A/N: Heya guys, sorry for the delay in chapter, life's just been a bit busy and I've been working constantly so had no chance to write this chapter but hopefully I'm back now. Anyway please enjoy, justgoingwithit x
Chapter five:
(Eden pov)
It had been a few weeks since I had escaped to the rooftop in order to just breathe and really think about what had happened in the space of a few hours. It was the day of my sixteenth birthday and up until this date Uncle Tony had been insistent on throwing me a party, even though I really didn't want to have a party but I conceded, in the end when he firmly but lovingly told me that he had eight birthdays to make up for, even though I didn't see it that way I thought it best to humour him. I had forgiven him ford the many years I thought my dad never wanted me. I didn't want to be mad at him in the beginning but the main thing was that he'd sat and held me as I'd cried about not being good enough for a dad who didn't want me. Me forgiving him came with also letting him party plan.
I was lay in bed just cherishing the last hour or so I would have to myself, I read a few more chapters of the book I was currently reading while my playlist played over the speaker in the background. During the time I had been living at the compound with the Avengers, I had been introduced to decent music and good books. The most recent book series that had found it's way into my hands was The Academy series, I was completely and thoroughly hooked. I was just getting to a super tense part in my chapter when a knock sounded at my door, I called for whoever it was to come inside. Steve's head appeared around the door and I smiled at the sight of him, our relationship in the last few weeks had grown tremendously and I was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time, I actually had a dad that I could turn to.
"Happy birthday Eden." He moved closer to my bed and sat down on the side that I wasn't occupying, I put my book down onto my nightstand and sat up next to him.
"Thank you." I answered and leaned into the hug he initiated, I was still a little hit and miss with affection, sometimes I was completely fine and then others I couldn't stand the idea of someone touching me, no matter who it was. I suppose that was all thanks to Pierce and Rumlow, but I wouldn't tell my family that, I think Nat had some inkling about it but hadn't said anything and I was so grateful for that.
"This is a little something from me, I know it's not much and that I have a fair few birthdays to make up for but I hope this is a start." He handed me a medium sized box, I took it from him, looking at him with shock.
"You didn't need to get me anything, I'm happy enough to just be here." I told him and he shook his head, basically telling me to shut up. I looked back at the box in my hands and from my peripheral vision I should see him smiling. I lifted the lid off the box and inside was a small silver necklace with a pendant attached that was shaped like the moon, it was beautiful but I was a little confused about the meaning and so I turned to look at him. "Does it have meaning?" I asked and he nodded smiling a little more.
"It means that as long as you're anywhere under the moon, I will always be there, I will always come for you and I will always love you." He told me and I teared up thinking about what that meant for me, to have someone there for me one-hundred percent, especially after everything I'd done at the hands of HYDRA. I placed it down gently on the bed and threw my arms around him holding onto him tightly as if I would never let go. "I love you Eden, more than my own life." He added and I squeezed him a little tighter, not wanting to let go, afraid that if I did the feeling I was currently feeling would subside.
"I love you too dad." I told him, freezing slightly when I'd called him dad because we'd not spoken about it and I didn't know if he was ready or okay with me calling him dad. I immediately unfroze when he placed a kiss on top of my head. I released him and held out the box for him to help me put the necklace on, which he did without hesitation. I touched it as it landed between my collarbones, I loved it. "I love the necklace, it's beautiful." I told him and he kissed my forehead again.
"Right, you should get ready because I know that Tony's wanted to burst in here since half past six this morning, it's took a lot to keep him at bay." He told me and I laughed, nodding knowing exactly what Uncle Tony would be like.
"I'll get ready now then, it shouldn't take me too long. Just tell Uncle Tony I want breakfast or something, it should keep him occupied long enough." I told him and he smirked, knowing it would most definitely keep him occupied.
"Okay but don't be too long then." He told me, placing a quick kiss on my forehead before leaving the bedroom shutting the door on his way out. I instantly got out of bed and moved to begin getting ready, I washed my face and applied my skincare (I had been introduced to this through Nat and Wanda who had become like my big sisters), I brushed through my hair and ensured it was completely tangle free before I went to my wardrobe, I was only staying casual because I knew Nat and Wanda wanted to take me shopping in order to pick up something to wear to the party. I opted for grey cycle shorts, a white crop top with a plaid shirt over the top and my white Air Force 1's. I grabbed my phone that Uncle Tony had given me a few days after our argument, obviously it was all Stark technology which made everything ten times easier.
"FRIDAY please stop the music." I requested politely and FRIDAY stopped the music straight away.
"Happy birthday Miss Sinclair-Rogers." She responded, I smiled to myself but then realised FRIDAY could see me regardless.
"Thank you FRIDAY, please tell me Uncle Tony hasn't gone too overboard?" I asked really wanting the answer to be that he hadn't.
"Unfortunately I can't tell you that." She responded and I groaned just wanting there to be minimal fuss, I was obviously extremely grateful for whatever Uncle Tony had done for me but I wasn't used to a massive fuss being made. I stepped into the elevator and asked FRIDAY to take me to the family floor.
Once on that floor I stepped out of the elevator and took in the sheer amount of balloons that Uncle Tony had managed to fit into one space, there were various colours white, black, grey, there were some numbered with '16' written on them and there was a balloon arch, I think my jaw actually touched the floor.
"There she is, the princess of the party and the belle of the ball!" His very loud voice appeared over the music that was coming from the speakers around the room. "Happy sweet sixteen my darling niece and goddaughter." He swooped in and didn't give me chance to move my arms before he wrapped his own around me, I was stuck with my arms by my side while he all but squeezed the life out of me. "So presents… come on lets go open them!" I was beginning to think he was a hell of a lot more excited for this that I was but I would comply and would follow his example. My dad looked over from where he sat on one of the armchair recliners, he smirked at me. Teasing me over the huge fuss Uncle Tony was making over me, I narrowed my eyes at him. Maybe I was going soft, nothing like this ever happened to me while I was under HYDRA, being the Ghost Assassin meant that no one ever teased me and yet here I was allowing my dad to do just that. I clearly needed help. Uncle Tony all but shoved me into a chair and loaded my lap up with a few presents, I couldn't believe it as I looked at the pile of presents that were still in front of me that I had yet to open, all for me like I was deserving of them or something.
I slowly began to open the presents and thanked Uncle Tony after each one I opened, so far I'd opened a laptop and some wireless earphones that he'd created himself and was adorned with the Stark Industries logo, the final one I had to open from him was a small box with a bow, I undid the bow and took the lid off and inside sat a small black card, I may have been held hostage by HYDRA for many years but I definitely knew the power of the card in the box and I indeed knew it was far too much for Uncle Tony to be giving me.
"Uncle Tony, this is far too much." I told him and he rolled his eyes, yawning. I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. "No seriously, I can't allow you to give this to me." I added at the end.
"It's a good job that I'm an adult then and don't need you to allow me to do anything, that card is linked up to the account my dad had started for your mum and the money that has accumulated in there is everything that come from him, I know that there's enough to last you fifteen different lifetimes, that money is supposed to be yours and I know my dad and your mum would be happy that it's gone to you." He told me and I stared at the card in shock, I shoved it to the side and hugged him as tightly as I could. He had basically given me a present from my mum.
"Thank you." I whispered to him, he smiled and kissed my forehead. Returning to my chair I looked at the now smaller pile of presents ready for me to tackle. The day had gotten a bit brighter now I felt like I had my mum's blessing. I held the moon pendant of my necklace and smiled to myself, today was going to be a good day.