How do you heal?

Chapter 54: A Wise Woman

Early July 2016

Annie and Alex sat on the back porch drinking. Loki was inside, having offered to make dinner. In the three weeks since Bucky's first date with Kat he'd had her at the compound a dozen times and even brought her to Tony's combo celebration for the fourth and Steve's birthday. Annie had gotten very sick that night and wasn't sure if it was from all the shots she'd downed when no one was looking or having to watch Kat stick her tongue down Bucky's throat all night. Both, she had decided. It was definitely both. The next morning, after a large dose of Tylenol, she'd called Tony and Alex and booked flights for an impromptu and much needed vacation.

"I'm just saying, we can put a coop right over there and till a big plot at the property line for a garden. I'll just get some data entry job I can do from home and I would never have to leave the house again." Annie said and took another long swig.

"And what about seeing your family?" Alex asked.

"They can just come here."

"And what about doctors appointments or haircuts."

"Easy, telehealth for doctors, you will cut my hair, it's not like it needs to be great if I'm not leaving the house."

"And who will cut your hair when Sam and I get an apartment together in New York?"

Annie wrinkled her nose. "Loki. But realistically Sam is just going to have to move here or you will have to dump him. I won't let you go."

Alex scoffed. "Ironic, the woman who left me for New York doesn't want me to leave her for New York."

"You're stronger. You could survive without me, I can't survive without you. Especially if I refuse to leave the house!" Annie said, tossing her head back and giving Alex puppy dog eyes.

Alex sighed. "Honey Cakes, you can plot and plan and reason all you want. We both know you aren't moving back. Hell I knew it years ago, which is why I invested so much time into training Sam. On top of the fact that he worships the ground I walk on, as he should, he's in close proximity to where you are and therefore where I want to be."

"So you're not going to dump him and start a micro farm with me?"

"No, at least not for a farm. Now if you want to talk about starting a cult I will consider it but I won't throw away all my efforts for anything less."

They were quiet for a while as Annie looked out over the back yard watching the sunset. When Bubba had passed away last summer she had planted a small redbud tree in remembrance in the yard where he would always sunbathe, his ashes buried with Charlie. It seemed to glow in the fading light. Although Annie was unwilling to admit it she knew Alex was right. This house would never be her home again. It no longer held the sadness of her losses but it also held no place in her heart. She had thought her home had become a person but now....now she loved New York, she loved her job, she loved Wanda and Pietro and Sam, she loved the city at Christmas time and when Alex finally moved she'd have everything she could ask for. She could get used to living with her ex in exchange for all the rest. Annie's phone lit up pulling her from her thoughts and she wrinkled her nose again as she opened and read the text.

"Who's that?" Alex asked.

"It's Piet. He keeps bugging me to find out when I'm going back." Annie replied, dropping her phone back down without answering.

"If it's Road Runner, why do you seem annoyed? Aren't you guys like, joined at the hip?"

Annie put her drink down and ran her hands over her face and groaned. "Yeah, but ever since Bucky got back he's been weird."

Alex knew Pietro had it bad for Annie. He had confessed it to her last New Years but she had guessed as much long before even he'd realized it. However, when he had told Alex about his feelings she had let him know that a relationship hadn't been what Annie needed at that time. A friend was. But with Bucky back it was entirely possible that Pietro was afraid he'd lose his chance and knowing Annie's aversion to conflict, if Pietro didn't go about things the right way he would. "Elaborate." She said, trying to get a sense of Annie's state of mind on the matter.

"I don't know, Lex, it's like, the moment Bucky walks into a room Piet just flips a switch. He starts to be snarky and rude and is almost trying to pick a fight. I'm not sure if he is doing to show solidarity with me or if he just genuinely doesn't like Bucky but you know how I feel about conflict and the tension is driving me crazy. I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack whenever we end up in the same room."

Gods, she really is oblivious. "Have you told Pietro it makes you uncomfortable?"

Annie rolled her eyes as she looked at Alex. "No, that could lead to conflict and I'd rather just suffer and ignore it until it goes away."

"What if it doesn't go away?"

"I ask my doctor if I can take Xanax while on Ambien."

Alex sat forward in her chair leveling Annie with a serious look. "Annie, Pietro is your friend and if you think he is being a dick to support you I'm sure if you asked him to stop so as to not upset you he would. Tap into your mediocre white man confidence and tell him to knock it off and he will."

"I'm fresh out of white man confidence, can you use yours and do it for me?"

Alex laughed. "Sorry, Honey Cakes. My white man confidence is far above mediocre and if I used mine it would definitely make Pietro cry and I know that's not what you want."