Author's Note: Okay, so please excuse the really weird dream sequence at the beginning of this chapter. I wrote it because I think it's the best way to make Emma realize something about Peter and her. So in saying that...I don't own Casablanca. This is just a part of Emma's weird dream. Also, not a lot of Peter in this chapter.
We're over 400,000 words now in this story. I can hardly believe it!
I hope all of you had a very nice Christmas or related Holiday.
nvnightrider9: Thanks for the kind review. I really wish there were more Spider-Man OC stories but I haven't found any that I've really liked which is why I'm writing my own with Some Things Never Sleep. Hopefully people will put more out as time goes on.
MusicLover315:Thank you! That means so much. I haven't yet read Rebel Columbia although I've seen it around before. I'll be sure to read it one of these days.
Elipignoma: Thanks for the nice review. I'm glad people like Emma so much as well as the way I portray the other characters in the fanfic. I always worry if I write them too much OOC or not. You can thank knarl for the trailer since she did such an amazing job with it.
Emma-Jean02: I always feel like it's important for character development so people become more attached to the character. Emma's personality is something I've worked super hard on. I know she's really stubborn sometimes and also mean but I don't really like perfect characters after all.
Spawn Hades: I don't think Emma will remember what Peter said when she was unconscious. That was more of a moment for Peter to have a huge revelation. There's definitely a future for Emma and Tony making amends which will be seen in this chapter.
knarl: Of course there's going to be a part III! I was thinking of ending it and making a sequel but I'm not sure. It would still be a while before that would happen. Maybe I'll just keep it all together in one story. Time will tell. Thanks so much for the amazing feedback.
bonitalito: I'm glad you like Emma so much. There's seriously been so many kind reviews this chapter. I hope you have a Happy New Years as well.
AppropriateLlama: I can't wait to write Peter, Steve, and Bucky's meeting. I think Steve will be kind of shocked about Peter and Emma at first but he'll be happy about it. Bucky's going to have a way tougher time with it.
Radioactive88: I'm not going to kid you. It was really hard for me to write Emma's huge backstory when I really wanted her to meet Peter but I paced myself. I knew that I wanted people to get to know her before Peter because that was very important to me. There will definitely be time for Emma and Peter's relationship to develop more before Steve and Bucky come back into the picture. I think it'll be better that way. I appreciate your input about who Emma will tell about the rape first. I think it's an amazing idea that she would tell Tony somehow first but I've had it in my head for a long time who she'll tell first. So the scene's already been written in my head even if I haven't written it yet. It's an amazing idea though and I wish I had considered it earlier but I honestly hadn't thought of Tony being the first one she told.
McDuffie145: There's definitely some pop music that I like. I'm a fan of Sia, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and even Miley Cyrus. I like alternative pop music like the Broods and Lorde as well. There is a lot of horrible pop music so I turn to alternative rock a lot. I've listened to some of the stuff from the Bleachers. I have to admit Jack Antonoff is super talented because he works on a lot of other people's music too even though I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift but I do like the work he did on Lorde's new album.
scrapingskies: I've had this moment planned between them ever since I saw Spider-Man Homecoming for the second time. I got the idea for this story the first time seeing the movie. I thought it would be a super powerful moment for the both of them as they saved each other.
ilypopxtart333: Thanks for the kind review. I really wanted to make Emma feel like she belonged in the MCU and I'm glad that's something that I've seemingly accomplished.
Kittyjune26: Thanks for reading my story. I'm glad you've stuck with my fanfic for so long. Peter will definitely meet Steve and Bucky in Part III which will be coming along shortly.
Okay, guys, I just wanted to leave an important message here. I know most of you have been leaving really nice reviews but I would really appreciate it if other less nice people were to leave reviews that contain constructive criticism instead of just uncalled for rudeness. There's a difference between constructive criticism and just being plain rude. Rude reviews don't help me in any way to try and make the story better. If you don't like Bucky and Darcy together than you don't have to read my story. I mean, it's not Bucky and Darcy are the main couple in my story anyways. If you had a problem with it you could've just left a polite review like most people do. You didn't have to be so condescending. I'm also not blind by the way and I don't think anyone truly knows Bucky other than Steve. I'm sorry if I might appear to be a little sensitive but I don't appreciate being told what to do or being talked down to like I'm stupid.
Thanks for all the kind and constructive reviews that people left. You guys were really nice this chapter. Sorry about the message above but I feel like it needed to be said. Thank you.
It was black and white. That was the first thing she noticed as she looked around the landing strip outside an airport. Everything seemed to be in black and white and Emma had no idea why. Was this how dog's saw the world? Emma wasn't sure. She turned around to look and saw an old plane on the runway. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before observing the rest of the area. The runway was slick with rain as it appeared to be pouring rain in the cold night. There was something very familiar about this place but Emma just couldn't put her finger on it. Had she been here before?
She looked at puddle on the runway as she stood there and was surprised to see her own reflection. It wasn't her reflection that surprised her as much as what she was wearing. Emma was wearing a vintage looking dress that went down well past her knees. The skirt of the dress flared out at her waist and it had a rather modest neckline. She also wore a sort of trench coat over the dress and a pair of vintage looking T-Strap Mary Jane heels. She couldn't tell what color any of her clothing was due to the black and white nature of her sight. The whole outfit was paired off with a fedora hat much like the one she had seen her grandmother wearing in many pictures. What the hell was going on?
It was then that a vintage, classic looking car pulled up next to her as she looked at the car strangely. The car stopped and it wasn't moment later before Ned, Peter, and Liz Allan all came out of the car. It wasn't their appearance so much as what they were wearing that gave Emma some pause. Liz wearing a fashionable winter coat over her very own vintage dress while Ned was dressed in the oddest outfit she had ever seen. He wore some kind of uniform with military looking badges decorating it with an even weirder looking formal hat.
However, it was Peter that caused her to stare the most. He was wearing an expensive looking winter coat over what was probably an even more expensive suit. Emma could see him wearing a tie much like the one he had been wearing at the dance. Peter was also looking to be wearing shoes that were much more popular in the forties than they were now but who really knew with all the fashion hipsters were coming up with? He topped the outfit off with a fedora hat similar to her own. It was when she saw all three of them dressed in those outfits that she realized what this was.
This was Casablanca…in a weird gender bent sort of way. It seemed like Emma was experiencing an out of body sort of thing as her body moved on it's on accord over to Ned. Emma was assuming that he was Louis, Claude Rains' character in the movie, in this situation.
"Ned, have Miss Jones go with Miss Allan and take care of her luggage." Emma ordered Ned as the words seemed to flow out of her mouth naturally. This was the weirdest sort of dream she ever had.
"Certainly, Emma, anything you say." Ned said formally before walking over to Michelle who was dressed in an outfit similar to him. Emma internally raised an eyebrow at her formal looking friend. Yeah…this was beyond any dream she had before.
"Find Ms. Allan's luggage and put it on the plane." Ned told Michelle who saluted him.
"Yes, sir." Michelle said submissively before running off to do as she was told. This dream wasn't the most realistic. There was no way in hell Michelle would be okay with Ned ordering her around. The dark haired girl would tell him to go to hell if he had. Michelle then stopped in front of Liz. "This way." She told her before gesturing for her to follow. Liz gave them all an unsure look before she walked off. Peter barely spared her a glance before looking back at Emma.
"If you don't mind, you fill in the names. That'll make it even more official." Emma told Ned as she handed him both Peter and Liz's passports.
"You think of everything, don't you?" Ned said as he snatched the passports out of Emma's hand.
"The names are Mr. and Mrs. Peter Parker." Emma informed him as Ned walked away but Peter couldn't stay quiet anymore as he rested a hand on Emma's arm.
"But why my name, Emma?" Peter asked in confusion as Emma locked eyes with him.
"Because you're getting on that plane." Emma told him firmly as she walked closer to him but Peter just shook his head in disbelief.
"I don't understand. What about you?" He inquired and Emma glanced in Ned's direction briefly. Peter cautiously followed her gaze, trying to understand what Emma was intending to do.
"I'm staying here with him till the plane gets safely away." Emma explained but Peter furiously shook his head.
"No, Emma, no!" He said dramatically… almost as dramatically as Ingrid Bergman had in the movie, Emma observed. Peter actually made a surprisingly good Ingrid Bergman. "What's happened to you!? Last night you said-"Peter exclaimed but was quickly interrupted by Emma.
"Last night we said a great many things." Emma replied, looking to be determined and her mind unable to be changed even by Peter. "You said I was to do the thinking for the both of us. Well, I've done a lot of it since then and it all adds up to one thing…you're getting on that plane with Liz where you belong."
"But, Emma, no-" Peter started to say, not believing what she was telling him but Emma interrupted him once again.
"Now you've got to listen to me." Emma argued as she gazed intently at Peter. "Do you have any idea what you've got to look forward to if you stay here?"
"Nine chances out of ten we'd both end up at a Hydra base."Emma told him as she continued to try and get him to think rationally just like she always did in real life. Maybe Bogie and her weren't very different after all. "Isn't that true, Ned?"
"I'm afraid Rumlow would insist." Ned confirmed as he turned to look at them. Peter shook his head again as he looked back at Emma.
"You're saying this only to make me go." Peter told her and Emma's eyes softened at the heartbreak she could see in his eyes.
"I'm saying this because it's true." Emma said, denying what Peter just told her. "Inside of us, we both know you belong with Liz. She's part of your work because she's the damsel in distress and you're the only thing that keeps her going after everything that happened with her father."
"If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with her…you'll regret it." Emma said as she continued. Peter looked like he was about to protest but Emma didn't allow him to have the chance. "May not today and maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life."
"But what about us?" Peter asked her desperately, hoping to change Emma's mind. Hope was the only thing he had left.
"We'll always have Queens." Emma said quietly as stared lovingly into Peter's eyes. "We didn't have it before…we lost it until you came to the compound. We got it back last night."
"And I said I would never leave you." Peter said, his voice thick with emotion and his eyes flooding with tears.
"And you never will." Emma finished as she stared back at him, refusing to look away even for the slightest moment. "I've got a job to do too. Where I'm going you can't follow…what I've got to do, you can't be any part of." A tear had slipped from Peter's eye as he gazed back at her and Emma could feel tears prickling her own eyes. This was incredibly hard.
"Look, I'm no good at being noble but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." Emma told Peter sincerely. "Someday you'll understand that."Peter averted his gaze but Emma stopped him from doing so as she grasped his chin and lifted his face back up so she could look at him one last time.
"Now, now." Emma said as she sought to comfort him in some way. She then told him something she had once said to him before but Emma couldn't remember from when. It was an understanding between them that only they knew about. The motto of a world that only consisted of the two of them and what a world that would be.
"Here's to looking at you, kid."
Emma opened her eyes and no longer saw the black and white world of Casablanca. There was instead light streaming into whatever room she was currently in. She suddenly had a moment of panic because she had no idea where she was. It didn't seem to be her room at the townhouse nor was it the night sky she had seen once she had fallen asleep in all the debris of the collapsed building. Her eyes immediately widened once she remembered someone very important. Peter. Where was he? What happened? Was he okay? Did he stop the Vulture in time? Emma desperately needed to know what happened to Peter. She immediately sat up in the bed she was currently lying in with such speed that she started to feel a little dizzy. Her eyes wildly looked around the room as she tried to find some sign of Peter.
"Relax, Mini Cap, you're going to make yourself sick moving around like that." Someone said to left side of her. Emma glanced over only to notice Tony Stark staring back at her. He was smirking at her but the smirk didn't reach his eyes like it normally did. Emma couldn't understand the look he had in his eyes. Normally Emma would sneer at him and tell him to go to hell but after everything that happened it didn't seem worth it anymore. She looked around the room, feeling a bit more calm now that Tony was there…he was a familiar face after all. It occurred to her then that she was back in her old bedroom inside the Avenger's facility. She hadn't been inside her bedroom in a few months but it looked unchanged for the most part and very similar to the bedroom she had in the townhouse.
"What happened? Where's Peter? Is he okay?" Emma asked rapidly as she locked eyes with Stark. Tony gave her an odd look as he glanced over her, looking quite curious.
"Slow down." Tony told her as he laughed somewhat nervously. "Everything's fine. The kid's just fine. He took care of Toomes and now the old man's at his arraignment hearing. He's pleading guilty so no trial." Emma relaxed back into her bed, feeling a bit relieved to hear that information. That's good. Peter was fine and Toomes was in prison. The mission was finished, she supposed.
"The kid barely got a scratch on him…thanks to you as I've been made aware." Tony said as he stared at her face, trying to see if she gave anything away from her emotions. And she did in a way. Emma looked down at the blanket that was covering her as she tried to get a handle on what she was feeling. The dream she just had was an incredibly odd dream but it had to mean something. Sure, Emma probably figured that she had the dream because Casablanca was one of her favorite movies but she also knew that there was more to it than that. How strange was it that Emma was Humphrey Bogart in the dream while Peter was Ingrid Bergman. Was her subconscious trying to tell her to let Peter go just like Rick let go of Ilsa?
"It's wasn't a big deal." Emma said, shrugging nonchalantly. Tony raised his eyebrows as he tried to imagine what was going through Emma's mind.
"Not a big deal, huh? So you're saying that if a pile of cement were to fall on top of me that you'd do the same for me?" Tony questioned and Emma looked back at him. The look in her eyes gave him the answer Tony was searching for. Of course she wouldn't. "That's what I thought."
"You could've died, you know." Tony told her. "You're pretty indestructible but you're not that indestructible. When I found you, you had several broken ribs, a severe concussion, and both of your legs were broken. Let's not even mention the internal bleeding."
"We were all worried. You were asleep for three days and it took a while for your body to heal in all that time. I've never seen you take so long to heal." Tony continued to say when Emma didn't say anything. "Peter's been worried about you too. He calls Happy almost five times a day to check up on you. I think Happy was prepared to shake you awake so the kid would get off his back."
"I'm fine." Emma finally said. "I don't feel as sore as I did before. He shouldn't be worried about me." Tony just stared at her as he tried determine what was going on between Emma and Peter. There was definitely something going on but Tony wasn't completely sure. He stared at her for another moment before he nodded and got up from his seat.
"Okay. I'll just let you get some rest then. You've had one hell of a Homecoming…that's for sure." Tony told her as he started to walk to the other side of the room where the door was. Emma watched him quietly as she tried to pull her thoughts together. She was conflicted over whether or not to hate him. After almost losing Peter and nearly dying it seemed to change her perspective on a few things. Her resentment of Stark seemed very childish and immature to her now. Emma wasn't sure why she wasted her own time arguing with Stark so often.
"Emma?" Tony said abruptly as he paused in front of the door before looking back at her. She didn't say anything but instead just looked at him. It wasn't very often that he called her by her first name. "I'm glad you're okay." They stared at each other for another moment before Tony walked out the door, softly closing it behind him. Emma watched the door in bewilderment, not understanding why Stark had said that. It wasn't like him to be very sentimental.
Emma rested her head back against her pillow as she allowed herself to drift between thoughts. She ignored Stark's odd words as she went over the dream she had in her head. She figured her weird dream was enough occupy her thoughts. Emma never completely understood the romance between Rick and Ilsa before. She always told herself that she wouldn't allow herself to be pushed around by someone as pathetic and annoying as Ilsa, a person who didn't know how to make up their mind, and Emma never understood why Rick, such a cool and strong willed man, could let Ilsa push him around like that.
Ilsa had been leading Rick on after all since she was married yet Rick still loved her. It was true…as much as Emma loved the movie, she didn't understand Rick. However, now Emma knew why Rick allowed himself to be pushed around. It was because Rick was in love. That's why Rick didn't let her stay with him and why he let her go off with Victor. Rick loved Ilsa too much to simply let her suffer with him when she could be safer far away. He loved Ilsa so much that he was willing to let her go. Emma understood Rick. And why? Well…Emma supposed that was because she was in love too. That was the only way she could possibly understand Rick, right? She wasn't that surprised that she was in love with Peter either. She had shielded him from a collapsing building with zero hesitance which Emma wouldn't do for anyone. Her self-preservation instinct was strong but it wasn't strong enough to allow Peter to get hurt. She groaned as she laid there on the bed.
This was why she had wanted to leave in the first place. She wanted to run away as fast as she could so that something like this wouldn't happen. Admitting to having feelings for the idiot was only a small step that quickly developed into admitting that she loved him too. How could you even love someone you only knew for such a short time anyway? That only happened in movies. Well…maybe not. Steve always said how it hadn't taken him long to fall in love with her grandmother and Emma knew her parents fell in love not long after meeting each other so she supposed it was possible.
It was all so strange. There was always this weird draw Emma felt to Peter and it had even been there when she didn't know who he really was. The first time they faced each other in that airport fight. Spider-Man had always remained in her mind for the following months and then when she met Peter Parker there was also a certain pull she felt to him. Maybe stuff like fate and destiny were true? Maybe this was all some sort of sick and twisted punishment some otherworldly being was bestowing upon her in return for all the monstrous acts she had committed. Emma would always feel attached to Peter…as if a string was attached from her heart to him. She was almost sure that being in love with Peter was some kind of punishment because Peter could never feel that way about her. Emma knew that he cared about her but she doubted that he felt the same way about her. He obviously liked Liz and now Liz would need him more than ever with her father in prison.
The blonde slightly sulked as she thought more about her current predicament. What the hell happened to her? A month and a half in a high school and she had already fallen in love. Had she really softened this much that she had actually managed to fall in love? What would her father say? Oh god…Emma didn't even want to see the smug looks on Darcy and Natasha's faces. Her grandfather would probably say something stupid like how proud he was that she was doing normal things. No, Emma was definitely not going to be telling anyone about this new development. She was much too proud to admit aloud that she loved someone in a way that didn't relate to loving someone like a father.
Emma briefly thought about running away like she had planned to run away before but she knew it was too late. She had already stupidly fallen in love with Spider-Twerp so there was no sense in running away to avoid falling in love. She also knew that if she ran away that she would be a risk to herself. Emma would always be worrying and thinking about Peter which wouldn't leave her in the right state of mind to track Steve and the others down.
It looked like Emma was stuck here and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave anymore. Not when Peter and her had seemingly made amends. Their mission might've ended but that didn't mean there couldn't be another mission. Emma liked going on missions with Peter and she even found, weirdly enough, that she may have even liked Peter better as a partner than her father. Peter was more conversational than her father and he wasn't bad to look at either. It wasn't like Emma would ever admit to preferring Peter as a mission partner. Her father most likely wouldn't like Emma's new preference and there was also her own pride.
Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust at herself. Seriously? Peter was so annoying most of the time yet here she was actually preferring him to her father right now. Stupid Parker and his pretty brown eyes, kind smile, and adorable innocence. She supposed this was all biological since she was still a teenage girl under all her former assassin angst. Emma just always liked to think that teenage hormones were beneath her. Either way, it looked like Emma was going to be staying in New York for the time being since she didn't think she could stand to be apart from Peter. It was too late…she had already formed an attachment. Emma snuggled her face into the pillow as she proceeded to close her eyes in the hope of getting some more sleep. Before she finally drifted off, however, Emma said one last thing through the quietness of her bedroom.
"What do I do, Rick?"
Emma was lying in bed reading 'Wuthering Heights' as she continued to be in recovery from her injuries. Everything was healed but the doctor at the compound said that she would be more comfortable if Emma stayed on bed rest for a couple more days which hadn't made Emma very happy. She didn't like sitting around all day but she was pretty tired as of late. Emma hadn't rested this much in a long time. It even felt kind of nice to just sit there and relax while reading a good book.
In the two days since she had woken up to Stark's ugly mug, Emma had received quite a lot of visitors. Darcy and Jane, of course, had visited her pretty frequently and were even staying at the compound. Rhodey came by a couple times and filled her in on how physical therapy was going which seemed to be well. Vision barged in her room occasionally and for once Emma wasn't completely annoyed by his presence. She actually found his voice to be quite calming as they discussed the Bronte sisters with each other and Emma recommended that he give Jane Austen a try. Emma hadn't seen Tony since the day she woke up and she wasn't sure she wanted to after the huge fight they had the last time they saw each other. She was dealing with accepting that she was in love with Spider-Twerp so her anger with Tony seemed to be the least of her problems. Blaming Stark for what happened didn't seem important to her anymore and it was strange how that had changed in the matter of a week.
Yes, there was the thing with Peter. Emma tried not thinking about Peter too much but that was nearly impossible. She always wondered what he was doing or what he was thinking. Emma hadn't had any contact with Peter since Stark apparently took her phone away. Darcy told her that it was because her phone was too damaged and Stark always had a thing about everyone having state of the art technology so he was apparently going to replace it soon. That moment couldn't come soon enough as she felt eager to find out how Peter was doing. Tony told her that he was fine but she wanted to know more. She didn't press anyone for information about Peter because she didn't want to raise any suspicions. The last thing she needed was everyone teasing her about her and Peter.
"Can I come in?" Emma's looked up at the doorway of her room only to see Pepper Potts standing there. She was completely surprised to see the strawberry blonde since she hadn't seen her since last Christmas. Emma also thought that Pepper had dumped Stark's sorry ass a long time ago. Emma gave her a surprised look before nodding.
"Sure." Pepper smiled at her before walking over to Emma and sitting on the edge of her bed. Emma looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still running Stark Industries in Malibu?"
"I am but…well…Tony and I have decided to recouncil." Pepper admitted to Emma and the blonde just smirked at her.
"Wow. I thought you were smarter than that." Emma told her and Pepper just smiled before shaking her head.
"Stop." Pepper retorted before continuing. "As much as Tony drives me insane, I just can't stay away from him." Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Gross." Pepper rolled her eyes at her.
"No, I just mean that he's the single most infuriating person I've met but I love him. I'll always come back to him and he'll do the same with me." Pepper told her softly with a love struck look in her eyes. Emma just didn't understand how someone could feel that way about Stark. "Love does that to people, I guess. It makes people kind of crazy. You'll see that for yourself someday." Little did Pepper know that Emma did indeed know that love made people crazy because she was currently losing her mind over Peter. She swore that boy was really going to drive her over the edge one of these days.
"Anyways," Pepper said, breaking Emma out of her thoughts. "I didn't come here to talk about Tony…I came here because I heard what happened and wanted to know how you're doing." Emma shrugged nonchalantly.
"I'm doing good, I guess. The doctor wants me on bed rest until tomorrow but Darcy thinks that a short break from school will do me some good. She wants me to hold back from going to school until next week." Emma answered as she bit her lip nervously. It was an action that caused Pepper to look moderately confused. Emma biting her lip in any context was something she had never seen even though she hadn't seen the teenage girl in some time. Pepper then decided not to linger any longer on the nervous gesture since it probably didn't mean anything anyways.
"Are you sad to be away from school? Tony told me that he enrolled you in a high school. It was a little much for me to comprehend…you in high school, I mean." Pepper said to her, curious to know how Emma was faring in an environment with kids her own age.
"I don't know. It's been okay considering all things." Emma admitted before sighing and continuing. "School's not so bad. Math and Science are boring but I can tolerate everything else." Pepper laughed at Emma's usual cynical nature. Emma seemed to be the same but there was still something off about her. Something that hadn't been there the last time she had seen the young girl.
"What about friends? Tony told me you joined the Academic Decathlon." Pepper inquired and Emma scoffed.
"Am I the only thing you and Stark talk about?" Emma asked sarcastically and Pepper chuckled. Pepper had to admit that missed Emma's blunt honesty and dark sarcasm which was a contrast against her grandfather's relaxed and kind nature . Sometimes Pepper even forgot that Steve and Emma were related.
"No but he did tell me about you teaming up with Peter…Spider-Man. Apparently you two make a pretty good team." Pepper replied and Emma stared at her before shaking her head. She didn't want to discuss Peter Parker with anyone even if Emma always thought of Pepper as someone who was quite easy to talk to.
"He's alright…for an immature little brat." Emma said coolly, trying to maintain her composure and not expose her true feelings. The truth was that Peter was none of those things to her. He was so much more. Pepper sighed because she could tell that Emma didn't want to discuss the subject anymore.
"Can we talk about something else?" Pepper asked her cordially. Polite and to the point as ever, Emma observed.
"Why not? It's not like I have anywhere else to be." Emma retorted but Pepper didn't even smile at Emma's usual rude nature. She looked somewhat guilty and troubled…as if something was bothering her. Emma gazed at her, feeling a bit intrigued as to what was troubling the strawberry blonde.
"I know you and Tony have been having a difficult time…that you've even had several fights." Pepper started to say and carefully watched Emma's face to see if she let any of her emotions show but she didn't. Emma just remained quiet so Pepper continued. "Tony's not perfect as I'm sure you're aware but this hasn't been easy on him. I don't think finding out that Bucky killed his parents was the hard part but I think it was finding out that Steve knew all this time."
"He obviously kept it from Stark for good reason." Emma immediately argued, coming to her grandfather's defense as she always did. "Look at the way Stark reacted."
"Emma, Steve isn't perfect either." Pepper said, shaking her head at the teenager. "I know you love and look up to him but he's made mistakes too. He should've told Tony this a long time ago…he should've explained the situation to him. I'm sure Tony would've eventually understood if he found out from Steve, his friend, rather than from an insane Sokovian." Emma looked down at her closed book because she knew that Pepper was right about that. Tony probably would've come to understand that her father had been brainwashed and tortured by Hydra when he did those things just like Emma had been. Sure, he probably would never come to be friends with her father but things might not have ended the way they had if Steve had only been more honest with him.
"That doesn't excuse everything he's done. Why is he punishing me for what my father did…what Steve did? I didn't know." Emma said stubbornly and Pepper smiled faintly.
"He's not punishing you. I think he feels guilty for tearing everyone apart which is why he's tried to make life as easy and normal for you as he can." Pepper told her and Emma shook her head angrily as she clenched her jaw before getting up from her bed. She exhaled as she went to look out the large glass window but she wasn't really paying attention to what she saw outside. Her mind was somewhere else.
"Why does everyone think they know what's best for me?" Emma asked, finally voicing her feelings over a matter that had bothered her for a long time. "Can't I make that decision for myself? And don't tell me that I don't have that option because I'm a child because God knows that I'm not a child where it matters. I don't talk like a child and I don't act like a child…I'm certainly not innocent like a child."
Pepper stood up from the bed and walked over to where Emma was standing. She clasped her hands on the teenager's shoulders in a motherly sort of gesture. Emma stiffened but she didn't push Pepper away. Pepper had been one of the first people to show her kindness, aside from her grandfather, when she was rescued from that Hydra base. Pepper had taken the time and care to buy the most beautiful clothing for Emma that she had ever seen. It was a selfless and kind act with no ulterior motives like Emma was used to. The former assassin never forgot that.
"I wasn't going to say that, Emma. You are a child but it's also not that simple." Pepper told her softly as she looked at the blonde compassionately. "I just think we all forget that you've seen things far beyond our imagination…things that have aged you. They treat you like a child because they know you deserve a childhood more than anyone else." Pepper then sighed before she continued.
"You have to understand that Tony blames himself for everything that's ever happened to you." Pepper finally told Emma and the blonde looked up at her in surprise.
"What?" She questioned, not understanding what Pepper was talking about. Pepper nodded slowly before she explained.
"He feels guilty. Guilty because his father created the serum that you were injected with…guilty for separating you from your only family and guilty because he feels like he's failed you." Pepper said and Emma didn't really know what to make of it. Stark? He felt guilty because of her? Emma didn't really think that Stark cared about anyone except himself.
"Please don't be angry with Tony." Pepper practically pleaded as she looked at Emma desperately. "Don't hate him and please don't blame him for what happened. He only started the accords because he thought it was what I wanted." Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as tears streamed down Pepper's face.
"What are you talking about?" She asked her and Pepper sniffled.
"He promised me years ago that he'd stop with Iron Man and the suits but it didn't take him long before he broke that promise." Pepper stated as she wiped a tear from her face. Emma felt a bit worried over Pepper's current state and she instantly blamed that on Peter. He really was softening her up. "After the thing with Ultron I just decided that I couldn't wait around anymore…waiting for him to finally get himself killed. I broke it off and he started up with the accords because he thought it was the responsible thing to do…he thought it was what I wanted him to do."
"The thing is…" Pepper said continued to say as Emma listened to her intently. Emma just watched the strawberry blonde silently. "I still worry about him even when we're apart. It didn't stop just because I needed a break. He'll never give it up so I'll always worry about him, I guess. What's the point of staying away?"
"It's my fault, Emma. I pushed him into doing this and I wasn't there for him when he needed me most." Pepper then looked down sadly almost as if she were ashamed. "If you want to blame someone than blame me. Just don't be angry at Tony…I don't think he can take it anymore." Emma didn't say anything however so Pepper decided to tell the blonde something else that might change her mind.
"He cares about you, you know." Pepper said quietly and Emma gave her surprised look. "He never left your bedside in all the time you were asleep. Everyone told him that he should get some sleep but he refused. That's not a man that doesn't care."
Emma swallowed as she averted her gaze and looked back out the window, staring into the wilderness of upstate New York. It was so green and peaceful out there. Steve always thought she would love it here because of the quietness but none of it was the same without him. Emma glanced at Pepper from the corner of her eye but the older woman didn't say anything else as she looked out the window with her. It seemed like Pepper had given her a lot to think about but the only thing was that Emma didn't know what to think of any of it.
The next day Emma had somehow convinced everyone that she was okay enough take a walk outside and get a breath of fresh air. She felt slightly free as she took her walk outside since she had spent the past few days inside the compound without any walking around. Vision had offered to go on the walk with her but Emma politely declined. She'd rather be alone. Emma walked along the edge of the clearing outside, just on the edge of the forest. Steve and her used to go on long walks talking about everything from Bucky and Peggy to the their favorite Cary Grant movies. Emma missed talking about stuff like that. No one she knew liked the same old movies that she did. Darcy said that the acting was incredibly cheesy but Emma liked the acting. There was something very glamorous about old Hollywood. Old Hollywood was magical in a way that modern Hollywood would never be. Steve understood that but no one else seemed to.
"So they let the princess out of the tower, huh?" Emma immediately turned around as she heard the familiar voice. Tony stood there, a few feet away, with an unreadable look on his face. She really must've been lost in her thoughts if she hadn't even heard Stark walk up behind her. Emma stared at him for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders.
"I needed to get out of the compound…I was going a little stir crazy." Emma said quietly as she looked over at the forest. It was hard to believe such a peaceful and quiet place could be in New York but they were upstate after all.
"Walk with me." Tony said and she could tell it wasn't a request.
Emma stared at him as she debated whether or not she should just tell him to fuck off. He looked really terrible in all honesty. Tony had bags under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in days but knowing Stark he probably hadn't. Emma then remembered what Pepper had told her the day before and suddenly making Stark feel like shit didn't seem to be a priority anymore. Emma silently nodded as she began to walk alongside him as they walked outside. It was cloudy outside with no sign of the sun even peeking out from the clouds. She was almost sure that it was going to rain. The stormy clouds and the smell of rain indicated that it wouldn't be too long until there was a storm.
"I just want to know one thing." Tony stated as they both walked on the grassy clearing. Emma raised an eyebrow as she looked over at him. "Why'd you do it?"
"Do what?" Emma asked, not catching his meaning.
"Why did you stick your neck out like that? Why did you go after that guy?" Tony asked her and Emma thought about saying something sarcastic to make Stark leave her alone. She knew, however, that she was tired of arguing with him. Pepper was right in a way…this was getting really old.
"I couldn't let Hydra have those weapons." Emma answered quietly but even she knew that wasn't the least of it.
"That's it? That's why you've decided to put your life on the line? So that Hydra couldn't get their hands on the weapons?" Tony questioned and Emma fell silent as Tony shook his head. "No, I don't believe that's the entire reason. You probably would've benefited more from Hydra having the weapons. It would give you more of a right to hunt them down." Emma sighed as she decided to be honest with Stark for the first time in a while.
"Okay…fine. The real reason I wanted to take Toomes down is because it's what Steve would do." Emma said sincerely and Tony searched her eyes to see if he could find the truth in them. He usually could never tell the difference between Emma lying and her telling the truth but for some reason he believed that this might be the first honest answer she had given him in a while. "He told me about why he wanted to join the army so badly back in the day. There was lots of people dying…good people. He said that you could either stand by and do nothing or you could actually get out there and make a difference." Emma looked down at the ground sadly as she recalled her grandfather's words from one of their late night conversations when none of them could sleep.
"I know it sounds incredibly cheesy but how could I stand by and watch this happen when Steve, who was smaller and weaker than most people, bravely jumped head first into a war where it was unlikely that he would ever survive?" Emma stated as she looked back at Tony. His brown eyes rested on her face as he listened to her intently. "I've spent my whole life looking out for myself because I had to but I'm no coward. I wanted to stop Toomes because it was the right thing to do."
"What's changed? The only reason you wanted to be an Avenger before was because of Steve and now he's gone so…" Tony trailed off as he fought to try and understand Emma's motive. There was definitely something very different about the blonde than before. She didn't seem quite as agitated with him as she usually was.
"I don't know." Emma lied. She knew exactly what had changed and it had to do with a certain dorky teenage boy with warm brown eyes. "High school must've made me more compassionate, I guess." Tony scoffed but he gave her an amused smile.
"I highly doubt that." Tony said before he decided that it was probably the most he was going to get out of her about that. Emma gave him a curious look as they continued to walk along the edge of the forest.
"Pepper came to see me yesterday, you know." Emma told him and Tony raised his eyebrows which told her that he most likely didn't know about that.
"Did she?" He inquired and Emma nodded as an unreadable look came over her face.
"Yes. I was surprised to see her actually…Couldn't believe she took you back." Emma said as a smirk began to form on her face. "That extremis stuff really must've seeped into her brain." Tony playfully glared at her but deep down he was just happy that she was teasing him instead of screaming at him like she normally did. Tony shook his head in amusement.
"You're hilarious, Mini Cap…Really." Tony retorted and Emma's smirk faded as she started to look more serious once again. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her old hoodie that she found in her bedroom.
"She wanted to put in a good word for you." Emma told him and Tony looked at her in surprise.
"I never asked her to do that." Tony replied and Emma nodded as gazed over at him.
"I know." Emma said quietly. Tony sighed as he knew that now was the time to get something off his chest..something that had been bugging him for the longest time. He stopped walking and Emma stopped, confused by his sudden pause. They were far away from the compound by now but Emma didn't mind. It was more quiet this far out anyways.
"Look, I just wanted to apologize to you." Tony said suddenly and Emma's eyes widened in surprise. Stark never apologized… not that she ever saw anyways. "For everything. I've messed everything up so much…Ultron, The Avengers, the kid…you. I've never failed anyone as much as I've failed you." Emma watched him with an emotionless expression on her face as she tried to piece together what he was saying. This was the most vulnerable that she ever seen Tony Stark be.
"You've already lost so much and I've taken even more from you…I've threw you into a high school of all places that made you feel even more lost." Tony said, seeming very regretful but Emma didn't say anything. She just watched him quietly. "I never meant for you to feel like I abandoned you. I just…I've messed up your life so much already and I just wanted you to have something nice for once. Something that doesn't involve Hydra or killing."
"My father created the serum that runs through your veins…a serum that he never should've created. Look at what it's done. He's dead and you were forced to be an assassin for Hydra." Tony continued to say as tears flooded his eyes. "I was always so angry with your father…Steven. My dad loved him because he was the only thing left of Cap. He was treated more like a son than I was…you were right about that."
"I should've known something was suspicious when the house burned down like that." Tony said as he shook his head, referring to Hydra's cover up of her parent's death and her kidnapping. Emma just looked up at him, her throat feeling a bit dry. "We all accepted it…we all accepted that you had died. I should've known that you weren't dead when they couldn't find your body but I just went back home after the funeral and drank my sorrows away."
"I never blamed you for the serum." Emma told Tony honestly and she meant it. She never knew he felt that way about her…that he blamed himself for everything that happened. Emma was also surprised that he had even gone to her family's funeral but he had said that he knew her biological father after all. "I never even blamed your father for it. What happened to me is on five Hydra scumbags and three of those idiots are already dead so…"
"I remember the first time I ever laid eyes on you." Tony said suddenly, completely changing the subject as he recalled a time from long ago. Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"You mean after you guys got me out of the Hydra base?" Emma also recalled that meeting as well. She thought Tony was very smug and arrogant even back then. It was two and a half years ago but it felt even longer.
"No, I saw you for the first time when you were almost a year old." Tony confessed and Emma looked up at him in shock. She searched his face for any signs to see if he was lying but she didn't find any. "Your parents invited me to spend the holidays with them in their little farmhouse. Steven knew that I always resented him a little but he never cared…he didn't want me to spend the holidays alone." Emma was completely suspicious as she listened intently to what Tony was saying. He continued when she remained silent.
"You were so small and I had never held a baby before." Tony said softly. "You smiled at me for a moment…before you puked all over my nine hundred dollar designer shirt." Emma smiled as she tried to imagine that and Tony returned her smile as he thought about the memory.
"Margot laughed her head off and took a couple pictures. She never liked me…said that I was annoying or something like that." Tony informed Emma before giving her a fond look. "You were a cute baby by they way. I always received a Christmas card with all of you looking sickeningly happy…well, until the supposed house fire. A house fire with two shield agents? I should've known better."
"You never mentioned that before." Emma said as she shook her head in disbelief. Stark had met her when she was just a baby? No one had ever told her. Well…she supposed that everyone else who knew was now dead so it wasn't like she would ever have found out. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I felt guilty for just accepting what happened and I figured that it wouldn't do you any good to tell you anyways." Tony admitted and Emma fell silent once again as she was forced to now reflect upon this new information she had just become privy to. He then sighed before continuing.
"Look, the truth is when I found out about what Barnes did to my parents I felt betrayed and angry." Tony finally said as he prepared himself for what he was about to say. "I felt betrayed because Steve never told me and he knew all along." It was then that Emma decided to give her input as she responded to Tony.
"I admit that Steve should've told you, Tony. It would've made it easier on all of us but he was trying to protect my father." Emma told him and Tony clenched his jaw. He looked so angry and hurt in that moment but not at her. She immediately realized why he was so mad. "You feel like Steve picked my father over you."
"He did pick Barnes and he picked Barnes over you when he left." Tony told her but Emma didn't get angry with him like she normally would. This was a man who was hurting because he felt so alone. Emma could relate in a way.
"I've never seen it that way. Look, Tony, I love my father so I'm not going to condemn him because of what he did to your parents." Emma told him honestly. "I've done terrible things too. I've probably also killed someone's parents." Tony looked down at the ground before nodding.
"I don't want revenge against him, Emma, if that's what you think." Tony confessed as he looked up at Emma. "I was livid when I first found out but I caught up in the moment and he was just there. I've taken some time to think and I know killing him won't change anything. I'd only be taking even more away from you and it's Hydra's fault after all. He was just a pawn in their game…just like you." She was a bit surprised to hear Stark say those words because Emma would never simply forget about the man who killed her parents. She couldn't forget about Rumlow but she understood that the circumstances were far different. Emma nodded before something else crossed her mind. Something that had been bothering her so much more than Stark's hand in tearing the Avengers apart. She gazed back up at him, a troubled look in her blue eyes.
"What about Peter?" Emma inquired suddenly and Tony gave her a confused look.
"What?" Tony asked.
"Why did you bring him into this?" Tears were finally flooding her eyes which was a sight that Tony still wasn't accustomed to seeing. It was odd to see the blonde become so emotional. "I just don't understand it. You knew how Hydra forced me into this and yet you brought him into this mess without a second thought. He came willingly but he's too naïve and innocent to make those kinds of decisions for himself, Tony. He shouldn't be here…he could die."
Tony watched the expression on her face carefully as he tried to determine what she was feeling. There was something about her that confused him. Emma seemed so worked up over this and he wasn't sure why. He knew that she felt hurt because he introduced a child into this world of superheroes and villains but he was almost positive that wasn't all there was to it. Tony sighed once more as he gave her his answer.
"I know that I probably shouldn't have but it's not that simple." Tony told her sincerely as Emma listened to what he had to say. "The kid had been on my radar for a while. Spidey powers and super strength? There's no way I didn't keep up to date and then I found out who he really was. Just some teenage orphan from Queens and I knew what I had to do." Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confused, not understanding what Tony was trying to say.
"What was that?" She inquired and Tony locked eyes with her.
"I needed to introduce the two of you…granted I never planned on the first time you two met being at the airport where you fought against each other but I think it worked out in the end." Tony replied and Emma found that today was a day of revelations for her. Whatever seemed to come out of Stark's mouth continued to surprise her. "You were living in a tower full of adults with targets on their backs and you were never around kids your own age. I know you'd never relate to ordinary kids but Peter's not ordinary, is he? I knew you two could relate on some level and you needed a friend. He also needed some guidance and who better than you?"
"You hand picked a friend for me because you thought I was lonely?" Emma asked in disbelief as a couple tears fell from her eyes at the thought that Stark might've cared that much. Maybe Pepper was right.
"You both needed each other although I never planned on you two kids getting into all this trouble together. One month detention? Steve's not going to be happy about that." Tony said jokingly, giving her a small smile. Emma guessed she had Tony to thank for succumbing to these feelings she had for Peter. Thanks to him she was somehow in love with Peter Parker. Tony's expression then softened as he opened up to her. "I miss them too, you know. You're not the only one."
"I don't hate you." Emma said suddenly causing Tony to look at her. She bit her lip anxiously before continuing. "I never really did…I was just upset with you and I was looking for someone to blame. None of us were completely innocent…we all had a hand in what happened. I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you."
Tony was shocked to hear an apology come from her lips and Emma was even more shocked that she had even apologized. She had always been taught to never apologize for anything. Apologizing proved weakness and Emma wasn't weak but she truly meant what she said to Stark. They both made a lot of mistakes and Emma was tired of pretending to hate him.
"I deserved it." Tony replied. "There was more I should've done for you…less that my father should've done."
"None of it was your fault Stark. I never even knew your father." Emma told him sincerely. "If it makes you feel any better then I forgive you. I've never tried forgiveness before but maybe I can start now." Tony just stared at her as he tried to guess what was going on in her mind. That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? No one ever knew what went through Emma's mind.
"Why do you seem so different?" Tony asked suspiciously as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Did something happen? Did the ghost of Christmas past come around and change your perspective on life? Is this a Freaky Friday scenario?" Emma just shook her head and pretended like she didn't know what he was talking about.
"I'm just trying to be more forgiving." Emma said nonchalantly. "Steve told me he was raised Catholic or something and forgiveness seems to be a part of that."
"So you're Catholic now." Tony stated, not looking to believe her and Emma smirked.
"I'm not anything." Emma retorted. Tony just shook his head at her before he gazed over at the forest, clearly lost in his own thoughts. Emma noticed that the darkening clouds were moving closer and closer to them. She glanced back at him but he didn't seem to care about the darkening clouds as he remained lost in his own little world.
"We better head back to the compound. It's about to rain." Emma informed him but Tony's demeanor remained unchanged as he continued to look at the view. He snapped out of it for a brief moment as he barely spared her a glance.
"You go ahead. I think I'll stay out here for a while longer." Tony said quietly and Emma gave him an odd look. She decided, however, not to argue as she reluctantly nodded before walking back to the compound. It was obvious that Tony wanted to be alone.
When Emma was almost back to the compound she glanced over her shoulder at Tony Stark who was still standing in the same spot she had left him. She wondered if things would be alright between them now. One thing Emma did know was that she felt a lot better after letting go of all that anger and resentment. This was a new chapter in her life and a chapter that she didn't feel so unwillingly to start.