How do you heal?

Chapter 19: Family Matters

Despite having just been home for several weeks Annie went back to Ohio for Thanksgiving. She wanted to spend Christmas in New York and knew her parents would be devastated if she wasn't home for at least one of the holidays. Much to her surprise Tony and Pepper decided to join her but they would be staying at a hotel closer to Annie's parents house so he could visit with Ferris.

As Annie walked in the door with Alex and Donna, Alex's mother, in tow she was greeted by an onslaught of tiny hugs as her nieces and nephews rushed her. She wrapped her arms around as many as she could as she pushed them back from the door to allow her companions to get out of the cold. "Hello all my beautiful gremlins I missed you! Elder niblings help me out and take these cookies to Grammy." She handed off boxes to a few of the older kids and reached down to pick up a little one, the rest trailing after the sweets.

"Hey, Lex, Miss Donna, it's nice to see you guys!" Fletcher greeted the newcomers with hugs before turning to his sister and grabbing her chin. He moved her head left and right, examining it closely.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked, pushing his hand away after a moment.

"You know I can't be totally sure but I think your face looks worse without all the bruises."

"Fletcher Michael!" Everyone at the door turned to see April glaring at Fletcher, hands on her hips and a dish towel slung over her shoulder. "Between you and Amy it's a wonder your sister even comes around."

"It's fine mom," Annie said with a laugh, passing the child to Fletcher so she could embrace April fully. "I can put up with his teasing if it means seeing you, dad, and the kids."

"It was so nice of Tony and Pepper to join us this year!" April said to Annie as they stood washing dishes after dinner.

"It was, it's been too long since he came down for a holiday. It's like he's too busy saving the world to stop by and over eat while downing a bottle of scotch with dad."

April swatted playfully at Annie with the rag she'd been using to dry dishes. "Oh you are nearly as bad as your brother."

"Where do you think I learned it?"

April stood for a moment and watched her daughter wash, noting the changes since the last time they'd seen each other. The bruising had all disappeared and while her nose seemed a little crooked it looked like it had healed well and she was smiling. The deep sadness had gone from behind her eyes. "You know it looks good on you."

Annie furrowed her brow. "What?"

"New York. Your dad told me after you left a few weeks ago he thought you might stay there but I didn't want to believe it. Seeing you now I see he's right."

"I like it there. I was good at my corporate job but it was stressful. The compound is strangely peaceful and I like taking care of the superheroes. Makes me feel needed."

April placed her hand on Annie's shoulder and waited for her to look. "You have always been and will always be needed, sweetie. Especially here."

"I think if we had tried to fit one more person in that house it would have been a fire hazard." Annie said to Alex as she walked in the door carrying leftovers to the fridge.

"First, it was a fire hazard about a half dozen people ago and second," Alex said, opening the back sliding door to toss a portion of leftovers outside for her collection of feral cats. "Was there a specific addition you were thinking of, maybe a bulky brunette?"

Annie smirked as she turned to face her friend. "No, at least not intentionally. I mean he only kissed me like two weeks ago. Meeting my ridiculous family could scare away even the most long term, in love, devoted boyfriend, best not to even think about it at this stage. Do you remember Charlie's first holiday with them?" She asked as she laughed softly at the memory.

"You mean the one where Fletcher and Finch convinced him he kept getting their names mixed up until Kelly took pity on him and told him?"

"I think it took him a few more family events to be sure he was actually getting them right."

Alex pulled the curtain over the sliding door to block Bubba's view of the gathering cats as he growled softly. He was the perfect dog with the exception of his distaste for cats, which Alex loved. "So," she said leaning on the counter. "Boyfriend?"

Annie's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, no. That was just an example, I was not calling Bucky my boyfriend."

"Why not, you guys are playing tonsil hockey and doing the horizontal tango. Are you waiting for him to ask you to go steady?"

"No," Annie said as she smiled sadly. "It hasn't even been a year since I lost the love of my life and prior to him I didn't exactly have the best track record on dating. So, I just want to take it day by day."