"I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough

Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up

Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low

Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know"

- Lauren Daigle

SHIELD was… intimidating, to put it mildly. After the Sitwell situation, Danny was given a psych evaluation, which probably resulted in a diagnosis of her grappling with a split personality (or whatever the Voice was exactly). At some point, an agent had taken her photo and at least ten vials of her blood. A cotton round had been taped to her elbow, but the puncture was healed within a minute. She used to be squeamish over needles, but after years at The Workshop, it was almost routine.

The thing about SHIELD that daunted Danny was the fact that it wasn't necessarily a secret organization, but everything within it definitely was. Blame the conspiracy theorist in her, but she wouldn't be surprised if she found how deep the agency went when it came to world events.

Danny assumed her brother may have had assignments to go on, or targets to shoot arrows at, but Clint never let her out of his sight. The only time he did was when he went into the hallway to speak with another agent, a red-haired woman who wore a black cat-suit style uniform. She had watched them through the glass window, making an (unsuccessful) attempt to read their lips. The woman made eye contact through the glass for a few moments, and for some reason, Danny felt the need to not be the one that broke it.

She was observed overnight, then given a spiel about needing to keep her powers and emotions in check. As if that wasn't already her top priority. Danny wasn't sure about the next guy, but she for one did not enjoy blacking out and turning into a deadly killer. At the very least, her psych profile revealed that she would only turn into a blood-thirsty rage monster if her stress levels hit a peak, so that was a fun anecdote. The one thing that was missing was a brightly lit marquee sign on her back that said "VOLATILE. AVOID AT ALL COSTS."

Clint had driven Danny back to Stark's after her intake report was put into the system. It was silent the whole ride, with the New York traffic lulling her to sleep and with him content just listening to the radio. But when they reached the mansion on Fifth Avenue, and it was time for them to part ways, neither sibling left the comforts of the SUV. They had just found each other after so many years, so they took the opportunity to catch each other up on their lives.

For instance, Clint found out that Danny had a flair for computer science and engineering, and she found out that he had a whole-ass family hidden in a farmhouse in Missouri. Totally the same things.

"I'm an aunt?" Danny whispered after the initial shock had run its course. "Holy shit, I'm an aunt. You actually have kids and a wife."

"I can count on one hand the amount of people who know they exist," Clint said. After a beat, he looked at his sister and added, "I named my daughter after you, y'know. Lila Daniela."

"Oh, that's sweet. She turns into a monster too?" she deadpanned.

"C'mon, don't do that." Clint blinked at Danny before reaching over the middle console and pulling her into a hug. "It's not your fault," he muttered, aware of the roller coaster of emotions she must be going through. "What did we used to say? What are we?"

She closed her eyes, biting back a smile. It was a dumb thing that their brother Barney had started one day: He and Clint got beat up by some jerks at the circus, and at seven-years-old Danny thought she would be tough enough to fight back but only ended up hurt. Barney had made a vow that day and every day since to keep them safe. Much good that did.

Pulling away, Clint made sure that Danny was looking at him before asking again, "Dan, what are we?"

"We're a team," she responded lightly, smiling.

"Right. And I promise I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you again."

What if the one who hurts you is your own person? What then, Daniela? The Voice's mocking tone caused her smile to falter, and the feeling of dread stayed with her even after they said their goodbyes and I-love-you's.

Danny entered Stark's residence sullenly, the air inside stale and cold enough to raise goosebumps on her skin. JARVIS' voice filled the empty space immediately. "Welcome home, Ms. Barton. You have seven missed calls and have three unopened messages from Ms. Potts."

She walked to the kitchen where she had left her phone behind, battery drained. Danny hooked it up to the charger plugged into the wall and left it momentarily. "JARVIS, what day is it?" she asked as she inspected the contents of the refrigerator.

"It is 10:49 in the evening, Tuesday, May 5," the AI responded.

Was she really gone for almost two full days? Time must really fly when you've been targeted by a secret government agency. Danny wondered how SHIELD was able to hack into Stark's security. (Then she remembered how thorough they were with their own security, and that hack was probably child's play in comparison.)

Her phone's ringtone went off, indicating it was brought back to digital life. She clicked through her notifications and opened the voicemail. Danny began listening to the messages, waiting for the automated system to say, "New message."

Pepper's voice followed: "Hi, honey. I know you're probably in the shower but call me back. Just want to check in –"

She hit 7, deleting the message. The next one played.

"New message: Danny, I've called three times today and you still aren't picking up. Hope you're doing okay. Best case, you're throwing a party, but worst case… In any case, just return my –"

She pressed 7 once more.

"New message: Danny, you're starting to worry me, and I know I'm probably just being irrational. I have half a mind to call the police. Call me back as soon as you can."

Danny deleted the final message. Her finger hovered over the Call button in her Recent Log list; she was trying to think of a lie believable enough to tell Pepper. What time was it even in California? She hit the button. Danny hoped that it wasn't a bad time to –

Pepper picked up on the second ring. "Where the hell have you been? I was worried sick!"

"I did the American tourist thing and went around New York," she lied coolly. "I forgot to charge my phone, sorry."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay."

Easier said than done, really. Danny teased, "Doesn't look like any cops came by to see if I was dead or anything."

"Then it was a lucky thing for you that Tony's press conference made such a riot," Pepper said in exasperation. "We've been trying to do damage control the last couple days, and Obadiah hasn't been happy…"

Danny listened to her rant, a little curious about the state of Stark Industries. She put Pepper on speaker as she searched for news of Stark: The first things that popped up were CNN videos about his return. A couple livestreams of his conference. Some of the headlines read that another company called Hammer Industries had already swooped in to court those military contracts. Who knew pulling your weapons company out of the weapons business was a bad move?

"…and yesterday I stuck my hand in my boss's chest to replace a – you're not even listening, are you?"

"…Sorry."

"I'm not sure how things will be at SI over the next few days," Pepper sighed, segueing the conversation. "Do you think you're going to be alright on your own for a couple more weeks?"

"I've got JARVIS here to keep me company. I'll be fine."

Pepper pleaded, "Please, no more disappearing acts."

"No more disappearing acts," Danny affirmed, hoping that speaking it into existence would do the trick.

Three months ago, Tony Stark's life had been derailed. A weapons demonstration went wrong in all the worst ways, and he spent weeks in the custody of his captors, recovering from the injuries he sustained in that frigid cave. It took a while for him to go from wishing he was dead, to wishing he had more parts to use for his and Yinsen's escape plan.

Three weeks ago, he had fought his way home. And he left behind the man who had saved his life in more ways than one. Tony could admit that he was never as relieved to see his best friend as he was that day; Rhodey has saved his ass on so many occasions, he'd already lost count. The only thing on his mind when he was finally on U.S. soil again was getting his hands on the greasiest cheese burger he could find.

Three days ago, Tony was arguing with his assistant about not wanting to take in her old foster kid because he didn't exactly do "responsibility." That girl wasn't Pepper's responsibility, and she definitely was not his. He didn't want to have the girl's well-being on his mind, not after the hell he had gone through. Not during the hell he was going through. If he gave in to Pepper, what would that make him?

Soft. It would make him soft.

Tony had been prepping himself to meet the kid who was basically squatting at his parent's mansion, write her a check so she could stay on her feet (because he wasn't completely heartless), and then say sayonara. But he didn't write her a check, and he didn't kick her to the curb. Much to Pepper's surprise, he actually insisted that she move to Malibu.

Don't ask him why he did it, because he wouldn't be able to give a real answer. Maybe it was because Danny was perfectly respectful and kind. Maybe it was because the kid insisted on getting out of their hair, which caught him off guard. Maybe it was because nearly dying had jarred him into a new perspective. Or maybe it was because Daniela Barton was dealt the shittiest hand in life, yet she was still the polar opposite of what Tony had assumed she'd be.

Whatever the motive was for Tony's change of heart, it was the reason she was sitting in his private jet at 41,000 feet above sea level, a mere two days after meeting her. Tony easily noticed the death grip Danny had on Pepper's hand when they would hit turbulence; if she was terrified of flying, she hid it pretty well. He had been watching her, and she hadn't stopped staring out the window since they left the tarmac.

When Pepper got up to use the restroom, Tony took the opportunity to unbuckle his seatbelt and pop into the seat across from Danny. "How are you holding up, kid?" he asked, sipping from a finger of Laphroig.

"Pretty okay, Mr. Stark," Danny replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes darted back out the window, overlooking the far-reaching landscape and the orangey skies. "I never realized how beautiful it would be up here."

"First time on a private plane?" His eyes narrowed minutely, almost trying to gauge her reaction.

Danny gave a sheepish grin, turning back to face him. "It's my first time on any plane, sir."

Tony only nodded, not sure how to respond to that. He cleared his throat before throwing back the rest of his drink, motioning for another. The flight attendant came forward and replaced it. "Do you want anything?" Tony offered suddenly, turning in his seat to wave the attendant back over. "It's a full bar."

"I thought Pepper would've told you, but I'm underage."

Tony slumped back into his seat. His face contorted into a look of obvious disbelief. "No, you're not."

"My twentieth is –" Danny paused for a moment, probably trying to do the mental math. And as the light reached her eyes, it burned out just as quickly. Tony barely perceived it, but it was there. She finished, almost sadly, "Jeez, in three days."

A sort of "huh" sound came out of his nose. Tony gave his signature flashy smile, saying, "Well, you're in good company. Mine happens to be in six." Then, with a shake of his head: "Thirty-nine is such an insignificant number. Now, twenty, that's a good age. God, the kind of shit I got into in my twenties –"

"I hope you're not thinking of becoming a bad influence on Danny," Pepper interjected, taking her seat. She gave him a pointed look as she buckled back in.

"Me, Pepper? A bad influence?" Tony returned with a shocked expression, sarcasm dripping from his words. Danny merely hid her grin behind a hand. "How dare you insinuate that!"

Danny started, "I don't know, Pep. If you think about it, I might be the worse influence between the two of us."

"Oh you brat!" Pepper said in jest.

The two ladies shared a laugh, and it was the first laugh of Danny's that Tony had witnessed. It was even nice to see Pepper be more at ease for a change. And for a brief moment, he hoped that Danny would stick around for a while.

The end of May came at them hard. Both of their birthdays had come and gone almost wordlessly. An unlisted number had texted Danny (most likely Clint) and Tony was mentioned briefly in the news. It was kind of bittersweet when Pepper had come in with cupcakes on the thirtieth even though both birthdays had passed. Stuff like that was just a blip on their radars.

Danny would see Tony in the mornings sometimes. Only catching his silhouette slip down into the garage when she'd have breakfast. Other times, they would pass each other on the staircase, giving awkward and curt greetings before going on with their business. Frankly, the blonde wondered if the brunet ever slept; he was always tinkering with stuff into the early morning and darkness was almost constant under his eyes. (Not like she was faring any better; the fear of having another episode, on top of the recurring nightmares, made her restless.)

She wasn't sure if it was jetlag or something else that's been keeping her up at night. Danny was lying in bed, shrouded in darkness. The only source of light came from her smartphone screen as she scrolled through a digital news site. Her eyes glossed over sports team scores, entertainment award nominations, and local news updates about crime lords and economics. They listed showtimes for movie screenings – God, she hadn't been to see a movie in so long.

It was nearing two in the morning when the music started. At first Danny thought it was an ad auto-playing on her phone, but she realized the sound was coming from the first floor. Leaving the guest room, she went down the stairs barefoot, curious as to why Tony would be up so late playing the piano.

For some reason, she'd assumed the piano was there just as a display because sure, every rich person had a grand piano in their living room and not many probably knew how to play. But Tony did, apparently, and he wasn't half bad. Danny sat on a step quietly and watched his hands glide over the keys effortlessly.

He was finishing up a piece that Danny couldn't quite place but promptly recognized. Having zoned out a bit while listening, she hadn't immediately noticed when he stopped playing and turned around to look at her. Tony said, "Am I bothering you or something?" but his tone made her unsure if he was angry or actually concerned.

"Oh, shit. Sorry," Danny said under her breath. "I didn't mean to – I, um – you're really good."

"Thanks." Tony's expression softened, and his lip quirked up slightly. Then, he grew stern, brows furrowing together. "Hey, it's two in the morning."

Danny almost snorted out duh, no shit, but held it back. Instead she let him know, "Can't sleep, but what's new?"

"Uh, the bed in the guest room?" Tony said in jest, swinging a leg over the piano bench to stand. He waved her off. "Come on, go to sleep. Staying up isn't healthy for kids your age, or so I keep hearing."

"Not healthy for you either," Danny countered, making a face. She raised a brow at him before heading up the stairs. "Do you sleep, like, at all?"

"That's what coffee's for – to recharge so you don't need to sleep."

"Oh, so that's what it's for?" she called from the top of the staircase. "I thought it was your Midlife Crisis Juice."

Tony's head cocked to the side, and he sucked on his teeth. "I'm sorry, did you say something? I couldn't hear your over the retreating footsteps you should be taking."

Danny stifled a laugh. Tony was witty, she'll give him that. "Oh, I also had –"

"Bed!"

"Alright, fine, I'm going."

(A/N: Wow y'all get two chapters with this update! Honestly, this chapter seemed like too much filler so I wanted to give you guys something more substantial with the Chapter 6. Please don't forget to leave a review and follow to be updated with new chapters!)