Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. I own my OCs plot and imagination.
A/N: I had writer's block and just started typing so it just sort of wrote itself and I was finally able to twist it into something. I hope you like it, thanks for reading!
I couldn't see where I was going, everything around me was so dark and lifeless. All I wanted to do was scream for help but my voice stuck in my throat, burning there like hot coals. The silence screeched into my ears an unearthly noise as I hobbled through the darkness. My anxious mind was scattered with thoughts, the most prominent being; "I have to get out of here!" I don't know where I am! I don't know how I got here! What's happening to me!? I felt something wrap around my ankle and I let out a stifled scream, the only sound coming to my ears the sound of a whimper rising through my chest. I started to fall, the darkness below me sucking me down into a dark abyss of nothingness. I fought to pull myself out as I felt the darkness cling to my mouth and nose drowning me like a puddle of tar. I felt it seep into my mouth and nose coating my throat and lungs with a thickness worse than syrup cutting of any hope of air. I reached my hand out; hoping, praying, that someone would come save me, but nothing happened as I slowly felt the dark slime ooze over the tips of my fingers...
I swore she came close to stirring this time but she just lay there motionless... I was getting my hopes up again... This was the third time I expected to see her wake up and say to me, "Daddy? I'm hungry. Can we eat and go play?" I covered a hand over my mouth choking back a sob as I pet her hair away from her eyes. The sound of her heart monitor beeping rythmatically was the only hope I had that I'd see her beautiful little eyes open up once again... My mind drifted back to when she was born; such a beautiful little girl with curious sparkling eyes just like her mother... Holding her close as she cooed and wrapped her tiny little hands around my finger... She had such a strong grip for a newborn it made me smile... I always thought that she'd grow up strong and healthy... But right now all I was trying to do was keep the thought of death as far from my mind as I possibly could, while I silently begged her to wake up... She was so strong and happy a few months ago... I choked back another sob as tears slid down my face. I felt someone stroke my back and lean against me, I watched as my wife's hand closed around our daughter's tiny pale hand. I hugged her and kissed her head before whispering, "She'll wake up soon... I know it..." even I could tell I wasn't convincing, my voice cracked part way through and I had to restart the sentence.
She was silent for a moment, "I keep expecting her to get up and tell us she wants to go home and play," she didn't bother hiding the tremor from her voice.
"... Me too..." Was all I could say before the unrelenting tears took me.
She soothed me, "You don't have to try to be so strong for me... I know you want to cry too..."
"... It's all my fault isn't it?"
"You couldn't have seen this coming... None of us could..."
"Yes we could've! I'm such an arrogant, self-centered, bastard! And-and because of that she-she-!" I couldn't hold it back anymore. "I'm the worst father ever..."
"No you aren't... You love her... And sometimes yes you may be a little arrogant but that doesn't mean that you should blame yourself."
"All because I wanted people to look at me and think I'm important..." I muttered.
"Tony, look at me," I looked up to see her green eyes filled with tears, "You didn't intend for this to happen!"
"It doesn't matter what I intended to happen... She was hurt because of me, my actions! If I had kept it a secret instead of just blabbing to the world, she wouldn't be in a hospital bed right now..."
"You don't know where she would be..."
"At home, cuddled up next to us, and asking us to read her story. That's where she would be!"
"You're right, you really are arrogant, taking all the blame for yourself once again! Even if they didn't know you were ironman don't you think they would still come after her!? You say it all the time; you're a genius billionare, who once owned a weapon's company! Don't you think people would still try to hurt her to get to us? It doesn't matter who you say you are..." I couldn't form a reply... She was partly right. Even with us just being billionare's she'd have a target on her back. I still couldn't help thinking that if I hadn't told everyone though that maybe things would be better...? "Stop thinking that," I looked up to see glaring at me and smirked lightly, she could read me pretty well sometimes... I looked to our daughter; she could read me even better... Ever since she was a toddler she could read me like an open book... I smiled sadly, I remembered whenever someone misunderstood me and got mad she'd always be right there to defend me and tell them what I was really saying; my little translator... "What are you thinking?"
"I was remembering the time when you got mad at me because I lost my wedding ring and wanted to buy a new one. She explained to you that I wanted to buy a new one only because you were so important to me that I didn't want anyone else to think I wanted someone else," I hugged her closer.
She chuckled, "Yeah, sorry about that..."
I kissed her temple, "Don't worry," I whispered into her hair, "I'll do everything in my power to get her to wake up again."
She was silent a moment, her shaky voice finally asking, "... What if she doesn't...?"
That's the thought that I tried to push to the back of my mind. Every time it surfaced I felt cold and numb; my heart breaking into a million pieces before sinking to the pit of my stomach. I snapped out of my thoats when I felt her bury her head in my shoulder. I couldn't trust myself to talk so I just hugged her back tighter as we cried.
We've slept beside her every night. I keep hoping to wake up and hear her cheerful little voice telling me "Goodmorning daddy!" This day was no different than the past few months... I heard a light knock at the door, "Can I come in?" I invited Steve inside, "We're all getting pretty worried about you guys."
"I'm not going to leave her."
"I know, I'm not asking you too. If she were one of my kids you couldn't give me one reason to leave this room..." he paused for a moment, "All I'm saying is; I think you two need to talk to someone... To help you get through this..." I remained silent as I looked over at Pepper sleeping on the bed next to mine; she looked so worn. "Maria wouldn't want you to hurt or blame yourselves over what happened. She would want you to be happy."
"You could also use a shower, I can smell you from over here!" Clint tossed from the doorway.
"I'm pretty sure that's just the smell of the dumpster you got those clothes out of," I shot back.
He smelled his shirt wrinkled his nose in disgust and smirked, "Maybe I should shop elsewhere."
That made me chuckle, "We could probably use one."
"That and a couple cheeseburgers," Clint said, "I'll pay."
My smile turned into a frown as I looked into Maria's pale face the oxygen mask covering her mouth made my stomach turn... It reminded me of how I found her, the scene flashing through my mind causing my stomach to flip like I was freefalling through the air right before I hit the pavement.
The area was filled with darkness except for a single flickering light, the rest of the Avengers were dealing with her kidnapper leaving me to find her. I kept looking around, calling for her, hoping she would answer. That's when I saw her, next to a dumpster surrounded by crates like she had just been thrown away with the trash. She wasn't breathing... I knew right away because of the black ooze that clung to her; she looked like she had been drowned in it. Immediately I did all I could to get that stuff out of her nose and mouth. I don't know how I did it, but JARVIS confirmed it was cleared from her airways. Then I just had to get her breathing... That was a little easier but not by much.
I don't even know how she's still alive... Just barely hanging on. Our in-home Doctor claims it's a miracle that she's even alive; that after all that oxygen deprivation she should be brain dead. "Tony!" Steve grabbed my shoulder, "Everything will be okay."
I nodded. "Took you two minutes to come back to us," Clint said.
"I-I-I can't do this... I'm not strong enough to-to watch her slip away..." I choked out.
"No parent is," Steve confirmed.
"If she doesn't wake up I-I don't know what I'll do!" I held my face in my hands as all my anguish poured out.
I looked up to see Clint's hand on my other shoulder, he just squeezed it for a moment before saying, "You'll get through this. Somedays, you may even hate yourself and want to die, but either way you'll get through this. We all will."
"He's right. We're in this together."
"... Thanks..."
"Tony?" We looked over to see Pepper had woken up.
"I'll get those hamburgers. And you two," he pointed to the both of us, "Take a shower and take care of yourselves. I'm gonna come back in a half and hour to an hour and I expect it to smell like roses in here," he smirked jokingly before he left.
Steve smiled, "We'll both hold you to it." he said before leaving.
Pepper came over and hugged me before bringing the sleeping twins over one-by-one. I smiled at the sleeping toddler nestled in my arms. "They haven't been getting as much love as they need right now..." I looked up to see her holding him tightly with her eyes closed and her lips trembling.
"Everything's going to be okay."
"... Am I being a bad mother...?"
"Am I being a bad father?"
Tears slipped from her eyes, "You're just worried about her and blaming yourself."
"Same with you."
"I guess I can't help but think we could be doing more for them right now."
"We could bring some books in here and start reading to the three of them," I suggested as I saw the twins' toys scattered about the floor.
"I don't want to leave her but they can't stay in here all the time... They're either in here with us or outside with someone else..."
I looked down at my son cuddling closer to me, "You're right... We've been a bit selfish haven't we?" I stroked his hair for a few moments before saying, "Maybe for a little while we can take turns? One with the boys, one with Maria, and then have some time in here and them some time with the four of us outside?"
"Yeah, maybe..." I know why we were both afraid to leave her... We were afraid that while we were gone she might slip away...
A/N: thanks for reading pls rate and review ^^