Who is my father?
Chapter Thirty Seven
I see it every time I look at his face. Which is a lot. He misses her. Indigo. His Littlest sister. He hasn't seen her for what, three years now? And I think I need to step in. We have literally been on almost continuous missions since Budapest, I've spoken to Iz on the phone three times, seen dad a few times around random bases in the middle of nowhere, because when we did get time off, it was in stupid place like Switzerland. Never New York where her care home is. I have only just come back to New York for the first time since we left for Budapest. We've mainly been stationed in Europe and Asia for the last year and a half, three years if you count the Budapest thing, but behold, Fury has dubbed us as good agents and told us to have a month off, and be grateful for it.
As far as I know, Indigo hasn't been adopted, though that isn't very far. Now Fury has given us a month of leave, to see our family, (Who knew Iz joined S.H.I.E.L.D., and more to the point who knew that Tony and Pepper would let her?) and generally hang out. This is my time. I'm going to do something. Planning on leave, Gavin and I decided to spend the first week in our S.H.I.E.L.D. flat, so we can sort out some stuff and do some other things. This will be my chance to chase her up, say I'm just going grocery shopping or something.
I step out in to the cold, pulling my jacket tighter as I walk. I've got the address, and it's not too far from here. A light dusting of frost covers most people's lawns, despite it being 5 PM, already dark. 10 minutes later, I'm standing outside of a large, brick building. It looks lovely and homey, you can see that it has been well lived in by plenty of kids. I ring the door bell and kindly old lady greets me.
"Hello, who are you?" I smile and realize that I probably should have told them that I was coming.
"Err, hi! I'm Alisa, Alisa err, Hunt." I reply nervously. I've never liked meeting new people. "I need to talk about Indigo, Indigo Allen."
She nods uncertainly but shouts, "John! Get down here!" I assume that he's the head or something. She then puts on her mother hen head, inviting me in, offering me a drink, taking my coat, until the John guy comes. She tells him that I want to speak about Indigo. From the way they act, I can tell there's something wrong with her. I don't know what but something is. He invites me in to his office as a little girl appears, demanding for the woman to sort out a fight.
John offers me a seat, which I take. "Soooo..." He says, drawing the word out. "I assume you already know who Indigo is, how do you know her and what do you want with her?"
"Her brother, I know. And he misses her, a lot." I choose my words carefully, not wanting to seem too pushy. "He has been unable to see her, due to work, for a number of years, and now he's too scared. He doesn't want to intrude on any life she might have." I haven't finished but he assumes I have.
He takes it upon himself to excitedly say, "Does she know you? Would you like to discuss it with her? Normally I'd have to clear it with the social worker but..."
"Yes, please. Though I don't know that she'll recognize me. He nods and tells me to take all the time I need with her. As I sit in silence, he goes off to get her.
INDIGO'S POV
I'm in my room, as always. Avoiding humanity, as always. Some one knocks on my door. If it's one timid knock, it's either Joe or Cherry, the two five year olds. One strong knock, it's Kate, the old care worker, two it's Alex, my only friend here (NO! He is NOT my boyfriend! I could never think of him like that.) And three it's John. All the other kids just barge in. I'm really glad I don't have to share a room, because that would be terrible. Sure, I have the box room, where there's a metre squared of floor space, but that's way better than sharing a room with any one else around here. Sure, I would share with Alex if it was allowed, he knows how much I can take, when to leave me alone, and when I need a shoulder to cry on, but we have a very strict no boys in girls rooms and vice versa policy and since my favourite pastime is avoiding humanity, that's alright with me.
It's three knocks. It's John. "Indigo. Someone's downstairs and she said she wants to see you." I sigh. Better go downstairs. I jump off my bed and go out, smiling at John is nothing wrong. He knows is. Ever since HE decided not to come back I've changed. Become a hermit. I smile at Joe on my way past, he's fighting with Ella over the TV remote. Ella is winning. Obviously. I follow John in to his office. Oh no. This can't be good.
John waits outside but there is no doubt that he'll be listening to our conversation, mine whoever is in there. "Indigo?" A feminine voice asks, "You've changed." I stare at her for a good 30 seconds before I realise who she is.
"Is my brother dead" I ask, keeping a stone hard cold expression on my face.
"No," she begins but I cut her off before she can continue. If he's not dead I'm not interested. If he's not dead it means he could've come back, which he hasn't. If he's not dead it means he's left me, and probably doesn't want to ever see me again.
"I'm not interested in anything else. He left me."
"He didn't have a choice." She doesn't look like she's lying but she must be. You always have a choice. No matter what.
"YES HE DID!" I shout, "BUT WHO MADE HIM CHOOSE?! YOU!" She breathes, in out, trying not to lose her temper. I don't care if she does. I'm close to loosing mine too. She took my brother, the only person who has probably ever cared about me and took him away. So much so he's forgotten me.
"He wants to see you." She says quietly and I stare at her blankly. "I just came to see if you wanted to see him." I'm dumbfounded. I probably shouldn't of shouted at her. He wants to see me? He actually wants to? I thought he had given up on his little sister. The one that nobody likes.
"Sorry," I say thickly, there's a lump in my throat. "I need to see him. I've missed him so, too much." She smiles and stands up to give me a hug. I begin to cry in to her shoulder, to which she pulls me tighter.
"Shush, you don't need to cry... Hey, can you keep a secret?" She whispers. I hiccup and then shakily nod. What sort of secret would she want to tell me? Me? I mean, we basically only just met. And we were shouting at each other not five minutes ago. "Don't be angry ok? Sister-in-law." My brain doesn't register what she says straight away. When it does, my emotions seem to erupt.
Should I be angry, he married the girl that broke us up? Happy for him, them? I don't know. I hang my head, though don't reply. "When do you want to see him?" She asks, like she hasn't dropped a bombshell of any kind. I shrug and tell her to fix it with John. Her arm is around me, as tears are still falling down my face, but John bursts in, neither of us having invited him.
"Indigo?" He asks. I can tell he's surprised. At me show emotion, maybe? It's not something ever do any more. I'm a blank canvas, no moods, no emotions, nothing. Zilch. Nada.
"She wants to see him." She says, and I realise I don't even know her name. My sister-in-law. That sounds weird.
"When can she?" John asks, which is a good question. If he hasn't seen me in all this time and has had leave from his 'work' I'll be pissed. He hasn't been to see me.
"Soon as he can?" John asks and I know he thinks that this will make me feel better. I'm not sure if it will. He basically ruined the last few years of my life, by just not being there.
"I can go get him now, if you want." She says and John enthusiastically nods. The girl steps out and I don't think I know what I just let myself in for.
ALISA'S POV
What have I let myself in for? After exchanging numbers with John, I step outside and begin to walk back, wondering how I'm going to break the, I guess, news. I unlock the door and walk straight in without bothering to remove my shoes or coat. I think Gavin thinks I'm in a bad mood or something when he says, "Lis…?"
I sort of smile in reply, before saying, "We need to talk." Gavin raises an eyebrow but waits for me to continue. "It's about your sister..."
"Lis..." He says, not wanting to venture into this topic. There's no way for me to do this easily. I think I'm just going to blurt it out and hope he doesn't die of shock.
"Iwenttoseeherandshewantstoseeyou," I blurt, rushing because I probably should have spoken to him first. Then again, if I had done that, he would never had seen her.
"Hang on a sec, Lis, slow down, breathe, you went to see- What?! You went to see INDIGO!? She probably hates me. She should hate me. Probably hates you as well for taking me away, not that I minded."
"She wants to see you," I whisper, and that's what it takes for him to crush me into a hug, kiss me, then pull me even closer, demanding more answers. "She didn't even hate me that much."
He smiles at me with the 'I really want to believe you but I can't,' look on his face, making my insides tingle. He won't believe me unless I've got proof. Doesn't he know that I know this is too big for me to mess him around on? People will never believe the truth when it's good, yet never believe lies when they're bad. "Do you want me to call her?" I ask, because that could be proof. He nods, semi-enthusiastically, to which I grin, pull out my phone, and find the contact which I inserted earlier for SandySide. The phone is picked up on the third ring by a male teenage voice, "Hello?" He asks, "SandySide care home. What-"
"Hi, I need to talk to Indigo Allen, so if you could please pass the phone..." I cut the boy off, not having time for the small talk nonsense.
"Indigo's my best friend and if you think I'm going to let her talk to some random stranger, you've got another thing coming." Or you have, annoying small boy that reminds me a little of Tony Stark...
"I'm not a random stranger. Tell her it's the girl from earlier and it's about Gavin." There were no teenage boys around earlier but I hope that thisthis annoying child will just pass over the bloody phone!
"How do you know about Gavin?" Are you trying to interrogate me, child? Because it's not going to work.
"I'm married to him." I reply, sickly sweet. I hope this kid passes over the phone soon before I march down there and shoot him. And I will.
"Oh... INDIGO!" I roll my eyes and Gavin quietly snickers. He must have heard my side of the conversation and could have guessed what that other kid was saying. I shake my head in a fake-angry way which makes him laugh even more.
"Hi?" Indigo's quiet voice rings in my ears. So that slightly annoying boy must not have told her who I all that trouble too.
"Hey, Indigo. It's Alisa, from earlier?" Does she even know my name? I can't remember telling it to her. I hope she recognises the voice because this could be awkward.
"Oh hi!" She replies, brighter this time. Good she knows who I am.
"Do you want to talk to him?" Gotta assume she knows who 'him' is. She probably should. She'd better.
"YES!" She practically screams. She knows. Good.
"Ok, calm down. See you soon."
I don't leave time for her to say good byes before I quickly pass my cell to Gavin who says, "Hey Indie." I leave the room, wanting to give them privacy.
GAVIN'S POV
I'm not usually one to say this but, oh my god. I can't actually believe Lis did this for me. She found her. I feel bad for not believing in her. Alisa that is. I knew there was a reason why I married her. This and other reasons. It was obvious I still missed Indigo, but I told Lis that I didn't want to take over her life again, I didn't know it was this obvious though, and I didn't think Lis would do this for me. "Hey Indie." I say and Alisa leaves the room. I'm thankful to her understanding of privacy, I am talking to my sister who I haven't spoken to or even seen in at least three years. I'm surprised she wants to even talk to me.
"Gavin? Is it really you? I can't believe it!" She says brightly.
"Indigo... You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice." I breathe heavily in and out, waiting for her rage, which inevitably comes.
"You say that like I was the one who left, not you. I waited her day after day, Week after week, month after month and year after friking year! And yet there was nothing. Zilch. Nada. How do you think I felt-feel?!"
"Indie, I'm sorry, I really am. I haven't been in the US for over three years. The last day I spent in New York was when I came to see you. If you ever get the chance though, Hungary is a lovely place."
"Look, 'Vin I know you've been in demand, but one phone call? Would it have really hurt that much?" I've missed her calling me 'Vin. I didn't even realise it until now, either.
"Indigo, I feel dreadful about this but I would really like to have this conversation face to face. There's some things I can't say over the phone. I promise I'll come tomorrow, 'kay?"
"Okay. See you then, I guess."
"Love you, Indie. Bye."
"Bye 'Vin." I feel so guiltily it's off the scale.
"LIS!?" I shout as I creak the door open. When she doesn't immediately appear I begin to get a little worried. It's only a small flat, she must have heard me. "Lis?!" I ask again, only more of a question this time.
"I'm here!" She says brightly, appearing from behind. "Take it it went well?!" She asks and I nod.
"You're the best," I whisper, pulling her closer. I breathe in the scent of her hair. It smells of raspberries. Her shampoo. She's amazing, but I don't think she's quite figured that out yet.