Don't hate me!
By the time Happy returned, a little under ten minutes after Annabelle had fallen asleep, Tony had moved to the chair by the side of her bed and was leaning back in it, watching his daughter sleep. She was as, if not more, beautiful than her mother. Even after seventeen years, Tony could still remember every feature of Gabriella's in detail, and he was amazed to find them now reflected in their daughter. He couldn't believe the situation he found himself in, Annabelle to; major changes were happening. Happy stood at the edge of the curtain partition, not wanting to disturb either of them, but Tony beckoned him forward, gesturing that he sit in the remaining chair at the foot of the bed.
They continued to sit in silence for a few minutes, Tony wanting a little more time to observe his daughter before the two men started discussing their plans for the following few days. Happy checked the time on his watch before yawning – it had been a long morning and jet lag was a bitch. Tony, noticing this, lent forward, placed his elbows on his knees and rubbed his eyes.
"Did you find out when the consultant would be round?" He whispered softly, trying his best not to wake Annabelle.
"Yeah," said Happy, equally as quiet, leaning forward and closing the distance between them. "She said she'd be round in about half an hour to forty five minutes, seeing another patient or two first."
Tong sighed and nodded towards the sleeping teenager. "She's a lot like her mother, but a lot like me to. It's... strange."
"She has half your DNA, of course she's gonna look like you." Happy gave Tony a sideways smirk. "Poor girl."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Ha ha." He took a moment to think over everything they had spoken about that morning. He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, more to himself than to Happy. "She's worrying about everything a lot more than she's letting on, how could she not be? What if I can't do this? What if I fail her and she hates me for it?"
His last question was directed at Happy, who looked to his boss sympathetically. He patted him lightly on the shoulder before pointing to the sleeping girl on the bed. "When have you ever given up on something without giving it one hundred and ten percent first? You're her dad. You're her only family, you have no choice but to be the best that you can. She won't hate you for trying."
"I'm terrified," Tony murmured, barely audible but Happy still caught it. He wasn't completely able to keep the look of shock from his face – Tony very rarely divulged his feelings to anyone other than Pepper, and even then he sometimes didn't tell her much. He waited patiently for Tony to continue. "She's told me a little of her life; she's insecure and petrified of being rejected and left alone. I want to see if she tells me why before I get JARVIS to look in to her life. I don't want to say or do something that's going to bring what's causing it to the surface and upset her."
"Trial and error, Tony, trial and error. It's gonna be hard, and it's gonna be weird at first, but you'll both get through this." Happy leaned back in his chair, looking serious but there was a small smile playing on his lips. "And if you do mess this up – not that I'm saying you will – but if you do, me, Pepper and Rhodey will be there to help."
Tony stared at Happy's grinning face, nodding slowly and relaxing a little, but not completely. Annabelle's need to be wanted was worrying, along with her comments over his relationship with Pepper. He would need to do everything in his power to give her the emotional support she needed in the coming weeks. To Tony, the emotional recluse, the thought was daunting.
Happy's cell beeped loudly from his pocket, causing Annabelle to flinch in her sleep. Happy whispered an apology as he pulled out his cell while Tony glared at him with a look that could cut glass.
"It's Max." Happy read through the text from their pilot. "He wants to know when you plan on heading back to Calfornia."
Tony sighed, his eye back on Annabelle; she was moving restlessly and he guessed it wouldn't be long before she wakes. He considered the question but knew that, ultimately, it would be down to Annabelle. He nodded towards her. "It depends on Annabelle; whether her doctor says it's okay to fly, if she's emotionally ready to leave. She wants to, but... I... I just don't know. I need to make arrangements for Gabbie."
Happy nodded solemnly, having momentarily forgotten that Annabelle's mom would be making her final trip with them. "I can do-"
"No." Tony cut him off, his tone soft and remorseful. "I'll do it. I want to see her."
"Is that wise, Tony?" Happy was uncertain; she'd been killed in an car accident after all, would she even be recognisable?
"I don't care," said Tony, standing up and straightening his jacket. "If she wakes or the doctor comes, call me... just tell her I'm sorting out the flight home."
Tony left before Happy could say anything to stop him. He re-closed the curtains and took a deep bracing breath before strolling over to the nurses station. Nurse Taxx was chatting to another of the wards nurses. The man, who Tony guessed as being no older than twenty three and wearing more make-up than any woman in the hospital, was gaping open-mouthed at him as he approached the desk. Tony gave the both of them a bright smile.
"Can either of you point me in the direction of the morgue?"
Both nurses exchanged a look, knowing the circumstances under which the American was there. They had both, in turn and together, attended to Annabelle when she first arrived and had had to explain to the poor girl that she wouldn't be able to see her mother, owing to her age and how bad she looked. Nurse Taxx stood and motioned Tony to follow her.
"I'll take you, if you'd like to follow me?"
Tony nodded and followed her off the ward. She led him back through the double doors and down the same hall as earlier that morning. They travelled down in the elevator to one of the lower floors. Where, regardless of his relationship with Pepper, Tony would offer up some harmless flirtation, he just couldn't bring himself to do it in light of current circumstances. They travelled down to the morgue mostly in silence, with Nurse Taxx offering up a one sided conversation. She didn't blame him for not being up for idle chit chat, she thought she'd probably be the same if the tables were turned and she was in his position.
They reached the morgue two minutes later, with Tony hesitating at the entrance. Nurse Taxx had offered to accompany him inside but he'd politely refused, saying that she had a ward to maintain. Tony wasn't sure they would even let him see Gabbie; he wasn't family – he was the estranged father of her daughter, but he had to try... he had to say goodbye. He buzzed the intercom, getting a response a few seconds later.
"Morgue, how may I help?"
Tony grimaced. "My..." What did he say Gabbie was; ex-girlfriend, mother of his child, all of the above? "My daughters mom was killed in a car accident a few days ago. She hasn't been formally identified – I'd like to do that."
"Of course. Can I have her name please?
"Gabriella Cooper"
"And yours?"
"Tony Stark."
"Thank you, Mr Stark. Someone will be with you in a moment."
"Thank you."
It wasn't often Tony Stark felt as though he couldn't do something but, unfortunately, standing outside the doors to a London hospital morgue was one of those times. It had also been almost a year since Tony last suffered a panic attack, but he felt as though his chest was starting to constrict and the walls around him were caving in. He braced himself against the wall, forcing himself to take deep, steadying breaths to control his rapid breathing. It worked, and by the time the door opened in front of him, he was perfectly composed once again.
A petite brunette in her forties was the one who opened the door. She smiled at Tony and beckoned him forward. "Mr Stark? My names Sarah." She held out her hand and he shook it, before stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. "I have to warn you, Mrs Cooper sustained multiple injuries to her face and neck in the accident, and you may find, at first, that she might not be recognisable. You can spend as much time with her as you need, one of my colleagues will be in the room with you if you have any questions."
Tony merely nodded, he was more focused on keeping his breathing under control. Sarah led him through the door she'd came out from and down along the hall before coming to a stop outside one of the viewing rooms. There was a large glass window, a thick dark velvet curtain blocking the room behind from view. He thought, for a moment, that he would only get to see Gabbie through the window, but Sarah keyed in a code to open the door, leading him through. There was a single table, a crisp white sheet covering the body laying underneath from head to toe. They came to a stop at the side of the table, Tony standing one side with Sarah the other. She grasped the corners of the sheet before looking up at him.
"Are you ready, Mr Stark?"
He nodded and she pulled back the sheet to reveal the woman underneath. Tony didn't flinch, take a step back nor move at all. In fact, he stood frozen on the spot. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen Gabbie in over seventeen years; she hadn't changed a bit. He saw right past the deep gash lining the right side of her face, and the scattered cuts that covered her left cheek, and saw the woman that had been his girlfriend all those years ago. She looked as though she could have been sleeping, and for a fleeting moment, Tony expected her eyes to open, and for her to smile up at him. But she didn't... and he was left staring down at her fixed, expression free face.
"Gabbie." He whispered, moving forward to be closer to her.
Sarah gave him him a sympathetic smile and moved to his side. "Mr Stark, I'm sorry to have to ask, but can you confirm for me if this woman is indeed Gabriella Cooper?"
"Yes, she is." Tony turned to Sarah. "When can she be released? I need to arrange for her to be flown home."
"We have a funeral home on standby for arrangements to be made as soon as possible. I can have you sign the paperwork now, if that's what you want?"
"Please."
Sarah left him standing alone next to his former girlfriend. Tony didn't notice the man entering the room (he kept a respectable distance to give Tony the privacy he needed), instead he focused all his attention on the woman laying in front of him.
"Gabbie, I -" Tony faltered, his throat constricting with emotion he hadn't felt before. He moved closer to the table, only stopping when he felt his thighs press against the metal bar. "I wish you'd told me. I know and understand why you didn't, but I wish I'd known. I wish I'd tried to find you. I should never have let you slip away from me so easily. I should have been better, stronger, for you... for you both."
He noticed now that one of her hands had been left exposed. Hesitantly, he reached forward to lay his own over it, only to flinch back when he touched her skin. He wasn't stupid, he had known she wasn't going to be warm, but he hadn't expected her to be that cold. He sucked in a deep breath and grasped on to Gabbie's stone cold hand. "Annabelle, she's... God, Gabbie, she's beautiful, a pure mixture of us both. She's more like you than me; she has your personality and kind nature. My mom... my mom would have been honoured to know her only grandchild bares her name. She loved you like you were her own daughter and she would have loved Annabelle to. You did a brilliant job in raising her... and I can't even imagine how I'm supposed to match up to you and... and Alan. She had two loving parents, and I can only be grateful for that. She hasn't told me a lot about him but I can tell she loved him."
Tony could see the morgue assistant shift uncomfortably, having heard him talking. He lowered his voice to barely even a whisper. "I'm... I'm scared, Gabbie. It's me! I'm Howards son! What if I do as bad a job as he did? What if I fail her like he failed me?"
Tonys cell chimed in his pocket and he pulled it out to discover Happy was calling. He let his thumb hover over the accept icon for a few seconds, knowing why he was being called but also wanting a little more time with Gabbie. In the end, though, Tony took one last look down at the woman laying on the table before him, bent down and placed the lightest of kisses to the least injured part of her forehead. He nodded to the morgue assistant still standing silently at the back of the room and left, finally pressing his thumb down to answer the cell once he was outside the door.
"What's happening, Hap?"
"Doc's making her rounds, Annabelle's next on her list." Happy paused and Tony could hear shuffling and the phone exchanging hands. The next voice he heard brought a smile to his face.
"Hey, Tony." Annabelle sounded as tired as she did before she had fallen asleep.
"Hey, Kid, how ya feeling?"
"Tired, like I haven't slept in days. Are you coming back? My doctor will be here soon." Tony could hear the want and uncertainty in her voice.
"On my way, Annabelle. You need anything?"
"Does getting out of here and in to my own clothes count?"
Tony laughed quietly. "Soon, Kid. See ya in a few."
"Bye."
Tony hung up the phone and re-pocketed it. He stared at the door he'd closed, wanting to go back in but knowing it wouldn't help in any way and he needed to get back up to Annabelle. Instead, he placed his palm flat against the cold metal door and whispered, "You'll be home soon, Gabbie."
"Mr Stark!"
Tony spun round; Sarah was walking towards him, carrying a small pile of paperwork. He'd forgotten there were things he'd have to sign before heading back upstairs. He gave her the briefest of smiles, wanting this to go as quickly as possible. By the time she reached him, Tony already had his pen slipped out of his pocket and ready in his hand.
"Everything ready for me?"
"Hastings and Sons are the best, I assure you, Mrs Cooper will be well taken care of." She handed over the the small pile of papers. "Everything is there, including the release of her personal affects ."
Tony now noticed the thick, dark blue plastic bag she was carrying; no doubt these were the things that had been with Gabriella when she died. "Thank you," he said as he took the bag in one hand and placed it by his feet. He quickly, but thoroughly, read through the documents in his hand and signed his pristine signature on the relevant.l pages. "How long until we can take her home?"
"A day, two at most from when she's moved from here to the funeral home, which should be later today. They'll call you when she's ready for transportation back to America." Sarah smiled sadly and placed a hand on Tonys arm, but withdrew it instantly when he flinched. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mr Stark."
Tony nodded, handed her back the papers, giving her only a small smile and picked up the bag from beside his feet. "If that's all, I need to get back upstairs to my daughter."
Annabelle handed the phone back to Happy and resettled herself against her pillows. Her ribs were still smarting, but she found the pain manageable without the need for medication. She'd woken from a nightmare soon after Tony had left, and begged Happy not to call him. He'd agreed, somewhat reluctantly, though he pressed that Tony wanted to know if she woke. Annabelle didn't need to ask where Tony had gone, she was pretty sure she knew the answer; it didn't take a genius to work out that he'd gone down to identify her mother.
She was secretly glad she hadn't been allowed down to see her. As much as she had wanted to see her mom one last time, she wasn't sure what would have been worse: seeing her mom dead against the roof of the car, or her mom dead laying on a cold, hard metal slab? She will forever have the memory of her mom dying in front of her, it was probably a good thing that she didn't have another to go with it.
It had been five minutes since she'd spoken to Tony when Annabelle glanced at Happy; taking in his crisp black suit and pristine hair and wondered what it was like working with Tony. She already knew that the man had been with Tony for years, and she found herself asking before she could stop herself.
"What's it like, working with him?"
Happy raised an eyebrow. "Tony?"
"Yeah."
Happy seemed to consider the question for a minute before answering, and it made Annabelle worry slightly. "You pretty much feel every emotion working for Tony. Don't get me wrong," he shot her a smile. "Tony's a brilliant man, and he cares about things and people a lot more than he lets on, but damn, he's hard work."
He chuckled to himself and Annabelle couldn't help but join in. "Would you ever consider leaving him?"
"No." Happy looked her dead in the eye. "There's no one else I'd rather work with, besides, he'd fall apart without me."
Annabelle smiled. "I'd make sure he doesn't hear you say that."
"Make sure who doesn't hear what?"
Tony chose that exact moment to pull back the curtains and alert them to his presence. Happy immediately clamped his mouth shut and Annabelle let out a small giggle.
"Oops, busted."
Tony turned his head between the two. He'd heard what the both of the
m had been saying, and he was glad they seemed to be getting along, but he wasn't going to let them know he'd been listening. "Have I missed something?"
"Not at all." Happy cast a sideways glance at Annabelle, who turned her head away from him, smiling. "We were just... talking."
"Talking?"
"Yep." Their answers came out in sync and Tony grinned.
"Should I be worried?" He placed the bag he'd been holding on the floor and out of Annabelle's sight. He hadn't been quick enough though, because she raised her eyebrow at him, wanting to know but not wanting to ask. Tony couldn't bring himself to tell her what was actually in the bag, and thankfully she didn't bring it up either. She finally answered him after a few seconds delay.
"Not unless you feel you have something to be worried about?"
"No comment."
Happy smirked at the two, noting how much she sounded like Tony. The trio lapsed back in to silence, though there was a little tension coming from the youngest of the group. She'd been analysing Tony since he'd stepped through the curtains, and seemed to know that something was bothering him.
"Everything okay, Tony?"
"Fine, Kid." He tried to smile at her. "It's me who should really be asking you that."
"I'm okay." She took a deep breath, and asked the question burning on the tip of her tongue. "Did you... uh..."
She didn't expect tears to silently slip down her cheeks as she struggled to put the words in to a sentence. She closed her eyes and buried her head in her hand, tears slipping through her fingers on to the sheets below as she willed herself to stop. Happy looked to her, sympathy deep in his eyes before standing and placing a hand briefly on Tony's shoulder.
"I'll give you two space. Call me when you need me back."
Tony nodded his appreciation. "Sure. Thanks, Hap."
"Anytime."
Happy left and secured the curtains closed behind him. Annabelle continued to weep quietly in to her hands until Tony took hold of her wrists and pulled them away. He rubbed his thumbs lightly over her knuckles but not saying a word for fear of making things worse. Annabelle calmed herself down after a few minutes, but found she couldn't look at him, instead choosing to stare at her hands still being held by his. Her breath hitched as she started speaking again.
"Did you see my mom?" Her voice was quiet and barely audible.
Tony sighed under his breath before running his thumb over her knuckle once again. "Yeah, yeah I did."
Annabelle nodded. "And how – how did she -"
Tony cut her off by releasing her hands and leaning in for a hug, whispering in her ear. "Don't do it to yourself, Annabelle. You don't need to." She nodded against his shoulder and he felt her relax against him. He kissed the top of her head and said in a murmur, "She looked peaceful."
Annabelle sighed in what he guessed to be relief and she moved back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Good. Did they say when I can take her home?"
Tony nodded but sighed inwardly; Annabelle seemed to believe that she was alone in this, always referring to having to do everything herself. He hoped that she'd start to accept he was there to help and take care of her soon.
"Couple of days at most. They'll call when she's ready."
Annabelle nodded and they lapsed back in to silence. Tony handed her the tissue box from the table and she accepted it with a small smile of thanks. The sound of the ward doors opening and voices floating their way caused the both of their heads to shoot up and a nervous look to settle on Annabelles face. Tony squeezed hand gently as the curtains behind them were pulled open, and a tall, pale man in a suit and glasses stepped up to the foot of the bed.
"Oh, sorry to interrupt." He placed the file he held in his hand on the table and placed his palms flat next to it while giving them both an apologetic smile. "Miss Cooper, my name's Dr Ashford, I'm one of the consultants on call today."
"Hi." Annabelle shifted on the bed to make herself more comfortable. She gave Tony a quick glance and found him analysing the man before them. She turned back to Dr Ashford. "I thought I was seeing someone else? A Dr..."
"Gordon?" he said kindly and Annabelle nodded. "Unfortunately, she's been called away to an emergency, so I'll have to do? Is that okay?"
"It's fine," Annabelle said quickly. "I just want to get this over with."
"That's understandable." He turned to Tony, seemingly only just remembering he was there. He held out his hand expectantly. "And you are?"
Tony took the outstretched hand and shook it once. "Tony Stark, Annabelle's father."
Annabelle's heart fluttered at the words. It was the first time she'd heard him introduce himself as her father... and she couldn't deny it made her feel warm inside. She couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips as she focused her attention back on the two men. Tonys hands were now shoved in his pants pockets while Dr Ashford had picked the file back up and was now flicking through it.
"Right," he said, looking up. "Well, Mr Stark, would you mind stepping outside while I examine your daughter?"
Tony took a moment to look once again at Annabelle before answering. "Sure. I'll be right out there if you need me." He jabbed his finger behind him.
Annabelle nodded. "Okay."
Dr Ashford smiled as Tony left and dropped the clipboard back to the table. "Alright then, let's get started."
He spent the next ten minutes checking Annabelles wounds, ensuring everything was as it should be. He pressed his fingers lightly to her side before adding more and more pressure until she whimpered in pain and he pulled his hands away with a quick whispered 'sorry'. He continued to write notes in the file after every little thing he did. Annabelle sat through each part of the examination patiently, believing that asking questions would just slow the whole process down. The last thing he did was shine a torch light in each of her eyes and watched her pupils react before writing a final note in the file, closing it and taking a seat in one of the chairs next to her bed.
"Right, your wounds look like they're healing as they should be. While there's nothing we can actually do for your ribs other than medication, you seem to be managing well," he smiled and nodded approvingly as he spoke.
Annabelle shrugged. "It's more uncomfortable than painful. It's not restricting, just a little stiff if I'm in the same place for too long."
"That's good." Dr Ashford's pager went off and he removed it from his pocket, checked it, then replaced it, sighing to himself. "It's possible that they weren't as badly bruised as we first thought. I suspect your concussion feels more like a dull headache now?"
Annabelle thought about it. "I hadn't really noticed to be honest," she said truthfully. "Is that a bad thing?"
Dr Ashford chuckled lightly and checked his watch. "No, it means you're healing, and at a pretty decent rate. If you keep going the way you are, I'd guess you'll be moving around as normal without pain in a matter of two to three weeks."
Annabelle felt her eyes widen at the short time scale; she was sure she'd have trouble for a lot longer than that. "That's good. Will I be able to fly home?"
"I can't see why not," he said as he stood and collected the file. "I will advise that if you get an increased headache, dizziness or nausea, see the nearest doctor as soon as possible."
Annabelle nodded to show she'd taken an understanding of his advice. "Okay, but I can leave today, right?" She knew she sounded impatient but at this point in time, she really didn't care - she was just desperate to leave.
Dr Ashford gave her a strange look, almost as if it were a mixture of sympathy and amusement. "Yes, you can. I'll have a nurse draw up the discharge papers."
"Thank you," Annabelle said, relief washing over her.
"I wish you all the best, Miss Cooper."
He left and Annabelle leaned back against her pillows, letting a small smile ghost her lips; she would finally be free of the hospital by the end of the day. She could hear Dr Ashford talking to someone (she presumed Tony) outside, and no sooner had she closed her eyes to rest for a while, the billionaire was back beside her bed.
"Hey," he said, taking a seat in the recently vacated chair. "Doc says you're good to go?"
"Yup," Annabelle said with a nod. "Just gotta wait for the paperwork and then I'm outta here. I'll be glad to get out of these and have a decent shower."
"I can always get Happy to go and buy you something?"
Annabelle smiled in thanks but shook her head. "No, it's fine, really. There's no point now anyway."
"If you're sure?" She nodded. "Okay. Listen; do you want to go straight to your hotel, or do you need more time?"
Annabelle closed her eyes against the sudden build up of tears threatening to fall again. In her desperation to find out whether or not she'd actually be leaving today, she'd momentarily forgotten about going back to the hotel. She opened her eyes and set up, reaching for the bag containing her things and wincing in the process. "I think we should go straight there. To be honest, if I don't get it done now, I'm scared I won't want to, but..." she trailed off, her hands coming to a stop when she failed to find what she was looking for.
"But?" Tony promted.
"I don't have the room key, mom did. I don't even have her thing, they haven't given them to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She pulled her knees as far to her chest as she could without being in too much pain.
Tony lowered his eyes from her. Not having the key wouldn't be a problem; a quick explanation to the manager would be enough to get a new one but he knew that wasn't the issue. He glanced down at the plastic bag still at the foot of the bed. The likelihood of the key being in there was high, and now seemed a food a time as any to give the bag to her. He stood as retrieved it, before turning back and placing it in front of her.
"They gave that to me when I went down to see her. I don't know if anything will be missing, and I haven't looked in there either."
Annabelle looked up at him, then down at the bag. With a shaking hand she reached forward and pulled it to her. Inside was a few single, see through plastic bags containing the pieces of jewellery her mom had been wearing. The wedding and engagement rings her mom had still worn, even years after Alan's death, were safely placed together in one tiny bag, while the bracelet that had been on her moms wrist for as long as she could remember was in another. She picked up her moms watch and tears trickled down her cheeks when she turned it over – the face was cracked and the hands were no longer moving. She appreciated Tony not trying to talk to her as she went through the bag but his presence was a comfort, and she was beyond thankful that he'd brought it to her. The last thing in the bag was her mothers purse, but she made no move to touch it, for the pale blue leather was now stained in dark red blood.
"I – I – ca-can't -" she stammered out and shoved the bag away from her to the end of the bed, unable to deal with seeing it.
Tony reached forward and took a look, not understanding why she had reacted the way she had, until she saw the starling red against blue. He wrapped the plastic round at the top and tied it shut before sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling Annabelle to him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what would be in there."
"It's not your fault," she mumbled against his shoulder. "You didn't know."
"We can deal with it later," he said, tightening his hold on her. "Let's just get you out of here."
They waited little over an hour after seeing Dr Ashford for a nurse to bring the discharge papers, and by that time Happy had returned baring lunch for the three of them. Annabelle had discovered a bag containing most of her belongings from the day of the accident in the small cabinet beside her bed. She was going through the bag and making note of whether anything was missing when Nurse Carrol (the nurse Tony had seen at the nurses' station earlier that morning) pulled back the curtains, holding a clipboard in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. Annabelle like him - he was the only one who had tended to her that attempted to engage her in conversation that stemmed away from the fact that she'd lost her mom.
"Afternoon, Annabelle. I have something that's going to make you feel ten times better."
Annabelle sat a little straighter on the bed. Both Happy and Tony noticed how she perked up when the man entered and Tony took note of his name. Annabelle smiled softly at the nurse.
"And what's that, Sam?"
"Discharge papers!"
He threw his arms up in the air and danced around for a few seconds. Annabelle found herself laughing at him while Happy shook his head disapprovingly and Tony stared grinning at is daughter. He felt as though he was seeing her true self for the first before realising that he was. She had laughed and smiled earlier in the day but there was always something holding her back but now it seemed genuine and carefree. He knew it would be short lived though, and the reality of things would hit her again soon.
"That's highly unprofessional." Happy whispered to him.
Tony rolled his eyes. "So what? She's smiling isn't she, that's all I care about."
"Brilliant." Annabelle's voice snapped them both out of their whispered conversation. Nurse Carrol handed her a prescription form.
"That has on it some spare dressings for the cuts and an antiseptic cream – you've already been shown to use them if you can remember?" Annabelle nodded. "Goody goody. There's also a low dosage, mild painkiller on there to take as needed for your ribs. It'll work for the concussion headache to if need be."
"Thank you, Sam." Annabelle folded the piece of paper and placed it in her purse. "Where's the pharmacy?"
"First floor, take a left at the main reception. You have to pass it on your way out anyway so you can't miss it." He made a few notes on the discharge papers. "You're flying back home soon, right?"
Annabelle nodded but didn't speak. Tony, instead, stepped next to his daughter and spoke for her. "We'll still be here for a day or two."
"I only ask because you'll need the stitches removed in about eight days time. Normally we'd send a letter to your GP, but seeing as you're an international patient, we don't have all your details. So please make sure you remember, I have a copy of your discharge notes for your anyway though."
"I'll remember, don't worry," Annabelle said.
"Excellent." He turned to speak directly to Tony. "Mr Stark, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you. I just need you to sign right here to say Annabelle's being released in to your care."
He handed the clipboard to Tony, who nodded in thanks and signed using the pen from his pocket. Tony handed the clipboard back to Sam, who ripped off two pages and handed one to Annabelle.
"Well, you're free to leave, but I can't say I won't miss you."
Annabelle stood and wrapped Sam in a hug, shocking not only him, but the other two men as well. Sam dropped the clipboard and returned the favour. Annabelle grimaced slightly at the pressure on her ribs but that didn't stop her standing on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear, her voice now with tears. "Thank you, for everything the last few days."
"Don't start, or you'll set me off and ruin my mascara."
Annabelle laughed as she pulled away. Sam lifted the bag he'd placed on the table. "Here – I thought these would be a little more comfortable for you than me. There's no t-shirt, but you should be fine with the jacket."
Annabelle opened the bag to find a pair of sweats and a matching hooded jacket. "I can't accept there – they're yours."
"Honey," Sam said. "Do I honestly look like the kind of guy who goes around wearing a tracksuit?"
"No?"
"Exactly. Besides, they've been sitting in my locker for the last six months. They might be a little big but anything is better than scrubs."
"Well, at least my sneakers will go with these."
"You got that right." He gathered up the clipboard and the hospitals copy of the discharge papers. "Safe travels, Sweetheart."
"Bye!"
Sam nodded to the two men as he left and Annabelle sighed. He was the one and only thing she'd miss about the hospital. Happy nudged Tony who nodded.
"We're gonna stand outside, okay?"
"Sure. I'll come out when I'm done."
They stepped outside while Annabelle changed. Nurse Carrol was now standing beside the nurses' station, writing in a file when Tony decided to go over and speak to him. He held up his hand to Happy, signalling that he wanted him to wait there, before walking over to man who'd been caring for his daughter.
"May I have a word?"
Nurse Carrol almost jumped at Tony appearing behind him. "Of course."
They walked to the corner of the ward, by one of the large windows. Tony smiled at the man. "I have to ask that you refrain form mentioning anything to anyone about the nature of my presence here. I have yet to discuss with Annabelle whether or not she'd like me to release a statement to the press back home."
Nurse Carrol gave a tight smile, and when he spoke, his voice had lost all humour and was instead intensely serious.
"Mr Stark, patient details are confidential and it's more than my jobs worth to divulge anything to anyone unless I am speaking to one of my colleagues or I have been court ordered to do so." He checked the watch attached to his pocket. "As astounded as I am to have been given the chance to meet you, I have no intension of putting my career on the line or making that girls life harder than it already is."
Tony nodded stiffly. He was relieved that he hadn't had to threaten with guy with his lawyers but only now did he realise how much coming out as being Annabelles father could affect her. "Sorry, you know, if I implied -"
"It's fine, you're worried about her, everyone can see it. She's one of the lucky ones." Tony raised an eyebrow. "I was in a similar position as her when I was eight, only I didn't have someone to fall back on, and my mother chose death over me."
Tony didn't know what to say, or how to react to the personal information he'd just been given. He nodded, hoping it would be enough of a response. Thankfully, it seemed to be, because Nurse Carrol looked once again at his watch and made to turn away.
"Take care of her, and yourself."
"I will."
He walked away, leaving Tony standing at the window staring at Londons mid afternoon skyline. Things were becoming real now. From this point forth Annabelle was his responsibility and the nurse was right in what he meant; his daughter wasn't in this situation by choice. Gabriella gave her a means of survival by leaving the letter for Tony, and as much as he hated losing control, everything that happened now depended on Annabelle. For once in his life, Tony had to put someone else's needs completely before his own... this was his responsibility now.
Tony turned in time to see Annabelle and Happy slowly making their way to him, her arm linked in his. Happy had taken control of the two plastic bags and for that alone Tony would give him a pay rise. Falling in to step beside them, he slipped his arm round her shoulders and said to Happy, "Will you bring the car to the front?"
"Sure thing, Boss." Happy unhooked his arm from Annabelles. "See you in a few. Don' take much of what he says seriously, remember; not many people do," he added with a wink.
"Hey!"
Annabelle laughed at the look on Tonys face as they watched Happy walk away. Tony shook his head and gently led her over to the elevator just beyond the ward doors and jabbed his finger on the 'down' arrow. The doors opened seconds later.
"Shall we?"
Sitting next to her in the car twenty-five minutes later, Tony could feel the tension radiating off Annabelle as they fast approached the hotel she'd shared with her mother. It was the one and only thing left she had to do before she could rest until they made their way back to the States. Happy parked the car outside and Tony jumped out to help Annabelle, linking his arm in hers and guiding her up the stairs. While she'd been collecting her meds, Tony had phoned ahead to the hotel and made the manager aware of what had happened. He settled their outstanding bill and arranged for no one to interrupt them while they were there, so all Annabelle had to worry about was packing hers and her moms things.
They stepped in to the lobby, Happy not far behind them, and made their way to the elevator. Her room was on the tenth floor and by the time they reached it, Annabelle was thoroughly exhausted from standing for too long. She noted a trolley for the bags had been left outside the room, ready for them to use. Happy handed her the room key and she could only stare and it, then him. Tony took hold of her hand and squeezed.
"We didn't go through your moms bag; Happy got a spare from the manager. I thought it would be... easier for you."
Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief as she took the card. "Thank you."
She unlocked the door and let it swing open. She took one step and stopped; the room felt cold and strangely empty, even though it wasn't. Tony and Happy stayed by the door, waiting for invitation, and watched her as she moved slowly throughout the room and gathered a few bits here and there. She made to lean down to pull her moms suitcase from under the bed and gasped in pain, Tony rushing to her side in an instant.
"Annabelle?" He helped her stand properly before guiding her to the bed.
"I'm fine," she gasped out. "Just forgot I couldn't bend."
"We'll do the lifting, but you sort and pack, okay?"
Annabelle nodded, realising now that she couldn't do it all as planned. Between them, Happy and Tony brought everything to her and laid it out on the bed, Annabelle carefully packing it in her moms case. Tears fell silently as she handled each and every item but neither of them made comment, just helped her through the process. When it came to her own things, Annabelle took Happy up on his offer to do it for her. She opted not to change out of the clothes she was wearing, vowing to have a shower and do so when she got to Tonys suite.
Finally, after nearly two hours of slow packing, Annabelle zipped up the final bag and pulled herself off the bed. "Done," she said, pulling the hoodie tight around her.
"I'll take the bags down, start packing the car." Happy smiled at her as he started heaving the bags off the bed and out of the room, filling the trolley before taking it downstairs, leaving Tony and Annabelle alone.
Annabelle wondered around the room one last time, checking to see if anything would be left behind. When she couldn't find anything, she walked over to the large window, looking out over the slowly darkening skyline. Tony made no move to stand beside her, reasoning that she would want the time to think before they left. She stood there silently for a few minutes before speaking, her voice filled with sorrow.
"She was offered a new job," she said, not turning.
"She was?" Tony moved to stand beside her now.
"Yeah," Annabelle continued to stare through the window. "She was supposed to be giving a speech to a group of University students the day – the day it happened. We were heading there and she told me that the Gallery had offered her a job, but she wasn't going to accept without my approval."
Tony stood close to her, listening to her go through what happened, but not prompt to her to say too much. He smiled at the thought of Gabriella. "She wouldn't have done anything without knowing you were okay with it."
"She was always putting me first," Annabelle whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "No matter what, she always put my needs before hers. This was her dream, something she'd always wanted – it was perfect. I wanted to go to college here anyway, so I'd get to see her move than if we'd still been at home." She sniffed, tears falling once again. "She told me, in the car – right before it happened. I was so happy for her."
Tony didn't know what to say. He knew, from experience, how hard it was to speak about someone you've recently lost. He decided to simply place a hand on her shoulder and she leant in to it.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this..." she whispered, breaking down and turning towards Tony.
He wrapped his arms round her, resting his chin on her head. "I'll help you. We'll help you. You're not alone."
"Boss?" The two of them looked up at the sound of Happy, who was now standing back in the doorway. "If you're ready?"
Tony looked at Annabelle, who nodded. They left the room, closed the door and made their way back down to the lobby. Happy dealt with the manager, making sure they checked out before leaving and by the time he'd finished, they were waiting by the car for him. Annabelle turned in her seat at the last second to watch the hotel disappear behind them, a weighted feeling in her chest.
Hours later, not far from where Annabelle was now tossing and turning in a too large bed, Sam Carrol entered his small apartment after a long shift. Throwing his things on to the nearest chair, he made his way to the small kitchen where, propped against his kettle, he found a sealed enveloped displaying unfamiliar writing. Although he had no idea who it was from or how it had got there, he grabbed it and tore it open, finding two pieces of paper inside; a check, and a handwritten note.
I don't believe I truly thanked you for taking care of my daughter the way you did. You made her feel safe and helped her deal with what had happened to both her and her mother whilst she was in your care, not treating her like a child when she needed the support through her grief.
The check is for you to do as you wish with, there are no hidden terms or conditions as to what you choose to do.
If you ever decide that moving to New York would be a beneficial move, contact Stark Industries – there will be a position with the Stark Relief Foundation waiting for you.
Tony Stark
Sam stood stock still as he read through the note for a second and third time, not believing the words in front of him. He looked down at the check sitting on his counter. His eyes widened when he counted the zeros, the digits blurring in to one as he took in the sheer amount written out before him. He never imagined when he'd been given the task of attending to the 'poor girl in bed four who'd lost her mother' that he'd not just meet Tony Stark, but get to talk to him.
He had no reason to believe the note and the check were a stupid prank by one of his friends or his brother, but Sam knew he couldn't celebrate or tell anybody until he knew for certain it was real. He folded the check and placed it in his jacket pocket, vowing to deposit it in the bank first thing in the morning – then he would celebrate.
If it turned out everything was a genuine gift from Tony Stark, Sam didn't know what he would do, but he did know he would have to thank the man in some way.
Okay, so I know it's been a long time since the last chapter but you get a whopper of one now. I sort of feel that it's too long and there's too much in it but once I really started, I couldn't stop. I think they'll be two or three more chapters set in 09 before it shifts to 2015. Please review - I really wanna know what you guys think.