~Amelies POV~
"So you two have the place to yourselves," I smiled over D'Arcys head at David and River who were stood by the fridge. "Help yourself to dinner, Tony offered us to stay at the Tower for the night. Are you sure you both don't want to come?"
David and River shared a glance with one another, before David sighed. "Amelie, I really want to but Grandad... after I'm finished at the hospital I'll see if I can get to the Tower. Did you say it has a translator for Owen?"
I smirked, remembering how I'd discussed D'Arcy and Owens disabilities with Tony, meaning they'd need assistance with communicating with the Avengers this afternoon, and he'd set up JARVIS with subtitles and a sign to speech setting where he would automatically translate their signing.
"It's all set up." I smiled, unwinding D'Arcys last plait from its hair bobble. She passed me her hairbrush, before twisting around to face the wall again. I brushed through the delicate curls to create a frizzing mane of tangled and knotted hair, and she couldn't have been more delighted. I pecked her cheek, "go and put your costume on darling."
"Will Owen like it?" River whispered to David.
He shrugged, and sipped on his drink. "We've celebrated Halloween before, but normally it's just a single carved pumpkin, a bag of sweets and a cartoon on the TV." He looked a little embarrassed, "I'm not a Halloween guy. Our Mum said she'd take him out when he was old enough, but-"
He cut himself off, and the room settled into somber spirits. I tapped my foot on the floor as I thought of something to say.
Surprisingly, River beat me to it. "I only went out once, when I was little," she murmured, "I dressed as Cinderella, and my mum pinned my hair into this up-do with a crown and wand."
David beamed at her, genuinely interested with her short story, and I swore I could see love in his eyes. I felt frustrated at seeing them so close to falling in love: they were soulmates after all, but Bucky had sworn me to secrecy, so I couldn't tell them.
Owen traipsed into the room, dressed in a beige suit with a cardboard weather map stuck to his shoulders. My lips quirked up at the costume David had made during the week, after Owen had confessed he wanted to go trick or treating dressed as his favourite weatherman.
Owen had been bullied for a lot of his childhood, it turns out. Half the class loved him, and didn't care that he couldn't hear them, but the other half were raised with parents who thrived on hatred, and felt the need to inflict pain on him for being different.
Because of this, David had told me he promised to make Owen as happy as he could, without making him a spoilt child. He was only 20 himself, and I could see the tiredness surrounding him as he bent down to straighten the tie tucked into Owens jacket. Maybe it would do him good to stay in an empty house for the night, with no worries to keep him awake.
"You ready doll?" Bucky walked into the room, dressed in Belles yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast. We let D'Arcy pick our costumes, and Bucky didn't complain when he was assigned the role of playing the princess. He even tied the top half of his hair back, and wore a pair of black leggings under the shortened skirt.
I was happier with my choice of Sully from Monsters Inc, and stood up, wearing the fluffy onesie I'd ordered online. It was incredibly comfortable, and I danced across the room in it. "I was born ready." I grinned. "Come on princess."
He rolled his eyes, but leant down and pecked my nose before glancing at the two stood in the corner of the room. "Pizza menus are in the top drawer above the bin."
"Got it," David nodded. "Thank you for taking Owen with you."
"Nonsense," Bucky waved his hand, "we'll always take him."
D'Arcy was positioning her plastic bow and arrows around her shoulders when we met her and Owen in the hall, and pulled a face when I explained she would have to take them off to sit in the car. Her pouting expression didn't fade as we drove to the Tower.
After River, David and Owens arrival last week, Bucky took it upon himself to make the house as happy as it could be. That meant that he helped River through her nightmares, taught himself then D'Arcy and I more sign language, and introduced David to the comforting craft of knitting.
It also meant he wanted to plan treats for events. And today's celebration was Halloween: the holiday you either celebrate over the top with decorations and parties, or you didn't celebrate at all.
He took it as an opportunity to introduce D'Arcy to all of the Avengers too. Whilst we considered them all family, only Steve, Peter and Wade had been properly introduced, and Tony had only met her very briefly. None of the others had met her yet.
Bucky had organised a 1 to 1 trick or treat for the Tower, and as we walked into the reception area, I saw he'd invited more than just D'Arcy and Owen.
"Tom?"
"Amelie!" The curly mop of brown hair spun as Tom twisted around to see me. A straw hat was balanced on his head, and he'd taped around one of his ears. I laughed as I saw his paint splattered clothes, and stepped forward to accept his hug as his tall figure crouched to envelop me.
He stepped back to approach Bucky, and froze. His mouth dropped open, before he boomed a laugh at Bucky's outfit for the evening, "you look very pretty," he gasped out between breaths.
Jules hovered by his side, her straight brown hair hanging neatly down her back. She wore a child's doctors outfit, the small scrubs fitting her short body as she clutched a book and pen to her chest. I stepped down to high five her, and she relaxed once she gave me a short hug.
"Alright Uncle Bucky?" Tom asked, stepping away from his hug to let Jules wrap her arms around him. "You said you had someone you wanted to introduce us to?" His eyes drifted down to D'Arcy and Owen, and his mouth parted. "Er-?"
"This is D'Arcy," I smiled, encouragingly pushing her forward towards them, "your cousin. D'Arcy these are your cousins Tom and Jules. Your Dad is their uncle."
Tom glanced at Bucky, and I caught him murmuring, "is this the secret Grandma couldn't tell us?"
Bucky snorted, and nodded. "Yes. And she's the best."
D'Arcy passed a card to both Tom and Jules, and I felt Owens shy hand wrap around mine. I saw his puzzled face, and I wracked my mind for the right word. 'Family', I signed.
He nodded, 'nice?'
I smiled, and nodded again. I kept holding his hand as I stood back up, "This is Owen, D'Arcys friend."
'It is nice to meet you.' Owen signed quickly, before clasping my hand seconds later. There was a brief delay, before JARVIS repeated the phrase, "it is nice to meet you."
'He's deaf', D'Arcy signed quickly. After a momentary pause, JARVIS spoke again. "He's deaf."
I grinned as I heard JARVIS following the programming I'd begged Tony to set up, and laughed at Tom's polite but confused expression. "I'll explain on the way upstairs." I promised.
Jules hesitantly introduced herself to D'Arcy and Owen, and even though she was a couple of years older she made sure to show them the way to the right door that led up the stairs.
There was no way I was going back in the lifts, even if I had gone back to counselling recently.
Bucky held my hand, and twirled me towards the door, his bright dress spinning around him as he laughed. "Happy Halloween doll."
"Happy Halloween Sergeant." I whispered back, leaning up on my tiptoes to kiss his lips before D'Arcy began waving for us to hurry up.
***
~Bucky's POV~
"First stop!" I lifted my hand up, and opened the door onto Steve's floor. There was a door at the end that opened into his rooms, and I gathered the group around me to wait. Owen and D'Arcy looked ecstatic, and even though Tom had met the Avengers before, I could see how excited he was now. I paused, and remembered how to sign the words as I asked, "What do we say?"
Jules recited "trick or treat," as Owen signed the phrase, and D'Arcy lifted her pre-written card up. She'd decorated it with pumpkin and ghost stickers that Noah and Jake from the bar had bought her.
"Perfect. D'Arcy, knock on the door."
She lifted her small hand, and knocked firmly on the door. Steve answered moments later, and grinned at the group.
"Trick or treat!" Amelie, Tom and Jules chanted, as D'Arcy waved her card and Owen signed. JARVIS chimed in to recite his words for him.
"Happy Halloween!" Steve called back, as he retreated from the door to pick up the bag of sweets Amelie had given to him yesterday, like she had done with the rest of the Avengers we'd be visiting.
I'd given Owen the tablet Stark had made to subtitle everyone's conversations, and he glanced down at it to read what Steve had said. Being the good guy he was, Steve then knelt down to sign the phrase again.
Owen flung his arms around his shoulders, and began signing 'Thank you' over and over again.
Steve just nodded, but I could see that he was tearing up a little. "Have you been good enough for a treat?"
They all nodded, and even though Tom was old enough to only be there as Jules' brother, he nodded along with the rest of them, and held up the felt pumpkin bags that we'd given them all.
"You alright Tom?" Steve asked. "How's your Gran?"
"We're all good, and she's just fine. She told us about Peggy, I'm sorry Steve."
Steve tensed a little, but nodded. "Thank you. Tell her I hope to see her at the funeral."
Tom smiled sympathetically, "she wouldn't miss it."
D'Arcy wrapped her hand around mine, and leaned into my side. Steve glanced at the action, then took in my outfit. "Looking good Buck," he grinned. He lifted his phone up, took a photo, then slid it back into his pocket. "You look just like a princess."
I curtsied in reply, before the group trailed back into the stairwell.
***
"Owen, your turn to knock." Amelie nudged him towards Tony's door, and we waited for it to open.
Tony jumped out from behind us, causing everyone in the group to jump and spin around to face him. "Happy Halloween!" He grinned, before walking into his doorway.
He grabbed the sweets from his door and slowly began handing them out. "Are you the weatherman?" He asked Owen.
Owen nodded, and began smiling.
"The weatherman has a very important job doesn't he? He makes sure that everyone in the town knows if it will be hot or cold, or rain or be dry. The whole country depends on him." He lifted a chocolate wrapped in foil, with a print of the Iron Man covering it. "You, my friend, are dressed as a hero."
Owen read Starks tablet before proudly accepting his chocolate, and shook Tony's hand that he held out.
I smiled over Owens shoulder, "Thank you."
"Not a problem princess." Tony grinned. "And my dear D'Arcy, how nice to see you again."
D'Arcy produced her box of cards and sifted through them to find the one she was looking for. 'How are you?'
Tony grinned, and held his hand to his chest. "I am magnificent. And how are you?"
She nodded, but reached out to shake his hand like Owen had done. Tony's face softened into a look of quiet joy, and he accepted her hand, before twirling her in a small circle.
The group filed back into the stairwell shortly after, but Amelie and Jules hung back. They spoke softly, but I could see Tony gesturing to the scrubs Jules was dressed in, and I could see the young girls face light up before she hugged him tight.
***
"Jules, it's your turn. Knock on the door." I ruffled her hair as she walked past, and she flapped her hands around me as she laughed.
She knocked twice, then stepped back.
Clint opened the door, bleary eyed, but soon stood straight to attention as the group and JARVIS recited "Happy Halloween."
He tilted his head to the side, and grinned at me. "Did I miss something? You two weren't gone that long were you?" He gestured down to D'Arcy, who wore a puzzled look on her face.
"This is our daughter D'Arcy, and her friend Owen. This is Clint." I offered, as a form of introduction.
The three nodded, before he took in Jules' costume. "Oh wow!" He stepped back, "look at you! You're a doctor? That's amazing!"
Jules nodded proudly, and puffed her chest as she stepped forward. "I can tell you all about the human heart. And we learnt about first aid at school last week, I'm really good."
"I bet you are." He smiled, and gave her the Hawkeye themed treats before bending down to Owen. "And one for you, sir."
'Thank you,' Owen signed, as he accepted it.
Recognition dawned on Clints face, and he knelt down onto the floor in front of him. He signed for a minute, though JARVIS didn't repeat what he said for the rest of us to interpret. Instead, Clint and Owen had a discussion through their hands, and by the end of it they both looked like they would cry.
Clint gave him a hug, and signed something quickly to finish their conversation, before he turned to my daughter.
"And you're the famous D'Arcy." He waved at the bow and arrows strapped to her back, "can you shoot those?"
She nodded, and Amelie wasn't quick enough to stop her from twirling the bow and arrow over her shoulder and shooting it past Clint and across his rooms.
Clint laughed, and jogged back to retrieve it for her. "Wow, you're amazing! Did you learn that yourself?"
D'Arcy paused, before grabbing the notebook and pen she had put in a bag tied around her waist. She wrote for a moment, then handed the book to Clint. 'Merida taught me.'
Clint nodded, and handed the book back to her. "If you keep learning you'll be better than me one day."
D'Arcy beamed, and turned back to yank on my skirt, as if it ask if I'd heard what he had said. I nodded, "you could definitely beat him." I confirmed.
Once everyone received their treats, we began making our way back up the stairs.
***
Wade answered the door to Tom, dressed as a mummy with reels of cloth wrapped tightly around his body. Only his eyes were visible, but he spoke clearly through the fabric.
"Trick or treat!" He yelled, before a bag of confetti above us burst, and covered us in thin coloured paper and bright feathers.
Amelie and the children laughed as they landed around them, and Peter soon appeared by Wade in the doorway. "Hey, I thought we were doing that bit together!"
"Well you were too late." Wade argued, "the door had been opened."
"By you," he turned to us, and his mouth fell open. "Snap!" He high-fived Amelie, and the pair hugged, wearing matching Monsters Inc themed costumes.
I watched them interact with the children for a bit, but stepped to the side when Amelies phone began ringing. She frowned at the screen, and shrugged as she walked past me and into the stairwell, with a puzzled frown on her face.
***
~Third Persons POV~
River was curled up on the sofa watching a rerun of an old TV show from the 90s. She was almost asleep, even though it was just late afternoon, and she wrapped her hands around the small cat that had decided to join her on the sofa.
She'd been pondering her thoughts with David, trying to decide if telling him about being her soulmate was a good idea or not. He'd gone to the hospital shortly after Amelie and Bucky had left with the children, and River was beginning to be content in her company in the house. She knew the security measures in place to prevent people from breaking in, but she still felt nervous about David.
She wanted to tell him, she did. But she didn't want him to hurt her like her ex had. He had been so manipulative and violent that River feared she wouldn't find anybody kind again.
The door opened, and River jumped at the noise. Brian fell from her lap, and meowed as she sat up slowly and twisted her head around the partition wall.
David's voice called from the door, "sorry! It's only me!"
River relaxed a little, and leant down to stroke the small cat as her heart rate slowed down again. She was prone to jumping at slight noises; it was her fear leaping out again.
"You aren't going to the Tower?" She asked softly, waiting for David to sit down before asking her question.
He sighed, and rubbed at his eyes as he sunk into the cushions of the armchair. "I don't think I can pretend to be that happy right now."
River nodded, and curled back up onto her seat. She knew how he felt.
Her wrist twinged, and she glanced down at the coin-sized blue waves on her skin. The soft hair on her arm prickled around it, and she shot a look at David to see him examining his own arm.
She tugged her sleeve down, and chewed on her lip, desperate to quell her racing heart as she realised her sign was growing again.
David cleared his throat, and sat up to speak when there was a knock on the door.
River frowned, and peered back. "Who is that?"
Seeing her fearful expression, David stood up from his chair. "I'll answer it, it might just be a neighbour."
River nodded and crept around the sofa so she had a view of him opening the door.
A teenager - he only looked to be fifteen - was stood on the other side, with a pair of blacked out glasses hiding his eyes.
"You aren't Amelie?" He asked.
David frowned, and tightened his hold on the door. "No."
"And you aren't Bucky either." The boy clarified.
David shot a look over his shoulder at River, who shrugged. She didn't know who he was either.
"I need to speak to them. I was told this was a safe place to... this is a safe place, right?"
David looked worried, and opened the door a little. "Are you okay? Why do you need a safe place?"
"Same reason you do." The boy shrugged. "Can you let me in?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hey!
Shoutout to Stuckyyyyyyyyyyy for their ideas for this chapter. Go and check out their page, and their Marvel Oneshots book.
I know I'm late to the party, but I've started watching the Vampire Diaries. I now really want to write something involving vampires and the supernatural: is this something you guys would be interested in?
Thank you for reading and voting, and I hope you are all doing well.
Stay safe! X