The Fall - Book 2

229. Bring him.

⚠️ TW: nightmare; SA; mention of torture; humiliation/degradation ⚠️

JULY 18, 2020  — AVENGERS COMPOUND — RÉA

Six days after Steve's birthday, he, Bucky, Mitchell, Nat, and Clint were sent on a three-day mission to the Ural Mountains, once more visiting HYDRA black sites to make sure they weren't operating under the radar, and to handle it accordingly if they were. As it turned out, the first two sites were still defunct, but the third was swarming with activity.

The five of them managed to deal with it without severe injury to themselves, though they did return with various scrapes and bruises...all except Nat, who decided to hold her 'not a single scratch' status over the heads of the others, especially Steve and Bucky.

"So, basically, I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of the fact that I had better reflexes—and fighting skills—than two super soldiers," my best friend tells Pepper, who laughs in response.

We're having lunch in Pepper's suite, along with Wanda and Caroline; the four women are throwing a baby shower for me and Bucky, and we're using this time to not only hang out, but to begin planning.

"I was thinking about the shower theme," Wanda says, swiftly changing the subject from missions and fights, "and wanted to ask your opinion about The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings."

"Oh, Wanda, either of those would be wonderful!" I exclaim. "Bucky would love that!"

Pepper, Nat, and Caroline murmur their agreement.

"What sort of things do you have in mind?" Caroline asks.

"I thought maybe we could set up seven food tables...I've done some research, and the hobbits ate seven meals—well, meals and snacks—throughout their day: breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper. We could have a table for each meal."

"What sorts of foods and drinks would we need?" Pepper opens her notebook, turning to a fresh page and writing 'FOOD/BEVERAGES' at the top.

"Well, in the books, the foods vary, depending on the hobbit and the circumstances...obviously, there aren't seven meals every day on the journey to Mordor," I reply. "Although breakfast, lunch, and dinner seem to be fairly standard fare: things like pastries, eggs, bacon, sausage, and quiches; salads and cold cuts; soups, vegetables, and roasts."

"I found a list," Nat begins to read from her phone. "Breakfast: eggs, cooked meats, pastries, quiches, pies; second breakfast: coffee, sausage, light pastries, and fruit; elevenses: coffee, tea, pastries, and toast; lunch: cheese, salads, cold meats...and eggs, for some reason." She shrugs and continues. "Afternoon tea: scones, jam, clotted cream, tea—obviously—finger sandwiches, small cakes and tarts; dinner: baked or roasted meats, soups, fish or game, and vegetables; supper: boiled eggs—what's with all the eggs?!—cold meat pies, desserts."

"Sounds like Sam would love it," Caroline remarks, earning laughs from the rest of us.

After our laughter fades, Wanda speaks again. "I thought we could avoid games, and just focus on you and Bucky and your baby boy," she leans forward and coos those two words at my belly, "but I did think of one activity: having a nice, journal-type notebook set out for guests to write supportive comments or give advice, only they have to write in hobbit-speak."

All of us nod in agreement, and Pepper makes another note. We spend the next couple of hours together, the conversation shifting from the baby shower to life in general. I catch Caroline's eye a few times, and we share a smile; I know that, in several months, we'll be planning a shower for her and Steve, and I'm really excited for them.