etcetera. Well I’ll tell you what I told him, ‘One I spend most of my free time with you, in fact I could do with a little less of you. Two I like going out, I like hanging out with my friends and these hang outs usually happen at bars, you can come with me if you want. And Three I like my family better we should go there for the holidays, yours is a bit stuck up and they don’t likeme.’ And that little speech caused all hell to break loose and here I am.” Jude ends her rant with a huff.
“His loss. You can do better anyway.” Bucky says with a shrug. “Wanna go and finish off Steve’s ice cream supply and watch that stupid movie you like?”
“Yes and Robin Hood: Men in Tights is not a stupid movie. Mel Brooks is an amazing human being.” She response with a small smile.
“Whatever you say, Jude, whatever you say.” Bucky says as he goes to get the ice cream, content that he made her smile.