Chapter 11: Yasha Stepan Buchanan Barnes

AN: yay, I made it. Please don't kill me for this next part I just couldn't help myself. Special guest star coming up and I'm not telling who it is.

For those that don't like birth scenes, warning graphic birth ahead.

Onto the fic

After hours of groaning and screaming through the pain, Bucky's body could finally take no more and turned against him. His waters breaking only doubled the pain not lessened it, and though all he wanted was to collapse and be done with it, he could not. Bucky wanted it to be over as quickly as he could and that meant pacing and walking the perimeter of the room until the contractions changed into something forceful and useful. It was not long after his waters had broken when they changed into the overwhelming urge to bare down and push.

"Oh, God," Bucky gasped as he felt the baby's form more clearly than before. "Oh, please, not yet. Please, God, not yet!" he cried out in vain, clutching to the arms of a chair to keep himself upright.

It didn't matter, though, because in the next moment the contraction that came was unlike any other, and with it came the overwhelming urge to bare down. This time Bucky didn't have the strength or will to stop it. He collapsed to his knees on a blanket and trash bag, he had placed there after his waters had broken, and clutched onto the foot stool for dear life. He held himself up as best as he could with it, and took a calming breath. Once he gathered enough courage, with a tightly clenched jaw, he reached down between his legs to feel how far dilated he was. A grimace pulled across his face as his questing fingers touched the tender area between his legs, and caused the raw opening to flair with pain. Bucky panted through his nose as his fingers breached the opening and gaged his progress.

Bucky all but screamed when he was suddenly and unexpectedly caught in the grips of a violent contraction. Without meaning to, he bore down just a little and felt the baby shift within him, pressing down on his now very wide cervix and beginning to descend. Bucky's eyes flew open as he felt the baby's head at the very tip of his fingers, plunged deep within his birth canal. For a moment Bucky simply knelt there in shock, gaping and panting, his face white and cheeks flush with effort. When the moment passed, Bucky felt himself begin to shake with fear. His last birth alone had gone much the same, and had ended in tragedy: a dead baby in his arms and no one to help him revive it. Tears fell down his face at the thought of his family coming home to him holding Yasha in his arms, his little body pale and blue, and lifeless in his arms. In a moment of fear he covered his mouth with his hand to muffle the sobs, as he cried out in pain and fear.

"Oh, God," he sobbed, "please, help me! Somebody, help me!" his head fell down between his arms and rested on the foot stool. "Anybody, please, help. I can't do this alone," he bleated feebly into the fabric of the stool. Tears ran down his cheeks in hopelessness, as he began to sob and beg for someone to help.

Without realizing it, his prayers were heard and answered; for not a moment later, Bucky heard the distinctive sound of fluttering wings. Bucky went still and looked up. There before him, where there hadn't been before, was a man.

He was unobtrusive and forgettable, with blond hair and an almost cherubic innocence about his face, with a confused and curious look on his face. He wore nothing that stood out as unusual, just a green jacket over a red button up shirt and blue jeans, but Bucky's every instinct screamed danger, run! But since Bucky was currently in the throes of labor and about to give birth, he couldn't run. So he did the very first thing that his training and experience told him to: he grabbed the gun taped under the side table lightning quick, and shot him with deadly accuracy through the heart.

This should have dropped the man to the floor nothing more than a corpse, but instead the man, creature, jolted and looked down at his bleeding chest in surprise and annoyance. When he looked up that look was directed at him, and Bucky suddenly felt very afraid for his and his baby's life.

"You should dead," Bucky rasped as he felt another contraction building. A moment later Bucky doubled over the footstool and his middle with a groan, his eyes squeezed shut. Bucky couldn't focus on anything but his body at the moment, but he could sense the presence of the being kneeling down beside him.

"Just take a deep breath through your nose and let it out slowly, okay," it said. A gentle hand came up to rub his back, and put careful pressure on the point between his pelvis and back. It was not perfect but it released some of the pain in his back and soothed the ache a little. A careful hand gently but insistently pried the gun from Bucky's hand before setting it aside. Bucky followed the given instructions and rocked slowly forward and back on his knees as the contraction finally eased. Once it was gone Bucky was left shaking with effort and exhaustion, his arms braced on the footstool and head pressed against the cooler metal of his left arm. It took him a moment to gather his breath before he turned his head and looked at the being beside him.

The look Bucky gave him was absolutely wrecked, and he knew he must look like hell at the moment but he was in too much pain to care, frankly. But what he did care about was what this thing was and why it was helping him.

"Who are you?" he rasped, and groaned as he felt the urge to push return, along with a building contraction. The being smiled at him and it was an impish smile full of mischief but also kindness.

"Name's Gabriel," he said, and Bucky felt his eyes widen as Michael's quiet presence stirred within his mind. Suddenly Bucky was seeing through the Archangel's eyes and he saw a ghostly glow around Gabriel's form being to show.

It was like seeing a living image right out of a painting. Gabriel was no longer wearing the green jacket and red shirt but a silken white, sleeveless robe, trimmed with gold and red, his wrists clad in gold bracers, and his feet in roman style sandals that rose up to his knees. Around his waist was a golden girdle with a set of smaller belts hanging from it, and tied to it was a scabbard with a three sided sword that looked like a roman gladius in it. Hanging from a separate belt wrapped across his chest was a golden war horn that looked to have been made from a ram's horn. It was ornately decorated and had a wide golden band around the trumpet end as well as in the middle, and a mouth piece made of silver. The bands were ornately engraved with beautiful markings and sigils and inlaid with jewels. There was a golden chain connected to the bands, and Bucky could see that it was lined with pure silver. Bucky knew without understanding how that the sound it made was loud and boastful with a clear ringing like a silver trumpet, but deep with the timber of a French horn.

But above all, the most awesome sight was the great wings that Bucky could see on Gabriel's back. They were like the wings Avery's son had, only much larger, and while they were also white, they lacked the luminescence and snow like sparkle, and they had flight feathers of purest gold. It looked as if someone had taken the white wings and dipped them in gold paint, but only the edges were marked. Bucky felt his jaw drop when he saw them, and momentarily forgot his predicament.

"What are you," he whispered in a single breath, in awe. Gabriel smirks and cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, I think you already know that," he said cheerfully. Bucky gulped and curled a protective arm around his middle. Gabriel saw this and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm not gonna hurt him." Bucky felt dubious and probed at Michael's presence, but only received a feeling of joy and contentment from the archangel.

'You're a lot of help,' he told the Archangel, and Bucky felt a rumble run through his soul that felt like laughter. Bucky's face twisted in a sour look of irritation, while Gabriel on the other hand, was smiling fondly, and had a thoughtful look on his face.

"You are one lucky dude," he said as he turned Bucky over so that he had his elbows braced on the stool and positioned his legs wide apart. Gabriel smiled as he placed himself front and center between them and snapped his fingers. A pair of fresh clean rubber gloves appeared on his hands as well as a medical smock over his clothes. "I don't do this for just anyone, you know," he said as he snapped his glove dramatically, before he placed one hand on Bucky's belly and put the other on his thigh. "Last time I did this was… oh, two thousand years ago, but that was a special case." Gabriel then began probing Bucky' opening with careful and experienced fingers, his eyes widening when he touched the baby's descending head. "But you're not just anyone, now are you," he said, with as smirk as he removed his fingers and snapped them. A bowl of water appeared and he cleaned the gloves, before draping a towel over his knees. "you're old Mikey's Vessel, and he's in you right now," there was a cocky smirk as Bucky's eyes widened but they were quickly squeezed shut as a contraction tightened around his middle. "So… I'm going to do him a favor and give you a hand. Free of charge, no strings," he said when Bucky fixed him with a glare. "Just this once, 'cause I like you, Barnes."

Bucky suffered through another contraction while contemplating the Archangel before him, and kept him pinned with a fierce look. He wanted to say no, but his head won over his instincts when he felt the urge to push again.

"Okay," he said softly, grateful for the help, and relieved that he didn't have to go through this all again alone. Gabriel smiled cheerfully and placed his hands between Bucky's legs.

"Good," he chirped, "then let's get this show on the road!" Bucky would have laughed at the angel's antics if he hadn't been caught off guard by a fierce contraction combined with the over powering urge to push. "Don't fight it, Barnes," Gabriel ordered, "push!"

Bucky didn't have to be told twice, and bore down with all his might. Gabriel calmly counted to ten before ordering him to stop and rest. The reprieve only lasted a few seconds before the contraction peaked again and Bucky doubled over as he began to push.

"Aah, oh, God!" he screamed as he pushed again. Gabriel's deft hands quickly moved to his opening as it began to bulge. Bucky threw back his head with a shriek as the baby began to crown. Gabriel grinned, and looked up to Bucky's flushed but pale face. His eyes were wide and wild with pain, and his pupils were blown so wide that the blue was only a thin ring around the black. Bucky bowed his head to his chest and bore down, his face contorted in a grimace of pain.

"you're doin' good, Barnes," Gabriel encouraged, "that's it, just keep pushing." Bucky's eyes flew open as he gasped on a scream, his eyes wide with pain and frantic.

"God, it burns," he screamed, his wide eyes leaking tears, and his breaths coming in frantic pants. Gabriel quickly looked up from the crowning head to see Bucky's panicked face. He reached out and grabbed Bucky's hand and entwined it in his own, letting some of the pain bleed over into him, and giving Bucky and anchor.

"He's crowning, Barnes," Gabriel told him, but Bucky was lost in the pain. The angel pulled Bucky's hand down and placed it on the protruding crown of dark hair between his legs. That seemed to be the thing to snap Bucky back to reality for the frighten look was quickly replaced by one of wonder. A small smile pulled across his lips as he tenderly stroked the dark locks, and a tear ran down his cheek. "Just a little bit longer, okay," Gabriel asked and Bucky's eyes snapped to him. Gone was the frightened look and in its place was one of fierce protectiveness. Bucky nodded just once as he pulled his hand away and grabbed Gabriel's.

"Okay," he said, as determination returned to his eyes. The contraction quickly curled around his belly, and Bucky bore down with it, widening his legs and leaning forward to help things move. And move they did, for with that last push the emerging baby fully crowned.

"Gentle pushes now, Barnes," Gabriel ordered, taking his hand back to cup his hands around the baby's skull. He gently eased the skin around the head to avoid tearing, but there were already some small ones. Blood leaked around the little dark head, but it looked to only be minor. Bucky complied with the order and pushed in short bursts. Less than a minute later the head finally slid free and Bucky let out a choked gasp with relief. Blood and fluids escaped around the head, and Gabriel gently cradled the fragile neck in his hands.

"Don't push yet, Bucky," Gabriel ordered as he probed around the neck for the cord. He looked up and saw Bucky struggling to comply, and quickly confirmed that the cord was not around the neck. "okay, Barnes, this is the real important part," he said as Bucky leaned forward even more, so much so that he was almost squatting over Gabriel's hands. "We've got to get those shoulders out in one go, okay?" Bucky nodded, his eyes squeezed shut as he breathed through his nose. Soon Bucky's breathing hitched with a little startled gasp before his face scrunched up as he began to push.

This time the sounds he made were not screams of pain but grunts and groans of effort. Gabriel smiled as the baby turned and he felt one shoulder free itself from the pelvis. He kept his eyes on the emerging baby, and was suddenly caught off guard when Bucky released his hand and placed his hands on Gabriel's shoulders for leverage. Bucky deepened his squat and leaned into the immoveable archangel, and Gabriel quickly turned back to freeing the last shoulder. Bucky growled deeply in his chest as his head bowed to his breast bone, and Gabriel smiled brightly as at last the shoulder slipped out of the pelvis and out of the opening. Then at 4:10 AM, Bucky's eyes flew open with a startled gasp, as the baby suddenly slipped out of him. It was so sudden that he collapsed onto Gabriel with a sigh of relief. Gabriel gently pushed Bucky onto the floor and laid the baby in his outstretched arms.

"Congratulations, Barnes," he said with a joyous smile, "you have a healthy baby boy." Bucky quickly brought the squirming child to his breast just as he opened his mouth and screamed; wailing his indigence to the room. Bucky rapidly began crying as he cradled the little boy to his bare chest. Gabriel smiled at the pair with nostalgic joy and carefully draped a blanket over Bucky's lower half. Bucky cringed and grunted as the afterbirth was quickly delivered before a contented smile graced his face.

"Thank you," Bucky rasped, and looked up at the Archangel, now clean of any signs of birth. His smock was gone as were his gloves, but there was a smudge of blood on his cheek from where he had brushed away his hair after the baby's head came out. Gabriel grinned and waved him off.

"It was no trouble," he said, "besides, I hadn't seen somethin' like this in a long time, and I just had to see it." Bucky smiled, glowing with maternal joy, and not believing a word he said. "Good luck, kiddo," Gabriel said and leaned down to press a kiss to the baby's crown, "you're gonna need it," he murmured to the baby with a smirk. Gabriel pulled away and stood up, smiling down at the pair with a kindly look in his eyes. "Take care, Barnes, and congratulations. He's gonna be a fine man someday," and with that the Archangel vanished just as he came: in a flutter of wings.

Bucky relaxed back on the floor and looked down at the sniffling baby in his arms. He had dark hair and fair skin hiding under the mess of birth and was every bit as perfect as Bucky could have ever hoped.

"Welcome to the world, Yasha," he said softly. He probed at the link between him and Yasha and found it cleanly severed. He wondered at this, before a rueful smile crossed his face. "It's nice having friends in high places," he chuckled to himself. Bucky sighed and was about to drift off when the door suddenly opened.

"Ada," Bucky heard Steven cry out from the entryway. Bucky smiled and let himself simply be for a moment. "Ada, where are you?"

"Can't last forever, now, can it, Yasha," Bucky said to the snoozing baby. Yasha's nose wrinkled and he squeaked, and Bucky grinned. "In here," he called out. Within seconds the sounds of rushing feet come into the living room. Bucky looked up with a tired smile, his eyes heavy with bruises under them and his hair stringy and clinging to his face and neck, and saw his friend's standing in the doorway. Bucky looked like absolute hell, and was holding the baby in his arms, but otherwise was content. Yasha on the other hand was not. He began to squall and cry, squirming in Bucky's arms.

Steven stared at his Ada with shock, and then at the wailing baby cradled in his arms. It took him a moment to register what had happened, but when it did a grin bloomed across his face. Bucky smiled contentedly back and turned his gaze to his husband. Arion's smile was tender and full of pride. Though the child was not his, Arion felt every kick and movement from the moment he could feel it from outside Bucky's belly, and thus the sight before him brought warm feelings to his heart. His smiled widened and Bucky smiled back.

"Hey guys," he said finally, his voice wrecked and hoarse from effort and screaming. "What took you so long?" he joked and grinned at their indignant squawks. "Come here and meet little Yasha." The group quickly crowd around to get a good look, and are met with the sight of a new born baby, beet red from birth. He has Bucky's dark hair and curls, and Steve's long dark lashes. His little face shows the sign of Fëanor's refined features in his nose and cheeks. There is a collective 'aww' when Yasha opened his mouth in great big yawn, before his eyes opened to show them Fëanor's stunning Silver blue eyes.

Stark whistled and grinned at the little boy, wiggling his finger at him to get a smile. Yasha looked up at the object and grabbed at it, before deciding that he was hungry, and turned his head into Bucky's breast, seeking out a meal. He found a nipple quickly and latched on to nurse. Bucky gasped softly but then sighed as the pressure in his breast was slowly released. Nelyo gazed on at his nephew with a tender and sad smile, but declined to explain to Steven's questing probes to his mind.

"Man, Barnes," Stark said with a grin, "you sure do know how to make 'em. That boy is gonna be a lady killer when he grows up." Steven suddenly snorted and spiraled into a coughing fit, when he tried to stifle his laugh. Bucky on the other hand did no such thing. He threw back his head and laughed; a wild and jubilant grin on his face. "What," Stark asked, indignant, "what's so funny?"

Bucky continued to laugh before he was simply too tired and sore to continue. He gave Stark a look that screamed, 'you poor naive fool,' before he finally took pity on the aged inventor.

"Stark," Bucky said, with an indulgent smile, "Yasha liked men."

For once, Stark was speechless.

TBC…

End Note: again sorry this was so long, I just had to get it out all in one go, but not to the point of losing good stuff. Like that little bombshell; I did!

Did you like my little cameo for Gabriel? I really liked his character; I just felt he was a little too jaded. Overall he felt like a nice person under the pranks and sarcasm. So I felt he needed to be seen as a gentle and caring person for once.

Don't worry he'll be back; Later. Part four is fun! (Yay, sarcasm)

Next part is one I am dreading: December 16, 1991. I have a plan, don't worry. I will fix it!

Please review this was hell to write