Hello everyone! Ok, before I start the story, I'd like to point out that in previous chapters, I've written Quartermaine's name wrong and have since corrected it in this chapter. And I'll you all now, there's a swear word or two, if you don't like that stuff. And, for those with weak hearts, I warn that there is serious fluff-age in here. 'Fluff-age'? Ok, too drunk! Bye-bye now!
Everything Is Wonderful
The next time you open your front door, do yourself a favour and check through the peephole to see who it is. Those extra few seconds can mean the difference between a friend calling for a cup of tea, or a pair of thugs kidnapping you.
Unfortunately, I didn't bother to use that luxury, and now look where I am: tied to a chair, gagged, in a warehouse full of thugs that tried to accost me not four or five days ago, and with no friend in sight, and no clue if the security system that Tony installed even worked yet.
:There is someone out there trying to kill me, isn't there?: I asked myself, trying to keep the urge to throw up from overriding my sanity, but if it wasn't the need to be sick, it was the need to start crying. Juggling the two urges was quickly becoming a skill of mine, but not for the best of reasons. It also didn't help that my foot burned like fire from when I stepped on something sharp.
"Any troubles?" The gang leader asked the two thugs responsible for getting me here, lazily looking at the pair.
"Not unless you count that monster of a dog she has." The one cradling his arm spat angrily, casting a venomous look my way, "Should've shot it, the miserable flea bag." Despite being tied up and in serious danger, I threw back my own glare at him; no body threatens my dog.
"What about witnesses?" The leader asked, not seeming to care if one of his men was injured.
"None, boss." The other thug replied, "we had that place cased for two weeks; we knew where everyone was going to be." Ok, when I miraculously get out of here, I am so becoming more conscious about my neighbours patterns!
"Excellent." The leader grinned, an eerie-yet-sinister replica of a Cheshire cat grin, "now we just gotta call the big man, and wait for him to show up." Big man? So, they're just the hired help? Great.
"What's with this guy, anyway?" The injured thug asked as the three of them moved to a nearby desk I hadn't noticed before, a laptop and a telephone resting inconspicuously.
"No idea, but he does." The leader shrugged, sitting behind the desk, "All I know is that he wants her, and the stuff we heisted ages ago."
"At least we get paid too, right boss?"the uninjured thug asked hopefully. Their boss just smiled in glee before motioning for them to leave. As they did, he picked up the phone and entered a number. Begrudgingly, I had to admit these guys knew what they were doing; putting me in a chair where I could see everything except important things like the number he was dialling or what was on that laptop.
The conversation was short, but obviously it went the way the gang leader wanted it to go, because when he hung up, the evil Cheshire grin was back on his face, and the urge to be sick was beginning to win me over, and my adrenalin-filled panic was reaching its peak as he stood up from the desk and slowly walked over to me.
"Well, babe, in two hours I'll be sticking rich, and that's just for getting you: with that stuff we swiped from SHIELD, I'll be richer than Tony Stark." Doubtful, but let idiots have their fantasies.
"Just a pity, though." He sighed, stepping into my personal space, bending slightly so that he was almost nose-to-nose with me, even when I leaned back as far as I could, "Pretty girl like you? I'm willing to bet I could make you scream."
It took exactly 2 seconds to figure out what he meant, and my dignity kicked itself into high-gear, demanding that I hurt him. Not exactly like I had a lot of limb movement to do that with; just my head and bound legs. Then again...his legs were far apart enough for me to...
:Meh, what the hell?: I mentally shrugged before throwing my head forward and feeling my forehead hit his nose with a loud crunch, before springing my legs up and painfully catching him where it really hurts a man. The scream he gave out in response to his nose being broken, and his male dignity being badly bruised, gave me a small amount of smug satisfaction.
The thug from earlier rushed over, taking a moment to look at the both of us to figure out what happened before helping his boss to his feet, or at least standing upright. A few others came over to see what the commotion was about, some giving me glances of either anger or surprise.
Any sense of cockiness I had (not that I had much to begin with) was dashed when I heard an enraged snarl from beyond the barricade of thugs, before their leader pushed past them, his face contorted into the very definition of fury, and the sight of his nose dripping a steady flow of blood sent chills down my spine and my panic sky-rocketing. :I should've paid more attention to Hawkeye about escapism.: I belatedly thought.
"Fucking bitch!" My wounded captor snarled, advancing on me with a furious stride. Before any of us (me or the thugs) could react, the boy raised the back of his hand and swung at my head. The force against the side of my face tipped me sideways, letting gravity take me down with a loud clatter. My eyes pricked with tears as my already abused arms, now pinned beneath the chair, screamed in protest, and the pain in my head didn't help things either.
A few of the thugs let out cries of panic; I even heard one saying that I was needed without a scratch, but their boss obviously didn't care now, and the panic finally gave way to hopelessness: let's face it, who knew where I was, or even that I was kidnapped?
The sound of glass breaking caught my attention and I prayed it didn't mean what I think it meant, then I heard the strangest sound: a sort of...vibrating noise, and the lights were struck, turning everything into darkness. Several voices of shock rose up, followed by the leader barking orders to get the lights fixed.
Then one of the screamed.
It was one of those primal screams of pure fear, that shocks everyone who heard it and made them go deathly quiet.
No one dared to breath, the air getting tense and frightening My heart, the poor over-worked muscle, was beating so painfully and loudly that I swear everyone else could hear it. From my position on the ground, and the barest amount of moonlight from the broken entrance, I could vaguely make out the shapes of the thug gang cautiously moving around, trying to locate the source of the scream. The tension and smell of sweat was starting to get too much, and all I wanted to do then was cry. :Just end it, already.: I mentally begged as I shut my eyes tight, :Just kill us.:
After I begged that thought, there was an almost primal growl, full of anger, filling the air before whoever it was made their move. Refusing to open my eyes, I could only listen as the thugs began shouting in pain as the mysterious person attacked them. Someone shouted garbled words but a solid thwack silenced them.
Then came a sound I never wanted to hear: the clacking of a gun being prepped for use.
I hunched into the floor as much as I could manage as the sound of a machine gun (or some sort of gun) roared to life. Over the noise, I faintly heard the grunt of pain, then another vibrating sound whooshed right over my body and into whoever held the gun. My ears rang loudly from the assault , preventing me from hearing anything, and I refused to open my eyes to the carnage that likely awaited, but I could feel the rope around my chest disappear, letting my lungs free of the constriction. Then, after I was pulled from the ground, whoever was handling me carefully slung me over their shoulder in a fireman's carry, just as groans and car engines in the distance started to sound.
My 'rescuer', clearly not fond of round 2, began running. They must be strong, to be able to carry me with little effort and still sprint. I inhaled sharply as I experienced the strangest feeling of us leaving the ground, before the equally strange sensation that we were climbing. :Who the heck is this?!: I wondered, but did my best not to fidget, but trust me this wasn't fun.
After sometime whoever was carrying me came to a slow stop, before they knelt down, and I was carefully sat against some sort of brickwork. :Please, don't hurt me. Oh, please, oh, please, oh, please!: I mentally begged as I tried to curl myself into a ball, but a pair of strong hands cupping my face stopped me.
"Please, Rose, open your eyes." A gentle and warm voice pleaded. Wait a dang m-Panther?!
My eyes flashed open at his voice, and sure enough, the Black Panther was kneeling before me. Small tears began to fall from my eyes, but I couldn't care less, now that I was safe. He gave an almost silent sigh of relief before he carefully peeled the gag from my lips. The sticky residue tasted awful at the tip of my tongue darted out to moisten my dry lips, eve as I almost choked on breathing in a lungful of air.
"Are you terribly hurt, my Rose?"Panther inquired as he reached behind me, the clawed tips slicing through the rope, slowly bringing my arms in front of me.
"Nothing that needs a hospital, no." I answered, trying my best not to suddenly squirm when my insides turned into jelly as Panther held my wrists, an angry red from where the rope rubbed them raw, and gently applied his thumbs to carefully rub some feeling back into my hands. The small amount of pain aside, the feeling of his fingers massaging my wrists felt wonderful, so much that I gave a soft sigh.
Pausing his ministrations, Panther's masked eyes locked with mine in what seemed like an eternity before taking his hands away from mine. My subconscious cried from the absence of his warm and strong fingers, but it quickly went quiet when the Panther reached under his chin, pulling the black material up and over his head, revealing an inhumanely handsome face, so perfect that I swear my heart stopped beating before it started to pound a powerful lambada.
By the light of the moon above us, I almost melted at the sight of Panther's dark skinned face, finely chiselled to match an African Adonis. His jet black hair was kept short, cut close to his skull, and two parts on either side of his temple. His lips were seductively full, and the sudden urge to feel them was quickly squashed down. What nearly broke my heart into thousands of pieces were his eyes; a beautiful deep golden brown, glowing almost cat-like in the partial darkness.
:Uh...not that I'm against how bow-chick-a-wow-wow sexy your hero is, but if you plan on living long enough to see this guy's body, you're gonna need to breathe.: My subconscious suddenly prodded.
The sudden poke into reality was perfectly timed when a tender finger traces down my cheek, almost touching the corner of my lips, eliciting a soft gasp from myself. My traitorous fingers suddenly got a case of the fidgets and slid from his hands and along his arms, with just enough pressure to feel the muscles twitch, and I felt myself nearly melting as he exhaled softly, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against mine gently, like he enjoyed this as much as I did.
It wasn't till my fingers traced along his right shoulder that he flinched with a sharp grunt, breaking the spell around us, and when I pulled my fingers away, they came back red as blood.
"You're hurt." I spoke softly, "How-"
"One of your captors fired a machine gun in a frantic manner." He explained, leaning to his side before sitting down beside me, attempting to avoid putting any weight on his arm, "One of the bullets met its mark. It is a light graze; I shall be fine." The fact that he was even here because of me was heart-warmingly touching, but the fact that was hurt while rescuing me nearly broke my heart.
Blessing Alenka for teaching me basic medicine, I tugged at my right sleeve forcefully, ripping the material from my shirt. Panther gave me a curious look as I pulled the torn sleeve away from my arm and turned on my knees to face him, but he must have clued into what I was going to do and caught my wrist gently in his.
"Rose,-"
"You've saved me more times that anyone ever has, and I can't imagine how I can repay you for the kindness you've shown." I politely butted in, holding his gaze with mine, desperately trying to wordlessly convey my desire to help him, "But the most I can do right now is bandage your wound."
In his golden eyes, I could see the conflict, debating whether he should let me do this or not, before finally sighing softly.
"You do not need to repay my kindness." He replied, letting go of my wrist, "I freely give to others what they need." His answer made me glad that chivalry wasn't dead in the world yet.
"Then I freely give my medical knowledge." I teased, a small smile appearing on my face as I began to wrap his wound. When I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes, I saw that he had a small smile as well, even as he watched me treat his wound. The ends tied off securely, I went to sit back down, but I had quite forgotten that my legs were still bound together, so resulting in awkwardly landing in his lap. My face heated up brilliantly even as Panther gave a soft chuckle.
"Perhaps if I untied your legs?" He offered, one of his dark eyebrows lifting in a good humoured gesture. Not waiting for an answer, one hand crept behind my waist to support me even as his other hand reached below my knees and sliced through the rope.
"Thanks." I sighed gratefully, rubbing the sore spots carefully, "my brother would be-" Thanks to a little thing called reality, I suddenly remembered just what happened, and that Tony must've found out about the kidnapping by now, so a swift return was really needed. The mere thought of my brother being scared witless brought back my panic to the fore front. "Oh, man. I gotta get home! My brother must be terrified about me!"
Sensing that the moment turned urgent, Panther carefully helped me to my feet. When I put my left foot down I couldn't help but hiss in pain; I forgot I was injured there, too. Geez, I sucked with remembering my injuries, didn't I? As it was, the sudden painful reminder knocked my sense of balance enough for me to slump into Panther's arms...again.
"I gather that tonight is not the best night for us, correct?" Panther teased lightly, looking down at me as he held onto me. I could only manage a small squeak in reply, so closely pressed against his chest and stomach as I was. Panther's mouth twitched with a small smile as he helped me to lean against the brickwork behind me before kneeling down and gently holding up my left ankle, "What ails you?"
"A cut on my heel." I replied softly, tearing my other sleeve off, "I can't believe how clumsy I've become." Panther merely chuckled humorously before taking the makeshift bandage from my hands and, before I could stop him, had my heel wrapped. When he looked up at me with a boyishly cheeky smile, I felt my face heat up again with a shy smile, even as my subconscious squealed like a preppy teenage girl.
The moment was ruined when an almighty explosion rocked the earth. Panther was on his feet and pressing me against the wall with his body, shielding my head in his chest. My adrenalin and panic came hurtling back with such a force that brought a painful blow to my stomach. Taking the moment of silence to quickly look around, Panther re-donned his mask before gathering me in his arms and taking off at an almost blinding speed. The sensation of his running with such speed and effortless grace left me breathless, the air rushing against my skin in a prickling way.
Not long after, it began to rain with a thunderous crash.
Cold water pelted my skin with a bruising force, even as I curled my arms just that little tighter around Panther's shoulders as I buried my face into his neck. He didn't seem to mind, even tightening his own grip in response. Feeling that I was safe, I let my eyes drift shut and my mind turn blank.
Time seemed to stretch on forever before Panther finally stopped running, the motion waking me up from the brief rest.
"Where are we?" I softly asked as Panther carefully put me on my feet, holding onto me as I gathered my thoughts and bearings. Tilting my head to work out the kinks in my neck, my eyes spotted the high building walls on either side, and the sound of sirens rather close despite the rain.
"In the alley down the road from your apartment." My hero answered in a low tone, "There is quite a number of police officers, and other military people." My brain belatedly registered that if Tony was worried about me so much, he would've told SHIELD to help him find me.
"I guess I better go make my appearance." I mumbled softly, though the thought of walking from here to there didn't sound all that wonderful. As I turned to start leaving, I looked up at Panther with a sudden question on my mind, "Mind if I ask a question?" He made a small noise in his throat to say he was listening, even as he watched the entrance of the alley. "How did you know I was in trouble?"
"I...followed you from the mansion." He carefully replied, finally looking down at me, "After his attack failed, I was worried that Baron Zemo might have taken an interest in you, especially since you aided Captain America in fighting him." Seems like reasonable answer, though my mind was starting to turn mushy.
"Well, I'm glad you did." I softly commended him, "thank you." Leaning up on my toes to press a tender kiss to his masked cheek, I pulled myself from his warm and comforting embrace and slowly limped out of the alley. With the rain still pouring quite heavily, I had some measure of cover so that no one could see me coming out, and potentially finding Panther.
Folding my arms across my chest gave me some warmth but didn't stop my teeth from chattering painfully, or the emotions playing Russian roulette to see which I would show first. I was halfway home when a loud bark shattered my thoughts and made me look up.
Voltaire was running towards me, barking as loud as he could, alerting the police and SHIELD agents to my presence.
"Briar!" I heard several voices shout, and spotted Cap and Quartermaine as part of the small crowd running towards me. The roulette wheel stopped turning and landed between sobbing relief and sheer exhaustion. Nearly choking on my tears, I hobbled to Quartermaine (being the closest person) and slumped into his arms, letting my body shake freely as I cried into his shoulder.
His arms wrapped around my waist tightly, supporting me as my body finally ran out of stamina. The rain and people's voices soon started to turn into a garbled mesh of white noise, their images becoming blurry-like as I tried to fight off the need to pass out. I vaguely remembered being carried to a stretcher, and someone gently prodding around my head, but when I was laid down, my eyes closed and I was out like a light.
######
The next few days went by in a rush, people moving all over the place doing things, talking to each other and sometimes to me, but I felt incredibly numb to do anything except sit in the hospital bed and look like a lobotomized patient. Quartermaine did try asking about what happened, but so far I hadn't pulled myself out of my stupor enough to give any sort of answer.
A doctor or two also came in a few times to check up on either my head or my foot. The slice on my foot wasn't too bad: it had pierced the skin and drawn only a small amount of blood, so it looked and felt worse than it really was, needing only a bandage and anti-infection medicine. Same for the lump on my head from where I was backhanded, a bit of bruising and minimal swelling that an ice pack could take care of. Apart from those two injuries and the rope burns (a mild soothing balm could take care of that) there wasn't all that much wrong with me.
So why I wasn't talking to anyone was a worry to everyone.
Truthfully, I was just trying to process what exactly happened that night, and afterwards. I mean, it was terrifying to know that some crazy nutcase had his eyes on me, and that he had hired a street gang to kidnap me. Clearly, whoever this guy is, he was pretty desperate. And the 'stuff' they stole from SHIELD? What did they take, and what did it have to do with me?
"Briar?" I lifted my gaze from the foot of my bed to the door at the voice, seeing Cap standing there, dressed in his uniform and a leather jacket, his mask pulled back to reveal his blond hair. Standing beside him was Voltaire, a plastic bag hanging from his mouth. The sight brought a small tired smile to my face.
"Hi guys." I murmured softly, folding my legs underneath the blanket, "Come on in." Letting the mass of white fur in first, Cap followed after closing the door and took a seat in the plastic hospital chair.
"Iron Man asked that I stay with you till the doctors release you." Cap explained softly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "He and Agent Quartermaine are talking about a safe place for you to stay." 'Safe'? That was fast becoming a joke to me, but instead of saying anything, I just kept quiet, Cap following suit. The minutes stretched out as we sat their in our respective silence, though I'm sure for Cap it was becoming quite awkward.
"I'm sorry, Briar." His sentence startled me out of my thoughts and the silence of the room, "I should've known that this would happen."
"Uh..." Clearly, I wasn't on the same page as he was; because I seriously doubt that he knew about the street gang trying to accost me in Central Park.
"He'd do something like this, too." Cap carried on, looking more upset as he did, "Zemo is desperate for revenge against me, and won't care who he hurts to do it. And-" Cap's monologue was interrupted when I started to softly laugh. I didn't mean to, but when he thought that Zemo would target me, it brought back a memory of Panther.
"You know, you're the second person worried that Zemo would come after me." I told him, a smile on my face as I looked at him, "It wasn't Zemo: it was a street gang." The relief on Cap's face nearly made me laugh again.
"A street gang? What would they want with you, thought" Cap queried, "aside from being Tony's sister."
"And a potential global threat, if threatened myself." I pointed out, and explained that SHIELD had me under their eyes because of my computer skills, how much damage I'd be forced to create. The sheer amount of it seemed to stagger the poor Captain, so I decided to cut him a break. Which neatly brought up another thought, one that I knew everyone was eager to have answered: how did I get away from them?
I know that I shoulder tell the truth about Panther, and how he saved me twice (three times in you count the explosion in the mansion). But...after having so many people in my business for the last month or so, this was one things that I wanted to keep secret, only to myself. Then again, there was a chance that Tony would find out and have my head. Maybe some back-up wouldn't go amiss.
"Cap...can I tell you something, and not have it go back to Tony or anybody else?" I asked quietly, looking up at him. Curiosity and his sense of duty were battling each other behind his eyes, but finally his curiosity won out and he gave a small nod. Taking a deep breath, I finally told him about the night in Central Park, when I found Voltaire, where the same street gang tried to first kidnap me, and how the man in the black cat suit saved me (he didn't have to know Panther's name, I privately decided), and just two days ago saved me from the gang and brought me back to the apartment. All through the story, Cap stayed quiet with only the barest of facial movements betraying him. When I finally finished talking, he sat there in deep thought before speaking.
"I'd ask if you can trust him, but it seems like a moot question." He commented with the barest hint of a smile, then rested his hand on my knee, "All right, I'll keep your secret." My shoulders visibly sagged in relief and I gave him a grateful smile.
"But you should tell Tony." He added, giving me a serious look, "Maybe not now, but soon: I think he'd want to thank the man who saved his little sister." Begrudgingly, I had to agree with him.
"About that street gang, do you want me to tell Tony and Agent Quartermaine?" Cap asked me, "I'll leave your hero out, make something up instead?" With all the details I just gave him about those two nights, I only hoped he came up with something very convincing. With a pat on my knee, Cap left the room, left just me.
So it is understandable that I'd almost jump out of my skin when Voltaire jumped up onto the bed, scaring the bejeezus out of me. Once my attention was on him, Voltaire dropped the plastic bag he'd been carrying into my lap, laying down with his head facing me. Giving him a confused look, I pulled the bag closer to me, taking a look inside before pulling out whatever it was.
It was a bundle of grey material, wrapped around something kind of heavy, all tied with a sort of hand-made twine thread. Pulling the thread off and unwrapping the grey material, my eyes shot wide open when I realized the grey material was my sleeve, the one I used to bandage Panther's wound!
There was no trace of blood or grime: it was perfectly clean. The question of how he got it so clean was gone when I saw what was hidden in my sleeve; a wooden object half the size of my palm. Holding it up for a closer inspection, I felt my heat melt into a warm puddle at the hand carved wooden token, a perfectly etched image of a panther head, and when I turned it over, there was an inscription elegantly carved into the material, but in a language I didn't understand.
It didn't take a genius for me to know that Panther had sent this, and the fact he even did sent a warm thrill through my body.
Cap was right: I did have to tell Tony about the Black Panther...
...but maybe another day.
######
When I was given the all clear from the doctors and allowed to leave, Tony and Cap bundled me and Voltaire into a private car and headed off. "Quartermaine relayed what you told Cap to Fury, about the stuff those gang members mentioned grabbing." My older brother was telling me, his arm resting around my shoulders in a comforting gesture. Cap sat on my other side, watching the world go by from behind the tinted window, absentmindedly patting Voltaire's head as the great white dog sat at my feet, ears perked up and on the lookout.
"They haven't found anything out of the ordinary yet, but since SHIELD is a big thing, they probably haven't covered all systems yet." Tony continued, like I was paying attention to him the whole time, "Probably just stole some weapons, or even nothing." I gave a non-committed grunt, showing that I was paying him some attention, but not really bothering all that much. Whatever that gang stole most likely had nothing to do with me.
"Now...about your apartment." At this I finally perked up enough to pay full attention to my brother. "Fury, Quartermaine and I decided that the old place wasn't going to cut it, neither would the one I gave you." Tony informed before looking down at me, "so we came up with three options: the first one was let SHIELD take you in, give you full time protection, and possibly hide you from the world." As much as I liked a few of their people, but there was no way I'd put up with being separated from everyone I knew, no matter how little I interacted with them.
"Option two was let Alenka take you to another dimension and hide you there for a while." Again, no matter how interesting the world might be, I wasn't going to let Alenka do that, and I'm pretty sure that she'd say 'no' about the matter too. She had to be very careful about who she let into other dimensions, and where she took them to.
"And, finally, option number 3." Tony finished as the car came to a stop. When I looked up from my lap to see where we were, I felt myself get gobsmacked in relief.
"You're moving me to Avenger's Mansion?" I asked redundantly, even as Tony opened the door and handed me onto the pavement, himself, Cap and Voltaire following after.
"This way, not only will JARVIS keep you safe, but also let SHIELD and the rest of the Avengers know that you need back up." Tony explained as he guided the small party up the pathway and inside the mansion, "Plus, with Steve living here full time now, it'll be piece of mind that he's close on hand." Voltaire looked at my brother with a sharp indignant whine.
"OK, ok. Steve and Wonder Fluff." Tony amended sarcastically, rolling his eyes to emphasize his statement. Then again, when he heard what 'Wonder Fluff' did to one of the thugs that kidnapped me, and from what Wasp told me when she came to visit, Tony wouldn't stop hugging Voltaire for three whole hours, so I knew that he was just teasing my dog.
Tony rattled on about something or other as he lead us up the right hand staircase, and into the personal living areas. "When we agreed on Avenger's Mansion being your new home, I had a room rebuilt to suit your tastes." Tony explained as he led us down a hallway near the back, opened a door and let me inside.
My new room was huge, the sheer size of it making my jaw drop.
Upon entering the room, a large double bed rested against the wall opposite, its dark mahogany frame nicely contrasting the white cream walls and dark brown carpeted floor. On either side of the bed were two matching side tables, the same wood as the bed frame, with two lamps ready for use. To the right of the door, underneath the window, a red velvet-cushioned window seat, large enough for a nap is so desired.
Walking further into the room, I spied the large vanity desk on the left far wall, with room for any beauty products and jewellery I might acquire. Turning around I noticed another door, possibly leading to the bathroom, and the large white sheet covering something big. Further turning around, I saw the L-shaped desk fitted snugly against the wall, leaving enough room for the door to open fully. Along the other side was another dark mahogany piece, this one a four drawer dresser, and sitting neatly next to it was the wardrobe, which I suspected was larger than it appeared.
"So...whatcha think?" My thoughts and attention turned back to Tony, who waited patiently with Voltaire at the door, an almost expectant and hopeful look on his face.
"It's lovely, Tony." I assured him. :Yeah, lovely for a high elite socialite.: I told myself; I was more used to simple things in my bedroom, not anything fancy. But given my other two living options, I'd simply have to make do. Who knows, it may not be so bad.
"Glad you like it." My brother smiled, sauntering into the room and examining it with barely concealed pride, "Plus you get a great view of the yard, the greenhouse, and sunrise from here." Then he turned to me, an unreadable look on his face. I gave him a puzzled look in return, to which he smiled and walked over to the sheet-covered mystery item.
"One last thing to get you settled in." Tony said before pulling away the sheet. What was underneath left me breathless, if only for a moment, before a wave of emotional tears threatened to overtake me.
"Mama's favourite mirror." I said in a soft voice. The antique full-length mirror: an heirloom passed down from mother to daughter, ever since Amelia Rosings; my greatest grandmother on Mama's side of the family. The simple wood frame of oak surrounded the mirror, with hand carved roses etched into the frame. When the mirror is passed down to the next generation, the previous one leaves their mark by having a rose engraved onto the frame, with their name written underneath; a tradition long since held.
"Mom wanted you to have it." Tony offered as I stepped up to the mirror, "It was even in her will, among other things." I opened my mouth to give a response, but a weak whimper was the only thing I could muster through my tears. Nevertheless, at the sound Tony had wrapped his arms around me in a firm, loving embrace. We said nothing to each other as we stood there, holding each other: Tony and I had a silent language when like this, and every wordless action came from the heart.
Unfortunately for Tony, he couldn't spend the whole day with me; there was a meeting he needed to attend to, and Ant Man was also at the office to help him fix a computer, or something, but he did promise to be home for dinner.
Then with one last hug, he was gone.
Sighing to myself, I gave me new room another glance. It was to my tastes, I didn't lie about that, and having Mama's heirloom made the room that much more cosy, I just felt...
...out of place.
Voltaire, having stayed quiet this whole time, padded over and gently nudged his head against my body, whimpering softly. The distraction was a small one, but a greatly appreciated one. Running my hand through his fur, feeling his rumbling breathing through my fingertips, it did a lot to take my mind off a few things, but not a whole lot.
One of the main things was that I needed to get used to was the mansion, and a WW2 super soldier slept halfway down the hallway from me, in case I was in trouble.
Another was that until the person desperate for me was caught, I was going to have a lot of people watching me, which wouldn't be a great deal of help to my nerves.
Sighing in minor annoyance, I sat down on my new bed, giving a surprised soft grunt when it sank a little further that I was used to. I guess Tony wanted me to be comfortable when I moved in. Well, at least I'd be warm, if the thick comforter was anything to go by.
Hearing Voltaire whine again, I looked at him as he sat in front of me, his blue eyes piercing right through me, sadness reflecting what he saw, his ears folded against his head.
"I guess a lot of things are different now." I softly spoke to him, folding my hands between my knees to stop them from trembling, "At least we'll do it together...right?" He gave another whine as his eyes perked up and his tail started to wag a little in a positive manner.
Knowing that my friend was going to stay with me, I decided that a nap was in order: spending a few nights in hospital was never comfortable, for the visitor or the patient, especially after a kidnapping. Kicking off my shoes and laying down on the comfortable bed, I rolled onto my side facing the window and the midday sun, lettings its warm rays lull me to sleep. The mattress lurched a little as Voltaire climbed up to join me, his head resting against my shins, keeping an eye on the door.
Feeling safe in my new home, I let my eyelids flutter shut on their own accord, the sounds of birds singing in the distance and the gentle wind drifting me further along to sleep.
######
A hand pressed against my shoulder, gently shaking me awake. "Briar." An equally gentle Southern accent spoke, further waking me up, "Hey, wake up, sleepy head."
"Mmrphm." I grunted quietly in protest, earning a chuckle from not one, but two people. Finally opening my eyes and lifting my head to see past my shoulder, I gave a tired smile when I saw Quartermaine carefully perched on the edge of my bed, Alenka standing over his shoulder.
"Hey, guys." I murmured as I sat up, a blanket falling from my shoulders as I moved. I didn't remember falling asleep with this on before, so who was in here?
"Cap said you were sleeping up here." Alenka's gentle voice pierced through my still groggy mind, "He is also the one who put the blanket over you." Of course it was Cap; he was a gentleman like that.
"Feeling better?" Quatermaine asked me, resting his arm around my shoulders as he drew me into a one-armed hug, "JARVIS said you've been sleeping for almost 3 hours, and by the state of your hair, I'd say you have budged a bit." Giving Alenka a curious look, I leaned forward to look past Quatermaine at my mirror, and squeaked in embarrassment when my hair resembled a one sided bird's nest. Seeing the mess almost brought tears to my eyes; clearly the nap didn't do any wonders for my emotional side.
"Oh, I look terrible!" I whined, burying my face into my hands. Quartermaine gave another chuckle as he pulled my hands away to press a friendly kiss to my forehead.
"I blame that hospital." He jokingly told me in an affronted tone, "They clearly don't know how to treat a person, if they let them leave looking like this." Alenka burst put giggling, her infectious laughter getting me to do the same not long afterwards. When we finally settled down, Alenka presented me with a folded towel, two bottles and a bar of soap resting on top.
"Figured you'd want a shower after you woke up." She explained as Quartermaine helped me out of bed and onto my feet. Taking the presented gift from her, I then let her slip her arm around my shoulders and guide me to my bathroom. Once I was inside and Alenka shut the door, giving me privacy while she and Quartermaine stayed in my room, I looked around.
It wasn't a terribly small room, just a bit larger than my old apartment. Contrast to the white walls of my bedroom, the bathroom walls were a soft yet dark red hue, giving the room a relaxing feel to it all. Immediately to my left was the sink set in a white bench, with a small cupboard underneath and four drawers on one side. The mirror above the sink was big, almost as wide as the bench, with a wooden frame, its surface carved with pictures of flowers, but the clever trick that impressed me was the flower buds were actually little fairy lights.
Beside the sink was a small room, my guess the toilet. Opposite the toilet and sink were the bathtub and shower cubicle The tub itself was a very large claw-footed thing, taking up almost two-thirds of the wall, its polished white surface reflecting the rooms light. At the end closest to the door, snugly fitted into the corner was the shower, its two enclosing walls made of glass. Inside I could see a ledge built into the wall, where I could put the bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and a small groove where the soap rested.
Aside from the glass walks, I found the room quite to my liking.
Putting the bottles and bar of soap into their places and hanging the towel over the edge of the bathtub, I wiggled out of all my clothes, dumping on the floor before stepping into the cubicle. Shutting the door behind me, I almost jumped in fright when it frosted over; of course, Tony knew that I hated glass walls in the bathroom, and gave me ones that frosted when closed, offering a better sense of privacy. Shaking my head at myself, I turned to faucets to a perfect temperature and enjoyed a warm shower, washing the accumulated grime from the last few days from my hair and body.
Shutting the water off when I was finished, I opened the door to grab my towel, and immediately noticed the large circular cream cotton rug in the centre of the white tiled floor. My clothes were also gone, instead a large wicker basket between the shower and the bedroom door. When I got out and wrapped the towel around my body, I spotted a white cup on the sink, a blue toothbrush inside.
Since I didn't hear the door open while I was washing, I gathered that Alenka 'popped' them in for me.
'Present from the Centauri galaxy.' Alenka's thoughts interrupted mine, 'self cleaning rug, very soft too.' Her claim was well founded when I stepped on it; it almost felt like standing on a cloud.
Drying my body off and rubbing the excess moisture from my hair, I realized that I didn't bring in spare clothes to change into, and as much as I trusted Quartermaine, I wasn't going to walk out there in just a towel. A soft 'pop' noise directed my attention to the basin counter, where a pair of cotton pyjamas and undergarments were waiting. :Alenka.: I smiled to myself before getting dressed.
When I exited my bathroom and back into my bedroom, I stopped dead when I saw Alenka folding a shirt and pacing it into a drawer, dozens of other clothe items folding themselves and flying into a drawer, or into the wardrobe to be hung. A large flat screen TV was attaching itself to the wall above my dresser, and various other knick knacks zooming and placing themselves around the room.
Voltaire was sitting beside Quartermaine, eyes darting everywhere to watch the floating objects, while his human male friend was sitting in front of a laptop, typing something away, and not paying any mind to the organized chaos going on behind him. Then again, he was probably used to Alenka's powers being used in odd ways.
I was busy watching a pair of dark red sheets tuck themselves on the bed, followed by a large burgundy-and-gold cover slipping over the comforter and onto the bed, and matching pillowcases sliding over the pillows when Alenka turned towards me. "Clay and I did some shopping for you earlier." She explained as she walked over to me, "We found a few things you'd might like."
"She found them; I just paid and carried them." Quatermaine corrected, still not looking from the computer, "I'm just grateful she didn't make me carry anything too feminine." Alenka rolled her eyes at his back before directing me to sit in front of the vanity desk, now sporting a few framed photographs of me and various friends. Once seated on the small stool, Alenka began running a comb through my hair, creating a small warm breeze to help dry my hair.
"Well, that's your computer set up; it's connected to Stark Industries and SHIELD, if you ever need it." Quartermaine announced as he turned from the laptop, "Also connected you to the computer down in your lab, so you can get to your movies and things from up here."
"Thanks." I replied, smiling when Alenka put down the comb, having finished brushing my hair straight, the ends flicking outwards slightly.
"No trouble: we enjoy moments like these." My female friends commented, placing her hands on my shoulders and gently squeezed them to emphasize her point, "hanging out with you is always an added pleasure."
"With all the super-villains out now, moments like now are going to be harder to come by." Quartermaine grumbled, not sounding all that pleased at the sudden work load he now faces at work. Well, if it meant hanging out so they could get a chance to relax, I'd be more than happy to call on them.
We spent the next hour or so talking about Alenka's trips throughout the galaxies and beyond, the worlds and people she's encountered and made friends with, when JARVIS announced that Tony was downstairs with the other Avengers, and that dinner was being served. Since nothing urgent was calling them away, Alenka and Quartermaine decided to join us, if only so I'd have someone else to talk to.
Besides, I think they were eager to finally meet Captain America after so long.
######
Voltaire happily snored loudly as he lay on the floor beside my bed, his belly full of a delicious dinner courtesy of Mr. Foxworthy; one of Tony's most trusted butler/chef, and old family friend. A feast of roasted beef, steamed vegetables and side salads, plus chocolate mousse for dessert; there was no doubt that everyone was going to sleep well tonight. Well, mostly everyone.
Pulling my knees up as I leaned against the headboard, I reflected on how dinner progressed. When Cap was introduced to Alenka, the shock on his face after discovering she was half German made some of us chuckle, but when everyone else found out that she was a mutant, Tony laughed even harder. After that, questions went flying over the table in between pauses to eat the meal.
Alenka, never having a harsh bone in her body, happily chatted with Steve about how Germany and America became friendly to each other, and the influences they made with each other and the other countries at war with everyone at the time. She did her best to include me into the conversation, as did Quartermaine when he spoke to Tony and the other Avengers, but more often than they'd like I remained quiet throughout the meal. I wasn't being rude or anything, I just had so many thoughts going through my mind.
When I bid the other goodnight and retreated to my room, my body put itself in autopilot mode, letting me continue my thoughts even as I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. Even though Voltaire was out like a light on the floor, I had no such luck, and ended up sitting my bed in the dark.
Most of my thoughts were about the kidnapping, the men in the warehouse, who organized, the explosion, and various other things, but mostly my thoughts were centered on Panther: was he ok? I know he said it was just a graze, but still, I couldn't help but worry about him.
:And, of course, that gift he gave me.: I thought to myself, reaching over to my side table and opened the drawer. After I had gotten it, I had hidden it in my pocket when taken from the hospital and brought here. Not even Cap knew that I had this; I know I should at least tell him, bit after having people in my business trying to keep my safe, I just wanted to keep one secret to myself, and not have to share it with anyone, almost like a guilty pleasure.
My focus was so intense on the wooden panther head, that I almost missed the silhouette appear on my comforter. Quickly looking up, I felt my face split into a smile when I saw the familiar secret hero at my window, looking back at me. Quietly slipping out from my bed, I knelt on the window seat as I unlatched the windows and pushed them open.
"You know, you may want to be careful about all these sudden appearances." I softly teased him as I leaned against the raised window sill, watching as he settled on the ledge in front of the window, his leg casually hanging over the edge.
"Why, does my appearance make you uneasy?" he teased back, but I could hear that he was slightly serious in his asking.
"No, but I may start convincing myself that you've becoming my super-hero stalker." I answered, feeling the warm tingle in my spine that his warm chuckle always brought on. Even with his mask on, I could feel his golden brown eyes on me, so much that I had to look away with a coy smile on my face as it heated up.
"How's your arm?" I asked, trying desperately to keep my mind from focusing on just how magnificent he looked, lounging as he did in the moonlight.
"It will heal." He answered, lowering his head just a little as he seemed to look at the area then back at me, "The wound was not as terrible as it appeared to be, but I thank you for using your sleeve to bandage it." Again, I looked away as my face heated up brightly.
"You're welcome." I replied quietly, then shyly looked up at him, "And thank you for the gift."
"It meets your approval, I take it?" Panther asked, almost sounding hopeful, which made me giggle slightly.
"Yes; it's very beautiful." I assured him, holding up the wooden token to show him, "but I don't understand why you would give it to me, or what's written on the back." He paused for a second, and I quickly realized that what I said could be taken negatively. "N-not that I'm ungrateful!" I quickly stammered, "I love it, b-but I don't think I deserve something so beautiful, and-" I was stopped when Panther was crouched in front of me, his fingers gently pressed against my lips to silence me.
"My Rose." Panther sighed, almost laughing at my stuttering speech, before he slid from the window and seat behind me on the window seat, his warm body curled around mine as one hand crept around my waist, spreading warmth throughout my body, his other hand taking the panther head from my grasp. Effectively surrounded by him, I felt my cheeks burn as other parts reacted differently, which took a lot of effort to concentrate on what Panther was telling me.
"This is a talisman of my ancestors." He spoke the words whispering their way into my ear, "it is to protect the one who wears it; what is inscribed on the back is an incantation to further protect the wearer." Then, in a move many would call scandalous, pressed the talisman flat against the area above my chest, his hand covering the wooden object and touching my chest. I quietly gulped back an gasp, instead tilting my head against his shoulder to look up at him, and ignored the squeal my subconscious gave when Panther turned his face to mine, our lips only an inch away each others.
"It will protect you from harm, my Rose." His voice whispered, thick with an emotion I couldn't hear, even as it reverberated deep to my heart.
"Thank you." I finally whispered back, my hands covering his against my chest, "for everything." He merely hummed softly in reply, his gaze never leaving mine. My mouth parted in a tiny gasp as his fingers slid from underneath mine, along my neck and jaw line. His tentative traced along the bottom of my chin, yet scorching a pleasurable feeling deep into my body and soul. My eyes fluttered shut by themselves as the arm around my waist tightened its grip ever so slightly.
Never before had I felt the urge to kiss a man's lips, but the way Panther was making me feel with a mere touch was enough to make me want to start kissing him. Then a cold chill of reality dripped down my spine, making me tense in his arms. Bad idea, Briar! My eyelids fluttered open to look at him.
"Um...I...we..." I breathlessly tried to speak, but my poor over-heated brain wasn't letting me pull it from its puddle of gooey mess that Panther turned it into, but said man seem to sense what I was trying to say.
"I...should...let you rest." He spoke for me, sounding equally as breathlessly as I did. I managed a shaky nod, but I gasped softly as I was suddenly lifted into the air, curling my arms around Panther's neck as he carried me from the window seat and over to my bed. I could barely pay attention or pull my gaze away from his, even as he slid one arm away to pull the comforter and sheet back and carefully laid me down, his hands carefully lowering my head onto the pillow.
"Sleep well, my Rose." Panther breathed softly as he pulled sheet and comforter over my body and up to my chin.
"You too." I replied, reaching my hand up and cupping his cheek, "and thank you for the talisman." He merely hummed as he leaned into my hand, before lowering his head and pressed a masked kiss against my forehead. My eyes were closed for barely a few seconds, but when I opened them again, he was predictably gone. Smiling to myself, I snuggled into my blankets and let sleep finally claim me and send me to dreamland.
See, I told you! Serious fluff-age! Well, I'll let you guys enjoy this chapter while I work on the next one. Adios!