/Back at it again! Thanks to y'all who reviewed; it means a lot to me to receive your feedback and encouraging words. I really love this next chapter, as it has lot of my personality in it. In this chapter we get to see Naomi bonding with some of the Avengers and get a glimpse on what's going on in her head. Enjoy, favorite, and please leave a review!

"Clint, can I use the gym?"

"Yeah- one level down, signage will take you the rest of the way."

"Thanks."

Following Clint's instructions, Naomi descended to the foreign realm of the compound. Opening the heavy double doors, Naomi stopped in her tracks at the sight of the expansive complex. The giant room was bigger than any school gymnasium she had ever stepped foot in, and it contained every machine she could think to ask for, plus a couple extra. She quickly recalled a HIIT workout and began on the rowing machine.

While grabbing a drink of water and drying some of her sweat after the first round, she noticed a doorway in the back corner and continued on in her exploration, curiosity getting the best of her. On her way, Naomi noticed the intense volume of punching bags, the only piece of equipment found in abundance. As she stepped through the doorway, her jaw nearly touched the floor. This must be where the Avengers come for their more...recreational workouts. A large turfed field was surrounded by a full size indoor track. Naomi smiled.

Naomi walked a lap. 200 meters around. Two 50 meter straights connected with two 50 meter curves. A slight bank kissed lanes seven and eight. She could run this with her eyes closed. Naomi bent down at the starting line in lane three, her hands in position behind the white paint. Runners to your mark, she thought. Set, she raised until she was leaning forward, almost about to fall over.

Bang.

Naomi drove out, extending to her full stride after the first 10 meters. She gently leaned into the curve with perfect technique and launched from momentum when she reached the back straightaway. After sprinting two laps, she paused to catch her breath. A flicker of light in the upper right corner of her vision caught her attention. An automatic timer read 01:02.63. Not bad for running cold.

As Naomi turned to return to the starting line to start another workout, she saw Steve standing in the doorway. His eyebrows were slightly raised at the impressive time on the clock. Steve approached a nearby bench as he retrieved his notebook from his back pocket, gesturing Naomi to join him. Once together, he ruffled through the pages to find a blank opening. Though it was too fast to take in it all, Naomi understood that the notebook held a lot of importance to the super-soldier.

Steve wrote, "I was not expecting that," and gave a goofy grin to the teen beside him. "Are you a runner?"

Naomi silently laughed at the large man's impressed state. He was no stranger to working out either, but running likely wasn't where he spent most of his time. "Yeah- mostly school track," she wrote.

Steve nodded before furrowing his brow in confusion. Taking back the pen, he wrote, "How did you-"

Naomi saw what he was writing and swiftly plucked the pen from his hand before he could finish. She propped the notebook in her lap and began writing a longer explanation. When Steve attempted to peek, she jokingly turned away with a smirk.

When she finally returned his notebook, it read, "My coach saw me in the gym one day after school. When she saw I couldn't hear her, she grabbed my arm and basically dragged me the whole way to the track. I worked out alone a lot, so most of the time it was just me, my coach, and occasionally one of my teammates. I don't need to hear to run. I just run. At meets, my teammate would go to the starting lines with me to stand on my blocks. Runners to your mark- 1st tap, Set- 2nd tap. I hear starting guns (softly)."

Steve looked into Naomi's eyes as he finished reading, a mix of sadness, respect, and understanding gracing his face.

Naomi wrote again, "The worst part was false starts b/c I couldn't hear the gun over adrenaline. A few times I ran almost half my race before seeing my coach waving frantically from the infield."

Steve replied, "There is something different about working out alone. It takes all the pressure away. Just you and your own expectations and work. After the serum, everyone's expectations of me were either ridiculously high or unknowingly low. At some point, I stopped going to the gym with other people- even the Avengers most times."

Naomi and Steve sat in (continued) silence. "I'll work out with you. I don't care how fast or strong you are. Whatever's good for you is good." Naomi kindly looked up at Steve. "Will you tell me about your family?"

Steve hesitated at the sudden question. "Bucky," he said. Steve wrote, "I had Bucky." He didn't even know where to begin.

"Tell me about him, please."

And so he did. "He walked around like he was confident, but he was scared. Mostly for me. After he got out of the ice, he kept checking alleys like he used to- making sure I wasn't getting beat up somewhere." Steve paused to show Naomi what he'd written. "He doesn't leave anyone behind. He'll stick up for anyone, but he hates fighting. He hates himself for what they made him do."

"He sounds awesome."

Steve laughed. "So awesome."

Steve signed, "Thank you for before,"- albeit incorrectly- with insecurity written across his face, but the sentiment was received. Naomi swallowed the lump in her throat that she convinced herself was only from dehydration.

"You're welcome, Steve." Signed as HONEST with "S" handshape.

"Hey R-H-O-D-E-Y."

"Hey kid." Rhodey stood awkwardly. By now, he knew how to communicate well enough. He just didn't know how to start the conversation he wanted to have.

Retrieving the notepad she carried around (thanks Steve) she wrote, "All good?"

Finally caving, Rhodey wrote, "Sam told me to talk to you since we're both disabled and see how you're doing- I guess."

Naomi tightened and met Rhodey's eyes without taking back the notebook. She eventually replied, "That's not fair. You have braces that basically fix you. You put them on and it's like you aren't disabled anymore. I can't turn a switch that replaces my hearing."

For the first time, Rhodey became frustrated with the kid. "I know it isn't the same, but you missed the gruelling hours of PT everyday where I had to relearn something that I've known for the past 46 yrs. We're different and I don't fully understand, but I get where it's coming from." The paper was slightly wrinkled, and the last period had broken through the paper.

Another pause.

"You were military?" Rhodey nodded. "How long did you serve?"

"About 22 yrs." As he waited for a response, he laughed quietly to himself. Kids can change topics so quickly. It reminded him of having a conversation with Tony.

"Did you see a lot?"

There's the kicker. Yeah, I've seen a lot. I'm also 47 years old…48? No, I think 47. That doesn't exactly compare to what this teenage kid has gone through. "I was Air Force, so not like some of the other guys here, but yeah. I had buddies shot down and killed. When I became a Lieutenant Colonel, it was almost worse because the kids I sent into the air didn't always come back. Why are you asking?" He already regretted sharing that, but it was on the paper, in the open.

Naomi's handwriting got progressively less legible as her hands shook. "How do you sleep?"

"Your parents?" She nodded. He was once again left speechless. "Honestly… it just takes a lot of time. I don't It's different for everyone, I guess. I talk to Tony a lot. Steve has Bucky; Clint has Nat. So, that helps. You just have to keep waking up and doing your job- whether that's saving the world or whatever. You wake up, and you try to make it count."

Naomi picked at threads on her pants thoughtfully, but didn't respond. As Rhodey began to walk away, she rapidly scribbled something down and threw the book at him.

Rhodey turned around and made a face at Naomi. Slowly picking the notebook off the ground, he read, "I don't know why it was them and not me."

"You'll find your why, and I have a feeling you'll find it here. Be patient and be ready." He tossed the notebook back and left.