*Hi guys! I just wanted to warn you there are mentions of child abuse in this chapter. I hope all enjoy!

I stare at them and consider lying. However, I think they'll know if I do. I think my best bet is to stay quiet and maybe they'll get bored.

After about five minutes of me thinking they were going to drop it, Tony whispers, "Were they about Dani?"

I stiffen at that before letting out a dry laugh, "I wish they were only about her. I wish I could only think about that."

"Why?" Tony asks softly. It occurs to me that he did not know how his daughter died. Honestly, I think I am more willing to share that than my dream.

"Do you want to know how she died?" I ask, also glancing at Pepper who had yet to move from my side.

"You're deflecting, kid."

I shrug, "Trauma's trauma. Plus, she was your daughter. Do you want to know?"

I watch him take a sharp intake and share a look with Pepper. He swallows but stays quiet.

"If you want to tell us AJ, you can," Pepper says gently.

I swallow, "When we were seven, Dani had her first heart attack. We were playing outside in the yard and she dared me to sneak out. I said no and I had turned around to have plausible deniability for when our mom asked. I heard her collapse. I ran to her and she refused to wake up. We were lucky the ambulance got there when it did. She got diagnosed with congestive heart failure. For the next year we were in and out of the hospital with our mom. Then after the Snap, we were thrown into foster care."

"Your Mom died during the Snap?"

I swallow and look down. My hand was shaking. I take a shaky breath, "Ummm...she blipped. Anyways, we were tossed around from foster home to foster home 'cause nobody wanted a sick kid."

I stop because I don't really want to go on but I feel Pepper gently rub my back to encourage me to keep going.

"As you guys guessed earlier, most of them were abusive. People weren't exactly happy after half the world died. It wasn't too bad when we lived with the McKneels. They were mean and abusive but they weren't the worst. Plus, Carmen and her Mom were nearby."

"And the worst?" Pepper asked softly. I glance over at Tony and I can see his knee going a mile a minute. I glance at my knee repeating the same motion. Like father like son I suppose.

"The uh… Wilsons. They um...expected a lot of Dani and I. Dani was sick and couldn't do a lot of her chores. I tried to do as many as I could but they would inevitably find out and try to beat her. I tried to take as many as I could but sometimes after I blacked out they would hit her too. At least until Mr. Wilson was less angry. Sometimes I would wake up and get in between them."

I paused. I could hear Tony's knee going and Pepper breathing evenly, in order to stay calm. My mouth felt dry as I tried to block out the images swimming in front of my mind. I watched as my own knee went up and down. It reminded me of the steady rhythm I get into when I run.

I swallow, "One day...I uh...got hit really hard. I was out for a bit and I have no idea how long. When I awoke, the house was empty. Usually, Mr. Wilson would try to make Dani work cleaning the shed. I went out there, figuring she was there. It was weird because the door was partially open, which it never was because the Wilson's always liked to lock it. I opened the shed door….and...she was lying there on the ground. I ran to her and I saw the bruises on her face. I turned her over and she was pale. I shook her and called her name but she wouldn't wake up. I started CPR but...well she's not here, is she?" I finish with a watery chuckle.

I look up and when I hear Tony jump up next to me. He walked a few feet away and I saw him take a sharp breath. Pepper put her hand on my shoulder and I could hear her swallow her own emotion.

I look up towards Tony, "So now you know."

I see him nod and I'm struck with a thought, "I'm sorry."

He stiffens and slowly towards me, "What...why?"

I shrug, "You didn't get the chance to know her, so I'm sorry."

He swallows, "And I'm sorry you lost your sister and you had to go through all of that."

Pepper nodded in agreement.

He hesitated before saying, "And I am also sorry that whatever you were dreaming was worse than telling us that."

I swallow back my tears, "Me too."

Pepper wraps me in a hug as Tony joins us on the couch and puts his arm around me. For once, I embraced the comfort.


"Wow, twice in a year J? I'm not supposed to see you until you're an old man."

I sit up and I realize I'm in a field. I glance to my left, and see Dani sitting next to me looking down at me with a smirk.

I sit up slowly, "I'm not dead or in any kind of jeopardy, am I?"

She shakes her head, "Nope but you're not coping."

"What are you talking about? I told Pepper and Tony about you, didn't I?"

She gave me a look, "Yes but you were going to do that anyways. Plus, it's been 4 years and you've kind of already found closure from my death."

"What?! No I haven't!"

She gave me a soft smile, "Haven't you? You have a great relationship with Morgan and the rest of our siblings and you have a new friend in Nolan. Your first real friend and sense of family since I died and you started running. J, I think you're done running."

I sit there and look at her silently, "What...what if I don't want to stop running?"

She looks at me, "You think that if you keep running, you can save me. That you can get to the shed faster maybe before my heart stops. But you and I both know you had no control over that and that I was going to die anyways. Whether from the Wilsons beating me or the lack of oxygen getting to my blood on a daily basis."

I swallow, "Yeah, I know."

"And you also know, that running faster to the hospital isn't going to bring Mom back."

I inhale sharply.

She looks at me, "J, it's been a year. You gotta at least address it."

"No, I actually don't. It's easier not to. But thank you, dead sister, for the advice."

I stand up and start to storm off.

"Antonio, where do you think you're going?" I stopped abruptly when I heard that voice. I didn't turn around. This is a dream. Wake up Jarvis. Wake up.

"Mijo, you can't run from me forever."

I swallow, "I'm not ready."

My eyes popped open and I was still on the couch. I glanced around and saw Tony at the kitchen counter with Peter, cooking something. I stretch before getting up and glancing at the clock, seeing that was 7 am. Wow, it's been a long morning.

As I enter the kitchen Peter turns and gives me a nod while Tony says, "Sleep better this time?"

I shrug, "Sure."

I glanced at whatever was in the bowl he was mixing, "What is that?"

Peter smirked, "I told you that didn't look like pie crust."

I raise my eyebrows at that, "I'm sorry that's supposed to be what?"

Peter burst out laughing, unable to hold back. Tony shot him a dirty look before turning back to me, "A pie crust. Pepper had to run to the office and I wanted to surprise her when she came back by making a quiche. You know, an upgrade from an omlette. I just didn't think a pie crust would be so hard."

I looked at him, "Yeah, that's not a pie crust. What time is she coming back?"

"Uh, Friday?"

"Ms. Potts should be back by 9 am."

I sigh, "Oh good. We have time to fix this."

Tony looks at me bewildered, "You know how to make a pie crust?"

I nod as I look in the kitchen grabbing flour, measuring cups, sugar, and salt.

"Yes, yes I do. At least better than you do. Throw whatever you made out," I say as I make sure there is cold butter in the fridge before turning to Tony and Peter.

Tony rolls his eyes, "It's not that bad!"

Peter looks at Tony's mess and then at Tony, "Yes it is. You should probably do what he says."

Tony grumbles but goes to throw it out.

I grab the butter from the fridge along with a cutting board and knife. When Tony turns back around I hand him the knife and board, "Start chopping the butter up into squares."

Tony nods and begins to chop while I grab the mixer and start combining the dry ingredients.

Peter looks over at me, "So, AJ, how's Ms. Rice's English class?"

I groaned internally. I had completely forgotten the assignment that had triggered me earlier in the day. The paper was technically due today but I had planned to make up something before I passed out.

I shrugged, "Alright I guess."

Tony perked up at that, "Are you falling behind? Do we need to get you another tutor? Or we could-"

I held up my hand to stop him, "Tony, I'm good. I uh… was just kind of struggling with the last assignment."

A look of realization crossed Tony's face, "Is that the one I saw on your computer earlier?"

The dry ingredients were done mixing and Tony was done chopping, "Yeah."

I turned to look for the food processor I knew Pepper had in here somewhere.

"You know, I can tell the school that the five years for hard for you and you don't want to talk about it. They shouldn't make kids talk about that."

I grab the food processor and bring it over to the dry ingredients and butter, "Well that was the second option. The first one was to write about how grateful the Avengers brought everyone back."

Peter looked at me perplexed, "Why wouldn't you choose to write that?"

I put everything in the food processor and pulse it a few times to make sure the butter was broken up and evenly distributed. I then transferred the mixture to the mixing bowl I used earlier and went to grab a bottle of ice water from the fridge. I know Tony and Peter are waiting for me to respond, but I'm not sure I want to.

"J?" Tony asks.

I focus on pouring water into the mixture, and forming the dough blob in my hands.

"Mijo, you can't run forever."

"My mom died that day."

Tony looked up sharply, but didn't say anything. I picked up the bowl and stuck it in the fridge so it would chill.

I glanced at him, "So, I'm not really inclined to write either essay. Hence, the class is going alright."

I stare at them awkwardly, knowing they're surprised by what I said. I didn't really want to elaborate and I was kind of hoping neither would ask.

Tony cleared his throat, "Ok, well I'll still talk to your teacher. What's next?"

I sighed a sigh of relief as over the next hour or so, I taught them how to make a proper quiche. I am really over the emotional stuff, for the day.


Later that night, I was working on a sketch in my room when I heard a knock on my door. I look up and see Tony walk in, "Pack a bag, we're getting away for the weekend and Monday."

"We're are we going?"

Tony looked at me with a bemused look, "What, no complaints about missing school?"

I shrug, "Nolan will text me about all my classes and my tutors will be happy to have had today and have Monday off."

"You and Peter had the exact opposite reaction."

"So, where are we going?"

"Missouri," he says as he walks out of my room

"What's in Missouri?" I call after him, but get no response. Great, just great.