A/N: Writing this chapter made me nearly cry. I think it's the first chapter without Adelaide, but honestly it's not even the part about Adie that made me cry :(
Also, thank you for all the birthday wishes! It still hasn't hit me that I'm an adult yet. Any day now...
For now, be prepared to cry again :)
"I'm not a bad person.
I just had bad luck."
This was the second time Pepper was here within the past week.
The first time, she was here because she was worried. And now she was here to make it go back to the way it was. Well, almost.
For three months, things had been a wretched mess. Everything that had made sense before didn't anymore. Pepper had thought that nothing could have torn Tony and Adelaide apart, but she had been wrong. It only took one mistake for everything to crumble.
Even the strongest of relationships could be delicate.
For three months, everyone had quietly suffered. Pepper had busied herself with the company, hoping that things would go back to the way they were on their own.
Adelaide had spent the first month like a zombie. Alive, but not really alive. After the first month, she gave up all hope of Tony ever coming back for her. And then the anger seeped in. Little by little, she noticed her patience waning and her frustration growing. Even small things like stubbing her toe made her want to hit or break something. Subconsciously, she had decided that if she couldn't have Tony, she couldn't be happy.
And Tony was a mess. He made jokes to mask his depression. Tinkered to keep himself busy. Avoided everything and anything about Adelaide like the plague. He hadn't been in her room for three months. Sleep was unknown to him at this point and the nights where he missed her too much, he went to the lab and didn't go back to sleep. Each day, he remembered what he had seen her do to his parents. And each day he convinced himself that he had done the right thing.
Pepper found the billionaire in the kitchen with his head in the fridge, waiting for another beer to magically appear.
Pepper cleared her throat.
"Ah, Miss Potts," he said, standing up straight. He glanced inside the fridge. "I'd offer you a beer, but..."
"I'm fine without one," she said, leaning against the countertop. She put her purse and phone down on the island.
"What can I do for you today?" he said, rummaging the cabinets. There was nothing but expired soup cans and box of sun-dried California raisins. Tony grabbed the box, opening it up and popping one into his mouth. They were a bit stale but tasted better than the beer and pizza he had had for dinner for the last five nights in a row.
"I need to talk to you," she said, watching him as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and followed after him.
"Then talk to me," he said, walking downstairs to his lab. She followed him into the lab which, if she hadn't known better, would have guessed was a beer factory from the smell alone.
"It's serious," she said.
"I'm always serious," he said, tossing a ping pong ball across the room. One of the robot arms jumped out and grabbed it.
"You see that!" Tony grinned, turning around, "The dummy's finally learning."
Pepper gave him a look and he cleared his throat.
"Right, serious," he said, rubbing his nose, "What's that mean again?"
"Tony."
"Alright, alright, don't get your skirt in a twist," he said, pulling up a stool to sit on. "Now what could possibly be so serious that you had to come to me of all people?"
Pepper took a deep breath. "It's...Adelaide."
The billionaire stood up, already shaking his head.
"No."
"Tony..." she started.
"No, no, no, no, no," he stated plainly, shaking his head, "Don't even–Don't even bring her up."
"But–"
"I don't want to talk about it," he said sternly.
"I know you miss her," Pepper said anyway. She watched his expression. She had known him for almost a decade now and he still tried to hide his emotions from her. A blind man could have seen that he missed her.
"No, I don't. I'm fine, better even. I don't...I don't miss her."
Pepper continued to watch him in silence as he fought with himself. There were times when she knew what he was feeling before even he had figured it out.
"I'll get over it, just give me a few more months It'll be like I never even knew her to begin with," he said, looking away to hide his face. He grabbed a screwdriver off the table and began messing with something to divert his attention from the conversation.
"You don't mean that. I know you still love her," she argued, stepping forward. Anyone could see it. The bloodshot eyes. The dark circles under them. Graying hair, rough stubble, stained clothes. He was completely broken, a man without a purpose. He hadn't even been this bad when she had left. This was raw pain that was eating him alive, he was just too stubborn to admit it.
"You don't know that," he said.
"I'm trying to bring this family back together," she argued, getting frustrated. She couldn't understand why he was fighting it.
"There was no family to begin with," he said coldly, putting down his machine.
"You are letting your anger consume you, Tony," she groaned, "Have you even seen what it's done to her! She lives in a rabbit hole and she terrified of herself!"
A heartbeat of silence passed.
Tony turned around with a look of pure agony on his face.
"You...You talked to her?" he whispered. The how is she was stuck on his lips but he held it back. God, they were both the same and stubborn as hell.
"Yes. And she pushed me away. You are the only person who can help her, Tony. Give her another chance," she begged. Tony closed his eyes, looking away.
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"No, I can't!" he said again, trying to control his anger.
"Yes, you can! She is our daughter, Tony!"
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. But it was after she said them that she realized just how true they were. Adelaide was their daughter. Maybe not from the first day she had appeared at their doorstep, but after having her in their life for a year they would be lying if they said she wasn't. The only thing that was surprising was that they hadn't realized this sooner.
"She killed my parents, Pepper!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
"HYDRA killed your parents! God, why can't you understand!" she groaned frustratedly. Tony swallowed, letting out a breath. The lab was completely silent for a moment.
"You're right," he said, breathing out slowly, "I don't understand. And I won't."
Pepper watched him defeatedly. And then she sighed, admitting her own defeat. He was just as stubborn as her. She couldn't help him.
"I have to go," she said quietly.
"Then go," he sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.
With that, she turned around and marched out of the lab. She spotted Happy standing there, behind the wall, having heard the whole fight. He looked torn. Pepper blinked and looked away.
She walked past him too and slammed the door on her way out.
For a moment, there was absolute silence in the room. Then Happy stepped out, catching Tony's attention. He was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. Happy couldn't help but realize how important the kid had been to keeping this family of sorts together. Sometimes, it took someone leaving to realize how much you needed them.
"Tony, I think—"
"I can't do this right now," he sighed, "I just need to be alone. Please."
The billionaire stood up and marched past Happy, letting the door swing on his way out. Happy stood there in the room, looking around at what was left of the place. It was a tattered disaster hanging on by a string.
He had to get the kid back.
He was running from the cops.
He had been for almost a year now. He was a wanted fugitive and this was his life now. Filled with police sirens, gunshots, and a constant threat hanging over his shoulders.
In the absence of light, he found it easier to hide from the cops as they made their hourly circles around the city. He hid behind a fence as he waited for the car to pass by. Once they were gone, he pushed himself up over the fence and quickly began climbing the fire escape to a place he once called home.
Quietly, he pushed the window up and slipped inside.
He stopped. The room was dark, but he knew exactly where he was. He looked to his left, seeing his little girl lying there, fast asleep. He held his breath. He had pictured her in his mind for so long now, he had almost forgotten how beautiful she really looked.
He began to smile until he saw the oxygen strip under her nose.
Feeling his legs losing strength, he sat down quietly. He was a criminal, sure, but he was a father first. And everything he had done had been for his daughter. All the money he'd stolen, all the people he'd cheated and hurt...it was for her. Yet, nothing he did had been enough and it never would be until his daughter was healthy again.
Silently, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a wad of envelopes addressed to her that he had been too scared to actually mail. Being careful to not wake her, he slid them under her pillow, hoping that would make up for his absence or at least numb the wound.
Nothing in his life had been successful. He couldn't be a good father, he couldn't be a good husband. Hell, he couldn't even be a good criminal. He felt like a disaster without a purpose. Sometimes he wished someone else could have stepped into to be the father that he never could be or be the husband that he never was. Maybe then his daughter wouldn't be sleeping with an oxygen strip under her nose.
With a sigh, he stood up and left the room to get some clothes and food before he left again. Maybe he wouldn't be back again. Maybe he'd be behind bars next time. But for now, he was still a runaway criminal.
He was getting food from the kitchen when the lights suddenly flickered on. He turned around to find his ex-wife standing there, not looking surprised but rather tired.
"You can't hide here, Flint," she said.
"I'm just here to see my daughter," he said, staring at a stain on the wall behind her.
"You are a wanted criminal," she reminded him, taking a step forward. He swallowed, staring at the ground. "Cops are looking for you. You're not getting near her. You're nothing but a...common thief."
There was a pause.
"You maybe even killed a man?" she asked in disbelief.
"It wasn't like that," he argued, clenching his jaw, "It wasn't...I had a good reason for what I was doing. And that's the truth."
"The truth," she shook her head, "You and the truth, sitting in prison, having three meals a day together. I live in the presence of great truth, and that is the truth that you left behind right there in that bedroom!"
Flint looked over to the door, finding his daughter now awake and standing in the doorway. He wondered how much of their conversation she had heard. He walked up to her carefully, crouching down to her height.
"Hey," he whispered, holding her arm, "I missed you." He took her in. This moment right here should get him through a few more months.
"I miss you too, Daddy," she smiled. He allowed himself to smile. She held her hand out and he looked down at it in surprise. She dropped something into his hand and he turned it over. It was a locket. With a picture of her in it. His heart warmed for the first time in what felt like months. He closed his fingers around the locket, determined to keep it forever.
He looked up at her, searching her face. He had never before wanted something so badly. Just to be a happy, healthy family again. Simple for anyone else, but for a criminal like him? It was the most he could ask for.
"I promise I'll make you healthy again," he swallowed, "Whatever it takes, I'll get the money."
"You get out of here now," his ex-wife said just as the police sirens began to ring again. He dropped his head, focusing on the feeling of the warm locket in his cold hand. Before he could convince himself to stay, he quickly turned around and crossed the room to the window, sliding it open.
But just before he stepped out, he paused, looking at his daughter one more time. He looked at his ex-wife.
"I'm not a bad person," he said solemnly, "I just had bad luck."
Her room was just how she had left it.
With a layer of dust covering everything, it was obvious that no one had been in here in a long time.
With shaky hands, Tony dusted the ottoman and sat down. He swallowed, looking around. Nothing had changed. She had left everything here when she left.
He wondered where she was right now, what she was thinking or what she was doing. The last time he had seen her was in Siberia. The moment he left her, he was worried that she wouldn't find her way back.
Then Happy had told him that she was somewhere here in New York. But he didn't know anything else. Where was she staying? Was she still the same picky eater? Did she still forget to turn the lights off in the rooms? Did she still have nightmares?
She's not your problem anymore, he reminded himself. Which was true. He kept forgetting that.
With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair and looked around the room. His eyes landed on the picture frame on her bedside table.
It was Christmas.
They were both wearing the ugliest sweaters known to mankind. He remembered that she had been laughing at him. She had told him there was something on his face and he was frowning at her, his hand halfway up to wipe the chocolate off his nose.
That night she had fallen asleep on him as they had been watching The Grinch and he carried her to her room. She had been mumbling something in her sleep about Thor winning a dance competition against the Grinch.
He chucked to himself quietly, shaking his head.
That was the end of that. She was out of his life for good now. There would be no more Christmases with the Grinch or chocolate on his nose.
He was by himself in this giant penthouse.
It was late.
But Pepper had forgotten her phone at the penthouse. And she needed to get it back.
So she was standing in the elevator, fidgeting with her purse straps as she waited for the doors to open. After their fight, she didn't think it was the best idea to talk to him again right away so she had decided that it would be quick. She would get her phone and leave right away.
The elevator doors opened with a ding.
The penthouse was dark. The lights were off, but she could hear the sound of the tv playing lightly. Hesitantly, she stepped into the penthouse, wincing as her heels clicked against the floor.
She looked around. She couldn't remember where she had put it...There it was, on the table next to the lamp. She picked it up off the table, scrolling through the messages. There had to be at least a million miscalls from Emily about tomorrow's meeting with the press. With a sigh, she slipped the phone into her purse, deciding to deal with it when she got home.
"No," someone said.
Pepper jumped, putting her hand over her heart. She turned around, but no one was there. Then, she realized that Tony was sleeping on the couch there.
"No, I'm sorry," he said. He was talking in his sleep. Probably another one of his nightmares.
Pepper sighed. It wasn't her problem anymore. She turned around, beginning to walk away when he mumbled something again.
"Please don't leave," he said, "Adie, please."
She turned around. He was tossing and turning on the sofa. It was just like Adelaide had told her. Subconsciously, she took a step towards him.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Pepper swallowed, taking another step. She reached out to touch his hair, but pulled away before she did. She had to go. He had made it clear that this was what he wanted.
"ADIE!" he screamed and Pepper jumped.
"Tony," she whispered, cupping his face, "Wake up."
"Adie...no," he mumbled, turning away. There were tears streaming down his face now.
"Tony," she said more urgently, shaking him awake, "Wake up!"
He gasped and quickly sat up. He was heaving. He swallowed and looked around. He was still in the penthouse. It had just been a nightmare.
"Tony..."
He recoiled, pulling away.
"It's just me," she whispered and Tony blinked, barely able to make out her face in the dark. He let out a breath of relief. It was only Pepper.
"Sorry..." he croaked, blinking feverishly, "I just..."
"It's okay," she said softy.
He swallowed, staring at the ground.
For a long time, they both just sat there in the dark in complete silence.
He rubbed his hands over his face and hair trying to remind himself that it was only a nightmare. But it felt so real. Adie had died. And all he could do was watch. The vivid images flashed through his brain like sharp needles. It was a recurring nightmare. Like an omen.
If she were here, then he wouldn't be having these nightmares. Just a few months ago, she had been here, with him. That felt like a lifetime ago.
"You were right," he finally said, "I miss her."
Pepper stayed silent. She had a feeling there was more.
"We were happy," he continued, "And I ruined it. I always ruin it."
"You can't blame yourself. You were angry," she said gently. Tony sighed, rubbing his face again.
"It's not too late," she said when he didn't say anything, "You can still bring her back."
But it was too late. He had made his decision.
"No," he said, standing up, "I can't. Every goddamn corner of this place reminds me of her. I can't escape it."
Pepper stood up too, "What do you mean?"
"I'm moving."
A/N: When was the last remotely happy scene in this story? I genuinely can't remember lmao.
Anyway, as the saying goes, the more problems, the more story...or something like that.
Question: Whose final weeks is over or almost over? I can't believe it's already been a week of my Christmas break :,(