How do you heal?

Chapter 71: As the World Falls Down

Annie turned her phone on and sure enough the messages from Pietro had been read. She couldn't be sure how far back Bucky had gone but she honestly didn't care. She hadn't written anything that wasn't true and if his feelings were hurt then so be it. Let him know what it feels like. She had a few unread messages from Alex about the show and a new one came in from Pietro just before she set her phone back down.

Pietro: All set for dinner. They said they would meet us at six. Leave here around quarter after five?

She sent him a thumbs up, set an alarm, and tossed her phone down. She wanted to call Alex and rage about all the shit that had happened with Bucky but she was exhausted and figured it could wait until dinner. Too tired at this point to even make her bed she just grabbed a blanket and headed for her couch.

At five Annie walked out into the common area to find Nat and Bucky on the couches watching tv. She had texted Pietro before she left her room to say she was ready and he had told her he had just gotten a shower and would be out soon. Unwilling to turn around and head back to her room, she walked over to the kitchen area to straighten up while she waited. After a minute she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. When she pulled it out she saw her brother was calling her. That's weird. She hit the button to answer the call, thankful to have a distraction. "Hey, Fletch. What's up?"

Bucky saw Annie walk into the kitchen and felt his anger spike again. Under his anger though there was something else he couldn't express. The last thing she had said to him had him thinking back over all the talks they'd had. And in my stupid fucked up brain I think all I'm worthy of is your brand of toxic. Because that's what I grew up thinking love was like! He knew she'd had some issues, had gone to therapy in the past, but she always talked so fondly about her family. Had he missed something?

"You want to get out of here?" Nat whispered, pulling him from his thoughts. He'd told her everything that happened this morning when she and the others had returned from breakfast. The final nail in the coffin he'd had to talk about.

He looked over to see Annie answer her phone and shook his head. "Nah, she and Maximoff are gonna be heading out soon. I'm fine." While he returned his gaze to the tv he couldn't help but listen to Annie's conversation.

"Hey, Fletch. What's up? Uh, I'm getting ready to go to dinner but I've got a few minutes. Okay what did she say?" Bucky glanced towards her when the silence went on for what seemed too long. "What?" Her voice came out cracked but almost too quiet to hear. "When?" Another long pause and he could see she was running her free hand up and down her thigh anxiously. "Okay. Yeah, I will be there as soon as I can. I love you too." The last sentences were all tight and pained and he noticed Nat was watching now too. Annie hung up and began to walk towards the bedrooms, phone clutched at her chest, face ghostly pale.

"Everything okay, Annie?" Nat asked but Annie ignored her and took a few more steps before she collapsed to the ground. Bucky and Nat were both there in an instant. Annie had curled up in a ball, sobbing, and Nat was on the ground next to her trying to make Annie look at her. "Hey, Annie? Annie, what's wrong? Talk to me, honey, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on." Nat swore and turned to Bucky. "Help me sit her up." As Bucky did so, helping Annie lean back against the wall, Nat picked up Annie's discarded cell phone and looked at the call log. "Annie, honey, who is Fletcher?"

"Her brother." Bucky said, sitting back on his heels. Annie's sobs coming so hard now she could barely breathe.

Just then Pietro came running around the corner. He got down on his knees where Nat had been just moments ago and took Annie's face in his hands. "Солнышко, what's wrong?" Annie tried to speak but couldn't answer so he looked to Nat and Bucky. "What happened?"

"We don't know." Nat said. "She got a phone call from her brother and when they hung up she said she'd be there shortly. Next thing she was on the floor."

Pietro turned back to Annie and he scanned her face. After a moment his eyes widened in horror. "Ferris?" He asked and she nodded her head as another round of sobs racked her body. "Fuck, Nat, call Alex and tell her to get here ASAP. Barnes," Pietro said as he sat down pulling Annie's back to his chest and wrapping his arms around her. "Call Stark. Tell him to get his jet ready."

"Why, what's going on?" Bucky asked as he pulled out his phone.

"Something happened to her dad."

Bucky watched in horrified silence, listening to his phone ring, while Pietro spoke softly in Annie's ear as he rocked her. "Shh, shh. Listen to my voice, okay? Breathe in, deep breath one two three four, that's it. Now hold it. Good, now out, one two three four."

Annie's breathing began to normalize as Pietro guided her and her shaking had stopped when Stark finally answered. "To what do I owe the displeasure, Cyborg?"