Fourteen (Twelve Years Old)

"So you and Leonard started dating?" Emily asked in surprise as she and Nancy sat together.

"More or less," the black-haired girl replied with a shrug. "All I had to do was ask and he said yes; honestly it was one of the best choices I could've made."

Emily's brows furrowed together at the thought of McCoy dating someone. She hadn't realized until then how much it hurt to know that he'd chosen someone else. Though if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't entirely surprised. She should have known better than to think he would actually be interested in her that way. Not to mention Coulson would have likely killed him had he found out. She grimaced at the thought of how Coulson would handle when she started dating someone. Or 'if' she chose that sort of life. She wasn't even sure if that was a possibility for the future she had in store.

The weekend had gone and went fairly quickly and quietly. After McCoy found her that one night out against the lake, she was still recovering from the initial shock. The lake had been far more appealing than it should have been when she escaped that night. After that nightmare with the world being torn apart, she knew the future looked bleak. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be around for said future, especially in light of recent events.

It isn't as if anyone would miss me, she thought bitterly.

When she reached that point in her life – where the pain had numbed everything else – it felt bittersweet. Bitter because it took so long to reach that point, and sweet because the pain had finally numbed. She knew McCoy was still likely trying to process what he saw that evening. They hadn't talked about it ever since, but she could tell from the way he would look at her that he was worried. His concern for her only left her feeling guiltier. She'd also pushed him to that point, where he'd finally realized what the social occurrences at school caused. While that wasn't entirely the school's fault, Emily knew in the back of her mind that she would always be seen as the social outcast.

She tried pushing those thoughts aside as she and Nancy caught up on what they missed over the past month. Nancy was at least willing to forgive and move on. Pamela had not been so forgiving. The redhead was sitting at a separate table, looking as though she had been betrayed by her best friend. Not that Emily wasn't surprised by the notion… Pamela had always been closer to Nancy than herself. The only reason Nancy had been willing to forgive her was because she and McCoy were so close. Emily couldn't shake off the feeling that those dynamics would change quickly, and not in a good way.

"I'm glad he found someone who's willing to keep up with him," she finally smirked in amusement.

"Oh like I haven't seen the way he looks at you," Nancy gave her a playful nudge, earning a look of surprise from Emily. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed; Leo talks about you all the time even when we're together."

Heat immediately rose to her cheeks as realization dawned on her. She was well aware of how McCoy had gone out of his way to care for her as a friend. The fact that he was also willing to forgive her for acting the way she had meant more than she would ever admit out loud. McCoy was like an anchor to her... he helped pull away the bitter, raw emotions that would sometimes overwhelm her. More often than not, he was usually there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. She took a bite out of her sandwich and looked at nothing in particular.

"Leonard's different from everyone else I've met," she murmured quietly. "He's always been more mature than most kids his age, but he tries to hide it."

"Considering the way everyone acts here at school, I'm not surprised," Nancy snorted in amusement. She shook her head as she thought of the numerous times they had been together. "I'm surprised you haven't found anyone yet… you're definitely not like everyone else here at school."

Emily pursed her lips together at the thought of actually dating someone. The thought had never occurred to her before, simply because she knew she wasn't in any hurry to pursue that part of her life. Boys were just that – boys. She knew they would try and take advantage of her if they had the chance, much like Michael had when he tried hitting on her.

"I'm pretty sure Papa would be the first to kill anyone who tried dating me," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And if he doesn't, then most of his friends would."

Nancy just smirked in response. She had little to no idea just how serious Emily was. Nearly six years of putting up with Coulson and his 'friends' had given her an idea of where she stood on the food chain. Of course, she dared not admit it out loud. Fortunately they didn't dwell on the topic. Emily knew in the back of her mind that dwelling on said topic wouldn't get them anywhere.

Besides, there are more important things to worry about, she reminded herself.

She began focusing on the more positive outcome of school. Of course, she kept in touch with Tony as often as she could. He had become more like a brother to her than anything else, and she was grateful for the notion. When McCoy was usually distracted with Nancy, she would often call him and talk about things such as his parents passing away or how his career was going.

It was with that notion when she decided to call him after classes were finished. McCoy was currently distracted with Nancy, which gave her the perfect chance to catch up. It had been a week since the funeral for his parents, and Tony hadn't exactly been the same since then. Not that Emily didn't expect him to fully recover from what happened. The loss of his parents had taken a heavy toll on him, and he was still trying to process what happened.

"I'm busy right now, call back when I'm not drunk out of my mind," Tony quickly snapped after answering the call.

Emily rose an eyebrow in disbelief. His voice held a slur to it, telling her he was at least being honest. Yet that didn't stop the worry from churning within her when she saw how disheveled he looked. It was worse than last week; at least then his friend Rhodes had been there to help pull him out of that slump.

"Yeah, you look like you're real busy," she snorted in response while eyeing him critically. Tony finally looked at her with a scowl. "Ton, you look like hell."

"That's pretty much what happens when you drown yourself in alcohol and work for over twenty-four-hours," he retorted. "Why are you calling? Thought Coulson was trying to cut off all ties with us."

"Papa would have to kill me first before he could do that," she scoffed without missing a beat. Still, that didn't stop the knot from twisting in her gut when she saw how bad he really was. "How long has it been since you got a full night's sleep?"

She knew she was being a hypocrite when it came to getting decent sleep. Before she and McCoy made up, sleep had been few and in between. Between the nightmares and everything else, she didn't know what was worse. She was just grateful McCoy had reached out to her when she did… she was terrified of wondering how close she had been to losing everything.

"About a day or so at least," he replied with a shrug. "I've been working on that suit you asked for; most of the material is already finished. Just have to calibrate the technology and stabilize—"

"Tony, while I'm grateful you were working on the suit, I'm more concerned about your mental health," she pointed out. He was the one who offered to design a suit that could hide her scars. According to Tony it was possible to design a suit that felt and looked like real skin. The only time she would ever have to take it off was when she felt like it. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm almost finished—"

"I mean it, Tony," she snapped when she realized he was trying to make excuses. "Look, I know I'm not much better when it comes to losing sleep, but I will call in Rhodes to knock some sense back into your ass if you keep this up."

Tony snorted at that; Rhodes cared enough about his friend that he would do just that if it meant keeping him safe and sane.

"Okay, Mom," he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You know you're starting to sound a bit like her."

"Good," she smiled in response, this time a genuine one, "Maybe that'll kick your ass if you fall out of line again."

The genius merely rolled his eyes once more before signing off. Emily let out a heavy sigh and glanced out the window. She was grateful that Tony had designed the suit in question. People had begun asking questions as to where the scars came from and why some of them were worse than usual. About the only consolation she had was that she had so far been able to avoid answering said questions. She shook her head at the thought, knowing full-well that nothing good would come out of people figuring out where the scars came from.

.

.

Over the next few weeks, Emily had begun adjusting well to life with Nancy and McCoy dating. She spent most of her free time working on projects for the STEM program or the gymnastics team. Within that time-frame the instructors and coaches had become thoroughly impressed with how skilled she was. It raised more than a few questions as to whether or not she was on steroids or some other kind of drug. Thankfully Coulson was able to dismiss those claims, though not without giving her a stern talk on showing off in front of everyone. Emily had since-then begun backing off, though she continued dominating in the STEM program.

She kept in touch with Tony after their latest talk a few weeks ago. While he was still a hot mess getting himself into trouble, he seemed to be feeling better after their last talk. She had little doubt Rhodes had finally gotten to him. Within that time-frame he finished the suit he had been working on earlier that month.

Emily eyed the suit curiously as she pried it on for the first time. It seemed to fit her like a glove, almost like it was made for her. Then again, it was. Tony had taken everything into consideration, from comfort to size and looks. The suit itself was invisible to the naked eye – she was grateful for that since it also covered some of the more visible scars. What took her by surprise was the fact that she could hardly tell there was a suit on her. The only telltale signs was how it moved with her skin. Every now and then she would feel a pinch here and there, but she knew it would take time to adjust to that movement.

She couldn't hide the small smile as she finally took a picture of said suit and sent it to Tony, knowing full-well he'd be proud of the work.

'It fits like a glove,' — Coulson

'I'm glad to hear it. Rhodes was worried it would bring out your curves and everything, but I figured you wouldn't care,' — Stark

She smirked at the mention of Rhodes' concern over her wellbeing. Since she and Tony spent so much time keeping in touch with each other, Rhodes had also become a good friend through him. The kid was smart, probably smarter than Tony gave him credit for. She knew he was planning on signing up for the military, especially since his family had also served in every war he could think of.

'Tell him I said hi, and thanks for his concern,' — Coulson

Once that task was finished, Emily wasted no time in getting ready for school. McCoy was already waiting for her outside at the bus stop. His expression was filled with something other than the usual mask of calmness she was used to seeing. She knew he had been spending the evening with Nancy, so she had no doubt that was what was on his mind. Of course, it was easier to read his thoughts when they were so open.

"You look happier than usual," he finally cut through the awkward silence after noticing something about her was different.

He couldn't quite figure out what was different about her, though. Emily did a good job at masking her emotions around him and everyone else. The only time McCoy ever saw the real her was when they were alone. Emily preferred it that way… she wasn't in any hurry to leave herself exposed to future attacks from classmates.

"Tony and I were just finishing up a project for the STEM fair coming up next month," she explained with a shrug.

That at least was partly true. After finding out about her involvement with the STEM program, Tony practically jumped at the opportunity to help out where he could. As an engineer on weapons and just about anything technologically related, he was an expert and loved proving his point. Though Emily was often quick to put him back in his place, something of which he secretly admired. She supposed that was one of the many reasons they got along so well.

"You know, you've been spending a lot more time with him than usual," he suddenly muttered in an accusing tone. Emily nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance when she guessed where this was headed. "Are you dating him?"

The moment he blurted out the question was when the words caught in his throat. Emily crossed her arms in amusement when she realized what was happening. Through his facade, she could see the jealousy written across his face. Try as he might to hide it, Leonard McCoy was actually jealous over the fact that she had been spending more time with someone outside of school.

"If we were dating, it isn't as if you'd be bothered by the notion," she replied nonchalantly. "Considering you have Nancy to keep yourself occupied, it isn't as if I have anyone else my age to talk to. Plus, there are benefits to talking to someone who can match my level of intelligence."

She added the last part with a knowing smirk. McCoy's jaw practically dropped as he realized what she was implying. She hadn't denied his accusation, but she wasn't telling the truth either. She found the whole thing amusing as she reached the classroom, though not without sending Tony a message.

'Apparently people think we're dating,' — Coulson

There was a pause as she focused on what the class was about this time around. Their main topic of interest was based off of World War III. She had already done a base study of the Augments and their involvement in the war. The Augments were a dangerous group of people, especially when they were led by the notorious Khan. She could still remember shuddering at the violent images that popped up on the web when she searched for stories leading to her older STEM project.

'I mean, it wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? Would be fun to lead people on and confuse them.' — Stark

Emily rolled her eyes in exasperation at his last message. She knew he was just toying with her at that point. After seeing how protective Coulson was of her, he knew better than to try pulling off any moves. Plus she was fairly certain Rhodes also saw her as a younger sister; she'd seen him knock Tony upside the head a few times when he caught the genius gawking at her on more than one occasion.

'For one thing, I'm pretty sure Papa would cut off your testicles and leave them rotting in the sun. For another, Rhodes would probably follow,' — Coulson

She couldn't help but smirk as she pictured the image playing in her mind. Sure enough, Tony was quick to respond.

'Thanks for that mental image. Now I'm gonna have to wash my eyes out.' — Stark

By now she was struggling not to laugh. The teacher had on more than one occasion caught her sending someone a message here and there. The first time it happened was when Tony warned her about his parents' death. Thankfully the teacher had been more than understanding after she explained the situation while leaving out his name. The last thing she wanted was for the whole school to find out that she was friends with Tony Stark.

Thankfully the teacher had been too busy lecturing everyone on the merits of why the Augments had been a terrible idea. She almost rolled her eyes at the thought. Not all of them had been like Khan. Some of the Augments had opposed his rule and tried fleeing his wrath, but Khan ruled over his people with an iron grip. Those who opposed him paid a high price, and history had not been kind to them.

"Next week we will be discussing the difference between the serum used for the Augments and the Super Soldier Serum, which was also the leading cause to this war," the teacher suddenly announced.

That sent a shiver of unease through Emily. She knew Coulson was a big fan of Captain America and the work Doctor Erskine had put in for the Super Soldier program. Since then many others had tried developing a serum similar to the one he used for Captain America. His work had never been saved, and he took his results with him in death.

She tried pushing those uneasy thoughts aside as she made her way to the lunch hall. Nancy of course was waiting outside of class when she arrived.

"I've been noticing you look happier than usual," the black-haired girl remarked. "This wouldn't happen to do with the way you kept looking at your com, would it?"

Emily rose an eyebrow at the girl's question. Even McCoy had picked up on how much happier she seemed lately. Talking to someone like Tony was like a breath of fresh air. They shared somewhat similar experiences when it came to parental care… at least for her in the beginning. That topped with the fact that Tony was on par when it came to intelligence helped.

"I've been keeping in touch with a friend from across the world," she explained with a shrug. "We sometimes work together on projects and help each other out."

Nancy seemed to take her response into consideration as they stopped at the lunch room. It was bustling with activity as usual. Emily hadn't missed the fact that Pamela was sitting further away from them, shooting her a dirty look along the way. Nancy pursed her lips when she too noticed the withering looks that followed.

"You know, I don't think Pamela's ever gotten over the way you acted earlier," she said thoughtfully. Emily grimaced at that. Of course Pamela hadn't reacted well to her earlier behavior. She understood why, though it hurt to know that she'd pushed the redhead away. "I am glad we got to stay as friends. I doubt Leo would've taken kindly to it if we were at each other's throats."

"Probably not," Emily replied with a light laugh. She paused and thought of McCoy's earlier question. It stung to know that he and Nancy were so close. The two of them would often return to his house after school, either leaving her behind in the process or ignoring her entirely. She supposed that was why she spent so much more time talking to Tony nowadays. "I take it Leonard took you on a date the other night?"

"Is it that obvious?" the other girl asked while trying to hide the blush that followed.

"Your cheeks are flushed and you've been sighing dramatically since we got here," Emily reported after observing her behavior.

"He kissed me!" she finally declared. That was enough for Emily to stiffen in surprise. "Leo kissed me last night, and it was even more amazing than I could've imagined!"

It wasn't until Nancy made that announcement that Emily found her anger growing. The fork in her hand nearly snapped in half, and it took every bit of self restraint to control her temper. She'd known it was bound to happen. McCoy had been dating Nancy for almost a year now. It made sense for him to make that move. Yet that didn't stop the hurt from tugging painfully at her heart.

"Congratulations," she said through gritted teeth.

Luckily Nancy hadn't noticed her sudden rise in temper. She was too over-the-moon with what happened the other night. Emily had been focused on her STEM fair project that she hadn't noticed them sitting on the porch. Or the fact that McCoy's thoughts had been a whirlwind of emotions later that night.

"Right, about that… I was wondering if you planned on stopping whatever it is the two of you have." Emily's blood ran cold when Nancy suddenly returned to her earlier composure. Blue eyes seemed to stare right through her, almost as if they were boring holes into her. "I know Leo talks about you all the time, and I know why. It's obvious he cares about you, possibly as more than just a friend, and I can't have that sort of competition."

It only took a split second for her to register what the other girl was implying. Nancy's eyes suddenly became cold, icy blue orbs. The light conversation from earlier had changed on a dime, and it took Emily a few seconds to figure out how to respond. So she laughed instead, hoping that Nancy hadn't been serious.

"You do realize that Papa would kill anyone who tried approaching me that way, right?" she deadpanned.

She wasn't joking either. But Nancy seemed to take that as a challenge.

"I'm well aware of your reputation for being a genius and a future pro-athlete," the raven-haired girl insisted. "But I'm also aware that people don't just look at each other the way he does with you and claim they don't feel anything. He needs someone who understands him and can give him a normal life."

Those words cut through her like a knife. Emily realized with a start that she made a valid point. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew McCoy would never have a normal life if he continued being her friend. The more she thought about it, the guiltier she felt. He was sacrificing his own time just to be with her, especially when he had his whole future ahead of him.

"I can't just drop everything and leave," she whispered.

Nancy just rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Oh please. Even I know the school has a program that allows students to graduate early if their GPA is high enough. And I'm willin' to bet yours is."

For a moment, Emily didn't know how to respond as she understood what Nancy meant by that. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Once she cut off McCoy out of her life, she would have nothing to hold her back from graduating early. And she realized with a start that that theory was beginning to sound more appealing than it should have.

"Alright, fine," she finally snapped after realizing there was no backing out of this mess. Her eyes narrowed with cold fury as she finally looked at Nancy. The other girl seemed to flinch under those piercing eyes, having just realized that she could be a dangerous enemy when provoked. "But if you do anything to hurt him, you will regret it."

A flicker of triumph swept across blue eyes, but the moment Emily made that threat was when the triumph faded into fear. She gulped as Emily backed slowly away from the table, knowing full-well this wasn't the last time they would see each other. She just hoped that she was making the right choice.