Hello to all, here's one last little chappie before I go to the Civil War premiere soon and cry my eyes out and/or get kicked out of the theater for being too loud (yes, I'm one of THOSE people ;) ) But, since it's been a year since the first posting of We Can Be Found, I wanted to post something cute and flashback-y, before I write what will likely be a lot of angst, fix-its, explanations and "damage control". Enjoy the cuteness.
UPDATE: CIVIL WAR IS A VIBRANIUM PUNCH TO THE HEART! And I am gonna be scrambling to try and make a lot of the movie events fit in the ChristyVerse. But I can do it. I'm gonna go AU a bit, but since my relationship with cannon basically resembles "pick what I like and covertly ignore the rest," that shouldn't surprise or alarm anyone. If anyone has any Post-Civil War ideas, PM me.
Chapter Twenty-One: Because I Knew You
Days at Avenger's HQ were generally filled with training and lessons of various sorts, especially for the three youngest inhabitants of the base. Christy being home schooled, which involved her more visibly doing schoolwork, had reminded Wanda and Pietro that their own schooling had been severely lacking. So now, the both of them were taking online classes, mostly to improve their English writing skills (which were very, very poor. Thankfully, they had a base-full of proofreaders.)
Nights were bonding time, similar to how things had been at the Tower. The biggest difference now was that there were no floors, so everyone was living in a lot closer proximity. The Common Area, surrounded by doors to most everyone's rooms and also the communal kitchen, was the new default hangout spot. It was set up like a traditional living room with four large couches arranged in a kind of semi-circle (or a square on occasion), a TV mounted on the wall, equipped with every movie imaginable, and a cabinet containing any extra, along with board games and a few video games (Clint, Pietro, and sometimes Steve and Bucky were fond of them).
One night in early November, Steve glanced at Christy, who sat next to him on the couch, reading a book.
"We have some plans to make." He murmured softly, just loud enough so she wouldn't be startled.
Christy looked up and frowned, until her face morphed into a smile. "Oh, yeah…my Gotcha Day's in a week!"
Wanda, sitting across from them, looked confused. "What is "gotcha"?"
"'Got you'." Steve explained, enunciating the words carefully. "As in, 'I got you'. It's the anniversary of Christy's adoption day."
"It's a Gotcha Day, 'cause I got Dad and Dad got me." Christy proclaimed.
Clint smirked. "I remember that day. You were a flaming wreck, Steve."
"I wasn't that bad!" Steve proclaimed.
"Oh, it wasn't bad." Natasha said. "Just highly amusing." She grinned at Bucky, Sam, Vision, Rhodey, and the twins—everyone who hadn't been around at the time. "Picture, if you will, a grown man consistently checking his phone for calls from the Agency like a hyperactive teenager, and grinning like a giant idiot when said call finally came."
"Not to mention researching everything like mad." Clint chimed in. "Or worrying out loud."
"Worrying about what?" Christy asked.
Bucky snorted. "Punk was probably scared he'd do somethin' wrong and screw ya up for life, kid."
Steve nodded in agreement. "I was nervous. Very nervous."
"But you're the best Dad ever!"
Steve grinned. "So glad I have at least one vote of confidence."
"Try over ten." Sam said sarcastically. "Everyone and their brother can see you're a good dad."
"We did have some close calls, though." Clint added. "Remember that time when Loki was in the Tower?"
"You two weren't even around for that!" Steve protested. "You were gone on a SHIELD mission! That one was me, Thor, and Loki, of all people!"
"What happened?" Rhodey asked.
"We were supposed to have a check-in from my social worker, Mrs. Olivia." Christy explained. "But she got sick and couldn't do it, so they sent another lady instead, and she was awful! My adoption wasn't completely finished, so she kept referring to Dad as my legal guardian and not my dad, and she found something wrong with everything in the Tower. I was scared she was gonna take me away."
Steve sighed, and pulled Christy in closer. That had been a seriously awful day.
"But I think she thought Uncle Loki was cute, so she got distracted enough to leave us alone."
"That, and there wasn't anything she could really fault me on." Steve added.
"I wouldn't think so." Bucky said, incensed at the idea that anyone would think Steve an unfit guardian.
"So when is this auspicious day?" Vision asked.
"November 8." Steve replied.
"November 8, 2012; the day I got found." Christy mumbled softly.
"Lucky for you." Pietro tossed back. He was completely sincere, but a little sad. Wanda leaned over against him.
Bucky frowned; he was sitting close and had caught the gesture. "Who's even legally responsible for you two?" he asked.
"That would be me." Clint replied, a tiny smirk on his face. "I signed next-of-kin papers and the Barton family swelled from five to seven. And Tony made sure they got Green Cards."
Bucky nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Nobody…nobody should feel like they got no place to go. And if nobody'd offered, well…" he shrugged.
Steve couldn't resist a smile. Bucky had a bit of a survivors bond with the twins, especially Wanda. All three of them had escaped out of HYDRA's control, and all three had memories that were less than pleasant to deal with. It was the same with Natasha, except that Bucky had a "big-brother" streak a mile wide.
"You can be uncle." Pietro said. "But which one?"
"Which one what?" Steve asked.
"Two words for uncle in Sokovian." Wanda supplied.
Natasha nodded. "One for mother's brother and one for father's brother."
The twins appeared to be having a silent mental debate. Finally, Pietro spoke aloud. "Adžo. He's like otac—always joking."
"Like you." Wanda added affectionately.
"Like your dad?" Bucky asked carefully. The twins never mentioned their parents at all, if they could help it.
"Yes…" Wanda said slowly. "He was serious sometimes. But he was happy. I remember that." She turned to Steve. "You, you are ujak. Mother's brother. Our mother was always worried we'd do something crazy and get ourselves killed. Mostly Pietro."
Steve grinned. "What about Sam?"
"Ujak." Christy chimed in. "Right?"
Pietro nodded, grinning slyly.
"I take no offense at that, I am glad to be the sane one!" Sam replied.
"English is way easier." Christy said. "But a lot less fun!"
Steve ruffled her hair. "Alright, but that still doesn't solve what I wanted to ask you about in the first place. What do you wanna do for your Gotcha Day?"
Christy looked speculative. "Can…can we go see a play? Like a fancy one? On Broadway?"
"Sure. Got any one in mind?"
"Uh…Wicked? I think it's like The Wizard of Oz, but better or different, or something."
Steve smiled. "I'll order tickets. Anything else?"
"Just you and me?" Christy looked a little guilty. They'd been sharing their lives so much, it felt weird but also nice to do something just her and her dad.
"Just you and me." Steve assured.
Christy grinned. "Then I'm good."
November 8 was a Sunday that year, and Steve and Christy set out for the city with one thing to do before the play that night.
For the first time in quite a while, they walked through the grassy, peaceful cemetery. The trees were bare, but the sun was out, so the atmosphere wasn't completely depressing.
"You want a few minutes by yourself?" Steve asked. Christy nodded.
"Yeah, that'd be nice." She sat down in front of one tiny headstone, and reached out to gently touch it. Steve backed up several paces and sat under a tree.
"Hi Mom." Christy said slowly. "I guess I've been gone awhile. It's my adoption anniversary, so I thought I'd visit."
She stroked the smooth granite again.
"They say it's supposed to get easier. I dunno who they are, but they're wrong. I still miss you. I wish…I wish you were here to say 'oh, my little girl's all grown up' and all that stuff mom's are supposed to say."
She took a deep breath.
"There's more of us now. The team just keeps getting bigger and bigger. They would have liked you. You…would have liked them. I miss you. You told me to be brave and look for the best in others. I try. Sometimes I hold grudges against dead people. But…I think even you would have had a hard time loving Zola."
Another breath.
"I still sing. I'm learning guitar now. Do you want a song? You used to sing this one to me…
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me…"
She reached out, one last time.
"Bye Mom. Love you…till the end of the line and back."
The play was in the Gershwin Theater, a tall building with an imposing lobby. The actual theater area was even more interesting.
"Look, Dad, I think that's a dragon!" Christy cried, tugging on Steve's suit sleeve.
"I think so…" Steve echoed. "C'mon, baby, our seats are over there."
They sat down and started to peruse through the show bulletin.
"So…this is all about how the Wicked Witch of the West isn't evil?" Steve asked skeptically.
Christy shrugged. "Everybody's got a backstory. I learned that living with…" she glanced around and lowered her voice, "superheroes."
"I suppose…"
The play began, with the opening song, "No One Mourns the Wicked." Just like in the original movie, everyone was celebrating the downfall of the Wicked Witch. But then, Glinda admitted that she had once been friends with the vile woman! And thus began the backstory…
"I suppose it would be pretty rough to grow up with green skin." Steve muttered sympathetically, thinking of his own childhood. And it didn't look like Elphaba (apparently the Witch's real name) had anyone like Bucky to help her out.
Christy shook her head and scowled. "They're mean." she whispered. "And her dad doesn't like her. I wish I could give her a hug."
The play continued on, showing the personality clash between Elphaba and Glinda, Elphaba's talent for sorcery, the discrimination against talking animals in Oz, and the arrival of a handsome playboy prince named Fiyero.
"Okay, none of this was in the movie." Steve said quietly.
"Not in the book neither." Christy said back. "But I like it. I like Elphaba."
The song "Defying Gravity" was definitely Christy's new favorite. She sung along happily under her breath:
"As someone told me lately
Everyone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who ground me
Take a message back from me!
Tell them how I am defying gravity
I'm flying high, defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!"
She was halfway out of her seat by the last two lines. Steve had to grab her arm to keep her sitting still.
Well, I know what we're gonna be hearing around the base the next few days…
But after that triumphant song, nothing seemed to work out well for Elphaba. Everyone was convinced she was "wicked" for daring to oppose the Wizard, who was responsible for the discrimination against the talking animals of Oz.
By the end of the play, Elphaba had managed to escape, and wasn't actually melted like in the movie or book. It was a satisfying, but bittersweet ending.
The two exited out of the theater after the final curtain calls and applause. It was late, but not too late.
"I think there's a diner up this way." Steve said, as Christy twirled around still humming bits of "Defying Gravity". "You want a late dinner? Or snack?"
"Sure! We're gonna eat late like grown-ups!" Christy enthused.
Steve laughed. "Alright, alright; now let's go. It's freezin' out here!"
The diner was a semi-famous one near 50th St. and 7th Avenue known as "Ellen's Stardust Diner". The 50's décor was near enough to familiar for Steve, and he had been in on intermittent times since his un-freezing.
Christy liked it on sight, and the two of them sat down in a booth. Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded at this late hour.
"You like the show, baby?" he asked.
Christy nodded. "I liked it. I didn't know if I would, but I did. It's…it's good for remembering you can't just assume people are bad, even if it looks like it. And everybody has a story."
Steve let out a sigh. Christy was right, and the play was right. But still…
"Sometimes people are bad." he said quietly. "Some people just wanna watch the whole world go up in smoke."
"Ultron." Christy said heatedly. "But…that was his choice. Sometimes people have sad stories. And sometimes bad things happen. But you don't have to choose to be bad. You can choose good. Like the twins. Like Uncle Bucky. And that's what makes people really bad. Not their story, but what they do with it."
Steve smiled. "Alright little philosopher, pick something to eat."
As Christy scanned the menu, Steve's mind drifted off to his favorite part of the play—the final duet between Elphaba and Glinda.
"Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better, but
Because I knew you…
I have been changed for good…"
Four years ago, he'd been lonely; adrift in a world that he hadn't quite understood and cut off form anyone who could really understand him. Even surrounded by eventual team mates, there'd been a wall.
But then…
Then he'd met a girl who faced everything life had thrown at her with grace and lots of hugs. Someone who wasn't afraid to look past the mask of Captain America and, here was the crazy part, love the flawed, broken Steve Rogers just as much.
"'Whichever way our stories end…'" he whispered. "I know you have re-written mine…"
By being my daughter, my baby girl. By being yourself.
He reached out on impulse and grabbed her hand across the table.
"I love you, Christy."
Christy looked part surprised, part pleased. "Love you, Dad. Thanks…" she looked down, shy. "Thanks for picking me."
"I'd do it a thousand times over." Steve vowed.
I can't say if I've been changed for the better. I really don't know sometimes. But baby girl, because I chose you…
I have been changed for good.
Aww! Family love is the best! And now...Civil War!
Serbian, which I'm using for "Sokovian" has, as stated, two words for Uncle, and Aunt as well. "Adžo" means "father's brother", "Ujak" means "mother's brother" and "Otac" means "dad".
The song Christy sings for her mom is a verse from "Goodnight My Angel" by Billy Joel. I found it on accident and fell in love with it. The songs quoted from Wicked are part of "Defying Gravity" and "For Good".
That's all for now. I'll post again soon. As always...
Reviews are wonderful things...