Hockey Rules (Bucky Barnes AU x NHL)

In the After

*~* Bucky *~*

I had to pry Emma's hands off of her dad's face.  The wails coming from her were sounds I never wanted to hear again.  I held her as the paramedics took Scott away.  She wouldn't let go of me.  "Doll, they need to check you out and check my arm.  Steve is right here, ok?" She finally acknowledged and nodded her head.  Steve took my place while I was taken to the ambulance and a paramedic checked me over.

"What's your name, son?" He asked.

"James, but I go by Bucky."

"Ok, Bucky, I'm James too but they call me Rhodey.  Let me look at your arm."  He started to wipe away the blood from my arm, cutting off my sleeve at the same time.  I hadn't been paying attention to the pain while I was trying to help Scott but it now was coming in with full force.  I grimaced with the alcohol hit the wound. Rhodey could see the pain bubbling up.  He grabbed a syringe and a vial. "Morphine," he told me and put a shot of it in my right arm.  He kept working but tried to distract me.  "I assume you know the man who died?"

"Yeah, his name is Scott.  He's my future father-in-law."  I stop when I realize what I said.  "He was my future father-in-law."  I could feel the tears building behind my eyes.

Rhodey could see my change of demeanor.  "Hey, its ok to lose it here.  I'm assuming the girl is your fiancé and his daughter." He put his hand on my right shoulder.  "You will need to be strong for her.  But right now, you don't."  He went back to cleaning my arm.

It was exactly what I needed to hear.  I let the tears fall, letting my emotions take over.  "This is the best and worst day of my life."

"How is it the best?"

"I just won the Stanley Cup and asked the girl of my dreams to marry me.  We had it all."  I wiped my face.  "She's going to hate today forever."

Rhodey stopped.  "Technically its tomorrow."  I looked up at him.  "And you should ask again.  The answer won't change but the memory might."

I took that advise in.  But I shook my head. "Her dad was there. She won't want to let that go."

Rhodey nodded, understanding in his eyes.  "Well Bucky, this is a through and through.  You'll need some stitched, possibly some rehab but that will be up to the doctors."

"Thanks, Rhodey.  Do I have to go to the hospital now?"

"We need to take your girl to be checked out as well.  She's got some nasty bruises forming on her neck." 

"Can we go together?"

"Absolutely.  Hey Maria!  Are they cleared to travel?" He called out to the woman looking at Emma and Steve.

"Yeah, we're good to go."  She led Emma and Steve over to the ambulance I was next to. 

Emma reached out for me and wrapped her arms around me.  "I'm ok doll. I just need some stitches."  I kissed her hair, smelling her strawberry shampoo.  "I thought I lost you," I whispered.

"Me too," I heard her reply.  She buried her head in my neck.  I looked over at Steve.  "You ok?"

"Just some bruises from when I landed on the ground.  I was trying not to crush her."  When he looked at me, I could see his red eyes.

"Thanks for having my back, punk."

"End of the line, Jerk," he replied with a sad smile.

They took us to the hospital and luckily there wasn't more damage done to my arm.  Emma just had bruising, but the psychological damage was done.

*~* Emma *~*

I don't really remember what happened after we left the hospital.  The coroner dropped off the stuff my dad had on him.  His wallet, his phone, his watch, which I had gotten for him on his 50th birthday and his St. Sebastian medal that my grandparents had given him when he was drafted to the NHL. Bucky took charge for me.  Some decisions couldn't wait.  He called in Clint, Tony and Rob.  Between them and Steve, Bucky was able to make the urgent decisions.

Ryan visited me at the hotel while we waited for Dad's body to be shipped back home.  He really didn't say much, just held my hand while Bucky handled all the calls and arrangements.  Wanda made sure I bathed and got dressed, Bucky's arm limited what he could help me with.

We finally made it back to Anaheim and it felt weird to step into my childhood home.  It was in the after.  I went into Dad's room, picked out the clothes the funeral home needed.  I sat on the bed.  And then it hit me.  I was an orphan.  The tears just fell.

Bucky found me when I never came out of the room.  "Doll?"

"I don't have a family anymore."  The sobs ripped out of my chest.

"Oh love."  Bucky wrapped around me as I cried.  "You have a family.  You have me and Steve and Rob.  You have Ryan and Paige.  You have all of the Ducks.  We'll take care of you.  I'll be your light Emma."

We sat there forever.  I cried myself to sleep; I guess Bucky carried me to the car and took us home.

The funeral was beautiful.  We filled Crystal Cathedral to the brim.  Players, past and present, came from around the world.  I had asked Rob, Steve, Ryan, Tony, Clint, Nick, Temmu and Corey to be the pall bearers.  Bucky held my hand the whole time.  Rob and Tony did the eulogies.  We made it to the cemetery and Bucky led me to the casket for the last time.  I laid an orange rose on top.

"Bye daddy."