Can We Keep Her?

When We Were Beautiful

Steve and Bucky sat on the side of the bed.  Both knew they needed to move, but neither of them was able to make themselves. Time had taken a lot lately. Pepper passed peacefully around six years ago. A couple of years after that they'd received a call that Clint had slipped and fallen in the shower. He never woke from the induced coma the doctors had put him in. Natasha had returned to New York to be closer to the rest of the people she considered family.

Then time had taken you.

The week had been tough, but Steve and Bucky weren't alone. Sarah still lived in the tower with America, Kate, and their three children. She still ran the chocolate business. For the past week, she had been cooking meals for Steve and Bucky every night. They recognized the behavior; it had been one of yours. She needed to be the carer so she didn't completely break down. They liked watching the way America and Kate stayed close and kept putting their hands on her. Reminding her they were still there and ready to catch her when she couldn't keep holding herself up anymore.

Anthony still lived at home. He had started working for Stark Industries New York offices and had joined the Manhattan branch of the Avengers. You, Bucky, and Steve had been helping him raise Magnus since his own mother had dropped him off and returned to Asgard. The little boy hadn't seen her since, so your passing was like him losing both a Grandmother and mother figure at once. Anthony had put a lot of energy into making sure Magnus was coping.

Rebecca was still upstate running the Avengers compound and married to Alex. The two had come back about a week before you passed and had been helping with the funeral arrangements.

Bucky and Steve would look at their family and see so many things or the future to look forward to, but without you right now it was hard to get up and move.

The bedroom door opened and Magnus came inside. He climbed up into Bucky's lap and rested his head against him. "You okay, buddy?"

Magnus shook his head. "Don't wanna go."

Steve rubbed his grandson on the back. "We get to say goodbye to Grandma."

"Don't wanna say goodbye," he said.

"Yeah. Me either, Mags," Bucky said. "But it's important."

Rebecca poked her head in the door. "You ready?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. We're coming."

Bucky leaned over and rested his head on Steve's shoulder. "This sucks," he said.

Steve nodded and pressed his lips to Bucky's head. "She said not to focus on the bad. Come on."

The family piled in cars and the procession took them downtown to the Funeral Home. Bucky, Steve, Anthony, Sam, Edwin, and your brother acted as Pallbearers as a man sat at the front of the room playing a song on the acoustic guitar.

"I guess you had to be there, she said, you had to be. She handed me a yellow photograph, and said see. This was my greatest love, my very real love, and this is me. Back when we were beautiful, see.

"I don't feel very different, she said, I know it's strange. I guess that I've got used to these little aches and pains. But I still love to dance, and oh we used to dance the night away, back when we were beautiful, them and me.

"This was my greatest love, my very real loves and this was me. Back when we were beautiful, see.

"I really love the grandkids she said, they're good to hold. They love their grandpas and all the jokes they told. You know sometimes for a laugh, the three of us would act like we were old, back then we were beautiful, I'm told. Back then we were beautiful, I'm told," he sang.