MTMTE. Hidey Hole in the Desert. Helping and Healing Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Legacy: *makes the blankets on the bed rustle as she wakes up* *bleary blinking as she realizes she's alone on the bed*

canyon: *peaceful, normal sounds, broken only by the very soft, alien crackle of fire*

Legacy: *puzzled by the crackle of fire. Knows the wildfires are too far away... Will roll off of the bed and make her stumbly way to the outside*

Steve: *sitting a little distance away on a rock, softly murmuring to Sadie as he feeds her mice from the stack by his left foot. On his right side is the small, smokeless fire with a young jackrabbit roasting over it*

Sadie: *trying to figure out this new friend. She could tell when he woke up that he was hungry, but he never touched any of the mice she brought him and fed the rabbit to the hothot. And now he's feeding HER the mice!*

Legacy: Aww.

Steve: *lifts his head and looks toward her, his mouth curving into a smile* *quietly* How do you feel?

Legacy: Want coffee.

Steve: *frowns slightly and looks toward the shelter* Do you have any?

Legacy: *thinking, headshake* Cafe in town has.

Steve: *expression says that he doesn't want to go back to civilization yet, but that he also doesn't want to deny Legacy the drink. Rises to his feet and pats his pocket to check for his wallet* What do you take in it?

Legacy: *blank look. It's been so long since she had coffee that she doesn't remember what she used to like it with* ... Milk. Sugar... *trails off as she thinks on this some more*

Steve: *gently* Do you know?

Legacy: *much concentration!* Milk... sugar... *soft giggle* Would you like some coffee with your milk and sugar?

Steve: *face clears into a smile* Sweet latte. Got it.

Legacy: *moves to lean against you, Steve. Still looks a little sleepy*

Steve: *arm around her and gently rubs her back, blue eyes showing his affection and concern*

Legacy: *happy snuggle*

Steve: *quietly* How about a little roast rabbit? It's nearly ready.

Legacy: Smells good.

Steve: *sees if he can't lead her over to the rock he'd been sitting on*

Legacy: *will go, absently humming something as she's lead*

Steve: *will sit her carefully on the rock, and then go get some of the huge leaves from a nearby cottonwood sprout. Lays these down next to the fire and then takes the sizzling rabbit down and uses the stick it roasted on and his pocket knife to divide the carcass into two pieces. Carefully sprinkles these with wood ash and then offers the nicer looking portion to Legacy*

Legacy: *small smile as she quietly thanks Steve. Ducks her head for a moment*

Steve: *goes back to his own leaf plate, which holds the body of the carcass. Bows his own head and gives a silent thanks for this food and this place*

Legacy: *will begin digging in once she's finished giving thanks*

Steve: *glances around as he eats, absently wondering if there's some way that he could get back here easily. Because this little canyon, and that shelter under the rock, feels a lot more like home right now than the fancy apartment that SHIELD has gotten him in Brooklyn*

Legacy: *stops eating for a moment to fish what looks like a fancy wristwatch out of her pocket* *will offer it*

Steve: *hastily wipes one hand on the hem of his jeans, and then takes the watch* What's this?

Legacy: Teleporter. Flashy swishy travel. *grin*

Steve: *brows lift* Is this what you used to bring me here?

Legacy: Mmmnope. Opened a door.

Steve: *studies the watch with an intent frown* Is it safe to press buttons?

Legacy: Mmmyup. Just not the green one, 'less you wanna go. *nodnod*

Steve: *sets it down carefully, remembering his manners* I'll take a look after breakfast.

Legacy: 'Kay. *back to nomming*

Steve: *also eats, his eyes going from place to place in the canyon* *quietly* You know what I was thinking?

Legacy: *looks up* Feels like home?

Steve: *nods, his eyes darkening slightly* As much as anything does anymore. *more quietly, as he looks at his meal* It's quiet here.

Legacy: *nodnod* Is good for hiding from Tony, too.

Steve: *half smile* I think a place like this would make his head explode.

Legacy: *snickerfit* No wifi. Jarvis'd have fits.

Steve: And no cell phone reception. *bite of tasty meat*

Legacy: Mmmyup. Good hidey-hole. *nods and resumes eating*

Steve: *thinks this is great, but wonders how he'd know if there was an emergency*

Legacy: Sync watch 'n phone. *nod*

Steve: *brows lift* Really?

Legacy: *nodnod* Calls go to watch for emergencies only.

Steve: *finishes his portion of rabbit and sets the leaf and bones on the ground, then wipes his hands and has a good look at the watch* *quietly* Would it bother you if I added a few things? *thinking of a privy*

Legacy: *sheepish grin* Couldn't think of everything.

Steve: *slight blush* Well, there are some things you don't need.

Legacy: *small nod, will carefully wrap the rabbit bones in the leaf before setting the bundle on the ground* Town's about five miles from here... Has a grocery store, library, and gas station.

Steve: *listens in his intent way* What's the best way to get there?

Sadie: *busy cleaning up. Bones go over here!*

Legacy: *expression a bit distant* Out through canyon, left turn, walk walk walk, right turn, go straight... Past big rock and tree, left turn, follow road.

Steve: *nods, but then frowns* Your coffee'll be cold before I get back.

Legacy: Coming with you.

Steve: *brows lift* Oh. Alright.

Legacy: *up off of the rock, dusts butt*

Steve: *also stands and dusts off, then steps over and hesitates a bit before offering his hand*

Legacy: *will happily take your hand, Steve. And sing a song about word crimes*

Sadie: *walks along with them till they reach the mouth of the canyon. Then she sits and watches them go*

Legacy: *quietly content as she walks* *soft snickerfit*

Steve: *turns from his contemplation of their surroundings and of the fact that he doesn't smell like he hasn't had a shower or used deodorant*

Legacy: Mira cast-bonked Tony. Serves him right, being lippy to her. *nod*

Steve: *surprised and quizzical look* Mira's got a cast?

Legacy: *nodnod* Got hurt gettin' peeps outta a building in San Francisco. Rocks fell, but nobody died.

Steve: Something happened in San Francisco?

Legacy: Icky bad blood critter.

Steve: *concerned now as he tries to think of what she means* *and then stops and looks back* I forgot the watch.

Legacy: ... Brb. *will go get the watch*

Steve: *blinks as she vanishes in a swirl of hair*

Legacy: *back a few moments later with a soft popping sound* *wrinkles nose* Stupid peeps from bad door. *headshake* Not gonna try that again. *looks to Steve* Phone?

Steve: *takes a moment for his mind to catch up with her, and then pats his right hand hip pocket* You want my phone?

Legacy: *nodnod* Yup. Sync watch and phone.

Steve: *gives her the largely unused and unexplored Stark issue smart phone*

Legacy: *wrinkles nose* Tony needs to quit showin' off. *will get the watch and the phone connected, fingers flying as she works on syncing the two items so that emergency calls will go to the watch, and normal calls will go to the phone*

Steve: *slight smile* Tell him that. *watching* No. Please put it all on the watch. *has no fondness for the slender, clear phone*

Legacy: Did. And 'kay. *work work work*

Steve: *smiles a little more widely, but then looks toward a movement to their right*

Legacy: *absent 'hm?'* *still syncing everything*

Steve: *stops and frowns as he catches a flash of heathery purple* There's something hiding behind that rock.

Legacy: *offers watch, is thinking about popping up behind whatever's there* *will listen first, to make sure it's not anything that could hurt Steve*

Steve: *as the creature pokes its head over the rock he blinks and wonders if he hit his head* A purple lion?

Legacy: *blink blink* Is purple. *surprised* Long way from home.

cat: *puts front paws up on the rock. Does indeed look like a greyish purple lioness with pretty green eyes* Kitteh comes in peace!

Steve: ...

Legacy: ... *snickerfit* Mama Yau rocks.

cat: *rollicking laugh* Yeah!

Steve: *stares at Legacy* What?

Legacy: *points to the cat* Is LOLcat. Part'a the DenYa Coalition. Came as peace and friendship offer. Mama Yau is boss-lady DenYa.

cat: Yup! Kitteh's hear to share teh luv! *looks like she's grinning happily*

Legacy: *to the cat* Kitteh got name?

cat: Feather Heather!

Steve: *...isn't that what Thora was saying the other day when she was drunk and burping?*

Legacy: *snickerfit* Yus. Was drunk 'cause of feast. Not like Loki. *brat grin*

Steve: *blushes furiously at having his thoughts overheard* Sorry.

Heather: *perked ears* Kitteh missed somethin' good?

Legacy: *points to self* Lots'a stuff heard, not a lot'a peeps can hear. *nod* Tesseract lost my marbles.

Heather: *laughs and bounces over, moving all four paws at once*

Steve: *did he really just see that?*

Legacy: *will give scritchies to Heather* *to Steve* DenYa good peeps. Fightin' the bad ones 'n makin' the big Boss laugh.

Heather: *cuddle, love love love! Just inviting you to get her in a headlock, Legacy*

Steve: *looks at Legacy* So... this is an ambassador from another planet?

Legacy: *nodnod* Mmmyup. Is also chatty pet-person by choice. *lovingly headlocks Heather*

Heather: Lotsa wurlds. *choked purry sound. Is blissfully content*

Steve: *lifts brows* A lot of worlds? *eyes back to Legacy*

Legacy: *expression a bit distant* Lots of families of LOLcats, all over the galaxy and beyond...

Heather: 'N lotsa kindsa DenYa peeps! *hurk* ^_^

Legacy: Lots'a DenYa because they ask peeps if they wanna get in on the party, but don't force 'em if they say "No".

Heather: *nod nod!* :3

Steve: Huh. *slight smile* What are we going to do about you in town though, Heather?

Heather: Kitteh waits outside. Liek liddle 'roni sticks!

Legacy: *sudden dirty rotten stinker chuckle*

Steve: *alarmed* Legacy, think about it carefully.

Heather: *looks up* Whut's funneh?

Legacy: *blink* But phone bounces on Tony's head.

Steve: *relieved* Oh. *grins and offers his hand as he turns toward town* That's alright, then.

Legacy: Heather's goin' on Helicarrier later. *nodnod* *will reach for your hand, Steve* Fury'll love that. *grin*

Steve: She can't be worse than Thora?

Heather: *released from headlock, she decides to bounce a bit more. It is fun* *sproink, sproink, sproink!*

Legacy: Thora's busy. *nodnod*

Steve: She's still given Director Fury headaches. *watches the LOLcat* How are you doing that?

Heather: Issa tigger! *sproink sproink sproink!*

Legacy: *absent hum. Knows some things that really would give Fury a headache, but since she doesn't have permission to tell, she won't say anything about them*

Steve: *looking at her quizzically* Tigger? From 'Winnie The Pooh'?

Legacy: *soft giggle* Bottom made outta springs.

Heather: *sproink sproink sproink!* Top made outta rubber!

Steve: ...You've lost me.

Legacy: Tigger. Tops made outta rubber, bottoms made outta springs. Bouncy kitty.

Steve: That wasn't in the books...

Legacy: Is in cartoon.

Steve: *brow clears* Ahhhh. I haven't seen any of those. *slight grin*

Legacy: Need to. Is cute. *nodnod*

Steve: *quietly* You can show them to me. *watches Heather sproink past ahead of them*

Legacy: *small nod* After coffee.

Steve: *surprised* You have a television?

Legacy: Bought downloads to watch on watch. Back at hidey-hole.

Steve: *mystified glance for his own new watch, which is still in Legacy's hand* You can watch TV on it?

Legacy: Yup. No Fox News though. Icky. Bad. Pleh. :P

Steve: *chuckles and then pauses and automatically holds out his free hand as Heather stops in front of them and offers him something* What's this?

Heather: *drops it in his hand* Pretteh rox!

Legacy: Oooo.

rock: *is quartz with a bit of gold in it*

Steve: *scratches at the glittering streak and grins slightly, then offers the rock to Legacy, his eyes asking what she thinks of it*

Legacy: Is shiiiiny pretty rock. *nodnod* *will carefully turn the rock over and over in her hands once she's grabbed it*

Steve: *sad that she's taken her hand away, but happy to watch her examine the rock*

Legacy: *will lean against you for now, Steve*

Steve: *could keep walking if he put his arm around her, but he's a gentleman and has been taught to respect a lady's space. So he stops*

Legacy: *will free a hand to reach for your arm now, Steve*

Steve: *smiles and offers arm. Then realizes that he now has his watch in one hand and absently stuffs it into his pocket*

Legacy: *contented humming*

Steve: *looks ahead* *softly* Is that town?

Legacy: *looks* Mmyup.

Heather: *has found a prickly pear patch! Is nomming one of the fruits after skinning it successfully* Nomma!

Legacy: *giggle* Heather found good noms.

Steve: *looks at the young cat as she falls in beside them* Is that cactus?

Legacy: Prickly pear. *nodnod* Type'a cactus.

Heather: *still mumbling happily* Mnomnomnomnom... =^.^=

Legacy: *quietly content now*

Steve: *falls silent, though he's picturing in his mind what Nikki Fury's reaction to a purple lioness that talks like a meme will be*

Legacy: *doing her best not to snickerfit*

Steve: *ruefully, as he watches the town become more distinct as they get closer to it* There's no way that meeting's going to be neat, is there?

Legacy: *contemplates* *headshake* Nope. 'Specially if Mama Yau comes down to talk to Fury, too. Thick accent. Hard to hack.

Steve: o.o ...Is she coming?

Heather: Mmmmup!

Legacy: Will if problems needin' her touch.

Steve: *uncertain if he wants to really know right now, when he's in a lovely place with good company and nothing nagging at him* What kind of problems?

Legacy: *listening now* Fury throwing temper tantrum 'bout Heather, mostly. *nodnod*

Steve: *hastily* Maybe she could stay here.

Heather: *head butts him in the bum* Mmmnope!

Legacy: *headshake* Mama Yau wanted Heather to go to peeps who knew 'bout aliens so she'd be safe.

Steve: Both of use know about aliens...

Heather: Kitteh gunna go on flyship!

Legacy: Safe from poachers with Fury.

Steve: *flash of surprise and anger* I hadn't thought of that. Ack! *turns his head and flails slightly with the arm that Legacy hasn't got* Heather, quit.

Heather: *pushin' him to town with her head against his bum!*

Legacy: *snickerfitdie* XD

Steve: *and then he has to let go of Legacy so he can flail both arms* Heather!

Heather: *sings a very old Levi's jeans commercial* Bum bum bum bum!

Legacy: *laughing muchly now*

Steve: *awking and squawking, and acting up a bit to make Legacy laugh more. He's amused and happy despite his embarrassment* *and then he's flailing and stumbling as the pushing stops*

Legacy: *gonna catch you, Steve*

Heather: *sits pretty and wraps her tail around her big feet*

Steve: *blinks at Legacy* *slightly breathless* What happened?

Legacy: *looks to Heather* Knows she can't get closer.

Heather: Mmmyup. Kitteh waits heer. *daintily watches the tip of her tail twitch*

Steve: Oh. Right. *tries to get his feet under him*

Legacy: *gonna try and help with that*

Steve: *easily regains his balance, and then looks over his shoulder at his butt* *mutter* Just tell me she's not going to stare at it like half the bridge crew.

Legacy: Thrrpt. Gonna have static if they do.

Steve: *straightens and stares at her for a moment, but then smiles and offers his arm yet again* Didn't we have somewhere to go?

Legacy: *blink blink, perk* Yus. Coffee, then supplies! :D

Steve: *laughs and agrees*


A couple hours later....


Legacy: *kind of cheating as she helps Steve put together the privy, is floating upside down and holding parts of the building in place*

Steve: *passes up another nail, and then looks down at the big can they got for the toilet part of the composting privy. Startled laugh* There's a fox in the can.

Sadie: *glances up, whiskers twitching. You wants fox?*

Legacy: *snickerfit* Sadie, out. Go see Heather.

Sadie: *outs as told, and then looks around to find out what it is she's supposed to go see*

Heather: *laying on her back a little ways away, doing a quadrupedal bicycle movement and singing something as the little bell Legacy hung on her new collar jingles softly*

Legacy: *works on making sure the part she's hammering is sturdy*

Steve: *hands up the last nail for the translucent corrugated roof* Down, Sadie. *looks down himself and then stoops to take the fan from the fox* Thank you.

Sadie: *chrrs and goes to find something else to bring*

Legacy: *finishes hammering the nails into place* Next part?

Steve: *studies the tiny building, then looks at the plan on the paper they bought* That's it, except the fan.

Heather: *toilet seat around her neck, and the lid sitting on her head* Kitteh PRITTY.

Sadie: *looks over. Furpoof. Yap yap!*

Legacy: *looks* *nearly falls from her floating position in a gigglefit*

Steve: 0_0

Heather: *gleefully mugs for Legacy's benefit*

Legacy: *squeaks as she forgets to float*

Steve: *snaps out of shock and steps forward to catch her*

Heather: Meep!

Sadie: *hided!*

Legacy: *so surprised that all she can do is blink* ...

Steve: *kisses her on the forehead and moves to set her on her feet, thinking nothing of the incident*

Legacy: *BLUSH, nearly silent squee*

Steve: *gravely offers her the fan, his eyes dancing*

Legacy: *reminded of the task at hand, will look to see where the fan needs to go*

Steve: *shows her how it's meant to dry out the stuff in the privy* It goes on the back wall, at the bottom. *glances at the can and realizes that Sadie's canned fox again and is peeking out to see if everything's alright*

Legacy: *small nod* *to Sadie* Out. Not a fox hidey hole.

Sadie: *outs and comes over for a little reassurance that it's all safe and good*

Heather: Poor foxeh scareded.

Legacy: *scritchies for Sadie*

Sadie: *takes a few minutes to calm down, but then she's looking around and thinking what would be nice for the peoples to eat*

Steve: *picks up the can and fits the pee funnel to it* Oh right, we need to bury the pipe from this. *looks around*

Legacy: Aim at babby cottonwood. *nodnod*

Steve: *looks that way* It won't interfere with ground water there?

Legacy: *headshake* Will be good for tree.

Steve: Alright. *sets down the can and the funnel, then grabs the little shovel and gets to work*

Sadie: *yaps and chirrs and squeaks as she goes over beside him and starts to dig too*

Steve: Hey. What're you doing?

Legacy: *listening to things unseen for a moment* Helpin' dig.

Steve: *watches the little fox* Did you tell her where to dig?

Legacy: Nup. Watched you, wants to help. *nod*

Steve: *as he resumes digging* I hadn't realized they were so intelligent.

Legacy: *will get the fan installed*

Heather: *sitting up and muttering as she paws at the toilet seat with both front paws*

Steve: *with the energetic little fox's help he's soon got the pipe laid in a deep trench that ends near the base of the little cottonwood* *and then, to Sadie's utter astonishment, he starts filling in the hole*

Sadie: *watches with her head to one side, but then understands! He's storing the long thing! Starts working again, little paws busy*

Legacy: *will help Heather get the toilet seat off, and gently usher the lioness out of the privy before moving to install the seat where it belongs*

Steve: *finishes filling in the trench and then walks down it to compact the soil and gravel before stooping to set aside the shovel and scratch Sadie's ears* So that's done.

Heather: Nuh uh!

Steve: *looks at her* What did we forget?

Heather: Huk 4 showerz!

Steve: Right.

Legacy: *blink blink* Seat's on... *looking a bit distracted now*

Steve: *takes the hook and goes over to where they built a wall jutting out from the side of the privy. Screws the hook securely to the wall, and the place to hang the solar shower bag is finished* There. All the conveniences of home. *comes out, looking for Legacy*

Legacy: *is sitting on a rock and zoning out as she listens to things*

Steve: *frown of concern. Quickly puts all the tools into the canvas bag they brought them home in, and then goes to one knee next to Legacy* *softly* Legacy, can you hear me?

Legacy: *blinks* Hi.

Steve: Are you looking at something?

Legacy: Lots'a things... Mira's bored now.

Steve: *winces* That won't end well.

Legacy: Can't leave hospital yet. Can't troll Tony either, 'cause phone's gone.

Steve: Couldn't you give her one of those pen phones that don't interfere with things? You know, the top secret ones that we always have to give back after a mission?

Legacy: *considering look*

Steve: *grins* She knows Stark's number, right?

Legacy: Mhmm... *still has a slightly absent look to her expression*

Steve: *grin fades into a frown of concern* Do we have to go back?

Legacy: Not yet. Tryin' t' see how long Mira's gotta be cooped up...

Steve: *relief shows on his face* Oh.

Legacy: Mira needs out. Will be worse if not out soon...

Steve: *brows up* She's not in the infirmary at the 'Carrier?

Legacy: Nope. San Francisco.

Steve: *slight sigh* We better go get her.

Legacy: *nodnod*

Steve: *dusts his pants and glances at Heather, who is laying with her chin on her paws* I'm ready.

Legacy: Gonna open door. We come back, bring Heather and Mira to Fury?

Steve: *nods* Yeah. She doesn't mind the infirmary on the ship.

Legacy: *nod* Likes tiny boxes.

Heather: *sits up, face suddenly urgently intent* Box?

Steve: *face palm. Snerk*

Legacy: Mira lives in tiny apartment. *nod*

Heather: Kitteh need box. *looks around hopefully*

Steve: *looks at Legacy, his amusement clear* Let's go.

Legacy: 'Kay. *to Sadie* BBS. *hand out to open a portal*

Sadie: *looks around and decides to go have a nap on the bed*

Steve: *quiet chuckle as he reaches a hand toward Legacy* She's not even fazed by all this.

Legacy: *chuckles* *reaches for Steve's hand*

Steve: *gives her fingers a squeeze, and then sighs as he feels Heather butt him on the bum*

Legacy: *snicker*

Steve: *resigned* Let's just go.

Legacy: 'Kay. *will lead the way through the portal*

((written with random_xtras))

Continued here