Buckys pov
She's been stressing and readying for the court date. I've been by her side through it all of course. AJ is perfect as always. Now we have to go to the court date. Steve testifies about him "I love her. She left me and didn't tell me she was having my child. It took me a bit to track her down but I did. She gave my son my best friends middle and last name and lashed out. Told me she didn't want me near the child that is mine. I didn't want it to come to this but she refused to let me be in his life and that's all I want. I want us to be a family. My son deserves that much."
I'm called and the lawyer says "you're Steve's best friend correct?" I nod "I was, yes" "and when did you start seeing Josephine stark?" His lawyer Brian asks. Is he insinuating that she's a whore? I say "we've always been friends we didn't get together until months into her pregnancy" the lawyer asks "and you what? Wanted to play house? With your track record you're not safe around a child. You were an assassin, and looking at this you still have violent tendencies" I glare "is there a question or are you just going to point out details you know nothing about?"
"What made you think you'll be a stable and good father to that child?" Brian asks me. I say "I was freed from the programming that made me the winter soldier and I was exonerated because of it. Josephine is the one that made it possible. I love AJ as if he's my flesh and blood. The fact that he's not doesn't and will never bother me. He's mine. I'm free and I am not a violent person. I don't have nightmares that make me violent. I'll never hurt that little boy. I'm a good father to that boy because I love him. I was there during her pregnancy, going out and getting whatever she needed, I was there for her appointments and I was there when we found out he was a boy. I was there when she almost died birthing him and I heard him cry out. I wake and feed him at nights when josie is too exhausted, I painted his room, I go to every drs visit and change him and I kissed his head as he got his shots as well. I'm a good father to that baby. Nothing you say will take that from me"
Brian asks "do you really trust an assassin with a baby?" to the jury. Our lawyer Greg stands "objection he's addressing the jury." "That is all your honor" Brian says. Greg asks me "what made you step up to be a father?" "Josephine left the compound. She found out about the pregnancy and I found her. I stepped up because I knew that's what she and AJ deserved. Someone who's going to be there and love them" I reply. "And why wasn't Mr Rogers an option?" Greg questions.
"Because he led her on and treated her badly and cheated on her for I wanna say a month or two. She wanted someone who'd never let her baby boy down the way he did to her. Steve often told her how he never wanted a child in the first place. She also knows his job and with enemies...she just wanted her son away from it all and safe" I reply to him. "You're retired from the avengers correct?" he asks. I nod "we both are. He's our main priority and we want to be there with him and not away and relying on someone else to raise our child most of the time" he nods "when did you fall in love with Anthony James?" I smile "as soon as I found out about him, honestly. I made a promise to Josephine to be the perfect father, one he deserves and I intend to keep it. I didn't know what being a father entailed or how to do it. She didn't know how to be a mother either but we learned together. Yes a child needs food, water, clothes. But the main thing he needs is love and he has that with us."
"You may step down Mr. Barnes. Ms. Stark" he says. I walk down and squeeze her hand as I pass. "Ms Stark how long were you with Steve Rogers?" He asks. "3 years..." she replies and he questions "how did you feel with him" "at first it was great. Then he showed his true colors. Steve is a narcissist. Gaslit me into thinking I was crazy for thinking he was cheating. Which he was." She replies again. Greg nods "and how did he treat you? Toward the end?" "Terribly. We argued a lot about the bond he had with the woman who he was cheating on me with. A coworker. He often threw my mothers mental illness that she died from in my face and would tell me to get checked because he was angry I was accusing him of something that was true. He was borderline abusive" she tells him.
"Did you find out you were pregnant before or after you left him for cheating on you?" He questions "after. And then I left the avengers compound" she says. "Why didn't you tell Steve?" He asks. "Because he was borderline abusive to me. I didn't want to chance him being so toward my child. He's told me he doesn't want children, he'd make me believe he was going to ask me to marry him but would say he's just kidding. That's not something I want my son around. AJ is mine. Steve only decided he wanted me again because his mistress cheated on him. My son has a father and it's James." She says.
Brian takes over the questions "did you have an affair with Mr Barnes?" "If I had an affair with james, my son would biologically be his. Not Steve's and we wouldn't be here." She replies annoyed. "Did you get checked for mental health related issues?" He asks. She says "I have no signs of being like how my mother was. She was schizophrenic and bi polar. But I do monitor it. I'm fine" "you just found out he cheated did you keep the child from him out of spite?" He asks and Greg says "objection, question was already answered. My client didn't find out until after she found out about the affair" "next question" the judge says.
And Brian says "you chose an assassin for a father for your child why?" She chuckles "James isn't the winter soldier. I'm the one who got rid of it. Hydra were the assassins he was just their tool. He's my fathers child because I love him and so does AJ. He's my childs father because he stepped up." "You have a ring on your finger. How long did it take for that to happen?" He asks and Greg says "objection her being engaged has nothing to do with her ability to be a mother" "next question" the judge replies. "Don't you think your son deserves a true family?" He asks "he has one. With me and James as his parents, as my father as his grandfather and now that everyone else knows he has aunts and uncles" she replies. "Steve deserves a chance at being a father dont you think?" He asks and she sasses "then tell him to go have a child with someone who's willing to roll over and take his verbal and mental abuse. I won't subject my son to him or his behavior. Steve is the one who told me he doesn't want kids. I'm sure he was talking about not wanting children with me because if I'm not mistaken he and the woman who he cheated on me with were looking for miracle doctors so he can have one with her."
"What makes you think you're a good mother?" He questions and she replies "I carried him and almost lost my life birthing him into this world. Everything I do, is for him. My every thought revolves around him and his happiness. Anthony us a happy baby, always smiling. He's smart too. Picks up on our moods it seems as well. When Steve discovered my son, he started to scream and cry and wouldn't stop until Steve left. I'm a good mother, even if James wasn't here I'd have done it all alone and I was prepared to do so. He's my son. My precious little boy. One I was willing to die so he could be here. He's perfectly healthy."
He asks "and you don't think Steve would be a good father?" "No matter how much I wanted to believe that he would've, while were together. No. He claimed to love me at one point, if how he treated me is how he treats those he loves...I don't want to know how he'll treat my son. I also know Steve is acting irrationally and will wake up and not want this. He acted irrationally asking me to be with him and keeping me there and one day he woke up and decided he didn't want it anymore. I won't put my son through it. I won't have my son wondering when or if Steve was going to come or wonder if he's loved by him. He has me and he has james and his grandfather. He's loved already. He doesn't need Steve." She replies
"You're okay with taking a son away from a father based on a what if?" Brian says. Josie states "it's not a what if. Steve isn't fit to be a father. All I'm doing is putting Anthony's best interest at heart" she's called down and she's handed Anthony by Wanda. She smiles and coddles him as the judge says "in the case of Steve Rogers v Josephine stark I find that Anthony James Barnes will be staying with his mother. Do you want child support Ms Stark" she says "no. I do not" "case dismissed" the judge says and I smile happy as does she. I take Anthony and smile "you're staying with us little dude!" I kiss his face and pull her in for a kiss and mutter "we did it" she grins "we did it"
