Winter's Daughter

Chapter Ten

Short chapter. Sorry! I'm working on a Christmas one!

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"How was your Thanksgiving?" Bucky asks.

You and Bucky are walking back to your bakery after dropping off the kids at school. It's been about two weeks since Thanksgiving and over a month since Killian's birthday back in October.  It is the first full week of December. Since Killian's birthday, Bucky and Rebecca have become a constant in your and Killian's lives. Bucky and Rebecca walk with you and Killian in the morning to school. On the days Olive can't come in early, Bucky just picks Killian up on their way to the school. At the end of the day, Bucky picks Rebecca and Killian up from school so you don't have to miss out on work. Some weekends, Bucky comes in and takes Killian and Rebecca to the park or the zoo. You sometimes get to join them, but often don't. Last week Bucky had to go on a mission so you two didn't get to catch up about your Thanksgiving.

"It was, well honestly, the usual," you shrug. "I got to go to see my family's, Eli's, and Ines's graves with Killian and Ororo. I grew some nice flowers for them as usual. Then it all ended with the usual chaotic dinner at the Xavier School. What about you?"

"It was decent. I may have burnt the turkey though," Bucky admits.

You bust out laughing. "I was wondering if you would admit to that! Sam posted about it on his Instagram! He also told me that you really smoked up the place!"

"He did not!" Bucky gasps.

"He did, but you didn't hear it from me," you smirk.

Bucky laughs. "You know Sam had tried to get me to call you after it happened."

"Ah, yes, of course he was," you laugh. "Why would he want you to call me? He has my number!"

"I don't know (Y/N)," Bucky exasperates. "I've stopped trying to make sense of that man!"

"Honestly, same. I don't know how my brother put up with him," you muse.

"Anyway, when you say your Thanksgiving dinner chaotic," Bucky starts.

"Oh, it's really chaotic," you laugh. "Lots of the kids at the school don't go home for the holidays. They just don't have that kind of loving and accepting environment to return to. Also, there are a number of kids who come from all over the world so they stay behind for Thanksgiving. Just imagine an entire school full of super-powered kids."

"What do you mean the kids don't have a loving and accepting environment to go home to?" Bucky asks in shock.

"It means that their parents have either disowned their child out of fear after learning about the child's powers or the kid is an orphan," you sigh. "Anyway, I guess you can just imagine the chaos of having so many mutants in the same space at once."

"Do the kids ever fight?" Bucky asks.

"Yes, but part of it is in a controlled environment in order for them to get a better grasp of their mutant abilities," you explain. "If we have to, we'll give the children small doses of Hank McCoy's mutation suppressant serum, but that's only for those kids who can't control a very dangerous and uncontrollable power. Or are naturally blue and just want to go off of campus for a few hours."

"How can you say all of that so casually?" Bucky asks.

"When you grew up surrounded by it, you get used to it," you shrug as you reach your shop.

Bucky opens the door for you and you rush to get into the warm little shop. Since your powers came in, you have never been fond of the cold. It drains your powers and a lot of your energy. You only stay in New York because it's close to everything and it's the place Riley loved. You take off your coat and hang it in the back room. Bucky takes his usual seat by the counter.