How do you heal?

Chapter 75: Dirty Little Secret

"Why aren't you ready to go?" Nat asked after she barged into Bucky's room to find him lounging on his couch.

"Because I'm not going." He replied with furrowed brows.

"Um, yes you are. Now get up and get ready or the others will leave without us." Nat walked over and yanked the pillow his head was resting on out from under him and smacked him with it.

"Hey, OUCH." He said as his head dropped and then felt the thwack of the pillow on his stomach.

"Get up." Nat walked over to his closet and started shifting through the hangers.

"Nat," Bucky said, standing and glaring her down. "Why would I go to her dad's funeral after I slept with, walked out on, and had a screaming match with her where I basically called her a whore less than twelve hours before she found out he died?"

Nat grabbed a few hangers and walked over to him shoving them into his chest. "If you don't go it won't be long until you have to explain to Steve and the others why it is you didn't show up to support the woman who does everything for us around here and who you have been moping around the compound about since you got back. Now I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure if Stark, who already only tolerates you because of Annie, finds out what happened he's going to disassemble you."

"She doesn't want to talk to me, Nat."

"You don't have to talk to her, you just have to be there."

A few hours, an irritated flight, and an anxious car ride later the caravan of vehicles carrying the Avengers pulled into the packed parking lot where a line of people stood, waiting to get in.

"Holy shit," Barton exclaimed as they all climbed from the vehicles. "Was her dad like a local legend or something?"

"No," Wanda said, taking Vision's arm and pulling her coat tight against the brisk chill in the air. "But Annie once told me he was the type of man who never met a stranger."

The line moved quickly and soon the group stood just inside the door, able to see the family at the front of the entrance greeting guests. Bucky watched as an older couple shuffled to the side revealing Annie, standing between a small, thin blonde woman with a short bob and a well muscled man with dark curls combed back. Annie wore a plain, black, long sleeved dress that came to her knees, her tattooed legs covered by dark tights and her hair was pulled back into a low, neat bun. As the couple moved past he watched her take a deep breath and squeeze the blonde woman's hand before greeting the next person in line. A moment later Pietro walked up behind her and whispered something in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I'm gonna hang back." Bucky whispered to Nat and stepped out of line to hover at the door and as he did so Annie looked down the line and spotted them.

The hall they had rented was perfect. At least according to Alex's standards. It had a large and spacious dining hall that she and a group of Ferris and April's friend had spent the afternoon in setting up and a kitchen that had plenty of room for the caterers to work. Separate from the dining hall was an almost conference style room where they were able to set up the slide show and podium. Between the two was a long hallway lined with benches and a soft green carpet. The property even had a small reflecting pool across the parking lot surrounded by bench swings. She now stood in the hall outside of the conference room directing folks in from the receiving line as she passed out memorial cards and explained the podium sign up inside where Sam was. She peaked her head into the room and smiled at him, grateful that he had made her leave Annie in Pietro's hands a few nights ago. Since that night and her momentary human breakdown she had been fully focused on helping in any way she could. Even quitting her job earlier than originally planned because she'd be moving at the end of the month anyways and they wouldn't give her bereavement time for non-family. She'd simply said, "He was family." before tossing her badge on the desk and walking out.

Alex had also noticed a change in Annie. Her friend had come down to breakfast the next morning not exactly happy, of course, but present. When Alex had asked Annie what had snapped her back to reality she simply shrugged and said, "I'm not sure." But Alex didn't miss the small smile that crossed Annie's face when she'd looked at Pietro as he sat down next to her. Of course, at the first opportunity she had she asked Pietro.

"Alright, Road Runner, what happened last night?"

"What are you talking about, Волчица?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I expected her to be mentally checked out for weeks but she's clearly not."

"She asked me to stay with her and I did." He said with a slight smirk.

"That's it, you didn't say anything?"

"We didn't talk last night. This morning she thanked me for not making her feel like a burden, but I don't think she meant for me to hear it since I was still half asleep, and I said she could never be a burden to me because," Alex saw his eyes widened just a bit as he thought back. "I love her too much."

Alex cocked her head and nodded slightly before walking away.

Now Alex stepped back out of the conference room and turned back to the hallway where she watched as the Avengers, all but Barnes, moved through the line. When they reached the front Wanda hugged Annie followed by Thor who lifted her off her feet when he did so. From the angle she was standing Alex could see Annie's gaze shoot back to the door over Thor's shoulder to where Barnes was standing and the pure rage that flashed in her eyes for just an instant was something Alex hadn't seen before. What the fuck happened there?