*claps hands* Ok soo for everyone that followed Midnight Meadows, here is the second part...I really hope you enjoy Midnight Sands...It took me a minute to get up the heart to write it after what happened to my boys :( but here we go...This story is set in Thailand and will cover the globe...Both Steve and Tony are way out of their element but as we all know, when things get hard for these two they are at their best!
He heard the voices as if from a distance and tried to focus on what they were saying. He wasn't sure where the hell they were currently but he did know his cousin hadn't left him, after a year of being in hell Aveline was still with him. Steve thinks I'm dead, he thinks I'm dead and won't come looking for me. Tony bit his bottom lip to keep from making a sound. He knew that green eyes was trying to get Aveline to leave him alone and Tony was grateful for her stubbornness. He needed her strength more than ever if he were to get through this hell he was in. He had woken up with a headache and nausea, making him feel like he had been drinking. He couldn't speak because his mouth was so dry, but he had been able to understand from what Aveline said, he had been in and out of it for almost three days. He wasn't sure what had happened this time but he could tell his cousin was not leaving the room.
"If you wish for me to leave then you can have me transferred from my current position. Until then, Mr. Stark is my charge and you are not supposed to be here for any reason." Aveline looked at the other man with hostility in her grey green eyes. She glanced at Tony briefly then back at his tormentor. She had a feeling that something more was going on than what they were being told. She knew her cousin was being drugged but for what purpose was unclear and until she found out she was loathe to leave him alone with the other man. "Unless the orders have changed, I will not be leaving anytime soon." Aveline placed her hands on her hips and made sure he knew she stood between him and Tony.
"You will regret coming between us, even if he is your charge you have no place to tell me no. You do not have the authority to do so." He was livid that he would have to wait another day for his little fun time with Tony. For three days he'd had the man bending to his will with the help of the drugs he was giving him. He had been anticipating today because it would be their last for a while.
"Just as you don't have the right to be here when you're not supposed to Mr. Rothschild. If you feel the prisoner needs extra discipline then you are supposed to let his handlers attend to it, not take it upon yourself to administer his punishment. You may not like how we deal with our charge but we don't like you interfering in our business either. If you have an issue take it up with Whizenhut, he is the one who assigned us to Mr. Stark and until he changes that, there is nothing you can say or do that is going to keep me from doing my job!" Aveline's eyes flashed with rage as she stared the other man down. She knew she was taking a risk but she had to protect Tony. They needed to get out of the facility they were in immediately. A year has passed since Tony was executed in front of all the Avengers. A year in which she watched her cousin withdraw and slowly close in on himself thinking that he would never see Steve again, would never be able to go home. She couldn't lose him to an unworthy enemy, especially not one that was under the impression that they could gain what they wanted through violence and fear. Glancing back at Tony she could see he was trying to remain still, there was something wrong with the entire situation if he was forcing himself into total stillness. "You can leave now Rothschild or I can have you escorted out, either way you will not be remaining here with Mr. Stark."
"You will regret this you interfering bitch." Rothschild snarled as he glared at her. He chanced a glance at Tony only to be blocked by Aveline as she moved into his line of sight. "I will make sure that Whizenhut knows of your insolence and you are punished accordingly. Until then good day to you and your...charge." Rothschild walked to the door, punched in a code then left without a backwards glance.
"Don't particularly like that man but he seems to always be around." Tony couldn't help but comment as soon as his tormentor had left and the door had closed behind him. His voice was hoarse and his throat felt scratchy. "What's going on Avie, where are we?" He looked around but couldn't hold back the groan as the room spun and his stomach heaved.
"Move slowly cousin, you've been drugged for the past three days and I'm not sure why. Here drink this, slowly or you'll make yourself sick." She held him up as she handed him a glass of water. She watched as Tony recoiled from the glass, pushing it away, stating the smell was off. Lifting the glass, Avie sniffed it suspiciously and frowned. "He poured this for you before I came in didn't he?" Shaking her head in disgust, she poured it out. Laying Tony back on the bed she moved to the table where a tray of food and pitchers of water and juice were sitting on the desk unsure of what she was looking for.
"He never put it in the food or juice just the water, said it was to make sure I did as I was told." Tony tried to sit up and only succeeded in making his head throb and his upset stomach churn. "I want to go home Avie. I need to get home...to Steve. He needs to know I'm not dead, yet." Tony looked at his cousin, he knew she would help him no matter what the danger was. He knew what had been about to happen with green eyes or rather Rothschild. The same that had been happening since they had killed him in front of Steve. He knew that before he had been drug into the room that nothing good was going to happen. Six months, six months and he'd had to endure not only the mental but physical and emotional torture his captors dished out. Shaking, he looked up at his cousin and couldn't help the tears that filled his eyes.
"Tony, what is it, what's wrong? What has he been doing to you?" She looked into dull, sable eyes. Could see the fight slowly leaving him even as he struggled to hold on to his memories of Steve and his life before this entire nightmare started. "Has he been hurting you?" When she saw the flash of fear in his eyes and he unconsciously looked towards the door she knew she had her answer. Rage made her step back and glare at the door as well. So that was the game Rothschild wanted to play, he felt the need to drug Tony to make sure he didn't fight back when he raped him.
"For how long has this been going on Tony, before or after they murdered you in front of everyone?" She was trying to decide on the punishment for the other man. Shaking she looked at Tony and saw the haunted look on his face and swore softly in french. "It happened before didn't it, it happened before and you have dealt with it alone for this long? Why? You knew I'd do anything I could to help you get through it or either find a way out of here sooner! Why would you hide this from me?" She checked the juice, when she noticed it didn't smell like the water she poured Tony a glass and took it back to where he was half sitting, half lying on his cot.
Tony took the glass gingerly, shaking as he realized his cousin would now put herself in even more danger to protect him. "He was manageable until he started drugging me. Bout six months ago, I think but can't be sure. He...he didn't start doing anything...I mean it didn't become, that way until then. I...he threatened everyone close to me Avie. Including Steve, threatened to kill him if I told anyone what was going on. I couldn't take the risk that they knew about you too. Steve already thinks I'm dead, I don't think I can handle losing someone else." He looked at her with what he hoped was a half smile. "Steve thinks I'm dead Avie, he won't be looking for me but they know I know he's still alive. He even showed me the most recent picture they took of Steve, he was dressed in black Avie. He's mourning me and I can't do anything about it." Tony couldn't help the feeling of helplessness and self loathing, he looked up into the grey green eyes of his cousin and sighed. He knew that expression, he'd seen it more than once looking back at him from the mirror.
"Then we will find a way to leave and make sure that you can be with him again. At least they didn't send your ring to Steve, that would have solidified the idea that you're dead." She looked at his left finger and noticed that he looked at it, surprised. "You didn't know they had given it back to you yet." She was looking at Tony closely, then an idea popped into her head. She was aware of the uniqueness of Tony and Steve's rings, the alloy each one was made of as well as the inscription on the inside of the band. "Tony, is the inscription still inside the band?" If what she was thinking was right then there was a chance that Steve would be looking for them and they didn't know it. She cursed silently about not being able to contact anyone. The signal was being blocked by a source somewhere inside the facility they were at and she had been unable to find out where.
Tony looked at his ring, hesitating in sliding it off and checking the band. Taking a deep breath, he slid the band off and looked inside. He let out a rush of breath then sucked it back in. "Mine and Steve's initials and the date are still on the inside." He looked up at Avie. "They sent him a copy of my ring." Tony's mind had finally started to kick back in, he was still in a fog but he was able to think on the most basic of levels. "If Steve remembers to look, he will see that the band doesn't have our initials or date on the inside. That's why they were determined to take it, they needed to make a copy to send to Steve after they failed to get Bruce. They wanted to send a warning to them..." Tony looked up at his cousin, he needed to get out of here and back to Steve. He knew that Steve would be an emotional mess, blaming himself for what happened to Tony. "Did you talk to Steve before everything happened, I mean before they told us about not being able to get their hands on Bruce. Were you able to talk to him?" Tony slid his ring back onto his finger and flexed it. It felt good to have some part of his past life with him, even if it was just a piece of jewelry.
Aveline watched as Tony examined his ring then frowned. She remembered the team that had been sent out to get Bruce and the rage Whizenhut had displayed when the team had come back empty handed. Two agents in critical condition due to two arrows in both men. "I was able to convince him to stay in the states but he wasn't convinced that I would be safe on my own. He explained that if he didn't hear from me within a certain time frame he would come after me. He will come looking for us cousin, even if he does think he will be bringing your body back, he will come looking because I am your cousin. It's who he is, is it not? Captain America, the protector of the people." She smiled as Tony looked up at her with wide hopeful eyes.
Tony knew Avie was trying to cheer him up, knew she was trying to get him to be positive but after everything that has happened he wasn't sure if he could. "It won't be Captain America that they have to deal with though, it will be a heartbroken Steve Rogers. That is if he thinks I'm dead, if he doesn't they will be dealing with a pissed of and vengeful Steve Rogers, which is worse than Captain America on a bad day." Tony knew how Steve was, the anger and jealousy that plagued their relationship was legendary, both men having a possessive streak that crossed the globe twice. "Steve won't let this go unanswered and he will come for you if he thinks I'm dead. If for nothing more than out of a sense of family and what's right." Tony sighed, all of this because these people wanted Bucky. He hadn't realized he'd said anything out loud until he heard Avie suck in a quick breath.
"Bucky? Who...who is that cousin?" Aveline had paled at the name, she remembered it from her past. It couldn't be the same person, there is no way it was the same person! They told me he had been killed in a car bombing in Paris. She looked at Tony and noticed that his gaze was focused intently on her. She shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, knowing Tony saw more than she had intended. Looking him in the eyes she sighed.
"You know him...you know Bucky fucking Barnes and didn't tell me?" Tony was trying to squash down the feeling of betrayal and hurt. He never would have imagined his cousin would know Barnes, then a thought occurred to him. "He was a target or part of a mission wasn't he? Something happened, what was it Avie? What could have happened for you not to tell me you knew Barnes?"
Aveline looked at Tony, knowing that he would get his answers one way or another. "He was part of a joint project that the French and German governments were working on. I was assigned as his partner, until he came up missing while we were in Paris. I'd gone looking for him until they provided proof that he was dead and I stopped. Shortly after we were pulled out, our covers had been blown and the person we were after went to ground. When I came to the States looking for you I saw him. He was in a coffee shop with Bruce, Clint and Sam, looking lost and confused but it was him. When I spoke to him he didn't recognize me, thought I was just a waitress. He was the one who had told me you were missing, well not you specifically but someone he knew was missing. It wasn't until I went looking for you at the Tower that I realized it was you. Steve had answered the door but he sent me to talk to Pepper, when he wouldn't tell me where you were I immediately left New York and headed to Louisiana."
"That's how Emilie St. Cyr found out about where I was." At the nod from his cousin Tony slowly sat up, holding onto the empty cup of juice. "How do we get out of here Avie without being caught? They monitor everyone and everything and I really don't relish the idea of continuously being Rothschild's sex toy." He frowned into the glass in his hand and handed it to Aveline. "You won't leave me will you Avie? Not while he is roaming around at least?" Tony didn't fear much but this man made his skin crawl in a way nobody else has. Tony never liked being touched by strangers and could rarely abide the touch of those he knew with the only exceptions being Steve and Pepper. Something about Rothschild was off though, as if his ideas and those of his other cohorts were not the same. They seemed to want Tony to submit freely but he enjoyed inflicting pain, just like the only other male handler he had. The giant who had threatened him before they faked his death. "The tall red haired man that was here when you got here Avie, is...is he still here?" Tony remembered his threat of punishment and pain.
She shook her head, looking at the door she turned back to Tony. "He was one of the men that had been hit by an arrow. They left him in Laos to watch the other facility but I think he is supposed to be here in the next few days." She looked at Tony closely and grinned, "You up to making a cross country trip? We will have to go to ground and stay off the grid as much as possible but we can get you home cousin. Back to your...husband and your life." She gave Tony a small smile at his look of surprise. "You ramble when you're incoherent." At his look of confusion she explained. "You were injected with a drug nick named Juliet. It mimics the effects of death, slow breathing and heart rate as well as paralysis. After they shot you, you were carried from the room and loaded into a moving van." Sighing she sat down on the cot next to Tony. "You could have told me he was your husband Tony, I would have had a better understanding of what to expect when I got to New York." She looked at Tony, the sadness and hurt showing in her eyes.
Tony looked down at his ring, he and Steve had gotten married in Italy on a whim. He hadn't known what else to do after Steve had given him his ring and he wanted to make sure that he never left him, so he had asked Steve to marry him. He looked at Avie and knew she would have done more if he had been fully open with her about the relationship between Steve and himself. "We didn't tell anyone Avie, not even our friends. It was to dangerous for them to know, just like we knew it was a risk for us to take because there was always the chance that someone would try to force the other to comply if something happened to us. Division X knew that Steve would have done anything to ensure my safety, even if it meant he would be killed because of it. I couldn't allow that to happen Avie. Not to Steve." He looked at his cousin, sable eyes pleading with her to understand. "Please Avie, you have to understand that we did it because we wanted to keep you all safe. Not...not cut you out or anything like that."
Looking at the sadness on Tony's face and the desperation in his eyes, Aveline understood, probably better than he would have ever thought. "Well right now we need to find a way to get out of here and back to your family." She smiled at Tony, knowing full well that something could go wrong if they weren't careful.
"Where are we Avie? You didn't tell me, is there a reason?" Tony looked around the room, he didn't recognize it and was pretty sure he wouldn't if he'd been drugged up for the past three days. He looked over at his cousin as he noticed the only window in the room showed it was night.
"We are in Thailand, Yala province. The main reason we are here is because of all the fighting and insurgents that are trying to take over. Makes it an ideal place to be if a person or group of people are trying to hide. Nobody will look twice if someone is shot or killed here." Shaking her head she tried to remember as much as possible about the area. "We are in a heavily populated city but not to far from the Malaysian border. If we can get there we should be able to make our way to Perak but there is no guarantee that we will be able to find help there. The people are in a state of unrest this far south and if we are lucky to get assistance it may cost us." She looked at Tony, she didn't want to offer any type of false hope to her cousin. "Once we get out of here you will tell me about you and your Steven, cousin. I am a little hurt you didn't want to share him with me." She smiled and winked at Tony as his head snapped up to look at her. "I am grateful to him for having taken care of you so far though..." She broke off as a knock sounded on the door. Looking over at Tony she stood up and went to answer it.
"Well I see you're still here, is the prisoner doing better or should we dispatch with him now?" Rothschild was still upset about being denied access to Tony. He had become accustomed to using the other man for his sexual needs as well as anything else he had deemed fit to use him for. He looked past Aveline and noticed that Tony was sitting up on the cot. "Ah, we see he is moving around now, good because we plan to move him within the next few weeks so you will need to get him ready for travel." He didn't care about what it was the others wanted anymore, their cause was a losing one. History had proven time and again that they were not equipped to handle their enemies as well as they had hoped.
Aveline looked at him with vacant eyes, "He will be ready when the time comes, do not worry." She watched as Rothschild nodded his head then turned and walked down the hallway.
"He has something planned for me, I can see it when he looks at me. He has something planned and I'm sure I'm not going to like it." Tony was staring at the door. He knew they needed to leave as soon as possible before his tormentor came back. Then the other mans words sunk in, "Move me where Avie? Why are they moving me again?" He wasn't looking forward to being drugged again, not for any reason.
"Let me find out first before we jump to far ahead of ourselves." She recognized the fear in Tony's eyes. "You think he is going to come back don't you, he has been raping you and you refused to tell me." Her eyes narrowed on Tony, who shifted on the cot uncomfortably. She knew right then that the next time they saw his rapist she would kill him.
Tony shifted under his cousin's look, when he could finally look her in the eyes he knew she could see the truth. "He...he threatened to kill Steve Avie, I mean I fought back, well I tried to until he started drugging me or had someone hold me down. I can't let them get their hands on Steve, they'll kill him just to get the serum that runs through his blood and I can't allow that." He looked away from his cousin knowing full well what she would do with the information. "We have to get out of here Avie, I have to get back home to Steve, to the Avengers. They all think I'm dead and I know Steve will blame himself because that's who he is. He will feel like he failed to protect me or save me and...and I can't let him live with that type of burden on his conscience."
"Then we will find a way cousin and I will stay with you for as long as I can. Just don't give up hope just yet. Get some rest for now, I'll be here while you sleep and then we will figure out what steps we need to take to get you home." She smiled at Tony, her eyes lighting up in a way he hadn't seen in a while.
Tony looked over at the door with trepidation then back to Avie. He knew she would give her life for him and he would do the same for her. "Thank you Avie." He could feel his eyes filling with tears, he hadn't cried since the night after he woke up with the knowledge that Steve believed he'd been murdered. He hadn't cried or shown any emotion when Rothschild had started raping him either. Now, the thought of going home, of seeing Steve brought tears to his eyes. Twisting his ring around his finger he laid down on the cot and sighed. He could feel Avie's fingers in his hair, stroking softly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt the touch of someone who genuinely cared for him. Closing his eyes he prayed that they would be able to get out, he was ready to go home, to get back to Steve. His husband, he could say it and not worry about anyone being upset or threatening him for now. He was ready to go home...his husband needed him.