Once Upon an Avenger

Chapter 26: Always be your cricket

"Good morning," Hope beamed as she waltzed into the kitchen.

Morgan waved as she stuffed a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Eww, you're sweaty!" The little girl cried when Hope planted a kiss on her head.

"Eww, you're stinky," Hope teased in return, sticking her tongue out as far as she possibly could. "That's what happens when you go for a run, you get hot and sweaty."

"You seem to be feeling better," Pepper noted.

"Indeed I am." With a flick of her wrist, Hope made two bags appear on the counter.

The strawberry blonde peered inside. "What's this?"

"Lunch," Hope said matter-of-factly. "Two helpings of Mediterranean chicken tender wraps for you and Happy, and some nuggets for the Munchkin. Oh, with a little bit of magic thrown in there to keep them nice and warm, but not too hot."

Pepper smiled warmly at her. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to." Hope poured herself a glass of water which she promptly drank. "Now, I'm going to go get a shower before I start making breakfast for the soldiers." And with that, she disappeared in a poof of smoke.

*

When Steve and Bucky emerged from the gym later that morning, Hope was busy serving up the waffles she'd made. "I made breakfast," she said, cutting up some strawberries.

"I'm good," was all Steve said before making his way upstairs to his room.

Noticing the confused and slightly hurt look on Hope's face, Bucky sat down opposite her at the breakfast bar. "It's nothing personal, he's in a bit of a mood this morning."

"He just hates me, but no, it's nothing personal," Hope grumbled, placing the bowls of fruit on the side a bit more forcefully than she'd intended. "Anyway, I told you he was only trying to last more than thirteen hours before being a jerk again."

"Well, it seems you were right, again."

"So it seems," she joked, playing off how stupid she felt for believing they might actually have finally been becoming friends. "Listen, J-2, about yesterday--"

"Don't worry about it."

"No, James, please let me talk." Bucky agreed with a nod of the head and Hope continued, "before you came home, I made a deal with Melinoe, my suffering to stop that of the Avengers."

"The sleeping curse, Steve told me."

"Let me guess," Hope sighed, "he called me stupid and reckless."

"Something along those lines..."

Hope laughed a little at how predictable Captain America had become. "In all honesty, he's right, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat and that's something he's just going to have to get used to while I'm here. Whatever, he's not the point of this conversation. Yesterday, when I was ill and I fell asleep, I was back there."

"What was it like, under the curse?" Bucky asked, but when he noticed how quiet Hope had gone, he added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, no, it's okay. I think it's best if I show you." Bucky was about to ask her what she meant when a dream catcher appeared in her hand. "I've only done this four or five times before, but it should work."

Now stood behind him, Hope held his hands on the dream catcher. After a few seconds, dust started twirling within the wire circle in her signature colour, then after a few more, an image appeared. It was dark, but Bucky could just about make out that it was a room thanks to the single torch that reflected in the mirrors. Mirrors that were slowly filling themselves with people, some familiar faces, others not.