A Very Avengers Christmas

Wednesday 9th December

Bruce wants-no-needs to use Tony's lab. He has not done any science since last week and it is driving him mad. Unfortunately, when he knocks on the door to the lab, Tony tells him to go away and locks himself in. He tries talking to Tony but Tony ignores him. He tries reasoning with JARVIS but JARVIS is under Tony's orders, not his. Eventually he gives in to desperate measures.
Bruce looks around the common floor. He manages to find the perfect lock picking wires. He also makes himself a small electromagnetic pulse from some stuff Tony has left lying around. He smiles and heads down to the lab.
Bruce starts with the electromagnetic pulse to wipe out the electronic security systems before picking the lock. Unfortunately it seems that Tony has though of this and after getting a pulse of electricity sent down his arm he decides that maybe he should try a different strategy. He goes to talk to Pepper.
---
Steve and Bicky are going catch-up sight seeing. They visited once in what they call Before so there are some places they want to check are still around.
They start with an alleyway tour, finding the three alleyways in Manhattan where Steve got beaten up. Two are still alleyways but one has been absorbed by a skyscraper and now no longer exists. Next they check the two cafes that they visited. One was a family owned place that served excellent coffee but is now a Starbucks. The second was an atmospheric underground cafe crossed with a bar which they find has hardly changed. They both get coffee here and realise that the old lady behind me the bar looks very similar to the woman who served them past time they visited. Bicky knew her name.
"Are you Maria?" he asks her.
She looks slightly surprised before replying, "No, she died about ten years ago. But I'm her daughter, Frankie. How did you know her?"
"We visited a long time ago," says Steve quietly.
Frankie looks at them a bit closer. "Oh," she says. "I know you two. I recognise you from the news and the fighting and the stories, but I also remember the day when two lads from Brooklyn came swaggering into this cafe despite one of them looking like he just took a major beating.
"I remember that my mum was worried but I could see you were good lads so we served you coffee and I was allowed to help make it for the first time. And then you-" she points at Bucky "started talking to my mum and you were so nice that she gave you a free slice of cake to share with your friend who has certainly changed a lot."
Steve smiles. "You're the little girl who made me the great coffee."
"Yep," she says proudly. Then she seems to realise how old she is. "At least I still have my memories. Tell you what, I'll give you two a free drink on the house." They start to protest but she says, "it's in the spirit of Christmas. Anyway, I'd almost forgotten that gem and what do I have if I forget my memories."
As she starts to make the coffee by hand instead of using a machine-that's one of the charms of this place-Bucky asks her, "Do you have anyone, Frankie?"
To anyone else it would seem she's ignored the question but Bucky can see her thinking about it. "My husband died. It took me ages to get over him but then I fell in love again but she was taken from me because her parents thought she needed curing. I never saw her again." She turns around and try see that although she is crying silently, there is a smile on her face as she remembers. "Everyday people come and they talk to me. I learn to know them and they learn to know me. Even the strangers are like friends because thy have chosen to come here, to me." She looks up and them. "You would say I have no one, but the way I see it, I have everyone."