Disclaimer is in chapter one.
The Result of fear
Darcy was used to feeling scared, okay. It was an emotion that had followed behind her like a loyal dog as long as she could meeting Tony – her dad! – the feeling of fear had dwindled somewhat, leaving enough space for hope. Hope that she'd somehow overcome the terror someday, vanquish it from her system like a prince vanquished a fiery dragon.
Then Tony had taken her to Malibu, and the feeling of inexplicable fear and apprehension had returned ever so slowly. For some reason, every time she tried making Tony happy and remember her past, something dark and evil seemed to overcome her senses, drowning her in its shadowy hell. She knew that she'd begun to withdraw a little, especially when Tony kept trying to bring back the past she feared and it made her very sad to see the flashes of disappointment and sadness in his eyes.
All of that turned inconsequential the day that Darcy slowly forced herself to take a look into her half-forgotten past and opened a present that her father had given her with a hopeful look in his eyes. The second that she saw the 3D image of the one person that still installed fear into her very cells, Darcy lost every semblance of control over her internalized fears.
The Bad Man.
The one person that had produced more fears inside of her than any of her other tormentors and all just by being around her. Worst of all, Tony and Pepper was in the image as well, smiling proudly at him as he held a babe that could only be her in his arms. Somehow that made it worse. Realizing that the Bad Man was involved with Tony, the one person that Darcy wanted so much to trust and love, made everything too much and Darcy absolutely lost it.
In the distant part of her mind, Darcy was aware that her screams and seizure-looking twitches scared her father. He was calling her name frantically, and tried to hold her close. It was something that set Darcy's teeth on edge, unable as she was to forget the picture of Tony actually supporting the Bad Man in holding her and she reacted violently, kicking, scratching and even biting in an attempt to be set free.
Time passed by in a blur and next thing Darcy was aware of was Pepper's soothing voice around her. It didn't have any effect on her still trembling body, but she was too tired by then to fight the red-head off like she'd done Tony. Somehow Darcy's mind protected her while Pepper carefully bathed and clothed her in clean clothes. Apparently, Darcy slowly realized, she'd peed herself sometime early on before her mind shut down. Pepper's voice kept trying to sooth her, but it still didn't work and Darcy felt herself as if from a distance, being gently put to bed. She was aware enough to realize that Tony never really left her side.
As she finally drifted off, too exhausted to even slightly fear the nightmares that were sure to come, Darcy saw him sitting in an armchair over in the corner of the room. The look on his face was pure agony, and it followed the weary child into sleep.
0o0o0
When Darcy woke up, it was with a huge gasp of air and her fingers clutching frantically at her throat where phantom fingers were strangling her brutally.
"Miss Darcy?" JARVIS' voice instantly calmed her when he continued on, "It's the middle of the night and you're safe in the Avengers Tower."
Getting her breath under control, Darcy looked up at the ceiling to where she imagined that JARVIS was located and quietly thanked him. She hid the surprise of her actually being back in New York, she couldn't remember the trip at all. Instead, she noticed the lack of her father near her, and it gave an uncomfortable lurch in her stomach at that observation.
Maybe he's tired of me, Darcy thought, slowly getting out of bed, maybe he's mad that I hit him and got scared of him.
Darcy bit her lip, now that a little time had cleared her mind; she knew that Tony wasn't a willing participant to her kidnapping. She knew it from the bottom of her heart. It was just a panicked paranoia that her rational mind hadn't been able to suppress in the heat of the moment. I need to apologize; the girl decided and went in search of her father.
Only, the search didn't really stop. In fact, it seemed over the next days as if Tony had completely disappeared from the tower. No matter where she went he wasn't there or too busy with something very important to listen to her. Only Pepper kept a constant eye on her, growing more and more sad-looking with every passing day.
Finally, Darcy sought out her father's girlfriend and with her heart in her throat asked if Tony now hated her. Reluctantly she offered to leave the tower. Pepper's expression seemed to waver between cold fury and heartbroken pity as she denied Tony's hatred of her. Then she went away with a determined air about her and left Darcy still wondering a little about the truth.
After a few minutes, Darcy decided to follow the older woman. She was sure to know where Tony was and after asking JARVIS to not tell on her, Darcy somehow managed to sneak close enough to the surprisingly still opened doors into Tony's labs that she could eavesdrop.
A minute later, the girl kinda wished she'd stayed away. Far far away. Hearing her father say that he wanted her as far away from him as possible sort of hurt her more than anything she'd ever experienced before, and Darcy knew pain.
Her mouth betrayed her, exhaling a quiet, "oh," that brought the grown-ups' attention to her. Darcy's body reacted before her mind even decided on anything and she ran. So caught up in her own misery and self-flagellation was Darcy that she didn't hear the panicked cry of her name behind her, nor the plea for her to wait. All the little girl knew was that her father no longer wanted her and it was all her own damned fault.
0o0o0
TBC…
