Hey All! Here's Chapter Twenty Eight, hope you like it. Thank you for sticking with the story despite lack in updates lately but I'm hoping that will change now as I have more time to focus on the Fic and getting back into the story myself after a bit of writers block.

As Always thank you for all the reviews, they really are what keeps me going. I don't want to let anyone down.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE BOTTOM OF MY PROFILE FOR GOODIES ON THIS FANFICTION


Disclaimer: I own nothing, unfortunately.

CHAPTER XXVIII

"Thank you.. uh-uh" Throat clearing, "…for coming. I know my Ma would be grateful for you all taking the time to be here" Billy straightened out the sheet of paper that sat in front of him on the lectern, stood before everyone, faces he knew, faces he didn't. There had been a few people who had turned up having seen the obituary in the paper meaning there were more pews full than he had expected and more eyes on him.

He is sweating, his heart will not calm and breathing wasn't always coming natural but it keeps his shaking hands tucked out of sight and glimpses to the beautiful girl in the front row who gave him an encouraging smile.

He was mentally nodding his head and keeps his eyes on the three people who offered him safety and could usually ease his nerves. He had nothing to be scared of, he just needed to stop fearing fear itself and be the man he could be when he was tucked away at home with his loved ones. Alice had said they didn't need to be locked away to be together, they had the whole world to be together. Same goes for him being a man.

His determination made him grow a few inches taller before the crowd with Alice's sweet whispered voice running through his mind, and then the thought of his mother and how he owed her this. How he wanted to make her proud.

"My Ma, she very rarely opened herself up to people and was a very private person. So much so that even I didn't really know, or perhaps understand the person she was until recently." He takes a little step closer to the microphone so it does its job of picking his voice up more clearly.

"Thing is, my mother like everyone else is capable of loving, even if she had trouble sometimes expressing it, now I see it doesn't mean she felt it any differently. She dedicated her life to the handful of people she loved dearly, and why we never needed for anything. Why she worked two full-time jobs for most of her life and exhausted herself to provide solely for my brother and I.

"And she never asked for anything in return, nor complained. She understood what was needed of her, and she sacrificed what she needed herself so we would never go without.

"For a long time I took advantage, I just saw her as my mother whose job it was to provide me with a life. I never thought of the real person she was underneath nor the life of her own she was entitled too." Billy's eyes drift away from the crowd to the casket that lay at the focal point.

"I took her for granted. I take life for granted. And I thought I had failed her. But I knew all she ever wanted for us was to make the most of our lives, and not waste a moment of it. And every day as I watched her deteriorate I saw her look at me like she wanted to tell me something, and I wished that she could have. But mainly I wished I would have said it for the both of us.

"I wish I'd told her I loved her. I wish I'd told her I was proud that she was my mother. And I was… I am. I really am. And she deserved more than life gave her, she deserved more than anyone ever gave her, but she never complained, or thought badly of people.

"You weren't bitter, you could have been and sometimes you might have seemed that way, but now I see you were just trying to toughen us up for the real world out there."

His eyes flutter closed for a moment or two as he feels the tightening of emotion, realizing right there and then that he would never get the chance to speak to her again and that it took her dying for him to begin to understand the woman who had given so much for him.

But…

"She did have a life, a reasonable length of time, and we've never been great advocates or believers in religion, but I can smile because she died believing this wouldn't be the end and I know now she owes nobody anything and nothing…" There is a vibration of a sob around the room, and he takes a moment to swallow it away, brushing down his tie,

"Nothing is keeping her from the life and person she deserved to have and be with…"

He couldn't see sadness in that.

And so he stepped back away from the crowd, nodding to the man in charge of the music.

Moments later there is a magical twinkling of music before a rich echo of a remain voice began to sing.

"Doris Day always said it best right, Ma?" He whispers to the coffin, remembering when she had once said the same to him. And it had been the only time he had seen a tear within her eye.

"Once… I had a secret love…
That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love
Became impatient to be free…

So I told a friendly star
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
And why I'm so in love with you…

"I love you, Ma." He murmurs and lingers as the chorus strikes.

Taking his seat between Alice and Maggie, both of them take either hand in their own. Alice uttering praise, but Maggie is too caught up within the song, and the way her heart swells and sweeps her body with emotion, as the hairs on the back of her neck stand upon end, and a silent sob to rack through her body.

"Now I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my heart's an open door
And my secret love's no secret anymore…
"

The lost old lady could be the young woman she once was, a woman who smiled and lived for the love of one man.

She no longer hid her heart away.

That's all anyone can really hope for right?

*T*C*

Maggie and Billy hadn't been the only ones to shed a tear or two, Melanie couldn't help herself and even her father, a man who everyone had come today out of obligation, had disappeared for a personal moment or two after the service with a pair of shaking showers.

The older son, who was more like his mother than Billy had ever been, had kept his emotions locked away from himself and everyone around him. There difference had been born out of clasping of similarities, and there obstinacy had kept them from opening up to one another and unfortunately resulted in distance that could only grow further with time.

But now it was understood that it had been a waste, that there had been nothing they couldn't have overcome if they had tried.

Maggie found herself hoping that his letter would bring him comfort and contain everything he needed to hear. She had known what the lady had been like herself, she had once scared her as a small child with her solemn and stern approach, but she had loved the lady dearly and nonetheless. And with the amount of faces that had shown, she hadn't been the only one who had seen through the hard exterior.

Bucky stood back from the crowd as they mingled outside of the church, passing the time before the burial. Everyone seemed intent of showing respect and giving Billy their condolences and Maggie as supportive as ever was right by his side helping him through it.

He had found a wall, tucked out of the way and rubbed the bridge of his nose where the sunglasses were leaving a slight imprint.

He didn't think anyone would come looking for him or find him, but it seems he wasn't the only one who suddenly needed some breathing space as the petite wide eyed blonde comes and sits beside him, clutching a small purse on her lap.

"Mind if I join you?" Alice asks of him, already having made herself moderately comfortable beside him, but she would move and leave if he preferred it that way, and she hoped he would be honest with her.

"Not at all. I think there is enough air around here for us both to take a breather" He smiles to the young woman and feels secure enough to remove his glasses for a moment or two.

"Thank you. I didn't want to leave Billy but I feel assured with Maggie being with him." She chews at her lip, "It was a nice send off, but I don't think I'm going to be in a rush for another funeral any time soon" She speaks honestly.

Bucky feels at ease enough to do the same, "Me neither. Try living knowing at some point in time there has been a funeral for you and yet you're still alive and kicking…" He blows out his cheeks and uses the term 'kicking', lightly, extremely so.

"Jesus Holy Moly!" She gaped, and Bucky cannot help but loosen himself to laugh.

"Long story. I'm sure you already know some of the details. I'd need a strong drink for the rest. Actually I could use a drink anyway."

"Well…" She pushes her questions aside and begins rummaging in her bag, "I need no story right now, but I do have…" and her hands uncovers a hit flask from behind the material of her bag.

"Wow!" He says in shock, he didn't see her as the type.

"I'm Irish" She shrugs and scrunches up her face.

"That excuse always work?"

"No, I'm not really a drinker, but it's tradition to drink to the dead… so…" Alice rattles the metal flask before thrusting it out to him.

"Right… I think I've partaken in a similar tradition before"

Having taken the flask and opened it, he gives it a sniff. It wasn't distrusting of her, he was just wondering how to prepare his body for the liquor and whether it needed to breath. But it has a sweet smell that he wasn't expecting, like almonds.

"So… to Roberta. Rest in peace, Darlin'" He raises the flask out and up to the skies, before bringing taking a gulp, not feeling familiarity as soon as it ticked his taste buds.

He scrunches up his face, and slaps his cheeks, but it isn't because of the strength, "Jesus, that's sweet! What is it?"

Alice is too busy taking a drink herself, and he sees her own eye twitching as she swallows, "Amar… Amaretto. Sorry, it's all I had at my flat. My Roommates."

"Think I've heard of it." He is licking the sticky syrup from his lips, "I can see it being a being more of a woman's drink. Or someone with low blood sugar who needs a hit"

They share amusement for a moment before he proceeds to thank her for the drink, and he also finds that he is once again glad for her company.

"When we take this trip, you can be my drinking buddy, I'll make you a proper drink" He proposes.

"Oh, I would like that! I warn you though, I'm a light weight. I only need a beer and my arms start to tingle"

"Ahh don't worry about that, I'll toughen you up" He gives her a light nudge, and Alice feels a warmth inside of herself. She liked the mysterious man very much so. She actually found herself looking up to him, and enjoying the escape their small chats offer. None of it was born out of romance, her heart already belonged to another, and she was quite sure he was in the same boat, but she hoped they could become close friends and he didn't do it out of any obligation to Billy.

"Oh I don't know. But I'll give it a go."

For many of reasons they were both looking forward to the upcoming trip they were due to take.

Bucky suddenly feels a chill dance down his spine, the tree that cast down upon them the shade must be getting to him.

"We should probably get back" He glances his eyes around the car park up to the church where he spots Maggie through it all, using her hand to shield her eyes as they look around and then over to them.

"Oh of course" Alice hops off the wall and pushes the sleeves up on her cardigan and hides away the flask, "I can't believe I've just drank Alcohol at church"

"Ehh, you'll be fine. If the big guy has a problem just pin it on me. I'm going to hell anyway"

*T*C*

"We now commit Roberta's body to the ground. Earth to earth…"

The coffin begins its descent into its new home, and Billy find himself with the inability to look and bows his head to shield himself from seeing the end.

"Ashes to Ashes"

Alice pushes her arm through Billy's and grips him to caress his arm in comfort.

"Dust to Dust;"

Maggie feels an all too familiar feeling of discomfort at the sight, memories of her own parents' funeral strong within her heart.

"in the sure and certain hope of passage to eternal life"

Bucky is attempting to pay complete attention and respect but opposite to him stands a dark haired woman, young and striking but it isn't her that holds his attention, more the little boy who stands with a confused expression clutching her hand, but a prying eyes directed right at Bucky and more so his hand that seemed to be reflecting the sun right into the boys eyes.

He is about to raise it and push it out of sight into his pocket when there came a nudging and weight upon it and as he glances down he sees a set of red nailed fingers gliding down his arm and pushing the course hard material fingers apart to delicately lace their own snuggly between, a feeling of tightness as they grip a hold of it. Of him.

Raising his eyes to the red headed girl beside him, her lips curl just a fraction, but enough to cast a spell of ease over him, especially as she tucks and hooks their coupled hands up behind her back.

Remaining joined as they each step forth and toss in a handful of dirt Maggie steps into his side, feeling her quiver and pulling her instinctively closer offering the solace to crumble if it is what she needed.

Her nose is lost and buried in him, mumbling her whimpered cries, and he felt no defiance when letting his lips linger upon her hair, murmuring with private words of reassurance.

*T*C*

"Everything okay?" Maggie voices her concern for Bucky whose back seemed to be straighter than usual, as though on edge, enough for her to bring her hand intuitively to his back with a soothing rub.

"What? Oh…" He draws his eyes away from the car park, trying to shake the feelings away, "I'm not used to being around people for so long, just made me nervy. It's nothing"

"Well we can leave soon okay? Then you'll have nothing to worry about"

He bobs his head, trying to focus on the truth of what she was saying, because truth was he was looking forward to it, more than he had looked forward to anything in a long time.

"It'll be nice to have some sand under my feet" He speaks and looks to her, noticing there was a distance in her eyes and she was looking off west of the cemetery and he looks on himself, wondering what it was that held her attention because he himself couldn't see anything.

"What's got your attention?" Bucky gives her arm a tug, like a child seeking attention.

Billy must have finished by his mother's grave and he had left his brother there in order for him to have some privacy, walking over towards his awaiting friends who he realized were his true family.

"Oh nothing just…" Maggie started and Billy interrupted, extending two stems that erected a pair of blooming lilies to his friend.

"Thank you Billy" She smiled, "But shouldn't they be for your mother, not me" she takes them from him anyway.

"They're not for you" He gives her a knowing look and then nods off in the direction her eyes had been aimed just moments ago.

"Oh it's okay I can…" again she starts but doesn't finish.

"No, you'll go. And you take your time; we'll wait by the car." Billy leaves her no room to argue, taking Alice's hand and they begin walking away.

Bucky is left stood there unsure of what was happening, glancing back and forth between the couple walking away and the girl clutching the flowers with a distant expression on her face, twitching and toying with the flowers in hand, before looking behind her and almost looking relieved seeing Bucky still stand there.

"Would you… will you walk with me?" She asks of him almost timidly, enough for him to agree instantly.

They set off down a path, her arm coming to link him as they grew closer and he had only seem the same expression in her eyes once before, and he understood there they were going, and who else this cemetery was home to.

About two or three minutes later her eyes can see her destination, about twenty yards away, gripping and almost pinching the under flesh of his upper arm, feeling as though she should turn back.

"I don't… I don't come here often" She whispers, and lets go to fiddle with her hair and straighten herself out, partly because of nervous, the other half of her because she felt the need to be as presentable as possible.

"You're going to be fine. Take as long as you need, I'll be right here waiting, okay?" He pinches her chin and winks at her in encouragement, and it's enough to apply a murmured smile.

"Thank you. I…" She takes her first step forward towards her parents, and one away from Bucky.

She never made a habit of coming here, it hadn't been how she had wanted to remember her parents, and she'd always though too much about what was happening to them there in the ground. If it had been down to her she would have had them cremated, but it hadn't been and so they were here.

But regardless of the sickening feeling that curdled in her stomach, this time she wasn't sure she could keep away. She knew her sister came as often as she could, it wouldn't be overly regularly but she did the chore of keeping it clean and tidy for them. Would mention she had been when the two sisters got together to catch up, Maggie never really asked much, there wasn't all that much to ask was there?

However, she would always feel guilty. This was required of her as their daughter, and as horrible as the thoughts of where they were might be, there was nowhere she could be physically closer to them and in that moment she needed that. Even though she very rarely came here, she would never get lost or be unable to find them.

"H… hi" She planned to speak, but no volume came from her mouth as she stepped before the gravestone, as soon as laying her eyes on the names there is nothing else she could think or care about, feeling quiver in her shoulders take her.

"I'm sorry" She sucks her lips into her mouth, biting down in order to contain herself, but there is a weakness in her knees and the shoes on her feet weren't safe enough to keep her steady, so instead she lowered herself down onto her knees and back onto her heels.

"I'm sorry" She repeated and bought her hand up to her face, feeling that nineteen year old girl within her rising to the surface.

"I don't want to cry anymore" She hooks her hand over her shoulder and then leans her cheek against it, "It's just been an emotional day."

In attempts to clear her mind of the emotional haze, she tries to shake it clear, but it doesn't really work, and there is so much she wants to say, but she never imagined it would be to some rock with their names on.

"I should come more. I'll try… really I will. It might be a little easier now, maybe?"

Swallowing the lump, she shuffles on her knees a little closer, not caring about grass strains.

"Billy's mom died. It's been her funeral today. So he's a little sad, so we're going to the beach house for a week. I hope you don't mind, I'm not going to be having parties and trashing it." She hums and it is almost humorous, feeling like a teenager.

"And I promise I won't leave anything on mom, when we leave" She reassures her mother, knowing how annoyed she would be because whenever Maggie would leave the house and nobody be in, they would always come back to find something still on. Once it was a straightening iron and luckily nothing was set of fire or burnt.

"I'm a bit older now and not as forgetful. I can't be. I have my own apartment now, and it's still standing. It's nice, I mean it doesn't really feel like home but I don't think anywhere else ever will. Least not yet. Maybe in a few years when I'm settling myself down a little more.

"See… I'm even being positive. Who'd have thought that?" Brows are bouncing.

"A lot of things seem to be changing a little more recently. I… maybe I'm being more appreciative of what I have rather than burying myself in work. And I feel better for it, I do. I'm surrounded by a good group of people. They look after me, sometimes a little too much but they mean well.

"Billy is as bossy as ever, but he's mellowing a little. He has a girlfriend now so, he's busy being happy. She's really nice, and sweet. God I've never met anyone so sweet and lovely. It's taking some getting used to, but she means well and she has Billy's best interest at heart. Gives him the boost he needs. She'll help him you know; now he doesn't really have anyone to look after.

"I suppose he'll always feel the need to look out for me, but he isn't… he isn't the only one anymore. There is someone else who cares about me too…"

She fiddles with the hem of her dress, and glances to her left towards the waiting man she spoke of, "I care about him a lot. Maybe more than I care to admit."

Maggie manages to tear her eyes away and look back to the headstone, "It's a little… okay it's very complicated."

Fingers stroke nervously at a petal, "He's everything I didn't want… I didn't want anything to do with that part of life. And I know you didn't want it for me either. But… it's different somehow. He's different than I thought someone like that would be. He knows pain, so much pain and he was lost, and I know part of you both wouldn't want me anywhere near him, but you don't know him. He's… not what everyone else thinks he is. And I think… no, I know if you knew him like I did, you would really like him. Even you dad.

"He's not like the others. And as of right now, he might well end up breaking my heart and it does scare me, but at the same time… I've never felt so alive. And it isn't just some girly fascination that makes me realize it's because of him.

"I've never really wanted anything… like I want him. Even if I can't have him, I don't think it's just going to stop. Maybe it would be different… if I told him the truth…"

She could hear everyone's voice there and then that knew the truth about her, and their words of protest. Billy's, Kate's, her Nana's. Actually maybe her Nana might have been the only one to encourage her.

"I think I'm going to tell him. I don't want to have to; I don't want any of it. But I think if anyone will understand, it'll be him. So I'm going to tell him…"

She only realizes that it was actually what she wanted right there and then, up until this point she had always been too questioning of herself and her motives and whether it was necessary.

"None of this is what you want for me, but life isn't as we thought it would be, is it? You're not here, and I can't stay on the path I've been on. I don't want to be alone anymore, or spend my life just doing everything I can to make me not think about you. Nothing I do is going to change you… not being… here. I just… I'm tired. And I want to just live my life, and I know that's all you want from me too. So I'm not going to feel guilty anymore for wanting to be happy."

Her head bounces as she comes to understand herself a little better, determined to put her words into actions.

"I'll come back soon. I'll stay longer. But you're always with me" She uses the back of her hand to wipe her nose before settling the Lilies down upon the grave.

Raising her hand up, she places it upon their names, feeling her heart shrink and swell.

"I love you both." She splutters a little as she raises her necklace to her lips and kisses it.

"Say Hi to Nana for me. Tell her I didn't mean to do what I did about Kate." She raises herself back to her feet, feeling the wind tickle her face, especially where any tears remained.

Bucky stood lent against a tree waiting for her as she approaches, hobbling because of her shoes and the heels that were sinking repeatedly into the earth. He couldn't ignore the damp stains on her cheeks nor the pinking around her eyes, but her smile encouraged him to see past them.

"How about we get to that beach?" He greets her and she nods several enthusiastic times.

"Sounds like a good idea, Barnes"

They fall into step beside one another.

"Well I am capable of them now and again, Flynn"

His wink along with his arm take latches around her waist makes her even more certain of her decision.

"So are you sure you guys don't want to call off home first. Sure you don't want to go and get changed first? Nobody need the toilet? Because once we hit the I-95 with all the traffic there will be no turning back" Maggie warned them, sounding incredible like her father when they were heading off for trips.

"You know because you're driving, does it mean you're going to be bossing us around the whole way there? Not sure I can manage seven hours of that!" Bucky shifts and shuffles in the passenger seat.

"Billy!" Maggie sings, giving him his queue.

Billy leans forward as he sat behind Maggie but puts his hand on Bucky's shoulder, "Maggie warned me previously to warn you that she isn't going to stand for any of your nonsense on the journey, and that if you are to tease, complain or make remarks about her driving or the rules when in her car then you will have to go in the boot with all the luggage"

"Is that right?" He laughs and looks over to the girl who is doing her best to keep a stern face, "May I ask why it's only me getting this warning?"

"Because you are the only person who has ever complained about my driving."

"Surely I'm not the only one?"

He is shot a pointed look, they had only been in the car a matter of minutes, at this rate it might just be a long trip.

"I'll have you know I am an excellent driver"

"I recall an incident that would make me question your certainty in yourself" Bucky bites.

"Like when?" Maggie knew that was a stupid this too ask, but her mouth had voiced its opinions because her brain could make her shut up.

"Really forgotten how you ran me over?"

Because she had remembered without him needing to jog her memory, she had the time to find a protective excuse.

"I believe it was you who stepped out in front of me. So that would make it your fault."

"Why of course it would!" His sarcasm has her narrowing her eyes.

"I mean it… you'll go in the trunk. Another word!" And she did, at least she would try and get him in there. Whether she would succeed with all their belongings in the back, but she would give it a good try.

He just grins like the Cheshire cat before closing the invisible zip across his mouth, determined that if she wanted him to be quiet he would be. She would get frustrated by it quicker than he would.

So he settles back, and turns his attention to the window, outside a school with all its pupils in cheer that the day was over. He remembered always feeling the same, at least for the short amount of time he actually attended one.

His eyes were drifting back to look out the window screen to the slight build-up of traffic before them, parents and carers collecting their children, but it is something in the wing mirror that grabs his attention.

"Shoot! I forgot to bring my Book" Alice announces, annoyed with herself.

"No need to worry sweetheart, I have my kindle in the back" Billy reassures her and they share a cute smile that Maggie happens to witness through the mirror, it was almost too cute. But it suited them.

"What are you reading Alice?" Maggie strikes up conversation in order to pass the time, being as Bucky was behaving himself.

"Oh… it's actually a series of Books, the latest one just got released, and I've been waiting for two years, so I thought this week would be as good of a time as any to really get into it."

"Oh there is nothing like being on the beach with a good book. I brought mine too. That's part of a series too, but I didn't realize until I started that there is something like seven other books after it, and they aren't small either" the girls chit chat.

"Wait… eight books? You're not on about the Outlander series are you?" Alice asks.

"Yeah!" Maggie looks in the back through the mirror, "Have you read them?"

"That's what I'm reading now!" Alice is a ball of energy, and so excited by the face the two females just happened to be reading the same book.

For Alice it bought them together.

"Really? Oh wow!" Maggie too is actually surprised by the coincidence, indicating and taking a right when she comes to the junction.

"So you've read all of them?" The red head inquires further.

"Yeah, well I'm on the last one. They're amazing aren't they? It makes you wonder how the author came up with it all, so much is always happening" Alice gushes.

"Well actually I'm only on the first one. A girl at work told me about it, told me I had to read it. I was pessimistic after the whole Fifty Shades craze. I read the first of that and then got bored, but this is actually really good, but I haven't read none in a couple of weeks."

Not since that day on the roof when Bucky drew her, and she is suddenly chuckling to herself as it sparks the memory of Bucky trying out his best Scottish accent on her.

She finds herself glancing over to him, wondering if he was listening and could remember that day. Well she hoped he could remember. That night he had kissed her after all, and it was hardly a million years ago. But he seemed lost in thought, eyes trained out of the window, but a concentrated frown on his forehead.

She is about to ask him what the was the matter, but Alice is far too enjoying the girlish conversation and wants to talk more about their choice in literature.

"I won't tell you anything that happens, don't worry. But I find it really exciting that we both read the same books. I haven't read that fifty shades, never sounded like my sort of thing, even though outlander has its sexy moments but you know…" Alice babbles and her cheeks pink slightly.

"Oh so that's why you like it really?" Billy believes he is calling her out and they get into a little bantered dispute on the subject.

Maggie was already at her next junction waiting to head left.

"Turn right" Bucky's flat voice instructs her.

"I thought I told you no talking, turning right will just take us around in circles. Leave me to the direc…"

"Babe…" He looks over to her without an ounce of humour in his face, "Just turn right."

If it was anyone else she would have argued it further but there was something incredible unsettling about his demands and eyes, so much so Maggie fumbles and flicks at the indicator instantly to do as she is told, waiting at the lights but more so waiting for an explanation from him but he is too busy eyeing the mirror.

Bucky knew it was more possible that it was all nothing, that it was pure coincidence. But three cars back sat an all too official looking vehicle, the usual black SUV type, and he had noticed it wasn't uncommon to see them around this neck of the woods, but he found it alarming when he had noticed the exact same car parked outside of the church and now it was still behind them.

He waited and prayed that their indictor wouldn't stop, that he was being paranoid; it wouldn't be the first time. He hadn't really had the need to act or feel the need to voice his worries, but when the flashing stopped, he knew right there and then this was not a coincidence.

"What is it?" Maggie whispers, Alice and Billy might only be in the back but she wasn't about to get them all worried over nothing. Plus they seemed rather caught up in one another.

Bucky shakes his head, "The lights have changed. Just… carry on with what you're doing okay?" He didn't want to scare her, he didn't want her to have to feel the dread, and if it was inevitable he would try and prolong it as along as possible.

He knew something had felt off, all day something hadn't been right. And now here he was with the three of them with him, defenceless and he didn't even have a gun.

As they turned right and took off down the road the cars beside them decreased in numbers, firstly a blue sedan, an old chap in the seat, the second the one he had expected but hoped against.

One car, it was just one car. While he had told Maggie to stay calm, tried to reassure her it was nothing, his mind was already having a workout of his own, planning what would happen and the moves he would need to make.

By this time, Maggie had already looked in the mirror and seen the car, her heart beginning to thumb against her sternum, hands and fingers beginning to clenches and unclench around the steering wheel.

He was here. They would be okay. Whatever happened, they would all be okay because he was with them. He would keep them safe. He would make them go away and leave them alone. He could do that. She knew he could, she believed in him. The reason she had felt safe with this set up before now was all down to him.

But then the negative thoughts began to consume her, because after all he had no armour, he had no weapon and yes maybe he was just one hell of a weapon himself but for that to be useful he would need to have face to face combat and she was not about to let that happen. She didn't care who he was or what he was capable of. He was not a weapon; he was not going to be playing the hero or doing something stupid.

I won't let him. I won't. No. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Suddenly there came a little piece of information that was brought to the front of her mind, remembering that this was her sisters car.

To her naïve desperate mind it would save them. Unfortunately her mind wouldn't let her play dumb and buy into it completely, but there was something else.

She immediately reaches over and opens the glove box, ruffling her hand inside searching but there is nothing but the registration booklet, so she moves to the compartment between them, again nothing and she is mentally praying her sister hadn't let her down.

There was an extremely good chance there was a weapon of some sort in this car and she was going to find it.

"Maggie" Bucky notices her alarming behaviour beginning have an impact on others in the car.

"Maggie!" He grabs her hand in order to stop her.

"What's going on?" Billy is the one to ask, having noticed a tense atmosphere.

"Nothing." Bucky tries, looking back out the mirror.

With her hand once again free Maggie brings it down and stretches her muscles, while trying to keep her eyes on the road, blindly searching under her seat, her heart skipping a beat once or twice as she felt something, something like a mental handle and for a moment it brings to her relief, pulling out the object.

Within her hand didn't lay a gun, no, but a small metal like brief case. It was small, small enough just to hold.

"Bucky!" She holds it up, for him to look around at her with wide eyes, hoping the case was the answer to all of their prayers.

"I don't have the code" Maggie suddenly realizes that it might not be helpful after all if they couldn't get into it, but that was all of five seconds when it he is taking it from her and she flashes her eyes back and forth from him to the road, watching him snap crush and tear open within seconds as though it was nothing.

Bucky stares down at the treasure, freeing the M9 handgun from its confinements, to unite it with his hand, the semi-automatic pretty standard but does its job, especially when wielded by experience.

Examining the clip he sees he only has a round of fifteen 9mm bullets. She could be more than enough for one car, but he wasn't stupid. If this was them and this was a plan to take him down, they would need more than one car – and they knew it.

Billy asks a surge of panic in his voice as he see's Bucky holding a gun in hand, and Maggie looking out there rear mirror looking fearful.

"Is there someone following us?" Billy blurts and shifts to turns to look behind.

"No!" Cries Bucky, knowing if he looks whoever was following them would clock on to them knowing they were being pursued.

It's too late, Billy had looked, the occupants of the car had seen and the mayhem began with an increase of speed in the car behind them.

"Maggie go!" Bucky of course taking command and instructing the woman to do as he is telling her, while he is insisting that Billy and Alice lay low on the back seat, Alice already yelling for Billy to tell her what is happening, for anyone to tell her what is happening as sense of complete surreal fear takes claim of her, and Billy does is best as they lay slumped there to reassure her with his own uncertain words.

Speed increases rapidly, the road ahead of them one to safety and she tucks away the urge to scream, break down or cry, throw her hands up in the air and just duck and hide.

But that would result in nothing but disaster so the engine roars with its own determination, doing her best to swerve around the odd car or two ahead, the last thing on her mind is the safety of anyone else other than the people in the car with her.

With the gun loaded and ready Bucky waste no time in opening his window, the air blowing in immediately. He had no intentions of just leaning out and shooting, they were heavily armour cars and he would just be wasting his bullets, however he begins helping himself to Maggie's handbag.

Maggie swerves and flies around a corner, doing her best to shake off the chasing car while controlling the car she was at the wheel off, not wanting to make a wrong move and throw them into more danger than they were already in.

"Alice… Alice… I need that flask" Bucky finishes emptying Maggie's handbag and of course what he is looking for is right at the bottom. An aerosol can.

Maggie: "Jaaaaames? What are you doing?"

Alice: "Billy in my purse. By your feet." Her words were finished by a scream.

There are squeals from each of their mouths, the exception of Bucky, as the first shot is being taken at them, and Bucky yells at them to stay down while he tears at the cuff of his shirt and waits impatiently while Billy scrambles to get Alice's purse from the floor and both of them trying to drip their hands inside to find the item he needed, arguing they either of them were getting in the way but they were desperate and scared.

"Just give him the goddamn flask!" Maggie cries out, really not caring about having a friendly tone at this moment in time. She wasn't completely sure what he was up to but she had an idea and her throat was seizing up, but she just kept reminding herself that he knew what he was doing and he was doing it to protect all of them.

Maggie's demands seem to help get the metal flask into Bucky's possession, sooner rather than later as she was approaching a residential area at eighty miles an hour with kids on the side walk on their way home from school and she had to blare out the horn to warn and keep them away from the road.

For Bucky he is too busy pushing the car cigarette lighter in for it to start heating while he drenches the piece of fabric in the liquor before wrapping around the deodorant can.

"Maggie when I tell you I want you to slow down a little, just enough for them to get up behind us."

"Okay" She bounces her head; sure she would do anything he said right now.

It's surprising that there aren't three pairs of eyeballs rolling around the floor of the car with how they're all bulging when Bucky takes the lighter and an old scrap piece of paper and sets it on fire.

"Bucky I don't think now is the time to be playing around with fires!" He looks like a kid in a candy shop as he uses the now blazing paper, embers flying everywhere as he sets alight to the rag around the aerosol can.

"Maggie just leave me to what I do best. Now slow down" He instructs and with the flames consuming the can and he knows he has to work quickly as he begins to squeeze and twist his upper body out of the window, a few shots are fired but miss and for now he watches the car veer left behind them, the pursues seeing what their target has in hand, but its not good enough. Bucky's aim couldn't miss if he tried.

The small ball of flames flies through the air and the nervous passengers in the back peak up while holding there breathing, hoping and praying whatever madness he was up would worked.

"YESS!" Alice squeals out as she observed the can hit the screen of the enemy car and rolls down into the dip between the window and hood, but it wasn't exploding. None of the three could understand why it was exploding.

There is a lot of shouting between them all, until there is a shot of a gun, this time much closer to them but it is the blast and the loud shrieking that stops their hearts.

Bucky had aimed once more, this time with the gun, rather than shooting at anything belonging to the car he shot at the burning can, precise and successful.

The blast of the fireball only lasts for second, the fire tears its way through the gases of the can, eating it alive in seconds and consuming the hood and screen in flames before it disappears but not before it has alarmed and thrown the driver trailing vehicle off course and momentarily stunning him.

From the rear mirror Maggie watches as the SUV turn sharply and shrieks for control but fails sending the car head first up the curb and smashing its way into an old robust tree.

Suddenly all the screams within the car are born out of absolute delight, clapping from Alice, whistling from Billy, A bouncing Maggie in her seat. They were elated and gushing over their saviour.

But as Bucky slides himself back into his seat he is yet to feel the need to celebrate. All he could think to himself were that now he only had fourteen bullets left.

For Maggie though if it weren't for her driving and still physically shaking she would have kissed the face off him. Instead all she can do is praise him.

"That was amazing. Truly amazing."

There should have been a million and once other things she should have been thinking or saying, for Bucky he finds it baffling their behaviour at the time, shouldn't they have been terrified and still be screaming and demanding how they knew where he was, but her mind and body craved the positivity.

She thought maybe she had been distracted too much as she had swung the car to cause the tyres to skid, but she felt no movement, felt no resistance from the car. It was driving straight as it should have been, but there was had still been the noise.

Shifting her eyes up ahead, every piece of thrill, happiness and the colour of excitement of her face disappear, draining the blood from her cheeks as it all swarmed to her rapidly beating heart that dropped inch by inch into her stomach.

It wasn't over. Not by far. There was now a car up ahead of them, fifty yards at the most. Proof that celebrating had been premature.


Hope you enjoyed. It's getting Dramatic!

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See you soon,

Danielle xx