The Shadow~ Peter Parker

Chapter 12

After crying my heart out, we had to go to London for the funeral.

The cathedral was packed with mourners. I was sat beside Sam as Steve was one of six pallbearers, they came in carrying her coffin draped with the Union Jack. His eyes are red-he's been crying, we both had a lot. Peggy meant to so much to us, to me, she was the first person to teach me how to fight, she was like my cool older sister. I think she spent so much time with me because she felt bad about Steve but I was thankful regardless I had lost so much that Peggy Howard, Anna and Jarvis became my new family and Peggy was the last one left and now they were all gone.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words." The priest says but I'm barely paying attention to that until I notice Sam's face as he nudges Steve. He looks up to see this Sharon, who glances at Steve and takes a breath. She was that agent from Shield I recognized her. "Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD . . . but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy." I look to Steve who takes a surprised breath at what she says. "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."She looks directly at Steve what the hell was going on between them?

"I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And 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 they eye and say No, you move." I smiled slightly to myself remembering just how cool and wise Peggy was.

As I'm leaving to go back to the hotel I spot Nat walking towards the church, "hey kid," she smiles softly spotting me, "hey Nat." I smile back, "how you holding up?" I shrug, "I've dealt with loss my entire life it's nothing new but it doesn't hurt any less, Steve is taking it worse though." I tell her watching a frown appear at my casual tone, I'd cried enough and it wasn't like my tears would bring Peggy back. "It's ok to feel things." She tells me leaning down, "I know." I try and keep my voice steady but it cracks. "Oh honey." She sighs pulling me into a hug.

After that I make my way back to the hotel whilst Nat wants to talk to Steve. Once I get there I find Sam, "hey kid, you good." I give him a small smile and nod. "I'm fine bird boy, how are you ?" He shakes his head with an amused smile as he ruffles my hair.

"Where's your brother?" I give a small shrug, "I think he's back at the church." He nods, "alright let's go up, wanna watch some tv?" He asks leading the way, "sure."

Sam ended up with the news, I didn't even care that much my thoughts were too loud for me to focus on any of the surroundings that was until I heard the reporter say a certain name. "Former Sargent Barnes more commonly known as 'the winter soldier.' Is believed to be the bomber." My eyes widen glancing at the television before snapping to to Sam.

With his eyes as wide as mine he jumps from his seat and runs to find Steve. I turn back to get the rest of the story. There was no way Bucky did this, he couldn't, he wouldn't have. I know he wouldn't.

When Sam returns not only is he with Steve but Sharon has also joined the two. They watch the news story again learning of the death of the Wakandan king. I grimace knowing everyone was going to be after him now, it was just a race to see who would get  to him first.

***

"You ok kid?" Sam asks from beside me as we're sat waiting in a coffee shop in Vienna. I shrug, "I guess." I didn't know how to feel not only was I trying to deal with the loss of someone very important to me but now my brother had blown up a building and murdered a king?

"You've been through a lot Lily and it's ok to say how you feel and sit things out." He tells me taking a sip of his drink, "I know that, thank you Sam." He nods and pats my head, "I know how you feel about Barnes-" I shake my head, "he didn't do it, he couldn't have I know he wouldn't do it." I tell him adamantly even as the winter soldier Bucky wasn't a bad guy, he was just following orders and there was no way he was the soldier now, he wouldn't have allowed himself to be seen.

Sam sighs and nods sending me a small smile, he doesn't believe me, but I know.

Steve finally approaches us after ringing Nat. "She tell you to stay out of it?" Not receiving a response he nods and takes that as his answer, "Might have a point." Sam hums, "He'd do it for me." Steve answers back rapidly. "1945, maybe. I just want to make sure we considered all our options. The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me." Before they could continue with the conversation Sharon arrives by Steve.

"Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter soldier goes to their gym. Most of it's noise. Except for this." She says as she slides Steve a file. "My boss expects a briefing, pretty much now . . . so that's all the head start you're gonna get." She tells him, he nods, "Thank you."

"And you're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight." Sharon adds before leaving, Steve turns to me, "can you get us there?" I nod and do what he asked of me so that we were now in Bucharest, where Bucky was supposedly staying I was excited but nervous to see him.

I wondered how he was, was he happy? Poor Bucky didn't deserve this, I just hoped we'd find him before the others. I could not bare to lose him not again.

Although I wasn't actually related to Bucky he was every bit as much my brother as Steve was, I'd grown up with the both of them they'd always been there for me what ever I had needed, they would do whatever to get it for me. The first time that I had thought I'd lost them, broke me beyond anything and I would not go through that again.