American Fey: An Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 2

I cut the last strand of hair, "Ta-da! Do you like it?"

"Do you like it?"

"Uncle Bucky, the point of the hair cut was that you chose, that you made a decision on your own and stick what other people think of you. Do you like it?" I  pretty much just trimmed his hair an inch, nothing too complicated but I did straighten out some parts where it was really choppy and it is just a bit more styled but still pretty much the same. Small differences. Baby steps. Progress.

"I found some hair ties for you, so you can pull it back or up or whatever if you want to. You get to make choices now." I says.

"My arm."

"What about it in particular? I can go grab some tools from the plane... unless, you want to repaint it or something?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'm not sure I have the right kind of paints for metal, they'll chip off, but maybe there's something else we can do until we can find the right paint? Oh! I have an idea. I tried to crochet this sleeve but something went wrong and it turned out way too big, I think it would be just the right size for your arm especially if I combine it with this glove." I hand him the pile of royal blue yarn, "What do you think?"

He pulls the blue gloved sleeve on over his arm, "Does it look less...?"

"It looks silly and fuzzy. Is that what you were going for?"

"Close enough." A hint of a grin.

"I don't suppose you know any styles for long hair? May I?"

He nods. I grab his hair and pull it into a ponytail, "This is pretty simple, you just gather it all up and put a hair tie around it. You can even change where you gather it so that it sits higher on the head if you want to."

"My hair isn't in my face."

"Is that good?"

"Yeah."

"Great. We can pick up some paint for-" My cellphone rings. I shrug and look to see who it is, "It's Mom. I have to take this."

She wouldn't call this time of the day unless it was important. My worry must show on my face because Uncle Bucky's expression changes. I can't read it but I think it's concern.

"Hello? Mom, what's wrong?"

"I.."

I can hear the pain in her voice.

"It's your Grandmum, the nursing home just called, she's .... she passed in her sleep." 

The phone drops out of my hand, clattering uselessly on the ground. Mom's voice is still coming from it, as if from a distance I hear her calling, "Beth. Beth! Are you there?"

Bucky puts his hand, his flesh hand, on my arm as I stare off into space. He gently picks up the phone and softly says, "Hello?"

Grandmum is gone. The invincible, incredible, Peggy Carter is dead. I'll never see my Grandmum alive again. It's been hell watching her slowly decline, to watch her fade away. But it's even harder knowing that she's gone. Even if all that was left was just a shadow it's hard to let go, even having felt her slipping away for so long. It's unreal. 

Grandmum is gone. 

I'm crying. My head in Bucky's chest. Him holding me. The phone is silent. We sit and I cry.