Hey guys! Wowza another angsty one out of me. Also, this one feature two lovely oc's, Tracey and Annabeth! Both Tracey and Annabeth belong to the author Singer of Water, who also has some amazing stories on this site. Anyway, enjoy! Love you guys!

-Kenzie

Oh.. baby why'd you leave me? Why'd you have to go? I was counting on forever but now I'll never know..'

The pastor spoke the final words of the service to the nearly empty graveyard, only the breeze wisping past the tombstones gave any movement. In that moment, time stood still, it froze, seeming all too unreal. Only a handful of people stood near a beautiful young woman dressed in black, black veil clinging to the blonde strands of hair on her forehead, and a small child with bronze ringlets masking her tear soaked face, clung to her side.

Guns rang out, that salute, the woman was not prepared for. Throughout the service, tears only fell silently, but in the deafening booms of the rounds being fired, sobs racked her body. How could this happen? He promised her forever. He had promised Annabeth forever too. Now he was gone, nothing could bring him back now.

'And the guns rang one last shot, and it felt like a bullet in her heart..'

The last shot rang through the air, and the soldiers at other end of the shiny oak casket began retiring the flag, folding it in a pristine fashion, it was clear they had done this too many times. But this time, it had to be different for them. There was not just one man missing, but it was one of the men the world would call on when even their branches of service couldn't figure out something or defend the country adequately. He was an Avenger. but he was not the only one missing. Just the only one they were sure was dead. Barry. Steve. Clint. Natasha. Bruce. Tony. Sam. They were all missing. It was supposed to be a quick and easy mission, Bucky had assured her before he left with a quick kiss, that he would be home in time for dinner the next night. He had tucked Annabeth into bed like any other night, given her a long goodbye kiss and headed on his way. God, if she had known he wasn't going to make it back, she wouldn't have let him go. Or if she couldn't stop him, she would've made that goodbye long enough to last until they met again, where no more pain or suffering can touch them.

The flag was placed into Tracey's shaky hand, the other tightly gripped Annabeth's hand as she approached the casket. She wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready to say goodbye, but she couldn't make a scene in front of Annabeth. This was her final goodbye to the man she loved, this was it.

Tracey let go of Annabeth's hand long enough for the small child to place two white roses on the casket as is began its descent into the ground. The woman threw in a handful of dirt onto the casket. ".. earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen." The pastor spoke as the casket finished its descent. She could no longer watch. As she quickly closed her eyes, Tracey quickly took her daughter's hand, and clung to her and the flag for dear life.

'And she held on to all she had left of him… Oh, oh what could've been..'