How do you heal?

Chapter 21: Things Revealed

After everyone traded and swapped cookies they all began to pass out gifts. Although it was only Christmas Eve not everyone would be there in the morning. Bucky made Annie open her gift first.

"Is this an Ember mug?" Annie asked with an excited grin on her face.

"Yes, I thought it would be useful since you usually end up microwaving your coffee and tea at least six times before you finish it." Bucky said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I love it."

"Hey, Banannie, look. Sarah just sent me a picture of the boys and said to show you." Sam said, leaning over to show Annie his phone.

"Oh good, the clothes fit!" She exclaimed, taking Sam's phone and zooming in on the boys. "I was worried they would be too big."

"Wait, you sent my nephews clothes?" Sam questioned.

"Uhm, yes. Babies in matching outfits are adorable."

Thor jumped up and walked behind the couch where Annie sat. "Oh, may I see?" Annie passed Thor the phone over her shoulder and went to get Bucky's gift. "They are handsome lads, Sam. Your sister should be very proud."

Sam took his phone back as Annie returned to her seat between him and Bucky. "Thanks man. I'll let her know that she has Asgards approval."

"Children are so precious. I look forward to the day I have my own little army of them running around. Don't you agree?" Thor asked the trio.

"Yeah, one day in the future I'd like to have a few." Sam replied, leaning back and picking up his drink.

"Oh, hard pass for me." Annie said. "I like other people's babies because I can give them back at the end of the day."

Bucky paused opening the bag Annie had handed him. "Really?"

"Yeah I have no desire to be a mother."

"Banannie, you literally mother all of us on a daily basis. You really don't want kids?"

"Cooking and cleaning for a bunch of adults is hardly the same as mothering but it is more than enough to curb any wayward desires. Plus I am unwilling to clean up another person's bodily fluids." Annie shook her head and shoulders in mock disgust.

Bucky looked at her for a moment. He had only been out of Hydra's control for a few months so he hadn't exactly thought too far into his future but...before the Winter Soldier, before the fall and the war he'd wanted a family eventually. Did he still?

"You gonna open that or just hold your hand in the bag all night?" Annie asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

Bucky shook his head to clear his thoughts and resumed opening his gift. As he pulled the tissue paper away he revealed a book. It was beautiful, dark green and leather bound. 'The Hobbit or There and Back Again' embossed in gold lettering across the cover surrounded by runnic looking symbols.

"I know you have already read it but I am a firm believer every bookshelf should have at least one collector's edition. Preferably a pretty one and that," Annie said, nodding to the book in Bucky's hands. "Is the 1966 publication with frontispiece by Michael Hague and gold inlay on the spine."

"Sweetheart, this is great. Where did you even find something like this?" Bucky asked as he began to carefully flip through the pages.

"I'm on a few collector message boards and follow a few rare bookstores inventories. I've been trying to find a first edition of Persuasion for years and came across that a few weeks ago."