FALLEN ─ marvel

IV. Goodbyes

Chapter Four
Soroya

The last few hours have been a blur. Analiese told us that she wants to bury Julian next to her parents in Saratov, Russia, so that's exactly where we have flown to. The trip here was silent, no one said a word. We loaded Julian's frozen carcass onto the ship and covered him with a blanket, none of us wanting to stare into those glassy eyes any longer. Analiese and I both silently cried while we flew to Saratov, but I had my friends and family here to comfort me, she had no one. She sat there alone, her arms crossed over her chest, her heart as heavy as mine. But even if I went over there to comfort her it wouldn't do any good. Nothing can console a heart mourning it's other half.

Analiese and Julian's parents are buried in a small graveyard next to a lovely little tree. According to her, it's just a few miles from where they used to live. The gravestones are simple and small, the inscription reading:

NINA IRINA REMINGTON
loving wife, mother, and friend
Born: November 12th, 1956
Died: March 15th, 1998

JOHNATHON ANTON REMINGTON
loving husband, father, and friend
Born: August 4th, 1957
Died: March 15th, 1998

I ask Analiese how her parents died, and she tells me that a fire started in their house and they were both killed. She and Julian were eighteen at the time. I remember when I talked to Julian about my parents while in HYDRA, there was always a hint of sadness in his expression. I thought it was because they were being held by HYDRA too, but now I know it was because they were already dead. It makes even more sense why Julian risked so much to save Analiese, she was all he had left.

We bury his body right next to his mother, and with some difficulty, we manage to inscribe a gravestone for him:

JULIAN ARMEN REMINGTON
loving brother and friend
Born: December 11th, 1980
Died: October 14th, 2003

Analiese and I both bury him together, and once Bucky puts the gravestone in place, all of us gather around his final resting place, paying respect to the man who died saving my life, the man who died a hero.

Analiese is standing alone, though Jade is close to her and trying to show her her sympathy. Jade's hand is linked with Sam's, and right next to him is John, who keeps glancing at me in concern. I have Alex and Bucky on either side of me, both holding onto my hand tightly.

It feels like he's dying all over again, it feels like the wound I've been trying to close up for two decades is being reopened. Wounds for Bucky are being reopened too. He had long since forgiven himself for what he did to Julian, but I can see that the guilt has returned now that he has seen Julian's body and had to help bury him in his grave. And even though Alex, Sam, Jade, and John didn't know Julian, they look very mournful and sad. I've talked a lot about Julian throughout the years, all of them know what he meant to me, what he'll always mean to me.

I glance at Analiese and find her expression like stone, as frozen as Julian's body now resting beneath our feet. I know what she needs, she needs some time alone to say goodbye, so I quietly gesture for everyone to step away, giving her some space. Analiese notices and nods to me courteously, kneeling down and touching the gravestone.

-

Analiese

I reach forward and touch Julian's gravestone, running my hand over the semi-neat inscription Barnes did, allowing myself to let my tears finally fall.