Hungry. That was the best description for me for the rest of the day. Thankfully, the folks down in Delacroix didn't skimp on the food when it came to celebrating a hometown boy made Captain America.

Before I got distracted by the food - I met up with Sarah and gave her the tube holding the print. "I was going to get it framed, BUT -" She shook off the offer and carefully pulled the poster sized print out. I'd worked on the image only slightly, highlighting the shield's sheen and the way the boys' youth and innocence seemed to shine just as clearly. Smoothing it out on a cleared table, the other guests to the shindig as Bucky called it, came over to see what Sarah had.

"Oh my," I heard echoed, along with a few "Wow" gasps, and Bucky's arms, now that he'd delivered the cake to the appropriate table looped around me and his head nestled on my shoulder.

"Told you," he murmured. "You're amazing," I shook my head, but Sarah's gaze, looking up from the print, told me he wasn't the only one thinking that I had talent. And hers wasn't the only set of eyes that were taking note.

I was asked, as I made my way toward the buffet, by almost every adult if I took portraits - family shots or even team sets. Explaining over and over that I had only just started back up with my camera, but that I'd consider it, should we come back for another visit - eyes on the prize of FOOD, I kept moving forward, thinking that I'd promise damn near anything if I could just get a plate of -

"Here," Sarah appeared with a fully loaded plate and a glass of iced tea. I nearly hugged and kissed her. I was so damn happy to see it. "If I left it up to the will of God, or the course between you and that table -" she chuckled and helped navigate me to a table that had Sam and Bucky - who was letting some kids use his left arm as a jungle gym - sitting and waiting. "Bucky mentioned that you were a little hungry at the bakery earlier."

"We missed breakfast," I was trying to figure out how to hold my tea AND take a bite from my plate while we walked, but it was proving an equation too fucking difficult to comprehend. "I woke up on the wrong side of the bed after my normal round of nightmares." I shrugged, trying to calculate how far the damn table was from where we currently were - did they move?

"Uh-huh," she glanced back at me, with a look that I knew from Mom. One that clearly said, I don't buy your bullshit for one instant Brooke Ashley and I'm going to explain the harsh truth very shortly, but it didn't make a shit ton of sense coming from Sarah Wilson. "A few more steps, Brooke, and you won't have to try to balance the plate on the cup to take a bite."

I rolled my eyes, but felt hopeful and then we were at the table and Sam hopped up to help me when Sarah gave him some kind of silent signal. Settled at the table, I watched as Bucky continued to let the kids ride him like a strange sort of carnival ride.

"It took you awhile," he smiled down at me as I unwrapped my plastic utensils and tried to decide where to start on the plate Sarah fixed me.

"I had to rescue her," Sarah offered, letting me fork a bite before my head or stomach could explode from need. "Everyone wants to have Brooke take their pictures."

"Course they do," Sam cut in, watching with interest as I ate like I hadn't eaten all three cupcakes before we arrived at the party. "Didn't Bucky feed you this morning?" Rude.

"Sam," Sarah chided her brother and I had a feeling she also kicked him from the way he gasped and jerked. "Let Brooke eat, she's hungry."

"Very hungry," Bucky offered, studying me with interest. "Are you sure -"

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop eating. It was like I COULDN'T stop eating. I was so fucking hungry. And Bucky was being judgemental and Sam was being a dick - Ugh.

"She's just a little hungry," Sarah reiterated, and Bucky looked at her and whatever expression he saw silenced him. "Once you're finished, Brooke," I looked over to see her smiling softly at me. "And I do mean, when you are FINISHED," I smirked at the idea that she was going to let me eat my fill. "I think you and I could use a little girl time, don't you?" I shrugged, if it meant eating in PEACE, I'd probably give her the keys to the car.

I ate, and ate, and ate some more. Bucky even went off and got me a piece of that amazing freaking cake we picked up on the way to the cookout. A healthy slice too, even if he tried to hide a look that clearly showed he was trying to see where I was packing the food away.

"Thank you," I offered him my lips for a kiss, which he happily took - payment for the delivery of my cake. "I love you." He was smiling when he pulled away.

"I love you, too." The kids from earlier were back, with friends. "And I'm being paged."

"Go," I pushed him away with a laugh. "Now YOU'RE Coney Island."

Sam went along with him, leaving Sarah and I at the table with my cake. I'd have thought with the plates of food, real food, I'd eaten I wouldn't have room left for cake, but I did. And possibly more than one slice.

"You're eating that cake with a look on your face like you can't quite understand how you're eating that cake." Sarah was studying me like she wanted ME to say something, but damned if I knew what. "How long has -" she gestured at the stack of empty plates I had piled up under my cake plate. "THIS been going on?"

"Eating?" Swallowing my bite, I took a drink of tea. "Since humans came out of the muck, I think."

She shook her head and laughed. "Smartass." I almost glanced around for Bryn, but we weren't in Brooklyn, we were in Delacroix. "You know exactly what I mean, Brooke."

I sighed, and put my fork down - reluctantly. "I woke up this morning, and I was fine." Her eyebrow told me that Bucky had told her a different tale. "OK, I was a hateful bitch from hell. I wanted to smother the birds and even Bucky's lack of his own nightmares pissed me off." She nodded. "I barely got through the shower to SHOWER -" her cringe told me how she could commiserate with me on that note. "And then we made it to the bakery and -" I sighed, all that sugar and happiness. "I was so damn hungry and that first cupcake," my eyes went closed when I thought of the taste of it, so soft and sweet. "Bucky got me two more, and milk." Eyes open again - I rolled them to show how silly it was. "Like I was being childish."

"Or maybe," Sarah bit her lip, staring at me and my plates. "Maybe WITH child."

Another snort and I was thinking that those plates were a prophecy. "I CAN'T be." Shaking my head and pushing my half-eaten cake away, reluctant as fuck, but needing to argue my case. "I'm on birth control, Sarah."

"And Bucky has the super-soldier serum running through his system, Brooke." She wasn't raising her voice or pushing, she was simply stating the obvious. "Do any of us know precisely what it does to -" she raised her eyebrows and shrugged and suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore. "Are you alright?"

Was I? Not entirely. Shit. I'd been so fucking smug.

"Brooke?" It was Bucky, who had to have built in a Brooke feels weird detector. "Are you ok?" He was kneeling next to me and his left hand was cupping my face. "You're pale, doll."

"I think I should -," but I didn't actually get out what I SHOULD do, because I fainted.