winter_daughter (winter_daughter) wrote,
@ 2013-01-11 23:24:00

Nicole Rushman stood before the gates to Avenger's Mansion with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a determined look on her face. She was here to see her uncle to get some answers. Answers her mother would never give her. The woman could teach stubbornness to a mule given the chance. Uncle Steve had the answers and Nicole was determined to get them from her.

Her mother had been out of the house one day when Nicole picked the lock on the steamer trunk her mother kept at the foot of her bed. Curiosity had finally gotten the better of her.

Nicole found old photos and newspaper articles in the trunk and her birth certificate. Her real one. The photos were of her mother and the Avengers. The Avengers! Apparently her mother was an Avenger and had never once mentioned it to Nicole. There was a picture of her mother with whom she assumed was her father. Her mother was the famous Black Widow, Natasha Romanova and her father was James Buchanan Barnes. At least according to her real birth certificate. Nicole had seen her birth certificate that named her mother as Natalie Rushman and her father as James Rushman, but this was something new entirely.

Hell, her name wasn't even Nicole Rusham. It was Olivia Nicole Barnes. Why the hell did she have a fake birth certificate and a fake name?

No, Mom would never answer those questions. So she went to the one person who would answer them. Uncle Steve. Known to the world as Captain America.

She reached up and rang the buzzer near the gate.

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	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 06:18 pm UTC (link)
	Others see to hhandling the buzzer. When asked where Steve is, predictably, he's down in the training area. Easy enough for her to find by now. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 06:24 pm UTC (link)
	"Uncle Steve?" Nicole asked as she watched him go through his training routine. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 06:27 pm UTC (link)
	"Pause routine." Cap says, the simulation droids freezing, as he does a dismount from the high bars he has set up as part of the training maze. He mops his brow, then moves to Nicole. "Good to see you." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	"Sorry for the unexpected visit, but I needed to talk to you," she said. "So I grabbed a flight and came to New York." She'd deal with her mother when she caught up to her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 06:34 pm UTC (link)
	"Must be important if you couldn't just call." he replies, quickly shifting from relaxed greeting to 'all-business' mode. "Does your mother know you're here?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 06:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Not exactly," she said. "She wouldn't answer my questions about my dad and she would have never let me come talk to you. So I just left while she was working." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 07:01 pm UTC (link)
	His expression darkens, but he nods. "You found out who he was?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 07:06 pm UTC (link)
	"I found my birth certificate," she answered. "My /real/ birth certificate. I learned his name was James Buchanan Barnes and my mother's real name is Natalia Romanova. Hell, my name isn't what I grew up with. I don't know who I am anymore." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_adult
2013-01-21 07:13 pm UTC (link)

He reaches out, putting a hand on her shoulder, responding with firm conviction.

"This doesn't change who you are. Yes, his name was James Buchanan Barnes. He was my partner during World War II, and one of the best men I ever met. His experiences after that caused him a lot of struggles... but he remained a good man. And I know he would have wanted to be a good father. Your mother did what she thought was best, with both of their pasts."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 07:25 pm UTC (link)
	"Both of their pasts? Were they in witness protection or something? Why else would she lie about who she was and give me a fake name?" He answered one question and she had a million more. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_adult
2013-01-21 07:40 pm UTC (link)

Natasha swore him to secrecy to a point. She's crossed that point, and now, he feels, she needs to know. He'll deal with Tasha later.

"She was a Russian spy. For various reasons, she switched sides, became an Avenger. He was captured and experimented on by the Russians after I thought he'd died in the war. They both have a lot of very dangerous enemies she's been hiding you from."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 07:50 pm UTC (link)
	"Wait. Back up the bus. Mom was a Russian spy /and/ an Avenger?" This wasn't what Nicole had been expecting. Not by a million miles. "And Dad was alive during WWII?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 08:00 pm UTC (link)
	"Yes, your mother was a Russian spy. Avengers files have more information on the Black Widow... and the people looking for her. And yes, your father was my partner during the war, until he died trying to stop a villain. Or I thought he had, anyway. Turned out he survived, but was found by the Russians and turned into their agent." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 08:22 pm UTC (link)
	"Nothing like finding out that all that you thought you knew was wrong," Nic said with a sigh. "Any chance of getting to read these files so I can learn the truth?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_adult
2013-01-21 08:29 pm UTC (link)

He nods, moving over to the computer terminal that usually runs a lot of his training programs - but can access files. He brings up the relevant files for her, then steps back to let her work through them.

"I know this is hard for you. But your mother did her best to raise you well. She's been kidnapped, chased, and had countless attempts on her life or freedom - she didn't want that for you. And as you'll see from the files, there's definitely people who would have tried to use you against her."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 09:13 pm UTC (link)
	Nicole intently read the files. She half-heard Uncle Steve as she read about her mother, the Black Widow, and her father, the Winter Soldier. It was a lot to take in and process. "Now I understand why she had me learning to use firearms and martial arts," she finally said. "Other kids got to play sports." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 09:15 pm UTC (link)
	He nods. "Sooner or later, someone was going to learn. She wanted you to have other options, obviously, outside the family businesses... but she also wanted you to be able to protect yourself." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 09:20 pm UTC (link)
	"Can I stay here?" she asked. "I'll call Mom and tell her I'm here, but she's going to need some time to calm down." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 09:38 pm UTC (link)
	"Your Mom is going to want to talk to me too. Of course you can stay here. You'll always have a home here when you need it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	She gave him a small smile. "Thanks. Yeah, she's going to be pissed. She'll probably get on a plane as soon as she gets home from work and sees my note." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 10:23 pm UTC (link)
	"She will be. But its time you knew. You're old enough to start making your own decisions about what you want to do with your life now." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-21 10:41 pm UTC (link)
	Nicole smiled. "Thanks. I think from now on I'm going to go by my real name, Olivia Barnes." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_adult 2013-01-21 10:42 pm UTC (link)
	"I like it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	winter_daughter 2013-01-22 12:50 am UTC (link)
	She smiled. "Thanks. Figured it is my real name. Best start using it." (Reply to this)(Parent)

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