Hello,

Me Again, this is a shorter Chapter but when get two chapters in the 2 days, this is what you get. :P Granted, this is one of the shorter chapters. I cut it this way on purpose.

Same disclaimer. I do not own or make anything off this. Oh, how i wish i had money.

Someone stated they don't understand the reference to Catfish, so here is definition.

A Catfish: someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.

Again, let me know what you think.


Chapter 2:

Hello, Grumpy


Once again, Toni's down in her lab for some much-needed space. After coming back from a meeting at Stark Industries, her mood is shot. Okay, that's a normal, which is one reason why Pepper is running the company. Toni is perfectly fine locking herself in her lab (though Jim and Vision are not) and create away. She hates politics, hates playing the field instead of doing what's right. It's exhausting, because it feels wrong. She just wants to call them old farts, but Pepper's glare stops that cold. However, it's exhausting to smile, especially when her mood takes a drive, and everything comes flooding back. Then, she has to deal with Pepper, who comments she is being too quiet. Man, she loves that woman, but she's tired of the game. Tired of being told she's wrong or that she doesn't understand. She's a genius for crying out loud. She just can't deal with people and their games.

For a while, she forces herself away from the computer and those message boards, because she really does have stuff to do, to invent. She truly does, not lying there, but she can't stop herself, even with FRIDAY. She told the AI not to let her do this—reading these nasty comments-, but she has no will power and overrides the AI in mere seconds, which makes her wonder what the point is of telling the AI anything. She mutes FRIDAY a few seconds later.

Ordering the lights off, her face is lit by the glow of the computer. It's a dirty addiction.

AK47Soldier: Why hasn't this woman killed herself yet? If she's too chicken, I'm can help.

It doesn't get better, but she doesn't stop. She needs it. Her skin itches if she turns away. Her heart pounds loudly in her chest, threatening to pop out. It all just brings her to this forum, drinking in the hate. However, the blinking orange icon on her computer catches her attention. Knowing what it is, it draws her away from the message boards.

GrumpyBear: So, you're back? Watching the world burn again?

There're a few responses that pop into her head, but she can answer with none of them. Besides, it isn't like she can tell him that she's the Famous Toni Stark, the person who these people want to burn alive. Plus, she isn't allowed to be weak. She had a reputation to withhold.

RedMetal46: What is it to you?!

The user doesn't response right away, making Toni wonder if she responded the wrong way.

GrumpyBear: I'm trying to get a good read on you.

RedMetal46: Good luck. May men have tried and failed. No one can handle this.

A read on her? That's laughable. Toni doesn't even know if she knows who she is. She knows who she's supposed to be; her father had drilled it into her, while her mother watched. The world is screaming it at her. Sure, she knows what a Stark is supposed to be, but she supposed that has been shot to hell. She has too much blood on her hand, though maybe that's the Stark way.

GrumpyBear: I'm not like any other man you met.

RedMetal46: Not with a name like Grumpy Bear. I still think you're five.

She glances at the other users, as they continue to pick her apart. The itch is back to drive back into their comments and lose herself in the hate. With her currently mood, it's tempting. However, there's something else growing in her chest, a desire to talk to this user, who doesn't back down from a fight. She stares at the nasty comments one last time before turning back to Grumpy Bear. He's a ray in the darkness, as he makes her laugh, a true laugh.

GrumpyBear: I didn't choose it.

RedMetal46: Then tell your GF she needs better names for you. No. Wait, she's a mastermind. She's a true genius.

It does seem like a username that a girlfriend would pick for her boyfriend. If she had to pick a username for Rogers (not that he would ever let her. Too grumpy for that), she might've picked that or something close to that. Most people wouldn't call themselves grumpy, well besides her. She calls herself that all the time.

GrumpyBear: Nope, my 'supposed' friends did. I told them that they hate me, but they deny it.

RedMetal46: They could be trying to tell you something? Maybe, they want you to smile.

GrumpyBear: Trust me. You don't want me to smile. I might break something.

GrumpyBear: And try as I might, I can't figure out how to change it. So, I'm stuck with it, not that it matters much.

Toni pauses. How hard is it to change a username? Any four-year-old can do it. Heck, a cat probably can. Have you seen the any cat video? Again, Rogers pops into her head as he's one of the few people that would struggle with it. The things he had asked JARVIS and FRIDAY before he 'disappeared' were laughable. However, that ass wouldn't be caught dead on this kind of site.

RedMetal46: I'm rethinking your age. Are you an old man? Can I start calling you 'old man'?

GrumpyBear: Well, some might call me old, but no, I'm just not good with computers.

Who isn't good with computer these days? And once more, Rogers comes to mind…Damn it, stop thinking of that ass. There's no way in hell you're talking to him. It isn't him, Damn it. She just blames it on the fact that he's always on her mind, thinking about what he's doing or how better the Avengers would be if he was here.

RedMetal46: Not helping your case.

GrumpyBear: How did we get talking about me?

RedMetal46: I'm the master of deception.

RedMetal46: PS, you need to imagine me in a ninja pose when you read that.

Does it really matter what his age is? Without knowing or trying, he's getting her to smile, and she needs that. A smile is a worth more than anyone can know.

GrumpyBear: Okay, I like you.

RedMetal46: geez, what took you so long?

GrumpyBear: So, why don't you tell me about yourself?

RedMetal46: Why don't you tell me about yourself instead?

There're quite a few things that Toni doesn't want to talk about and herself is one of them. She would—

"Boss, Colonel Rhodes is on his way down. If I am not mistaken, he wants to drag you to away from the computer for some much-needed sleep."

Shit is the first thing that comes to mind when she sees her best Friend rounds a corner in his wheelchair, as he is making a beeline to her. Damn is the second thing as she curses herself for making the lab's wall glass. What the hell was she thinking? It's impossible to hide with glass walls. She so needs to change this as soon as she gets the chance, because she's not liking the look in his eyes. Without another thought, she slams shut her computer, forcing it to sleep. "Rhodes, my man," she says, as he makes it through the doorway.

Jim gives her a hard look, as if he's looking right through her. "You aren't reading that crap, again, are you?" His arms are folded across his chest, as he makes himself look as big as he can in the chair. Even sitting, He is a man that you don't want to miss with.

"Oh, you think so too?" she replies with a grin. "But man, I'm telling you. Those people are nut cases. What can the media come up next? An alien replaces me? I like to see them try."

"Tones," he says, sternly. "You know what I mean."

It takes everything in her not to shoot a glare at FRIDAY. How did her AI tell on her? No, that can't be true, considering Rhodes isn't hardcore yelling at her. If he knows, there will be yelling. "A apple pie is better served hot?"

He lets out a harsh sigh. "Why are you so stubborn?"

For once, Toni could answer honestly, but telling him the truth would just land her in the dog house. And to make matter worse, she's chatting with some random person on the internet. They've both seen Catfish to know how this will end: a 65-year man with 40 cats. "Are you going to drag me to bed?" she responds, putting on her flirty face.

His eye twitches. "That would be like sleeping with my sister."

Toni's mind flashes to Jeanette, and that stops her comment cold in its track. Even in her exhaustion, she would never go that far. Even with all her sins, she could not ever hurt him…well, again. "I don't want to break you," she says with a wink.

Rhodes lets out a loud groan as he lightly hits himself in the forehead. "AH! That's not the image that I want in my head," he moans. With a deep groan, he closes his eyes and forces that that picture out. "That aside, I know you're using sex as a distraction."

She glances at her laptop, thinking back to Grumpy, before turning back to Jim. "Sex is never a distraction. It's the main event."

Her best friend gives her a cynical look. "For most people, it isn't, but with you, you bet your pretty ass. You use it whenever you want to change the subject, because sex is the last thing they expect to hear." He rolls to her, trapping her between his legs and the desk. "The inappropriate comment causes the brain freezes, which you take full advantage of. Good topic to bring up when you want to change the subject. It's your safety net, always have been." After a few long minutes, he takes a deep breath before turning away from her. "Plus, you took great joy in watching Rogers's face turn all kinds of red."

Shaking her head, she gets to her feet. She would rather go to bed—or attempt to- than have this conversion with him. She also doesn't want to admit that either. "What? You think I just loved messing with his head?"

"That, and you wanted to ride him like a cowboy," he says, as if it is painful to say. "Urge, that image is back. I need to wash my month and tongue out."

"Did not." Though that may have been true at one point, it's no longer the case. Now, she just wants to forget his face, as she curses his name. She wants to punch out his pretty teeth.

Rhodes shakes his head. "Again, I don't want to think of this; plus, this is besides the point." He reaches his hand out to hers, both knowing she would take it. "Let's get you to bed."

Again, that's the last thing that she wants. She doesn't want to sleep, unless someone gives her some hard-core sleeping pills. "Rhodey," she says out softly. Her emotions are rolling off her with a single word and her best friend doesn't miss it. Just like that, Toni fight just vanishes.

His expression softens as he looks upon softly. "It's okay, Tones," he calls. "Let's sleep together."

"Just don't leave me," she says, her voice almost too soft to hear. With her head down, she crosses to him and lowers herself to her needs. With a heavy sigh, she allows him to wrap an arm around her.

Resting his head on hers, he says, "I wouldn't dare."


*O*O*


"Mom," she screams, as she wakes in a cold sweat. Popping up into the sitting position, she harshly kicks the blanket off, as she feels like she's on fire. "C-Can't breathe." Sweat is running down her face, and she's wet all away through her clothes and sheets. With her heart beating in her ear, her hands fly to her chest, where the reactor use to sit, and she paws at her shirt. Struggling to breathe, she pulls at her shirt as if to rip it off. Her lungs are protesting everything time she tries to take a deep breath, which makes the room spin.

Her chest is on fire. "God," she utters, as she forces her arms to her side. She closes her eyes and fists the blanket—needing to do something with her hands, as she tries to talk herself down. "Not real. Not Real." However, all she can see is Barnes killing her mother. She just sees the life leaving her eyes. No matter what she does, she flashes back to that video, and it takes everything she has not to puke. It has her shaking uncontrollably.

Though she is so much like her father (being an Asshole for one), she was closer to her mother, much to her father's annoyance—telling her mother not to baby her. However, her mother was her light, her shield. She had this smile about her that let up the room, and it was more than skin deep. Ana and Jarvis might've taken care of her, but her mother was her idol, smiling at Toni like she was everything. And all of that's gone now. Like it never existed in the first place. Blocked out by the nightmare, it's like the good memories never happened in the first place. All she sees is Barnes killing her Maria as she begs him not too. All she sees is him coming after her ready to finish off the rest of the Starks, while Rogers watches.

God, she hates this. She knows he was brainwashed. She knows about the trigger words, stripping away his soul. She knows he was forced to do unimaginable things that the 1940s James Barnes wouldn't ever do. She knows he's a hero. She knows all of this, but she can't see pass his bloody hands on her mother's skin, stealing her final breath. It's all she can see, and she hates herself for it. She wants to forgive him. God, she wants to. She wants to see him as innocent—he is the victim- but she can't…Though there's a part of her that wonders if she deserves this for destroyed the Avengers. She killed-

"Tones."

Toni almost jumps out of her skin, and her heart soars, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Though it snaps her back to reality, it hits her like a bag of bricks, almost sending her into a bigger panic. She has forgotten that Rhodes has gone to bed with her, holding as she fell asleep.

"Toni. Breathe with me."

Focusing on Rhodes' voice, she forces herself to take a deep breath. She listens to his voice, allowing everything to come into focus. It's like a camera focusing on a picture. "Jim," she breaths, as she looks at him. There's a soft protective look in his eyes when he looks at her; a clear sign to how much he loves hers. However, it sends her into a panic again, as she just hurts him time after time. It's like a truck has hit her. Before he can react, Toni kicks feet over the edge, while shaking off his warm hand. With tears flying, she glances at his legs before jumping to her feet and bolting to the door.

She can hear him call after her as he struggles to end of the bed, but she's out the door before he can grab his wheelchair. And, she's locked in her lab in minutes, ordering FRIDAY not to let anyone in. With her guilt on the rise, she locks herself away from the world, thinking it would be better off without her.


*O*O*


Using what she has around, she paints the glass doors and walls to block out any eyes who want to check on her. With a small smile, she stands back from her art, making show every itch of her red and gold artwork covers the door. With her mood, she wants to be left alone, and she wants to make sure they get that message, granted Vision could just phase through the wall if he pleases. Though Vision tries to honor her privacy, he'll break in if he thinks she's in danger, which is why she allows FRIDAY to update him. Nothing will keep Vision out, but this does keep her out of the eyes sight of those who work at the compound. Plus, Rhodes is just outside.

She knows this doesn't look good, but she needs to think, and she can't do with Jim and Vision hovering. She just needs to get her head back on straight before she faces the world. If she doesn't, she will go crazy; however, there's only one she can do that: invent or design. She's a mechanic through and through, and nothing else will make her feel better. She isn't Toni Stark unless she's covered in oil, and that is exactly what she is going to do.

With the music blasting, Toni is head deep in one of her suits, jamming away, as she's trying to forget the look on her mother's face. Shaking her head, she forces herself back to the suit in front of her. It's only when she turns back her monitor that she sees a light blinking. Without her knowing, she auto signed back in that message board. With a deep sigh, she clicks open the message.

GrumpyBear: Oh, you're back! Ready for another round.

GrumpyBear: You there?

For a few long seconds, Toni stares at the username, wondering if she should respond. Would it be selfish to talk to him without him knowing the truth? And what does she want? Someone to talk to? She has that in Rhodey and Vision if she wants to a headache. She knows there will be no judgement in them. But what does she want with this user? To talk? Some says it's easy to tell a total stranger your problems than a friend or family, which is why Bartenders have the best stories. So, does she want this?

RedMetal46: Yea, I am here. Pretty as always.

GrumpyBear: And I thought you got sick of me.

At first, she starts to say that Rhodey pulled her away, but she stops in her track. Everyone has heard of Rhodes, and she doesn't want this user to connect the dots.

RedMetal46: My brother dragged me away. Yelling at me, telling me that I need to sleep. You know the important things. He's a little protective.

She isn't lying. Rhodes is the older brother she never had and always wanted. Though, he is also like a hovering parent.

GrumpyBear: AH, sleep. It's overrated. Yea, I get told that a lot as well.

RedMetal46: So, we are anti sleep buddies?

GrumpyBear: You can't sleep either? Sleeping is for the weak.

"Or the strong," she replies, not remembering when the last time she has slept a full night. She wishes that she could.

GrumpyBear: So, I never did ask. What's your name?

RedMetal46: Why you ask? Are you a stalker? I don't want a stalker.

GrumpyBear: Me? Nope, but I have to worry you are one.

A Name? What does she call herself? Again, she can't tell him her real name, not that he would believe her. However, she can't not tell him a name. So, she typed the first thing that comes to mind.

RedMetal46: Nope, that's too much work. Much like taking over the world. The name is Maria.

GrumpyBear: Hello, Maria. I'm George.

There are quite a few things that come to mind when she reads the name, but she keeps them all to herself. She doesn't want to scare of her new friend yet. For reasons unknown, she wants to keep him close.

GrumpyBear: So, Miss Maria. Why can't you sleep?

RedMetal46: The same old.

Toni doesn't like to admit it, though it isn't the best kept secret.

RedMetal46: Nightmares.

GrumpyBear: Want to talk about it? I hear it helps to talk about them.

Toni's sure it may help some people, but she isn't one of those people. Granted, it could be because she's too ashamed of them to talk about them. She hates being weak, and nightmares make you weak, makes gives you an opening. Also, she is ashamed of what she's dreaming about. She feels guilty.

RedMetal46: Nope. You want to talk about yours.

GrumpyBear: Nope.

RedMetal46: Still being attacked by those haters?

GrumpyBear: Yes!

RedMetal46: Well, you put yourself out there. Maybe, if you put a picture of yourself in a bunny pic, Georgie. I'm sure that will get people talking. They might even stop attacking you.

GrumpyBear: I can pull it off.

Toni chuckles as she can see it in her head. Like a magic wand, it chases away that image of her mother. In a matter of seconds, she feels better. She doesn't know who this man is, but she feels like she can finally leave the lab with some sense of herself intact. And every day they talk—which is becoming everyday-, the better she feels.


The Author note:

1) As I write this, I realize that there are really only two people who this could be. Man, that cut down on the fun. But anyhow, who do you think it is? And how long it takes for Toni to find out?

2) And isn't Georgie a cutey pie?

3) Again, the more reviews, the faster the updates. Yes, I am one of those people.