Work Text:
“Let’s go walk around, he says!” Brock shouts, ducking behind a potted plant. “It’ll be fun, he says!”
“I didn’t hire the gunmen to be here,” Max grumbles from beside him.
They end up near the back of Masa, close to the kitchen doors. At almost 13, Max is taller and broader than Brock, but Brock doesn’t care as he pushes his son behind him. “Who knew there would be crazy people here?” Max continues.
“That’s the very definition of the word ‘mall’, buddy. Just because they call it some fancy name like Columbus Circle Shops doesn’t mean you’re safe from the weirdoes.”
“I didn’t see you hating the mall when we were in Williams-Sonoma, Dad,” Max says.
“Well, I don’t see you ever leaving food on your plate, so we’re even,” Brock replies, and for a moment they stop and grin at each other. “Now here’s how we’re going to do this: stay low, and we’re going to run for that door.”
“That’s a terrible idea! Clint says to never allow yourself to get cornered in!”
“Most of the New York buildings have an emergency stairwell behind kitchens in case of fire,” Brock explains. “And as much as I wanted sushi for lunch, I’d rather get you out of here safely. On three, you follow me. Okay?”
Max nods, and Brock silently thanks God that his child isn’t a horrible pre-teen. “One… two… three!”
They run, charging through the door and into the kitchen. Brock grabs his son’s hand and leads him toward the back of the room, where – as predicted – they find a door to a stairwell. “When I get the door open, I go through first, all right?”
“But…”
“We don’t know how many mercenaries there are, or where they’re located,” Brock says, cutting off any complaint. “And I know you’re a capable, brilliant, amazing kid, but if you keep arguing with me I’m going to ground you forever.”
Max pouts but shuts his mouth and Brock smothers a smile. “Good boy,” he says, ruffling his son’s hair.
“Dad! Quit that, I’m not a baby anymore.”
“Always gonna be my baby,” the Omega replies, and tentatively grasps the doorknob. “Stay behind me and when we get into the stairway, I want you to stay close to the wall. Crouch-walk down the stairs and take short, soft steps. Do you understand me?”
Max nods, and then – shockingly – presses forward to hug his father. “Be careful, Dad, okay?”
“I love you Max,” Brock says, and quietly opens the door. The he looks up, down, side-to-side, but the corridor appears empty. Placing a finger over his lips, he takes a step into the stairwell. Max follows as they head down the first flight, the second; as they hit the ground level, Brock carefully opens the door to the subway exit.
He never expects the three darts that hit him square in the chest.
&&&&&&&&&&
Brock goes from sleep to wakefulness in the blink of an eye; sits straight up from a… padded mat? “Max?” he shouts, wincing as the noise makes his head explode. “Max!”
A roar comes from outside his immediate sightline and Brock blinks. The room’s small, maybe five by seven, and the only things in it are the soft mat he’s on and a glass of water that says, “Drink me.”
He pushes the water away, forces himself to his feet, and throws his entire bodyweight against the door.
It doesn’t give an inch. “Fuck,” he complains, rubbing his shoulder and his head. “MAX!”
The door suddenly clicks, squeaks, and Brock takes a step backwards, sinking into a crouch. He’s unarmed and half-drugged and damned if any asshole’s going to keep him from his kid. When the door swings open, though – he can’t make himself move. He stares uncomprehendingly at the man in front of him, noting the dark hair, dark eyes, and… broken nose? “What the hell,” he says.
Jack grins. “Hiya, Bones,” he says. “So, I think your kid’s an Alpha.”
“Rollins?” Brock asks, voice tinged with disbelief. “But you’re dead!”
“He’s got a hell of an arm on him,” the ghost continues, ignoring Brock’s outburst. “I didn’t even get a chance to talk to him before he punched me in the face.”
“Nat’s been teaching him,” Brock replies, then shakes his whole body out as if he’s in a trance. “Jack, what the hell’s going on?”
“Do you know how infrequently you leave the Tower?”
“What’s that got to do with anything? Jack, what’s happening? Where’s my son?”
“He’s down the hall, and he’s fine,” Jack soothes. “He stopped trying to beat my head in after I told him that I was an old friend of yours.”
“He’d never have taken your word for it,” Brock snaps. “What did you do to him?”
“You’re so suspicious,” Jack sighs. He digs something out of his breast pocket and hands it to Brock. “I showed him this, and I promise – he’s fine. He calmed right down.”
Brock remembers the photo all too well; Jack’s standing behind him, with his arms wrapped around Brock, while Thom and Danny lean into the two of them from either side. It was one of the few milk-run ops they’d all enjoyed, captured forever on film. “My copy got lost,” Brock says, tracing his fingers over the faces of the fallen two soldiers. “That was a great day.”
“One of the best. And now I’m at the point where I literally have to send a team to kidnap you in order for me to see you.”
Brock’s head snaps up. “Are you kidding? This is, what? Some sort of insane reunion? Jack! How long have Max and I been gone? How long was I unconscious? My God, James and Steve must be terrified! I need a phone and I want to see my son!”
“Hey, take it easy,” Jack says. “What kind of kidnapper do you take me for? It’s been about three hours, you’re not far from the Tower, and I’ve no intention of hurting either one of you. I just thought it might be nice for Max to meet the other side of his family.”
“It’s been almost ten years,” Brock says, and chokes because he wants to both hug the man in front of him and beat him to death. “Ten years, man. You couldn’t just, I don’t know, mail me a letter to let me know you were alive?”
Jack shrugs, gestures for Brock to follow him. “It was hard but I had to do it. Look at it from my perspective. The Omega I’d spent years loving gets mated to an assassin, ends up moving in with the Avengers, and then retires like a fucking housewife instead of staying in the field. What was I supposed to do, Bones? Waltz into the Tower and tell them that you and I worked for Hydra together, and by the way – I’d like to see you to catch up on old times?”
Brock’s response is cut off when Jack opens a door, and he smells the scent of a newly-formed Alpha. “Dad,” Max says, and Brock half-tackles his son. “Oh my God, Dad, I was so scared!”
“It’s okay, buddy,” Brock says, stroking a hand down his son’s back and curling around him. “I’m fine. You’re fine, too, and we’re perfectly safe here. Okay?”
“He told me that you were friends, Dad,” Max says, and snarls at Jack. The other Alpha watches with amusement. “But I still don’t trust him.”
“And you never, ever should have trusted him. Until now, anyway,” Brock says, and can’t help the tired chuckle that escapes his throat. “Max, this is my ex-partner, Jack Rollins. Jack, this is my son Max.”
“Nice to meet you, kid.”
Max straightens his shoulders. “You hurt my Dad,” he snarls. “I’m not happy to meet you.”
“Oh, puppy. You’re absolutely your Dad’s offspring…”
“Shut up, asshole,” Brock says. “Or I’ll let him punch you in the face again.”
Jack hoots with laughter. “So will you forgive an old friend for doing a snatch-and-grab so he could visit with you?”
“Give me a phone and let me call my mates so they stop freaking out, and then I’ll think about it. I swear to Christ, Jack, you took my kid and put him in such danger!”
“Non-lethal ammo only,” Jack replies, but hands him a burner phone. “You guys were never in harm.”
Brock snatches the phone and ignores the comment, dialing James. It rings exactly twice before James answers, roaring, “Where are they?”
“Hi, honey,” Brock drawls. “How’s your day?”
“Brock? Steve, it’s Brock!”
Brock can hear the moment the phone clicks onto speaker. “Are you okay? Is Max okay? Where are you?”
“I have no idea where we are, to be honest, but we’re completely safe,” Brock replies.
“Code word?”
“Canary,” Brock says, giving them the all-clear. “I’m not being coerced, and Max is fine. By the way, he presented Alpha today. We should get a card for him.”
“What?”
“I can’t explain more, but we’ll be home as soon as possible,” Brock says. “I promise we’re good and I love you both.”
Brock hangs up the phone before either man can reply and hands it back to Jack. He watches Jack pull the battery out and crush it beneath a booted foot. “I’m severely pissed at you,” he says.
“Come on, Bones, it wasn’t that bad.”
“It was bad!” Max protests, and Brock shushes him. “Dad! It was really, really scary!”
“I know,” he says. “What Jack doesn’t realize is that neither of us may ever be allowed outside of the Tower again without an armed security team. Or that even with non-lethal ammo, someone could’ve gotten badly hurt falling down the stairs, or from flying debris, or from the other hundred things that could go wrong on an op.”
“Jesus, when did you turn into such an old woman?”
“Since I had a child and almost died a hundred times running ops for Hydra!” Brock shouts. “You kidnapped one of the Avengers’ mates and his kid! Do you have any idea of how many people could be looking for us right now? And I’m not protecting you from this, Jack, I can’t. There’s no way I could justify it to anyone who didn’t look at this from your perspective.”
Jack pauses, grins. “What?” Brock grits out.
“You understand exactly why I grabbed you though, don’t you.”
“Of course I do,” Brock replies. “I might’ve done the same damn thing in your position. But that doesn’t make it something I can sweep under the rug. And now everyone’s going to know you’re alive and I can’t do anything to help you run from it.”
Jack grabs hold of him and hugs him, ignoring the way Max growls at him. “I love you, Bones, you know that?”
Brock sighs. “God, I love you too, you complete idiot. I’m really fucking glad you’re not dead.”
“So what’s going to happen now?” Max asks, still glaring at Jack. “You guys catch up, or whatever, and we leave Pop and Steve to worry? Dad! We can’t do that!”
“I know, buddy. That’s why Jack’s going to drive us back to the Tower from wherever we are, and come inside to introduce himself like a normal person.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jack says. “I’m still a mercenary, Bones, I somehow doubt they’re going to wave the flag for me when I walk in.”
“Well you should’ve thought of that before you decided to put your paws on my kid and scare the hell outta him,” Brock growls. “Now come on, Jack. Take us home. You never know, they might offer you a job instead of shooting you outright.”
“You’re fucked in the head, Bones,” Jack scoffs.
Brock punches the other man in the arm. “That’s what you always loved best about me, though, right?”
&&&&&&&&&&
Brock grins most of the car ride back to the Tower. He can’t help it; one of the only people he’d ever considered family (before James and Max and Steve) was alive. “What have you been doing with yourself?”
“Mostly freelance work,” Jack says. “The only reason I’ve been in New York lately was for a job. I thought I’d try to see you, before I left the country again.”
Brock’s eyes flick to Max’s still form in the backseat of the SUV. The stress of the misadventure had finally worn his son out and he’s sleeping. “Why didn’t you ever try to see us?” he asks, softly. “Before today, I mean.”
“Bones. How could I see you happily mated to someone else when I spent years trying to get over you?” the Alpha says, sighing. “I mean, you’ve got a kid and a partner. You turned into a stay at home mom. How was I supposed to compete with that, when your interests changed so drastically? Was I supposed to drag you into the field kicking and screaming?”
“No, but it would’ve been nice not to keep mourning for you.”
If he hadn’t been watching Jack so closely, he’d have missed the tiny flinch. “Sorry.”
“Me, too.”
“So what’re you going to tell them?”
“That my old, idiot friend has no common sense and even less moral standings than I do, and please don’t shoot him fatally.”
“So they can shoot to wound?”
“You’re lucky I’m still unarmed.”
Jack grins, and then the grin fades away. “Once Hydra went to hell, I got out,” he says. “I haven’t done a job for them for the last nine years. Didn’t want any part of the rebuild and didn’t want be part of the new world order there.”
“I wouldn’t have made it as long as we did if not for Max. Every job we did, after I gave birth? Was because I had nowhere to run with my pup.”
“I figured that. I mean, I tell you one day that Pierce wants you, and the next time I see you, you’re mated and knocked up. I kept waiting for you to get rid of it, but you didn’t.”
“It was either keep Max, or become an incubator for super-soldier puppies. I kept my child, and it’s the best decision I ever made. You make fun of me for being a housewife, but it’s fucking amazing.”
“Bones Rumlow, soccer mom.”
“Shut up.”
Jack grins at Brock’s blush. “No, seriously, it’s kinda cute. You’re making me all warm and fuzzy inside.”
“I will not hesitate to shoot you,” Brock threatens, but the grin gives him away. “Or kick you in the nuts, if nothing else.”
Jack laughs and slows down in traffic. “So how do I get in the polite way?” he asks, gesturing toward the tall building. “Is there a private entrance?”
“There’s a parking garage,” Brock replies, pointing. “Go that way, and I’ll get us into the building.”
They turn into a low-sloping garage and stop at a speaker box. Jack rolls down his window and Brock leans over him. “Hey, Jarvis, are you there?”
“Of course, Agent Rumlow,” Jarvis replies, and Brock sighs. “Are you all right? Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers have been intensely distressed by your disappearance.”
“I promise it wasn’t my idea,” Brock replies. “Would you be so kind as to let them know we’re here, and that I’d love to introduce them to an old friend of mine?”
“Of course,” Jarvis replies. “Sir has asked that you use the left-most elevators on the first floor, so you can join them immediately.”
“Thanks, Jarvis.”
They drive into the garage, park, and Brock reaches into the back seat to shake Max’s shoulder. “Hey, kiddo. You awake?”
Max yawns. “I feel kinda crappy, Dad.”
“I know. That’s what happens when you present your secondary gender. We’ll get you something to eat as soon as we get upstairs and say hello to Pop and Steve.”
Jack watches the two of them, shaking his head. Without saying a word, he follows them into the elevator and they head up to the penthouse. “Try not to be a complete ass when we get there,” Brock says, glaring at Jack. “I don’t want either of them to be tempted to kill you, even though it was really the stupidest move…”
“Yeah, yeah, pfft.”
When the elevator doors open, Brock barely has time to exit before he’s completely enveloped in strong arms. “Oof!”
“Thank God,” James says, clutching him tighter. “Thought you were both dead.”
Max whines under Steve’s arms, and James reaches for both him and Steve to pull the four of them together in one group. They snuffle and hug until Jack clears his throat. “ Uh. As touching as this is…”
James and Steve both snarl, and Brock moves to put himself between his enraged mates and Jack. “Stop!” he shouts, and – amazingly – they all listen. “Steve, you remember Jack Rollins, don’t you?”
Steve looks about half a minute from blood rage, and James isn’t much better. “How dare you?” he snarls. “What gives you the right to try and take my family from me?”
Jack glances between James, Steve and Brock, then says, “Jesus, Bones, both of them? Really?”
“Shut it,” Brock hisses. “Look, I know that this isn’t the way normal people have family reunions, but I kind of understand why he didn’t want to walk into the Tower and chat.”
“I should kill you for making us worry,” James says, his voice about three octaves too low. “For touching what’s not yours.”
“Well, sorry to say, he would’ve been mine had you not lost your shit and mated him,” Jack says, and that’s it – Brock can’t stop James from lunging at the other Alpha. His shouts for them to stop are ignored as they roll around bloodying each other. It’s only when a fire extinguisher explodes upon them that they pull apart, blinking in surprise.
“Dad said enough, both of you,” Max says, holding the empty canister. “Uh, please.”
“Thanks,” Brock says, proud of the level-headed way his son handled the situation. He glares at Steve, who looks back at him innocently. “And thanks for trying to help me separate them.”
“James looked to be doing fine from where I’m standing,” Steve replies, unperturbed at the way his best friend straddles Rollins and holds him down. “I would’ve stepped in had he needed me.”
Brock huffs. “Would you please get off of each other?”
When they separate, he gives Jack a look that could freeze a train. “First of all, who knows whether or not we would’ve ever been anything more than partners in crime.”
“Bones…”
“No, stop it. You’re right – nothing worked out the way I thought it would. But ten years later, you found me again, and I’m really damn happy. So if you could please stop being a dick, that would be great.”
Then he rounds on Steve and James. “And you two! I know you were worried, and I’m sorry that shit happened the way it did. But I also know how hard it is to be a mercenary and reach out to old contacts, especially those contacts who’ve left the game. The kidnapping was incredibly stupid, but I just found out that one of my best friends isn’t dead. So a little less antagonism from all sides would be appreciated.”
Finally he looks at Max. “And you? You keep being my amazing kid, who punches your Uncle Jack when he needs to be punched, and hoses down your Pop when he needs a cooling off. I love you, kiddo.”
The three adult Alphas look suitably chastised, while Max beams. “I love you too, Dad.”
No one says anything for a minute, until Steve – because it’ll always be Steve doing the right thing – says to Jack, “Thanks for not hurting either of them and bringing them back safely.”
“Yeah, well,” Jack replies, equally awkward. “I guess I’ve spent a lot of time having Bones’ back, so I don’t intend on stopping that anytime soon. I just missed him.”
“He’s pretty likeable, when he’s not trying to actively kill you,” James says.
“Oh yes, ha, ha, ha,” Brock says. “Please feel free to gang up against me now that I’ve yelled at you.”
“I’ll protect you, Dad,” Max says. “Cause, you know. I’m an Alpha.”
James and Steve both get sidetracked from Jack’s arrival by congratulating their son, petting him and nuzzling him and speaking excitedly about all that being an Alpha entails. Jack hesitantly joins in their conversation, and somehow it quickly carries them away from the initial panic at the reunion.
Brock can only grin. It’s nice to have his whole family together, even if they end up killing each other later on.