The Viper || BUCKY BARNES [2]

12 ― The Funeral

2016 ― London, England

HOLLAND STARK ACCOMPANIED STEVE ROGERS to the funeral of Peggy Carter. She respected Peggy as a colleague since they worked together for many years, but she was mainly here for Steve. This was hitting him harder than it hit her, and she just wanted to be a good friend and be there for him in whatever way he needed. Sam had also come with them for the same reason. Steve was one of the pallbearers who carried her casket down the aisle initially, and then he joined Sam and Holland in the front row as the pastor came to the front.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words." The pastor said. Sharon walked up to the podium, and Steve was still looking down. He was sitting between Sam and Holland. Sharon looked over at them, and Holland offered her a smile; she really liked Sharon. She's delightful and nice and one hell of a badass. Sharon nodded to her, and Sam nudged Steve to look up, and he was shocked to see her up there. Sharon noticed Steve's look, and she took a deep breath before starting her speech.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related." Sharon said as she looked at Steve since she said that part mainly for him. "I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time where no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said, compromise where you can, but where you can't, don't even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move... it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, "no, you move."

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After the funeral and the burial, Holland circled back to the church where she found Steve alone, and Natasha had also come to the church. She was on her way to Vienna, but she heard about what happened and wanted to give Steve support. Steve turned around when he heard Holland's footsteps. Natasha hadn't come inside yet.

"When I first came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I saw you in Times Square, and then you told me Peggy was still alive. I was just lucky to have both of you." Steve said, and Holland smiled.

"We had you back, too," Holland said as Natasha was approaching them. Steve looked up and saw her, and he took a deep breath.

"Who else signed?" He asked. Natasha took a deep breath.

"Tony, Rhodey, Vision." She responded.

"Clint?" Holland asked.

"Says he's retired," Natasha said.

"Wanda?" Steve asked.

"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet." Natasha said to them. Steve and Holland looked at each other. After what they just went through with S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, and what Holland could still be potentially going through since her mind isn't fully deprogrammed, she can't be back under someone else's control. "Just because it's the path of least resistance... doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together." She said.

"But what are we giving up to do that, Nat?" Holland asked.

"I'm sorry, Nat... we can't sign it," Steve said as he shook his head, and she nodded.

"I know." She said.

"Well then, what are you doing here?" Steve asked.

"I didn't want either of you to be alone."