Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating! My time was rapidly consumed with work, school, the SAT, and other things. So, here's chapter two! I hope y'all like it. And guys…reviews. C'mon! My dear friend CrackinAndProudOfIt is the only one (so far) who's been kind enough to send me some feedback! Thank you, Crackers! You're a wonderful role model to us all *glares at lazy readers*. Seriously, I am so glad you guys are reading my story, but I really would like some reviews. Please?!
Chapter 2: The Thanksgiving Fellowship
The sidewalk soon led Joshua and Bucky to the same park they had exited earlier that morning, and Joshua guided Bucky down a particular trail toward a concrete pavilion. It was about noon, and the skies were blue and open. It was truly a great day to be outside, and thanks to Joshua's discussion of beauty, Bucky found that he could enjoy it.
"Listen," Joshua said, stopping momentarily as they neared the small edifice. "You don't need to feel compelled to do anything. No one here is expecting you to be anything but yourself. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. There'll be food, and you don't have to ask to have some. Have all you'd like! I bet someone will find a way to get football on, and there might be some games; don't hesitate to join right in. You're a guest!"
With those words, Joshua began walking again, not without some clear eagerness in his stride. It was then that Bucky really thought about the situation and what it meant to Joshua personally. The man undoubtedly knew everyone who would be present well. In fact, they were probably his friends. Bucky hoped he would not be an inconvenience to anyone; his tentative plan was to be a shadow, causing no disruptions whatsoever.
Finally, they entered the pavilion. Joshua was warmly greeted by several people who had been busying about the area. The smell of cooking meat made Bucky's mouth water, and after he had politely shaken hands with those to whom he was quickly introduced, he turned his attention to the source of the scent. A large grill was laden with hot dogs, chicken, brisket, and even turkey. It was difficult for Bucky to tear his gaze away.
"Looks good, doesn't it?" a voice said. Bucky glanced to his side to see a middle aged man smiling at him. The man had a cooking utensil in his hand, and he appeared to be the one fixing the meat. "It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes," he reassured. "Most of the other guys are watching the game, if you'd like to join them."
It seemed like the appropriate thing to do, so Bucky nodded and walked over to the area where a projector was being hooked up to a laptop to display a football game onto a wall. As a few teenage boys fumbled with the electronics, Bucky took in his surroundings with more detail. It was a moderately sized pavilion with iron benches and a large, wall-like pillar in each or the four corners. A row of tables was set up with a long cloth draped over the whole line, and several platters were covered in foil and sitting in the center of the tables.
There were about thirty people total milling around the pavilion, some tending to food, and some gathering around the projector. A few were engaged in small discussions. Joshua was one of these, but he looked up from his conversation and smiled at Bucky as a way of affirming his statement about Bucky being a guest.
"There," one of the teens said, clapping his hands together and sighing contentedly. "I told you this old projector would work."
"I never said it wouldn't," the other countered playfully. "But I do say that the Cowboys are going to lose this game."
A loud humph drew the attention of both the boys and Bucky. A young woman, who Bucky could not imagine was older than eighteen, was sitting with her arms defiantly crossed and her nose high in the air, though a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Oh, come on!" the boy exclaimed with a laugh. "Are you still routing for those guys?"
"Yes, and my hope will not go unfulfilled for long," she said. "You'll see someday."
"Um, your hope is not worth much as long as Romo is quarterback."
"I've got two words for you: DeMarco Murray."
"A team's more than one player."
"Which is why we can still win even with Romo. Besides, he's not so bad when he's not injured."
"Which is…never."
With those words, the boy deliberately dropped the remote he was holding and pretended to chase it all over the floor. The other young man and the girl both burst out in laughter, and Bucky found that he wanted to smile too, even though he didn't get the joke. The people within earshot joined in the merriment, and the others pressed forward to learn what was so funny.
"Fumble!" yelled the boy who was not trying to act out the football player. "Well folks," he said in a mock-commentator voice, "Romo has allowed yet another turn over for Dallas. What's that, now? I lost count when they lost their thousandths fumble last week."
The giggling eventually died down as everyone sat down and began to pay attention to the football game. Bucky looked intently at the game for the first time, and it awakened several memories, though he got the impression that football had been different when he had watched it last. Still, he knew he had seen it before, and that he had liked it.
"You like football?" the girl asked as she walked past Bucky and sat near him on a bench, staring at the game, but listening for a reply.
"Yeah," he answered. "A little. I don't really know much about it, though."
"Well, just ask me if you've got any questions," she replied, grinning proudly. "I've been obsessed since I was five."
It was quiet for a moment, but it seemed the girl wanted to draw up at least some sort of discussion. Finally, she glanced up from the game and looked over the stranger that her associate pastor had brought to the Thanksgiving celebration.
"I'm originally from Texas," she said. "That's why I always route for the Cowboys. I used to live really close to their stadium, which they'll probably show at the next commercial break. The team is, well, sort of terrible. This year they're doing better, but they haven't been truly good in a while. Tony Romo, the quarter back, has become rather a joke, even back in Texas itself. Too many fumbles and interceptions. Hence the act so gracefully portrayed but moments ago." She nodded in the direction of the boys, who were too busy teasing each other to notice their being mentioned.
The football game went on with growing tension until the food was ready. Throughout this time, Bucky was busy observing both the game itself, picking up the rules and facts about the teams, and the people, watching their interactions and general attitude. Despite his not knowing anyone personally, he found himself comfortable in their company. They were quite friendly, and it seemed that even when they were at odds, something that happened frequently concerning the game, they never grew angry. Everything was always said with either humility or, if it was a younger person, fake pride.
At last, the food was ready. Joshua led the group in prayer, and then a line formed beside the tables. Bucky loaded a Styrofoam plate full of both meat and various sides and then went back to the game. He sat down on a bench and eagerly scarfed down the meal while trying to remain inconspicuous as he did so. Occasionally he glanced up from his plate when the group would make some exclamation about a good play or a bad call, but for a long time, his attention was focused on his food. He had not eaten so much since…he could not remember. It tasted so wonderful that description failed him, and he went back for seconds and thirds.
The early afternoon hours passed by quickly, and eventually football game drew to a close. As predicted, the Cowboys lost, but even the girl who had routed for them hardly seemed moved by their failure. When asked about this, she simply shrugged and smiled.
"This year, I am afraid I'm used to my sports teams doing less than well," the girl sighed. "But I warn you: next year will be different!"
With the game over, the entire group assembled in the middle of the pavilion, and Joshua called for quiet. He smiled and then addressed the group in a loud voice so that all could hear.
"Thank you all for coming: I hope you've had fun so far. Before we all break up into groups again, I'd like to talk briefly about what Thanksgiving means to us. This isn't a sermon: I promise," he added quickly, eyeing the smaller children who had started to grimace. "I just thought we could go over the age-old tradition and each say what we're thankful for. Anyone who wants to can simply join in."
Bucky listened silently while person after person spoke up and told about something for which they were thankful. The answers ranged from physical necessities to family to some of the Christian ideas that Joshua had already spoken of. As the group continued to verbally voice its gratitude, Bucky became even more aware of the joy that seemed to flow in the veins of everyone present. This must be the proof that Joshua had mentioned. The proof of God's love. Bucky could not deny that it was very convincing.
After the tradition was done and Joshua had dismissed the group, he walked over to Bucky with his typical smile. Bucky found that he was able to manage a grin in response, something that he knew in the back of his mind was monumental.
"Has it been alright?" Joshua asked. "I'm sorry I didn't come over to the game; I've been catching up with some guys I haven't talked to in a while."
"It's been good," Bucky said. "Especially the food."
Joshua laughed, and Bucky's grin grew into almost a full-fledged smile. "Well, I must admit that getting together with these families is one of my favorite things to do. And among them are some good cooks, so it's a win-win."
Both men smiled again, and Joshua turned his gaze toward the others, who were beginning to organize a game of charades. "Friendship is such a valuable gift."
Bucky's smile disappeared as those words sunk in. His thoughts had been distracted from Steve as so many other events and conversations had occurred, and now he began to ponder what he was supposed to do about that situation. Should he go and find Steve? That seemed right, but with his being a wanted assassin, it might not even be possible. But did it really matter whether or not it was possible?
Joshua walked over to the charades area and sat down to watch the game, throwing in his own guesses occasionally. Bucky sat beside him, and although he understood few of the references, he did enjoy watching people act. The game of charades led to other games, and the fellowship lasted into the late afternoon. Bucky still felt comfortable in the group's presence, but Steve's face never left his thoughts.
Finally, at about five o'clock, the group disbanded. Now unrest was really increasing in Bucky's mind as he contemplated his next move. If he'd learned anything about Joshua, the man would probably offer him hospitality for the night. But Bucky was now very concerned about Steve, and although he trusted Joshua, he didn't want to get the man involved in the S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra mess. It could jeopardize the associate pastor's safety.
"We should probably be heading back," Joshua said to Bucky when had wished the last person goodbye. "Do you need me to get you somewhere, or would you like to stay at my place for a while? If you need a place to stay, then you can just—"
"No, thank you," Bucky said, suddenly straightening as he felt true resolve for the first time in several days. "I know where I need to go."
Joshua raised his eyebrows, but he did not protest. His eyes stared into Bucky's as if he were reading him, analyzing his motives and intentions. At last, he simply grinned and nodded.
"You want me to get you wherever you're going? I can call a taxi."
Bucky shook his head. "No; I can walk."
"You want me to go with you?" Joshua persisted.
Bucky actually entertained the idea for a few seconds, but in the end he shook his head. "I've got to do this alone."
"Well," Joshua sighed, "so be it. Come to the church any time you need something: the door will always be open to you."
"Joshua," Bucky said slowly as the man was about to turn away. "Thank you."
The two words were simple, but Bucky's tone and expression revealed how much he meant by them. Joshua smiled and surprised Bucky by giving him a brief but warm hug. When he pulled back, he beamed and looked his guest over one last time.
"My pleasure," he said sincerely. "Happy Thanksgiving, Bucky."
Bucky smiled, a genuine, normal smile, and began to walk away. It wasn't until he was almost out of sight of the pavilion that he realized he was still wearing the clothes Joshua had given him. The man undoubtedly knew when he left that Bucky still had them, but he had let him go anyway. Joshua was the biggest puzzle Bucky had ever encountered. He was willing to forgive a murderer, give his own possessions to a stranger, and love a God he couldn't see. And he was the happiest person Bucky had ever observed. The proof was almost overwhelming.
So, what'd you think? This little fellowship is loosely based on what my church does sometimes, though of course we are not located anywhere near the D.C. area. Hey, did anybody notice that I had a cameo in there? Yep, that Cowboys fan was me. I couldn't resist the opportunity to meet Bucky AND talk about football at the same time! Speaking of which, I mean no disrespect to Romo! Tony, if you're reading this, I think you're a great quarterback; it's just that, well, there are so many really funny jokes about you (true or not) that I couldn't stop myself from including one.
Anyway, please leave me a review! There's just one chapter to go, and in it we'll finally get to meet Steve!
P.S. Updated Author's Note: As an extra comment, one with the foresight to see how the year ended, I can say that the Cowboys shocked all their fans after that terrible game against the eagles. As a matter of fact, they didn't loose again until they'd made it into the playoffs. They finished the season tied for the best record in the NFL, and they even won a postseason game at the last second. Thanks for a great season, guys!