This Is Stella's Reality

September 4, 2015

"So, Stellie," Bruce started as he sipped a mimosa, "how is Paris treating you?"

I laughed, picking at a bowl of fruit. "It's nice," I breathed. "Quiet. Bucky has been doing odd-jobs for our neighbors, fixing fences, gardening, repairing random house stuff. He likes it, and he seems really happy to just be able to be normal."

Thor watched my face, smiling softly. His eyes flickered to Bruce before looking back to me almost sadly. "But what about you, Lady Stella? How are you?"

The question caught me off guard. He asked it as if he knew something I did not. I stared at him for a moment. "What do you mean? I have what I wanted. Peace and quiet, my husband is safe, my other is doing what he loves, and I have my witchcraft."

"You don't wish for more?" Bruce asked. "I always thought you'd want to do something. You know? I don't mean that in any sort of way, but I always pictured you as a lawyer or a professor. An intellectual at a university or something."

I frowned and looked down to my fingers as I played with the edge of the tablecloth of this outdoor cafe. "An intellectual," I laughed at the thought. "You really thought so?"

Thor scoffed, "Oh, but of course, Lady Stella. You are quite wise and well-spoken. I think we all believed you would become some scientist like my fiancé or a lawyer as he said."

Their words echoed in my head. Me, a professor or a lawyer or a doctor. To be honest, I had never given my future much thought even when I didn't have my memories. It always seemed so unattainable to be anything other than an Avenger or SHIELD operative. But now, anything was possible.

As if seeing the gears turning within my mind, Bruce grinned and leaned forward. "You know, I have connections at the Panthéon-Sorbonne. I hear they're looking for a classics professor, and given your history, I'm sure they would be more than thrilled to have you on faculty." He popped a raspberry between his lips and smiled. "Something to think about."

It was tempting. Classics professor Stella Rogers-Barnes. Something to fill my time with while Bucky did his odd jobs and favor and Steve was off saving the world. Maybe it would be nice. Maybe I could have something that was just mine.

"Yeah," I mused, stabbing my fork through a bright red strawberry. "I think I'd like that."

Bruce sat back in his chair and took out his phone. "I'm glad, Stel. I think it'll be good for you. Get you outta the house and give you something to do. Bonjour, mon ami! Oui, oui, J'ai un ami ici," and his voice trailed out of my ears as I presumed he spoke to someone from the university.

I looked over at Thor, shoving waffles into his mouth and absentmindedly running his hands over Bruce's thighs. "Bruce was very happy when he thought of this idea of his," he said, swallowing past the thick maple syrup. "And I agree; it'll be quite good for you to truly have a taste of normalcy. More than just a marriage and a home. Something that is just yours if you do not wish to return to your Olympic life."

"Parfait," Bruce exclaimed, looking up at me and grinning. "Je vais lui dire; oui, bien sûr, d'accord. Merci beaucoup, mon ami. Oui, oui, d'accord, au revoir, on se parle plus tard!"

He hung up and sighed, leaning back in his seat and smiling. "The president of the university is beyond thrilled to have an actual goddess teach a course for the classics department. He wants to schedule a meeting with you, so expect a call sometime today."

I nodded staring off into space and thinking about this new endeavor. It would be fun. Perhaps a bit daunting. What did professors even do? Teach, obviously. Grade papers. Office hours. Research? Talk to students? Talk to other professors?

Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.