I is for Imbeciles

Darcy began to get antsy. Between them, the Avengers and assorted crew kept her close to the mansion and escorted if she had to leave. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their concern. She certainly didn't want to get abducted again, but she missed her daily walks in the park. She hated feeling like a burden or a child they had to watch over.

And that's what she felt like, regardless of what they said.

Now, alone in the house, she still couldn't just go out. She promised Steve she wouldn't, and breaking a promise to Steve was…wrong. Even thinking about it made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. It didn't matter how good a soldier he was, his open hearted earnestness and sincerity pressed every button.

Plus the whole Captain America face he would pull…she was pretty sure lying to him counted as being unpatriotic or something.

So, here she was, twiddling her thumbs. Jane left three days ago to participate in some kind of astrophysics conference while Pepper held court in Tokyo at a meeting with SI's Asia division. The Avengers left yesterday to deal with an apparent Hydra attack in Tel Aviv. Even SHIELD's top officers were in DC to give a report to the Counsel.

So here she sat.

The drugs had finally worn off last night, and she could move with relative ease. Bright, beautiful sunshine poured through the windows.

And here she sat.

"Excuse me, Miss Lewis?" JARVIS broke into her private pity party.

She looked up, feeling pathetically excited about any interruption. "What's up, J?"

"There is a woman at the front gate seeking admittance," the AI replied smoothly. "She appears to be in some distress."

"Show me?" she asked.

JARVIS obliged by routing the security feed to the large screen. At first all she saw was the dark hair. The woman was looking away from the camera even as her finger continued to press on the doorbell. As she turned back, Darcy caught a glimpse of pale skin, delicate features, and fear. A picture from Bruce's file came to mind.

"That's Betty Ross!" she exclaimed, coming to her feet. "JARVIS, let her in and then close up. Ratchet up security; she looks terrified."

Darcy hurried towards the front door. She opened it as Betty rushed up the steps. Shouts from the gate drew both women's attention. Darcy's eyes narrowed as she spotted General Ross among the men trapped outside.

She touched Betty's arm and gave her a supportive smile. "Come inside." Betty glanced at the gate, but Darcy tugged on her arm. "Don't worry; they can't get in."

"Thank you," Betty replied softly. She followed Darcy into the house and wiped her cheeks dry. Her wide eyes still brimmed with unshed tears, but she seemed to have them mostly under control. She looked around as Darcy led her into the den. Betty sat down in a chair, sinking as though her legs were too exhausted to go another step. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burst in on you this way, but…" She trailed off.

"Hey," Darcy sat down next to her. "Any friend of Bruce is welcome here." Betty looked around, and Darcy sighed. "I'd love to get him for you, but he's out with the team." She frowned. "Even if he were here, I probably would wait until you caught your breath. This would be a bad time for Hulk to get involved."

Betty gave a watery laugh. "Is it bad that I don't think I'd care?"

"Depends," Darcy replied, considering the pale woman beside her. "What was all that about?"

"My father's been getting more and more paranoid since the Avengers first appeared. Every time they showed up on television, he would tighten security. He monitored everything. Anytime I tried to place a call it would never connect." She choked back tears. "I quit. I told him three days ago that I'd had it and was leaving. I planned to get away from the base and call Bruce."

"That obviously didn't happen." Darcy's eyes narrowed. "What did he do?"

"He put me under house arrest."

"What?" Darcy stared at her, flabbergasted.

"I couldn't leave the house," Betty explained. "Every time I tried, I'd be met by three guards. My phone lines were cut; the internet was cut. I had no contact with anyone but him and the guards."

"How'd you get out?"

Betty blew out a sharp breath. "His second-in-command. He removed the guards long enough for me to leave, but my father caught wind of it. They've been following me all the way." She fell back against the cushions. "You have no idea how it felt when the gate opened."

"Oh, I might," Darcy muttered, considering her recent troubles. She met Betty's eyes. "Let's get you set up in a room, okay? JARVIS will make sure those imbeciles don't get in, and we can find you something to wear until you have a chance to get some stuff."

"Really?" Betty asked.

"Only if you want," Darcy assured her.

"Oh, I want," Betty nodded. "I definitely want."

"Great," Darcy smiled. The women stood up and Darcy put her hand on Betty's arm. "You're safe here. Believe me, the team gets seriously overprotective, and-" She stopped for a moment, eyed Betty, and then continued. "And they really don't like Ross anyway."

Betty sighed. "He's my father, but I don't like him anymore. Something in him is broken, twisted." She bit her lip. "He's going to hurt someone one day."

"Well," Darcy replied, wrapping an arm around the other woman's waist and leading her towards the stairs. "I can say this much. It won't be you or Bruce if we have anything to say about it." She tightened her arm in a quick hug. "Like I said, you're safe here."

Betty gave her a tremulous smile. "Thank you."

"Any time."