Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing

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Skye was sitting in the backseat of Steve's car with Wanda. Steve and Bucky were up front. They were heading to her school for her Christmas concert. She was picking at the skin around her nails nervously.

Wanda looked over at her seeing what she was doing. "You okay?"

Skye nodded. "Just nervous."

"You are going to do great," Wanda said.

Skye nodded a little.

"Wanda is right. You sound great when you are practicing at home," Steve said.

"Yes, but that's not in front of a huge audience," Skye said.

"Stage fright is completely normal. Just pretend no one is there or focus on one person," Bucky said.

"I will try," Skye said.

"You are performing as a group, right? Not on your own?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, there are a couple of people doing solo parts, but they are seniors," Skye said.

Wanda nodded.

"Which makes sense, they have earned them," Skye said.

"Yes, that does," Wanda said.

They pulled in at the school and parked. The four got out. Skye grabbed her violin case, and they went inside.

"I will see you all after," Skye said before she went to the classroom where the students were all meeting.

Steve, Bucky, and Wanda went and found their seats in the music hall, sitting as close to the front as possible.

About half an hour later the concert started. Skye was waiting backstage with the rest of her group, waiting for their turn. She was nervous and was visibly shaking.

One of the guys in the group, Cody, her classmate from social studies, noticed her shaking and decided to try and distract her.

"Who is here to watch you tonight?" Cody asked.

Skye looked at him. "My dad and a couple of other people."

"Other Avengers?" Cody asked.

Skye chuckled and nodded.

"Come on, tell me which ones," Cody said.

"Bucky Barnes and Wanda Maximoff, guess you'd probably know them as Winter Soldier and Scarlet Witch," Skye said.

Cody smiled and nodded.

"But they are just Bucky and Wanda to me," Skye said with a smile.

"Is it weird being on a first-name basis with the Avengers?" Cody asked.

"At first, yes, but now, no," Skye said.

Cody nodded.

"They are my family at this point," Skye said with a smile.

"Fair enough," Cody said. "Feel better?"

Skye tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I could tell you were nervous," Cody said.

Skye let out a soft chuckle. "Um, yeah. I guess I'm calmer. Thank you."

Cody smiled and nodded. "Your first time performing on a stage?"

Skye nodded. "Yeah."

"I've done it a lot so I'm used to it, but in the beginning, I was nervous, too," Cody said. "Just breathe and do what you have practiced, and you will be fine."

"Okay, I'll try," Skye said with a smile.

Their music teacher, Mrs. McKay, came and told the group that they were next, and they all headed to find their places on the stage.

Skye performed with her group and did pretty well, considering she had only been learning for a few months.

After the concert ended Skye went out and found her family. Steve hugged her.

"You did great, Skye," Steve said.

Skye smiled. "Thanks."

"He's right, you played beautifully," Wanda said.

Skye hugged her. "Thank you."

Wanda hugged her and smiled.

Skye looked at Bucky. "You weren't too bored?"

Bucky chuckled. "No. There is a lot of talent at this school, including you."

Skye smiled and shrugged.

Mrs. McKay came over. "Great, you're still here. I was hoping to talk to you, Skye, with your dad."

"Oh, okay," Skye said.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," Mrs. McKay said with a smile.

"What is this about?" Steve asked.

Mrs. McKay led the two of them to a quiet hallway. "I have already mentioned it to Skye, but I also want to mention it to you. I was hoping that Skye would consider joining the orchestra here. We have been looking for a violinist for the orchestra for a few years, and Skye is the first student I have worked with in those few years who plays very well after only a few months of practice."

Steve smiled. "She never mentioned it," he said as he looked at his daughter.

Skye let out a breath. "No, I didn't, because while I appreciate the compliment, I've only taken a music class because I have to. I don't have interest in joining the orchestra."

Mrs. McKay nodded. "Please reconsider. I, of course, can't and don't want to force you to. But I think you would be a great addition and would truly enjoy it. Of course, as long as it's okay with your dad."

"If she wants to, I have no issue with it," Steve said.

"I'll think about it," Skye said, knowing it would probably be the only way to end this conversation.

Mrs. McKay nodded. "Okay."

They said their goodbyes, and Skye went back to the concert hall with her dad.

"Everything okay?" Bucky asked when he saw them.

"Yes," Steve said. "She just wanted to tell me how impressed she was with how quickly Skye has picked up the violin."

Bucky smiled and nodded.

"Why do you look annoyed? That is a good thing, yes?" Wanda asked Skye.

Skye let out a breath. "Yes. Can we go now?"

"You sure you don't want to say bye to your friend who has been watching us?" Bucky asked.

Skye looked around and saw Cody standing with a woman who she guessed was his mother. He was looking in their direction.

"Who is that?" Steve asked.

"His name's Cody. He is in music and social studies with me," Skye said smiling at him. "He actually helped my nerves before we went on stage."

"That was very nice of him," Wanda said.

Skye looked back at Wanda and nodded. "Yes, it was."

Cody came over to her with his mother and introductions were made.

"Cody tells me that you two are working on a project together," Mrs. Powell said.

"Yes, for social studies, we are in a group with another student from our class," Skye said.

"What's the topic?" Steve asked.

"We had to pick a significant historic event or person and have to do a report on it. We picked the legalization of gay marriage," Skye said.

"I had made a different suggestion at first, but she refused," Cody said.

"And I stand by that decision," Skye said with a chuckle.

Cody chuckled. "Fair enough."

"Thanks again for helping me before the performance," Skye said.

"Glad I could help," Cody said.

They said their goodbyes, and Skye left with her dad, Bucky, and Wanda.

"What was the topic he suggested?" Bucky asked as they started the drive home.

"Captain America," Skye said.

"What, you didn't want to do a report on me?" Steve asked with a smirk.

"No, I didn't," Skye said. "He only suggested it because you are my dad, and it would be easy to get an interview, and it would probably have fallen on me to do a lot of the work."

Steve nodded. "Okay, I get it."

"It's nothing against you," Skye said.

"I know," Steve said, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

"But you still will do your share of the work, right?" Wanda asked.

"Yes," Skye said with a smile. "I have been doing my share."

"When is it due?" Steve asked.

"January 17th," Skye said. "It's a big project. It's a lot of work, so we have a lot of time to do it."

"Who is the other person in the group?" Steve asked.

"Her name is Rylan. She is in my gym class, too," Skye said.

"You get along?" Wanda asked.

"Yes. She's cool. We actually crossed paths before school. She lives or lived near a foster home I was in, and we played together a couple of times. I have vague memories of it. She recognized me," Skye said.

Steve looked in the rearview mirror at her again. "Which foster home?"

Skye took a breath. "Dyer's"

Steve nodded.

"Isn't that the name of the couple who were arrested for abuse recently?" Wanda asked.

Skye nodded slightly. "I'm the first one who came forward."

"Skye, I'm so sorry," Wanda said.

"Thanks," Skye said. "But I don't want to think about it right now."

"Right, so Skye's music teacher thinks she should join the orchestra. They are looking to fill a violinist spot, and Skye is apparently the best violinist they have had in several years," Steve said.

"That's wonderful," Wanda said.

"I'm not doing it," Skye said.

"Why not?" Wanda asked.

"I don't want to," Skye said.

"You are the one who wants to have a normal teenage life. That would be very normal," Bucky said.

Skye chuckled. "I don't think I'm that good. They are desperate, is what it is."

"I don't think so," Steve said. "Your teacher made a point of talking to you with me there because the orchestra would greatly benefit. I don't think she would do that if she didn't mean what she was saying."

"I think she is so desperate, and I already had said no. So she went to you to try and convince me," Skye said.

Steve shook his head. "I won't force it, but I do think you should really think about it."

"The answer is no. I told her I'd think about it to end the conversation," Skye said.

"Skyler," Steve said.

"What?" Skye whined.

"You should have just told her no if you weren't actually going to consider it," Steve said.

"And then we would still be there talking to her," Skye said.

Steve shook his head. "I won't let you be a person who isn't true to her word. You will think about it."

Skye sighed, "Fine."

"And don't just be saying fine to end the conversation," Steve said.

"Okay, okay. I'll think about it," she conceded.

They pulled in at home and all went inside.

"How was it?" Pepper asked.

"It was okay," Skye said.

"She did wonderful," Wanda said with a smile.

Pepper smiled. "Good."

Skye shrugged. "I think I played fine," she said before she went to her room.

"She is having self-confidence issues," Wanda said.

"I'm going to change that," Steve said.

"You can't force anyone to be confident," Wanda told him.

"I just hate that she doesn't see how amazing she is," Steve said.

"Just keep reminding her that she is," Pepper said.

Bucky had snuck past everyone and went and knocked on Skye's door.

"Just a minute," she said, as she was changing out of the black dress she had been wearing and into sweats. When she was changed she went and opened the door.

"Hey, Bucky," Skye said.

"Can we talk?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah," Skye said, moving to sit on her bed.

Bucky went in and pushed her door most of the way shut before he sat on the other end of her bed. "Why don't you think you play violin as well as everyone else says you do?"

Skye shrugged. "Everyone is just being nice."

"Okay, I could see why you might think that for some people. But your music teacher? I'm guessing she has taught thousands of students to play instruments. Why would she go out of her way to tell you that you are amazing and so highly encourage you to join the orchestra if she wasn't serious?" Bucky asked.

"Because the orchestra needs a violinist, and I'm the only student playing violin this year," Skye said.

"You don't think she would just rather not have a violinist than encourage someone who isn't as good as you are to join the orchestra?" Bucky asked.

Skye sighed. "Why is this so important to you?"

"I don't want you to give up an opportunity because of self-doubt," Bucky said.

"What if I just don't want to do it?" Skye asked.

"If you really don't want to, fine. That's your choice. But I think you do, and you're just scared," Bucky said.

Skye let out a breath.

"Skye, I get it. I've felt insecure about my abilities and who I really am. But if I let that doubt win, so many things would be different. I wouldn't have a lot of the good things in my life," Bucky said.

"Like what?" Skye asked.

"Your dad for one," Bucky said.

"Why wouldn't you have my dad?" Skye asked.

Bucky let out a breath. He wasn't sure if he should be talking to her about this.

Skye looked at him, waiting for him to tell her.

"I know you're aware of some of the things that I did as the Winter Solider," Bucky said.

"Yeah, probably more than you realize I know," she admitted.

Bucky nodded. "Okay. Well, I sometimes have a hard time believing that what I did as the Winter Soldier wasn't in my control. And a person who did those awful things by choice doesn't deserve someone as amazing as your dad."

Skye nodded a little. "But that wasn't you."

"No, it wasn't. But sometimes it's hard for me to believe that it wasn't at least partly in my control," Bucky said. "And, if I let that belief sit in my brain, I wouldn't let myself be with your dad."

"Okay, I get it," Skye said.

"So, you're not going to let that self-doubt get to you? You're going to give serious consideration to joining the orchestra?" Bucky asked.

"Yes," Skye said.

"Good," Bucky said.

Skye moved towards and hugged Bucky.

Bucky smiled and hugged her.

When the hug was broken Bucky got up from the bed. "I'm going to leave you to whatever you were doing before I interrupted."

Skye nodded. "Thank you, Bucky."

Bucky nodded, "of course." He left the room, almost bumping into Steve, who was standing on the other side of the door.

"Shit, Steve," he said as he closed Skye's door.

Steve led him into his bedroom and closed the door.

"How much did you hear?" Bucky asked.

"Well, I was going to talk to her. But I heard you actually getting through to her, so I didn't want to interrupt," Steve said.

Bucky shrugged. "I just talked to her."

"Yes, but what you said seems to have made a difference. Thank you," Steve said.

"I'm happy to help, and I hope you're right," Bucky said.