Broken Together

Chapter 16

Cassie's POV

    We walk in the dining hall, but I regret this choice almost instantly. All eyes are pointed towards me, and a sudden silence seems to have fallen across the building. I avoid the gazes and keep walking to the table. I sit down with no contact at all.

      Bucky moves into the chair next to me, and I feel his hand lightly rest on my bandaged arm. He looks around and clears his throat, "Good evening everyone." Natasha, Steve, Bruce, and Thor responded with a pleasant hello and continued eating and talking about a mission they had gone on. Tony sat with a look of confusion and then joined in with the rest of the group.

      I keep my gaze down and when my plate comes I still keep looking down. I don't touch anything, I sit perfectly still. I can hear Bucky joining in the conversation here and there and the rude jokes that come from Stark's mouth. Natasha tries to make a conversation with me but I feel stuck to reply. I want to respond but I can't bring myself to even move.

       I sit, motionless, for a while and Bucky places his hand on my shoulder. I jump a little at his touch and look at him. "You know," he starts, "we all want to help you. Tony doesn't like me, but he wants to help you too, even if that means dealing with me."

        "I don't think anyone can help me." I whisper back to him. He stops and thinks of what I said.

"I think we can. That smile I saw in the park. And the smile that vanished as we walked in...that was the most beautiful sight I have seen in over seventy years." His voice is quiet and rough. It makes me smile as I feel his breath warming the side of my face. I can feel myself blushing.

He smiles and I turn to Natasha, "I'm sorry for ignoring you. I just feel so weird.

"It's okay! Hey, Bruce? What was it you said you had for Cassie?" She turns the attention to Dr. Banner.

"Oh yes." He reached for his pocket and pulls out a black chain with a red gem on it. A light inside the gem moves around and glistens with the light in the room. "This, Cassie, is a fire gem. It holds a flame inside it and never heats up. It never burns, it won't die, but it can be used to start a fire when it is under great stress." He gets up and walks over to me and hands me the necklace. I  turn and hand it to Bucky and he helps me put it on.

"Thank you, Bruce. It's beautiful." I feel a smile play on my face. It feels good to know that they do care. I just have to remember it.

"You are quite welcome Cassie." He sits back down in his chair and the conversation moves forward.

"So, are you feeling better Cassie?" I hear Natasha's voice come from my right side.

"Yeah, I'm doing a lot better. I actually went outside today." Everyone in the room stopped and looked at me again. This time Steve answered.

"Really?! That's amazing Cassie. How did you like it?" His face is so full of joy, it just doesn't seem real.

"I loved it actually. I haven't seen the outside world in over seventy years and it looks just as beautiful today as ever. Bucky and I went to the park and there was a band playing songs from my time, and it just brought back so many memories. I want to go back outside at some point." The thought brings so much happiness for me.

Bucky cleared his throat, "Steve, it brought some memories back for me too." Steve and Bucky looked at eachother, and the smile on Bucky's face is shining bright.

"What do you remember? This is amazing," Steve's face is beaming bright.

"Do you remember when we went dancing with those girls? It was right before I left for Europe. The Stark display of the flying car?" Tony choked on his drink when his name was mentioned.