How do you heal?

Chapter 48: Out of the Box

February 2016

Annie and Pietro sat in a booth at Maude's eating dinner on a Wednesday night. After she had mentioned that she did karaoke over the holidays he had been pestering her to tag along next time she went.

"I can't believe you have been keeping this place a secret. These burgers are amazing." Pietro mumbled around a large bite of food in his mouth.

"Chew your food, weirdo. I'd hate to have to do the heimlich on you in a room full of people and damage your reputation as a mighty hero because you choked on a burger. And I told you I wasn't keeping it a secret, I've just only come like once since...the accords stuff." Annie said the last part quietly after she had paused to look around the room. He had noticed she'd let her hair down when they got here and had been shifting it to cover her face from different angles every time she scanned the room.

"Are you okay?" He asked after he had swallowed his food and taken a large gulp of his drink. "You've been super twitchy since we got here."

"Yeah, I'm good I just," Annie started but she was cut off as a hand came down on her shoulder.

"Allie, is that you?" Kat asked as she dug her nails into Annie's shoulder and Pietro saw her wince and pull herself out from under the grip.

"Hey, Kat." Annie replied un-enthusiastically as she dropped her gaze to the plate in front of her.

"Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in here in months. I figured it must have been because you and Buckaroo broke up and," Kat paused and looked Pietro up and down. "It looks like I was right. How sad." She put a pout on her face but Pietro could see the mocking tone behind it.

Annie just shrugged but didn't look up. "Things happen, life goes on."

"You know I haven't seen Bucky around either. Any idea what he's been up to?" Kat shifted her stance to face Annie and in doing so leaned herself against the back of Pietro's booth, placing her arm along the edge behind him.

Pietro could tell Annie clocked the move as she shook her head ever so slightly before she answered. "Last I heard he moved, left New York."

Kat laughed and shifted her hand to Pietro's shoulder as if Annie had just told them a joke. "Wow the break up was that bad you ran him out of town? I mean who could blame him."

Pietro's eyes widened as he looked between Annie and Kat. What the hell is this girl's problem?

He waited for Annie to say something to put the waitress in her place...but that wasn't her.

"Katie, was it?" He asked as he physically removed her hand from his shoulder rather than just move out from under her.

He watched as she turned to him and her face screwed up in confusion. "Kat, actually."

"Well, Katie, if you wouldn't mind Annie and I were enjoying our dinner and you're interrupting." He said then made a shooing motion.

Kat sneered and clicked her tongue as she walked away and Pietro turned back to Annie.

"You didn't have to do that." Annie said without looking up from her plate. "You don't need to protect me."

"Солнышко, I'm aware you don't need anyone's protection. You know what you can handle and I trust you would stand up for yourself when you've reached your limit. That," he said, gesturing a thumb over his shoulder. "Was because she was pissing me off.

She looked up at him and smiled then but before she spoke a man approached their table.

"Annie?" They both turned to see a tall, bulky man with curly dark hair, a small woman with green hair and a multitude of piercings standing next to him.

"Yes?" Annie answered with confusion on her face.

"Hi, I'm Vik and this is my girlfriend Sadie. I'm the lead singer of January Embers and I was hoping I could have a minute of your time."

"So are you going to do it?" Pietro asked as they exited the bar and made their way through the cold winter air towards their awaiting Uber.

"Probably not."

"What, why? He basically just offered you the perfect gig. Covers only, shows once a month and bi-weekly practice on your day off."

Annie shook the snow from her hair as they got into the car and pulled off her scarf. "Sure all that is perfect but you saw Kat in there. A big part of why I have been avoiding Maude's is her, so to do what Vik is asking would put me in her path a hell of a lot more and I am just not sure I want to deal with it."

"Okay but there's no better way to show her she doesn't bother you than coming in once a month and getting up on that stage."

"But she does bother me."

"She doesn't have to know that."