Everything the Light Touches

Chapter Nineteen

a/n: hiiiii friiiiiiends. this is a little filler chapter to hopefully appease y'all for a little bit. life has been so crazy the last month and i am so sorry for how long it has taken to update this fic. this chapter is definitely not as long as all the other chapters and for that I apologize.

Ringing in your ears.

The murmur of voices, speaking softly but hurriedly. As if too afraid to speak above a whisper. For fear of disturbing you. The people around you.

It's too late for that. It's hard to disturb the dead.

Wails. The wails of a wife mourning her husband. It was Winnie's sharp intake of breath before letting out another wail that brought you back to the present. Making you too aware of the feel of blood soaking through your fingers. To the red staining your wedding dress. To the tears making tracks down your cheeks as your body froze. It was as if you were wading through water. The voices were still muffled but you couldn't seem to take your eyes off the body next to you. The feeling of a hand touching your shoulder grasped your attention as you tried to turn your head to face its owner. You were moving too slowly. Too slowly to actually function. But you knew you needed to look away. To get out. You all needed to get out. But looking into the shattered soul of Bucky Barnes had all the air whooshing out of your lungs.

Looking Bucky in the eyes was like what you expected it would feel like to open an airplane door mid-flight. He was watching you, his hand moving slowly to lightly grasp your chin. He was checking on you, making sure you weren't harmed. But while he was checking on your physical wellbeing, you were taking inventory about his mental wellbeing. Bucky Barnes had spent years perfecting his look of disinterest, working hard to make sure a single emotion was never betrayed on his face. But Bucky wasn't trying. You could see every single emotion fighting for dominance in his eyes. A roiling ocean of anger, angst, and fear. But he would never say that out loud. Bucky would never declare weakness. And this? This was intended to make him look weak.

"It was intended for me," he whispered to himself as he took your hands into his own and stared at his father's blood staining you, his mother and the ground around him.

You couldn't breathe.

You knew he was telling the truth. You both were aware that your marriage would start a war but you had, naively, thought it would take a little bit until the retaliation. And you surely didn't expect the retaliation to begin with death.

Winnie's wails had transitioned to hyperventilation, pulling you and Bucky from your shared shock to take in his mother. To full take stock of the situation at hand.

Natasha was in the process of pulling Winnie away from George's body, but the widow gripped tighter, wails falling from her mouth yet again. Shattering your heart into a million pieces all over again and pulling your body over the edge. Sobs wracked your body as Bucky gripped you close to his chest and allowed you to cry before he was handing you to Steve and making his way to his mother. Winnie's sobs worsened when Bucky took her in his arms and attempted to try and soothe his mother. As well as one can in such a traumatic moment.

The police showed up at some point but Steve and Bucky had taken over at some point, leaving you and Natasha to offer a shred of comfort to Winnie after the police had to practically force her out of the way so they could take George's body. Her tears were soaking your hair and yours were soaking her dress. You knew the family was going to do something to make sure the word didn't spread too far and wide about George's death and if the press found out they'd find some way to try and spin it to take the heat off the rumors that would eventually swirl through Manhattan.

"He loved you. He always loved you. He suspected James being a part of the reason why you left all those years ago. But he never stopped loving you and he was always looking out for you," Winnie's voice cracked as she spoke, squeezing your hand to emphasize her words, bringing fresh tears to both of your eyes.

Another hour passed.

And eventually your group was being moved into cars that weren't marred with bullet holes and taken to the place you weren't expecting.

Stark Tower.

Tony and Pepper threw their door open, welcoming the members of the Barnes family into their penthouse before pulling you and Winnie into their arms and offering condolences, new shoulders to cry on.

"Winnifred, I am so so sorry. I know there's nothing I can say to change it, but please if you need anything, you can come to me," Pepper urged, rubbing her hand on Winnie's back.

You heard Tony whispering his condolences to Bucky and offering his penthouse as headquarters for the necessary regrouping that would no doubt take place through the next many days. At least until George's funeral.

You heard Bucky's whispered thanks as he sat gingerly on the couch next to you.

What do you say to someone who just watched their father die a brutal death? On what was supposed to be the happiest day of your life?

Nothing.

There are no words.

But actions?

You slipped your hand into his, offering a tight squeeze.

He returned the gesture.

You'd get through this. You all would. It would hurt. You knew that. It already felt like someone had started the process of cleaving your very soul from your body. But you needed to survive. You had to survive. George would have wanted it.

Bucky stood abruptly as Steve entered the room with a number of Barnes men. Their faces were almost identical. Somber looks with obvious anger simmering behind their eyes. You could practically feel the tension in the room as Steve approached Bucky slowly. Stopping right in front of his best friend. Dropping to his knees.

And withdrawing his gun. Holding it flat in his palm. An offering.

And then he spoke.

"I offer my life and my loyalty, to the family Barnes. Upon the death of George Henry Barnes," the sound of those in the room taking in a collective sharp inhale as his voice wobbled slightly, "I promise to walk beside James Buchanan Barnes. The head of this family. I promise to stay loyal. To never betray this organization. And should I fail, I offer my gun. My life. There will always be a bullet with my name on it."

The words that Steve spoke fell heavy over your group. You could see Bucky's throat moving as he tried hard to swallow the hurt that was making its way up his throat. It was dead silent as the room awaited Bucky's response. Bucky nodded his head slightly, a silent gesture for Steve to stand. Steve bowed his head, moving his gun back to his holster as he stood, awaiting his boss' response.

He took in a body shuddering breath and responded.

"Steven Grant Rogers, your loyalty has been noted by this family for years. You will be the underboss of this family. And no one is to question you. You will take on the jobs assigned to you. And should my time on this earth be short, you will take care of this family. And so it is known."

"And so it is known," the other Barnes men repeated as Steve took a step to Bucky's right side and the remaining men began their oath to Bucky and the family much like Steve just had.

James Buchanan Barnes was officially the boss of the Barnes family.

And everything was going to change.