Thanks for the follows and the favs, guys! This is going to be the last chapter for Do I Wanna Know, yes, this is the absolute last one.
Tannerdarko, yes, AOU is a thing, but I will be waiting to post that one for a little while. I have some other fics I want to work on, plus I'm getting into the second half of my semester at school, and it's going to be a little crazy work wise. I'm sorry, but I really need to focus, and I love working on Ellie's story, but she basically takes over my life. When I work on an Avengers fic, I WORK on an Avengers fic. I'll take days and hide so that I can write them properly, and well. So, therefore, Ellie is going to be hanging out for a little bit. I'll make an update here when I plan on posting AoU and announce the title and everything.
I hope you guys enjoy this LAST chapter! I hope you guys come back around for AoU! Let me know what you all think!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel. Duh. Moving on.
Portland seemed safe. Sure, there was history, but it was the west coast. I thought it would be safe. I was taking a run, as Steve had drilled into me. Him and Sam were at the gym, and I decided I needed a second to clear my head, so I decided to go for a run. I thought it was a good decision, up until my music stopped playing on my phone, and the streetlights went out all around me. I frowned, and turned to look behind me.
I looked him in the eyes, and booked it, running away as fast as possible. A car skidded to a stop in the street, and I jumped through the open door, slamming it shut.
"DRIVE!" Trip grinned at me through the rearview mirror.
"Glad to know you're still getting into trouble, E." I grinned at him, and turned to the girl next to me, who was staring at me like a deer caught in headlights.
"Hey. I'm Ellie." I held out a hand. "Thanks for saving my sorry ass." She grabbed my hand hastily, shaking it with both of hers.
"Jemma, Jemma Simmons. Miss Stark, it's an honor-" I tsked, wagging a finger.
"I refuse to be called Miss Stark, especially with Trip in the car. It's Ellie to you, Jemma." She squealed, like a true fangirl. I grinned, and clambered into the front seat, next to Trip. "Trip, buddy! What the hell are you doing here? And how did you know I was going to need saving?" Trip glanced at me, and then back at the road.
"I'll tell you when we're safe. Sit tight." I frowned.
"But what about Captain Rogers and Sam Wilson?" He smirked.
"Your boyfriend and his buddy are fine. It's you we're worried about right now, princess." I shot him a glare.
"He isn't my boyfriend, Trip." Trip raised an eyebrow, but I frowned. "Wait, who's we?" His friend, Jemma, answered me.
"S.H.I.E.L.D."
xXx
"But I thought no one was left?"
"Well, then you've got another thing coming, bug." I shot Trip a glare.
"Does Steve know about this?"
"Captain Rogers doesn't even know you're missing." I nodded, but I refused to sit down. Jemma looked a little concerned, but I don't know how she could be, she barely knew me. "Now tell me what happened with that guy." I shrugged.
"Not much to tell. I was helping a friend with that project he was working on, it interested me. He got a little sidetracked. Eventually, he started following me home, and he wouldn't leave me alone. He spotted me playing the piano once, and he said that I was his light." I paused. "I had just started working with S.H.I.E.L.D. Adam made sure that guy was put where he belonged."
"Adam? Adam Quinn?" I nodded in response to her question, clearing my throat.
"Yes. We were close." She knew what I meant, I could see it in her eyes. So I spilled the beans. "He was my boyfriend." Her eyes would have gone wide, but she controlled it. Not a very good liar, I could tell. "Did you know him?"
"Not very well, no. But I've heard the name." I nodded. "What happened to him?" I paused.
"He died, right before the Battle of New York." I bit my lip. Jemma set a hand on mine.
"I can't even imagine, I'm so sorry." I smiled, squeezing her hand, before I let go.
"For a long time after he died, I was lost. I couldn't find my way out of this...this pit. S.H.I.E.L.D. was his life, it was everything he stood for. I pulled myself out of that pit when I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. full time." I paused again, looking at Trip now. "I guess it kinda saved him and me both."
xXx
A few hours later, we were walking onto a stage. I was in proper concert attire, and a grand piano sat on the stage, ready for me to run my fingers across. I was itching to play; I hadn't played in a while, actually. Since before Adam died.
"Okay." Jemma stopped me, before I could go towards it. I paused, though, when I heard someone yelling to me.
"Ellie!" I looked up, and spotted Steve storming towards me. Jemma turned as well, and I walked past her, right up to Steve. He frowned at me, grabbing my arms. "What's going on? Are you-"
"I'm fine, don't be such a worry wart." I smiled at him in reassurance. "Just catching some idiot who thought of stalking me to Portland, no big deal. I got this." He shot me a look. I rolled my eyes. "I'm just as capable as you, soldier boy, and so are these agents. Just go somewhere, because if the stalker sees me with you, he might try to kill us." He hesitated, but stalked off, after Jemma shooed him off. I blinked, after he did. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Jemma looked confused. "Him treating me the way he does, it's weird." I paused, as I watched him go, but then I turned back to Jemma. "So, what's the plan?"
"Keep playing until Daniels gets close to the stage. We'll take care of the rest." I nodded, but I frowned, as I looked around. I only spotted Trip, besides Jemma.
"There were two sets of agents the last time. If you guys need any help-" Trip approached, pointing to the box, where the sound equipment was.
"We've got our best guys up there, bug. Don't worry." I stared at the box, my eyebrows furrowing.
Someone looked familiar up there. I couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it was almost like-
"Miss Stark?" I turned to Jemma, blinking, as she pulled me from my thoughts. "I promise, they won't let anything happen to you." I smiled.
"I know. I have faith in you guys, I'm not worried." Trip and Jemma shared a look, but I looked between the two. "Shouldn't you guys be doing something? Before Daniels gets here?" They nodded, and stepped away. Trip squeezed my shoulder as he walked past me, and Jemma smiled at me in reassurance, before she stepped off the stage, too.
"Quinn, why don't you tell her the truth? That you're still alive?" Adam frowned, and turned to Fitz, who shrugged. "It's just, the way she talks about you. It sounds like you two had something nice." Adam paused, and turned back to look at her through the window.
The last time he'd gotten a glimpse at her, she'd looked like hell. She was skin and bones then, barely able to sleep, and her eyes were sunken in. She'd gotten even worse than before he'd met her, after he 'died.' He hated to see her like that.
Now, she looked happy. Her face was full again. Her eyes shined when she smiled, and they were as warm as the day he'd fallen for her. She had looked at him that day like she was hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was. They were sitting on the beach, and talking about the world, how it came to be. She had this passion in her eyes then, a light to them he'd never seen before. He never wanted it to disappear.
When he was with her, that light never left her eyes. That smile never left her face. She was always happy, but what they had, it was too perfect. He knew it wouldn't last.
But when he saw her with Captain Rogers...that's when he knew there was no going back. She had moved on. She was happy, truly happy. They fought on a regular basis, he knew that, but that's what made them perfect. They challenged each other. They didn't always see eye to eye, but when they did, it was like they were unstoppable. They had this bond, something Adam could never wrap his head around, and he thought that him and Ellie had had that sort of connection once upon a time...but he realized that that was never what they were.
They had their moment. Now, Ellie had found something that would last the rest of her life. And that's all Adam had wanted for her.
"No, Fitz, there's no going back for me and Ellie. She's moved on." He paused, watching her. For a second, he could've sworn that she knew, but then she turned away again, looking between Simmons, and Trip. "I can't hurt her again. We had something, but that time is over now." He watched her hesitate, as she went to approach the piano. "You should go. Daniels should be here soon." Fitz hurried out of the booth, and Adam turned back to look out the window, watching her. She was scared.
"Come on, troublemaker. You can do it." She bit her lip, but walked towards it, with determination in her eyes. He smiled. "That's the Ellie Stark I know." He frowned, but sighed. "Play for me, love. Just one more time."
She sat on the stool, and stared at the keys, before she laid her fingers on them. And then she started to play.
It was moving. It made his heart ache, and his stomach churn, because he knew she wasn't playing for him. She was playing for her. She was playing because she needed to, she was playing because she needed to move on, and this was the last step. This was the last step she had to take, in order for her to move on. And he wasn't going to take that from her.
Her playing didn't stop, not even when Trip, Simmons, and Fitz trapped Daniels. Not even when he blasted Trip, and Simmons, and sent them spiraling.
Adam ran out of the booth, and picked up Fitz's weapon, running after Daniels, and blasting him with the light. Daniels turned, and went to attack him, but Trip stopped him when he recovered, and picked his own weapon back up. Ellie only stopped when Daniels burst into pieces of darkness, sending her flying. She was blown off the bench, into the wall, and hit her head on it, collapsing to the floor. Adam stared, and went after her. He grabbed her face, and turned her over onto her back, staring at her.
"Come on, love. Don't do this to me." He checked her wrist for a pulse, and found it easily. Her face was scrunching up in the way he loved, her lips moving into a pout. She groaned, and he kissed her head, brushing her hair from her face. "I'm right here. I'm still here, troublemaker." Her eyes were moving rapidly. "You're safe now." She groaned again, and his name slipped from her lips as he got up, and took off, before she could see him.
"Adam?" I opened my eyes, and was met with Steve's bright blues. He was looking as concerned as ever, fussing over me. I groaned, and put my palms over my eyes, pressing on them.
"Are you hurt?" I shook my head, and pushed myself up into a sitting position with my elbows. My head spun when I did. Steve pressed his hands to my head, and I winced when he hit a tender spot. "You need to stop getting concussions, or soon enough, you're gonna end up like Tony." I smiled at him, and laughed. He brushed my hair from my face, as he smiled right back. I frowned at him, though, when I realized what I'd said when I woke up.
I'd heard him so clearly, it was like he was right there next to me. But it was Steve, so why...
"You heard him." I nodded, biting my lip. I hesitated, but I told him anyway.
"It was so clear this time, it was like he was right here, but it was you." I looked back up at Steve, and cupped his cheek, running my thumb across it. "I'm sorry."
"You're healing. There's nothing wrong with that." He took me by the arms, and helped me stand up, making my head spin. I gripped his arms tighter. "Walking around will help." I shot him a look. He smirked. "I won't say it, I promise."
"Then why don't I believe you?" His grin turned mischievous. I smiled, and shoved him. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Adam watched as they left, with Steve's arm around her waist, keeping her upright. Trip came up to him, and watched them leave, setting a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"She still loves you. I can see it." Adam shook his head, and walked away, calling to Trip over his shoulder.
"She never loved me, Trip. She's only ever loved him." Trip raised his eyebrows, saying his next words to Jemma.
"Yeah, but she doesn't know that."
"Not yet, anyway." Jemma retorted.