**A/N – I'm sorry the chapter was short! Didn't even think….I will endeavour to write longer ones from now on! Thanks for your continued support!**
Chapter 4
OK Marie, so this is the moment you've been waiting for. The moment you have been wanting for the last 20-odd years. So why the hell is your heart beating a million miles an hour and you are wishing you were home right about now!
God only knows…
As she turned, her knuckles were white as she continued to grip the backpack straps. She raised her eyes to look at the face who owned the voice, unaware of the people now in the café, who were gazing at the man with adoring eyes because he was stood there in what could only be described as his 'work clothes', although they sported burn marks, the odd tear and was that….blood….?
His light brown hair was stuck out at angles, face smeared with dirt but under that rough appearance, Steve Rogers, the man she believed to be her grandfather, could be found.
Finally she found her voice…
'Yes, I'm Marie Smith'…
Fook sake. She sounded like a cat stuck in a dustbin. Marie had prepared this huge long speech mentally but now, it seemed to be stuck in her throat.
'..As I said, I'm sorry it took so long, I had some issues to sort out. I've all the time in the world now, but it might not be better to talk here, if you want to come with me…there's a place we can talk?'….he ended his sentence with a kindly smile. Did he actually believe her then? Did this mean that…..?
'…yes! Yes of course, I guessed you were busy but I really didn't think a letter would do on its own. Who the hell is that bloody woman on reception in the tower? She was a right pain in the….yes, of course, whatever you think is best Mr Rogers…'…
Now she was rambling. How she expected to act when this finally happened, was not how she was acting at all. A blathering village idiot no doubt would do a better job!
'Steve is fine. Call me Steve. When you're ready?'…
The blacked-out truck ferried them both towards the Avengers Tower. Marie clutched her bag tightly, she was sat in the left in the back, Mr Rogers sat on the right…he seemed to regarding her impassively. Marie, for one of the first times in her life…was practically speechless.
'….the DNA test was positive. I am who you thought I was'….his voice was calm, he didn't appear overly excited about the prospect or angry about it, for that she was relieved. Rejection had come once too often in her life. She didn't want to face it ever again…
Looking at him once again as the car continued on its merry way, Marie took a deep breath and hoped her voice sounded better than last time.
'It's taken me 20 years to get to this point. I didn't know what to do. I mean, there's so much in my past that is…well, I can tell you one day, but I know hearing peoples dubious history can be boring as fuck!'…
'Rule number one, no swearing'…was the only thing he said in reply.
'….no swearing?'…Marie pulled a face.
'Yup. No swearing. And no, it won't be boring, I want to know, but you can tell me in your own time…'…there was that smile again.
'….so the DNA test, you said it was, was it, that is to say, are we…?'…she HAD to know. He had already said so but she HAD to double check. If he was just being nice, then she would stop the car and walk away, give up her search and move to acceptance of what she had.
'Yes Marie, we are related by blood. I DID have a romantic encounter with Nancy, I regret the fact I didn't know she was pregnant else things would have been handled differently. When I read your letter the first thing I did was run the DNA test through the lab. I had to know you weren't a crazy person. We get a few, I'm sure you can imagine. While the test was being processed, I had someone check out your history and that of your mothers. It was a shock and, well…I never knew I had a child and I regret….'…he paused, looked out the window. Marie didn't know what to say to him. She hadn't even thought of his response of the fact he was a father without knowing it.
'..I'm sorry Mr Rogers, it wasn't my intention to cause you any grief over this, I just needed to trace my roots'…she stammered. Oh god, where the hell had the selfish Marie gone? Did having family do this to you? Normally she would have said 'Meh, deal with it!'
Steve turned his blood and dirt-streaked face back to her and smiled once again.
'Don't worry, I know it wasn't. I'm glad you did, I would have never known otherwise. These last few days, you sent my mind into a tizzy. I have an actual blood relation, and we have a lot to catch up on, and call me Steve…'…
The truck was now slowing, allowed through the heavy security and into the basement of the building. There were lots of people milling about, going about their daily lives, lots of 'suits', Marie mused to herself. She had never worn a suit in her life! Jeans, T-shirt and sweater, along with Nike trainers, tended to be her wardrobe, apart from the shop's retail uniform of course, when she was at work.
The driver opened the door, even offered a hand to help her out. Surprising herself, Marie accepted the offered hand and got out of the truck, still clutching her backpack. Even the basement here was huge, the buildings technology gave warning of what was to come in the main building itself once the visitor had gotten their bearings. Large screens flashing information, automated voices talking at various points, answering questions directed from the people milling about and the lifts taking the visitors up to the ground floor was something to behold. Glass tubes with fancy flashing lights. This was real sci-fi movie stuff…
'Ready Marie?'….she was snapped out of her daydream by Steve's voice. He seemed to be amused by something, eyebrows raised slightly.
His next action almost floored her. Steve offered a hand to take. She stared at it, what was this…?
Her adoptive parents had at first been affectionate, after all, they promised to love her as their own. They had taken her for walks, read her bedtime stories and kissed her when she was hurt. The very last time Marie had held the hand of someone she trusted with her life had been the day she had been delivered back to Social Services. Clutching her 'mother's' hand, they had told her she was going to visit someone. They even promised they would be back, and for the next month, the nine year old had waited patiently for their return, living with a foster family. After two months, she began to doubt if they would….and after 3 months, she knew she would never see them again. Her foster parents inadvertently letting it slip she had been adopted, abandoned by her real mother, father was unknown. Her world had collapsed, and from then on, affection was limited. Hand-holding from someone who actually gave a toss withered away to nothing…after that, hand holding tended to be from people shaking hands to seal a deal, or like the driver of the truck, to help her get out OK…
Marie tentatively placed her hand in his. With Marie being five foot two inches tall, he basically blotted out the sun in comparison to her. As his fingers curled around her small hand, something changed…
I'm home…