AN: So, it's been a while. It's been paining me that this was never finished. And it never will be finished like I want it to. But I need to give it better closure. I need them to be alright. And I'm sure all of you do too.
I know Avengers is coming up shortly (SQUEE) – but also what you may not know is that I'm an adult with a career job, a desk, and bills. As much as I would like to go at it and write like a madman again, I probably won't have the time. So, you'll get weekend dabbles, like this one.
Chapter 19-ish
Discomfort
I don't know if I'll ever stop having these dreams.
They're not dreams. They're nightmares. Nightmares of her sobbing face, the blood everywhere, how she wouldn't let me go – I'll never forget that. I know my psyche won't let me.
She'll be fine. She'll walk fine. It will take some time to do some therapy, but she'll be okay. The doctors are pretty reassuring, but I still worry. I guess it's my job as Dad to worry about his little girl.
She had to start home-schooling. We didn't want her to fall behind while she was healing, and I didn't want her going anywhere away from the house for a while.
I was terribly depressed for months. I didn't want her to leave the safe confines of the walls I had built to keep me safe from the rest of the world once. I knew that here no one could take her from me and cause something like that to happen to her again. She seemed fine. She still laughed, she still played and she did have some friends come over. The news reported her kidnapping, and also reported our return. Her class sent a big card welcoming her home. I knew she missed going to school and seeing friends every day. But I couldn't bear the thought of her disappearing again like that. I know Pepper couldn't bear us both gone again.
It got better. I went out with her. We did fun things together while Pepper was busy corralling the press and the company. Everything had to get settled. I had to get settled.
She didn't go back to school until the next school year. That's how long it took me to feel better about sending her away from me or Pepper. She had better guard detail as well.
As years went by, she got older and more comfortable. She became overly curious about everything. She asked a lot of questions. She was highly interested in whatever I was doing. She loved to come downstairs and watch me tinker around. She did a little herself too, but not with my expertise.
She excelled in school once she became completely comfortable in the language. We made sure to keep her Russian up too. That would benefit her in the long run.
Somewhere in there, I convinced Pepper to stay permanently. She got a nice shiny ring out of it too.
But no matter what, no matter how many years go by – I still can never get over that look on the little girl's face. It will never leave my nightmares.