Saving Grace

Chapter LXVII

After the dinner, the Christmas party began in earnest. Steve was sure to have several thousand likes/follows from the numerous videos taken that featured Captain America, grinning like a loon, waltzing with the pretty little blonde that had begun showing up to all the big events with the Avengers. Reporters were sure to start gossiping about who she was and who she was "with" soon. Personally, Steve was just excited to dance with Grace and not worry about his asthma for the first time.

When more upbeat jazzy songs came on, Peter, present as a SI intern, immediately agreed to dance with Grace when she suggested it was time to show off the moves she had been teaching him during "KP". Bucky sat at a corner table, nursing a cup of punch, smiling softly at the pair on the dance floor. The kid actually did quite well; he had a good sense of rhythm and a little bit of flair. Grace smiled fondly at her partner, her red sparkling dress swirling around her legs.

His mind drifted to all the times he could remember seeing Grace dance. When they were kids, his mother had put him through dance lessons. Grace begged him to teach her, and she was a much better partner than Steve, what with his asthma...

On a rainy day, they had let several grades in the gymnasium for recess in a kind of free for all. The teachers had given them a bunch of balls and jump ropes and let the kids all decide what to do. It so happened that Grace's class came in at the same time as Steve's and Bucky's. Bucky had been sitting on the sidelines with Steve when a smiling face with messy blonde pigtails appeared in front of him.

"Hiya, Stevie! Hiya, Bucky!"

"Hey, Grace," Steve grinned, patting the floor beside him.

"Let's dance!" Grace countered sweetly. "You fellas can take turns with me!"

"Dance? Here at school?" Steve asked skeptically.

"Sure? Why not?" Grace asked, her head tilting in curiosity.

"Yeah, why not?" Bucky added, with a smile. "It's fun, and by taking turns, it won't mess with your breathing."

"Please, Stevie? Pleeeeeaaasssseee?" Grace pleaded with big eyes.

Steve looked up at her adorably pleading face, then over to his grinning friend and knew he had lost. "Okay, okay," he huffed, shaking his head and rising from the floor. He bowed formally, letting a little lop-sided smile curve his lips as his sister giggled happily and answered his bow with a curtsy. They began a simple waltz, all three softly humming one of the songs from Mrs. Barnes' album.

After a few minutes, Bucky stood, signaling he was ready to take over for Steve. As if rehearsed, Grace fanned out to the side, let go of Steve's hand, and smoothly twirled into Bucky's arms.

"Nice one, Babydoll!"

Steve clapped with a grin.

"Hey look, Steve and Bucky are playing with the little girls!" one of the school bullies called out pointing across the gym at them.

Steve tensed, ready for a fight should one arise.

"Why not?" Bucky shrugged. "Grace can play just as well as any boy."

"Aww! Bucky's got a crush on little Grace Rogers!"

"Buck's never crushed me!" Grace defended innocently. "He's too nice to do a thing like that!"

The bullies just laughed all the more. "Looks like you've got a little girlfriend, Bucky!" They came over and the leader yanked on one of Grace's pigtails.

"Ow!" she cried out, pulling her hair out of their reach.

"Too bad she's a crybaby..."

Steve immediately placed himself between the bullies and Grace. "You leave my sister alone!"

"Yeah, go pick on someone your own size, ya bunch of bullies," Bucky scolded.

The bullies just snickered as they walked away. "Bucky and Grace sitting in a tree......"

"I'll go back to the girls now," Grace murmured sadly, beginning to shuffle dejectedly away.

"Why?" Steve asked, stopping her.

"You and Buck got teased for playing with me....."

"Who cares?" Bucky shrugged. "They're just a bunch of jealous cowards who only wish they could play with girls as swell as you."

"Really?" Grace turned huge, round eyes over to her brother, looking for confirmation.

"Of course," he nodded. "You're the bee's knees, Sis."

"You.....You fellas don't mind playing with me?"

"Nope." Bucky shook his head. "Besides, we're not playing. We're dancing; it's a very dignified thing."

"Mmm-hmm," Grace quickly nodded, trying to pretend to be serious as she fought to keep a huge smile off her face.

"C'mon then, Babydoll," Bucky motioned for her. "We should practice that switch-over thing again. That was so keen*; I bet our mamas would love to see us do that after school!"

"Sarge?" Grace's voice yanked Bucky out of his reverie. "You okay?"

He quickly shook his head to clear it. "Yeah...sure, Babydoll." He smiled up at her flushed, grinning face.

"Good," Her grin widened. "It's your turn to dance with me!"