Avengers - Lost Souls 2.0 - ABANDONED

"Haha! Nat can be Bucky's date so he's not so left out," Kerica grinned hugely, "I wonder if Nat knows Matt? I mean, her hair is /always/ stylish and I don't know if it's just her or if she goes somewhere. I can't believe I never asked. I'll have to do that once we get back to the Tower."

"I wouldn't doubt Natasha knowing all of New York." Steve retorted lightly. "She's just one of those people. I'm certain she'll tag along. She likes to go to the clubs, she's one of the few that forces me on the dance floor to make me look like a fool before I slink back to the table, tail between my legs."

"You just need the right partner," Kerica blushed and shook her head, not knowing her words rang deeper than she realized, "Nat uses sex to do her thing, and it shows in her training as well as the couple times she and I danced in my room. That's not your style of dancing. Clubbing back then was less lewd grinding and more swing dancing and things, wasn't it? Or damn it, did I mix up my times again?"

"Lindy hop. Yes. Though not everyone danced like that. We did some other dances, but they weren't the type that you guys do." Steve agreed. "Ballroom I think you call it now, only less formal than that." The right partner. It stung a little that she knew that he was looking for that. Though, then again, he knew not to think too hard on it. Coincidence.

Lindy hop. So that's what it was. She mixed up her eras all the time. "Well, anyway... are there any other cool places we could go? Outlooks, a park, or something? We don't have to end this date here." Hell, she'd be happy with a long cruise around on his bike.

"I know exactly what you should do next," Matt said, appearing as if by magic. She set down the check, more or less placing it towards Steve's side. She winked at him and explained. "My sister-in-law does fortune telling. She's down in Sunset Park. I'll write her address for you. She sells trinkets and things as well, so if you're not into the whole "Seeing the Future", you have that." She promised as she wrote down the information on the note pad and again slipping it to Steve's hand. "It's easy to miss so just find the sign that's called Whimsical Brooke. It's real pretty. People really don't know what they're getting themselves into when they go into it."

"Fortune-telling?" Steve questioned after a moment when Matt stopped for a breath. "Is she good?"

"More accurate that most street tellers." Matt nodded. "Scary sometimes. But again, if that's not your cup of tea, she can direct you to a good place to go or just hang around her shop. Just give her a heads up that I sent you. Unless she already knows."

"That sounds fantastic! I always love getting my palm read or fortune told when I go to the Renaissance festivals each year," Kerica nodded enthusiastically, taking the ponytail holder on her wrist and throwing her hair into a messy bun, preparing for the bike ride, wherever it went, "What do you think, Steve? It's close by. If she's Sam's sister then she has to be worthwhile at least in that regard."

Steve couldn't say no now that he knew Kerica was interested. Matt winked again and left. "Sure, we can do that. Are you ready to go or...?" He didn't want to pressure her to leave, but she wanted to go...well...he was known to just leave the money on the table. He knew Matt would split the tip with Jess.

"Let's get outta here!" Kerica slid out of the chair and onto her feet. Steve quickly followed her and she secured her helmet as fast as possible once they got to his bike. Once he was on and stabilized the beast, looking back at her, she swung her long leg over like an expert and settled in close, her thighs bracketing his hips just enough so she wouldn't impede on his control, gripping the sides of his jacket, "Ready!" she chirped at him over the rumble of his engine.

Steve nodded and drove off, listening to Kerica laugh behind him and grinning. They drove for a while, enjoying the day and the ride and honestly it really wasn't all that far away after all but just like Matt warned it was easy to miss. The building was small, barely taking up a sidewalk and at least two stories tall. A dark, black sign swung happily in the breeze. The writing for Whimsical Brooke was written in white fancy font. He parked the bike and he noticed there were little knicknacks in the windows. Colored glass bottles, and a small vase filled with feathers. There were some tables that were pressed up against the windows, so he knew that they would have more things. He walked up to the door and opened it for Kerica.

The place was breath taking. The carpet was a wine red, and there were dark chocolate colored tables and bookshelves filled with books, incense, oils, oil burners, incense burners, quills, journals and leather bound books. There were statutes of many types of things as well. The glass bottles held many different kinds of "potions". The scent of cinnamon and vanilla lingered in the air, reminding him of comfort.

There was also an upstairs that had a whimsy rope that blocked it off. A little sign with the same cursive font merely said "Private". He also noticed, way in the back where it was a little darker, was nothing but bins of dried herbs.

"It's /gorgeous/ in here!" Kerica gaped as she looked around, and she was immediately drawn to a shelf full of dragon figurine, "They're not angry-looking!" she grinned and moved down, looking at all the shelves on her way to the register counter where several jewelry stands sat, and she ran her fingers over the necklaces that had three-talon claws holding colored orbs that were gems and stones. Some shined, some sparkled, and she fingered one that was a bright blood red in what had to be a steel claw, "This one has to be ruby. Garnet's darker." Ruby was Steve's birthstone, since he was born in July. She spotted one with an opal and the claw was a lighter color, it had to be silver, and she gasped, "My birthstone!"

Steve walked over towards Kerica to see what she was looking at. They were both gorgeous and he noticed that there was an entire rack dedicated to birth stones and the figurines. "They can come as a set." Steve nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around. A young woman stood behind him, wearing tight jeans and a dark blue shirt that was practically glued to her chest and showing off her midriff. A dragon belly ring that had the wiccan symbol on it sparkled in the light. Her dark red hair tumbled down in bright waves. "I was wondering who was going to wander in my shop next. Who would've guessed that it'd be America and his Statue of Liberty." She grinned. "Welcome to my shop."

"I have a little bit of French in me, but not /that/ much French," Kerica quipped and she looked at the rack and back at her, "A set? Just as the two together or like, a twelve-piece set for each month?" She held her hand out, "I'm Kerica! Matt from Milk and Roses suggested you be our next stop. Steve had already told me about Sam's bar and Matt's salon and I just had to come see what you had to offer. I love quirky and weird and magical things. This store is right up my alley. You have it so well designed, too! I could go broke here, I think." She was excited and she realized she was rambling, but the woman wasn't even phased, answering each point easily without missing a beat.

"I know Matt told you," she laughed. "I'm not surprised that Steve would tell you everything. Sam and Matt are the best in the businesses that they run. You really should go to the club, it's fantastic and you can meet more of us. As for the necklaces, they are twenty-four for two. If you wanted the entire /year/ I think I'd have to negotiate the price a bit. I think a hundred and twelve would do it." She smiled brightly. "Thank you. Kyle did most of the work for me. He helped me move the tables and transport them here. I'm going to presume you want a fortune read."

"Pretty straight forward guess." Steve smiled, though was blinking a little in surprise. Matt must have texted her and let her know that they were coming. "What if we didn't?"

"Kerica likes doing those types of things. Palmistry for example. I'm not one to do that. My readings are all card based." She grinned. "Oh and I'm Cassandra by the way."

"I own an Oracle Angel Healing deck. What are yours? What will it cost for the fortune read?" Kerica asked as she dug into her own jacket, pulling out her wallet.

"I have both a Healing with Faeries and a Camelot one." Cassandra smiled. "I'll let you decide the price of the fortunes /after/ I read them. I think I want to do the Faery one with you," she nodded at Kerica with a smirk. "And Steve should be Camelot because I know you'd be one of the knights of the round table."

Steve shook his head fondly and Cassandra gestured for them to come up with her, going over to the staircase with the sign and stepping over it. The staircase only creaked in some places, and when she turned the corner and opened the door, there was a new sight. Her home was more relaxing with a warm beige and dark wood. There were oriental area rugs underneath the small coffee table and the couches were plush. There was a minature kitchen just ahead and two rooms. "Tea or coffee before we start?" She asked as she gestured for them to sit on the couches. "Who wants to go first?"

"Kerica should go." Steve answered immediately.

"What, so I'm the genuine pig?" Kerica teased, bumping her shoulder with his, "That's fine, I don't mind going first at all. I'll have tea. I'll never say no to tea. Though something other than berry. Do you have earl grey?"

"I do." Cassandra grinned as she walked into the kitchen. Once she got a kettle going, she disappeared down the small hallway into one of the two rooms before coming out with two small bags, one purple and the other one an emerald green. She set the green one down to the side and pulled the purple one to the center. "I always tell everyone a little about my deck. That way they know what's going on. My faerie deck is all about environmental and mental pathways. If you're fucked up, it's because of your way of thinking or what type of environment your in. Same thing if you're good. You can do questions of all sorts, but your answers will all be about attitude, habits, and small things like that." She pulled the cards out and handed them to her. "They're the nice ones, I don't think my cards said anything mean to a costumer yet."

"The cards have different functions?" Steve looked at Cassandra. "So what would Kerica's angel deck be like?"

"Normally I'd say it's a spiritual deck, but it's up to how she reads the deck." Cassandra nodded to Kerica. "So she's the best one to ask. Not me."

"They're guidance. I use them when I'm lost and need direction. I haven't read for anyone in the Avengers, no one knows about them. I don't think half of our group would be interested either." Kerica shook her head, "You're the first one to find out." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearing her mind and focusing her energy before she took Cass' deck, "Shuffle until I think they're good and give them back? Or how would you have me do it?"

"Exactly that, though wait a moment." Cassandra smiled as the kettle started whistling. She stood up flawlessly and got the tea ready in a pot and brought it over before going back to the kitchen and handing out two cups. The set was a white with Sakuras painted over it. She also had went back and brought a sugar cube dish and a small milk pitcher before sitting down again. "Okay /now/ you can shuffle and give it back to me." She smirked. "Make it good."

"These cups are gorgeous. I love oriental things," Kerica awed over the style a second before she set it down, adding her sugar and milk and tasted it, nodded to herself in satisfaction and then put it on the plate once more. Grabbing the deck, she began shuffling.

When Kerica stopped and handed it back to Cassandra, she wasted no time in spreading them out into a staggered arrow. The tops looked like a castle top while the bottom was more or less a straight line. She picked the first card from the top and hummed softly, “Right now, currently you have an issue that deals with family. More or less between a parent and a child. Considering that this is upside down, it tells me that there’s a blockage, meaning that there’s no communication and bonds that could have been strong are weakened. I can tell, from this card, that it’s something you want to change because you don’t want your own children to deal with neglect like you have.”

She tapped on the second card. “The reason being why you’re so lost in your pathway, regardless of what your current situation is with your family, is that problems to you aren’t resolved. You let them fester. You pretend things are okay, when they aren’t. You’re afraid to use your voice, because when you use it you feel like you’re not being listened to. That you’re being annoying, and selfish. People have it harder than you, is your motto for your problems. That is another reason why there’s such a harsh disconnect between you and the parent that I’m speaking about.”

"My father's a doctor," Kerica shrugged, but it did sting. Cards had a way of doing that, she knew, so she wasn't too surprised. Problems that weren't resolved because she refused to speak. She would have to think a bit harder on that one, because she was drawing a blank. She had been enjoying herself with Steve and had spilled her guts about her past in a fairly condensed version, but aside from her father what more was there? Bucky? "What's next?"

Steve took a breath in and out. Oh that explained a little. A lot. Steve wondered if maybe the things Kerica had told him, weren't really supposed to be told to him. Maybe a lot of the issues were about her and her father not talking about the hours. He didn't know and he wasn't about to presume anything.

“Long hours, and never home.” Cassandra agreed and she looked back down at the cards. “This is card is telling me that you hold back. Not just emotionally, but that you’re comfortable in the arrangement that you’re in. That’s why you don’t talk about the problems that you have. You’re afraid of how you appear to others.”

She gestured to the next one. “But you’re very good at keeping yourself steady. You day dream. You visualize what type of lifestyle you want, what kind of home you want. You want to have a strong family so you’re going to bond with your husband or wife or significant other stronger. You’re going to bond with your children stronger. You’d teach them independence and how to speak up for themselves and you imagine that they will surpass you. You also daydream about well your relationship with Captain America. You visualize yourself as one of two things, a strong supporter whose able to listen and shoulder burdens just as well as he can, or you visualize yourself as someone a little softer. Someone who is more sympathetic and encourages. You’d say rather than do. So emotionally, you’re stuck in your head is what I’m trying to say. But it works because so far, what you visualize is coming true. I hope what I’m saying makes sense.”

Steve already knew he'd been her inspiration, but that just made Kerica turn bright red, to which she tried to hide it by sipping her tea, "I put it on paper, too...drawings..." she murmured softly, taking another drink, and set it down once she'd taken long enough to compose herself. "You make perfect sense, Cass, don't worry. This is...really spot on and I wonder if it's the cards or if you're just that good," she gave her a lopsided smile, tensing as she felt Steve's gaze on her back. "Make my dreams a reality, is what you're saying...I hope the next cards suggest just how to do that."

“Well here’s the kicker. There’s a reason why everything is holding you back. You don’t feel like you deserve that happy ending.” Cassandra answered simply as she pointed to the next card. “You have all of these good things happening to you. Steve likes you for you and not some random chick on the street, you have a good team that supports you, you have two people whose staying with you that you think deserve it more because you know what types of hardships they went through. At least, one of them. The other one you’re not quite sure of, but you know it’s bad.” She watched Kerica’s eyes and smiled softly. “But you don’t realize that everyone’s going to have worse, but that doesn’t down play you. So. How do you change it?”

She pointed to the next card, this one going down in the row. “You begin by letting go the need to let go. I suppose the best way I can put this, is that you continuously try to follow the old saying of water off the duck’s back. Which is good and all, but it’s not healthy. Again the festering comment. Got to let it go. Talk.”

Steve had wondered what it was that could have made her hold back. Did Kerica really think that he didn't deserve her? That she didn't deserve him? The family thing...it brought warmth into his heart, but it also made it break. He hadn't thought about family and stability in a long while. If this was going to be a long term thing, it was something that needed to be placed on the table. He needed to consider...and really understand that taking Kerica whole...might mean hanging up the shield early.

"I suppose...I still think about how everyone reacted when I first joined the group that...yes, I told Steve I mellowed out over time and things, but really...I'm not calm. You saw how I went haywire over your store." She was /really/ glad she couldn't see Steve's face and he couldn't see hers, and she chewed on her lip while she watched Cass watch her. She had really pretty green eyes, she noted. "It's quite rare that I get...to be me...to be me. Be hyper, be a nerd and maybe a bit obsessed over the man who saved the world back in the day and who continues to do so now. School sucked that way, that's where I learned to mask, even though it's a pretty shit mask. I don't have a poker face."


“I think you’re starting to realize that mental noise is starting to get louder too.” Cassandra said smoothly. “School was awful. Holy…” She laughed. “I dropped out the minute that I could. It drove Sam up the goddamn wall. Especially when he found out what I did for a living for a while after that. I didn’t feel like being fake, so I decided a mask wasn’t worth wearing. And I think you’re starting to see that it’s getting tiresome. Something’s going to make you rip it off…and when it does…” She shook her head from side to side. “Steve’s going to be right there next to you.”

Steve looked a little surprised and hurt. Not really about Cassandra, but about Kerica. Unable to be hyper or obsessed? He wondered if it’s because he had mentioned that he was glad that she came down some in order to date. He felt, awkward.

“You’re already doing the thing that i’d suggest.” Cassandra said slowly. “Being interested in his present rather than his past. Being hyper, have you /met/ my sister-in-law? She is the most hyperactive person in the /world/. My god. Go down to the salon when you’re getting ready for the date and just let yourself loose. She’d get you hyped up in a second. Be a nerd. Fuck. Look at my store. I’m a pagan heathen. I already had five people come up to my store and ask me if I knew that I was selling devil worshiping supplies and I casually mentioned that yes Lucifer is my favorite god but I like Hermes more. Traveler god.” She laughed a little. “As for being obsessed, you’re dating him. Matt would tell you that she has my brother’s routine memorized down to what coffee he takes in the morning versus the type of tea he does at night. Everyone gets those facts memorized. Steve’s going to get those memorized about you.”

"So are you like Matt or do you really See?" Kerica arched a brow at her taking the hints in stride though she wasn't sure Cass realized she said them, like the past vs present comment. The rest could've been said by text but there were just /some/ details... "You're on the dot. I did love Matt, and I'm sure now I'm going to enjoy conversing with Sam. I enjoy the Lucifer and Persephone relationship, in relation to that. Artemis is /my/ favorite. How about the next card? We got off-topic, Cassie."

“That’s for you to figure out and for me to know.” Cassandra smiled and she tapped on the next card. “I suppose you might want to know what you can do to figure all of this out. The best thing? Go new places. For some reason new environments just bring out the true you. My store, Milk and Roses. My brother’s club and Matt’s salon are going to be another few. Dating is a good idea. Since Steve took out to a place that brings peace, you should take him to a place that brings you peace. Trade off and on to let the mask crack. You might not solve the bond between you and your dad. But you’ll learn to communicate stronger.”

“But how do you know that you’re making progress?” Cassandra tapped the second to last card. “Its’ when you start to become more comfortable relying on yourself and your instinct. You can tell yourself to talk about it, you can rely on yourself to know that when you speak you’re heard, and it’s when you grow confident in your abilities. In return for growing more confident. You will gain more expressive in your drawings and what you see.” She pointed at the last card. “Right now, you’re only scratching the surface, but once you do everything…you’re going to bloom and you’re going to see that what you saw and visualized for your family or idea of a family was only a day dream compared to the visions you’ll see when you’re more confident.” She folded her hands together and smiled. “Other than that, the cards have spoken and I don’t have much advice for you otherwise.”

With a nod, Kerica just let it all settle in, sipping her tea and she pulled her wallet out. She brandished two twenties and placed them on the table after Cass gathered the cards, "You deserve it, because that was more than I could've asked for. Some...truths were revealed that make things a bit awkward, but they were bound to come out sooner or later, right?"

Cassandra blinked in surprise and took the twenties. "This is more than I usually get. Thanks." She smiled brightly. "But you're right about that. I suppose next is you right? Camelot. Unlike the touchy-feely attitude cards, these cards deal with a quest. A journey. Whatever journey that might be. It suits someone like you, in all honesty."

Steve blinked, and leaned forward, his fingers interlaced so that it could support his chin. “How do you figure that? Because I’m a knight?”

“Well, because your life is made up of nothing but quests.” Cassandra smiled. “I think I’ll do you a favor. There’s two quests you’re trying to attempt at once. Let my cards guide you, you decide if it was worthwhile advice,and then we’ll see where we go from there.” She took the green bag and took out a much thicker stack of cards, but were smaller in size.

Steve took the cards in his hands, noticing the celtic knot on the back of them. His throat tightened as he thought about his mother. Mentally he reminded himself that he should travel to Ireland one day, just to see what it was like where she grew up. Naturally it wouldn’t be the same in a longshot, but it would still be nice to go. He began shuffling the cards, when he was done, he gave the cards back to her.

Cassandra laid out a spread that looked interestingly like intersecting train. He looked up at her, curiously and she smiled. “Apparently you’re more concerned about your friend, so we’ll do that.” She pointed at the first card. “You take this person for granted. You delusion yourself into thinking that you are bigger than what you are. You have a hero-complex, but you try to save /everyone/. Not everyone needs saving, but when you see a wrong you go after it. You had someone to hold you back, and if you bit off more than you could chew he was there with you.”

Steve winced. He knew that he had a chip off his shoulder, and he knew that he had a complex. It was always there. From before he took the serum to afterwards when he went through WW2. He hated bullies and he just wanted them to stop. The bullies turned into something much bigger than that. So much bigger that he didn’t realize that his best friend was in danger until too late. Seventy-five years too late.

“Of course it doesn’t help at all that you don’t have many hobbies.” She pointed at the next card. “You were an artist, when was the last time you took out your sketchpad to draw? I know you were focused on finding your friend and you found him. But it’s like you’re waiting. You want to be able to be free in case he needs you. Which is good, until you start thinking about what it’s doing to not just your hobbies but your own job. You will risk too much for this man, and maybe that’s a good thing. Or maybe not. You will give up everything to help him. To be with him and him to be with you. As much as you care about Kerica, you’ll give her up in a heart beat too. Because you want to help him first and foremost.”

Steve looked at her, but said nothing. His expression said everything.

Cassandra pointed at the next card. “You’re not used to the luxury of this era, nor are you used to the self-indulgence that these people have. You died in war, you woke up in war. A lot of things changed in a blink of an eye. Things that were your hobbies, probably aren’t anymore because they no longer exist. But you also overly self-indulge yourself on helping people. You take on burdens you don’t need to take on. Again hero-complex. Again, you worry about your friend and his well-being more than yours.” She slid the next card forward, “What you do delude yourself with then? Well, it’s obvious. Captain America and Steve Rogers are the same exact person. But you can easily draw the line when it comes to your friend, can’t you? You draw it again and again and again as many times as he needs. Whose going to draw that line for you?”

Steve’s hands folded in on themselves as he straighten. His jaw twitched, and his hands tightened, but again he said nothing. What could he say? Everything that Cassandra was talking about….”I thought that this was talking about my concern with my friend?”

“I think the fates are more or less taking your friends side here.” Cassandra frowned deeply. “I think that this spread spoke you to more in terms of you and what you need in your life. I think that maybe the next spread I’ll do for you, will be different in many different ways. Remember my cards don’t deal with emotion. It deals with the quest. Yours, apparently, is to find out who Steve Rogers is.”

“How do you suggest I do that?” Steve asked.

“You have four options. If you confront the issue, you will have to be very determined to make sure that there is a line drawn between you and Captain America. You will have to realize that issues of Steve Rogers don’t have to be issues for Captain America, and visa versa. I would suggest not trying to do option be, which is to do background information, mostly because there’s not much to research. It’s all about determining if you want to be your own person or not.”

Cassandra gestured to the next one. “I would also suggest not opting out either. Not much because it’d be bad for you, but because it’s about you and no one can change that. And if you decide to leave things alone and just let things continue the way you will take more risks on what you do and you might even be overzealous in your methods. So your best option is to confront the issue head on. Should you do that then you will be stronger and you would expand yourself in ways that make you happy and of your own personal growth.”

Steve whistled lowly and took a breath. “And that was just one reading?”

“I was suppose to be reading about the two people on your mind, but your mind went single for a second.” Cassandra shrugged. “So we’ll try again with the other spread and see what happens with that.” She gathered up the cards and presented them to Steve who began shuffling them again.

This time she laid out the cards in an upside down arrow and pointed at the first card on the bottom. “You really don’t think that you deserve either one of them do you? You don’t deserve Kerica and her kindness and you don’t deserve to have Bucky in your life either. I know he’s in there.” Cassandra smirked at Steve’s surprise. “But they see you as someone who takes unnecessary risks. They know that you go beyond the call of duty in order to do what you do.”

Steve wasn’t surprised by any of this and nodded his head. It was true. If Kerica thought that she didn’t deserve to be on Captain America’s side, he certainly felt the same.

“You need to be challenged, and your friend as well Kerica both need to know that you are confident in them. I’m not talking about trust, just confident that they’ll be by your side. I think that it’ll be Kerica more than Bucky in this instance, though I’m certain that if you’re confident in him and his decision to leave, whenever that may be, he’d be thankful for you.”

He paled and looked over at Cassandra. “You think he’s going to leave?”

“I think that he’s thinking about it. I think that his friend, the one that holds him tight, wants to leave the most. She really feels dangerous to you. She has a lot of people that are safe…it’s true…but her safety and /your/ safety are completely different. Just like his are different. So, he’ll leave.” Cassandra shrugged. “But you’ll find each other again. You always do in the end. I swear to god, if Kerica doesn’t marry you, marry him.” He blushed. “But right now, currently all of you are trying to figure out everything. Kerica is trying to figure out if you two make a good pair. You’re trying to figure out if it’s dangerous to bring her into the fold as your girlfriend. Bucky’s trying to assess if you’re safe. You’re trying to determine which Bucky is going to greet you at the door and what you need to do to prepare for it. It’s all about guess work right now and it’s all about trying to figure out where you stand.”

“Makes sense, most dates are like that.” Steve frowned. “Why do you keep bringing Bucky into this?”

“Because I know a lover when I see one and kid don’t try to trick me.” Cassandra warned. “Now the next card that I’m about to talk about is this one, which talks about what path you want to go down on. Which is you want to make sure that these two people want to be with you and only you. That they don’t regret their decisions and that they are happy where they are. The pathway they want to see follow is a pathway of love, support, generosity and just all in all honor. Meaning you. They want to love you.”

Steve nodded his head, but looked at his knees in thought.

“You need to consider that things will change in your relationship. You will have to step back and reassess what you want and what boundaries you’ll take. You’ll have to communicate, like all relationships, but this is more important because both of you don’t like to talk, and the third person that I keep mentioning in this does.”

“He doesn’t talk much.”

“True, but when he does, he doesn’t waste words now does he?” Cassandra retorted. “Once you do all that, and you merge together, I see a lot of harmony and love in your relationship.”

“Are you a Seer?” Steve managed to ask after a moment as he pulled out his own wallet. He gave her the same amount, but with a five slipped in without her knowing nor Kerica’s. “Seriously.”

“I am one. Cassandra should have given it away really. I think my mom liked the irony.” Cassandra snorted.”

"You're a tricky lady. I suppose you have to be," Kerica finished her tea and set it on the coffee table, "If we really become friends, Cass, then I'd love to do a reading in return for you," she smiled, "Unless you're not comfortable with Angels in your craft?"

"You'll be surprised at how well I'm used to angels. I think I'd like that." Cassandra grinned. "It's been a long time since someone's read for me. So, I'm glad it was to your liking. Your date seems to be going smooth so far."

"If you think so, then I guess it is." Hidden things had been bathed in light, so now things felt a bit strange, but she bounced to her feet anyway. Hopefully they could make it all work in the end. She knew dating him would be filled with hurdles, but it sounded like most of the hurdles were her own problems. Bucky loving Steve wasn't a problem at all. She wondered if Steve knew that, though?

They made their way downstairs and Kerica looked at Steve who was lost in his own thoughts, "How about you rev up your bike for the ride home? I want to talk to Cass for a second."

"Sure..." Steve leaned in to kiss her temple before leaving. Cassandra titled her head and looked over at Kerica in confusion.

Kerica's cheeks were flaming after the little kiss, but she shook her head and cleared her throat, "Are your visions subjective or are they more or less set in stone?" as she said stone, she went to the necklace rack, grabbing three...the two she'd seen before and then a third, that wasn't as dark as the ruby dragon claw but not as bright silver as the opal, with a pale blue stone for March, and pulled out her card, since she'd used all her in-hand cash, "I'll take these necklaces'...as a promise to you that we can make it. We're all fighters."

"Subjective though there are times where it's set in stone." Cassandra said as she thought about it. "Example being my little brother is about to find out that his wife's pregnant with a second kid. Another girl." She looked at Kerica. "Subjective is always changing. Every little detail, thought, and decision so...I try to give the best. I never doubted you nor Steve or Bucky. You all made the decision. Bucky made his a long time ago too. So perhaps you shouldn't promise me. Give the necklaces out as promises to each other. That might be a start." Cassandra took the card went to the cash register. After ringing it up, she smiled. "We're going to meet again. Two more times in fact. At least, Steve and I will. Maybe you."

"I hope so! I hope a /lot/ more than that, really," Kerica nodded, securing the blue one in her pocket and wearing the red one immediately, delighting in how it shined in the lighting of the store, "My question to you is...Will we get to keep Bucky? Not...now, because J.J. is uncomfortable with us, but...later? Steve just found him again. Even if he says he's okay with Buck's decision to leave like you mentioned in his reading, he really won't be."

"Here's what I think," She said slowly. "I think that right now he's torn in two. Had things been different, had situations not been the way they were and certain decisions not been agreed on or disagreed on, he would stay. But you have to understand that the way he's torn at the moment isn't about what he feels. It's about whats' important. Safety is the key."

She paused in thought, "Would he come back? I think he might. I think that he will. I think that the way he comes back though, will scare everyone because he's going to lose someone very dear to him. And he's going to want her back, because if he doesn't....well...everyone knows what kind of massacre she'll cause."

J.J. did attack her because she wasn't colorful enough. Bucky had been through things with her that she wasn't even sure about. Kerica took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Then when we come to that bridge, we'll do what we can to cross it and get her back. I know we will. If she's important to Bucky, then she's important to Steve. That's how he works. I would say you should work with us, but...that'd be an abuse of power, now wouldn't it?" she smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "It'll take time, and lots of it, but it will all be worth it." She bowed politely, "Steve's probably wondering what's taking me so long. See you," she waved and hurried out of the store.

()

The moment they landed in England, it was like they knew.

Two weeks after leaving Steve and setting off on their own again, Buck and J.J. had landed in England and were going to head to Germany to Sunflower's hideaway, but Hydra had found them two days later as they were leaving the shack they'd holed up in.

It was a nightmare, running through the trees because their /lives/ depended on it. J.J. got shot in the side but she kept running. He took down four out of the ten, got hit /right/ in the scaring of his left shoulder, the bullet wedging itself between flesh and metal, and he kept running. Yet...

Luck wasn't on their side.

They stumbled across a trench canon with a river carving through it towards the bottom, and Buck had his good hand out to stop J.J. from toppling over, even though he almost did, too. Whipping around, he watched their figures come closer, and he assessed the distance to the other side of the trench. He could jump...by himself. If he had J.J. on his back he'd fall short.

SHIT!

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, before grabbing her by the waist, ignoring her cry of pain, and /tossed/ her.

She barely landed, rolling into the bushes on the other side when she caught herself, and he slowly turned back around, coming face to face with his enemies. J.J. knew how to get back to Sunflowers's house. Tucking his blue dragon claw necklace under his suit, he dropped his rifle and held his arms up. There was no use resisting. He knew the drill.

At least she didn't go back to the Cage, where he knew they would have sent her.

~*~

(your part with JJ and Arctic, then a skip after that for the letter J.J. sends and Wanda could read it this time and find Steve. idk I just want more Wanda action)

Arctic watched from the bar as J.J danced somewhere in the middle of the rave. The flashing lights was enough to cause an epileptic seizures. He was drinking a dark, blood red color drink he forgot the name of. It had been two weeks since she had run back to Sunflower's home and announced to everyone that James had been kidnapped. Sunflower, Rose, and Wave had all pitched in and started working on an extraction plan. Arctic, as handy and capable as he was, was assigned to watch J.J.

Two weeks of laying low, trying not to get caught by Hydra and watching J.J's hair turn from sleek black to white as snow. He watched her nails being chewed till they bled and watched her lips being cut by her chewing on her skin. He took the time that he could to get her mind off of James' capture and gave her more opportunities that he could to give her a human lifestyle. Instead of living in hotels and in trains and small shacks off of neighbor's yard, he took his salary and bought a small apartment that was in France considering that it was the only language that J.J could speak a little more fluently than English though it was still broken here and there.

"Gier?"

"Ja?" Arctic looked over at J.J. Her hair was pulled back by colorful beads and her arms were covered in singles and cuffs of the same pony beads. She had went on a crafting spree the moment they had settled in the apartment and he got her more clothes to wear. She feared about not having enough room in her bag, but he had assured her that it was alright to have extras. He promised to send them to Avengers Tower if she felt more comfortable doing that when it was time for her to go.

That had made her nervous.

"Are you having fun?" She asked.

Having fun. He mused as he listened to the bass drop and screaming. The girls that were in the rave were barely wearing anything, tutu's, long socks, and sometimes a beaded bikini that didn't look anywhere comfortable. Some wore way too much and he was shocked they didn't pass out from the heat. He saw more colors and shades here than he ever had in the field.

"I suppose so." Arctic's grey eyes looked back at J.J. "You want to go home?"

"I want to know if they got the letter." J.J wrung her hands together worriedly.

"They might've." Arctic tossed back the drink back and placed the cup down on the table and tossed down some money on the table.
~+~
The first letter, Wanda had found underneath the doll that J.J had repaired for Pepper. It plead with Wanda to keep the doll fast, and to tell Steve that they were going. Where? She didn't say. It broke Steve's heart, but he understood. He tossed himself a little more into his work and into dates with Kerica, trying to take his mind off of it. He refused to take Bucky's choice away from him. Even if it hurt him that he wasn't going to come back.

But the next letters, were handed to her by one of the security detail when she was down on the ground floor. She blinked in surprise, but the man didn't have much information about it in his mind. All that he knew, was that it passed security checks and he didn't know the person who wrote it.

The postage told her that it was from Germany. It was mailed about two weeks ago. Wanda cursed snail mail sometimes. Email was so much faster, and news could get to them quicker. But she understood that perhaps, it was better if it was snail mail. Emails were more and more easily hacked and people were beginning to discard

Steve wasn't hard to find. If he wasn't in the gym, he was in his apartments, staring out in the city with a sketchpad in his lap and a cellphone by his side. Sometimes Kerica was there with him, other times he was alone. It was one of the times where Steve was alone. He looked over his shoulder and smiled, not at all reaching his eyes. "Wanda."

"Letters from Germany. They're from a home I do not recognize." Wanda explained as she looked down at them. One of them was specifically addressed to Steve, but the other, she realized was addressed to her and her brother. She handed the one that was for Steve and smiled sadly. "No news?"

"No. I think that I might've pushed a little too hard." Steve said as he took the letter in his hand. He sighed. It was probably from another fan family, wanting to pledge support. He knew that the security and Tony were trying to lift his spirits by sending them up to him personally. He opened the letter and blinked. "Gier Raske."

"Do you know him?"

Steve didn't answer as he read the letter.

To Steve Rogers,
My name is Gier Raske, though I'm certain James has called me Arctic in your presence. He was always the stickler for covert. I am part of the Resistance Team that James created in order to take Hydra out from the inside. I know this sounds strange to you. I also know that you have no way of knowing whether or not I speak the truth.

Jayden, Companion I'm certain you call her, wrote a letter to Pietro and Wanda. As well as another letter to Slate though she hasn't mailed that yet. She'll probably mail it when she's a little more calm.

Forgive my rambling.

Steve, things aren't going so well. Hydra took James back to Cyro. The Winter Solider roams the streets once again. Jayden is in absolute distress. She has been flipping back and forth between wanting to see the hideout burn, or to make sure you get him back.

We cannot have another massacre, but Jayden's not easily persuaded. I am doing my best to keep her from Hydra. You worry about finding James. I have an email address that is secure as well as the rest of the Resistance.

We can use your support.

Forever grateful,
Gier.

P.S. Be aware of the Sokovia Accords.

"Sokovia Accords?" Steve looked over at Wanda who shook her head from side to side.

"I do not know what it is." Wanda admitted. "Perhaps they have overheard something that is in the works. It has yet to be presented to us."

"I need to email him." Steve rushed over to his computer and Wanda watched him for the moment before sighing. Kerica would have to get him out of this mindset herself. She quietly backed away and into the elevator. Steve didn't even glance away to say goodbye.

A man on a mission.
~
"A letter from J.J." Wanda said when she came up to the gardens. Pietro had started to take a liking to them. He was always found here when he was missing her too much. J.J had been a breath of fresh air for the both of them. Horrible that they had something tragic in common, but...J.J saw the world in a way that they both could have use.

Childish, innocent, yet complex in a way that baffled even Tony. She wasn't at all surprised to feel her brother rush at her and took the letter from her hands, but staying close so she could read over his shoulder.

The handwriting, Wanda was surprised to see, was neat and gorgeous. It was beauitful cursive and not all Gier's. However there were some parts of the letter that suddenly went chicken-scratch. Still in J.J's hand.

Dear Pietro and Wanda,

I'm scared to death. I know that there's probably drops of blood or water on the letter and I'm sorry in advance, but I'm just in a tizzy right now. I don't know what to do and I thought that if I wrote to you, I'd be able to think things through.

They took B.B. They took B.B. Back to the ice. I'm scared, I'm scared.

They took B.B back. He saved me, he pushed me away, I should have done more. I'm worried that they might not use him as the Winter Solider.

THEY CAN'T KILL HIM. DON'T KILL B.B.

I shouldn't be thinking those kinds of thoughts. I know that being positive and having a strong mindset is what got me through the Cage. It can get me through this.

Can it?

I hope the doll's been taking good care of you. I told her that she needed to protect the both of you. I hope that she reminded you of me when you miss me. I hope that you two are doing alright.

Right now I'm in Germany. The guys that I'm with are debating what they should do. B.B's usually the leader and I'm a little out of commission. I'm a little violent.

A little doesn't mean much though does it? There's no range for me. I'm either very violent or I'm not violent. I suppose the Cage has a tighter grip than I thought. You know, I was a little surprised that B.B saved me. Not because I'd want to go back to that dark place, but because I know that if I escaped once. I could escape again. What they'd do to me is nothing compared to what they're doing to B.B right now.

I miss you, but I can't come home till I know B.B's safe and sound back at the tower.

we should have never left.

Jayden Jones.

P.S Tell Slate I'll write to him soon. He doesn't need to read something like this.

Pietro handed the letter back to Wanda before he could crush it in his fists, though it was already pretty wrinkly. "She vanted to leave, zough now she regrets it," his face turned down into a deep frown, "Ve could have taken her to ze base, taken her out to ze city, anywhere. Helped her learn. No. Instead she ran away. Buck vanted to stay, zough chose to leave because she didn't like it here, and now he's ze Vinter Soldier again, and ze Captain is no doubt out of his mind trying to figure out vhat to do." He scoffed at his sister's incredulous look, "She is no doubt believing it is all her fault. I am agreeing vith her."

Wanda walked over and sat down on the bench. She looked at the letter that he handed her. She didn't say anything for a while as she reread the letter. "I would rather her leave by her own choice, than to stay here and feel like she was trapped." She said after a moment. "I'm certain Bucky felt the same way, even more so, I'm certain that he feared for what trouble she would get into. They depend on each other, much like how we depend on each other. You will go where I will go and you will stay where I stay regardless of your feelings. Yet you refuse to see that I would do the same for you. Or perhaps you know I would, therefore you try to take the burden from me." She folded the letter carefully, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Agree that she takes the blame for leaving. Agree that Bucky probably takes that same blame for not stopping her. But I cannot agree that she ran away. You run, Pietro. Sometimes you run just for the hell of it. You feel trapped sometimes, you cannot tell me you blame her for feeling like that. Yes we could have taken her out, we could have brought her into the city, but did we ever...offer that. Did we ever ask her?"

There was a long pause. It stretched for several minutes, the two of them just...sitting while he stared out the window. "No..." he finally said, quietly, whispering. "No...but...Am vrut să rămână..." I wanted her to stay... His breathing hitched, and the first tear fell down his cheek, "I would've...I would've taken her out. Cap' gave me a motorcycle last year, remember? Zat would've been a good reason to use it. It's back at ze base, but...yeah. She liked it before...being in my arms vhen I ran. It gave her a rush.