The Story Book

This is in Bucky's POV  Bucky processed what the Rebekah had said slowly. He had an understanding of what the word terminal meant. He'd read it in one of the books from her library. Terminal meant deadly and from the looks of it for her it was. She was fighting a losing battle with her ALS. There were footsteps on the stairs promoting both to look up. Steve came down with the tree stand sitting atop a big box of decorations. Reb practically lit up at the sight.  "I think I found the decorations." Steve joked.  Bucky rose and took the tree-stand off. Steve set the box in front of Reb. She dug into it like it was the present itself. She let out a sound of pleasure as she pulled out a box of ornaments.  Bucky couldn't seem to look away as she pulled out the decor with a look of pure joy. She was so happy and yet in so much pain. When she hadn't answered when they'd come in something akin to fear went through him. Finding her on the floor completel...

Reb's POV  Reb had trouble finding the tree stand after they left. She knew she had it somewhere she just wasn't sure where. She was in the garage when the pain hit. She had it before just not this bad. Her muscles had slowly been deteriorating and now it would seem she could no longer support herself.  Her legs gave out, sending her onto the cold hard cement floor. Black spot danced across her vision and she could only pray she didn't pass out. Breathing shifted her spine hurting her doing anything hurt so bad. She didn't even know she was crying until she tasted salt.  Part of her hoped her guests didn't come back to find her like this. The idea mortified her yet she knew she couldn't function right now without someone to help it the next five minutes or she'd pass out. It was like she was underwater so far away from the warmth of her house and the music. This would scare them and she hated to scare them. She heard the door open and commo...

This is in Steve's POV Steve found it endearing how darn stubborn Reb was. It frustrated him to an extent because she was determined to do things that could very well hurt her. He wondered fleetingly if he was finally getting his share of stubborn headaches that he surely had given Bucky all those years ago.  But then she told stories from her life out in the world. Told them with wonder, and joy. She saw the world through eyes that had left him long ago. She saw it as beautiful and new. Brimming with hope and possibility. It was contagious. Then again maybe it was the season. Steve hadn't had a real Christmas since well, the 40's. The last three years had been hard. Natasha and Sam had tried but home was beyond his reach by a few decades. Christmas blurred into just another day. Now with old Christmas music per his request and a house decorated for the joyous season paired with his best friend twirling a woman around her home oblivious to the world he saw, it was ...