CW: Rape aftermath, Eating disorders, weight issues, injury, self-harm, alcohol abuse, hospitalization, medical treatment, eating disorder treatment, implied/referenced domestic violence, implied/referenced child sexual abuse, implied/referenced child abuse
Toni spent the next few days or maybe a week or who knew. Fuck everything was in a fog her whole body ached every step she took. Everything was so out of her control. Trying to control something she skipped a meal, put her clothes on right, and smiled right. But
nothing she did worked.
She wished everything would just stop, stop being too much and not enough all at once. Toni kept finding herself digging her nails in her skin even once scratching her arm on purpose with a screwdriver so she bled, to try and feel human.
Toni was laying down, she grunted sitting up and looked around her. Ty's house, right that was where she was. She looked at the window. It was night time. Oh yeah party, right. She looked down, her underwear was off, oh yeah that. She got dressed, falling into the walls everything was all out of joint. She looked down and her arms were bruised. She thought they had been earlier but not that bad right? After steading herself she wandered out. Ty and his friends were talking in a circle.
"Ty. I wanna go home." Toni said, sounding much too much like a baby for her liking. But her head hurt. She couldn't help but whine.
"Aww, you wore the baby out." Mark laughed mirroring her own self-deprecation.
"Nah she knows how to take it. Probably just not been sleeping well, I'll take her home" Ty laughed.
Toni climbed out at her door the whole place swimming and felt herself fall forward. To her shock, it was Rhodey who held her.
"What the fuck did you do to her" She heard Rhodey growl.
"What are you talking about?" Ty grumbled
"She's covered in bruises there's blood on her legs!"
"It's okay Rhodey bear. I probably fought too hard. I know it's better if I stay still" Toni said.
a loud sound filled her ears, maybe a scream? But then everything went black.
Rhodey was sitting next to Toni in a hospital room. He looked at her small bruise covered form. It made him want to kill Tiberius Stone. He might have to if he didn't know he had to get Toni to the hospital asap. The name Stark had gotten them into an executive suite. She had woken up briefly before vomiting and passing out again. A large amount of Toni's cash and his insistence she would freak if she woke up alone was all that was letting Rhodey stay in the room but he hadn't been given any answers as he wasn't family.
Rhodey jumped when Jarvis walked in with a nurse who had a box.
"Mr Rhodes, why don't you step out with me?" Jarvis said.
Rhodey followed.
"What are they doing?" Rhodey asked as a doctor went into Toni's room.
"Mrs Stark has convinced them to do an assessment while she is unconscious lest Howard needs it in his proceedings"
Rhodey punched the wall. Jarvis let out a long sigh at the action. The impulsivity of youth he thought.
"Are they with you?" Rhodey said into the cool surface of the wall.
"Not at the moment."
"Fuck shouldn't they be here? Bastards."
"I don't know what Toni has told you about them"
"Oh don't defend them!" Rhodey growled.
"I don't know what Toni has told you about them, but even if "bastard" was an apt description of Howard and Maria they don't want Toni to die. They will be here tomorrow.
Rhodey half smiled, "She does like you Mr Jarvis. You're not a bastard."
"I fear I will be one when he looks back," Jarvis said
Rhodey was shocked but the emotion in that sentence. He'd always seemed almost like a robot butler but then he looked like an old man who had seen too much.
"You think Howard can get them to throw the book at him? Put him in jail so Toni only has to talk if she wants to?" Rhodey said turning to the window.
"Mr Stark intends to settle out of court. Movement of assets, restraining order the like."
"Wait! No, I won't let that happen. Stone should be in jail or dead!" Rhodey said.
"Mr Rhodes" Jarvis turned to him, his voice rising. "You and I are to ensure Toni recovers, we are to try and mitigate the ham and prevent further damage. Our concern is Toni. We can not change Mr Stark or Stone no matter how much we might feel inclined to."
Rhodey mutely nodded. A nurse came out and nodded toward both of them curtly. Rhodey went back inside to his surprise Toni was awake.
He sat next to her and held her hand. She hugged him, her arm yanking the IV pole towards them.
"I'm so sorry Rhodey bear." She murmured
"No problem baby girl. I should have known something was wrong, I shouldn't have just walked out."
"No just thank you." Toni looked up, "Jarvis you're here."
"Of course I am here." He said softly.
"Is mom coming?" Toni asked
"They both are."
"Oh."
"Your mother will be here Tonight. And then Mr stark will arrive after procedures with Mr Stone have concluded."
"Okay."
The nurse came back in.
"Hello, Antonia." The nurse said, "how are you feeling?."
"Like hell warmed over," Toni joked.
The nurse took vitals and sighed. "Would you like to know what's going on?" She asked Toni.
Toni nodded. She could probably work it out but everything was too foggy to do much.
"Okay so your blood alcohol levels were deeply concerning, you were dehydrated, anaemic, malnutritioned and your electrolytes are imbalanced. We are trying to get things settled as best as possible. We're gonna bring something small for you to eat tonight if it's possible."
Toni nodded so the nurse continued.
"You will be experiencing discomfort from the bruising and vaginal tearing." The nurse continued
Toni winced and reached for Rhodey's hand. She was sure Rhodey had worked out why she would be experiencing vaginal tearing thankfully Rhodey just squeezed back.
"Psychology will be coming to speak to you tomorrow. For now, we need to get you hydrated and renourished."
Toni nodded and held back her tears. Damn, she couldn't cry but it was all just so much, so much. Deep breath, bite your tongue, never let them see you break.
Rhodey kissed her head and she felt like crying again.
"It's okay to cry Toni," Rhodey said, running his hand through her hair.
"You were right about Ty. I knew he was bad, but I just wanted him to like me. And even after I said no he wouldn't stop, but I mean it's what I'm good for right? So I thought I should just let him, and I just went along. But everything just kept feeling worse and worse." Toni explained her headbanging with a never-ending pain "I'm so sorry I was so stupid."
"No Toni never, you're a lot of things but never stupid," Rhodey said.
Toni felt for locket but felt nothing. Suddenly panic welled in her chest. She turned to Jarvis with a look of horror.
"It's gone my locket it's gone," she said her breathing turning fast and shallow tears started to pierce eyes. No that couldn't happen, it was her lifeline the thought of never having it again finally let the tears fall freely.
"Oh, Toni you're okay it's right here." Rhodey handed her the golden heart.
Toni's shoulders sagged talking the small pendant gripping it with all her strength.
"They took it off when you got here," Rhodey explained.
Jarvis walked forward with a small black box.
Toni gulped as she opened it and it was a bronze locket.
"I couldn't, I can't and I am sorry," Jarvis said softly.
"It's okay Jarvis I understand," Toni whispered
"As I said before your father is settling the matter as of now."
Toni nodded. She looked at the pictures in the locket. One with her and the bots, the other was Toni hanging like a kola off Rhodey's side looking alive and happy. Toni bit her lip running her fingers across the tiny pictures.
Rhodey could tell there was significance in the conversation, even though he didn't understand. Part of him wondered what Jarvis hadn't done before this.
The next day Maria stark rushed through the door. Hugging her daughter, in clear discomfort for Toni. Toni patted her mothers back wondering which Maria she was going to have to introduce to Rhodey.
"Oh, Toni I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were feeling so unwell." Maria chided.
"It's okay. I'm okay now. Rhodey saved me."
Rhodey stood, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm James Rhodes"
"Maria Stark. Toni talks about you non-stop ever since you met." Maria gave a good attempt at a firm handshake but Rhodey could feel how her hands shook with the action.
Maria sat next to Toni combing her fingers through Toni's short hair. Rhodey couldn't shake that somehow Toni managed to look younger and smaller with her Mother cooing around her. Rhodey knew logically she couldn't be smaller. But with wires wrapped around her and the small red-rimmed eyes, Toni looked like she needed to be wrapped in blankets with a twenty-mile radius of protection.
Toni fell asleep not much later. Maria turned to Rhodey,
"Thank you for helping her."
"Anytime she needs me, I'll do the best I can."
"She's not easy to deal with."
Rhodey shrugged unsure he liked Toni being spoken of that way.
"She's brave, but also a deeply nervous kid, dramatic, aloof and a troublemaker. God knows she tries but we never quite get there. I know I've not been the best."
Rhodey nodded. At least there was admitting to some wrongdoings.
"I'll stay with her tonight. Jarvis can drive you home if you wish."
Rhodey nodded again.
The ride to his and Toni's place was eerily quiet. Jarvis, a clear professional, was driving slightly like a maniac to anyone else but Rhodey could tell years of skills backed this up.
"I did try." Rhodey said, "to get her away I did try. She never listened, but I didn't mean to let this happen."
"I know that, so does Toni Mr Rhodes I can assure you," Jarvis replied.
Rhodey just shook his head.
Toni felt a rush of comfort when Rhodey pushed through the hospital door that afternoon. He carried her Bucky bear and placed it in Toni's arms.
"Thanks, platypus," Toni said smiling up at him.
Rhodey hugged her sitting next to Maria who was half asleep.
"How ya' doing baby girl?"
"Had to talk to the psychology people again."
"Well, you did almost drink and starve yourself to death." Rhodey sighed.
"I mean sure but that really isn't that bad. I mean I passed out from exhaustion the day you met me." Toni said bitterly
"Probably another reason why they would want to see you."
"Mom already hired me a therapist to see when I get out of here, they have to keep watching me though make sure I don't get refeeding syndrome, and to see if the anaemia was from the like not eating or something else. You also get to yell at me to eat by doctor's orders." Toni explained.
They were both caught off guard when a tall man barged into the room, Howard Stark always filled the room. The light from the windows outside backlighting him like he was a villain in a cartoon.
Toni resented their resemblance, shared eyes, hair (though his hair was half grey), facial features to the main difference was Toni's skin was a few shades darker closer to her mothers. Toni also hated that everyone said he looked like a man at least twenty years his junior. There were whispers he had used some variant of the Steve serum on himself, Toni would believe it.
Howard walked over to Toni and gave her an awkward hug brushing his lips on her head, also painfully yanking the IV that ran into Toni's arm.
Maria stirred, "Hello Howard."
"Hello," he replied.
"You must be James Rhodes. Toni and Jarvis speak highly of you." Howard shook Rhodey's hand with a sort of vigour and force that was not necessary from either Toni or Rhodey's perspective.
Rhodey stepped out to allow some family time.
"The matter of stone is settled. They have forfeited quite a few assets. A restraining order has been granted he isn't allowed within the same county as you when it's all said and done. He will now be attending Virginia Tech."
Toni nodded, she really didn't care rather or not Howard had part of their company, but she was glad she would never have to look at his face or feel his breath on her skin, well at least not for real her skin would never forget.
"Their company and by extension, the men who run it will be humiliated on the public stage."
Toni let out a noncommittal noise.
"Words Toni. What do you say to your father?" Maria sighed.
"Thank you h...dad," Toni said with a fake smile and Howard gave a curt nod.
Maira smiled, "then this matter is over, we don't need to talk about it again."
"Agreed," Howard added.
Howard stepped out into the hall, "let's talk Mr Rhodes."
"Okay"
"I'm afraid as Toni's father I am obliged to ask what the hell your intentions with my daughter are."
"To be her friend, to be there for her, protect her."
"It seems you failed at that."
"And I'll never forgive myself for that."
"What do you want from her moving forward?"
"Nothing, just be her best friend."
"My daughter is objectively an attractive person. On top of that, she has large amounts of capital and will accrue political and social power as she grows older. I doubt anyone wants anything from her that isn't sexual or power related."
"Why wouldn't someone want to be her friend? She's a great person."
Howard let out an indignant snort, "Son neither you nor I are truly that naive that anyone wants Toni for her winning personality"
"I do. Maybe I like her because she's witty and fun. Maybe I think watching bad movies and listening to cliche music is fun. Maybe I don't mind carrying her to bed or sitting with her while she pukes. Maybe I don't mind helping her make her inventions. I don't know, maybe try and wrap your power infected brain around the fact Toni is amazing."
"Well considering your ambitions with the military I can count on you for discretion with any actions you do take. I would suggest you work harder to keep her safe and in line. As well as keep yourself in line."
Rhodey held in a growl.
"I need a drink, Jarvis!"
Jarvis gave an almost imperceptible eye roll.
Rhodey fumed his hands balled to fists at his side. He knew better than to punch Howard goddamn Stark though he really wanted to.
Once out of the hospital Toni was on a pretty strict nutritionist plan and Rhodey was doing a damn fine nurse impression. Jarvis had actually been left with them for a few weeks as Toni was not meant to be up and about on her own yet. The bruising she had acquired had been deep in some places and she had fractured her foot somewhere during the haze.
Dum-E and U attempted to be Rhodey's assistants thought they weren't as good at knowing the difference between Gatorade and the bottles of glue Toni kept to repair them. The not drinking was hard she had been so used to it as a way to deal with life, having to choose other ways to handle stress was not easy, she usually resulted to doing an invention binge, something to stop her thoughts, anything to stop her thoughts.
Then there was the meal plan, Rhodey was really strict about that and so was Jarvis. It was harder to explain what was hard about eating. The control of the food was something she had, something she needed anytime she tried to say it she just got lost. And some food was just in her head as only for the best days or the worst days, they were not for every day and this seemed to confuse Rhodey when she said that.
Being attractive was important, even when she wanted no one to touch her which again was confusing. She had to be sexy for Obie, pretty for her mom, she had to be it was this deep need that was hard to verbalize. And the food was controllable, life wasn't, why did no one get it? Toni hated the new battle she had to have with Rhodey but at least he gave her hugs and joked with her still. It was odd to have someone openly care about her issues and try and have fun with her. It was new, and she thought she might like it.
Classes were caught up on and Toni turned sixteen. She did not have a party instead she watched all the Star Wars movies including the new one, then marathoned star trek Deep Space Nine. She liked Kira a lot. When school got out she was going to be faced with summer. However, she was glad Obie was overseas that summer, maybe things wouldn't be so bad.