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Sam had just got home after a long weekend in Eritrea. Someone had been selling tech on the illegal market that had old Ultron code on it. Sam had been collecting it and destroying it, but that idiot Hammer and his souped-up robots were trying to beat him to the last drive. Now, Hammer was in Ryker’s. The tech was melted then frozen then broken into pieces and then launched into space, and Eritrea was free of RPG-wielding robots, which is great considering their current government’s pension for dictatorship. Sam couldn’t necessarily let the US have them either, considering the government's authoritarian turn, so he had Banner disarm them, and let Hulk use them for smash practice. Now to deal with the biggest problem of all, his pissed-off nine-year-old.
He was surprised when he walked in the door, and Arwyn launched herself into his arms. He had to miss their annual Daughter-Daddy lunch at school. It was the first time he couldn’t make it. Sure, she had her papa, but he was her daddy. He smiled, blowing raspberries on her cheek, and setting her down. His husband appeared from the kitchen with an apron on. He was baking again. Bucky had been struggling to find healthy hobbies since he had retired from the unaliving people for a living.
“Hi, Dad. I missed you. How was your trip?”
“Good. I missed you too, baby. How was the lunch?” Sam said, kissing his husband on the lips.
“It was boring.”
“Thanks, kid,” Bucky said.
“Papa, it wasn’t your fault. It’s the same thing every year.”
“You used to love the lunch,” Sam pointed out.
“It’s for babies.”
Sam had to school his features to hold back the tears. His eyes still misted a bit. He understood that children grew up, but she was his baby. Bucky put his arm around him, pulling Sam into his warmth. Sam breathed in Bucky’s scent. It helped to ground him. Arwyn skipped off to her room unaware that she had just dealt a devastating blow to Captain America.
“Come on, Cap. Come have some cookies.”
Sam walked into their kitchen and tried not to sigh. It was destroyed. It looked like every pan they owned had been used by the former assassin, and every surface was covered with evidence of Bucky’s midlife crisis. He loved his man. He did, but Bucky could not cook. Sam smiled and picked up the least burnt cookie and put it in his mouth. It was salty. It actually would go good with some tuna or cheese. “Did you forget the sugar?” Sam asked picking up another “cookie” and scraping off the burnt off with a butter knife. Sam rooted around in the fridge until he found some crab dip.
“Shit,” Bucky said, picking up a cookie. He put it in his mouth and immediately spit it out. “How are you eating that?” Bucky wiped his tongue with a napkin.
“I’m starving, and I love you.”
Bucky took the cookie out of his hand. “Stop you’re going to get sick. I ordered pizza for dinner. It should be here-” Bucky checked his phone. “In five minutes.”
“Hallelujah.”
“Hey. Heads up, Arwyn has been sweet all day. She did all her weekend chores and finished her homework already.”
“It’s Friday.”
“Exactly.”
“Did you check her grades?”
“Straight A’s. The B in P.E. doesn’t count.”
“She wants something.”
“Yep, and it’s big. She’s making every effort to impress. She took my tray, her tray, and some elderly woman’s tray to the trash at lunch.”
“Let’s just hear her out.”
“That’s your guilt talking.”
“Says the guy who spoils her rotten.”
“One of us had to be level-headed, doll.”
The doorbell rang. “Soup’s on,” Bucky said, going to the door.
-o0o-
Sam and Bucky played along watching their daughter be the perfect angel at dinner instead the headstrong child she was. Sam shook his head when she attempted to eat the olives in the salad. She hated olives. All right, he wanted his kid back.
“So, Winnie Poo, how is school going?” Sam said.
“Fine.”
Bucky and Sam eyed one another. “Summer’s coming up. Are you excited about going to the beach house?”
“Yeah, but I have something to ask both of you.” Arwyn put down her fork.
“Okay?”
“Can you both wait here? I’m not done yet.” Arwyn pushed her chair back with a scrape and ran upstairs. Sam and Bucky cleaned up and then went into the living room.
“The suspense is killing me,” Bucky said, flopping on the couch. “A hundred bucks it’s a pony.”
Sam sunk into the cushions beside him, leaning into Bucky’s side. “Do not buy her a pony.”
“We can afford it.”
“Who’s going to end up taking care of it? Us and by us, I mean me.”
“If I buy her the pony, I promise to take care of it.” Bucky nuzzled Sam’s ear.
Sam turned looking into his husband’s eyes. “You are not buying her a pony.”
Bucky smirked and kissed him on the lips. “How about one of those dogs that is the size of a pony?”
“How about something small?”
“A cat?”
“Maybe.”
They were on their third episode of The Bear when Arwyn showed back up. Arwyn thundered back down the stairs with a poster board. Sam’s brows were in his hairline. Whatever this was she wanted it bad.
“Hi, Daddy and Papa.”
“Hi, Arwyn.” Sam smiled.
“Hiya, kid.” Bucky sat back into his cushions ready for the presentation. Sam sat up.
“I would like to present thirteen reasons I should be allowed to go to summer camp.”
Sam’s heart dropped. No matter the reasons or how well thought out they were. The daughter of Captain America and The Winter Soldier could not go to summer camp. Sam looked at all the care she put into drawing her illustrations. Was he really about to cry over a a cartoon pair of binoculars and a beaker. She was smart. Archery, science exploration, and stargazing were points for her Papa. Making friends, community service, and birdwatching was meant to sway Sam. He wanted nothing more than to let her go, but how could he? Sleep away camp? For six weeks? Not only would she be in danger, but her presence could also endanger children and the counselors. They were obsessively careful with Arwyn’s identity, but it was not certain, especially when you had to trust your secrets to human beings. Everyone had a breaking point no matter how loyal or moral you were. If someone had Arwyn, he would blow up the world. Sam let her finish. He was about to speak, but Bucky spoke first.
“That was so well thought out, and you did such an excellent job.” Bucky smiled.
“But I can’t go.” Arwyn frowned.
“It’s not safe, baby,” Bucky said.
“Because Dad’s Captain America?”
“And because I’m-”
Sam shook his head, placing his hand on Bucky’s arm. “Yes. It’s because I’m Captain America, and a lot of people would want to hurt you and me.”
“It’s not fair!”
“I know.”
“Why do you have to be Captain America?”
“To help people.”
“What about me? I don’t get to go to camp. You missed our lunch. I hate you,” Arwyn said, running off.
Sam was on the verge of tears, his heart heavy. Bucky walked after his daughter. “You get down here and apologize to your dad.”
“No!”
“Bucky, leave her alone. She’s right. When I took the job, I wasn’t married. I didn’t have kids. I didn’t think about the downsides to being a superhero.”
“You love being Captain America.”
“I do, but I love my kid more. It’s not her fault I’m an adrenaline junkie and have a hero complex. She’s right; it isn’t fair. She doesn’t get to live a normal life.”
“We have done everything we can think of to make sure she is safe and has a normal life. That she has everything she needs and just about everything she wants. Life isn’t fair.”
“But I fight every day to try to make sure it is for people. What’s the point if I can’t do it for my daughter.” Sam shook his head and went upstairs. He listened at her door, and she was crying. “Arwyn, honey?”
“Go away.”
Sam felt like crap. He went into his bedroom. He was asleep in minutes.
-o0o-
Sam woke up to voices downstairs. He went into the living room, and Bucky, Steve, and Tony were on the couch. Tony was on a tablet. Steve was reading files and Bucky was marking on a map. Joaquin and Elijah were hovering over the map as well.
Nat pressed the button on her comm. “Okay, I got the perfect plant. Her name is Nichelle Wright. Riri is working on her fake identity and applying for the job. She’s an award-winning gymnast, knows CPR and first aid, and is a brown belt in aikido. She’s in her early twenties and will fit in fairly well at Camp Paniwou. I’ll train her in weapons myself.” Nat picked up a stack of files.
“What’s going on?” Sam asked.
“Operation Summer Camp,” Tony said.
“Hey, babe. There’s some breakfast in the kitchen,” Bucky said. “I had it delivered.”
“Okay, but-”
“When my husband and kid are unhappy, I am unhappy. I solve problems. It’s what I do. Usually with a bullet, a knife, sometimes bombs, one time there was a whale harpoon, but in this case, I am using all of my training to make summer camp safe for my daughter.”
“That’s not-”
“Me, Nat, and Yelena will be putting up surveillance cameras all over the compound. Tony is programming an army of drones to be deployable in seconds if anything happens. Steve is looking into all the employee backgrounds and marking anyone suspicious. I’ll take care of them later. Nat has found a plant to be on-site with Arwyn at all times, Okoye and Ayo agreed to train Arwyn every weekend until camp starts, and I bought a cabin.”
“A cabin? How many miles away?”
“Three? That’s one minute by air. Five by boat. It’s on the same lake as the camp.”
“How much did that cost?”
Bucky looked back down at his plans. “Elijah and Joaquin are working on security at the cabin, and Riri and Peter will be making sure it’s Captain American worthy with all the top of the line tech and instantaneous access to Ava and Friday. I’m also bringing a lot of weapons.”
“You think this will work?”
“Yes, because I’ll personally be patrolling the woods.”
“Where is Arwyn?”
“Kate picked her up and took her to Clint and Lara’s for the day. They’re going to ride ponies. She gets to go to summer camp, you get to be Captain America, and I get to make you both happy.” Bucky smiled. Sam leaned down and kissed his husband. Bucky squeezed his bum as the kiss deepened.
“Uh, I hate to interrupt,” Banner said. His head had appeared on the TV screen.
“Banner, shoot,” Bucky said.
“I think the force field is going to work,” Banner looked over his glasses into the room.
“Force field?” Sam asked.
-o0o-
Sam was trying not to laugh all morning at Bucky and his disguise. He had on a grandpa sweater, a faded T-shirt, and dad jeans. Sam doesn’t know where he got those glasses from, but Bucky looked like he was an extra in Revenge of the Nerds. All he needed was a pocket protector.
Sharon got Sam a couple of face scramblers. They were next-level and illegal and made him look like he could be Eddie Murphy’s distant cousin. Sam didn’t ask too many questions about the tech. All their planning was worth it watching Arwyn vibrate with happiness. They all walked up to the check-in table hand in hand.
“Arwyn Balan-Thomas,” Sam said.
“We got her right here. Welcome, Arwyn! I’m counselor Cara. You’re in cabin F. The Falcons.”
Arwyn smiled, taking the goodie bag, camp T-shirt, and papers. “Yay,” Sam said, looking at his smart Alec husband. He had Riri do that.
They walked Arwyn to her bunk. Sam tried to help her unpack her trunk, but she wanted to do it herself. Bucky was too busy checking the locks on the doors and windows. Sam smoothed her ponytail. “Okay, remember what we said.”
“Don’t tell anyone who I am or who you are. Press the pendant on my necklace if I feel scared, and keep my pocket knife on me at all times and put it in the side of bad people’s necks.”
“What? Did Ayo teach you that?”
“No, Papa did.” Arwyn took out her worn Bucky bear and placed it on her bunk. Two beds were already made up.
Sam eyed his husband. Bucky shrugged. “Looks like we're all set.” Bucky planted a bug. Sam shook his head. Bucky sighed and put it back in his pocket. Two little girls walked into the cabin.
“Hi, I’m Althea.” The cute little Asian girl stuck out her hand at Arwyn. They shook.
Both girls turned to the redhead. “I’m Karli.”
Arwyn smiled shyly, “I’m Arwyn.”
Sam's eyes were blurring. Bucky grabbed his arm. “Okay, dad, let’s go. Nice to meet you girls.” Sam tried to reach down and hug Arwyn. She looked horrified. Sam pouted as Bucky led him out of the cabin. Sam shook his head when Bucky placed a camera on the porch of the cabin. They would be able to see everyone coming in and out.
They were almost to the car when they heard. “Dad, Papa.” Arwyn leaped into their arms. Sam was proud he didn’t cry this time, oh, but the Winter Soldier was bawling.