Come Back With Me

Steve Thinks Mint Toothpaste is Spicy

Lizzie was forced to stay in the hospital for another week before she was allowed to go home. She was instructed to take it easy and wasn't cleared to return to school until the new year.

It was early December so the snow was just starting to coat the ground. It was usually Lizzie's favorite time of year but it felt somber this year.

Steve tried his best to keep Lizzie entertained when he was home but he had to return to school so the majority of Lizzie's day was spent at home.

She usually spent the morning keeping up with her school work. She finished it a lot faster due to the fact she didn't have her classmates interrupting her thought process.

Lizzie spends a lot of time sketching but she quickly runs out of things to draw due to the fact that she is home-ridden.

Mostly she reads. She reads about different people and different cultures. She reads about science and philosophy. She reads about love and lose. She reads about hope and bravery.

Whenever Steve or Jamie come home, she tells them about the adventures or discoveries she read about during the day.

Bucky gets particularly interested about the different books she reads. He's never been one for books but he could listen to her talk about the books she reads for hours. She has a gift for storytelling and Bucky is always enthralled by the way she tells it.

Eventually the boys are released from school for December break and they are able to spend even more time with Lizzie.

Lizzie jokes that Bucky might as well live there with how much time he spends at the twins' house.

As Christmas approaches, the trio tries to decide what they want to get each other for Christmas.

Steve decides to get Lizzie a new book that she's been wanting but the library doesn't have yet. He gets Bucky a comic book he knows Bucky particularly likes.

Lizzie is getting Steve a couple more pencils for sketching and Jaime a new knit hat because his is starting to get some holes in it. She also decides to give both of them a drawing of the trio as an additional surprise.

Bucky decides to get Steve tickets for opening day. For Ellie... he has no idea. He thought to give her a book or some art supplies but he doesn't feel like that is special enough. He wants to get her something that truly means something. He just has no idea what that gift should be.

His family took a trip to Coney Island one day and he found the perfect gift for her.

The weeks pass quickly and before they know it, it is Christmas Eve.

The trio decided that they would exchange their gifts on Christmas Eve since Christmas would be so busy.

Sarah had to work so it was just the three of them.

They all helped cook dinner. Well, Bucky cut the vegetables because the twins still didn't trust him in the kitchen.

Bucky sits at the kitchen table while he watched the twins cook. They are laughing as Ellie tries to add some more Cayenne pepper to the soup as Steve tries to push her away from the pot. Ellie loves spicy things and Steve thinks mint toothpaste is spicy.

Bucky can't help but feel so privileged to have them in his life. They are so loving and fun and good. They've only known each other for just under five months but it feels like years.

After they are done eating, they head to the living room to exchange presents.

Lizzie gives her gifts first and the boys open them excitedly. Steve thanks her for the pencils, noting that he was running low. Bucky also thanks her for his hat which he immediately places on his head.

The boys open the portraits that she created for them. Real photographs came so rarely that it was nice to have an image of the three of them together even if it was just a sketch.

Steve went next and Lizzie hugged him and had to resist the urge to immediately start reading. Bucky opened Steve's present and thanked him. He had actually already read this particularly edition but he loved it regardless.

Finally, Bucky passed out his presents.

"Oh wow, I didn't know tickets were already on sale!" Steve exclaims.

"They're not, but my dad works with a guy who knows a guy so I got them early," Bucky admits.

He hands the last package to Ellie and she opens it.

Attached to simple silver chain is a flat green oval with a boat engraved into it.

"I was at Coney Island with my family and I saw a machine that presses a penny flat and engraved a picture into it. I saw the boat and it made me think of the ending of The Great Gatsby. I also remembered when you told me that you read that the Statue of Liberty was actually copper once but the sea turned it green and it turns out you can do that with regular pennies. So I figured out how to change it green because of the green light at the end of the book? Anyways, now this necklace can remind you of your favorite book," Bucky explains.

She is so touched that her eyes start to tear up. She throws her arms around Bucky.

"Thank you Jaime, I love it. Will you help me put it on?" She asks.

She moves her hair so he can clasp it around her neck.

She didn't know at the time but that necklace would represent much more than her favorite book.

The friends ate some cookies and waited for it to reach midnight.

They pulled off the couch cushions and fell asleep on the floor of the living room and started what would be the first of many Christmases together.