Chapter 16
Star 16
Bucky Barnes x Reader
BikerAU
The morning the trial started Star woke up early after another restless night. The scant few hours of sleep she had was filled with nightmares of her father, John and Brock so she felt like she might as well have not slept at all.
Bucky reached out, grumbling, to pull her closer to him and she allowed herself to relax against him for a few moments before she had to get up.
They only had 10 minutes before her alarm went off and she pulled away. "Sorry, Jamie, it's time to get up." She took a deep breath, kissed him on the cheek and headed for the bathroom to take a shower.
When she was done she styled her hair and put on light make-up. She left the bathroom in a plush bathrobe and started going through her "book tour wardrobe" as Pepper had joked. She settled on a dove grey dress with a notched neck and short angel sleeves.
Soft and simple it was feminine but not revealing. With a pair of matching grey kitten heels and a dark purple, suede Proenza Schouler purse with a braided strap.
Bucky got out of the shower and whistled at her "You are beautiful, doll. Every time I see you, you're more breathtaking."
Y/N felt her face flush "Alright, sweet talker, get dressed. We're meeting with the attorney at Tony's. I don't want to be late."
Bucky grumbled and stomped into the dressing room to put on his suit.
They met with the attorney, Tony and Pepper for a quick breakfast and run through, letting them know what to expect. They decided to all drive over together with Happy driving and Rhodey up front with him.
At the courthouse they found where they needed to be and took the seats behind the district attorney.
They watched John being brought out by the bailiff, who undid the handcuffs so John could sit with his attorney.
John gave Y/N a hateful glare, mumbling "fucking cunt" under his breath only to receive a warning from his attorney.
Star tried to sit calmly with Bucky on one side and Pepper on the other with Tony on her other side, but couldn't keep her feet from fidgeting. Bucky looked at her and squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her.
The morning went slowly with both attorneys making opening statements and the judge giving the jury instructions.
During lunch Y/N was very quiet and could barely eat. She knew when they went back the prosecutor would start with witnesses. Her, Sharon and Jack Rollins being at the top of the list.
Bucky reached out to take her hand and she jumped before she realized it was him. "I'm so sorry, Jamie. I'm just, I don't know. I want all this to be over."
He took her hand and kissed it "I know doll but we'll be here for you and John will pay for what he's done to you."
Star smiled and leaned into him.
After lunch the prosecutor started calling their witnesses and Y/N was first.
Bucky squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly as she stood and went to the witness stand.
She told her story from the day her father demanded she marry John, noticing the look of shock on many of the jurors faces when she mentioned Brock killing Charlie. Star didn't leave out any details, even those that made her look bad.
The DA asked a few questions here and there but mostly left her to tell the story of her marriage to John. She kept her cool for the most part but there were some emotional moments.
Once she finished the judge ordered a recess before John's attorney would be allowed to ask her questions.
John's attorney didn't hold back, drilling her with questions about her relationship with Bucky, her drug abuse and sexual favors for Brock. Star kept herself together through it all but Bucky was steaming, with his jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder none of his teeth broke.
The attorney implied that she was a 'wild child', sexually promiscuous and would ingest any drug offered. He told a story about how John had worked so hard to make her happy but she was never satisfied.
Star finally snapped at him "Enough! If I was such a whore why is it John who had a kid with another woman? I did what I had to do to survive an abusive father and abusive and cheating husband. John only married me for my father's money and political support. I was forced to marry him in my father's quest for more power, neither of them cared one whit for how I felt or what I wanted."
She took a moment to calm down "Nothing I could have done excuses John's treatment of me or his attempt to kill me. I was just a means to an end for John Walker."
She sat and dabbed the tears that had escaped as she caught her breath.
The judge excused her and adjourned for the day.
That night Star faced nightmares as soon as she dozed off, all of the events she had spoken about that afternoon were still vivid in her memory.
The week went on like that, sitting in the court room by day and waking up screaming while Bucky tried to soothe her.
Sharon, then Jack Rollins, then Bucky and all of his friends were called to testify about their interactions with John. They didn't paint a pretty picture and John sat and watched, seething.
The prosecutor finished by the end of the week and then it was the defenses turn. They didn't have much, Olivia was called and spoke about the promises Alexander Pierce made to John and how much he had given up.
The prosecutor was quick to remind the jury that John had never actually given Olivia up, proof of that being their son and the DNA test.
On Thursday, when the defense appeared to have called all their witnesses, John had a whisper-shout match with his attorney until the judge asked if the defense had any more witnesses.
Johns attorney sighed and stood up "Against my advice my client would like to take the stand."
The judge nodded, "Proceed."
John took the stand and started calm and matter of fact, like he was addressing congress, explaining the plans he had made with Alexander Pierce and how important it was that he stay free and his record unvarnished so that he could continue his important work in the government, that only he could complete.
The longer he went on, the more unhinged he sounded. He had an obvious obsession with having a biological child with Y/N because of the Pierce bloodline.
He looked over to Olivia who smiled until he told her he loved her but she didn't have a bloodline like Y/N and how he couldn't let Y/N dilute the Pierce bloodline with some lowlife biker.
When he used that logic to explain why they had to get rid of her child that Bucky fathered, his attorney tried to get him to stop talking and implicating himself further but John seemed to truly believe that he was in the right in all of this, that he had done nothing wrong.
As John was speaking he stood up and started walking towards Y/N. She tried to curl up into herself and escape John's reach. Bucky stepped in front of her but luckily the bailiff stopped John in his tracks.
That's when John lost it. He fought against the bailiff, screaming at Y/N "You stupid selfish fucking bitch. Don't you know that I'm the only one who can fix the governments problems and you are trying to shut me up. You will always be mine and when I get out I'll come for you."
The judge ordered him out of court and the bailiff dragged John out. Then the judge adjourned for the day, scheduling their return for Monday morning.
Bucky turned to see how Y/N was doing to find her curled up into Pepper, trying to hold her sobs back.
"Come on Star, we're done for the day. Let's get you home." He told her softly and offered his hand, which she took so he pulled her up and hugged her close. "It's ok, doll. I've got you. Let's go home."
Star pulled back and looked at Bucky in awe "I don't know how you stay so calm with all this. It's tearing me up, reliving all of it."
Bucky shook his head "I'm not terribly calm but I didn't go through the worst parts. I'll do whatever I can to protect you, that's all I know." He gave her a crooked grin.
Star laughed "My knight in shining leather. Take me home Ser Jamie."
Tony and Pepper just watched the couple and smiled, like an old married couple that's reminded of their early days and young love.
Tony cleared his throat "Alright right you two, let's get out of here. Dinner should be waiting for us."
On the way home they discussed the day in court. Pepper had watched the jury closely since day one and was convinced that John would be found guilty and given a harsh sentence.
Y/N wasn't so optimistic but was hopeful. She knew that men in Johns position are rarely punished for their crimes but he wasn't rich anymore so maybe Pepper was right.
They went to Tony's cabin upstate for the weekend, to try and relax before going back on Monday. They drank too much and played board games, went on hikes during the day and boiled in the hot tub late at night.
They weren't ready to head home on Sunday afternoon but Star least of all. She became more quiet and withdrawn the closer they got to the city. That night she had more nightmares, the worst of which had John being found innocent and the courts refusing to grant her divorce leaving her stuck with him.
Bucky tried to wake her gently, having been woken by her sobs but she sat up and came out swinging, hitting him right in the eye.
Feeling her fist hit something woke her up and it only took a moment for her to realize what she had done. More tears filled her eyes
"Oh, no, Jamie. I'm so sorry, I was just. I-" she covered her face and sobbed.
Bucky pulled her to him and rubbed her back "Hey doll, it's ok, sshhhh, Star. It was a sleep accident. You're ok, safe here with me." He leaned back with her head on his chest and kissed the top of her head.
"Just go back to sleep, baby. I've got you."
Bucky knew his eye needed some ice but he couldn't bear to separate himself from her so forced it out of his head and fell back to sleep to the rhythm of her breathing.