Chapter Text
Bucky sighed, staring into the one kitchen cupboard. He kept the sigh as quiet as he could, as the estate agent was still extolling the virtues of the tiny 1 bed 1 bath in ‘such a wonderful, central location’ to Becca. She was struggling to keep a straight face, and as soon as the agent turned around to gesture out of the windows, she shot a look to Bucky, somehow both incredulous and terrified. Bucky held in a laugh, and closed the dismal pantry cupboard.
“And you will save so much money on petrol, being so close to public transport. Truly, this is a young working couple’s dream!” The agent said, smiling toothily at them.
Bucky looked at Becca, a frowning in confusion.
Becca looked at Bucky, mouth curled in disgust.
“I’m sorry, what do you mean by ‘young working couple’?” Bucky asked.
“Well, this is your first city apartment, yes? Saving up to buy your first home, I imagine?” The agent’s smile became slightly wilted.
“We’re brother and sister?” Becca said, raising an eyebrow. Bucky hid his laugh behind his hand, as the agent’s face turned white.
“Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed-” The agent babbled, and Bucky had to turn away to stop himself laughing harder.
“Most people think we’re twins, so it was a weird assumption,” Becca said drily.
The agent said nothing for a moment, and then mumbled an apology, then when her phone rang, she answered it with such relief in her voice that Bucky needed to lean against the wall to stop his shoulders shaking with mirth. The agent excused herself, ducking outside to take the call, and Bucky turned back around to face Becca.
They lasted ten seconds before they burst out into laughter.
“What an absolute knob!” Becca giggled.
“I can’t believe that. Working couple’s dream- what the hell is she on?” Bucky said, waving a hand at the cramped space.
“You know, I thought it was weird that she greeted us as Mr and Miss Barnes, but she must’ve said-” Becca started.
“-Mrs Barnes!” Bucky cackled, and Becca shook her head in disbelief. “Christ. She must think we’re some kind of narcissistic couple.”
“Right? People have never doubted we’re related,” Becca said.
“At least we can blame her for not getting this place, instead of just flat out admitting that we can’t afford it,” Bucky said, and winced as that thoroughly soured the mood. Becca sighed, and stared out the windows that framed the just-big-enough lounge.
“Can’t afford a fucking shoebox in London. Not even to mention that we’d have to get fucking bunkbeds or something,” she said.
“Haven’t shared a room since we were-” Bucky started.
“-children! Right? I’m about to lose what’s left of my mind,” Becca finished. “There’s no way that we can afford to stay here.”
“We can’t afford to move back to the States either,” Bucky added, just to further dampen spirits.
“What the hell are we going to do, Bucks?” Becca said, and turned around. Her shoulders looked like they were trying to merge with her neck, her chin fully dropped onto her chest.
Bucky gathered her up in his arms, hugging her tightly, and felt her loosely wrap her arms around his waist, tucking her face into his shoulder. “Hey. We’ll figure it out. We’ve got this, right?”
Becca said something, but it was so badly muffled that it came out like ‘mmfmfmghfhfhgf’, which made him laugh, which set her off again in turn.
They separated when the agent returned, still apologetic, but they waved her off, and left the tiny ‘central’ apartment without another word.
“Next bus is in 5 minutes. You wanna go to Pret before heading home?” Becca said, checking the timetable on her phone.
“God, yes. I need a coffee and a sandwich. Maybe even a Kit-Kat,” Bucky said, feeling his stomach pang with hunger. “I don’t remember eating this morning.”
“You didn’t, you had a coffee.”
“Ah. That explains the way my stomach is trying to eat itself.”
Becca guffawed, punching his arm. “What’re you liiiiiike?!” She sing-songed, laying on a cockney accent as thick as she could. Bucky nudged her right back, and they devolved into a very childish game of pushing each other back and forth until the bus pulled up.
-
Bucky managed to get a late afternoon shift last minute, and so was quick to change once he got home and head back out, thankful that it was a weekday and the bar wouldn’t be packed with ‘the lads’. They even managed to close up before 11, so he could get the tube home with no problems. He supposed that his luck had leaned that way today, considering that his and Becca’s lease was up in three weeks and they still had no where to move afterwards, and that both of them, with their dual degrees, could not get jobs anywhere.
Becca was still awake when he got home, and she pointed at the leftovers from dinner she had put aside for him on the bench. He kissed her head in thanks, and popped the plate in the microwave while he went to go shower.
Becca was still bent over her laptop when he emerged, towelling off his hair. “Is that the thesis or the house hunt?” He asked, hanging the towel over the back of his chair, and grabbing his food.
“Thesis, combined with internship applying. This place mentions they mostly work outside London, so I would have to use the car like every day,” Becca said, sighing. She looked over the top of her laptop at Bucky, worry creasing her brow. “You know, I think I made a mistake, thinking I could actually get experience on a site in the country I’m writing my thesis on.”
“No, no, don’t think like that,” Bucky tried to soothe. “Listen, everyone’s struggling right now. Archaeology is still an important field, especially in Europe.”
“England’s not in Europe, Bucky,” Becca said, a twitch of a smile on her lips. “Isn’t that what everyone keeps saying?”
“Shut it, you,” Bucky replied, nudging her knee with his foot. “Next time I won’t be so comforting.”
“Oh no!” Becca feigned horror. Bucky chuckled, and then tucked into the pasta she’d made while Becca went back to her thesis work.
Eventually Becca closed her laptop with a sigh, and it was apparently sad enough that her dog, Booker, emerged from his hidey-hole and came bolting over, whining. “Hi bubba, hi honey,” Becca crooned to the dachshund, and picked him up to rest on her lap. His tiny paws leaned on her chest, while he dedicated himself to licking every part of her face, setting her off giggling and gently trying to pull him away.
Bucky pretended to gag when he passed, and Becca flipped him off, finally managing to get Booker to sit down, rather than continue his attempt at cleaning her face. “You got work in the morning?” Bucky asked, dumping his bowl in the sink and filling it with water to “soak”.
Becca sighed again, and scritched Booker’s ears. “Yeah. Only six hours though. Unless you can pick up another couple shifts we might be late paying rent again.”
“Or we could dip into the savings?” Bucky suggested. Becca shook her head.
“We need that for bond and first month’s rent, in case the landlord here decides to be a real dick about it.”
“We’re gonna need a place first before we consider that,” Bucky pointed out, and accepted the dirty look Becca threw him.
“Yes, I’m aware, Buck.” Becca tucked her face into her dog’s, and Bucky could hear his tail thump into the table leg. “But unless we look outside of London, or somehow someone has one up for under a grand a month, we’re pretty much fucked.”
She was right, but Bucky did not have the where-withal tonight to really consider how deeply they were in trouble, so instead he kissed the top of his sister’s head. “Tomorrow’s a new day. Let’s...let’s just sleep and we’ll see how we go. Yeah?”
Becca lifted her head, and smiled grimly. “Yeah.” She picked Booker up to pop him back down on the floor. “Yeah, I’m exhausted. And I’ve gotta get up in six hours.”
Bucky wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on then, kiddo, let’s get you to sleep.”
Becca scowled. “You are one year older than me!”
“That year makes all the difference!”
“No, it doesn’t! I’m way more mature.” Booker barked. “Booker agrees with me!”
“You would take her side, demon hound.”
“Hey! Be nice to him!”
“I’m so nice to him!”
Booker barked again.
“He disagrees,” Becca said, grinning triumphantly.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m a cat person anyway,” Bucky pretend-grumbled, and squeezed Becca’s shoulders once she got up, grumbling for real. She hugged him good night, and then headed off for her room, Booker trotting behind her, panting happily. Bucky made sure her laptop was plugged in to charge, that the dishes were soaking, ready for him to do in the morning, and then headed to his own room.
Lying on the table, as it always was, was the letter of recommendation his professor had sent him, back when Bucky was planning on doing his Masters. The whole reason for moving here, the reason he had started his degree in history in the first place. Even looking at his two degrees sometimes hurt, considering it was year 2 in England and he wasn’t any closer to getting paid for knowing the exact building methods of the 16th century.
So instead of doing what Becca did, and throwing himself back into the job search, he turned on his PlayStation, and threw himself back into his third playthrough of Dragon Age.
-
The shrill ringing of his phone woke him up the next day, and Bucky moaned trying to blindly find it on his bedside table, managing to hit everything else before finding it. He looked at the number, didn’t recognise it, and groaned, hoping this wasn’t someone asking him for money.
“‘Lo?” He mumbled, answering it.
“Is this James Barnes?” A man asked, older sounding.
“Mmmhm?” Bucky managed, through a yawn.
“Terribly sorry to have woken you, I assumed that now would be a fine time to call?”
“What time ‘sit?”
“Midday.”
Bucky winced. God, he must seem like the laziest man alive. “Yeah, yeah, sorry, I work nights so-”
“My apologies again. I could call back later, if you would prefer that?”
“No, no, now’s good. I’m awake. Who’re you?” Bucky said, forcing himself to sit upright, and rubbing his eyes.
“My name is Henry Bainbry, I’m the executor of your great-uncle’s will.” Bucky blinked. Great uncle? What great uncle? Wait, will? “Frederick Barner-Gold. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Uh...thanks?” Bucky had no idea who he was talking about. What Barner-Gold?
“Now, because he left no heirs, his will states that his estate goes to the next closest relative. And looking down at the family tree, it would appear that it is you.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Bucky sat up straighter. staring at his TV like it would suddenly turn on and explain just what the hell was going on.
“Frederick Barner-Gold’s own great uncle, your great-grandfather, left Germany for America, and thus your own family line was started there. You are the eldest left of the family line, in fact. If you were not available, it would go to your sister...Rebecca? If I am reading this correctly.”
“How- What-” Bucky’s brain hurt trying to understand all of this, and he could at least blame that on being woken up.
“I can explain in more detail when you come into the office, but for now, allow me to offer condolences once again. Would you be able to come in tomorrow?”
“Uh- yes, yes, but before that-” Bucky scrambled to stand up, suddenly filled with restless nervous energy that he just had to pace out. He left his room, and Booker immediately got up, following him while he paced. “What exactly was left in the will to us?”
“Well...everything. The house, the grounds, whatever possessions were left inside-” Henry Bainbry started, but Bucky was quick to cut him off.
“Wait, what house? What grounds?” Bucky’s heart thumped in his chest, nervous and hopeful.
“The Barner-Gold family residence in Germany. Unfortunately the manor in Bucharest was sold to pay for debts a few years ago, and this is the only one that remains, but I’m sure it will...” Henry kept talking, but Bucky was no longer listening.
A house. A house in Germany, mind you, but a house! He and Becca both spoke enough conversational German to get by, and they could both find work there- This could solve everything!
“Yes, yes I will be in tomorrow. We both will, me and Rebecca. Where- where are we going?” Bucky said, cutting into Henry’s rambling speech, but he seemed unperturbed. He gave Bucky the address for his firm, they settled on a time, and he hung up with one last condolences, but Bucky barely heard it.
Bucky managed to distract himself until Becca got home, half an hour later, and then as soon as she had put her bag down, he launched himself at her and picked her up, swinging her around. She squealed, laughing more out of shock than joy.
“Bucky, what the hell?” She said, once Bucky had put her down and was grinning hugely at her.
“We have a house, Becs!” He said, and Becca’s mouth dropped open.
“What? How? How much a month? When do we move?” Becca rattled off, looking confused, surprised and yet Bucky could see the joy and relief beginning to form.
“Nothing! We own it!” Bucky said, pumping his arms in the air in victory.
Becca froze, staring at him. “What?” She asked, voice flat.
“We own a house! In Germany!” Bucky yelled excitedly.
Becca frowned so hard her nose could nearly touch her brow. “What?”
-
Bucky filled Becca in enough, that when they went to Bainbry Firm, she was no longer looking at Bucky like he was crazy, but she was still doubtful that the situation was as real as Bucky knew it to be.
“I’m just saying, mum and dad never mentioned any family in Germany. And for us to need a house and to suddenly get one? It seems way too good to be true,” Becca said, as they waited by the elevator, scuffing her boots on the floor. The receptionist was giving her dirty looks every time the soles squeaked on the tiled floor.
“Mum and dad never spoke about any other family at all, besides grandad and grandma. We knew had roots over here, why else would they speak Romanian at home?” Bucky pointed out.
“Yeah, but- Germany? Why Germany?” Becca questioned again.
“It’s right on the border of the Czech Republic, it was probably built there before Germany was Germany,” Bucky said.
“Yes, but why are we entitled to it? Bucky, we’re gonna get in there and he’s gonna say it was all a mistake,” Becca said, reluctantly following Bucky into the elevator when it arrived.
Bucky pushed the button for the fourth floor. “He said if I wasn’t available it would’ve gone to you, so I think he definitely knows it’s meant to be our family.”
“Barner-Gold is not anything like our last name,” Becca said, and now Bucky knew she was at the very bottom of her excuses.
“Barner? Barnes?” He said, and Becca made a scathing noise, and crossed her arms. Bucky squeezed her elbow gently. “Hey, the worst thing that can happen is that he tells us he made a mistake. Okay? Then we go back to house hunting in London. Otherwise, we have a house in Germany, which opens up our options for work. You can go looking for the ruins of the Holy Roman Empire, and I can indulge in all the Gothic architecture I want.”
Becca looked at him, twisting her lips in thought, and then butted her head into his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. When did you get so reasonable?”
“I don’t know where you’ve been, I’ve always been like this,” Bucky said smugly, and Becca gave him a withering look.
The elevator opened, and once they were in a very fancy lobby, another receptionist greeted them, asked their tea preference, and then ushered them towards an office. Bucky felt a little bit like a sheep being herded, but it was at least a very nice feeling.
“Ah, Mr and Miss Barnes, I presume?” The man sitting behind the desk stood as Bucky and Becca entered, and rounded said desk to hold out his hand. “Henry Bainbry, we spoke on the phone.”
Bucky shook his hand firmly, trying to remember what his dad said about a strong handshake. “James is fine.”
“James, then,” Henry said warmly, and then let go to take Becca’s hand.
“Rebecca,” Becca said, and Henry smiled at her too.
“James and Rebecca, lovely to meet you both. Please, sit.” He went back behind the desk, and the siblings sat in the rather plush chairs in front of it. “Now, first of all, condolences for your loss.”
Bucky and Becca murmured a thanks, Bucky still not sure how to feel about the death of a family member he never knew existed.
“To business. Here is a copy of the will, for your perusal. You will note that he mentioned nothing of his brother, however, he insisted that property belongs to the next in the family line-” Henry started, but Becca cut in, Bucky wincing at her brusqueness.
“Henry, sorry, but are you sure we are in the family line at all? We’ve never heard of this side. As far as we were aware, dad was the only immigrant from Europe,” she said, and Bucky tried not to physically cringe.
“Oh! Would you like to see the family tree?” Henry asked, already turning around to rifle through a drawer behind him.
“Yes, that would set my mind at ease plenty,” Becca said, and batted away Bucky’s hand when he tried to pinch her in warning.
Henry found what he was looking for, and then unrolled a very long piece of paper, seemingly glued together to extend it. He lay out the section towards the end in front of them, and pointed out where the Barner-Gold’s had split off to create the Barnes family. “See, he had to change his name when he left Germany, to prevent any connections to his brother. Or at least, he must’ve felt that way.” Henry then pointed out when their grandfather was born, and then their own mother. “And here is where correspondence stopped.”
Becca leaned over the tree, peering at it closely, and Bucky watched her eyes trace over the line over and over again. Bucky was just stuck on the idea that somehow he was related to royalty. A dead royal line, fine, but still!
“Why is it James and not our mother?” Becca asked, and Bucky had to admit that she had a point.
“Ah well. This is something of a loophole we had to exploit. Lord Barner-Gold had said the next one in line was to inherit his estate, but no one from your great-grandfather’s line. The way this was written seemed to infer not blood, but location. So, if we take that to mean no one in your family in America, rather than here-”
“So, because we moved here...we get the estate?” Becca asked, tone flat but face shocked.
“Precisely. Perhaps a little underhanded, but I can’t say that the late Lord Barner-Gold would mind now.”
Becca turned to face Bucky, eyes wide. “Buck...we have an estate,” she said weakly.
Bucky let out a laugh, joy and relief bubbling up in his chest. “Oh my god, Becs, we have a home!”
“In Germany!” She squealed, and Bucky leapt up to hug her, Becca squeezing back just as tightly.
“Jesus, Henry-” Bucky half pulled away from Becca, to face the bemused looking lawyer. “We can’t begin to tell you how much we needed this- we-”
Henry’s face fell somewhat, and he coughed uncomfortably. “Yes, well, I had thought you would sell the place. I hadn’t realised you would intend to live in it.”
Bucky and Becca pulled away enough to face Henry both, Bucky keeping an arm around Becca. “What do you mean?” Becca asked, voice taking on that dangerous note it did whenever she was even a little unsure.
Henry opened a file, and pushed it over to them, Becca picking up the papers at the front. ‘SURVEYOR’S REPORT’ it had on the front. “The house is in severe disrepair. It would need a lot of work to be liveable, and even then, a lot of work to be maintained. You would be best to sell it, I know several hotel chains that would be interested in acquiring a country estate such as that..” While Henry talked, Becca flipped through the report, frowning as she read through just how run down the place was, but Bucky stopped listening as he saw the building itself.
“It’s a castle?” He spluttered, picking up the photo of the building, run down and greenery-covered, but still incredibly grand, nestled in a pine forest, the mountains rising majestically around it.
“I believe it is a hunting lodge,” Henry said, and Becca squawked when she saw the picture herself.
“That- that’s a hunting lodge?” She said, flummoxed.
“Bohemian, if I’m not mistaken?” Bucky said, and Henry seemed impressed.
“Yes, built in the 14th century. You know your architecture,” he said, and Bucky nodded.
“I did my thesis on 16th century, but I’ve always been fascinated by Bohemia,” he mumbled, picking up the following photos behind it. The inside did look somewhat run down, but it was still incredibly beautiful. “Becs, the things we could find here.”
“Yeah, yeah I think we’ll hold off on the selling it, Henry,” Becca said, staring at a photo of the brick wall surrounding the outside.
Henry seemed more amused than anything else. “Well, it is your estate. You may do whatever you wish with it.”
Becca grabbed Bucky’s arm, and Bucky knew her look of amazement was matched on his own. “We have a castle.”
“We have a castle,” he replied, and then they both burst into laughter, making Henry jump nearly a foot in the air.