Cruel Fate | Bucky Barnes

UNLIKELY TEAM

"Are you sure about this?"

Anna laughed and held the phone closer to her ear, "Look, we both have things we need to do on our own."

"I know, but-"

"But nothing, grandpa. I'll be fine," she said firmly. She heard Bucky sigh on the other side of the call.

"I'll meet you at Sam's when I'm done. Okay?"

"Okay."

She said her goodbyes quickly as she pulled up to her destination. Once she was parked, she hopped out with a bouquet in hand.

She walked along the path until she reached the end of the back row. She kneeled in front of her father's headstone and carefully laid the flowers in front of it.

"Hey dad," she greeted, "I brought you some daisies. I remembered you said it was mom's favorite and therefore yours so..."

She took a deep breath to steady her shaking voice. She had so many things she wished she could've told him had he been alive. She just didn't know where or how to start.

"You should be glad to know that I made some new friends. They're crazy and definitely have a low self preservation instinct...but I like them."

She laughed and looked down at her hands in her lap. The lump in her throat lessened slightly.

"And you were right about Bucky. Beneath all of Hydra's torture, there's a man. A really good man...just like you believed there would be. I wish you could see him now."

She sniffled and reached up. Her fingers traced over his engraved name again.

"I wish you could see us both."

Tears started to stream down her face. But she quickly wiped them away and brushed off the residue on her pants.

"I spent so much time hating him and blaming myself that I never really mourned you," she admitted, "I kept blocking it out and denying how it felt. Revenge was my main concern but it should've been you."

She plucked a daisy out of the bouquet and twirled it in her hand. She carefully brushed over the petals.

"And trust me, dad, the irony is not lost on me," she laughed, "Who would've thought I'd end up with someone I'd hated for so long. Someone I kept thinking was nothing like me, but actually ended up being the person I'm closest to."

She laughed to herself again, shaking her head. This time, tears of joy began to fall. She wiped them away as well and took a deep breath.

She looked up at the headstone again, resting in silence. After about a minute, she kissed her fingers and pressed them to the stone.

"I want you to know that I forgive him...and that I forgive myself," she murmured, "Because it's what you would've done. And I just know that you're tossing and turning up there seeing us torture ourselves."

She smiled softly and stood up. She glanced at the sky and spoke,

"This is for you, dad."

She twirled the daisy in her hand one more time before letting it drop to the ground, joining the rest of the flowers. Once it rested peacefully, she slowly walked back to her car and got in.

She rolled her window down for fresh air. As she prepared to leave, the groundskeeper walked by. He was an old man with white hair, glasses, and a nice, wide smile.

"Doing okay miss?" he asked.

She glanced at her father's grave one last time before turning back with a grin.