Notes:

Just a reminder, consent is important in care. As a teen I spent too many years being poked, prodded and touched by medical professionals and massage therapists who (with the exception of the Physiotherapist I saw for 3 years) rarely told me what they were going to do, and never asked if I was ok with it. We can do better.

"Could we at least get that lump of rust out of the parking garage. Actually... why don't we go car shopping? That could be fun." I restrained my anxiety over the idea, I knew how much he enjoyed shopping. Must be fun to be a millionaire.

I'd barely finished chewing the last bite on my plate before I was being dragged out the doors by an over enthusiastic Tony and a grinning Happy. As we pulled out of the garage, we saw a tow truck pulling my old Trans-Am out of the parking space where I had left her. I insisted on going to remove the last of my things before she got hauled off (a polar bear that hung from my mirror, a hunting knife in the console, a few odds and ends in the glove box) Tony watched me stash them in my pack with a raised eyebrow.

"The pocket knife isn't enough for you?" My mind flashed back to scattered memories of the accident nearly two decades ago.

"Seatbelts." I said, assuming that was answer enough. Tony didn't agree given his expression. "To cut myself out. In case of fire or... or, water." I hardened my voice to force out the last words, steel. Happy eyes flicked from the road into the rearview mirror for a moment, a heavy silence filled the car, slightly dispelled when Tony had to answer a phone call.

I watched the streets as we made our way, people living their lives, meeting friends, going about their business. When we stopped, I gaped at the sign on the side of the building.

"Uh… Tony? You may be made of money, but I'm sure not."

"I've got an in, and this one requires a Midas touch." Tony was all confidence, exiting the car and walking to the waiting group of suits. Happy opened my door before I managed to pull my thoughts together. I walked up to the entourage surrounding Stark with a false bravado, listening to threads of a conversation.

"Mum is waiting inside."

"How's your little girl?"

"You really think She can fix my neck?" this last was spoken with distrust and no small amount of disgust at my appearance. Foreboding filled me as I realized which 'Midas' touch Tony had meant. My stomach dropped at the looks I was receiving. I raised my chin in defiance. I would not be cowed by such men. Tony, reading the change in atmosphere stepped in.

"Ms. Wild, happens to be quite good at what she does. And-" He raised a hand to stop them interrupting, "If you cannot show her proper respect, We, can take our business elsewhere." He made a move as if to return to the car. Half a dozen voices objected instantly and a lady stepped forward to shake my hand, manners all deferential. "Please excuse them, we were not sure what to expect." Her eyes rolled at the group of men as she led me towards the glass doors. "Mr. Stark said you are a healer. Is it true? My little girl…" her voice cracked as we passed into another room, and I noticed a child in a wheelchair and an elderly lady sitting on a comfortable looking couch. I turned away from my guide and stepped towards the child, she shrank away from our approach, 6 maybe 7 years old. I sat on the floor right in front of her, below her eye level.

"My name is Sharice, but you can call me Shay, or Sure, or Sher, or even…" I lowered my voice conspiratorially, "Cherries." That got a giggle. "What can I call you?"

"Lucy." Was the shy response.

"Alright Lucy, why do you think I'm here?" I was gauging her expectations with this question. Concerned that someone may have given her false hope.

"Mummy says you might make me feel better." Her eyes were downcast, a little ashamed.

"Would you mind telling me about it?" She wouldn't meet my eyes and her mother answered for her.

"The doctors think her legs are misaligned, she doesn't walk properly."

"But it hurts mummy!" I watched her scrunch her face in frustration. The group from outside were standing behind me, muttering, pacing.

"I want all of you to leave, family can stay." I turned with absolute authority to the group and daunted, they left. Tony was wandering the dealership, casting his eyes in my direction occasionally. A man in a grey suit sat next to the elderly woman, another in blue stood beside Lucy's mother.

"Lucy, I believe you. If you want, I can try to help you. I can't promise that it will work. And it might hurt a bit, ok?" her little green eyes met mine again and I smiled, encouraging. "Here, put your hand on my shoulder, if you want me to stop, you just squeeze and I'll stop. Ok?" her tiny nod blossomed trust in my chest. I placed a gentle hand on her knee. Pain dull and throbbing in my hips. "It's going to feel a little bit numb, ok?" I waited for her nod, then * freeze*. "This might hurt a little bit, ok?" she tucked her chin into her chest, ready. I allowed the sense to travel up her legs, finding the tendons and tissues, feeling the unnatural twists and positions. "Is it ok if I put my hands here?" I demonstrated- placing my hand on the outside of my own hip.

"Get on with it already." Came the muttered voice of the father, quickly hushed by his wife.

"Would that be ok Lucy?" I waited.

A tiny "ok."

I placed my hands on both sides of her hips, giving her time to squeeze my shoulder if she was uncomfortable. I put a gentle pressure on my finger tips and shut off more nerves, knowing this could be intensely painful. I thought through the feeling in my own hips, *unwind, untwist, detach, connect, there, hold that* her fingers spasmed on my shoulder and I let go, sitting back on my knees.

"Baby, are you ok?" The mother wrapped an arm around Lucy. She hiccupped and nodded.

"I'm ok… is it done?" emerald eyes welling with unshed tears.

"I'm almost done Lucy." Another tiny nod and she put both hands on my shoulders, pulling my forward. "Ok, deep breath Lucy, you're so brave." I locked eyes with the lady, "Mum, I think it might help if you understand. I can help you feel what Lucy feels, just for a moment." Her eyes were clouded with doubt but she finally nodded. I placed a hand on her shoulder and Lucy and allowed the pain to transfer, watching the eyes tear up. I released the mum, shushing her with a finger. "Ok, Lucy this time I want you to squeeze me as much as you can, it'll be over in a second." The pressure of small hands on my shoulders steadied me. I took a moment to check that all the muscles were correctly positioned, the nerves connected properly. Then removed the freezing effect. Lucy gasped a little and I leant back again. "Ok. Lucy, I did everything I could. Now its your turn to be a hero, ok?" her eyes widened. "You're going to have to learn how to walk all over again. Its going to be hard and frustrating and sometimes it'll hurt. But I know that You can do it!" I nodded with her little determined face.

I stood up to face the parents. "You need to get her to a good physiotherapist. I'd recommend this one." I passed them a card for Andrews, my business partner. "And trust her, Lucy here has excellent instincts." I smiled at her and then stepped to the couch, sitting on the lady's left side. I could feel the throbbing of her nerves without even touching her.

"Hello dear."

"Hi."

"My son thinks you might be a miracle worker." She patted his hand affectionately.

"I don't." She said, looking into my face. Resolute, calm, pain. "The cancer has taken too much of me away."

"You are right. I cannot cure cancer. I can only work with muscles and tendons." I offered my hand. "I can, however, help with the pain. I'm afraid that is all I can do." Wrinkled, age-spotted fingers, swollen knuckles wrapped around my palm, the pain singing through my limbs. I watched her stoic face as her son choked back a sob. Gently following the threads of her nerves, I systematically blocked pain receptors, leaving only a few on each nerve bundle. "You will still feel some pain, it is necessary." Having completed the job, she took a deep breath. Relaxed, calm, at peace. I matched her smile and stood, addressing the families. "I don't know what Stark promised you, or what you may have been willing to pay for it, but I am not a miracle worker. All I ask, is that you pay it forward." I spoke with finality and walked from the room.

Deeply uncomfortable with the situation I had been put in, I stalked towards Tony. "I am not. Your show monkey Stark, what was that?" I hissed, watching his eyes widen in apprehension at my murderous glare.

"I may have hinted, that someone with a gift for healing needed a new car. I wasn't specific, no promises were made." He held his hands up in surrender.

"I won't accept that," I pointed at the cherry red convertible beside him, "kind of payment for helping a cancer patient and a child." I kept my voice low and kept my back to the gawking suits.

"Nobody said you had to. But… If you wanted to… That jerk from before, he's willing to pay a pretty penny for someone to fix his neck. Might as well be you, instead of some other less… scrupulous person, yeah?" The grin he gave me then, did begin to fracture my resolve.

"Fine, but not red." I crossed my arms at his little victory dance.

"Alright, no red… how about… blue?" He walked towards another car spreading his hands wide. I scanned the show room, considering.

"That one." I walked towards the car that had caught my eye. Smooth lines, silver curves, black rims, it was beautiful. One of the suits stepped forward, eager to open the door for me. I settled into the black leather, ignoring the list of features the agent was rattling off.

"Test drive?"

Tony got in the passenger seat, someone handed me keys and the bay door opened for us. The ride was smooth, the engine- a gentle purr. The car handled beautifully; control- unlike any vehicle I'd driven before. Against my will, I fell in love. We pulled back onto the lot, and I let Tony deal with the gentlemen in question. Finally seeing Tony beckoning to me, I stepped into the office, wrinkling my nose at the smell of cigar smoke.

"You fix this gentlemen's neck and sign this and she's yours." The inflection on the word gentlemen was a warning, clearly for Grumps benefit, his arms folded, leaning in his chair as though it were a throne.

"Fine." I didn't spare him my usual compassion, just stepped close enough to grasp just over his collar. I recognized an old whiplash injury and quickly, if a bit brutally *fixed* it, ignoring both the pain in my own neck and the gasp from Grump. Feeling the scar tissue beginning to dissolve as the muscles returned to natural positions, I removed my hand.

I read and signed the proffered papers, before grabbing the keys. "You should drink plenty of water over the next couple of days." I walked out, Tony trailing behind me.

"That went well. I have to admit I enjoyed watching that jerk wriggle under your thumb." Tony was of course, chipper as ever. Happy opened the door to the car we had taken to get here, and Tony slid in. "Meet you back at the tower?"

"I'll be a bit, just wanted to grab a few things from the apartment."

"Sure, later Genie." I waved them off and slid into the car that now had my name on it, an Alpha Romeo 4c.