pure devotion | | bucky barnes | | book one

19. the funeral

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𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞

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Mila sits on the stairs in Tony Stark's lake house, watching a hologram of him. His final message. "Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope we get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And, for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in. So I thought I'd probably better record a little greeting... In the case of an untimely death on my part. I mean, not that, death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's– it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end." Tony suddenly gets up walking towards his camera. "What am I even trippin' for? Everything's gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to." He leans down and smiles. He is looking straight at Morgan. Mila feels her heart twist. "I love you 3,000." The message ends and the hologram cuts out.

Mila covers her face as Rhodey walks over to her resting a hand on her shoulder. She embraces him in a hug. Mila walks with the family out of the house. She stands off to the side to watch Pepper as she carries a wreath out of the house to an audience waiting outside for the intimate funeral. She lays the wreath on the lake.

On top of the wreath is Tony's first arc reactor which Pepper had framed with the words "Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart" way back when. The expanse of heroes is overwhelming. Steve Rogers, Peter Parker, May Parker, Thor, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange, Wong, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Janet Van Dyne, Hank Pym, Peter Quill, Nebula, Rocket, Teenage Groot, Drax, Mantis, T'Challa, Okoye, Shuri, Clint Barton & his family, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Harley Keener, Secretary Ross, Maria Hill, Carol Danvers, and Nick Fury, silently watching the wreath float away. Mila smiles sadly as the life of Tony drifts away forever.

She looks over across the crowd to see Bucky looking at her softly, she watches as he walks over to her. He reaches his hand out to her and she takes it. He leads her to the edge of the lake, still holding her hand softly. "How are feeling?" she asks him. He chuckles sadly, "Why are you always asking me how I'm doing? Someone needs to ask you one of these days." She nods her head. "I guess it's just my first instinct." Bucky looks down at Mila as she looks out at the lake, spotting the arc reactor drifting far away. He squeezes her hands softly and she turns to him. "Yeah?" he opens his arms and embraces Mila in hug. She wraps her arms around Bucky's torso. "Thank you." she whispers against his chest.

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It's been a week since the funeral. Mila stands with Bucky and Sam. Bruce is fiddling with some settings on Steve's suit. "Now, remember– You have to return the stones to the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities." "Don't worry, Bruce. Clip all the branches." "You know, I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back. I miss her, man." "Me, too." Mila looked into the distance. She had been very heart broken to find out about Natasha.

"You know, if you want, I can come with you." Sam offers Steve. "You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me, though." Steve goes over to Bucky and Mila steps away to give them a moment. They converse then they both hug each other. Steve goes over to the Quantum portal and dons the Quantum suit. "How long is this gonna take?" "For him? As long as he needs. For us? Five seconds." Mila lifts an eyebrow. Huh.

Steve picks up Mjolnir. "Ready, Cap? Alright. We'll meet you back here, okay?" "You bet." "Going quantum. Three, two, one–" Steve disappears into the Quantum portal. "-And returning in, five, four, three, two, one–" Steve doesn't appear on the pad. Bruce looks around the equipment. "Bruce?" he starts messing with the machine quickly. "Where is he?" "I don't know. He blew right by his time stamp. He should be here." "Well, get him back." "Bruce I swear to god." Mila threatens the big man. "I'm trying." "Get him the hell back!" "Hey, I said, I'm trying!" Mila stepped up to Bruce, trying to help.

"Sam..." Sam walks toward Bucky and Mila looks up. Sam, Bucky, Mila, and Bruce see an old looking Steve sitting on a bench. Mila, Sam, and Bucky go near him. "Go ahead." "You knew?" Mila asks Bucky quietly. He nodded his head. "We talked about it, it was his time to go." Mila nodded her head in understanding.

Steve pulls out his shield and hands it to Sam who looks over to Bucky, he nods, and Sam holds Steve's shield. They shake hands and Mila feels tears well up in her eyes. When Sam walks back over to Bucky, shield in hand, Mila makes her way to Steve. "Mila," "Hi, Steve." She whispers softly to him. "I missed you." Mila chuckled sadly. "I would say I felt the same but I just saw you." He nodded his head slowly, neck slow in old age.

"Take care of him for me." Mila looked at Steve carefully. It took her a moment but it clicked in her head. "I will," She looked over at Bucky, chatting with Sam. "I always will." Steve nodded happily, "You're good for him." he told her earnestly.

Mila nodded her head going to sit beside Steve. She tilted her head letting it rest on his shoulder. "I'll miss you Steve." She whispered. "I'll miss you too." Mila laughed sadly. Leaning over she kissed his cheek softly. She didn't say goodbye. She would have choked. So she simply got up and left him with a soft smile, which he returned.

Mila got back to see that Sam and Bruce had left. Bucky still waited for her patiently. He took her into a hug as he watched Steve walk away slowly. "Are we still meeting Wanda?" he asked her softly. She stepped away wiping her tears. "Yeah. Let's go."

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(A/N)

What do you think happens next?

This is the end of the book. Find out what's next in my A/N next page :)

[Word Count: 1198]