Author's Note

I know, I know, I was a jerk. I left you guys on a huge cliffie and I'm SORRY! But I realized I never got to thank you guys individually, so, here's to all my reviewers! :)

Thanks to: Ali, Angelina, NikeChastity, Superminion, kinshasadalen, and JS 3

Special thanks to the regular reviewers!

To: MaddieMozart, O Spastic One, and .98

Oh, and I do not own Marvel, and I don't own Chris Evans! There. On with the story! :)

Chapter 10: Did Mommy…?

Johnny's POV

"Damn it!" I shouted, punching the hood of my car out of frustration. "Damn it!" I yelled again. Rosie clung onto me tighter and I knew why. We couldn't get out of here because my car was trashed. Completely ruined; I can't get Rosie away from that creep and she knew it. "Oh God," I sighed, finding a letter taped to my hood, "a present."

The letter was addressed to me as "The Famous Human Torch". I rolled my eyes and opened the lined paper. "You're kind of trapped. Might as well give over the girl." I punched the hood of the car again. I looked over at Rosie to see the tears flowing.

"Oh God, Rosie, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry, baby!" I cried out, hugging her tightly. "It's, it's not your fault, Daddy. It's his fault. It's my old dad's fault," she said, breathing heavily and looking pale. "Sweetie, are you okay?" I asked concerned.

She nodded, "Yes, well sort of." I frowned, "Let's go sit down at the sidewalk." Not only was she looking pale, the blow to my stomach was getting to me. I sat her down on the concrete and gently lowered myself down. She laid her head on my lap and I stroked her hair. "Babe, you aren't looking so good, are you sure you're alright?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but instead vomited all over my lap. "Oh shit!" I yelled out. "I'm sorry, Daddy!" she cried. "It's okay, baby. It's okay," I said, trying to act calm, "Just, uh, just sit yourself up so you don't get puke all over you." She nodded and leaned her head on my shoulder. I reached into my jean pocket to find my cell phone when I realized it was probably in the restaurant.

I sighed; this was a pretty horrible day so far. I rested my head against the rough and sharp brick wall and closed my eyes. I failed her. I failed my daughter. She trusted me, and I can't get her out of here. At that moment of self-loathing and fear I saw blue and red flashing and heard a high pitched noise. I prayed to God, or whoever was listening, that that police car was for Rosie and I.

The car turned into the parking lot of the little diner and I started to laugh, "Rosie, we're gonna get out of here hun!" She looked up at me, "Really?" I smiled and lifted her off the ground. I silently thanked God or whatever higher power there was up there for listening.

An officer walked over to me and asked if I was Mr. Storm. "Yes," I replied quickly. "And this is Rosie?" he asked. She nodded shyly and snuggled her head between my shoulder and my neck. "It's okay, sweetie," I whispered, "He's here to help us." The officer smiled.

"That's right, kiddo. I'm going to make sure that man will never hurt you," he said gently. I smiled at him, "Thank you." He nodded. "Here's what's going to happen, okay," he said, addressing Rosie, "We're going to go back in there and get that man. He's going to come with us and come to the police station for questioning. We're going to ask you and your Dad to come with us to answer a few questions, too. And then, I promise you, he won't ever bother you again."

Rosie nodded, looking up at the man, "And my Daddy?" I smiled sadly and kissed Rosie on the head. "Yeah, kid, and your Daddy," the officer replied. He walked through the doors of the diner and I followed. Rosie whimpered and clung onto me. "It's okay, babe. He's not ever going to hurt you. I promise," I said firmly.

She nodded unsurely. I followed through the door and the waitress, Hazel, was holding Rosie's old dad's hands behind his back. She blew a strand of hair off her red face and was breathing fast and heavy. The shocked officer came over to her and took the man off her hands. She sighed and straightened her waitressing uniform.

Hazel stumbled over to me and handed me my IPhone. "Sorry," she said quickly, "the screen's shattered." I shook my head, "No, that's amazing, thank you." "Thanks," Rosie mumbled. Hazel's face brightened. "Oh you're very welcome, darling!" she replied in her southern drawl. Rosie's old dad smirked, "So quick to replace Kelly."

My smile faded. "I'm not replacing her. I just, I, she was never mine to replace," I said sadly. He shook his head, "Are you sure Rosie's your number one concern? It's not having women hanging all over you? Because you sure as hell seem to love the attention." I clenched my fists. "Do not listen to him!" the officer said quickly, "He's trying to get in your head, and if he does he wins."

Too bad, I thought. Two can play at this game. "I'm not the one barging into a public place and threatening to kidnap a child. If anyone loves attention, it's you," I fiercely spat back. "Listen up, Riley," her old dad said. "Rosie," I quickly corrected.

"Whatever. You're Daddy only wants you because it attracts all the ladies. Women love the "dad" card. Otherwise, you're a waste of time. Do you really think he would care about you if he didn't get something out of it? You're a burden. A good for nothing little brat who got lucky with a rich 'Daddy'. "

Rosie closed her eyes and shook her head. "You're wrong," she whispered. "That's right, Rosie. He's wrong. You're the only girl I need in my life. And you are anything but a burden. You made my life better, sweetie. You really did," I replied, my tone quickly changing from angry to gentle.

Her old dad rolled his eyes, "Pathetic," he simply stated. The officer was right. I shouldn't have listened or played his game, he won. He got the desired effect; a riled up me and a scared Rosie. I turned my head away, ashamed. Hazel looked pissed and ready to say something. She wasn't "hanging all over me" like some kind of accessory; though she knew better than to speak up at a time like this.

XXXX

"Did you physically harm that child and Ms. Kelly Sharrons in any way?" the officer asked seriously. Sickly smiling, old dad simply replied yes. I could see the shock on the officer's face at how simple the interrogation was going.

"Why?" he asked. Old dad chuckled, "It's simple, really." "What is?" the officer asked. "I don't want a kid," he replied. "So you hit her?" the officer asked incredulously. "Pretty much," he replied, cooperating surprisingly well. It pissed me off.

The officer still was missing a piece to the puzzle, "If you don't want a kid, and you don't even like your former wife, why in God's green Earth did you marry her?" "Three important words," he said, "She. Was. Rich." "Okay," he replied, "but why do you suddenly want Rosie back?"

He looked back to the glass that we were sitting on the opposite side of, and laughed. That sick asshole. I looked over at Rosie, prepared for tears but what I saw was much worse. She was staring off into the distance, no emotion etched on her innocent face. She was shutting herself down so she could not feel anything at all.

"Rosie, sweetheart," I said gently, "Are you alright?" She didn't reply and it was destroying me. "Baby, I know you're scared and sad, but if you don't say anything you're going to scare the shit out of me!" I cried out. "Home, Daddy," she said blankly, "Please take me home."

I nodded once and lifted her out of her chair. I needed to find an officer, anyone to take me away. I spotted a woman in uniform and hurried over. "Please officer, I have to get her away from him!" I pleaded. "Excuse me?" she replied. "My daughter, away from him, could you please just drive me back to my place?" She rolled her eyes, "Is this you're weird idea of flirting?"

"NO!" I yelled. "Okay, this is serious, um, so sorry sir," she said, immediately intense. "It's fine, whatever, could you just get us home, she's kind of freaking out here," I said, brushing away the apology. "Yes sir, once again…" I cut her off, "You're sorry, yeah, it's fine."

XXXX

I opened the door to our place and it became painstakingly obvious how much pain I was in. Rosie was trailing behind me, face as blank as before. I let out a deep breath, clutching my stomach. I knew my face was banged up as well and I prepared for a concerned and worried Sue. I sighed and walked in.

"What the hell, Johnny?" Sue said the moment I stopped. Well, when she was pulling the concerned-big-sister card, she did it well. "I'm fine," I replied, quickly waving her off. Rosie lingered by the door. I could see emotion coming back, her face twisting with rage and sadness. It was torture.

Reed entered, and since Ben was not accompanying him I could only assume he was with Alicia. "What's going on?" Reed quickly asked, noticing the tension and my injuries. I just ignored him and knelt down in front of Rosie. "He's wrong!" she suddenly screamed, fat tears falling from her eyes.

"Woah, Rosie, hun, who's wrong?" I asked gently placing my hands on her shoulders and guiding her to look into my eyes. "My old dad," she breathed out. "What do you mean, sweetie?" I asked quietly, placing my hand on her cheek which was burning up. She moved her head so her cheek was closer with my hand and sighed, a little less uneasy than previously.

"He said the only reason you keep me around is for girls," she spat angrily, "He doesn't even know you, Daddy. He doesn't even know how much you love me!" I kissed her cheek. "That's right, you know I could live the rest of my life without other girls because you are the only one that matters to me," I replied softly.

"I believed him when he said that kind of stuff about Mommy, though. I just couldn't help it. Everything he said felt true. Mommy didn't protect me from him. He hurt me and Mommy didn't save me. But when he said that stuff about you I didn't believe it for a second. You saved me. When he tried to hurt me you didn't let him. When he said mean things to me you yelled at him. Sometimes, I, never mind…" she quickly stopped herself.

I scooped her up and she curled up into the fetal position. I sat down on the couch and laid her down in my lap. She just lay there, not moving a muscle other than the ones required for crying. Reed and Sue had quickly left, getting the hint that she wouldn't speak with them there.

"Now sweetie," I said, brushing the hair away from her face and wiping her invariable tears, "what were you going to say?" "Sometimes I hate her," she whispered, ashamed in herself, "And I know it's mean, but I can't help it."

I sighed, "It's okay to hate her," I said honestly, remembering hating my own mother for a short while after she died and "left me". But I can't imagine the hate if she didn't protect me. "It is?" she asked; hope filling her voice which was scratchy from the screaming and crying. "Of course, baby," I replied. She smiled up at me a watery smile and she kissed my cheek. She sat Indian-style in my lap and sighed, content.

"Can I ask you a question, babe?" I asked, now worried about something I'd never really thought of. "What, Daddy?" she asked, significantly calmer than just seconds before. "Did Mommy ever see him hurting you?" I said, my stomach clenching and unclenching in fear of the answer. She nodded silently.

"She did?" I asked my stomach dropping. "Yes," she replied sadly. "Did she ever try to stop him?" I asked; hope slowly floating back to the surface, though it was small for fear of it being crushed. "No," she said, tears slowly falling.

"She never helped you?" I asked, sickened that Kelly was the only woman I'd ever loved. Disgusted the person I used to love was as good as abusive. Rosie shook her head no. "Why not?" I said, wanting answers and wanting them now.

"When my old dad would hit me and she would tell him to stop, he'd always ask her one question: Who do you love more, me or her?" she replied, her lip quivering, "She always told him that she loved him more than me. She said I was not important, that she was in love with him and he was all that mattered."

She leaned her head back on my chest and let out a body wracking sob. "Oh God, baby," I said, wondering how any child on Earth could have went through the hell she did. "Oh, sweetie," I was at a loss for words. "Rosie, you have every right to hate Mommy," I said, not knowing what else to say.

She nodded and turned to look at me. "I do, and I hate her," she replied quietly. I nodded, taking in everything my innocent daughter had told me. Everything she went through I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy, let alone my own child. "But it's okay," she reassured me, "because you are my Daddy. And with you as my Daddy I don't need a Mommy, because you love me way more than both my old dad and my old mom combined!"

She smiled, satisfied with what was now her life. She was finally at peace with herself, finally ending the raging war of feelings that had gone on in her for years. "I hate my old mom and dad, but I love my new Daddy, my good Daddy. So I lost my old dad and mom, but I got the best Daddy ever!" she cried out, happy and calm.

I kissed her head and whispered, "And you know what I got?" She giggled, "What, Daddy?" I laughed, "I got the best daughter in the world. The strongest little girl I know. I got a new girl in my life and she's the greatest thing to ever happen to me. And I'm sorry you had to go through what you did. I'm sorry your old dad was horrific, and your mom weak and spineless. But I will protect you forever. I can promise you that. I can also promise you I can love you forever."