Ruins Of a Great House
“You want me to what?”
Bucky’s tone is serious as he turns to her so fast she swears his neck creaks. Jane thought he would laugh, or maybe tell her no immediately. Instead he looks apalled. She takes a deep breath in, glancing around what used to be her home now burnt down and in ruins, before she looks back at him bitting her bottom lip almost nervously. When Jane saw the pile of snow in the distance and recognised it as her home, she ran towards it without thinking it, but now that she stood on top of it and realised that it hadn’t completely burned down she thought maybe she would be able to find something in the ruins. Anything. Anything that belonged to her father, or to Julia, even to Darcy whose room was probably one of the first to burn since it was downstairs. So she asked Bucky to help her move some of the rubble out of the way.
“Move the-“
“Are you- No!” Bucky scowls, “One wrong move and the rest of this house will fall on us!”
“We’ll do it carefully” Jane insists, “We can start with the smaller ones“
Bucky barks out a laugh, “We?” he says, “You wouldn’t be able to-“
Jane grits her jaw, “Fine! I’ll do it myself!"
Bucky stops her before she can move. Circling both of her wrist and taking them to his chest. Jane purses her lips and glares daggers at him. Deep inside she knows he is right, despite the foundations of the house being strong, and looking like they were still holding what was left standing, one wrong move could leave them both buried under it. Bucky raises an eyebrow as he looks down at her, and she narrows her eyes at him trying to wrench herself from his grip in vain.
“Let her go!”
Both turn towards the entrance of the house. and It isn’t until something hits Bucky’s face, and he curses covering his face, that he lets her hands go. Jane kneels next to him, and turns to the entrance with a glare.
“What the hell?!” Jane yells at the intruder.
Bucky grips her hand, “Behind me” he says, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand.
“Are you alright?”
Bucky and Jane frown, as a shadow makes their way towards them. The question, directed at Jane, is left unanswered as Bucky pushes her behind him at the same time he gives a step forward, standing between her and the intruder. Jane grips his shoulder, not wanting him to stand so far from her, she tries standing next to him but he stops her looking at her with the corner of his eyes and shaking his head once. She swallows, cursing mentally for leaving both the dagger and the gun in the car.
“Miss Selvig?”
Her breath hitches, and Bucky tenses against her.
“Jane?”
As the shadow moves closer to them, to the light, Jane realises she recognises the voice. And she lets go of Bucky’s jacket.
“Letitia” Jane whispers, “Letitia!”
The older woman finally steps out of the shadows, and a smile splits her face when Jane recognises her and viceversa. Jane shortens the remaining distance between them and pulls her in for a tight embrace. Letitia was one of the people who not only took care of the house, but of Jane and her father, she had been the one who helped Jane into the world too, it was a story she never got tired of telling her every morning on her birthday, as she cut a piece of the cake she baked for her. Jane pulls back and cups the woman’s face, joining their foreheads as Letitia runs a hand through her hair, like she can’t believe she’s there.
“Oh, dear god, my child” Letitia says, pulling back to look at her, “Jane, I thought- I thought you-“
Jane shakes her head, “I’m fine” she hugs her again, “I’m fine” she says against her hair.
Letitia looks behind her, at Bucky, and hugs Jane’s head before she narrows her eyes at him. Bucky clears his throat, feeling uncomfortable under the woman’s gaze.
“This is Bucky” Jane says, moving towards him, “He help me get here”
The older woman eyes him suspiciously, before Jane elbows Bucky and he licks his lips, offering Letitia a polite nod. Jane seems to remember that Glassmere was suppose to be empty, and she turns to the older woman.
“Letitia, what are you still doing here?” Jane asks, frowning deeply, “I thought-“
“We should move somewhere warm” Letitia cuts her off.
Jane’s brow furrows. She glances at Bucky with the corner of his eye and the man nods at her, condensation leaving his mouth as he breaths out. Jane looks back at Letitia and nods, offering the older woman a small smile as she offers her arm for her to hold onto as they make their way out of the house.
Bucky leans against the wall near the window, glancing at the old woman as she paces around the living room. Letitia must be around fifty years old, her raven dark hair is full of grey strands and she moves slow, holding her back when she reaches for a log of wood from the pile next to the fireplace infront of them. Jane stands from the couch she is sitting on and reaches to help her, but Letitia declines politely offering a small smile, and Jane nods sitting back on the couch slowly.
When Letitia walks towards him and tells him to move from the window, Bucky doesn’t miss the way she limps away slightly, every three or four steps she gives, and he wonders if she always had it or if its recent. With one last look outside the window, he moves away, closing the blinds before moving next to the chimney seeking warmth.
“Are you hungry?” Letitia asks.
Jane nods, “We haven’t eaten breakfast”
The older woman nods and leaves to the kitchen. Bucky walks towards Jane and sit next to her, shrugging his coat off as he starts feeling the living room warmer because of the fireplace.
“How’s you eye?” Jane asks, cupping his jaw to look at his right eye.
Bucky just shrugs, “It was nothing”
Jane nods, and she glances at where the older woman disappeared before looking back at him, “She’s a friend” She tells him quietly, a small comforting smile, “Don’t be so worried”
Bucky’s brow furrows, “I wasn’t-“
“I have plenty for you two to fill your stomachs” Letitia comes back, a smile on her face and a tray on her hands.
Jane looks at the tray as Letitia puts it on the small table infront of them, “It smells amazing” She smiles, “Right, Bucky?”
Bucky nods and looks at Letitia, “Thank you”
The older woman smiles and takes a seat across from them, Jane doesn’t wait to dig into the food, and Bucky tries not to stuff his mouth too much or too fast, despite being very hungry and the food being very, very good. Warm bread, oatmeal, pancakes, some bacon, and strawberry jam.
Letitia excuses herself before disappearing to one of the halls behind them, and Bucky doesn’t miss the way Jane’s eyes follow her until she is gone, lingering on the door for a few seconds before she continues eating in silence. The older woman comes back minutes after they had already finished eating, once again, Jane offers to help pick up the dishes but she declines, and when Bucky does it she chuckles softly shaking her head too. When she leaves towards the kitchen, Jane’s eyes follow her, and Bucky notices her leg starts jumping up and down nervously. He spreads his hand on her knee, looking at Jane in the eye when she turns to him, and when Jane grabs his hand he thinks that is to move it away, but instead she squeezes softly.
“Why do you think she still here?” Jane asks.
Bucky licks his lips, not knowing what to answer. Jane said everyone left after the attack, and the colony seemed completely empty up until Letitia appeared. Jane’s lips quiver, and she runs her thumb against his bottom lip, it’s so fleeting he barely registers it.
“We need to get you some chapstick” Jane tells him.
Bucky frowns, taking his hand to his mouth. Letitia comes back then, and Jane looks at her letting go of Bucky’s hand.
“I brought some tea”
The older woman leaves a few cups on the table and pours hot tea on each of them, glancing at Bucky and Jane, Bucky notices the small frown on her face and he straightens in his seat feeling nervous for some reason.
“Letitia” Jane says, reaching for one of the cups, “If you don’t mind me asking…” she starts, “What happened after that night?”
Letitia takes a cup and leans back on her seat, “People were scared” she says after a few seconds, “Those men, the ones who- who-” she shakes her head, “They didn’t leave the next morning, they stayed here” Jane swallows audibly, “We waited days for them to leave, and when they finally did… That’s when people started leaving the colony”
Jane stares at the cup in her hand, “Why did you stay?” she looks at the older woman, and he voice shakes at the end, “I thought… I thought the colony was empty” she says, “Why did you stay?”
“I’m old, child” Letitia leaves the cup on the table, “The road towards Maraud is not an easy one” she adds, “I wouldn’t have… It would be too much for me”
Jane’s bottom lip trembles, “They should have found a way” She grips the cup so tight her knuckles turn white, “Whoever helped others leave, they-“
“No, darling, no” Letitia says softly, and she reaches for Jane, “I chose to stay”
Bucky feels Jane tense next to him, but when the older woman hold her hand, she relaxes.
“I was born here” Letitia says, “And here I will die”
Jane squeezes the woman’s hand and after a few seconds, she nods tighly. Bucky realises that Jane truly understands what the woman is talking about, and then he remembers the sentiment that Coulson and May have for Arcadia, despite Bucky hating it as much as they loved it.
“May I use your restroom?” Bucky asks.
Jane looks at him.
“Sure, darling” Letitia nods, “It’s down the hall on the left”
“Thanks”
He stands feeling Jane’s eyes on him as he walks away, trying not to make too much noise as his heavy boots step on the wooden floor. The narrow hall is not too long, and Bucky stares at the picture frames hung on the walls as he makes his way to the bathroom door. The last thing he hears is Letitia asking Jane about what had happened to her after they took her from the plaza. And Bucky feels a lump in his throat, not sure if he wants to hear it, before he choses to lock himself in the bathroom while Jane told Letitia everything he already knows, and maybe things she hadn’t told Bucky yet. Bucky washes his face and neck, feeling his back sore as he continues to hear the muffle voices coming from the living room. He leans against the door, trying to figure what they are saying but not being able to, so he sits on the floor, back against the cold bathroom wall before he closes his eyes for a while. After almost twenty minutes he hears them go quiet, so he decides to rejoin them, not sure if he can be part of whatever conversation they could be having next.
“It’s all we could recover” He hears the older woman say apologetically.
“This is… It’s enough” Jane replies.
Bucky enters the living room as quietly as possible. Jane turns to him, and she calls his name. He doesn’t miss the way Letitia looks at him – as if she’s still trying to figure out what his deal is – and then smiles at him softly, standing from the spot next to Jane, so he takes her place. Bucky offers his hand for her to stand and she squeezes his arm before she lets him sit and disappears to the kitchen again. This time, Bucky sees her simply leaning against the sink, as she stares outside from the window in the kitchen.
“Look” Jane pulls from his shirtsleeve, “This is Julia”
Bucky looks at the picture Jane is showing him. He takes it and stares at it. Julia had silvery blonde hair, icy blue eyes and thin lips, not a single wrinkle in her face despite looking mid-forties, perhaps she never smiled or furrowed her eyebrows. She looked like the kind of teacher children would be scared of if he was being honest, but he doesn’t say anything.
“That’s Darcy over there”
Darcy on the other hand was gorgeous. A certain air of mischief in her features as she smiled broadly at the camera, her dark black hair falling down her shoulders, and her snow-white skin almost glowing under the sunny day. He stares at the picture a little too long, before Jane chuckles next to him and he looks at her, returning her the picture. Jane give her another picture then, a man with strong features and light blue eyes, next to a woman with brown curls an doe-like brown eyes so similar to Jane’s. He turns the picture and notices something written on it.
“Erik Selvig, Elise Foster” Bucky reads, he frowns, “Foster”
Foster was the last name Daisy had given Jane in her ID Card. He thought it had been at random, but knowing Daisy he should have known that wasn’t the case. Jane reaches for her coat behind her, and puts the pictures in the front pocket, zipping it up to secure them there.
“Letitia told me I could keep them” Jane explains.
Bucky looks at the box on the floor. There are still a few things inside, a silver box, candleholders, a broken hand mirror and some books, but Jane doesn’t seem to want them so he doesn’t ask if she’s taking them. He reaches for one of the books, reading the cover, as Jane rummages inside a silver box. There’s an old watch, a few bracelets, necklaces and a couple of rings, but none seem to be the one Jane is looking for since she closes it and puts it back inside. Bucky sees her reach for the old instant camera at the bottom – he had seen Daisy use a similar one at some point – Jane accidentally presses the shutter and a flash blinds him momentarily.
“Sorry” Jane chuckles, taking the picture that slides out of it.
He waves it off.
“What is that?” Bucky asks, realising there is another box next to Jane’s feet.
“She gave us some supplies” Jane tells him, “I… Told her about us going to look for Darcy”
“Good” Bucky nods, glancing at Letitia before he looks back at Jane.
“We should go”
Bucky frowns, “Are you sure?” he then adds, “I mean, we could stay longer if… If you want”
Jane shakes her head before she glances towards the kitchen, where Letitia was washing the dishes while humming a song, she smiles like she knows the song, and then turns to Bucky who stares in the older woman’s direction again. It was a strange view for Bucky, almost too homely. Something that maybe Jane had seen and felt before with Letitia, but Bucky doesn’t remember feeling near anyone or anywhere.
“If I stay a bit longer I won’t want to leave” Jane says quietly, and then after a few seconds she adds, “I’ll let her know” before she stands and starts walking towards Letitia.
Bucky stares as Jane puts a hand on the woman’s shoulders and squeezes softly. Letitia turns and Jane tells her they must go, they were going to the Freelands and road was long ahead, the older woman nods and cradles Jane’s face softly before leaving a kiss on her forehead. Jane’s nose turns pink, and her eyes water when she pulls back, and a small smile split her face when Letitia smiles widely, leaning in to leave a kiss on the top of her head. Bucky looks away then, when Letitia starts whispering something to her, like a prayer, to give them some privacy as he reaches for his coat. He is relieved when he hears both women choked up laughs, and the previous heavy atmosphere it’s suddenly lifted.
It’s Bucky who turns around to give one last look at the woman, and she smiles softly at him, before she closes the door. Jane is left with the box full of cans and water bottles, that Bucky offers to carry minutes later and she accepts.
“She said that a lot of elders stayed” Jane says once they are away, “They lived all their lives here” A sigh, “It’s still home for them despite… Everything”
Bucky looks around, wondering if they were inside the many houses they passed as they made their way back to the car. And then he wonders if Letitia had lied, just to make Jane believe like she was not leaving her alone, so she could leave with Darcy without remorse. He shakes the thought away, and Jane continues talking.
“They buried my father next to my mother, and Julia next to her husband”
After that, neither say anything else, walking in silence towards the car, and Bucky hopes Jane remembers because he has no idea where they are and the box in his hand is heavy. All he sees around them is pine trees and snow, white snow covering every surface as far as he can see. They pass by the same spot they did before the plaza, and Jane once again looks around, as if she’s looking for something but she can’t see it. Her fists are clenched again like before, and this time Bucky can’t help but reach for her wrist, holding the box tightly with one arm and rubbing her palm soothingly.
Jane stares at him with a frown on her face, breathing through her mouth softly as condensation leaves her lips.
“You do this a lot” He says, almost scolding her, “Is it… Is it because it hurts?” he asks, trying to keep his tone soft but firm.
Her frown deepens, “No” she answers, “Of course not” Jane licks her lips and shakes her head, “I… Didn’t realise I was doing it” she says afterwards.
“It looks like it hurts” He licks his lips, “Just… Don’t do it anymore” He swallows, “Please”
“I’m sorry” Jane says almost in a whisper, and then she nods, “I won’t, I promise”
Bucky realises he still holding her hand, and he squeezes before he lets her go. Jane takes a breath in and Bucky sees her rub her cold hands together, like she is enjoying the lingering feeling of holding someone else’s hand. At least, that’s why he does it, but she doesn’t notice. They continue walking a few more minutes, until they finally reach the car. Once inside, Jane reaches inside her front pocket and gives Bucky a small tube.
“Chapstick” She says when he frowns at it.
He raises an eyebrow at her before letting out a breathy chuckle.
“Where are we spending the night?” Bucky asks.
Jane turns the engine, “A small cabin near the lake I told you about” she says, reaching for the iPod on the backseat, “It’s close to the colony limits so we can leave as soon as the sun is out”
“Didn’t think you would be in a hurry to leave home” Bucky says quietly.
Jane glances at him, leaving the iPod in his lap, before she grips the steering wheel and starts driving. Bucky doesn’t say anything else, but he sees her glancing at the rear view mirror several times, as the plaza, Letitia’s house and the ruins of her home became more and more distant. He hears Jane take a shaky breath in before she lets it out, and it sound almost relieved as she takes her hand to her chest, where the pictures of her family were safe in her front pocket. She reaches for the radio then, and presses play, a song plays from the speakers and Jane’s lips quirk upwards.
“I will find a new home” Jane whispers to herself.
Bucky pretends not to hear her, but he fills small smile pull form his lips and he leans back on his seat, enjoying the melody too.