"Miss Emily." JARVIS' voice interrupted my mindless staring out the window of my room. "Miss Emily, Mr. Stark is requesting your presence in the kitchen and lounge area."

"Yeah, hang on." I pushed away from the window, groaning a little as I left the small bubble of heat that I had created by sitting still for about twenty minutes.

I stretched and reached over to my dressing table, grabbing a warm cloak to bundle myself up in, not really wanting to leave the heating of my room. The temperature had definitely been dropping recently, but I didn't mind it. Not only was it a nice change from the constant warmth that was running through my veins, but I was actually looking forward to seeing this snow that everyone had been talking about.

Snatching a quick glimpse of myself in the reflection, I hurried took my hair out of the ponytail, turning away from the mirror so I didn't have to stare at myself while I braided my hair to keep it away from my face. Not wanting to keep Tony waiting, I stepped out of my room, finishing my braid as I began to walk down the stairs to the lounge room. However, I quickly stopped halfway down when I caught sight of what had become the lounge room. All of the furniture had been roughly pushed to the side to make way for -

"Should I ask why there is a massive tree by the doorway?" I stared up at the massive pine that had dropped pine needles alln throughout both the kitchen and lounge room.

"It's a Christmas tree." Wanda replied from where she was holding it upright with her power. "Don't you remember me telling you about it?"

"Yeah, I do." I nodded, still walking slowly as I tried to take in the whole sight. "But does it really have to be this big?"

"Why would you have a small one?" Tony called out from where he was up in the air in his Iron Man suit, tying ropes around the Christmas tree, which was connected to the balcony to just hold it up. "You've got to go all out for Christmas."

"Anthony Edward Stark!" Pepper's voice suddenly rang out from one of the higher levels. "What is all of that mess down there?!"

"Nothing dear." Tony put on a sickly sweet, yet somehow sarcastic voice voice, causing a couple of the Avengers to snort.

"Don't make me come down there!" Pepper called out and I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"You won't have to." Tony called back before quickly turning to all of us, his helmet flipping upwards to reveal his face, whispering harshly. "Guys, you have to help me, she's gonna kill me."

There was a round of laughs but everyone began to try and sweep the pine needles into a pile while Steve grabbed the vacuum out of the cupboard and began to try and clear up all of the piles.

Wanda handed me a big box of decorations while Steve cleaned, telling me to decorate as many of the lower branches as I could without having to use a ladder or anything, both of us laughing about the last time that I had gone on a ladder.

I wasn't completely sure if there were any rules around decorating Christmas trees, but I tried to follow what Bruce was doing next to me. It was kind of a joint effort with the tinsel since the base of the tree was wider than if all of us joined hands and stood around it. Wanda and Tony were decorating the higher branches that all of us couldn't reach. I managed to convince Loki to help them as well, but he kind of only gave it a half-hearted attempt.

"Now, there is one thing missing." Tony came down and landed between us all as we put up the final decorations. "Pep, do you want to come down here? It's time."

"I'll be down in a moment!" Her voice came up from one of the higher levels.

Tony moved over to the last box there as I stepped back to admire the tree, which was honestly breathtaking. However, I still thought it was quite a weird thing to do, to dress up a massive tree in coloured plastic.

"Emily." Tony spoke up and I looked over my shoulder to see them all looking at me, Tony holding a golden star in his hand with Pepper now standing at his shoulder. "Why don't you have the honours?"

I slowly walked over to him, faintly recalling Nat explaining how the star went to the top of the Christmas tree and it was considered quite an honour to do it. I carefully took the star in my hand and before I could even ask Wanda to lift me up, I was surrounded by a bubble of Loki's familiar green magic, lifting me straight up off the ground.

"Stay still." Loki warned from the ground as I stumbled slightly in the bubble.

"It's a long way down." I looked down nervously, a couple of the Avengers chuckling softly.

Loki simply smiled and lifted me to the very top of the of the Christmas tree as I reached out unsteadily to put the stare on the very top of the Christmas tree, wobbling a little for a moment before I pulled back and let Loki bring me slowly back down to the ground. I swayed a little at the landing, but Wanda just gripped my shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Okay, photo time everyone!" Tony called out. "JARVIS, get a camera ready."

He gathered all of us as the base of the Christmas tree, JARVIS positioning a projection just right so it also captured the top of the tree. I cringed at my reflection in the camera but I quickly managed to fake a smile as Steve squeezed my shoulder just as the flash went off.

"Great job everyone." Tony said as the projection disappeared. "It looks amazing. Now, there is still lots to do, only five days until the big day. Back to work everyone!"

Just as I moved away to go have a shower before dinner, a hand gently grabbed my shoulder and I spun around, my heart stuttering for a moment, only to see that it was Steve, who was smiling down at me comfortingly.

"Tony suggested that you and I should do a little training up until Christmas." He said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I held back a groan.

"Yes." He chuckled softly. "He wants you to be as prepared as possible."

"In case of an attack?" I read the hidden meaning behind his words, my shoulders slumping a little.

"We never know." Steve's smile was sympathetic again. "We don't want anything happening to you. We have got max security, but it's HYDRA, they can pretty much do anything they put their mind to, no matter how smart Tony is. He is just one, there are so many of them."

"What if they do attack?" I asked softly, my heart sinking as I thought of the possibility of them taking me away from here again. "What if I'm not strong enough to defend myself? My powers are basically uncontrollable. I'm both physically and mentally weak. You can literally see that for yourself. All of my clothes hang off me, I wouldn't take them much to press that button and I become their mindless assassin again."

"Emily." He knelt down as tears began to prick at my eyes, my voice wobbling as words tumbled out of my mouth. "Come here."

I didn't hesitate to rush into his open arms, burying my head into his shirt as I struggled and failed to hold in the tears. I was glad it was just us left in the lounge room, I hated breaking down and being weak in front of people. But it was different with Steve, he was... he was almost like a father figure of some sort. I had always kind of viewed Tony as the father figure since he had always provided me with so much physical stuff, but Steve was kind of like... the emotional support I suppose.

"Thank you." I whispered, my voice slightly muffled by his shirt as I tried to stop my tears from soaking his shirt, but it was a little late.

"You're not weak, okay?" His voice was still soft and gentle as he spoke to me. "Yes, you may not be in the physical position you were in over six months ago, but that doesn't mean you're weak, okay? You've just changed."

"But for the worse." I sniffled, shifting in his grip slightly to try and speak a little clearer.

"But that doesn't mean it will always be worse." Steve shook his head, moving my hair out of my face as I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "Things will look up for you eventually, and they already have started to. I mean, your back with us, that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes." I chuckled weakly at the teasing tone in his end words. "I suppose so."

"Look, I won't push you hard in training tomorrow." He said, smiling softly down at me. "I know you're capable of much more than you think you are at the moment. I want you to be prepared for an attack just in case, but don't spend the whole night dreading it, okay? You'll only ruin your fun. This is your first proper Christmas that you remember, don't spend the whole of it worrying. We've got your back."

"I know." I sniffled again and slowly began to untangle myself from his arms to wrap my own around his big body, which was rather pathetic considering how much taller and broader he was compared to me.

"You should go have a shower." He hugged me back, super gently though like he was afraid of squeezing me to death or something. "Pepper said she was going to start dinner in half an hour, you should change into something comfortable."

"I will." I nodded, probably seeming a little eager as I slowly let go of him because he chuckled softly and helped me stand up.

"Oh and Emily?" He called out to me just as I began walking to the stairs, causing me to turn around and look at him curiously. "Don't forget, you can come to me about anything, okay?"

"Of course." I smiled softly, guilt churning inside me slightly as I knew that I wouldn't, and couldn't, open up to Steve about anything, as much as I wanted to. I couldn't open up to anyone.