Lavendor Queen, not gonna lie, your last review brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much! Thank you to all who leave comments, even the smallest ones. They mean so much and they make me want to just update immediately.
Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.
Words: 3,596
Peter awakes with a yawn. He stretches his limbs before dropping back into his mattress. He lets his eyes close with a sigh before he pulls himself up. He dresses before going across the hall.
Ada's door is cracked. It's the first thing he notices before he pushes it open. Her blankets are messed up on her bed, but she's not there. Her phone is resting on the nightstand, still plugged in. Her bag is open on the other side of the room but there's no other sign of the girl.
Humming, Peter turns and leaves the room in search of his friend. Maybe she's already in the kitchen for breakfast.
When that doesn't pan out, Peter continues to look for Ada. She's not in the common either. He wanders the halls until he comes upon the library. It was one of the only other places he could think to look that makes any sense.
Entering the room, Peter slows his pace when he sees Loki lounging in one of the chairs, a book in his lap. "Uh, Mr. Loki," He starts hesitantly and the god raises an eyebrow at the boy in question. "Have you see Ada?"
Loki barely lifts his eyes to the teenager before nodding to the couch in front of him. The back is to Peter so the boy can't see his sleeping friend until he walks around to the front.
She looks peaceful. Her face as relaxed as he's seen it in a long while. Peter suddenly doesn't want to wake her. He'd be a fool not to notice that she hasn't been sleeping well. It would be cruel to pull her from probably the best rest she's gotten lately.
It's still early, Peter reasons, she can sleep for a while longer. He chances another glance at Loki to see him reading. He really is different from his brother. Thor isn't as loud as he thought he'd be, but Peter can't imagine the blonde god sitting so still and reading.
Clearing his throat quietly, Peter takes a seat on the couch by Ada's feet and pulls out his phone to pass the time. When he notices that Loki doesn't seem to mind the extra company, the teenager relaxes more and an hour passes before he realizes it.
Movement out of the corner of his eye catches Peter's attention. He turns his phone off and turns his head to see Ada rubbing her eyes. "You got major bed head." The statement earns him a pillow to the face and he chuckles.
"You should find a mirror," Ada mumbles as she sits up, gaze roaming over Peter's mussed hair. She yawns and stretches, blinking away the blurriness in her vision. Unlike usual, she has no desire to go back to sleep. She feels awake. Not tired. Not even stiff from sleeping on a couch all night.
"Hungry?" Peter asks and Ada nods lazily without really thinking. "Okay, come on." He jumps from the couch and marches towards the door, standing in wait for his friend who moves slower than him.
Ada looks over to Loki who's still reading as if they weren't even in the room and mumbles. "Thank you," Looking up, he offers her a small smile and she turns to join Peter's side.
The kitchen is much more lively than an hour ago. Steve is once again cooking with Sam's help. Natasha is nursing a cup of tea with Bruce at the table. Vision and Wanda are sitting at the counter talking with each other. Thor is nowhere to be seen.
"There you are," Mr. Stark greets them as they enter, a mug of coffee in one hand. "I was starting to think you'd run off." Huffing, Ada's lips twitch as she falls onto one of the barstools next to Peter. She likes being here. It's nice at the compound, it feels normal. Here, she's not constantly reminded of the fact that she'll never go home again. Never see her father again.
Ada sits up straighter and looks around to take her mind off that particular thought path. She was having a good morning, no need to ruin it.
"Eat up, kids," Tony says as he places two plates of food in front of each teenager. "Capsickle made enough to feed everyone ten times over."
Ada picks up her food and pushes the sudden sick feeling aside. She takes a deep breath and starts an argument with Peter over waffles being better than pancakes. He doesn't agree.
She does manage to eat more than usual. Which is good, she has to eat with her meds or they'll make her sick. She wants to laugh at that. She already feels sick most of the time. Though she doesn't take her pain meds. She doesn't feel the need.
Thor wanders in after a while, barely stopping to apologize for waking late - not that it mattered - before he was stuffing waffles in his face. Ada throws a smirk to Peter and the boy rolls his eyes in return.
Once most everyone has cleared out, leaving the kids, Tony, Steve, and Sam, none other than James Buchanan Barnes walks into the room. Ada had known he was there, but just like when Bruce and the others arrived, it was different to actually see him.
She pretends like she hadn't really noticed him as he goes to Steve's side. He says something to his older friend before the blonde opens his mouth to respond but stops, seeming to think of something better. He turns to Tony and nudges the man, gesturing behind him.
"Oh, right," He mumbles under his breath. "Barnes," He catches the man's attention as well as the teenagers and he motions towards them half-heartedly. "Ada my-" Daughter "Peter's friend." He'll work on that. "Ada, Manchurian Candidate."
"Mr. Stark," She whispers to the man, her voice bordering on chastising. She usually finds his nicknames funny and maybe this one was appropriate. But, maybe a little harsh? She doesn't know James Barnes so she honestly couldn't say.
Bucky's lips twitch in surprise at the girl's reaction but he covers it and nods to her before turning back to Steve. He thinks if another teenager pops up later, he won't be surprised. Peter had been a surprise and now this girl, Ada, comes out of nowhere. He'd ask Steve more about it later.
"Uh, I did the dishes last night so," Sam holds his hands up and slowly backs away from the sink. "Good seeing you, Princess." He mumbles to Ada before running from the room. No way he was getting stuck with the chores again.
Clearing his throat, Peter nudges Ada's leg with his hand and she turns to him, eyebrows furrowed. Nodding down, Peter slants his phone under the counter more towards her and she follows his eyes to the screen. She's so surprised by what she sees, Ada has to cover her mouth to stop any noise from bursting out. She's not sure if she should hit Peter over the head or laugh.
Hey, did you hear about that guy who lost his left arm? Well, don't worry, he's all right now.
The screen reads. Peter turns his phone off before sliding it back into his pocket, failing to keep his chuckles down. Once he's started, Ada lets a giggle fall from her own lips. It was rude but she'd admit it was funny. And if that makes her a horrible person then...oh well. And it's not like he doesn't have a left arm anymore, it just wasn't flesh and bone.
"What are you two laughing at?" Mr. Stark asks.
"Nothing," Both teenagers heads snap to the billionaire and they speak at the same time. He puts on an annoyed, disbelieving look but can't help the joy he feels at seeing the smile on Ada's face.
Bright pink lilies. Ada's mother had always been drawn to those flowers. They were always her favorite. Nathan would buy them for her. For a special occasion or just because he felt like it. Ada doesn't think her father had any real interest in flowers. And if he did, she doesn't feel like Epink lilies would be his taste.
Humming thoughtfully, Ada pairs a bundle of blue flowers with the pink. She thinks it looks okay. The bright floral arrangement makes her more sad than anything.
Paying for the flowers, Ada pushes the door open and lets her feet pound down on the sidewalk. The cemetery is far but she doesn't mind the walk. She needs the time...to...prepare. Mr. Stark would've offered to come, the teenager doesn't doubt. That's why she hadn't told him where she was going. Because she didn't want to turn him down or because she knew she wouldn't have been able too, she's not sure.
As if an invisible wall blocks the entrances, Ada stops suddenly and finds that she can't move her feet. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth, knuckles turning white when she grips the flower stems tightly.
Glancing back, Ada considers just leaving. Really, what good will going in do? It's a stupid thought, one she shakes her head at before forcing her legs to move forward. It's a maze of paths and she knows her's well. It's not long before she's standing before not one, but two headstones.
She stares at her mothers. The name Emma Tinnez looks right back at her. It feels different somehow. Almost distant. Ada can't bring her eyes to move just a little to the left. She can see the marble from the corner of her vision, she knows it's there. She's just too scared to look.
Sighing, the teenager unwraps the flowers and places them carefully in the vase between the graves. It's when she stands once more that she finally lets her eyes just those few inches to the left. Her father's name stands out in big letters, almost taunting. She reads the year he was born and the year she's living in now. The year he's not living in.
Loving husband and father. Ada gives in and turns away when she reads those words but she doesn't move any further. Taking a shuddering breath, she looks over her shoulder and mumbles. "I'm s-sorry," Then she's walking faster than before out of the grassy field.
Clearing her throat, Ada wraps her arms around herself and watches as people pass her by. She kicks her feet about, making no effort to go in a certain direction. There's no desire inside of her to go back to the apartment.
When she rounds the street corner, a familiar voice has Ada's steps faltering. "Ada Tinnez," Waiting until the figure reaches her side, the girl turns her head up to meet the owner of the voices blue gaze.
"Christopher Fletcher," She returns the annoying greeting with a small nod.
Smirk dropping, the boy bites the inside of his lip and looks to his feet. "I ah, heard what happened," He says before meeting her gaze again. "Sorry."
"Hm," Ada hums before continuing on her way. Naturally, he follows.
"And for not coming to see you in the hospital,"
"Don't be," Ada tells him easily, voice monotone but sincere. "I should thank you for that, really."
"So," Chris easily changes the topic, for which she is grateful. "What are you up to?" Ada doesn't answer with words but instead gestures out in front of her to nothing. "Great, so you're free?" A shrug and raised eyebrows are the only answer the boy receives.
When he grabs her hand, Ada lets Chris pull her in another direction without question. She wasn't ready to go back yet.
"This is a friend's place," He says over his shoulder as they enter an apartment building. He leads her up a few floors and to a door, knocking before stepping to. "Her parents are never home, so a few of us usually hang out here."
The door opens then, revealing a girl around their age, standing at average hight. She wears a smile and casual clothes, her curly hair pulled into a bun. "Chris," She greets cheerily. "And a friend."
"Maisie," Chris nods to her and pushes past her, pulling Ada with him. "This is Ada, she's gonna hang out for a bit."
"Alright," The girl shrugs before walking past the to the living area where a few other people sit. Teenagers. Another girl with bright blue hair and two boys. "New girl is Ada. This is Simmon and Mike. That's Izzy."
Ada offers a lazy wave and easily plops down onto one of the couches, across from the boys. "Here, help yourself," Izzy lifts a beer bottle from the table and offers it to Ada but she shakes her head.
"I'm not sure if I can, with my medicine." Oh, but how she wishes she could.
"What kind of meds?" One of the boys asks, Ada isn't sure who's who. One has dark hair, the other light. It doesn't really matter.
"I don't know," Ada says with a shrug. "Stuff I can't pronounce."
"How about this?" Chris holds something out and Ada rolls her eyes but accepts the blunt. Her doctor never said anything about marijuana, a little shouldn't hurt.
She coughs a little after the first inhale. "It's been a while," She mumbles as an excuse before bringing the paper back to her lips.
"So, back to these drugs," Izzy pipes up, shifting in her seat to face Ada more. "Any...pain meds?"
Snorting, Ada raises an eyebrow at the girl. "I don't have them on me," She cuts to the chase and tells her, watching the girls shoulder's deflate.
"Ignore her," One of the boys pipes up, leaning forward for a fresh bottle. "She's a real crack head."
"Hey!" Izzy shouts, throwing the closest thing in her reach at the boys head. She misses when he ducks out of the way. "You're worse than me."
"True," He shrugs with a big smirk. As if that's something to be proud of. Ada sighs and inhales more smoke. She's in a room with a bunch of screwed up teenagers. And the fact that she's one of those screwed up teenagers does not escape her attention.
Letting her head fall onto the back of the couch, Ada continues to smoke and listens to the meaningless conversations going on around her. After a while, she starts to feel...not better but, distracted.
It's the sound of her phone that finally pulls her mind out of its fog. She sits up and pulls the device from her pocket. Mr. Stark is asking her to come home for dinner. She should be glad he's let her stay out this long without wanting to know where she is every five minutes.
"I got to go," Ada announces to the room as she stands, bracing her hand on the arm of the couch when she sways, black spots dancing in the corner of her vision. "It's been fun." Not really.
"I'll walk with you," Chris jumps up, waving to his friends before following the girl to the door. She doesn't bother protesting.
"Great friends you got there," She says as they start their way down the sidewalk.
"They're not so bad," Chris shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Maisie has a thing for you," Ada informs the boy who only shakes his head. "She does. I got an eye for that kind of thing."
"Yeah, well," Chris shrugs but says nothing more. "I like the hair, by the way." Ada's hand goes to rest over the beanie on her head. The weather is a little warm for it but the hair that's still going out looks odd so she's taken to wearing it everywhere. But the rest has obviously been cut.
"Thought a change would be nice." She mutters. Truth is she hadn't wanted anything to change, she had been happy, but then everything did change. So why not change something else as well? I is something she could control. And it was so much easier to take care of, that's a bonus.
"It is," Chris nods as they approach her apartment building. "Nice, that is."
"Right, thanks," Ada mumbles blankly. "Thank for...today or whatever."
"Sure," Chris smirks, hands still buried in his pockets as she backs up to her door. "Bye."
"Bye," Spinning on her heels, Ada enters the building and walks around to the elevator that leads straight to her floor. As the thought hits her, the teenager lifts her shirt to her nose a sniffs it. Yeah, no way Mr. Stark won't notice that. "Great," She mumbles to herself.
She can hear Pepper and Tony in the kitchen when she exits the lift. On the way to her bedroom, Ada walks quickly but as unsuspiciously as she can pass them to let her know she's back before jumping into the shower. She washes her hair twice just to be safe and swishes mouth wash on her way out of the bathroom.
Dinner is an uneventful affair. Pepper asks how Ada's day was and the teenager answers before returning the question. More to be polite than out of real interest. Conversations were attempted to be had but in the end, Ada excuses herself early.
Sitting on her bed with no intention of sleeping, Ada wraps her necklace chain around her finger while she stares at the pendant. A knock sounds at her door and she calls out a quiet. "Come in." But she doesn't look up when Mr. Stark enters, nor when he sits beside her.
"You were pretty quiet at dinner." He says after a moment, hands clasped together in front of him.
"Sorry," Ada mumbles without lifting her gaze from the small, silver tree.
"No, it's okay," Tony shakes his head while following the teenager's gaze to her necklace. He hadn't seen it before it was given to him at the hospital. Meaning she was wearing it during the accident. After Pepper gave it back to her, he hasn't seen her without it. "The tree of life?"
Nodding, Ada takes a breath and brings the pendant closer to her. "It was my moms," She tells him in a whisper. "Dad-" Clearing her throat, Ada clenches the necklace. "Dad gave it to me, be-before..."
"It's beautiful," He comments and purses his lips. He doesn't know how to do...this. Comforting, emotions, they aren't his thing. Though he has gotten better than he once was, with Pepper then Peter, they're what started it, who helped him. Then Ada came along. And he's seen Peter and Ada as...his, dare he say, for a while. But now Ada really is his and...he has no idea what he's doing.
Pepper, bless her, she's been so supportive and helpful. If it wasn't for her, Tony doesn't know where he'd be. But she's also running a company. It takes a lot of her time. And after putting so many things off to be with Ada in the hospital and sometime after, there's much to catch up with so she's even busier these days.
"Thank you," Ada mumbles before he can think anymore. She slips the chain over her neck and lets it hang. "For..." Trailing off, Ada shrugs and gestures to nothing. "Yeah." Seems Tony isn't the only one who doesn't know how to express his emotions.
"Yeah," Mr. Stark repeats with a nod and places a hand on Ada's shoulder. "I, uh..."
"It's okay," Ada sighs, doing her best to give him a smile. "I'm just going to go to sleep."
"Right, okay," Tony nods again and stands. "Goodnight, kid. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Mr. Stark," The man himself pauses at the door, turning back as if to say something but instead he drops his head and leaves the room.
Letting out a puff of air, Ada lets her gaze wander over her bare room until it lands on her nightstand. She slides open the top drawer, watching the slightly clear, orange bottles roll as she does. The mostly full bottle holding not-so-small white pills finds its way into her hand. She was supposed to take one as needed for pain but her headaches could be sated by something not as strong. Only a few were missing from just after she'd left the hospital and her back had been bothering her enough for a few days. Pain rarely flared up anymore thought but...
Shaking her head, Ada throwings the bottle back into the drawer and knocks it shut. She climbs under her covers, turning her back to the nightstand. It's hours before she's able to fall asleep.
Tony is kind of struggling with the dad thing. Will get catch on quickly or only have more trouble?
Ada hides it well, but she's...struggling
And Chris? Hmmmmm…..
Also, someone new comes into play the next chapter.
TeaserI: "Well, I..." He trails off, smile growing as he looks to the side and shakes his head. "I have faith that you'll tell the truth."
TeaserII: Ada only wishes they would mind their own damn business
'-'