...It started with Mistake #1
An Avengers (Loki/Captain america/ Bruce banner) fic
Disclaimer: The Campbell household, the Black Forest Witch, and the plot line belong to me, the Avengers belong to Marvel.
Abigail's theme muse: Hate me- Blue October / The diary of Jane- Breaking Benjamin / All around me- Flyleaf
Dear Diary;
Everything in my world is a blur, ever since the curse, ever since Cecelia, my world has only about two things. Keeping Cecelia safe and feeling safe. I can get over my fears if only for the knowledge that my child is safe and doesn't know the truth. That's all I ever wanted, was for her to be safe and happy, even if she had to hate me.
I lost everything then gained it all back with Cecelia. I'd do whatever I have to for my child. Including moving to a place that strikes fear into me the most and work for a man I didn't think I would, just to keep her as home as she could. That's where this all starts, the day I started working for Tony Stark.
~X.X~X.X~
"So, Miss Campbell, why exactly are you here?" Pepper Potts asked Abigail. With a deep breath, the copper haired woman stood from the seat. The interview always went well. Abigail Campbell's references were phenomenal; she was one of the best but one of the least known. That's how Abigail liked it, unknown. For her whole life, she was afraid of most things, deathly afraid of others. One of those things would get her if she gained too much lime-light, or at least, that's what she feared. So her name was on all her work, her face was not. She didn't go to conferences, she didn't talk to people on talk shows, and she didn't give the public a face.
The science world knew her as A. Campbell, and that's all they needed. That A. Campbell paid the bills, paid for Cecelia to go to college and to start Police Academy. It paid for clothes, it paid for shoes (the thousands of sneakers Cecelia went through and the professional ones that Abigail needed), and it did all she needed money to do.
"Well, it's a rather funny story-" But Abigail stopped dead in her words when she heard the laughter of two men. They were approaching. Not that Abigail was afraid of men, they were just people. It was what they represented. Men that were well known in science, showed their faces and people knew who they were. Atleast, Tony Stark was that kind of man, Bruce Banner was not. At least, from all she knew about him, Bruce Banner was not.
But the two men walked towards the woman, a joke just being shared between the two. Tony slapped Bruce on the shoulder before he looked up to Pepper Potts and Abigail Campbell. Bruce made a notion and whispered but Tony only seemed to encourage Bruce forward. From what Abigail could see, Bruce did not want to see other people.
"Miss Campbell, this is Tony Stark," Pepper Potts smiled and waved for Abigail to shake Tony's hand.
"It's very nice to meet you Mr. Stark. Call me Abigail, and this must be Dr. Banner, I presume." Abigail grinned at the two men. Tony greeted her hand shake with a confused eye as he saw her right hand was covered but a white glove, but her left one was not. It didn't even seem to faze him until she shifted uncomfortably when he held his gaze to her hand a moment too long.
Abigail took her hand back completely and gave an awkward smile.
"An Accident when I was a young and stupid college student. It was the accident that taught me the most as a chemist and Engineer." Abigail lied sheepishly, barely able to keep Tony's eye. Then she smiled awkwardly to Bruce to include him for a moment before looking back to Potts.
"To answer your question, I've come to work for Mr. Stark, and here, because my daughter is an inspiring New York Cop. I just merely, want to be near and have a stable home for her to come to if she ever needs it. A closer safety if you know what I mean." Abigail explained with a weak smile. Pepper gave her a smile and a nod, looking to Tony for a moment. It was all but announced that the two of them were getting married, the fat rock on her finger, the way they looked at each other, it was a noticeable fact.
"That's so generous and great of you. I hope to one day have a child." Pepper grinned to Abigail who nodded with a sheepish grin. It wasn't exactly the words her daughter would express about the idea. Cecelia always kind of her mother's ways, she always aided and loved her mother but she wanted to be on her own. She wanted to show her mother that she could stand on her own and that her mother didn't have to worry about her. But Abigail always worried.
"So, you're the new girl? Huh? Me and Bruce were about to go down to the lab… why don't you join us!" Tony clapped.
"A wonderful idea." Pepper Potts gleamed.
"Sure, sounds perfect." Abigail nodded for the men to lead the way. Tony snuck a peck on Pepper's cheek before sauntering off towards the elevator. Bruce looked to Abigail and wave for her to follow Tony. Nodding gently, Abigail waved to Pepper before attempting to keep up with Tony's strong pace. Bruce had to jog to catch up to the elevator before it closed.
"Someone is excited." Bruce teased as the doors closed.
"Hush! You're going to ruin the surprise." Tony grinned like a dog. Abigail looked between the two as they bantered back and forth.
"Now, why are we in an enclosed space again? The stairs are fine to walk down."
"As long as you don't hulk out on us, we'll be fine. Bruce, we've had this decussion before, I love to work but I hate to walk, I enjoy to use as little energy as possible. Work smarter, not harder…." Tony countered back.
"I assume you mean that you work at all." Bruce teased with a cocked brow. Tony looked falsely offended, while Abigail stood towards the back of the elevator. Tony finally pressed the button to go down then turned to Bruce.
"When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me."
"Not this again."
"What? I've only used that line 3 times." Tony exclaimed.
"Boys?" Abigail spoke, but they didn't seem to hear her.
"No, you used it last night, at lunch, before breakfast, you even used it on Pepper." Bruce stated, point at Tony lightly, "You just always have to be right."
"Bruce, it's rude to point." Tony stated, pushing Bruce's pointer finger aside, "And I don't always have to be right, I just always am right."
"Boys!" Abigail announced a bit louder. That's when the doors opened and the two of them stepped out and watched Abigail expectantly. Her face burned with fire as she took her steps out of the elevator. "You sound like an old married couple… now, what is this surprise?"
Tony's grin jumped and he almost giggled from what Abigail saw as he whipped around and pressed his hand to the hand pad. He typed in a number, and then the doors opened.
"It's for my energy project. Stark tower is completely powered without any fuels, just pure green energy. Well, to encourage others to use it…" Tony trailed off as he led his way into the lab. There surrounded by a bunch of moving robots and computers and boards was a car. A police car, just sitting there.
"I had a friend pull a favor, for the city to get on board; I'm going to fuel the police with a green energy car." Tony grinned. Abigail smiled and walked to the car. Hand over the engine and fingers dancing over the mechanics, she could feel herself safe and warm. Mechanics and Chemicals were her safe zone. Something she knew, something she understood and only have a specific outcome.
"It's brilliant." Abigail looked to the screen behind Tony where Bruce turned on the news. Abigail couldn't help but let her eyes flicker to the screen, and for a moment her heart stopped.
"Tony, look at this…Abigail, didn't you say your daughter was in the police academy?" Bruce turned only to find Abigail falling to the floor. Her whole body collapsed on the floor beside the car, hands that grabbed and yanked tables down and ontop of her fainted form. "TONY!"
There on the screen was a picture of Cecelia with the words 'Missing Police Academy student' in big bold letters next to it.
Author's Notes: Another chapter! Woot! Not as dark as the first one, but with Abigail, it's her past that's Dark, which will be explained more as the story goes on. Hope you all enjoyed it.
To SleepySandman: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! I hope you enjoy this one too.
