The Black Knightress (Back up for fulls)

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December 31 2015-11:56-Astoria-Steve's POV

"Ten minutes until the new year!" I exclaim happily

"Do you think it'll be a good year?" Sarah walks over to me with a glass of champagne in hand

"I think it will be a very eventful year, what about you?" I look down at her with a proud smile

"I'm more excited about the new year. I don't think you're dead this time..I got to have all of my family in the same room this year..what about you Uncle James?" she looks over at the nervous soldier

"I'm just happy to have two of my favorite people in the world with me to celebrate it." he smiles softly

Sarah gives him a mutual expression, one that lights up my face in reaction to their attempts at happiness. She turns back and sits on the couch with me, my left arm resting on the top of the couch behind her. She doesn't lean into it or anything, but she doesn't ask me to move it or tenses up which I choose to consider as more progress.

We have the windows open just a bit, the cold air freaking all of us out, but we don't have a television or even a clock to use so we're listening to everybody outside. They play music and sing, talk and cheer, my thoughts going to my favorite New Years when Peggy told me she was going to be having Sarah.

"You remember when Peggy brought us outside and told you about this one?" Bucky starts as he pays Sarah on the head

"I was thinking the same." I chuckle

"What's so funny?" Sarah asks

"Bucky had a rendevous with a nurse from Long Island that night, she seemed different the next day." I reminice

"Oh yeah, I never saw her again after that night..what happened?" Bucky asks

"You fell off a train." I turn and mention

"Oh right." he nods as he takes a sip of champagne

The neighbors soon start counting down from fifty-nine, making me come to big and small realizations of what's coming in a set of seconds. The counting edges on, almost tauntng the adreneline that's rushing through the care I have for my traumatized, war-born family.

"Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

Happy New Year!"

Fireworks begin exploding, Bucky drops his champagne glass on the tile floor of the kitchen for it to shatter as he hurtles towards his terrified niece. Sarah curls in my way, but stays distant from me as Bucky holds his hands out.

He jumps over the back of the couch to cover Sarah's ears the best he can by wrapping his arm around her head and covering her right ear with his hand as his body and heartbeat cover her left. He flinches at each firework, making me feel bad for leaving him alone at the compound on Independence Day when I brough Sarah to D.C.

I sit my drink down on the floor as fast as I can, lurching to cover Bucky's ears from the bomb like sounds. Sarah seems to feel my weight moving closer to them because she turns around under Bucky's protective hold and reaches up to cover my ears.

"You were a soldier too." she muffles against Bucky's sleeve as her reddened blue eyes look up at me

I lean my head down to allow her hands to cover my ears as she's trying her hardest to do, she seems to appreciate the motion because her tears stop and she seems to calm down a bit.