One-shot inspired by Alan Silvestri's Even for You and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. ^^^
People laughed and danced during the celebration of May. Young girls danced around the brightly coloured Maypole whilst young boys wrestled with each other. Natasha watched serenely, her head resting on Bucky's chest. He absentmindedly combed through her hair as they took in the happy community.
Thor told tales of glory and adventure to a circle of awe struck kids. They oohed and aahed and gasped as he swung an invisible sword at equally invisible attackers. Steve was bumbling around on the cobblestones, a giggling Peggy trying to teach him how to dance. Tony built little toys and oversaw a race that was going on between his sons whilst a tired Pepper relaxed in the shade.
The sun mingled with the gentle sea breeze that carried the scent of olives and baked stone. Natasha smiled as her little niece ran up to her and presented her with a messy braid of flowers she'd hand woven. She accepted the gift and planted a kiss on the little girls head. Lila skipped back to a pregnant Laura, giggling all the way. She was soon replaced by a beaming Cooper who held his hand out and was very gentlemanly when asking her to dance. "Ooh I don't know Coop, my husband over here may not like it." She winked. Bucky immediately put on his scary face.
"Don't worry sir, I'll have her back by 10." He grinned cheekily at the glowering man. Natasha elbowed him in the ribs and he grumbled as she took Cooper's offered hand.
The kid was surprisingly good. He kept in time and even twirled her. She laughed as they danced around the Rogers and she heard Peggy scolding Steve. "That's my foot Steve. Look, even the kids can dance better than you." He blushed and she placed a kiss on his cheek to cheer him up.
Finally Cooper's dance came to an end. A jealous soldier shooed him off and took his place. "My my James, jealous of Cooper?"
"You give them too much attention." She chuckled.
"Don't worry sarge, I'm all yours." They dipped and glided and twirled and span. Always in time with each other.
Unfortunately the music ended and the musicians needed to take a break. Bucky slung an arm around her shoulder and stole a quick kiss. The red head was about to retaliate when guns started firing. Confusion rippled through the crowd. From over the ridge foreign troops marched onto the unsuspecting villagers. Fear spread quickly as bodies hit the dirt, the bullets didn't discriminate.
In the panic Natasha was ripped from Bucky's arms. Screaming came from all directions and Natasha was spun around. She came into contact with a padded chest. She was soon shoved backwards and she stumbled, the man she'd run into raised his rifle. "NATALIA!" James ran towards her as she kicked the guys knee in and attempted to crawl away. James helped her up and she melted into his warm embrace. They started heading for the road into the village. They clutched each other close and tried to ignore the wails coming from all around.
Another soldier got in their way and James jumped at him. They both went rolling before James knocked him unconscious. "NATALIA GO! GET OUTTA HERE!" He rose to his knees before being smashed in the back with the butt of a gun. He grunted as he hit the floor and tried to get up. "RUN!" Another blow to his head had him sprawling in the dirt. Now Natasha heard her voice among the terrified screams. She also picked out Lila's. That snapped her back to the present.
Clint Barton was fighting off several men. Laura was laying dead at his feet with two bullet wounds, one in her head another in her stomach. Cooper ran to help but was felled by a bayonet. Clint launched at the offending soldier but soon joined the pile of the Barton family. Little Lila sprinted towards her dad but was intercepted by Natasha. She scooped the little girl up and hugged her to her chest. She ran towards the empty village with her niece in her arms.
Blood ran in rivulets through the cobbled plaza as everywhere people fell. Thor's massive body covered the group of children. Tony's lay draped over his sons and Pepper's eyes stared blankly as her hand stretched out towards her family. Wanda was dragged roughly by the hair, kicking and screaming as they bundled her fiancé into a wagon. She was kicked to the floor and a bullet was put in her head. Her fiancé howled in misery and jumped in an attempt to free himself. He soon joined her. All this Natasha processed within seconds. Her goal was to protect Lila.
She could hear the boots of troops as they finished up in the plaza and marched into the village. Natasha was in the square. She dashed down the side streets and burst out into the graveyard. Voices came from nearby and so she darted into the old crumbling church. Her breathing came in pants as her chest heaved up and down. Tears slid down her cheeks and her nose was irritating, the beginnings of a nose bleed on the way. She rocked Lila back and forth. The little girl sobbed and started wailing. Natasha clapped a hand over her mouth and pressed them into the furthest corner, Lila had the wall at her back whereas Natasha had hers to the door, her whole body being used to try and shelter her niece. The voices faded and Natasha cradled the little girl. They stayed there until dawn began creeping through the window.
Bucky was in pain. Every inch of him hurt. His blood was like white hot fire, slowly scorching him inside out whilst his bones were being ground to dust. Sharp ripples of pain spiked in his front. He heard the click of a gun and waited for the bullet. "Natalia." He moaned. He needed to know if she was safe. Nothing happened. A motor engine started up and drove away.
He was still alive the next day, how he didn't know. Blood loss finally started to take effect as the image of a little girl with pigtails swam blurrily in front of him. He groaned and felt his eyes roll back into his head, everything fading to black.
Natasha stroked the hair away from his sweaty face. In the night he'd contracted a fever. Lila was her little helper, obediently fetching and carrying any medical supplies Natasha needed to keep her husband alive. She'd sent the girl out when the sawing had started. The arm was beyond repair and so she'd gritted her teeth, stuck a wooden block in his mouth, and began sawing. He'd screamed and thrashed but remained unconscious. Poor Lila had been waiting outside with tears on her face.
Luckily Peter had been there to take care of her. Peter was Tony's eldest son and had survived the bullet to his stomach. Natasha had pulled him out from between Tony and Harley's bodies when she'd heard him whimpering. Since then he'd been helping to look after Lila. He'd also made a replacement arm which he'd helped attach to Bucky's shoulder.
Days later Bucky woke up. Weeks later Peter was better and Bucky was up. Months later all the dead had been burned. It was just them. Them and the little ghost village. The whole place reeked of death. That's when Natasha and Bucky made the decision to leave. Pretty ribbons and ornate stones had been strung on every tree and on every house. The plaza was still stained brown, no amount of rain would wash that away, but Lila and Peter had worked hard and erected a monument telling any visitor what had happened.
More tears were shed as they sailed away from the place where they'd all lived and almost died. Lila and Peter bade farewell to their families whilst Natasha and Bucky mourned their friends. But it was time to move on. A new life, a new beginning.
