Hello! I have just one little note this time, a very important note that I should have said at the beginning but forgot to. I am writing off of the movies, not the comics. I'm trying to research but wikipedia's not perfect. If there's something blatantly wrong, please let me know! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and helped me with ideas! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy! :D

"Nathan! Nelipot is not a word!"

"Yes it is! Someone called me that the other day."

"You are so full-"

"Look it up in the dictionary if you don't believe me!"

"Ugh, every time," Betty groaned, reaching for the thick dictionary. She plopped it on the table and continued to bicker with Nathan. Steve sat back with his hands folded and tried not to smile to obviously. Nathan and Betty's bickering always made him laugh, much to Betty's exasperation.

"We are not a sideshow young man," Betty had told him yesterday, wagging her finger. Steve had nodded, hiding his smile. When she'd turned away, his grin broke free and Charlie caught him trying to smother it again. She smirked herself and shook her head.

Steve turned his head to look at Charlie who was sitting next to him. Her face was contorted as she tried to hide her laughter. Her hand rested on her chin to make it look like she was laughing. Steve had a feeling it was there for quick shield if her mask broke.

"Do they always do this?" Steve whispered as Nathan and Betty continued to argue.

"With Scrabble, yes," Charlie whispered back. Steve chuckled under his breath.

"Shh, they'll hear you and then rip you to shreds instead of ripping each other," Charlie breathed, laughter lacing her voice.

"I think I'll start laughing if they turn on me. I don't know why but they give off the distinct image of a rabbit and chipmunk fighting over a hoard of nuts." Charlie clapped her hand over her mouth and tried to suppress the laughter that bubbled in her chest.

"Are you guys laughing at us?" Betty whirled around, her voice higher than usual.

"No, we were just – um – strategizing," Steve answered. Betty's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something.

"Hah! Nelipot, someone who walks without shoes!" Nathan cried, pointing at a tiny word in the dictionary. Betty leaned in to look at it and then scoffed.

"Nathan, you can't use words we don't know."

"But I know it! That's why I placed it-"

"Nathan that's the rule."

"What rule? Betty, you can't just make up rules."

"I'm not-"

"Come on," Charlie said, standing up, "I can't keep sitting here without laughing." Steve smiled and followed her into the kitchen. Betty and Nathan didn't notice.

"Tea?" Charlie asked, grabbing a mug.

"Sure, thank you." Steve leaned against the counter as Charlie began preparing the kettle and the tea bags.

"Thanks for being my partner in Scrabble. I'm an awful speller and always lose horribly in that game," Charlie said, leaning against the other counter.

"I don't know how much help I was but your welcome," Steve shrugged, "I haven't played that game in ages. I'm a bit rusty." Try seventy years rusty, Steve thought.

"Well rusty or not, you helped me at least get more than twenty points on the board. That hasn't happened in, well ever."

"Glad to be of service." Charlie rolled her eyes and Steve smiled. It was a Friday and they had closed the diner early. That way we have at least one day to do something other than work, Charlie had explained. After they had locked everything up, they decided that a game of Scrabble was a good way to have a fun night and include Steve.

If it was possible, Nathan, Betty, and Charlie became even more welcoming after they knew Steve was staying for a little while. After Betty and Charlie had told Nathan about the conversation with Bentley, Nathan suggested they just call a different mechanic for the part. They didn't need to be in the area to ship something. So, Steve had called a mechanic for the part and they said that they would have it shipped to him in a week, maybe more. The man told him that payment was due when the part was in Steve's hands. Steve had thanked the man and hung up, grateful for his problem to be solved.

Nathan, Betty, and Charlie were happy to let him stay longer. They insisted that it brought something new to their usually mundane life. Steve didn't know how running a diner was mundane. The days he'd been there he'd seen a variety of people and hadn't seen a dull moment yet. It was probably because it was all new to Steve but he found it fascinating to watch the people who came in. Steve had asked Nathan and Betty if he could help in the diner but they refused. Instead, they asked him to do little jobs to fix up the house and yard. Steve guessed that it was probably easier to let him do odd jobs around the house instead of training him to work at the diner. Steve understood and respected that. His recent odd job was to weed the gardens and make a new vegetable garden in the back.

"So, how are the gardens coming?" Charlie asked.

"Good so far," Steve sighed, "I have one more of the front beds to weed and then it's on to the back."

"Thank you for doing this. It really is helpful and definitely needed."

"It's the least I can do." Steve smiled and Charlie grinned back. The kettle whistled and Charlie poured the boiling water over the tea bags in the mugs. A fruity smell wafted towards Steve and he inhaled deeply. He was more of a coffee fan but he'd found that tea at night was very relaxing.

"Here ya go," Charlie set a warm mug in front of him, "And here's creamer and sugar."

"Thanks," Steve said, adding two scoops of sugar and a dash of milk.

"So you're a sweet boy," Charlie smirked, quirking her eyebrow.

"The sweetest, ma'am," Steve grinned, taking a sip of his tea. It was hot but not too hot that it burnt his tongue. Betty and Nathan's voice rose in pitch and Charlie and Steve both turned their heads. After a few moments of listening to the squabbling, they turned back smiling.

"I haven't heard bickering like this for a long time," Steve laughed.

"Try living with it," Charlie sighed. Steve shook his head and took another sip of his tea. His parents had never really bickered. His dad would tease his mom and she would never be able to have a comeback. They'd both laugh and Steve's father would kiss his mother on the forehead. The only couple who had come close to Nathan and Betty's bickering was Bucky's parents. Steve would go over to Bucky's house during the summer and Bucky's parents would bicker over the smallest things. Lunch, a shoe in the middle of the floor, a stain that wouldn't come out. It almost always ended in laughter, for which Steve was grateful. Thinking of Bucky sent a pang of loneliness and grief through Steve's heart.

"Did your parents bicker?" Charlie asked, breaking Steve out of his thoughts.

"No but my friends' parents did," Steve shook his head. Steve took a sip of tea trying to banish the sudden and overwhelming sadness that had descended on him.

"What about your parents?" Steve asked. Charlie's face changed in an instant. She still held the same expression but the genuineness and depth was gone. She had placed a mask on and built a wall up. What did I say? Steve thought.

"No they didn't bicker," Charlie said, her voice emotionless. She stared down at her tea and rubbed her hands against the mug.

"How long has it been since you've played Scrabble?" Charlie asked, changing the subject. What was that? Steve decided to let it slide for now but placed it in his memory. Charlie didn't seem to want to talk about it. Steve exhaled heavily, wondering how best to answer the question without giving away who he was.

"I can't even remember," Steve said truthfully. Nothing suspicious in that answer right? Something flashed in Charlie's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Probably imagined it, Steve thought. Again, he stored it in his memory. Just in case. In case for what? Steve thought. Charlie's no threat. How did he know that? Steve couldn't answer that question. He just knew that he could trust Charlie. Maybe it was the realness of her smile, the genuineness of her actions. Except for a moment ago, his mind reminded him. Yeah…

"Looks like they're winding down," Charlie said, getting up. She walked out of the kitchen and Steve followed with his mug.

"Are you guys done?" Charlie asked, an eyebrow raised. Betty and Nathan turned to her and smiled sheepishly.

"I wanted to get some more points down, that's all."

"I wanted to make sure it was fair is all." Steve yawned and covered his mouth.

"Well, looks like someone's tired," Charlie chuckled.

"Sorry," Steve said, smirking.

"Well then, we'll pick up the game tomorrow or another time," Betty said.

"Lotte, take a picture or something so we know who had what," Nathan walked into the kitchen. Charlie rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. Her eyes shifted to Steve and then back to the board. Steve sipped his tea. Something was different. Whatever had been said in the kitchen threw Charlie off. Something about her parents. Steve looked to Betty and could tell she recognized not everything was normal. She caught Steve's eye and shrugged as if to say, not my place.

"Well, I'm pretty tired too. I'm off to bed," Charlie slipped her phone back into her pocket, "Goodnight Nattie, Nana, Steve." Charlie waved and headed off to her bedroom. Nathan and Betty shared a look and then Nathan sighed.

"Well boy, go get some rest. We'll clean this silly game up," Nathan slapped Steve's back. Steve opened his mouth to ask after Charlie but thought better of it. He hadn't known her for very long and it probably wasn't his business.

"Thank you. Goodnight Nathan, Betty," Steve nodded his head and walked to his bedroom. As he got ready, he could hear Nathan and Betty whispering but couldn't hear the words. Steve sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Whatever had bothered Charlie, she would have to tell him. What if it puts you in danger? Steve's paranoia asked. Steve pushed the thought away. He really needed to work on controlling his paranoia and getting it back to a healthy level.