AN: And another chapter! Four more to go. Thank you for everyone who continue to stick around and read this and newcomers alike! Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)
Scott felt the lips against his own and couldn't help but smile. He opened one eye and mumbled against the kiss, "I am really starting to like this wake up call."
"It does have its perks. Doesn't it?" Darren responded as he deepened the kiss. However, he pulled away and added, "I won't be home tonight though. There's a rather late board meeting that I'll need to attend as well as my plans with Hope."
"Yeah good luck with that. Try not to kill each other," Scott said with a small smile. Still, he added, "Seriously though. I'm shocked that she's been working at all and yet still somehow managed to completely ignore you for this long."
"Hope is rather tenacious. If she sets her mind to it she'll accomplish it."
Scott gave a small chuckle. "Don't I know it. And remember, today's my day off. I'll tell Cassie you said hi."
"I swear that child is going to track me down to get those damn last chapters."
"You stopped right at the battle of the Five Armies! Of course she wants you to hurry up and read the chapters," laughed Scott.
Darren rolled his eyes. "I have several more hours before I really have to be at work. Do you really want to spend that time talking about your daughter?"
"Normally yes but seeing as you're not going to be home tonight, I am definitely going to take advantage of now," Scott responded as he easily flipped Darren onto his back. "Now, where to start?"
Fooling about for some time, Scott really couldn't help the smiles that kept appearing on his face. In a way, he still couldn't believe this was happening. His daughter had always brought joy to his life but he'd never thought any other part would be joyous. Yet now he had a great job. He had an amazing partner (Darren had strictly forbidden the use of the word boyfriend as he claimed it was to juvenile sounding; of course, that only made Scott use it more just to annoy him but at least in the presence of others he accepted his terms). He was healthier than he had been before and had even tighter bond with Paxton.
It was all great yet he still forlornly watched as Darren finally went to get dressed.
When he finally finished adjusting his tie, Scott asked, "Are you ever going to allow yourself a full day off?"
Darren smirked in response. "You know I use to be known for my workaholic nature. Something tells me that reputation will change."
"Wait," Scott quickly said. "You actually mean it? Like a day just to ourselves without scheming or horrible angst?"
"What about a vacation?"
"You can't-god I'd say you were joking but then I'd say the same thing about you and I regularly watching Star Trek! You're serious aren't you!"
"Completely, though to be perfectly honest, that trip won't happen for some time. I still need to allow everything to settle with the Yellowjacket suit. Help cement the company in another major project."
Suddenly not looking forward to getting multiple days alone with the man if it meant waiting that long, Scott muttered, "But that could take a year or more."
"I assure you I won't allow that to happen. And I of course don't mean completely. Truthfully the FBI agents are unlikely to drop the case any time in the near future. Of course, that doesn't mean there will be much reason for me to stay within their reach. They've already exhausted me as a resource and there are only so many times they will come back asking the same questions as before."
"Alright, then I give you two months."
"Really Scott, something like this can't—"
"Two months," he said stubbornly. "Alright? I don't care if it is just a day. We are going to get some time to ourselves without having to worry about a damn schedule."
"Fine, two months," agreed Darren with a roll of his eyes. "Now I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, good luck with Hope by the way."
"I don't need luck Scott."
"Oh, right, this is Hope we're talking about. You're going to need Captain America's shield."
Darren let out a low chuckle. "An excellent idea but I doubt the man will lend it to me for such a mundane event. Enjoy your day off Scott," he finished just before giving Scott a quick kiss.
Scott smiled and watched Darren go before finally stretching and getting up. He took his time getting dressed but before he could find the right shirt, he got a call from Maggie. The information that she gave him had him calling Darren immediately.
"Yes?"
"Alright, this is going to probably seem really stupid and—"
"Scott, you just saw me? What could you possibly—"
"Nothing. I'm fine. More than fine! This will only take a few minutes but like, holy shit I just had to share it with you!"
"Well then tell me and stop babbling."
"Cassie has gone into remission! Maggie just got the news from the doctors!"
Scott waited to see what Darren's reaction was and also due to the need to give the man a moment to process what he had just said. He would have just kept rambling if he hadn't restrained himself.
When Darren finally did respond, Scott couldn't help but light up with a smile as he could clearly hear a smile in Darren's own voice. "I'm very happy for you Scott. And Cassie. Perhaps I could stop by to give her some of my own congratulations."
"Wait but what about—"
"Even if I can't get out of the board meeting a bit earlier I can probably convince Hope to move our meeting up by a little time. It's the least I can do."
"Then I'll see you over at Maggie's tonight," Scott replied. "It will allow everyone to say their farewell words before you're slaughtered by Hope."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Good bye Scott."
"See ya," said Scott.
He hung up and went back to looking for a shirt. When he was finally ready and already in his truck heading towards Maggie's, he still couldn't help but grin. With those official words it truly solidified that his life was as great as could be for the moment.
He went out to grab lunch before heading over to Maggie's and Paxton's place. Several of Cassie's friends were already there so Scott spent a good time talking to Maggie and Paxton of more recent events. When he did get some quality time with his daughter, he practically didn't let her go. Part of him still couldn't believe it had happened and he kept expecting to wake up. Of course that didn't happen though. Everything was perfect and nothing could go wrong. Right?
As the hours grew later, Scott began to keep checking the time. He knew when the board meeting was expected to end and couldn't help but wish that Darren could hurry up and get out of it. However, eventually the time passed and Scott knew for a fact that the board meeting should be over. Nevertheless, he still waited for another half hour on the off chance that maybe an emergency might have happened. Still, Darren didn't send a word as to why he hadn't come at the expected time which was seriously starting to cause Scott to worry.
When it looked like Cassie was finally getting tired, he tried calling Darren. No answer. Scott tried texting. Maybe he was in a position where he couldn't talk. However, after another half hour of waiting there still wasn't any response.
It was nearing ten o'clock when he started pacing and Maggie seemed to finally decide it was best if she intervened.
"Scott, I don't mean to be rude," she said as she kept him from moving, "but you're over reacting."
"I know it seems like that but I'm really not."
"Darren Cross is a powerful, well known man around the world and is the CEO of Pym Technologies. Needless to say it would not be shocking if he had to suddenly change plans or was unable to contact you."
"Okay, yeah, maybe for someone else but not for me Maggie."
"Then perhaps you assume to much."
Scott let out a small growl as he muttered, "No I'm being serious here Maggie. Every time I have ever tried to get in contact with him, he has answered right away. And he's not one to just suddenly change plans, at least not without telling the others involved."
"He is human Scott. Things happen."
"But it's getting so late! And how hard is it to text 'still busy' or something else?"
Scott was tempted to keep ranting but Cassie interrupted at that moment asking, "Is Darren coming?"
"I don't think so sweetie," said Maggie. "Perhaps another time. You should probably get to bed now anyways."
"Alright," she muttered sadly. However, her face lit up again as she said goodnight to her dad and went off with Maggie.
As they did that, Scott took the time to call Hope. Thankfully he still had her number programmed into his phone. Now he just had to hope she'd answer.
The phone rang and rang until it seemed that it would go to voice mail but at the last second she seemed to finally answer. "What do you want?"
"Uh, hey Hope—"
"It's Pym to you. Now, what do you want?"
"Hey, you went back to your father's name! That's great! Things must be really—"
"What. Do. You. Want."
"Alright, sorry, okay? Really for everything but—"
"You've already apologized to me," Hope responded, "and it does not matter how many more times you do it. The quantity of the 'I am sorry's' that I get will not change whether or not I accept your apology."
"Listen, I don't care about that right now, alright? I just need to know if Darren is with you."
Hope gave a rather humorless huff as she responded, "Not here. Odd, I would have thought he had stood me up for you."
"Stood you up? But what about the board meeting—"
"Done and over with," Hope replied coolly.
"Seriously? Did Darren—"
"He did not inform me of any disappearing acts he may have decided to perform if that's what you're wondering," responded Hope. The response made it clear that she was still very bitter. "Now if you want to know the details, he mentioned seeing you and then meeting me later. It's been over an hour and he hasn't even had the decency to call."
"He hasn't called me either! What if he's in trouble or—"
"Then it's none of my business. I warned you about him. He's nothing but trouble."
"But Hope—"
"It's Pym," she responded and then hung up.
Scott couldn't help but feel a chill run through him as the sense that something horribly wrong was going on. Darren would never do this. Just run off without a word. Perhaps if stuck in his second phase, the asshole phase, he might, but the whole point of wanting to see Cassie or reconnect with Hope was part of that earnest, third phase of himself. The real him. He wouldn't have just thrown away that chance.
When Scott turned around, he saw Maggie and Paxton were waiting behind him.
"Hear anything from him?"
"No and neither has anyone else it seems. Listen, I know you guys don't think it's that big of a problem but I'm going to go back to the apartment and see if maybe he's there or at least he's been there."
"Just do whatever you think is necessary Scott. Tell us if you find out anything," said Maggie.
"Will do. I'll see you guys later. Night."
Scott rushed home, because really Darren's apartment was home now, but he saw no sign that anything had occurred there. He tried calling and texting Darren again but once again, nothing. He ended up falling asleep from exhaustion and in the morning, when he saw Darren hadn't come home, he texted and called and then finally went to work. But once again, Darren was nowhere to be seen and no one had heard from him either.
Everything was in place and everything was perfect but now Darren was nowhere to be found. Scott doubted that the disappearance was anything simple.