How do you heal?

Chapter 22: Happy Birthday

March 10th, 2015

"Did you really have to put ninety-eight candles on the cake?" Bucky asked as Annie sat down on the couch next to him. She had made a dinner full of his favorite's and asked all the Avengers to attend, Barton, Thor and Sam included. After everyone ate Annie had to have Thor and Steve carry the cake out it was so large and, of course, filled with candles.

"They were very tiny candles. Besides, it's been a while since you've celebrated a birthday. I wanted to make sure it was done properly." She smiled up at him as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It was wonderful, Sweetheart. As much as I hate to admit it, those assholes are starting to feel a bit like family."

"Oh that reminds me!" Annie said, jumping up and running over to her closet where she pulled out a wrapped gift before walking back and handing it to him. "I wanted to give you this in private. It's not completely finished yet but it has most of what I asked for so..." She trailed off gesturing at the package.

"In private eh?" Bucky said with a cheeky grin as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She just rolled her eyes and he opened the gift. He removed the wrapping paper to reveal a leather bound portfolio. Opening it he froze. Inside there were files, photos, copies of news articles of birth and death and marriage announcements. All of his family. He looked through the photos of his parents and watched as they aged, further in there were photos of his sister, Rebecca, on her wedding day, holding babies, and eventually her obituary. Tears lined his eyes as he looked up at her. "What is all this?"

"When you mentioned family...at Christmas. I got curious and started looking into what happened to yours. Just online stuff, nothing crazy but when I saw that your sister got married and had kids I wanted to know a little more. I hired a P.I." She gestured at the file in his hands. "Jessica is really a pro. She pulled basically an entire timeline of information on your parents and Rebecca. I tried to organize it as best I could, like I said it's not done."

Still flipping through the pages he asked "What else could there possibly be?"

Annie cleared her throat. "Addresses. Bucky, you have a niece in Indiana, Winnie. She's married with kids and grandkids and even a great-grandkid. I think Rebecca and her husband are buried not far from where she lives. You had a nephew too, named James. He has a few kids that are still alive but if I remember he passed in the nineties."

"What in the world made you think about getting all this information?"

Annie shrugged and bit her lip. "If I were you I'd want to know. Even if you never go to meet them, if you don't want to. You at least know that your family was happy, that they had full lives and prospered." She looked at him and her heart sank. He hated it, it was the wrong thing to do. She stood up and grabbed the torn paper walking to throw it away as she tried to apologize for making him uncomfortable. "If it's too much or if you hate it I'm sorry. I just thought you'd want to know. I'll call Jessica and tell her to drop the rest of the digging." She tossed the paper in the trash can and began tugging at the ends of her hair nervously. She flinched slightly as she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind as Bucky squeezed her.

"Thank you." He whispered before placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.