Renegades - X Ambassadors.
"I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you." - Joyce Meyer.
Katie started to come to.
She could feel the blackness starting to fade away. Her senses started to come back to her as she let out a soft groan. Katie stretched her arms above her head, almost as if she was trying to make herself taller. Slowly, she turned over and started to bury her face in the pillow to squeeze in a few last moments of sleep.
That's when her eyes flew opened and she shot up. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain at her sudden movement.
She wanted to close her eyes again, the room was so bright with color. And the sun shining through the window didn't help much. Katie looked down. She was in a bed. It wasn't the comfiest bed she'd ever been in, but it was still a bed. And it was comfier than the dirty, hard, cold, ground she'd been resting on.
What the hell was going on? The last thing she remembered was basically falling asleep at Wanda's hands. Stucker had said Wanda was his 'miracle' and had 'extraordinary powers'. Well, what the hell had the girl done to her.
Cautiously, Katie grabbed the funky comforter in her hand. She pulled the sheets off herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Slowly, she lowered her feet onto the ground, the shagged carpet squashed beneath her toes. Katie walked the short distance from the bed to the window and pulled the curtains apart.
Katie remembered the last time she'd seen these outsides. It was months ago, right before her, her father, and Natasha walked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s old headquarters. Ever since HYDRA took her, Katie had thought that was the last time she would ever see the grass and trees. And yet, here she was. Katie looked out the window at what seemed like a backyard. It was big and open with tress fencing it off. Katie was sure she'd never seen grass and trees so green. The sun was still low but bright in the blue, cloudless sky.
Katie took a step back, her breathing becoming deep and swallow. What kind of sick joke was this? Was this a test? Was it another way to watch her break down?
Taking a few more steps back, Katie finally took a look at the room she was in. The wall that housed the bed, bedside table, and window had funky wallpaper that consisted of circles of different sizes and colors from blue, yellow, green, pink, and more while the rest of the walls were a light yellow. Posters of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, and more where hanging on the walls. Katie slowly started to turn around and saw a vanity on the right wall. The wall opposite the bed and window held the door and a sliding double door closet that was also a full body mirror.
Katie's breathing stopped all together as she slowly walked toward the giant mirror.
She wasn't dressed in basically nothing anymore. She was now dressed in a green pajama set. The shirt was short sleeved and very loose, while the shorts she wore had elastic around the bottom, cinching the fabric around her leg. Her hair still held its waves, but it was a lot longer and cleaner than she remembered. Katie's breathing started to pick up again as she slowly reached for the bottom of her shirt with shaking hands. She pulled the shirt up to reveal her stomach. Soft, perfect skin basically stared Katie right in the face. Gone was the ugly scar. She dropped her shirt and looked down at her arms. But once again, she saw nothing but flawless skin.
Nothing was making sense. This was pretty extreme if this was some kind of test. Katie doubted Strucker and List would have taken the time to put this much detail into… whatever was going on. Hell, she looked like something out of a 60's movie.
Katie's head snapped up. She took one last look at her outfit before turning around to look at the room. The bright colors and patterns, posters on the wall, the wooden furniture. In 1963, she had been seventeen years old. And this was a very 60s looking room and outfit.
Time travel. That was the first thing the popped into Katie's head. It was possible for Strucker and List to dress her up and decorate a room like it was the 60s. But making her look younger, taking the time to make all her scars go away, and giving her longer hair… that wasn't them. Maybe time travel was Wanda's special power. It sounded out there, but really. With everything that had happened in Katie's life, why couldn't time travel be possible? Maybe Strucker had Wanda send Katie back to the 60s. But there was still the question of why? That would sure get her out of their hands. But Katie was sure HYDRA wasn't done with her. In fact, List basically stated that she was going to be with them for a long time yet.
A knock on the door caused Katie to jump out of her skin. She spun around. Her hand flew up to her mouth to cover her gasp. She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage.
"Katie. Sweetie, Are you up?"
Katie took a step back in shock as the voice of her mother flooded into the room. This had to be time travel. There was no way her mother could actually be on the other side of that door if it wasn't.
"Katie?" Peggy knocked again on the door when Katie never replied. "Are you awake?"
Katie watched in horror as the doorknob started to turn. She couldn't see her mother. Not yet. Not when she was a mess. Not when she had no damn clue what was going on.
"Y-yes!" Katie spoke up, a bit too quickly. "Yes, I'm just up."
To Katie's relief, the doorknob stopped turning and the door stayed closed as Peggy spoke up again.
"Okay. When you're ready, come down. Breakfast is just about ready."
"Okay!"
Katie stayed frozen in place as she listened to her mother's footsteps walk away. It wasn't until she couldn't hear them anymore that Katie let out a shaky breath.
What the hell was going on? Katie walked over and sat down on the bed. She had no clue what to do. If this was time travel, that meant her step-father, Robert, and Lydia were here. Should she play along? Katie didn't really see any other way. She couldn't stay locked up in her room. She'd have to play along, until she figured out what to do.
Katie slowly got off the bed and walked over to her closet. She slid the door open and cringed at the clothes that were inside. She forgot how bright everything used to be in the 60s.
Katie didn't waste any time picking out an outfit. She reached for a white dress with big, yellow, polka dots on it. It was high cellar, long-sleeved and stopped mid-thigh. Katie slid on some white tights and yellow matching shoes before walking over to her vanity.
She sat there for a moment, just staring at her younger face. Her mind started to work overtime to remember how she did her makeup in the 60s. She finally settled on eyeliner and nude lips before slicking her long hair back with a white headband.
Really, this wasn't a time for Katie to be playing dress up. She should be trying to find a way out of here, or back to her own time, whatever the hell was going on. But if she didn't dress the part - like she would have when she was actually in the 60s - and her mother, step-father or someone realized something wasn't right, she could be in shit. More so than she was already.
After taking a deep breath, Katie slowly made her way towards the door. She rested her hand on top of the doorknob for a few moments. She could do this. She could face her mother again. She could see Jack alive again. See her brother and sister young. She could do this. She had to do this.
Katie slowly turned the doorknob and pulled the door open. She slowly stepped out of the bedroom and made her way down the hall. The whole time she was trying to prepare herself for who she was about to see.
Katie walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. But just as she entered the doorway, she froze. Her face fell. Her whole body went cold. Her heart stopped before it started to bang against her ribs and her mind went blank.
There, standing in the kitchen, was her mother. But it wasn't her step-father that was with her. It was her father.
There was no doubt about it. The strong, muscular built. The blond hair neatly parted, so much like the very first time Katie saw him and so unlike the last time Katie saw him. The way his blue eyes lit up as he smiled and laughed at something Peggy said. In 1963, her mother was 42. And though her mother aged beautifully and almost flawlessly, she looked her age. Her father, however, did not look his age. He should look 45. Yet he looked about 30. And happy. Katie was sure she'd never seen Steve look so happy.
Katie couldn't get her mind to catch up to what was going on. Steve Rogers was standing right next to Peggy Carter. Right before her eyes, her father and mother were side by side. They were laughing together as they finished off cooking breakfast. This was the very first time Katie had ever seen her parents doing what parents do, together. She was sure she was going to faint.
"Katie?"
She was so dazed and out of it, Katie didn't even notice both her mother and father watching her. Looking up, her eyes focused in on her father's face. There was something there that Katie never saw before. Something that wasn't there the first time she met her father. Something that still hadn't been there the last time she saw him. There was this fatherly look on his face. The face of a father who was looking at his teenage daughter but picturing his little girl. A father who knew his daughter.
Then her eyes moved to her mother's face. There was something in her eyes. They sparkled now more than they ever did. She had the face of someone who had everything they wanted in life and more. She looked truly and utterly happy.
"Katie," Steve repeated. He put down the knife he was using to butter the toast. "Are you okay?"
Katie's mind finally started to kick back into gear. Panic slowly started to creep up on her. But she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She hid these things well. Or so she hoped. Being locked up for months on end did change her.
"Y-yeah." Katie shook her head slightly. She forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine."
She really hoped she sounded convincing. She was normally a very good liar. She could lie her way out of anything. Of course, that was before she went through what she did. Plus, this was her mother and father she was facing.
But to Katie's relief, they dropped the subject. Her mother smiled at her.
"Will you set the table, dear?"
Katie nodded and let out a soft breath. Peggy placed a stack of plates on the counter and Katie slowly walked into the kitchen. She kept her eyes down so she wouldn't meet her father's eyes again. She didn't want to see the look in his eyes, the look that the Steve she last saw would have. Should have.
The hell was going on? Katie couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly as she picked up the plates and started setting the table. Time travel, she could deal with. But this? What even was this? Obliviously not time travel seen that her mother had Steve Rogers at her side and not Jack Thompson.
What had that… witch done to her?
Katie took a step back. Five place settings. Her heart started to beat a little faster once again. Did she have siblings in this time… place… wherever she was? Made sense. But Katie really doubted at this point they were Robert and Lydia. But siblings… siblings that were like her. Siblings that also had the super-solider serum in their DNA. Katie's stomach turned. And she couldn't tell if it was because she was excited or nervous. Either way she felt like she was about to throw up.
Katie turned and made her way slowly around the counter. The sound of her mother and father talking and laughing as they finished breakfast sounded so foreign to her ears. It almost made Katie cry.
Then, she froze in the middle of the kitchen. She still had to keep up the act. She still had to act like she was from here. But as Katie starred at the kitchen cupboards, she couldn't help but bite her lip. She had no idea where anything was. And she should know that, if she grew up in this house like Peggy and Steve thought she did.
Katie cursed in her head. She really hopped the Peggy that raised her and this Peggy both kept their dishes in the same cupboard.
Reaching for the cupboard on the right of the sink, Katie held her breath. She opened to cupboard and almost smiled when she saw the forks, spoons, and knifes looking back at her.
Katie took a breath through her nose. Her mother and father continued on with their conversation as they started moving the food to the table. She slowly took the utensils out of the drawer, counting as she did so. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Then, she stopped. This was insane. All of this. She was setting a table for five while her mother and father made breakfast. Was this the life she would've had? If her father never went down with the plane. Was she in some kind of alternate universe? Katie swore she could start to feel her head pounding and her vision blurring the more she thought about it.
"Katie."
Katie felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around with a jump, about to attack. But the sight of her father watching her with a concerned eye stopped her. The utensils in her hand fell to the ground.
"Monkey, are you sure you're okay?"
Katie wanted to shake her head. No was on the tip of her tongue. Because she didn't belong here. This wasn't her home. This wasn't her mother, or father. And Katie wanted to cry. Because she had no clue why her father called her 'monkey'. It made her sick, because she loved the sound of it.
Instead of crying and shaking her head, Katie forced a bright smile onto her lips. She nodded her head slightly as she met her father's eyes.
"Yeah, sorry. I never got much sleep last night." Katie lied.
The look on Steve's face told Katie that he wanted to question her more. But thankfully. Peggy spoke up from over by the table.
"Oh! Steve, can you get the milk out of the fridge?"
Steve watched Katie with concerned eyes for a moment longer, before turning to Peggy and nodding, a smile finding its way on his lips.
Katie stood there for a few more moment, watching as Steve walked over to the fridge. Once he had opened the door, Katie bent down and picked up the forks and knifes she dropped. She placed them in the sink before fetching a new set out of the drawer.
All she had to do was make it through breakfast. Then she could excuse herself to her room to… to what? Figure this all out? Katie wanted to yell in frustration. She never felt so lost before in her life.
Like she had been the whole morning, Katie was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps that came down the stairs. She didn't even know anyone else was in the room until Peggy spoke up.
"Michael! Please tell me your sister is on her way down also?"
"She's just in the bathroom, mum." A voice spoke up. "She said she'll be down in a minute."
Katie was honest to god scared. She was scared to turn around and see what was waiting for her. Her heart started to flatter in her chest. Because her brother was standing behind her.
And yet, Katie swallowed. She slowly turned around and started to make her way toward the table. As she walked around the counter, she looked up at the doorway.
Katie was right. This wasn't her brother Robert Thompson. This was a young man about the age of thirteen. Katie got her looks from her father, while her brother - Michael - got them from their mother. That much was as plain as day. From his dark hair to his high cheekbones and dark eyes. He was a mini Peggy Carter.
Katie had to force her feet to keep moving as she set the forks and knifes at their place setting. Her breathing she swallow, heart racing, her brain felt like it was pressing against her skull. This was all getting to much for her to take.
"Good," Peggy smiled at her son. "Now help Katie set the table. Someone didn't get a lot of sleep last night apparently. She's been a bit slow this morning."
Peggy shot Katie a teasing look, but Katie just looked away. Her mind was working to slow to make up with a witty remark. Or to simple even just roll her eyes. She felt more exhausted than she did fighting the Chitauri to be honest.
"Did someone sneak out and see Thomas last night?" Michael joined in on the teasing. He opened one of the cupboards and started taking down some cups.
Katie froze all together and her head snapped up. She gave Michael a look of disbelief as he walked over to the table and started setting down the cups.
Surely he couldn't mean Thomas O'Connell. He had to be talking about another Thomas. A Thomas Katie didn't even know. There was no way in hell he could be talking about her ex-fiance Thomas O'Connell… Right?
Katie felt like the air was being sucked out of the room. She didn't know how long she stood there. She didn't know long she stared at Michael like a fish out of water. If felt like forever. And yet, no one seemed to notice. And Katie didn't even have a chance to respond as another voice suddenly filled the room.
"I think you finally did it Mike. You finally broke Katie."
Katie didn't even want to turn to the doorway. She didn't want to see who that voice belonged to. But she couldn't help it. It was almost like her body and mind weren't cooperating. Like she had no say over what her body was doing.
Slowly, Katie's head turned towards the entrance. She let out a small gasp as she took a step back from the table.
The girl standing there could be Katie's twin. Her clone even. But younger, she looked younger than Katie only by a year or so. Her eyes were also different. Katie had her father's eyes, it seemed like this girl had Peggy's. Other than that, everything seemed to be the same. From the blonde hair to the strong jaw line. Of course, there had to be more differences. But Katie wasn't in the right state of mine at the moment to pick them out.
"I'm pretty sure that's impossible, Lizzie." Michael - Mike apparently - spoke up. He started to set the cups on the table. "Not even you can break Katie. She just had a late night with Thomas."
Mike looked over at Katie and wiggled his eyebrows at her. Katie eye's flicked from him back to her… her sister, who just rolled her eyes. Lizzie. Her baby sister as it would seem.
"Yes now." Lizzie walked farther into the dining area. "I'm sure little miss perfect would sneak out in the middle of the night."
There was no distaste in her voice. She was just starting a fact. As if the family needed to be reminded time and time again that Katie would never do something like sneak out.
"You're right. We can't all be like you, Elizabeth." Mike teased his sister.
Lizzie crossed her arms. "And what's that supposed to mean, Michael?"
Katie simply stood there. She didn't know if it was because she was so overwhelmed, and lost, and confused, but she suddenly felt very weak. Like she did while she was locked up. Her vision became shiny and the edges started to blur and turn to black. She felt light headed. She could hear very faint voices talking in the distance. Voices that didn't belong to her family. She gripped the chair in front of her so tight, her knuckles were white. Her mouth went dry and her stomach turned, like she was about to be sick.
"Katie?"
Ever so slowly, Katie looked up at the sound of her name coming from her mother's mouth. She found her whole family watching her, concerned looks over all their faces. But Katie's eyes suddenly felt really heavy. Her knees gave out and she could feel herself falling as her eyes shut.
"Concentrate Wanda. Push forward. Do not stop now."
"Katie?"
"I cannot hold on, Sir."
"Sweetie? Wake up."
"Yes you can. Just for a while longer."
"Wake up, monkey."
The first thing Katie saw when she opened her eyes was white. It was so bright that she had to squeeze her eyes shut again. When she opened her eyes again, the next thing she saw was people looming over her. Two people to be precise. Katie's heart stopped momentarily, scared that it was Strucker and List. But then she calmed down when she noticed one has a male, and one a female.
"Hi, sweetie." Peggy spoke in a soft, motherly voice. Katie couldn't help but lean into her touch as she brushed back Katie's hair. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Katie was sure that was the first bit of truth she speak all day.
Katie tried to sit up, but a set of warm hands pushed her back down gently.
"You need to rest monkey." Steve told his daughter. Katie couldn't help but look at his face. Her heart broke when she say that fatherly look once more. "You took quite a fall."
"What happened?" Katie found herself asking, cause she honestly couldn't remember anything past her sister entering the kitchen.
Peggy and Steve shared a look before turning back to their daughter.
"It seems like you fainted." Peggy explained gently. "Most likely from exhaustion."
"Katie." The blonde turned back to her father. She was taken aback by the serious yet concerned look on his face. "We know how much you love S.H.I.E.L.D. and can't wait to be an agent. But you need to get your rest just as much as you need to train. Do you understand?"
Katie took a moment to think over what her father just said. This really did have to be some Alternate Universe. Because yes, Katie loved S.H.I.E.L.D.. But when she was seventeen, she didn't want to be an agent. Far from it.
Nevertheless, Katie slowly nodded her head. A small smile formed on her lips when she saw Steve's face soften.
"Good, now I meant what I said. Get some rest." Steve leaned in a gave her a kiss on the forehead. Katie felt like crying. She missed her father so much.
Steve pulled back and Katie forced a smile as he turned to Peggy, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll go tell Lizzie and Mike she's up."
Peggy sent her husband a small smile as she nodded. As Steve made his way out the door, Peggy stood up from the bed. The door to the room opened and closed softly. Peggy started to fix the blankets around Katie before she too leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"Get some more sleep," Peggy said. "I'll wake you up when the party starts."
Katie couldn't keep the confused look off her face. "Party?"
"The Fourth of July party, sweetie."
Katie eyes went wide. It was July 4th, which meant it was Steve's birthday. Of course this Katie would know this. Hell, the first thing Peggy and Steve probably expected Katie to do was run to her father to wish him happy birthday. Katie was suddenly very glad she fainted and could play it off as exhaustion. It now gave her a lot of outs for things she should know.
"Don't worry, Katie." Peggy smiled softly at her oldest. She obliviously noticed the look on her face. "You can wish your father Happy Birthday later on tonight. Now, sleep."
Katie gave Peggy a smile. A forced one, because that's the only smile Katie could seem to manage lately.
She watched as Peggy turned and walked out of the room. She stopped at the doorway to give Katie one last look before closing the door behind her. Now Katie was left with nothing but her thoughts.
She was alone in her room. Now what? She could try and figure all this out, but did it matter? What difference would it make if she knew she was in another universe or not? The only thing she had to figure out was how to get back.
But why did she want to go back?
Why did she want to go back to her time… universe… whatever (maybe she should figure out where she was and what was going on). Why would she want to go back to being Strucker's lab rat? If she went back, List could use her DNA and fully figure out the serum. If she stayed here, List, Strucker, HYDRA, they couldn't touch her.
Plus, she had everything she every wanted here. Her parents together. This was the life she should have lived. Why would she want to leave all this?
Because this isn't your place.
Which was true. These people, they weren't her family. This Peggy and Steve weren't her mother and father. And Mike and Lizzie weren't her brother and sister. Plus, Katie missed her father. And Natasha, and the rest of her team, friends, family, most of which weren't even born yet.
Katie sighed as she rolled over, pulling the blankets up around her. She could still feel a light pounding in the back of her head, and she didn't feel 100%. It was like she was only half here.
Katie didn't know how long she would be in this place. She didn't even know how she was going to go about being around her family and friends. But, while she was here, Katie did know she was going to try and get as much sleep as possible.
All her time in her little cell however, seemed to have ruined her. Because she couldn't sleep. Katie didn't know how long she laid there. Her eyes were closed and she felt like she was tossing and turning forever. She drifted in and out of sleep for hours, trying to stop her mind from wondering too much, when there was suddenly a knock on the door.
Katie let out a sift groan as she turned away from the wall. She didn't feel rested at all.
"Hey," Lizzie spoke softly. She pocked her head in the door before pushing it open a bit more when she saw Katie was awake. "Mum wanted me to see if you were up."
"Never really slept." Katie stated. She sat up ever-so-slightly.
"I figured. You aren't one to sit still." Lizzie let out a sift laugh. "Anyways. I'm here to tell you people will start arriving soon. Mum said come down whenever you're ready.
Katie nodded and sent Lizzie a small smile. "Okay. Just let me freshen up and I'll be done."
Lizzie nodded, but Katie saw her hesitated for a second as her eyes left Katie and looked around the room.
"What's wrong?" Katie titled her head. She was sitting up fully in the bed at this point.
Lizzie's eyes shifted back to Katie before she spoke in a soft voice. "You sure you're okay?"
"Lizzie," Man, it was weird saying her name. "I'm fine. Really."
A look of relief came over Lizzie's face. "Good. I don't think I'd be able to deal with Mike on my own."
Katie let out a light laugh. It wasn't as forced as her smiles had been since she woke up here, so that was good. Lizzie gave Katie one more smile before poking her head back out the door, closing it softly behind her.
The moment the door closed, the smile fell off Katie's face. Her nervousness started to pick up. She pushed the covers off her and swung her legs over the bed. As she stood up, she felt herself get lightheaded again. She closed her eyes. It took her a moment to stop from swaying back and forth.
When she could stand up straight without falling over, Katie walked over to her mirror. She was surprised to see she didn't look as bad as she felt. She smoothed down her hair and straightened out her outfit. She then walked over to her vanity and fixed up her makeup a bit. Then, she sighed.
She wasn't really looking forward to this party, or whatever. God only knows who she would see. Pretty much everyone Katie knew when she was seventeen weren't around anymore. It took her a few moments to prepare herself. She tried to talk herself out of the shock. She tried to come to terms with all the people she was about to see. Lucky, she could play off her odd attitude as exhaustion.
Katie finally decided that there was no way she could prepare herself enough for this party. With one final sigh, Katie slowly made her way to the bedroom door.
To her dismay, Katie made it down the stairs and towards the backyard in no time. She stopped at the sliding French doors, taking a deep breath. There was no way she could hide out in her bedroom for the whole night, so she may as well get this over with.
"Kitty Kat!"
Katie's eyebrows narrowed. She didn't know this voice. She expected to see people she knew, but this voice, she didn't know who owned it.
Katie tried to pulled the confused look off her face as she spun around.
It didn't work.
Standing behind her was a man, about the age her father should look. Katie had to say, he was very handsome. He had dark hair that was just starting to turn grey, but it looked good on him. He also had dark eyes, a strong jaw line, and light laugh lines. There was a smile on his face and it looked like the most natural thing, like he always wore a smile.
This was an alternate universe. It had to be. Because if Katie didn't know any better, Bucky Barnes was standing right in front of her.
"I heard you had a rough day," Bucky had some drinks in his hands as he walked towards Katie. She couldn't help but stare. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." Katie spoke in a dry voice that cracked a bit at the end. Bucky Barnes… Uncle Bucky, was standing in front of her. "Tired still."
"Well, with all the training you're doing, you'll be the best agent S.H.I.E.L.D.'s had in years," Bucky smiled brightly at her, before it turned into a smirk. "Just don't tell Becca I said that."
"What a thing to say about your daughter."
Katie was getting dizzy from all this spinning around. But standing behind her was a girl, around Katie's age. She had to be Bucky's daughter, because she looked just like him. Even more than Katie looked like her father.
"Can't you see me and my goddaughter are having a conversation here." Bucky teased his daughter.
"Well, I'm taking her." Rebecca smiled brightly at her father before grabbing Katie by the wrist and pulling her outside.
They walked a little ways. Katie tried not to look around too much at the faces. She didn't think she could take this all in at right now without going into permanent shock.
"So," Rebecca sat down in one of the lawn chairs, Katie sitting across from her. "You okay?"
Katie nodded, she was really getting sick of everyone asking her that. And really, she wasn't listening to Rebecca. She was too busy looking around the yard for her father.
"You wanna talk about it?" Rebecca spoke in the same voice Natasha spoke in when she was worried about Katie. And her heart clenched. She missed her red-head best friend.
"Actually," Katie spotted her father a few feet away, talking to Howard Stark. Katie's head was starting to hurt. "I have to talk to my father."
Katie didn't wait for Rebecca to reply as she stood up and made her way over to her father.
"Hey squirt." Howard smiled at Katie.
"Hi Uncle Howard." It hurt so much to say those words again. But Katie smiled back before turning to her father. "Can I talk to you?"
Steve nodded, through there was a confused look on his face. The father and daughter walked a few steps away from everyone at the party before Katie turned to him.
"I just wanted to say Happy Birthday." Katie started to tap her finger on her tight as she watched Steve. "I never got to this morning."
"I think you had a good reason not to." Steve teased. Then, Katie froze as he pulled her into a hug. "But thank-you, monkey."
This was different from the hugs she had with her father before. This one was more certain. The kind of hug a father would give his daughter, a daughter he knew his whole life. It took Katie a few seconds to recover, before she hugged him back. And for the first time since she got here, the smile on Katie's face wasn't forced.
After that, Katie felt lighter. She was slowly coming to terms with being in this place. She liked running into people she hadn't seen in forever. She ended up meeting up with Howard again, who surprisingly had Maria with him. She talked with all the Commandos once more. She met Bucky's wife. Jarvis was there along with some of the agents her mother worked with. Even Thomas ended up showing up - through Katie kept her distance from him as much as she could.
The party went on, filled with amazing food and lots of laughs and cheer. The mothers and women all gathered to chat. The soldiers and veterans shared many beers over their plates of barbecue. Somehow, they always ended up telling anything war-story. And Bucky seemed to always find a way to embarrass Steve, going on and on with stories of from growing up that caused Steve to send him glares. The kids ran around and played while the teens sat in their own little clique, talking about the latest gossip that was going around.
After a few hours, the family and friends all gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday" to Steve. It was the happiest Katie had ever seen her father, as he stood surrounded by his family and friends. And Katie realized why. This was a feeling she almost forgot about, what it was like to have family by your side all the time.
The night went on. More alcohol was consumed. The cake was eaten. And the sky finally got dark enough for Howard to set off his massive display of fireworks. Katie felt content and happy.
And that's when she felt it.
Katie could feel her vision blurring again as red, white, and blue explored in the sky above her. She felt light headed again. She gripped the lawn chair in front of her as she closed her eyes tight. She could feel her knees starting to give out again. The sound of the fireworks going off echoed in her head. The sounds of laugher seemed ten times louder. Then everything went quiet.
The only thing Katie could hear was her heavy breathing. She felt dizzy. She could feel the wetness of tears as they slid down the sides of her face. She was laying on a bed. Only this one wasn't as warm and comforting as the one she woke up in last time.
Slowly, Katie opened her eyes. She felt so lost and confused. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. However, Katie couldn't help but let out a soft whimper as her eyes focused in on the face looming over her.
A giant smile broke out onto Strucker's face.
"Excellent."
I had fun with this chapter, but I'm nervous about it... LOL! I really hope you guys like it!
Amazing news! We broke 300 reviews last week! Because you guys ROCK. Seriously, I can honestly say I wouldn't be writing this story still if it wasn't for you guys. So thank you. And shoutout to my amazing beta 3
Wanna follow me on tumblr? Links in my profile! Along with a new poll I posted regarding this story, so go check it out and submit your vote.
And don't forget to REVIEW :)