Content warning: Sexual content not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
By the time the wedding party came out of the church after the ceremony there were a number of news crews and photographers waiting for pictures of Captain America and his bride. No one ever knew who tipped the media off but they were all polite and the couple obliged by posing for the cameras. After the short delay they all piled into two limousines and went off to a park for the wedding pictures. The park, already full of flowers and beautiful fountains provided a wonderful backdrop for all of the pictures. Rebecca, who behaved wonderfully all day began to react to a lack of sleep, food and drink, becoming irritable and uncooperative. The photographer produced a juice box for Rebecca and that helped but since their next stop was the hotel for a breather it was decided to get back there quickly so she could have a snack and a nap. Bucky held her in his arms in the limousine and by the time they arrived at the hotel she was asleep. Gently, he laid her down on her bed, taking her shoes and dress off so it wouldn't get creased. They both closed the door and deposited themselves on the couch, kicking their shoes off.
"Poor little girl," said Julia. "She did so well for so long."
"She sure looked cute coming up the aisle," replied Bucky. "She was so certain of herself, making sure she smiled at everyone and distributed her flower petals well. Even Sam commented on how cute she was." He leaned over and kissed Julia tenderly. "How are you holding up?"
"Pretty good," smiled Julia. "I'm glad we have this breather. Tonight, if she conks out early I'll bring her back and stay with her."
"I'll come with you," said Bucky. "I'm ready for this day to be done. I miss the quiet of the lake." He pulled Julia closer to him and kissed her again. "I miss having you, even though it's only been one night. I'll be happy when we can get back to normal at home."
Julia stood up, hiked up her bridesmaid dress and sat facing Bucky on his lap. He gave her a sly grin. "All I have to do is take off my panties," she said. "You just have to pull your pants and underwear down. My dress will hide everything."
"You are such a tease sometimes," he said in a low voice, then kissed her sensuously, as he ran his hands up her back. "What if Rebecca hears us and comes out here? She'll be scarred for life."
"That's part of the thrill," replied Julia. "But I guess you're right."
For several minutes they necked, becoming more and more aroused. Just as Bucky was ready to unzip his pants and go further they heard a sound from the bedroom. Almost on cue the bedroom door opened and Rebecca stood there looking sleepily at them in her diaper. Her face had crease marks on it from the bedding and she was frowning as she looked at them. Bucky looked at Julia and almost started laughing.
"Sweetie, did we wake you?" asked Julia as she got off of Bucky. "Come here baby. You want to snuggle with Mommy?"
She picked their daughter up and Rebecca put her head on Julia's shoulder, still not saying anything. Bucky got up and went to the bathroom, noticeably uncomfortable. He didn't come out for some time. When he did he looked critically at his wife.
"You wait," he said. "I'll get you worked up tonight then leave you hanging."
Julia giggled and looked again at Rebecca. "Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?"
The little girl nodded and Julia opened the mini fridge, reaching in for a snack and a juice box. When Rebecca had some of the food and juice she became more animated and began talking.
"Why were you sitting on Daddy?" she asked.
"Yeah, Mommy," said Bucky, grinning. "Why were you sitting on me?"
"I wanted to play with him," replied Julia, "but he didn't want to play with me."
"That's the problem," whispered Bucky into her ear. "I did want to play with you, just play very dirty."
"Where's my dress?" asked Rebecca.
"In your bedroom," replied Bucky. "You can put it back on when you've finished eating."
"I'm going to have to do something with her hair," noted Julia. "It's flat on one side. I wonder if Anna or someone has a curling iron."
She made a couple of phone calls to the other women in the wedding party. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and one of Anna's relatives was there with the curling iron. Julia thanked her and put Rebecca on the bathroom counter while she tried to restore her ringlets on that side of her head. It took some doing but she finally had them looking decent. Bucky checked the time and said they would have to be down at the reception soon. Once they got Rebecca dressed again and Julia checked her makeup they made their way down, dropping off the curling iron on the way. They met up with the rest of the wedding party and waited for their cue to enter the ballroom. When the cue came Bucky scooped Rebecca up and held her in one arm as he and Julia held hands dancing to Crazy in Love by Beyoncé. She sat in between them at the head table, enjoying sitting with the grownups.
After the meal came the speeches where both Sam and Anna gave tribute to Julia for introducing them. Their first dance was Al Green's Let's Stay Together. The play list, mostly R & B with some soulful classics sprinkled throughout had everyone up and dancing. Rebecca danced for some time with just about everyone before climbing up on Bucky's knee and putting her head on his shoulder. Within minutes she was down, and both he and Julia took it as their good night call. Their daughter never woke up as they undressed her, changed her diaper, then put her pyjamas on and tucked her into the bed. Outside her room Bucky kissed Julia sensuously, then put his sexy playlist on and led her to the couch.
"Take your panties off," he said in the low voice he saved for seduction, while he took his jacket and tie off.
Then he sat on the couch and undid his pants. With a smile Julia straddled him and they took up from where they left off before the wedding. Running his hands up Julia's legs under her dress, Bucky pressed his face into her neck and mouthed the sensitive parts bringing soft sexy noises from her. As he became more aroused Julia undid his shirt, running her hands up his muscular chest to his face, holding it as she kissed him teasingly. When it seemed like there was no room left in his underwear they looked at each other and Julia stepped off, allowing Bucky to pull his pants and briefs down, then she hiked up her dress again and lowered herself onto him. They both sighed as she did so, finding it extremely erotic and more than a little naughty.
"My wild girl," whispered Bucky. "You feel so good on me like this. Just sitting here I can feel every part of you."
Julia ran her tongue along the edge of her teeth and began to ride him, pressing herself into him. He moved his hands from her thighs, up under her dress and undid her bra, covering both of her breasts with his hands.
"Your nipples are so hard," he whispered, then he buried his face in her chest, pushing her breasts out so he could mouth them through the fabric.
"Unzip me," she whispered and Bucky pulled one hand out, moving it to her dress zipper. She worked her dress off her shoulders then shrugged off her bra, tossing it away.
"Fuck me," gasped Bucky, as her actions made him rock hard.
Pressing her breasts into his face Julia pumped herself up and down on Bucky, making both of them moan and gasp as they became more aroused. Bucky realized they were both getting a little loud and not wanting to wake Rebecca he pulled Julia's lips onto his, deep kissing her as she got close to coming. They kept their lips locked together and she finally came, pressing down hard onto him. With his arms wrapped tightly around her Bucky thrust up into her several times before coming, emptying himself into Julia with each movement. They looked at each other tenderly, softly kissing and running their hands through each other's hair. Then Bucky looked deeply into her eyes before placing his lips next to her ear.
"I worship you," he whispered. "You are my goddess."
"Don't be silly," she smiled back. "I should be worshipping you for making me feel so good every time."
They both smiled as they kissed each other tenderly, caressing each other over and under their clothes. Bucky lifted Julia's dress off and kissed her sensuously again, running his hands up her spine. Then he looked down at where he was still inside of her.
"We should get in the shower," he whispered. "You're so wet it's pouring out of you."
She giggled and he started getting hard again. Stepping off of him she left her dress where he had dropped it and walked backwards towards the bathroom, never taking her eyes off of him. He pulled his shirt off then kicked his pants and underwear aside, following her. Together they turned the shower on and stepped under the warm stream. Pressing her against the wall Bucky placed his hands on the sides of her face and bent over kissing her deeply. Her arms encircled him and she ran her hands up his back. Lifting her effortlessly he slid himself into her again, pressing her back against the wall as he did so. Her hazel eyes gazed into his as he kept thrusting himself into her, both of them enjoying the sensations they felt.
"You okay?" he whispered, after she gave out a loud gasp. "I'm not hurting you am I?"
"Just close to coming," she said breathlessly. "We've never done it this way."
Bucky bent his head close to her neck and mouthed the sensitive portions under her ear before kissing her deeply. Mindful of her back against the wall of the shower Bucky kept thrusting into her while they kissed and caressed each other under the warm water. A few moments later she grasped Bucky's face and kissed him fiercely, then gave out a sharp cry as her core contracted in orgasm. As he felt it tighten around him he cried out in tandem, emptying himself into the woman he loved most. Leaning them both into the wall he kissed her feverishly, reluctant to pull out and let her down from his arms. Eventually he did and towered over her, caressing her face with his flesh hand. He handed her the bottle of body wash after placing some in his hand and turned away running it over his front as she cleansed herself. When Julia put her hand on his back he turned back, looking fondly at her hazel eyes.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. "You've never turned away from me before in the shower except to come."
Seeing that they had both rinsed off the lather he turned off the water and brought a towel for her hair then another for her body. He dried himself and watched as she dried her hair with the blow dryer before explaining.
"I was overwhelmed," he admitted, "and I thought I was going to cry because I felt so close to you at that moment. It was embarrassing enough to me that I had to look at something other than you or else I would lose control. I'm okay now. God, I love you so much."
She smiled in a way that almost made him emotional again but he held it together and wrapped the towel around his waist. They went out to the living area, picking up their discarded clothes from where they dropped them on the floor. Julia took his dress shirt from him, putting it on and rolling up the sleeves on her arms. After checking the baby monitor to make sure Rebecca was still asleep they both got into bed and laid so that Bucky was spooning behind Julia. She fell asleep quickly, but Bucky kept breathing in the clean scent of her mixed with his scent embedded in the shirt, letting it fill him. Even now, over 2 years into their marriage, with a little girl and another baby on the way he was amazed that she gave him so much.
The following day, after a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant with everyone, they packed their bags, said their goodbyes to their new and old friends, then went to the airport for the trip back to Reno. Just like the flight to Mobile, the flight back was just as enjoyable for Rebecca as she talked to everyone who walked past their seats. Several people stopped to talk when they recognized her dad as Bucky Barnes. Being recognized had often made him uncomfortable before but having Julia and Rebecca there made it easier for him to respond to people's kind words. They were both happy when the flight finally ended, wanting to be back in a familiar environment where they could resume their usual routine.
Spring turned into summer and they changed one of their upstairs bedrooms into a girl's bedroom so they would have time to update the nursery for the baby, due in November. The forest theme of the bedroom came after a June visit to the Barton's farm where Rebecca watched the Disney film Brave curled up in Lila's arms, and learned archery courtesy of a child sized bow and arrow set custom made for her by Clint Barton. A ride on a horse in front of Uncle Clint sealed her desire to be just like Merida, the heroine of the film. She announced at that time that she wanted to be a princess of the forest. On their return home Bucky found an artist who painted a forest theme on two of the bedroom walls. Then he looked through Pinterest and found several ideas for a bed that looked like a cabin in the woods. He built it so the walls and roof could be easily removed if Rebecca outgrew the theme. He lined the cabin / bed with fairy lights and found some soft bedding that Rebecca loved. Just like in the nursery, he painted stars on the ceiling that would appear in the dark.
While the bedroom was being painted they went for the 20 week ultrasound of the pregnancy. Bucky and Rebecca both came for the appointment. He admitted he wanted to know what they were having and when the technician pointed out the markers that confirmed it was a boy Bucky was a happy man. Rebecca, who had put her heart into having a sister named Crystal Sparkle wasn't so happy but got over it when Bucky promised she could have pony riding lessons. Julia thought he was being very indulgent with their daughter but also knew it was done out of love.
They already decided a boy would be named after the grandfathers so William George Barnes received his name well before he was born. At the gender reveal party they held for Julia's family they gave her dad Bill a gift bag as an early birthday present. When he pulled an infant T-shirt out with the baby's name on it he saw the back first and was puzzled at why everyone else was cheering. Then he turned it around and saw that his youngest grandson would share his first name. Julia had never seen her father cry but she did that day as it overwhelmed him. He kissed both Bucky and Julia then sat in the arm chair for much of the afternoon looking at the shirt.
Bill had been retired almost seven months when they had the gender reveal party in July. In August, he had his yearly physical and went to the lab to give blood and have a urinalysis. The latter came back positive for blood in the urine and he underwent other tests. In mid-September, just a few weeks before Rebecca's 2nd birthday, he asked Bucky to go fishing with him. Greg lent them his boat and they went out at sunrise on a surprisingly warm morning. Bucky cast his line and he could see that Bill had something on his mind.
"What's going on?" he asked his father-in-law.
"Only Lydia knows, and now you," replied Bill. "I want to tell Julia and the others but I'm afraid it's going to devastate them." He took a deep breath and looked at Bucky with anguish. "I have cancer, kidney cancer ... stage 4. It's in both of my kidneys and at this stage it's already spread throughout my body."
"Jesus, Bill," said Bucky, putting his hand on Bill's shoulder. "How long do you have?"
"Not long," he replied. "Spring, maybe. Summer, possibly. They think I can extend it with immunotherapy but it's still speculation. The weird thing is I haven't had any symptoms other than trouble urinating which is common when you're my age and the prostate acts up."
"I'm sorry," said Bucky. "Not just for your kids but for the grand kids as well. You're a good man and it's not right they'll be denied knowing you. I'll miss you, too. My parents died in the 1960s and you've been the closest to a father that I've had since before the war." Bucky was quiet for a moment. "Are they sure there's no definitive treatment?"
"It's an uncommon form of kidney cancer," he answered. "Polycystic renal cell carcinoma. If it was just in one kidney they would remove it and put me into immunotherapy automatically to control it spreading elsewhere. But it's in both and it's already spread to my lymph nodes and liver."
"Fuck," muttered Bucky.
"Yeah," agreed Bill. "Do me a favour. Since you'll be living next door to Lydia, watch out for her after I go. You know, we met at San Francisco State University. I was second year law and she was first year library science. Knew as soon as I saw her I wanted to be with her. She was so much like Julia. Smart, interested in so many things, and beautiful beyond belief. I couldn't believe it when she agreed to go out with me and then marry me two years later. My parents wanted us to wait but Clarence ... he said if you know, you know. We knew, just like you two did."
Bill began to weep and Bucky pulled him into his arms, holding and trying to comfort his father-in-law. A few minutes later Bill pulled away and patted Bucky on the arm. He noted that Bucky had a bite on his line and told him to bring it in. Smiling grimly Bucky reeled in a fish, then promptly released it. He put his fishing rod away and sat on a seat in the boat, across from the man he respected so much.
"Tell me more about you, Bill," he said. "I want to know. You can ask me anything in return."
For the next two hours they talked about everything. Bill told him about growing up the only child of a widow, getting a scholarship for law school but still having to work construction on the weekends to make ends meet. He described how he felt becoming a father with Janey, then Jake and John before being surprised by Lydia getting pregnant with Julia in her late 30s. In return Bucky told him about growing up in the Depression and how he had to work on the docks starting in his high school summers then after he graduated to make enough money to go to art school with Steve Rogers, because someone had to watch out for him. He admitted that he was a ladies man right up until the fall off the train that should have killed him. Bill asked him what it had been like and Bucky told him everything, from the serum injections to the memory wipes, abuse and torture he suffered at the hands of HYDRA.
"How did you ever come back from it?" asked Bill, his face full of sympathy and compassion. "I mean, you're one of the best men I know. You've been honourable with Julia right from the start and you're a hell of a father."
Bucky smiled self-consciously. "It wasn't easy. I had a lot of anger and didn't trust people. When Steve decided to go back in time to the woman he loved I understood but I did feel abandoned. Becoming friends with Sam took time and effort. It was hard but now I'm as close with him as I was with Steve. He's probably helped me adjust more than anyone, except Julia. I live for her, you know. She's everything to me."
Bill nodded. "I can tell. Julia's always been my biggest concern because of her autism. Mason ... he hurt her so much and set her back badly. I was concerned when she told us about you and her, partly because of your history but also because I didn't know if a man in your profession could provide the emotional support she needed. You proved me wrong, Bucky. You love her the way she needs to be loved ... fully and completely. I know that you'll look after her when I'm gone and that helps me accept dying."
"Hey, you're not gone yet," said Bucky. "Don't throw in the towel, okay? You fight for every breath of life that's in you."
They hugged and Bill promised to fight for as long as he could. Bucky was there on the Labour Day long weekend when Bill's kids and grandkids all came for the last long weekend of summer. He held Julia when she broke down crying after her dad finally told the family what he was facing. When she left their bed in the night to go sit on the deck he joined her, bringing out an extra blanket for himself. They laid together on the round sofa bed they bought that summer for the deck until sunrise, not talking, just being together as the night sky changed over them, then lightened and finally erupted into day.
Bill did go in for immunotherapy, hoping to slow the progress of the disease in his other organs. Three months later, in early November, when Julia went into labour Bill and Lydia came over in the middle of the night to watch Rebecca. Bucky drove Julia to the birthing center and after 7 hours of labour lovingly helped her deliver their son William George Barnes into the world. When Bill and Lydia brought Rebecca to see her new brother Bucky made sure he took lots of photos of Bill holding his namesake. Rebecca, once she held her baby brother, decided she liked him as well and he took several pictures of her kissing Billy, as Grandpa called him. The best picture was of Bill, holding Billy, with Rebecca leaning into him and Lydia holding his shoulders, all of them smiling at Bucky when he took the picture. When he died 8 months later they put that picture up on the display of Bill's life at the funeral. After his cremation they drove about an hour from Lake Tahoe to a green burial forest and mixed his remains with the soil at the base of a Douglas fir tree. It was what he wanted, to have his remains returned to nature.
Life without Bill Devin was difficult for Lydia and the others. They all missed him terribly. It didn't seem right that he had so little time after retiring to enjoy life so his children and grandchildren enjoyed life in his memory. Julia's siblings came out more often to the house, to spend time with Lydia but also to spend time with their families who were all growing older. For Rebecca and Billy it was time they thrived on with their aunts, uncles, and cousins indulging them as much as Bucky and Julia did. A year later on Labour Day weekend in 2029 it was also when the couple knew for certain that Billy was an enhanced human.
At 10 months of age Billy enjoyed excellent health, never once coming down with a cold or any other illness that would affect a normal baby. Julia was still nursing him on occasion but supplemented her breast milk with solid foods starting when he was just four months old as he had a large appetite. He was crawling by six months, walking at nine months, and amazing everyone when he started talking shortly after. Like Rebecca he had a precocious personality, showing a fascination with everything, and sharing that fascination with everyone. Their paediatrician thought it had to do with Julia's Asperger's even though there was no indication either child had it, at least not in the traditional sense. On the day before Labour Day, Bucky and Rebecca were out on the dock fishing. At least Bucky was trying to fish, even though they weren't biting. It was time spent with his kids which was more important to him. Rebecca was lying on her stomach looking over the edge of the dock trying to entice a fish to come close. Billy, who was in the house with Julia, got out the deck door, having figured out how to pull it open. As she was in the bathroom he opened the door, came down the steps and walked to the dock without either Bucky or Rebecca hearing him. It seemed that he already had stealth capabilities even at that young of an age. Neither heard him until Bucky heard a big splash behind him and a yell from the house next door. He was horrified to see Billy in the water, holding a fish between his hands and laughing with delight that he caught a fish. Janey, who came out onto the Devin's deck with her morning coffee saw it all and ran over while Bucky waded into the water and retrieved his son then stepped back onto the dock.
"Is he okay?" Janey asked as she ran onto the dock. "Bucky, he jumped right in and grabbed that fish so fast. I couldn't believe it. He caught a fish with his bare hands."
"Look, Dada, fish," crowed Billy, still holding it in his hands tightly, not bothered by the wiggling as it tried to get back into the water.
"Good catch, Billy," said Bucky, trying hard to keep his emotions in check. "Let's put the fish back into the water, okay?"
With a smile the toddler let the fish fall into the water and watched it swim away then he looked at Bucky with a smile.
"Janey, touch his skin then touch mine," said Bucky. "Is he warm like me?"
She put a hand on each of them and looked up at his face with surprise. "He is," she said, then she touched Rebecca for comparison. "His skin is hot like yours, much warmer than Rebecca's."
Bucky walked off the deck, holding Billy in his arms. He stood on the shore, after making sure that Rebecca was also off of the dock. Then he put Billy down and looked at him.
"How high can you jump?" he asked his son. "If I put my hands up here can you reach them?"
With a smile Billy jumped straight up and grasped Bucky's hands that he held out at eye level. The toddler held on and laughed. Janey watched with delight then the impact of Billy's actions suddenly hit her.
"He's like you, isn't he?" she asked excitedly. "He's a super soldier, with your strength, and your metabolism."
"It looks like it," said Bucky. "It was suggested that my abilities were linked to my Y chromosome. If he can do this now ..." He put Billy down then looked seriously at Janey. "Don't say anything to anyone yet."
"Who left the door open?" asked Julia from the deck, then she noticed Billy and Bucky were wet. "What's happened? Why are you two wet?"
Janey looked at Bucky but didn't say anything. "Billy jumped into the water without me hearing him and caught a fish with his bare hands," he replied. "Janey saw him. He's not cold from being in the water either. His skin is hot like mine."
Julia came down the steps immediately and touched Billy for herself. "I went to the bathroom and when I came out he was gone and the deck door was open," she said. "He is, isn't he? He's a super soldier."
Bucky nodded his head. "I think it's time we took that trip," he said. "The Wakandans can do all sorts of tests to confirm it. We'll be okay, Julia. I promise."
Her face was worried but she nodded her head. They knew this day would come. What mattered now was how they handled it. A sudden moment of fear hit her as she had a vision of the day the masked men came for Rebecca but she swallowed her fear and pushed it back down, noticing Bucky watching her closely. They both knew that their lives had taken another turn.