Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts): Book 2

The Christmas of a Lifetime: Part 11

Summary: When Christmastime comes around at the compound along with Secret Santa, Natasha, Yelena, Kate, Carol, and Darcy find themselves in the middle of many holiday festivities with many old friends and even a new one or two.

   "Hey, Buck, where'd your arm go?" Steve questioned as he entered the room, and Bucky sighed as he sat down on the couch nearby, leaving a space for Steve to sit between him and Carol.

"Don't ask," he tiredly replied, rubbing his forehead, and Steve raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what had happened but deciding to question him further in private. Steve looked at everyone, waiting for them all to settle down.

They had just come into the common room where there were plenty of places to sit, and after the majority of people had given their gifts and left, those who remained relocated to the back for the rest of the gift-giving. The people who were remaining that had to give gifts were Steve, Kate, Natasha, Yelena, Carol, and Darcy. The people that had come along were Thor, Valkyrie, Tony, Peter, Bucky, Sam, Monica, and Bruce. And of course, Jen who was currently in a present box balanced on a hand truck and ready to be brought closer for Bruce.

"Okay, everyone, so who wants to go first?" Steve announced aloud, and Kate's hand shot up instantly. Clint raised an eyebrow, surprised at her sudden choice to volunteer.

"I need to go first!" Kate spoke up, and Steve nodded to her, Kate hurried over to the hand truck, fighting with it just a little as she tried to lift it.

"Gosh, you're heavier than I thought you'd be," Kate muttered, and Jen made some noise of offense from the box. Fortunately, it was not so loud that Bruce would overhear it.

She rolled it over with some difficulty, and she finally sat it down not too far from Bruce. She then jumped to the side, extending her arms out toward the box.

"I really hope you like it, Bruce, because straight out of LA, here comes—"

"Ta-da!!!" Jen burst out of the box, grinning widely as the top came off. She had her hands raised as she waved them just a little in a jazz hand sort of motion.

Bruce just gaped at her blankly. After a long moment of silent confusion from everyone, he got up finally, and Jen extended her arms a little more, waiting for a hug. However, just as he stepped in front of the box, he took the lid that had fallen on the floor and he shoved her back down inside the box, pushing the lid on. She instantly let out an angry yell, and he just laughed heartily, keeping her held down inside the box as he effortlessly held her in. She had not quite yet transformed, and so it was still easy to hold her inside.

"Bruce!!!" she cried, and he just laughed. They continued to fight as she fussed, and everyone except those who had either heard about Kate's present or met the present firsthand remained utterly confused.

"I'm going to assume that means he liked it...?" Kate questioned, looking at Natasha uncertainly. Natasha shrugged a bit but smiled in an attempt to reassure her about her gift choice.

"Who's next?" Steve finally asked after a moment, figuring that they would get to the bottom of the person in the box a little later. Of course, given the fact that it was Kate giving the gift, he figured he probably should not be surprised at the strangeness of the gift.

Natasha raised a hand as Bruce wrestled with Jen who had now turned into the She-Hulk and was fighting to get out of the box.

"I'll go," Natasha spoke up, standing up as she headed over to the present pile that they had relocated with Carol and Bruce's work. She picked her present out of the group, and she brought it over to Peter, smiling at him kindly as she looked at the sweet kid. He looked up at her in surprise, his eyes widening, and she could not help but feel her heart warm.