On The Run

Unexpected Surprise

Chapter 17: Unexpected Surprise

"You know, if we're going to be living domestic and everything we should really get a cat," Scott said one morning at dinner after about three weeks on the run.

Sam rolled his eyes as he poured himself another cup of coffee. "That is the worst idea I have ever heard in my entire life."

"Why? Don't you like cats?"

"Sure I like cats-but that doesn't mean we need one, especially when we could have to make a quick getaway at any given moment. What're we going to do, try and find a way to take it with us?"

Now it was Scott's turn to roll his eyes and try to appeal to Steve instead. "I think a cat is just what we need after everything that's happened-"

"Sorry, Scott," Steve replied. "I'm with Sam on this one. It's just not practical for us to get a cat right now."

He shrugged in conceded defeat and grabbed a waffle from the center of the table. Bucky always made waffles on Saturday mornings; he was an expert at making sure they came out of the iron light and fluffy and everyone else adored them. Everyone else had been too lazy to cook, so it was requested that he make them again-a challenge he'd accepted gamely. "It was worth a try."

"I think I'm going to try and go hunting tomorrow morning," Clint said, glancing at his bow and arrows that were permanently kept by the front door. "We're kind of running low and I don't think we want to risk another trip to the grocery store yet." The reward for information leading to the Avengers' capture had risen to fifteen thousand dollars.

"It's probably going to rain. Don't bother. We'll get by-there's canned chili in the pantry that we can live off of for a while if we have to," Steve replied.

"We can play Monopoly," Sam suggested, prompting a round of groans.

"All we've done for the past week is play Monopoly," Wanda said. "It's fun-but not thatfun."

"Well, no one's mentioning any better ideas." Spending all day every day cooped up inside the cabin was enough to drive them all slightly stir crazy. They were used to action-saving people, throwing themselves recklessly in harm's way so innocent civilians could be saved. Not all of this sneaking around and trying to lie low, knowing that if they were found again there was a good chance they wouldn't be able to escape.

Almost as if in answer to his words, a clap of thunder seemed to practically shake the house on its foundation. Rain came down in sheets, slashing at the glass windowpanes and pooling in the gutters and wet, soaking pools on the grass. Everyone sighed inwardly; there'd be nothing outdoors for the rest of the night-and maybe into the next morning, if Weather Underground could be trusted. "Monopoly it is."

They'd barely started dealing out cards when there was a particularly loud clap of thunder that made them all jump. Wanda bit her lip and started to pick up the handful of fives, tens, and ones she'd dropped; thunder just reminded her of helicopter blades and gunfire, which reminded her of the Raft-which she was trying to forget.

It took a minute for everyone to hear the knocking on the door-and immediately everyone stiffened, the tension in the room ratcheting up to a ten. There was absolutely no reason anyone would be knocking on their door in the middle of a thunderstorm; they didn't have any neighbors for miles. And yet...the noise was too quiet to belong to law enforcement. They exchanged a glance as another knock sounded through the silent air.

Clearing his throat, Steve got to his feet and said, "I'll get it." Taking one for the team. Just like always. With bated breath, everyone watched as he crossed to the door, out of sight, and opened it. There were a few minutes of conversing in a low voice with whoever happened to be at the door and then he called back to them, very strangely, "Wanda, would you mind coming here please?"