Drive
Darcy drove, enjoying the silence of sleeping children as each mile separated her from her past. Her children were asleep, thank God, as the three days they had been stuck in the car driving to New York had worn on their nerves and hers. Thank God for the space mini vans had afforded. It’s not that she blamed them. She was taking them from the only home they knew. But she knew, and they all knew, that this was for the best.
Leaving Texas had been the exact right move to take her out of the funk that having a cheating soon to be ex-husband had put her in. It wasn’t that the divorce was unexpected, it was the pregnant mistress that had really been the final blow. The fights in court had been long and drawn out. They fought over everything, the house, child support, the cars, insurance, the credit cards, vacations, and visitation scheduling. Not that the children were on speaking terms with their father anyway, the blow of what he’d done to their mother far out-weighed anything that he could say or do.
And small town life, as much as she wanted to raise her children that way, was far from story book. The gossip, and the stares were too much. She’d had to get a new job, which she found at a small grocery store that afforded her the hours she would need to keep being a single mother for the first time in her life. Not that she’d never worked before, but after Isabella was born, she and Nick had agreed that she would stay home with the kids. His checks, as an executive at a marketing firm in Houston were far bigger than hers, and they could afford their lifestyle on his check alone.
That was 14 years ago. Isabella was 13 and she was 34 now. 14 years without working was a long time.
Sure she was in the PTA, and class mom, and drove her kids to sports, and made every game. But now she had to provide for her children financially and that was a completely different story. Mason was 10 and in any sport he could think of and Sofia was four and in dance.
And now they were moving across country to a brand new state and environment. They had been to Houston every week of their lives because their family lived there, but New York was going to be an entirely different situation.
When Jane had called and begged her to come and be her assistant, she put up futile resistance. Jane was so like her mother in the fact that she could charm the pants off a gay man, and never know any better. She had moved to New York after college, and was working with the Avengers the last seven years, after a run in, in New Mexico with Thor. Jane loved New York and luxuries it afforded. And the money of course.
After she had lost her last intern, who’d run scared, rightfully so, after a tower takeover, she had begged and pleaded Darcy to move. Really she meant well, Jane had never like Nick anyway, and believed Darcy could do so much better. Jane had been put through the same situation three years ago with her ex, Donald Blake, only it had left her more determined to succeed in her respective field. Jane had fire and spunk, and maybe Darcy had use to be that way, they were cousins, and close cousins at that, but being a wife and a mother changed her priorities.
Not that Jane’s priorities were any less than her own, they were just different. Jane could still go out when she wanted, she could date, she could wear bras that were cute and not ratty and torn. Pregnancy had done wonders to Darcy’s own curves. But she definitely couldn’t fit into her skinny jeans anymore. She had her own ‘mom’ jeans that fit just fine.
After a month of begging and pleading Darcy gave in. She talked to her children, two out of three were ok with the move. Sofia hadn’t understood what it entailed, but as long as she had her big brother and sister she’d be ok. The move had led to another fight in court, because of course Nick wasn’t going to be ok with her moving his children with her thousands of miles away. She understood that, she would have felt that same way. But with Bella refusing to even be near her father, her lawyer was able to come up with a schedule that consisted of every other holiday with him.
They would go to a private school in Manhattan that all the Avenger’s and their associates sent their kids, and Pepper Potts was kind enough to put that in her contract. Apparently Jane was a pretty big deal, and desperately needed help now.
She was the ring leader when she and Jane were kids. They would do everything together. Go to the malls, double dates, movies, homework. Darcy though, was ashamed to admit, that she pushed her own kids much harder with their school work than she had ever been. She and Jane had had to have all their own fun on Jane’s weekends at home. Jane had graduated high school at fourteen, and college at eighteen. She had her doctorate in astrophysics by the time she was 23, and if that wasn’t something to live up to for a second generation Puerto Rican-American, Darcy didn’t know what was.
As a young, girl family was everything, and Darcy wouldn’t have dreamed Jane would move away for a second. But she had, and Darcy had stayed home and married a “gringo” and that was that. Not that her children were any less loved by the family, just that Nick wasn’t. And of course Nick hadn’t helped that. His priorities were far from perfect. Work took precedence over family, she could count on a single hand how many of Bella’s games he had ever been to. Her family however went to every single one, and they were the loudest in the stands.
Letting her mother know she was moving to New York was the scariest experience of her life, even scarier than telling her about the divorce. But the fact that that her Catholic mother, let her go with no resistance, told her what they thought. Nick hadn’t grown in esteem for the 14 years they’d been married, and they’d rather have her far from them then attached to him any longer than necessary.
The further Darcy drove north, the more beautiful it got, with the trees and the lakes. She had little butterflies in her stomach since Kentucky. The excitement of starting over was beginning to outweigh the dread.
Isabella stirred in the passenger seat. “Where we at, Mom,” the girl asked as she rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the scenery ahead. It never ceased to cause her heart to flutter when her kids called her mom. She was a mom, and she loved it.
“We have about four hours to go bean. We’re almost there.” Bella smiled, she did it so rarely these days.
“Are you excited to see Jane again,” she asked.
“I am more than excited. It’s been over a year.”
“I hear she’s dating an Avenger. That’s what People Magazine says.”
“I don’t know. You know as much as I do, that Aunt Jane is pretty quiet on her dating life after Dr. Blake.”
“Ugh,” she tossed her long, dark hair to the side, “He was a loser, huh mom.”
“Yes,” Darcy agreed, “A total loser.” Darcy reached over and gave her hand a squeeze as the teenager picked up her phone to check her messages. She was leaving behind a ton of friends, but she had confided in Darcy that she was more than ready to leave the rumors and stares and whispers behind.
“It’s hard mom. Everyone knows my dad’s a loser. And they associate us with them.”
It wasn’t fair that her children had to suffer for the sins of the father. And the fact that the mistress was going around bragging about her new house, and car, and step-kids, hadn’t helped at all. And the fact she’d only seen the kids once had blown Darcy away.
“You know when Leah has the baby, I know we were supposed to fly down and go see it, but I don’t really want to,” Isabella said, while biting her lip and looking out the window.
“You can do whatever you want, Bean, and it won’t hurt my feelings at all, know that, ok?”
“Ok mom. I’m excited to see Jane and meet the Avengers.”
“I know you are. I am too.”
The closer she got to New York, her excitement grew.
Yes this would be good for them. For all of them.
Jane groaned and rolled to the side. This wasn’t her bed, but those were definitely her clothes on the floor. Not that she was surprised. The harder she tried to resist a relationship with Bucky Barnes, the easier she fell into his bed. He wasn’t there, of course, it was five in the morning, and he always went running with Steve. It made it easier for her to clean up and leave his apartment than if he had been there.
She didn’t know why she was resisting his advances so hard. He’d been clear of what he wanted, and he was a perfect gentleman. She knew it had something to do with Donald Blake, and she left it at that. He ruined her life. They were about to be married, and he cheated on her with the nurse. Worse thing was, that he said she had deserved it.
Jane would never put Bucky Barnes in the same category as Donald Blake. He was a gentleman. An albeit, slightly dangerous gentleman. But he opened her door, he pulled out her chair, he brought her supper if she was staying late in the lab. She always felt safe around him. And he was a hero. Being around him even for the briefest of kisses was always a turn on, something she never had with Donald.
But still, she’d never been in a long-term relationship since, and she wasn’t sure she could manage one now.
Her mother was clear in the fact that she wanted grandbabies, and now, always comparing her to Darcy. But look at what Darcy was going through now. She was uprooting her life and moving across the country because her husband was a no good piece of shit, who deserved to be castrated. But she supposed that her mother was still reeling from the fact that she couldn’t throw her only daughter a quinces because she had been in college. Getting married and having babies was the next logical step in Jane’s life, and Jane wasn’t budging.
Jane rolled over and stood, wrapping the sheet around her and headed to Bucky’s shower. A quick shower and a ibuprofen would set her straight. How much did they drink last night?! It didn’t affect him, it never did, unless Thor brought down some Asgardian mead. But Jane never stopped trying to keep up with him.
A quick shower later, she brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she kept there, brushed her hair, and threw on one of his shirts with the jeans she wore yesterday. She was set. He wouldn’t mind her working in his shirt, in fact quite the opposite. She was sure the he like theme better on her than on him anyway. She made her way out of his apartment and up the three floors to her lab, passing Bruce and Tony on the way, giving them a nod as a hello. Darcy would be here later today, this afternoon most likely, and Jane couldn’t wait. She missed her cousin. They use to be so close, but distance and their living situations didn’t let them see each other much anymore. Plus Nick didn’t want her to visit, saying being around that many men wouldn’t be good for their marriage.
The irony was that Nick was the one who couldn’t keep it in his pants and now Darcy was paying the price having to start over.
When Jane lost her last intern, she could think of nobody else except Darcy to fill the place. She worked with NYU for years now, wanting students going into her field, to have that hands on experience. She considered it her duty to the new generation. And it was an easy job. Input her notes, bring her lunch, manage her schedule. That was it. And Stark Industries paid them handsomely. But Jane was getting tired of babysitting. And with her contract with the University coming to an end, she wasn’t wanting to renegotiate anything, especially since the Avengers tower which housed the company as growing, with most of the Avengers starting families of their own. Not that Jane was ready to start her own family, but she did enjoy getting visits from Clint’s kids or Cassie Lang. Even Morgan who was six now was a constant in her lab. How she bypassed security protocols, she would never know. It was fun watching Tony Stark try and outwit his six year old.
Jane walked into her lab and flipped on all of the computers. She was much better at keeping a schedule now, than she was a year ago. All-nighters were common in her line of work but now she resigned herself to working at least one a week. That was definitely Bucky’s influence, even though she would never say that out loud. Sometimes Tony and Bruce would join her, though the Avengers went on alert anytime they got together now. You open one worm-hole and cause one little bilgesnipe attack and suddenly it’s a Thanos level end of the world security threat. Bucky had laughed and laughed at her after the fight was over, as she was covered in slime and crying.
And Jane was sure Darcy’s children would benefit from schooling in New York as well. She knew that Bella into art, and Mason was a big sport enthusiast. Even Sofia did ballet. So she would help Darcy get them settled with the other kids here and at school.
Those living in the tower were as close knit and bonded as her own family and that was saying something. Jane herself was the daughter of a 2nd generation Puerto Rican-American mother who married an English husband. It caused quite the stir in her traditional family, much like Darcy had when she married the “gringo,”. Though her own father was much better received. The difference between Nick Lewis and John Foster was simply the fact that John cared about the family. Nick cared about the money.
When Nick and Darcy first met, he had been liked, not well liked, but liked enough for him to be invited to family gatherings and dinners, even a reunion or two. He was five years older than Darcy, but nobody blinked an eye because that was pretty normal for their family. And then, Darcy he had asked her to marry him. He had just graduated college, and Darcy was fresh out of high school, which wasn’t the problem. The problem was…
He hadn’t talked to her parents at all.
These days they were much more lenient. Fifteen years ago, not so much.
Then he wanted to move Darcy an hour away to Houston, and her Aunt Maricella had had a fit. You did NOT move away in this family. Jane new that, and had been struggling since she started college. Deep in her parents hearts they knew, however, that that was what was best for Jane. Nick however was taking newly married Darcy who was pregnant with her first child away from her father and mother, and it just wasn’t ok. Aunt Maricella and Uncle Victor laid down the law. From then on, it was a power struggle between Nick and Darcy’s family with Darcy caught in the middle. And the family helped Darcy out a lot with the kids. Jane’s own mother baby sat as much as the children’s grandparents, especially after her father passed away. That was just the way in their family. Over the years, Jane noticed Nick wasn’t coming to more and more family related things, and people were asking about him less and less.
And then… The Shame.
Jane had never really gotten to know Nick’s parents, but she knew them well enough that they wouldn’t check their son. He was spoiled and got what he wanted going up. His father was a venture capitalist, his mother a socialite, and the only person Jane could really stand was his sister Arabella, who in her opinion, was the only one, out of the five children they had, that amounted to anything. She’d gotten her degree and graphic design and moved to New York straight out of college. They had texted almost every day since Darcy broke the news, and Arabella was just as heartbroken as she was. Not that neither of them were surprised. They were, however, hurt over how he treated Darcy and the kids. And the fact that he was “doing the right thing,’’ by his mistress.
If he wanted to do the right thing by anybody, it should have been Darcy and his kids. The ones who stuck by him, even if when the money was scarce. And now Darcy had to start over.
She’d be making a great check here, obviously. Her rent was covered in her contract, she definitely wouldn’t be wanting for anything. But the fact that she had to even contemplate starting over was heartbreaking.
Tony had offered to do some not so nice things to Nick, but Jane had pointed out that it wouldn’t help. You had to have common sense to see that you were in the wrong, and Nick had none. Why trade a good woman who loved you for you, for a woman who loved you for your money?
Jane flipped on the coffee make and started her coffee. She’d go through the entire pot in an hour. She always did after a night with Bucky. But today she’d have much more on her plate than normal. She’d work for a few hours, and then hit the gym, and then help Darcy move in. As much as she was excited to get Darcy and the kids here, she absolutely hated moving and unpacking. But at least Bucky and Steve volunteered to help out, so the process would be faster.
And she’d get to see Bucky’s muscles at work…again. And really that was worth it.
Bucky slowed down his run, not even a little tired, but ready to stop. “Ok bud, I’m done.”
“Why? You tired,” Steve teased as he stopped beside him. “Long night,” Steve gave his friend a knowing grin. “She finally cave?”
“Jane? Naw. You know Jane. She needs to do everything the hard way in order to be comfortable with doing it.”
“Doesn’t stop her from sleeping with you, though.”
“That’s different,” Bucky said.
“How,” Steve asked.
“Because that benefits me too,” Bucky grinned and shoved Steve’s shoulder. “No. In all honestly I get her history. I’m not going to push her. When she’s ready she’ll let me know. I mean look at what’s going on with her cousin now.”
“Definitely not a good time for that to be reminding her of her past.”
“Exactly,” Bucky agreed.
“What time does her cousin get here today, again,” Steve asked.
“I think four. I’ll confirm it with Jane over lunch and I’ll let you know,” Bucky said picking up the pace again. “Let’s get back, punk. Hopefully my girl hasn’t woken up yet.”
Steve picked up his run, following Bucky. It was a beautiful day in New York City.