DELIRIUM- MARVEL

• THIRTEEN •

1991

Cassandra sat in her office, eating a cookie. Cookies were good. Very tasty. Someone knocked on her door, sticking their head in.

"Don't you have a home you can go back to?" Howard Stark asked.
"No, I live in the broom closet down the hall," she said with a smile. "You taking Maria anywhere?"
"The Bahamas, actually. Leaving Tony at home may not be the best idea, but," the man paused.
"I can stay with him if you'd like," she suggested.
"No, he's an adult, I should trust him more."

Cassandra reached for her cookie, but Howard snatched it away from her. She stuck her tongue out at him as he finished it off.

"Be glad I have three more, or I would've trapped you in the broom closet down the hall, and gone to the Bahamas with Maria."

Howard tousled her hair, and she swatted at his hand.

"No, but do you actually have somewhere to be for Christmas?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm going to Peg's."
"Good. Wouldn't want you to be lonely."

Cassandra stood up and gave her friend a hug. She waved back to him, and sat in her office chair, looking for her cookies. She sighed angrily, and opened her door. Howard was already gone, and she could no doubt catch up with him, but she decided to be nice this year. Next year, Howard would not be so lucky.

•••••••••••••••

Cassandra unlocked the door to her small apartment. She switched on the light, and set her keys in the bowl next to the coat rack. She hung her coat up, and flopped onto her couch. She didn't feel hungry because she had just eaten a power-up bagel, something she did when she worked late, so she went to her room.

Her room was a medium sized room. She had a bed, closet, and a bathroom. She decorated her room with photos of her and her friends, Peggy's kids, who were her niece and nephew. She had a desk as well, and on it were a few books and and a vase of flowers.

She slipped her shoes off her feet, popping her toes on the hardwood floor. She picked a framed photo of her and James. Cassandra kissed the glass, right where her brother's head was. She'd never forgotten about him, even after all those years. Hydra had no doubt brainwashed him into forgetting her, but if she ever saw him again, she'd tell him how much she loved him, no matter what he did.

She took off her work jacket, and laid down in her bed. Cassandra closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

She woke up, swinging her feet off the bed and standing up. The floor was cold, and she tiredly shuffled to her closet to get socks. She then walked to her kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Cassandra opened her front door and grabbed the newspaper sitting on her door mat.