Sandbox thoughts

[woundedwinter]

Torchwood.
The last place Bucky was looking to find answers was in Cardiff, of all damn places, but he had run out of options.

Seventy odd years ago he was a solider, a sniper in the 107th and he had everything a fella could want. A best friend, a damn good career and a unit he cared for. A mission in the mountains had gone wrong. They were ambushed and in a desperate attempt to save his friend, Bucky fell. He didn't tumble down the side of the mountain or crash into the ice, though. He was swallowed up by a burst of blue-white light and six months ago he dumped in the middle of New Mexico with an artificial left arm and no memory of what had happened to him or why he'd been flung so far into the future.

He called in what favors he could, talked to anyone who would listen, desperate for answers. What had happened to him? Where had he gone? The Howling Commandos were long gone. He had nothing left.

It was easy to strike the deal in the end. Work with Torchwood and try and find the answers. They dealt in the weird and unexplained and god knows Bucky had enough of that.

Comments

[peter_one]

Klaus is certainly interesting. Then Jack mentions dealing with them and he tenses. "Uh. So does that mean you can't send us home?"

Not that he has much to go home to, but he at least has to ask.

Bucky frowns at the idea. He just got Steve back. He can't let him go. Hell, if he has to, he'll go with him. It doesn't matter. They need to stick together.

[bottledblond]

Jack has a ‘going home was never an option’ look on his face. It’s determined, but empathetic and sad. “We have never been able to reverse any of the Rifts. Not even the Time Lords can.” This is not exactly the truth, but trying to harness the Rift and control it has always ended with death and destruction. “They’re like earthquakes between space and time. They connect to a series of other Rifts across the Galaxy. To other Galaxies. To other dimensional planes. The Rift in Antarctica closed years ago but obviously it decided to have a little melt down hissy fit. I’m so sorry, Pete.”

Steve doesn’t feel the same way that Peter looks. The kid has a family. Friends. A whole life. He glances at John.

For a man like him, without ties, here is as good as there.

Better even with Bucky.

[peter_one]

Peter nods, "It's okay. I mean, I understand." No one back home remembers who he is. He lost Aunt May and Mister Stark. Ned and MJ will be safe. "It's uh, probably for the best anyway."

So like back home, he's on his own. Mister Rogers and Mister Bucky are familiar, but they don't know him.

"It's okay Peter," Bucky promises. "We're not exactly going to kick you to the curb in a new world." Torchwood could use a kid with his smarts, Steve's strength and the magic he had seen John do, but those choices were out of his hands.

"So what's next Jack? If the Rift closed are we waiting for the next one to act up?"

[bottledblond]

Jack nods. “We need to get everyone set up here. You don’t have to stay with us but the team can always use new blood that doesn’t crack when met with the weird stuff that happens here. Our Rift is pretty stable. But pretty stable doesn’t mean always stable.”

There’s always Weevils. Blowfish. And the odd artefact.

Jack closes a folder on the desk and leans back to file it away. Yea, he always prefers hard copies. Deal with enough marauding technology and you would too.

“Right now, there’s nothing much to do.” Except look into each of these new people. But that’s not for Bucky to worry about.

[woundedwinter]

Staying in Cardiff isn't a bad idea for Peter. New York might be his home but it doesn't feel like it since the spell and since everyone forgot him. So when Bucky takes it on himself to get them all settled in at least temporary housing in the same building as him, he doesn't argue. Maybe there are classes he can take online? He really, really wants to ask about Stark Industries, but Peter isn't sure he can handle the heartbreak of finding out he's not part of this world, doesn't know him or worse.

So he stuffs that down and follows them back to the building.

Bucky knows Jack will investigate their new arrivals, he's not naïve enough to think he's going to do anything less. Handling housing is easier for him to do, to make sure that Steve has a room near his and Peter will be just down the hall with Constantine. Handling billeting and food isn't the most interesting of jobs, but it needs doing and he's at least close enough to Steve to do it without any griping like any of the others might do.

"Joining up isn't required," he clarifies as Peter pokes at one of the tablets in the room. "You can stay here until you get settled then move on, it's pretty flexible here."

[bottledblond]

“Sounds like you’re a lot like me, kid,” Steve says softly. “It’s in our nature to help out. I’ll be joining up if they let me.”

Peter has been constantly eluding to the fact that he knows Steve, that he may look up to him, and that makes Steve responsible, in part, for the guy. He needs a family. They all do.

After the little meeting, and the housing situation being sorted, and Ianto tending to Peter and John for the moment, Steve pulls Bucky to the back. “Hey. You owe me a tour.”

[peter_one]

Peter isn't a very good actor so his relief is evident when Steve promises that they can stick together. Being on his own, with no one to talk to had been terribly lonely. So it looks like he's going to build a new life in Wales! Kind of exciting, really.

Ianto helps get them sorted and even has access so Peter can take classes online. He doesn't notice when Steve and Bucky slip away.

Bucky is all smiles as he shows him around. Labs, the weapons range, tech rooms, storage and even holding cells. "Don't go near the cells if we have a guest. Some of them are.. grouchy. And alien."