Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A silver-haired woman stepped out of the taxi, peering up at the blue and white house peeking through the trees. It had been a while since her last visit. She grew up in Delacroix in a house down the road from the one she stood watching. She continued to live in Delacroix until her move out of state six years prior. Before she had the opportunity to fully appreciate her change of scenery, she disappeared along with half of the world’s population, only to return five years later.

She breathed in a lung-full of the fresh Louisiana air as she made her way across the spacious yard and up the front porch steps. The scent of  the wisterias and camellias filled the air. She put on a practiced smile as she lifted a slender veiny hand to knock on the wooden door. 

There was movement inside the house as heavy footsteps approached the door. She could almost hear the sounds of AJ and Cass’s laughter from her memories. Most of which were from a time when the youngest was no more than a toddler.

When the door finally creaked open, her smile slowly dropped as she registered an unfamiliar face on the other side of the door. There was no point in wasting her brightest smile on a stranger.

The stranger was a man—a very white one. He had dark hair and blue eyes and he towered over her short stature. Her eyes paused at his left hand, leaning against the door frame. It wasn’t an ordinary hand. It was black and gold metal from what she could see.

A prosthetic.

She hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder and took a step back, looking up at the house as if expecting it to change color or style.

Surely they would have told her if they sold the house. 

“Hi.” The man on the other side of the door offered a warm smile. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Sarah. Sarah Wilson.” She pointed a bony finger. “This...this is her house.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he formed any words, the sound of a familiar voice inside the house carried out to the porch where the man and the woman stood. “Babe, who is it?”

The woman let out an audible gasp when Sarah Wilson padded into her line of vision wearing one of her brightest smiles. 

“Maria?” Sarah Wilson froze beside the man. Her expression was one of a deer in headlights. “Oh wow...this is such a surprise. I didn’t know you were going to be in town. Did you just get back to Delacroix?”

The man wrapped an arm around Sarah’s waist, pulling her slightly against his side, but it did nothing to alleviate Sarah’s rigid posture. He looked between the two women, sensing the obvious tension and gaging if it was a cause for concern.

“I...wanted to surprise you and the boys. It’s November and I always go to see him. It may have been five years but it was no time at all for me.”

“Yeah,” she nodded her head vigorously. “Of course.”

“Sorry for popping up like this.”

“No, Maria it’s fine really. It’s always nice to see you.”

Maria’s eyes darted back to the man and she wondered why Sarah had yet to introduce them. Based on the way one of his hands hung around her waist, his fingers tracing small circles against her side, she had her suspicions as to why and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. 

“And who might this be?”

“This is Bucky,” Sarah replied, speaking much faster than usual. A sign of nervousness Maria recognised. “Well James. His name is James. Bucky is a nickname.”

Maria held out a hand, plastering on a strained smile. She certainly had no intention of using that nickname. “Nice to meet you James. I’m Maria.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

There was something very familiar about him, but she just couldn’t put her finger on where she had seen his face before. “Have we met before? You look familiar. Who’s your people?”

“He’s Sam’s partner. He’s not originally from around here.”

“Ah so maybe on the news then.” She vaguely remembered Sam Wilson having a partner as Captain America. Those heroes always travelled in throngs. “That Sam is always out doing extraordinary things. The boy literally flies for heaven's sake. I was so proud when I saw him on the news. A Black Captain America! Can you believe it?”

Sarah laughed nervously. “It certainly is unbelievable.”

“Is he here?”

“He’s out for the weekend. Always busy.”

The man—James—glanced down at his watch, furrowing his brow. “School will be over soon. I’ll pick the boys up while you two catch up.” He let go of Sarah, retreating back into the house without another word. 

Sarah stepped back, finally gesturing for Maria to enter just as she was about to ask if they were going to keep her standing outside forever.

She shut the door behind her, turning to wrap Maria in a warm embrace. “It’s so nice to finally see you in person after all these years. Video calls really aren’t the same. You look great Maria. You haven’t changed at all.” 

“Almost like I haven’t aged a day. It’s nice to see you too.”

Maria kept a hold on Sarah, leaning back slightly to look her over. Her braids were loose on her shoulders and she wore a gray oversized shirt and loose shorts. She looked like she just rolled out of bed, even though it was mid afternoon. “You look...comfortable.”

“Yeah, I took the day off to...regroup and work out some business stuff.”

James reappeared, placing a quick kiss on Sarah’s forehead as he made his way out of the house. The two women stood in silence after the front door shut behind him.

She didn’t know why, but something about the man’s presence made her uneasy. Perhaps it was all the nervous energy he emanated. He reminded her of a caged animal. He looked harmless enough, but there was something else underneath.

She would have to find out the local gossip about him later.

“I didn’t realize you were seeing someone” said Maria, finally breaking the silence. “You are…” she pointed between Sarah and the closed door. “...seeing each other, right? I wasn't sure if I read that right.”

“Uhh…” Sarah averted her gaze, walking toward the kitchen. There was something simmering on the stove already. “Yeah, we are. It’s relatively new. About six months, but we’ve known each other a little longer. It’s pretty serious.”

Again, Maria wondered why this was the first she was hearing about this serious relationship. Sure, she and Sarah didn’t exactly speak very often before or after the blip, but they had great respect for each other and they got on very well. Maria considered herself to be a wonderful mother-in-law.

She and Sarah also had a shared experience.

They were both widows.

Maria followed slowly after Sarah, her eyes taking in every last detail of the house. The family room was just as she remembered. 

“And I’m guessing he gets on well with the boys.” She figured he must have been, if he was already picking them up from school solo.

“Yeah, they like him a lot.” Sarah started opening cupboards. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Lemon water please.” Maria carefully placed her purse on an empty chair as she continued to scan the room with her eyes. She wondered if this relatively new relationship of Sarah’s involved living under the same roof. 

Her eyes landed on a photograph on the bookshelf and it held her attention. It was one of her favorites. In the photograph, her son was seated at the docks wearing one of his big charming smiles. Behind him was the edge of the Wilson Family seafood sign and every shade of summer from the bright blue sky to the calm waters. 

She picked up the photo to get a closer look. Her son wasn’t looking at the camera. Instead, his eyes were trained on the woman who stood beside him with her head tilted back as she was caught mid laughter.  Despite her reservations about the woman in the photograph, she had to admit that they were a beautiful young couple in genuine love.

Maria glanced back at Sarah who was slicing a lemon into rounds. When Sarah married her son, she couldn’t deny that she was disappointed and even angry at the woman’s careless opposition to taking her son’s last name. She simply refused to let go of that Wilson name and despite her son not actually legally becoming a Wilson, he became another extension of them. A part of her understood, because of their rich history of their fishing business that spanned generations, but she still felt slighted all the same.

Something else caught her eye on one of the lower shelves of the bookcase, near the stack of old records. She reached down to pick up the small stack of retro photo booth strips. There were four photos on each of the four rectangular strips she held in her thin veiny hands. 

The bright childlike smiles of her two grandsons greeted her. They were huddled between two adults—Sarah and the man she was seeing—who couldn’t seem to take their eyes away from each other. There was one where they were making silly faces and another with James kissing Sarah’s cheek. Of the sixteen shots, there was only one where they were looking directly at the camera. 

They looked like a happy family of four and Maria felt a pang of some kind of emotion in her chest.

Maria recognized that look in Sarah’s eyes.

“Okay Maria,” Sarah said, walking the beverage over to Maria who discreetly drooped the photo strips back where she found them. “One glass of lemon water.”

“Thank you dear.” She touched a finger to the framed photo of Sarah and her son. “You know, that’s one of my favorite photos of the two of you. It’s a shame he was taken from us so soon.”

Sarah looked to where the woman was watching, letting out a shaky breath. “Yeah.”

“I’m staying with a friend in town. I thought I’d visit him with you all when you go tomorrow.” She wasn’t sure if they kept up with the tradition of visiting her son’s resting place on his birthday, but she wasn’t above guilt tripping if it suited her.

“Of course. We were at the tombs last week for All Souls Day too. It’s nice that you’ll be here for his birthday as well.” 

She was about to ask Sarah if her boyfriend would be accompanying them, when the front door burst open, interrupting the conversation.

“Mom, I got an A on my science project!” Cass announced, coming through the door first, followed by AJ and Bucky.

He paused, realizing they had a visitor. “Nana!”

“Grandma?” AJ’s head darted around the corner.

“Hello my babies! Mawmaw’s here.”

They ran over to embrace the older woman. As she hugged her grandchildren, Maria watched as Sarah and James exchanged meaningful glances. They appeared to be silently communicating something to each other.

“Are you staying for dinner Maria?” Asked Sarah. “We’re having Gumbo.”

“I’d love to. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

She watched out of the corner of her eye as the man—James—followed Sarah into the kitchen. They were having a conversation, but their voices were too low for her to pick out anything more than bits and pieces. She heard him mention AJ’s name, so it was probably something about the children.

Maria eased herself into an armchair by the window while her grandsons began preparing to complete their homework. They filled her in on school, friends, and all kinds of information that children found it necessary to share. She loved every minute of it.

Every so often, she would crane her neck just so, to discreetly take a peek at the couple in the kitchen.

As she watched, Sarah was chopping up something on the cutting board and her boyfriend stood behind her, his body pressed against hers and he had both hands on the counter on either side of her body, making a cage around her. 

They were talking. 

She wore a grin on her face as he finished telling her whatever it was that was making her smile. She swatted his arm playfully and he took a step back as she handed him the knife. 

“You’re on chopping duty now.” She spoke slightly louder now, her voice carrying to the sitting room. “I’ve got to check on the Okra.”

“It was just a suggestion,” he laughed, taking her place in front of the cutting board.

Sarah’s back was facing Maria and she couldn’t see or hear what her response was, but whatever it was caused his eyes to widen slightly and  his eyebrows to shoot up. Maria was reading lips at that point.

“We’ll definitely make up for that later...might have the absolute worst timing...needed five more minutes.”

AJ broke her out of her snooping. “It’s our Dad’s birthday tomorrow. We’re gonna visit him.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling down at her grandson. “That’s why I’m here. You probably don’t remember because you were all of five years old when I left, but we would go every year for his birthday, All Soul’s Day, Father’s Day and any other special day.”

AJ scrunched up his nose, thinking. He looked so much like his father when he did that. “I think I might remember that. It’s fuzzy in my mind though.”

Cass jumped into the conversation. “We visited him last week with Mom. Uncle Sam and Bucky came too because they’re really good at cleaning up the tombs.”

Maria took that as an indication that the man with the terrible nickname would be accompanying them. She looked back to the kitchen where he was talking animatedly with his hands as Sarah nodded at whatever it was he was saying. She made movements with her hands as if mimicking dancing.

He laughed.

She laughed as well.

He saw his lips move as he said some familiar words. I love you.

Sarah reached up, planting a quick, but sensual kiss on his lips. Maria looked away, feeling a little bad for snooping. 

“He seems nice,” Maria said carefully, wanting to gauge the children’s reaction to the new male figure in their lives.

“He’s sooo much fun!” Cass’s eyes lit up as he said this. “And he has super strength like Steve Rogers. That’s the other Captain America. He’s retired now and he lives on the moon so Uncle Sam is the new Captain America.”

Maria’s eyebrows shot up. “Super strength, you said?”

Her eyes darted back to the kitchen where her eyes locked with the bright blue eyes of the man in question who apparently had superhuman strength. She did not expect him to be looking directly at her, his hand paused mid chop. She wondered if he heard them.

He shifted his gaze to Sarah, telling her something in a low voice and Maria decided that he couldn’t. Super hearing on top of super strength was a bit much.

He was probably wondering if she could hear whatever undoubtedly inappropriate thing he was telling a clearly flustered Sarah.

“Yeah, he can lift really heavy things,” AJ answered. “Like stuff that weighs a ton.”

“He can lift four of us with one hand!”

“Everybody at school thinks we have the coolest family. Our uncle is Captain America and our…” AJ searched for a word to define his relationship with James. “Bucky is superhuman and his arm is indestructible. It’s made of vibranium like Uncle Sam’s shield. It can block anything.”

“Well that is...something.”

“I think he might marry our Mom,” AJ whispered conspiratorially. 

“And we can finally get another brother,” Cass added. “Or sister. Cameron has a new baby sister.”

This was more serious than she thought. 

“That is something indeed.”

The five of them gathered around the dinner table and there was an unspoken awkwardness in the air that the children were oblivious to.

“So, I was thinking we could go around lunchtime tomorrow and make a picnic out of the trip,” Sarah said, breaking the silence.

“Will you be joining us at the tomb, James?”

“Who’s James?” Asked, Cass with a full mouth.

“Close your mouth while you chew dear,” said Maria, tapping his chin.

“Uhh I…” his eyes darted over to Sarah, looking slightly panicked. “We planned to, but I don’t have to. I understand if you might want to have some time alone without a… I have some repairs to do on the—”

“It’s fine, Bucky,” Sarah assured him. “You’re family now.”

“Of course,” said Maria cheerily. “Plus I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. You seem to be playing a very important role in the lives of my grandchildren. They’re...lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky to have them.”

“That too.” She took a sip of her lemon water, cautiously observing the man. “So, tell me about yourself.”

He looked as if she asked him to recite a Russian novel from memory. “Uhh...I’m…”

He had difficulty sharing details about himself. That wasn’t a good sign for her. 

“Where are you from originally?”

“New York. Brooklyn.”

That made sense, considering his accent.

“So most of your family must still be there.”

“I don’t have any living family in terms of parents and siblings or anything like that. The Wilson’s are basically my family now. There’s no one else.”

“And you’re one of those super people that Sam was running around with?” She asked. There were so much of them she couldn’t keep up with all the wizards, aliens and androids that kept popping up in recent years. She wondered which category he fell into.

“Uh yeah you could say that.”

A non-answer. 

He wasn’t even trying to pass this test.

“You’re a handsome young man.” Little did she know, he was born before her mother. “That whole Avengers group is like something out of a catalog. Right Sarah?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“So, what do you do? Career wise.”

James sighed, placing down his fork and shooting Sarah a glance. “I’m good at fixing things and I do other things with Sam.”

Well that wasn’t vague at all, she thought to herself sarcastically.

“They’re superheroes,” AJ added, sending an imaginary blast toward James who dramatically held up his metal arm to block it. “Captain America and Bucky.”

Where did she hear that name before?

“We’re working on rebranding,” Bucky muttered under his breath.

Then it hit her. 

The museum.

Bucky.

He was the former Captain America’s—Steve Rogers, not the one that went crazy and murdered someone in a town square—best friend.

That would mean that the man seated at the table, making googly eyes at Sarah, was even more famous than she originally thought. The man was in history books.

“Are you the same Bucky from the Smithsonian?”

“If you’re referring to the museum exhibit that accompanies Steve Rogers, then yes, I am.”

This new piece of information alleviated some of her concerns about him hiding some kind of deep dark past and she eased up a bit on the questioning. She still kept an eye on him though.

“He knows a lot of cool stuff about history too because he was there during history,” said AJ, trying to sell the awesomeness of their new family member to his grandmother. “And he speaks a bunch of languages like Russian and Romanian and the language they speak in Wakanda.”

“Xhosa.”

“He used to live there!” Added Cass. “With the king of Wakanda. In Africa.”

“On a farm!”

“The king lived on a farm?”

“No, Bucky lived on a farm. The king lived in a palace, but they were friends.”

“Sounds like he’s had an interesting life.”

“He’s been almost everywhere and he still gets to go to a lot of places with Uncle Sam. It makes Mom sad though because they do a lot of dangerous things and she worries.”

“Cass!” Sarah gave him a look.

Cass bit his lip, looking apologetic. “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

She could tell that he and Sarah had a good relationship. Every so often, his arm would come to rest on the back of her seat, they would engage in silent conversation using only their eyes to speak, and he doted on her and the children. 

When the meal was over, he was the first one up to help clear the table. Dishes were apparently his thing after a meal.

He set out a stepping stool in front of the dish drying rack and Cass stepped on holding a towel while AJ stood between him and Bucky to rinse. Maria looked on with a bittersweet smile as the three males worked together to clean up after their meal.

They looked like a family.

Later that evening when Maria had seen her grandsons off to bed and she was walking out of the house to the rideshare car waiting outside, she found the couple standing on the porch looking up at the night sky. Sarah stood in front of him, arms wrapped around herself and he stood behind with his own arms wrapped around her.

They were speaking softly and as she raised her foot to step out into the calm Louisiana night, the man turned, meeting her eyes again.

“Thanks for letting me see them off to sleep. They’re the same sweethearts I remembered. I feel like I’m missing so much. So, thank you.”

Sarah placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as James looked on silently. “Of course Maria. And please know you can visit anytime.”

“I’ll call next time though to give you a heads up,” she replied with a smile. “Wouldn’t want to interrupt anything.”

The man cleared his throat exchanging a look with Sarah that Maria couldn’t quite decipher. “Well goodnight you two. I will see you both tomorrow afternoon.”

“Goodnight.”

It was a warm day as they walked through the cemetery gates. They didn’t call the cemeteries there “Cities of the Dead” for nothing. There was always a sense of mystery and intrigue in places like this. 

Maria was filled with a sense of calm when they were greeted by the rows of sun-bleached above-ground tombs adorned with crosses and statues. Some still bore the long white candles and flower arrangements from the All Saints Day celebrations.

She wore all white to see her son and strolled slowly behind the newly formed family in front of her. James, or Bucky as he apparently liked to be called (she still hated the nickname) had his metal arm wrapped around Sarah while he carried the basket with the lunch in the other. Cass was holding on to the hand carrying the basket, swinging the arm back and forth. AJ walked on the other side, beside his mother and he spoke animatedly while she listened intently with the occasional nod. He carried fresh flowers.

They looked like a family.

She heard about James “Bucky” Barnes around town when she left their home the previous evening and when she visited her favorite local spots earlier that day. People were more than happy to divulge what they knew about Sarah and her new man.

They talked about how handsome he was. They gushed about his handiness and work ethic. He was polite.

She heard he was a good fatherly figure. He was great with kids. They looked forward to hanging from his metal arm at Crawfish Boils and hearing the stories he told.

“That woman is too lucky,” one woman at her favorite breakfast spot had gushed earlier that morning. “You see the biceps on that man? Those two are too beautiful together. You know we about to have a weddin’ of the decade in Delacroix. Captain America’s sister! He’s fine too, that Sam Wilson. Too young for me though.”

They talked about him showing up to help Sam Wilson fix up Paul and Darlene’s old boat for their seafood business. From what she heard, he had been popping up around town without Sam on multiple occasions before his move to Louisiana.  They would catch sight of him and Sarah on the docks, at the supermarket, at music venues.

Speculation ensued.

People gossiped, even though they liked to pretend that they didn’t. They may not be extremely Judgemental, but they were nosy. Especially since these were now hometown celebrities.

Maria had to admit, Sarah and James did look good together. Not only were they visually pleasing, they exude happiness as well.

A pang of grief hit her and despite all that she had done to come to terms with the death of her son, she couldn’t help but wish it was him in this strange man’s place.

Perhaps that was what had been bothering her since she first laid eyes on the man.

A fear of being replaced.

Not her being replaced, but her son. Sarah’s husband. AJ and Cass’s dad.

She felt silly for feeling that because they clearly had not forgotten him. They still visit him, his photos still adorn their living space, and his memory lived on.

Sarah paused, pointing out a tomb lined with flowers to the boys. “Remember that one?” She asked. “We saw it last week. That’s my great grandmother Louise.”

“Yeah, she lives here with Dad too. There’s a lot of people here. Sometimes that makes me sad, even though I know they’re still with the people that loved them.”

Sarah wrapped an arm around her oldest son’s shoulder, placing a kiss on his forehead. “I know what you mean.”

Bucky tenderly rubbed her back.

Maria spotted her son’s tomb in the distance. 

It was a picturesque sight.

The flowers were still fresh and the tomb was well maintained but they laid out the new flowers. As they all stood together looking at the engraving on the tomb realization dawned on her.

She looked over at the superhuman man holding her daughter-in-law tenderly and wondered what her son would say about his widowed wife’s newfound love. From the tenderness, happiness, and love she had seen so far, she thought he would surely approve. There was no replacement happening here. They were two different men. Both were good men, but different. 

Perhaps they could coexist.

Maria retrieved her phone from her bag. “Come on you four. Huddle in together. I want a picture with all of you and my Andrew.”

The four of them stooped down in a pose reminiscent to the photos in their living room as Maria captured the happy family. The photo conveyed the truth in the moment. She realized they looked like a family because they were already a family.

A beautiful, happy family.

Chapter Text

Ayo stood against a wall near the far edge of the decorated outdoor space watching as the guests began to file into the indoor space of the historic jazz venue in the French Quarter. She recognized one or two of the limited number of invited guests from the Avengers. Safety wise, this wedding was probably one of the most secure ones to ever take place.

In a rare occurrence, she was out of her country and was not on official service to the throne. As such, she was wearing a blue dress instead of her usual Dora Milaje uniform or signature little black dress. 

Ayo was still on the alert though because while the king was not in attendance, Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda was present and was chatting up a storm with old friends inside the building. Unlike her brother she did not have important political matters to attend to on that particular weekend.

It was the perfect day for a wedding. It was windless and warm and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky above the open courtyard. The Louisiana sun touched them gently, instead of shining with blazing heat.

Ayo tapped her feet to the upbeat brass band music that filled the space which was surrounded by peeling layers of paint, weathered wood and an overall rustic feel. She felt it fit the couple’s personality based on what little she knew of the bride.

As she hummed to herself, she spotted the groom arriving in the distance. 

The White Wolf.

It was a name he, James Barnes, inherited in Wakanda. The people in the village where he lived were intrigued by the strange foreigner suddenly residing amongst them. He quickly became a physical representation of an old urban legend that she heard growing up in Northern Wakanda. She continued to hear the tales even during her training at the Dora Milaje headquarters in Upanga, Birnin Zana, Wakanda.

There he was in his wedding suit. 

The former brainwashed assassin entered the courtyard with his soon to be brother-in-law, Sam Wilson, at his side. When they were a few feet away from her, they were approached by a silver-haired woman who wore a pastel pink dress and a very large hat. She was flanked by two boys she recognized as his stepchildren. The woman greeted them both warmly with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You look very handsome in this suit, James. Excellent choice.”

“Thanks Maria.”

“I’m standing right here too,” Sam Wilson, jokingly protested. “You see these thighs in these dress pants. That’s not something you see every day.”

“You look very handsome as well Sam. You all do. Especially my two adorable grandsons.”

“Alright, alright I forgive you.”

The White Wolf gained a loving family. It was satisfying to see.

She never would have imagined being in attendance at the wedding of the broken one-armed super soldier in need of Winter Soldier deprogramming. Not even when, a year before, she was disarming him during a scuffle in Lithuania, did she imagine she would see him here.  

Ayo was disappointed with him at the time. He had a hand in freeing the man who murdered the king she had sworn to protect. The same man who framed him for the assassination, tore the Avengers apart, and subjected him to even more torment.

When King T’Challa took it upon himself to allow an outsider like him to live within their borders, she admittedly had some trepidation and resentment, but she trusted her king. Now, James Barnes was somewhat like a friend. 

Through that trust she learned that James was simply a broken man and she was glad he was able to make himself whole again. 

The wedding invitation was unexpected. 

However, while she would never admit it, she was touched that he considered her enough of a friend to extend an invitation to his wedding, no matter how odd she personally found the whole ordeal.

“Thank you all for coming.” The silver haired woman named Maria, who was grandmother to James’ stepsons, spoke loudly to the small group. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Maria. Now, if everyone can please begin to head inside to take your seats, they will be starting soon.”

The handful guests remaining in the courtyard began to file back into the performance space where the vows would be exchanged.

Ayo had never been to a non-Wakandan wedding so her expectations were based on what little media she consumed relating to American, or even Westernized weddings. Wakanda weddings did tend to be as grand as those she had seen outsiders have, but they were steeped in very different traditions.

From what she observed so far, this particular wedding was already subverting her expectations.

As she walked into the main hall—which she considered more of a mid-sized room than a hall considering where she was from—she couldn’t help but admire the way their surroundings were steeped in tradition. She didn’t know much about the woman marrying James other than the fact that she was a widow and the new Captain America’s used-to-be younger sister, but as she passed the portraits of musicians that covered the walls she realized she was already learning all about her background.

This was not going to be one of those weddings with the frilly dresses and hundreds of guests. This wedding reflected the locale.

The rhythmic hum of conversation filled the room of less than fifty people as Ayo took her seat next to Shuri amongst the small group of people waiting as the band began the music. She caught James’ eye and he gave her and Shuri a nod as he moved to stand beside a woman with a golden afro who held a black binder book. She would be officiating the wedding.

“Now, this is the type of excitement I like to see when I visit America,” whispered Shuri to Ayo. “It’s up there with Disneyland.”

There were no bridesmaids or the exorbitant amounts of fuss that she expected. The serene music played and the bride entered with her two sons on either side of her. There was no long aisle or a dress with an annoyingly dramatic train. 

Sarah Wilson was a picture of beauty. 

She wore a simple, but beautifully classic white dress with a scalloped neckline. Her braids were pulled into a crown-like updo adorned with white flowers. She walked through the group of close family and friends to stand beside her soon-to-be husband in front of a backdrop of glass double doors, a vintage drum set and mic and a range of old jazz  posters and paintings.

The White Wolf was beaming with happiness. He could barely tear his eyes away from his bride.

“You look beautiful,” he mouthed to her and she whispered her thanks, her eyes bright and glossy as she handed off her bouquet to a young woman.

Ayo had spent a lot of time around him since she had been assigned to keep an eye on him while he was in Wakanda and in all that time, she had never seen him smile like that. Not that he was much of a smiler.

“Welcome to the wedding of James and Sarah,” said the officiant, a woman with the golden afro and bright orange shawl over her shoulders. She was apparently a close friend of the bride.

“Bucky,” James whispered loudly, eliciting laughter from the group of close friends.

“Alright, but just this once,” the woman replied teasingly. “It’s still James on the certificate.” She cleared her throat dramatically. 

“We are all here today to celebrate the love of Bucky and Sarah. Bucky and Sarah have chosen each one of you to be here today and they are so happy to share this moment with the ones who are closest to them. Because you are the ones who supported them and know them the best, it only makes sense for you all to be here to help celebrate this important day in their lives.”

Ayo took in the woman’s words and she was beginning to understand why the White Wolf chose to invite her. She and James shared a bond. They trusted each other to work through the dangers of his deprogramming and when it was all said and done, they both attained some form of freedom.

Her from the pain and resentment she was holding in after what happened with King T’Chaka and him from the other person that lived in his mind.

“I’ve known Sarah Wilson all my life and like all of you, I look forward to seeing her and James growing stronger as individuals and as partners. Bucky and Sarah, the love between you joins you now as one and this day will be one for the memories.” 

The couple looked into each other’s eyes sharing a smile through their steady eye contact and laughter of anticipation. Their love for each other was apparent.

“Bucky and Sarah have prepared their own vows to read to one another.” The officiant handed Sarah a piece of folded paper.

Sarah let out a shaky breath, tears of happiness welling in her eyes as she looked down with a beaming smile and opened the paper. “Bucky, today I am choosing you to spend my life with. Words cannot describe how happy I am to be here with you in this place of all places. We went on our first date here, I realized I loved you here,  and now we get to share one of the happiest moments of our lives here with all the people we love. Because of you, I have even more joy in my heart and more laughter in my eyes. ”

Ayo’s thoughts trailed off to her own love back home in Wakanda as Sarah talked about the importance of family and the one she and James had already begun to build together. Ayo’s appreciation of Sarah Wilson grew as she listened to her speak. 

Once Sarah was finished, she dabbed away some tears and some of the guests had spilled some as well. Ayo could see Maria in the pastel pink wiping at her eyes and Sam Wilson holding back some happy tears of his own.

It was the groom’s turn to address his bride.

“I’m not really good with words or expressing myself, but I will say this. From the moment we met on the docks, I knew you were the one I would spend my life with. I didn't know how it would come to be, but I could feel it in my heart and in my bones. Seeing your smile is one of the greatest joys of my life. I can’t believe I’m here with you today with these people around us. I feel like the luckiest person in the world because I’ve found the true meaning of love and family with you and these two boys right here.” He gave the boys a light nudge on the arm and they exchanged laughter.

He was always good with children. The children who lived near the farm where he worked in Wakanda, simply adored him and the legendary tales that followed him. It also helped that he had superhuman strength, one arm, and would happily let them practice their skills on his hair.

As he continued with his vows, there were more tears from both him and Sarah. It was clear to see how deeply they cared for each other.

“Bucky, do you take Sarah to be your wedded wife, do you promise to love her, honor her, comfort her and keep her in sickness and in health and remain faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“Sarah, do you take Bucky, to be your wedded husband, do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor him and keep him in sickness and in health and remain faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

Her lips parted and her voice cracked with emotion as she said, “I do.”

The officiant turned to one of Bucky’s stepsons and retrieved the ring from him. “Bucky, take this ring, place it on Sarah’s finger, and repeat after me.”

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.”

Bucky repeated the statement with that beaming smile that seemed to be semi-permanently etched on his face lately. They repeated the process with Sarah and the woman proceeded to describe the qualities of a good marriage.

“It is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

They kissed.

His arms wrapped around her waist and she threw her arms around his neck. It was one those saccharine moments that almost seemed unreal considering where their lives started and how they were together now. How does a relationship like theirs begin by chance? These things had to have been fated to happen.

It was a satisfying moment, like watching a happy ending to a film with too many twists and tragedies. 

It was also a beginning. Two souls were now united as one.

The couple was forming new memories together. While every terror and every agony James endured as the Winter Soldier was an inextricable part of him, he now had the opportunity to start a new life and create new experiences to overpower all the pain.

He was truly free.

The room erupted in applause and the trumpets, saxophones, and trombones started up with the classic New Orleans jazz. The band rose to their feet following the newlyweds as they began to move toward the wrought iron gates that led out to the streets. 

“It’s the second line celebration,” Shuri whispered to Ayo. “We’re supposed to follow.”

Ayo gave her a quizzical look.

“What? I did my research before we came.”

The street celebration was somewhat reminiscent of the kinds of celebration they would have in Wakanda for big events like challenge day. Except there were fewer people in this particular celebration.

The band played beautiful music while the guests and newlyweds danced as they moved down the empty road outside the building. 

It was a magical sight to see.

The guests reconvened in the courtyard where a feast of the area’s signature cuisine awaited them. Ayo sampled the local delicacies and creative arrangements and she understood the appeal. Everything was delicious and comforting.

The newlyweds made their rounds through the crowd of well-wishers. There were hugs, tears, and laughter. 

The White Wolf found Ayo and Shuri amongst the guests, breaking into her thoughts. He gave Shuri a hug and Ayo smirked. She didn’t remember him being much of a hugger.

He certainly was a changed man.

“Thanks so much for coming.” He sounded a little nervous. “I don’t know many people and I don’t have a lot of close friends, but you two being here...it means a lot. I wouldn’t be here without the two of you and T’Challa, so who better to be here.”

“Thank you for inviting us,” Ayo replied, keeping her composure despite being touched by his words. “It’s nice to see you finally happy.”

“Yes, less grumpiness works for you,” Shuri agreed, with a grin. “And I should be thanking you for inviting me. I’ll admit that Louisiana wasn’t on my list of places to visit in America, but it’s really nice. I can see why you like it.”

“It’s nice to have some peace after Wakanda and this is a pretty amazing place. Although I have to admit that I might be a little biased because it’s where my family calls home. My love for them might have me thinking of this place as one hundred times better than it actually might be, but I absolutely love it here.”

Sarah approached them then, having just ended a conversation with Maria. Bucky pulled her into his side with one arm, wrapping that arm around her waist as he placed a kiss on the side of her face. 

Sarah had a certain warmth to her, which made Ayo take an immediate liking to her.

“You haven’t met yet, but this is my wife Sarah.” He seemed to take pleasure in finally being able to say those words. “The most amazing person in the world. I can’t believe I’m actually married right now.”

Sarah laughed at his enthusiasm. “Hi,” she gave the pair of women a small wave.

“Congratulations,” said Ayo. “May Bast bless your new marriage.”

“Thank you!”

“Sarah, this is Ayo and Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda.”

“It’s so nice to meet you both.” Her warm smile reached her eyes as she looked between the two women. “Thanks so much for coming. Bucky has said a lot of great things about you and about Wakanda. It sounds like a wonderful place from what I’ve heard from him and Sam.”

“You should visit sometime,” suggested Shuri. While Wakanda still wasn’t big on tourism, they did open up to the rest of the world so visiting would  not be as much of an issue as it was in the past.

“We might just take you up on that.”

“Yeah, if that’s an indication that things have started to blow over after that whole situation at the Sokovian Memorial, we’re definitely taking you up on that.”

James glanced towards someone out of Ayo’s line of vision and a smile formed on his lips. She assumed the couple was preparing to move on to the next guest, but that was not the case as yet.

“I have something to ask of you though,” said Bucky. “There’s these two kids who are really starstruck by the Wakandan princess and a member of the Dora Milaje being here and they’d really like to say hello.” He nodded over to the two boys who were looking their way with grins on their faces.

Shuri laughed. “I’ll be sure to say hello.”

The sound of a utensil hitting against glass, interrupted their conversation. “Sounds like it’s time for the toasts,” said Sarah, playfully nudging her husband’s arm.

“Listen up everybody.” Sam’s voice projected through the courtyard. “I want you all to join me in a toast to my sister and Bucky. I gotta admit that the two of you together was a little weird for me at first. I mean, a bionic staring machine and my sister. I’d have to be subjected to his stares all the time and I thought it was crazy. Staring aside, the two of you couldn’t be more perfect for each other. I couldn’t think of a better man to join our family.  I love Bucky like a brother already and I’m glad we’re making it official. I wish you both a life filled with happiness, trust, and love. Take care of my nephews and my sister, Buck. Love you guys. Cheers to my new brother and to my sister—the most beautiful bride!”

There were cheers as he handed the mic off to Maria. 

“Hello again everyone,” said Maria. “I’m Maria for those of you who don’t know. Sarah is my forever daughter-in-law. So I’m standing in for Darlene today. I want to start by thanking you all from traveling from near and far to witness this beautiful marriage. I’ve known Sarah all her life and I got to know her even better once she and my son got married and had those two beautiful sons. Sarah is the most determined woman I know and she faces every  challenge or bump in the road head-on. That’s how I know that her marriage to James will be a successful one. I met James some time ago and I’ll admit that it was hard seeing a new male figure in their lives, but the James I’ve come to know is a wonderful man. As a mother, all I’ve ever wanted for Sarah was to see her happy and when she’s with James I see nothing but happiness. I wish Sarah and James a life of happiness, laughter and never ending love. To the newlyweds!”

Glasses raised in the air. “To the newlyweds!”

Sarah was sobbing when Maria finished. The older woman came over and wrapped her into a warm embrace.

There were a few more speeches, then the band started the tune for the first dance and the small crowd gathered to watch the couple as they ended their conversation and made their way to the center of the courtyard.

“Now, don’t judge Bucky’s dancing too hard. He’s been practicing, but there’s only so much you can do,” Sam said loudly, earning laughter from the crowd as well as the groom.

“Whatever you say, Sam.”

The couple began their slow movement within the stone walls of the courtyard. Ayo watched as he twirled her gently and leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. She threw her head back, laughing at whatever it was that he said and leaned up to plant a kiss on his lips.

The couple focused only on each other. They became one being, thinking, feeling, and moving together. He held her like he was afraid to lose her; like he never wanted to let her go. 

They were a picture of love as they danced into the evening wrapped in each other’s arms.