Living Nightmare ~ (Bucky Barnes) COMPLETED

epilogue

It had been a few days since Tony's funeral. Maddie had passed out after the fight from blood loss, when the compound was bombed she had landed on a piece of rebar that had stabbed her straight through the gut. The adrenaline from the battle and the energy she was drawing from the army the Avengers had amassed kept her going but once it had ended she couldn't keep it up. Bucky had been terrified for a moment, convinced she was dead but she pulled through. Anyone else probably would have died, but Maddie had the supersoldier serum helping her heal, plus she was too stubborn to die.

The funeral had raised a lot of buried emotions and it was difficult for Maddie. Shouldering everyone else's emotions on top of hers took her right back to five years ago. Although this time she had Bucky by her side to help her through it. But there were still people missing. Wanda mourned Vision, Clint mourned Nat and Maddie mourned for them all, alive and otherwise. Every single person there had lost someone, most of them more than one and nothing would ever quite be the same.

It was for this reason that Maddie was so angry as her, Bucky and Sam stood watching Bruce fire up the quantum tunnel for one last trip. Steve was supposed to be taking the stones back before returning to the present but Maddie knew it was a one way trip. Bucky seemed to have an idea as well, he knew his friend too well to be oblivious to his decision but Sam and Bruce were completely in the dark.

"I promised I'd keep you safe for him" Steve said, "and now he's here, you don't need me anymore"

Maddie shook her head, "it's not a trade, I need both of you, we need you" she said through tears.

Steve smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, goodbye Maddie. I hope you can forgive me one day"

Steve wrapped her into a hug and she melted into it. These arms had held her up so many times when she was going through the worst of it and now it was the last time. There had been too many endings in the past week, Maddie couldn't keep saying goodbye. She seriously considered knocking Steve out and forcing him to stay but Bucky shook his head and she released her grip on him.

"Don't do anything stupid till I get back" Steve called, stepping up to the platform.

Bucky smiled sadly, "how can I? You're taking all the stupid with you"

Steve smiled softly, begging Maddie for forgiveness as the helmet of the quantum suit closed and he disappeared. Maddie didn't bother staying to hear Bruce and Sam argue about where Steve was and what he hadn't come back. She wandered away from the lake as an elderly Steve handed Sam the shield. She walked away as Steve stared after her.

***

There was a small ceremony for Natasha. The Avengers had all gone their separate ways, trying to readjust to the new normal post-blip but Maddie had made a point of finding Yelena. She remembered all the stories that Nat had told her about her sister, she remembered the love there and she knew that Yelena needed a friend right now. She might not know it yet but Maddie was going to be that friend.

That's how she ended up in Ohio, standing in a graveyard next to Bucky and Yelena. Initially, Yelena had been sceptical, knowing who Bucky was, or rather who he had been, but not recognising Maddie. It had almost come to a fight before Maddie had explained. She didn't know what she had been expecting but after she had told Yelena of all the stories Nat had told and explained her relationship with her, Maddie had not been expecting a hug.

They ended up getting drunk together, the three of them exchanging stories. Maddie and Bucky couldn't enjoy the drinks as much as Yelena, the serum not allowing them to actually get drunk but it was fun enough to take part, let off some steam. Yelena spoke about how her and Natasha had taken on the Red Room while Bucky and Maddie were hiding in Wakanda after the events in Germany. They in turn spoke about what it had been like living with Nat for all those years and Maddie was able to give Yelena some sort of closure. By the end of the night they were best friends and they made plans to meet up if Yelena's work ever brought her to New York.

***

After returning from Ohio, Bucky and Maddie were living together in a small apartment in the city. It was what they had always dreamed of, plus a few small tweaks. The new world after Thanos was vastly different to the one Bucky had left and it took some getting used to. He cut his hair and started going to therapy which Maddie was extremely proud of. It had been from one fight to another for far too many years and she was glad to see Bucky finally healing and working through some of his darker moments. He always told her that she helped, that having her here with him was the best therapy to which Maddie always replied,

"you already got me, you don't have to keep sucking up to me, you big softie"

They were happy. They were together and they were happy. They still had a lot to deal with, both Maddie and Bucky still got the occasional nightmare and they would still curl up together and distract the other until sleep finally took them. Maddie was learning to process her grief better and it was strange to work through the trauma of losing Bucky when he was right there but it did help. She came to terms with Natasha's death and although it didn't make it hurt any less, it was slightly easier to bear knowing that Natasha had given it all so that everyone else could come back. Maddie had her family and she owed it all to the ones who were no longer with her.

________

Whoo! that's the end of this story at least for now. I honestly can't believe anybody read this apart from me and I can't believe I even managed to finish writing it.

I still have a few ideas left for Maddie and Bucky, mostly just some cute fluff because I feel like there was a distinct lack of Bucky in the final few chapters, but I don't know if I want to write a couple of bonus chapters and post them here or potentially save them for a sequel?

Let me know if you would want a sequel, suggestions are always welcome and as always thank you so much for taking the time to read this.