(A/N): And we're back with another installment! I know, this is coming to you relatively quickly, but we're finally moving into the endgame of the story and I'm excited to get to writing it!

Quick question though (and I mean this in a genuine, non-guilt trippy way) but are people still reading this? I tend to gauge story interest based off of reviews and there haven't been that many as of late. No matter what happens, I don't intend to stop writing for this story. But I will take it as a sign that it's cool if I focus my writing on other things.

Thanks to stars-for-dreams, edwardsgirl21, Catzandbookz8, Silas Serenity, and Stephanie MRV for your reviews! And I'm sorry if I'm throwing a lot of new characters at you. At the moment, the only ones you really need to remember beyond the main Avengers are Frank Castle (a.k.a. the Punisher), Billy Russo (Frank's old army buddy who runs a private security firm), Curtis Holden (another old army buddy of Frank that volunteers with Veterans), Jessica Jones (a PI), and Samantha Reyes (corrupt DA). There are a few people who I've included that show up in later MCU movies such as the President and VP, but they're not really important in this story. And, of course, more will be introduced in future chapters but you've got time.

PSA: FFN has automatically turned off everyone's email notifications. If you're following any authors or stories and haven't received any update emails lately, you need to go in and manually turn on your notifications again.

This chapter has not been beta read so apologies for any mistakes! And there is some dialogue taken from Daredevil that doesn't belong to me.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy!


She set Percy's favorite mug on his desk, careful to ensure no drops of tea spilled over the rim. Turning the mug so the handle was set at just the right angle, she nodded in satisfaction before leaving his office and returning to her desk.

Percy Weasley was just as careful and meticulous as he had been when they were in school together. Appearances were very important to him. Which was likely the reason he had hired her on as his assistant. After all, what better way to prove that one wasn't bigoted than by having the muggleborn as their assistant?

If she thought too hard about it, she would get nauseous. So instead, she turned her attention to the notes waiting for her in her mailbox. Most were standard Ministry junk, but one plain brown envelope proved to be the treasure in the trash.

Using her wand to unseal the flap, she pulled out a piece of parchment filled to the prim with gossipy nonsense from one of her old school friends. Deciphering the code imbedded in it was something she was an old hat at.

'Control of the board has been confirmed. Public announcements to be released next week.'

Her expression remained placid, and no one who might happen to look her way would be able to tell just how satisfied the young muggleborn was. Finally, the plan almost two decades in the making was almost finished. And even better, now she was no longer wracked with guilt that the little girl who had started them down this path wasn't there to see the casual idea she'd tossed out become a reality.

She wondered if Hermione would even remember the moment in her third year when she'd rattled off a piece of information that would change Wizarding Britain as they knew it. She hoped Hermione did- that she would realize what was going on and be thrilled at the latest revolution she had started.

"Good morning, Penelope," Percy greeted as he strode into the office, removing his finely tailored cloak and placing it on the rack beside her desk.

Penelope Clearwater smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Weasley."


"What are you doing?" Frank asked flatly.

Mia opened her eyes, taking in his upside-down face from where she sprawled out on his couch. "Hiding."

He huffed. "Who?"

"Pepper. Tony and I got bored."

"That so?" he questioned, amused. "Sounds about right to me."

"It didn't even make the papers," Mia complained. "There's no reason for her to be this upset. Besides the fact that we promised we wouldn't, of course. And the fact that it was an event for Steve. And the song was not exactly appropriate for the setting we were in. Or any setting at all."

Frank shook his head, wandering away from her and into the kitchenette. "I'm not protecting you from Potts. That's a losing battle."

"You are weak and lack conviction."

"Go fuck yourself."

Mia gasped, rolling off the couch. "How dare you use such language in front of a lady!"

"Potts isn't here, Stark. That's why you're hiding here, remember?"

Max came over to greet her and Mia gave the dog the most pathetic look she could manage. "Your partner is being mean to me, Max."

He barked, licked her hand, and then raced to the kitchen as Frank put some food out for him.

"I can't tell if that means he's on my side or if he was just trying to comfort me," she admitted, following Max.

"Think it means that you don't rank as high as food in his mind."

Nodding, Mia told him, "I suppose that's fair."

Pulling out a carton of eggs, Frank began cracking them over a pan on the stove, one after the other. "Anything else happen last night?"

She glowered at his back, wondering what the news was saying. "Billy was there," Mia admitted begrudgingly. "His company was hired to provide security."

Frank didn't seem surprised, which meant that Billy's attendance had been noted by someone and publicized. Lovely, she sighed. Just what she needed.

"How'd Rogers take it?"

"Great. I believe they're going to become the best of friends."

Glancing back at her, Frank calmly told her, "Why are you fucking with Billy if you're in love with Rogers?"

Mia felt like she was choking on air. "Excuse me?"

"Billy isn't the type of the guy who sends flowers to a girl after a conversation. And he definitely doesn't do shit like filling apartments with chocolate. He's interested. Which is not like Billy. And if you're not interested, then you should tell him."

There were so many responses Mia could have made, but she settled on, "What makes you think I'm not interested in Billy?"

"You love Steve, right?" Frank asked bluntly, and Mia froze.

"What?"

Frank rolled his eyes. "I have eyes, kid. You love him."

She had no idea what to say to that. He sounded so confident when he announced that she loved Steve. It wasn't a question or a revelation, it was a fact to Frank. But Mia wasn't as sure about her feelings as Frank seemed to be.

"It's complicated," she finally told him. "We've both done things… no," Mia shook her head, "I have done things that are going to cause Steve a great deal of pain when he finds out. But he doesn't know anything yet and I have no plans to tell him. And since I refuse to start a relationship with an elephant in the room that only I can sense is there, there is no Steve and I at this point in time and I doubt that will change in the future once he's found out. Some pain is too great to ever be forgiven."

After several beats of silence, Mia looked up to see Frank giving her an incredulous look. "Look, I might generally be considered out of my skull, so this might not mean much, but that could be the craziest, most batshit thing I've ever heard in my life. People that can hurt you, the ones that can really hurt you, are the ones that are close enough to do it. People that get inside you and… and… and tear you apart, and make you feel like you're never gonna recover. Shit, I'd… I- I would chop my arm off right here just to feel that one more time for my wife."

Mia froze.

"My old lady, she didn't just break my heart," Frank continued, voice a little hoarse. "She… She'd rip it out, she'd tear it apart, she'd step on that shit, feed it to a dog. I mean, she was ruthless. She brought the pain. But she'll never hurt me again. You see, I'll never feel that. You sit here and you're all confused about this thing, but you have it. You have everything. So hold on to it. Use two hands and never let go. You got it?"

It took every ounce of self-control that Mia had to keep herself from telling him how horrifying that sounded. The Granger's weren't the most loving people towards each other, seemingly having a relationship based more on companionship than passion. And her parents weren't together when she was growing up, they weren't in love. But both sets of adults did their best to teach her everything they could about what love was supposed to look like, what it felt like. Every person who you loved had the ability to hurt you. But, if they loved you, then they wouldn't try to do so on purpose. They would make mistakes and they would hurt you without meaning to, but if they intentionally set out to hurt you every chance they had then they didn't really love you.

Her parents broke her heart. If the Time Stone was right, then Tony was likely going to in the near future. She was going to break Steve's heart soon enough. But none of it was intentional. None of those actions were going to be done with the purpose of breaking a heart.

"Is that really the kind of love you think everyone should aspire to?" Mia finally asked him. "Is love supposed to be pain in your eyes?"

Frank snorted. "Living is pain, kid. Figured you'd know that by now."

"Yes, it is," she agreed. "But isn't love supposed to be what makes the pain of living more bearable? What keeps us going? If living is pain and loving is pain, then what's the point?"

When it seemed like Frank was going to turn away, Mia asked the only question that really mattered to her at that moment. "Is that the kind of love you'd have wanted for Lisa?"

Frank froze.

Mia persisted. "If Lisa had come to you one day because she fell in love and that person was 'ruthless' and 'brought the pain'… if they were fine with taking her heart and tearing it apart, stepping on that shit, and feeding it to a dog, would you tell her to hold onto that love with both hands and never let go? Or would you tell her to run and never look back? Because if it were my parents… if it were my father… he'd kill the person hurting me in a heartbeat. He would never stand for that, because he taught me better than that. He taught me what love is supposed to look like."

He blinked rapidly, and Mia knew he was thrown by how easily she brought up his daughter.

She could tell that he was struggling with his words. "That kind of relationship may have worked for you, but it's just not what I want. I want someone who will challenge me and while that might mean we will have the occasional fight, it doesn't mean that they'll set out to hurt me when they're upset me."

There were enough people 'bringing the pain' in Mia's life. Was it too much to wish for someone who would try to shield her from heartbreak instead of causing it?


When Mia met Curtis outside his workplace, the original plan was for them to grab lunch at a restaurant a few blocks over that was one of his favorites. However, the moment he saw her, Curtis had turned and led them in the opposite direction.

"You look like you could use the fresh air," he told her when she asked where they were going. "And I'm always up to going for a walk. I was on my ass for too long when I first lost my leg. Now that I can, I try and take every chance I can to move around to remind myself of how lucky I am."

Mia nodded her head slowly, glancing down at his prosthetic leg hidden beneath his dress pants. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Feel free to not answer if this is verging into uncomfortable territory, but isn't it uncomfortable walking around even with the prosthetic? Or do you finally reach a point in the healing process where it feels… normal, for lack of a better word?"

Curtis chuckled, shoving his hands into his pants pocket. "It hurt a lot in the beginning. Still does sometimes, when my knee is swollen, or the nerves are just going off for whatever reason. But you learn to adjust."

"That's good. If you ever meet my brother, don't let him near your leg," she warned, a faint smile on her lips. "He'll want to give it an 'upgrade', and even he won't know what that will look like until after he's done fiddling with the thing."

"I don't know, sounds like it could be interesting," he responded. "At the very least, it'd be something to brag about."

"Yes, because everything about you screams 'total braggart'."

"Gotta keep up with Billy somehow," Curtis retorted, coming to a stop in front of a hot dog cart. "Figured we'd just get some of the best hot dogs in the city, if you think you can handle a bit of street food."

Mia laughed, mood lightening a bit more. "I'm sure this will come as a surprise to you, but Tony is not always big on healthy foods. Without Pepper there to keep us in line, we will eat whatever junk we can get our hands on. Once, when she was in L.A. for a week, we ate nothing but Pop-Tarts, donuts, and Chinese food. She was so mad when she got home."

He laughed so hard he snorted. "Damn, don't you guys know how to cook at all?"

After ordering a single plain hot dog, Mia answered, "We do, but Tony and I were so busy working on our own projects that we couldn't be bothered. I will give us some credit because we did actually go to sleep in our own beds most nights instead of crashing in the lab after staying up for three days straight."

The cart owner handed them their food and, after some good-natured teasing from Curtis about the fact that Mia didn't put any condiments on hers, they started walking again.

"How's Frank?" Curtis asked softly, discreetly scanning the street for any suspicious people.

She sighed. "I honestly don't know. We've had a rough couple of days. Did I tell you he has a dog?"

Curtis' eyes widened. "No, you didn't. Frank's always loved dogs so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he finally got one, but I wouldn't have thought he'd take the time to adopt a pet when he's out for revenge."

"He found Max- the dog- when he went after the Irish. They were running a dog-fighting ring and had used Max in a fight earlier that evening. Frank saved him and they've been inseparable ever since."

"Pitbull?" Curtis asked and when Mia nodded, a sad look appeared in his eyes. "Frank's always had a soft spot for Pitbull's. Always hated how much of a bad rep they have."

Mia couldn't help smiling as she said, "Max is an absolute sweetheart. Though, if he had been taken into custody by Animal Control, I think they would have put him down rather than try to adopt him out since, as you said, Pitbull's have poor reputations and everyone's always wary around fighting dogs." The smile slowly fell from her face as she continued, "The Irish used Max to find Frank's apartment. He wasn't home at the time, but Max was. They were trying to take him when Steve and I arrived."

He stumbled a step before righting himself, turning to look at Mia. "So, you're telling me that the Kitchen Irish tried to ambush Frank but instead got jumped by Captain America and little Mia Stark?"

She glowered at him. "First of all, we didn't jump them- I just yelled a bit at them for trying to steal 'my' dog and implied that we were allies of Frank. And second, I am not little. I am a perfectly respectable height, and it is not my fault that I'm surrounded by stupidly tall people."

"Sure, sure," he chortled. "Man, I wish I could have seen their faces when you two appeared."

"Their confusion was rather enjoyable," she admitted. "As was how their looks shifted from 'need-to-get-revenge' to 'does-it-really-matter'. Unfortunately, I don't think their boss is going to let this go."

"What's Frank thinking about all this?"

"The plan hasn't changed for Frank; he wants revenge. He's still going to go after them, even though they'll be expecting him. They've also shown they're willing to hurt anyone and everyone if it will get Frank's attention."

Curtis grumbled under his breath for a moment, leading them into a small park. "What about you?" he finally asked. "This change your plans?"

"No," she answered immediately. "My focus has been on Reyes this whole time while Frank's been focused on the gangs, so this has no real effect on me as of now. I'm just concerned that Frank is going to take an unnecessary risk to take down the Irish."

When she fell silent, he prodded, "And? I can tell there's something else bugging you."

Once they had thrown away their wrappers and were seated on a relatively clean bench, Mia finally admitted, "I'm struggling to find the line between protective and horribly manipulative."

"Those sound like two very different things," Curtis stated, tone neutral. "What brought up that question?"

Mia stared down at her feet as she rhythmically tapped her toes against the ground. "I could take out the Irish myself," she slowly said, carefully picking her words. "It wouldn't even be hard. That's the option that would keep Frank safest. But I know that this is something Frank feels he needs to do on his own. He blames himself, and he feels like he won't be able to make amends to his family until he avenges them with his own hands. It's already enough of a struggle for him to allow me to deal with Reyes. If I do any more, I don't think he'll be able to forgive me if he were to find out. There's a chance I could hide this from him, but that would just be adding to the lies and secrets I'm already keeping from him and secrets always have a way of coming out. So, the question remains: which is more important, allowing Frank to do this his way, or doing what I have to in order to keep him safe?"

After taking a moment to process everything he'd heard, Curtis bluntly told her, "That's not the right question because you're manipulating yourself with that phrasing. By wording it that way, you're essentially telling yourself that you can either let Frank get himself killed or you can save him and the obvious choice there is saving Frank. The actual question you're asking yourself in this scenario is: is Frank sound enough to be making these decisions on his own or should you be intervening in some way, shape, or form? And if Frank is sound enough, then you have to let him make his own poor choices and be ready to assist with the fallout afterwards because you know that he has the right to make his own decisions, even if they're terrible ones."

She froze, stomach churning. "I… I didn't…" she stuttered.

Curtis rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know," he gently interrupted. "I know you didn't mean to. When I said you're manipulating yourself, I didn't mean that in a bad way. I don't think you're trying to justify taking over Frank's life or taking away his free will or something. I meant that you're setting things up in your mind so that, if things go bad, then it's on you. It's your fault. That question you were asking yourself implies that Frank pulling stupid shit is going to be your fault because you could have stopped him or taken care of the problem yourself. But it's not your job to take care of Frank. And if he messes up, then that's on him not you."

Mia felt lost. "But if I know and do nothing then-"

"Then nothing. Frank's choices are his own. He decided that he wanted to handle the Irish by himself. Is that going to end well? Probably not. But he has to figure that out on his own so that he'll do better later."

"But what if he's not mentally sound?" she asked, worrying her lower lip. "He was shot in the head and I've seen the scans and medical reports. The bullet tore through the part of the brain that deals with logical thinking and his ability to feel sympathy. What if I'm just ignoring the fact that Frank isn't sound enough to truly understand his actions?"

He snorted, causing Mia to flinch in surprise and turn to look at him. "That's bullshit and you know it. Even if Frank hadn't been shot, he would still be doing the same thing he's doing now. Frank is a soldier- always has been, always will be. And if I'm being honest, violence has never bothered him. Neither has killing. Losing his family like that… there was no chance this was going to end any other way."

"Yes," she agreed. "Losing his family is the reason this is all happening. But that loss also caused damage to his psyche. He likely has PTSD, depression, and a host of other mental illnesses along with the damage caused by that bullet. And, instead of getting him help, I'm encouraging his behavior."

"Why are you so convinced that you're the bad guy here?" Curtis asked, shifting on the bench so he was facing her head-on. "I would get feeling guilty for not stopping Frank from killing but that's not what's happening here. It sounds like you think you should be doing more and since you're not, you think you're some kind of monster. And that's a lot of responsibility you're shouldering, none of which actually belongs on you." Mia grimaced, and he sighed.

"You think you're the first vet I've seen run themselves into the ground because they're feeling guilty for things that aren't their fault?" When she started to say something, Curtis held up a hand. "I'm not going to ask, but I've been around enough soldiers to recognize that look in your eyes, so don't lie. I don't need the whole story to be able to see what one of the roots of your issue is."

Mia swallowed and asked hoarsely, "And what is it?"

Curtis smiled at her. "You're feeling disconnected from who you used to be before. Because there's a you before the war, a you during it, and the you after it. And the grass is always greener on the other side, so you've idealized the person you used to be and think you're nothing like her now. You're a good person who has convinced themselves that they're bad. But you're wrong. And you want to know how I know that?"

"How?"

"Because you're helping Frank. And the reason you're helping him, is because it's the right thing to do."

"Or maybe it's because I feel guilty about all the people I didn't save in my past," she argued. "Maybe this is me, trying and failing to make up for that."

"It's not," he stated, fully confident. "And there's a real simple way to prove it." Mia raised an eyebrow and Curtis asked, "Before all that bad shit in your past happened, would the girl you used to be try to save Frank? Would that girl still try to help?"

Mia felt tears stinging in her eyes. It took a moment for her to find an answer but, once she did, Mia told him, "Yes, she would have. She would have tried to find a legal way of helping him, but she would have helped him all the same."

Pointing at her, Curtis said, "See, that right there proves my point. You try to help people because you know it's the right thing to do, not because you're trying to even out the scales. I know what it's like to come back and feel like you're walking around in a stranger's body. I know that struggle when you look back at who you were and don't recognize who you've become. It feels like you've turned into a whole new person, but, from my own personal experiences, it's not that you're changing into a new person; it's just that you're still growing. The you before would have tried to help Frank by using the law, but the you now knows that sometimes, playing fair doesn't cut it. You've changed your tactics over the years because now you know what you have to do in order to have the best shot at winning."

Hunching over, Mia hid her face in her hands, glad that she'd had the forethought to place a Notice-Me-Not Charm around the bench. She didn't get how Curtis had been able to get to the heart of some of her feelings without her saying a word.

She hadn't realized that she'd spoken aloud until Curtis murmured, "It's easy to feel like you're drowning when you never reach out."

When Mia felt like she'd regained some semblance of control over herself, she looked back up at Curtis. "Why are you doing this? We're supposed to be focused on Frank, not me."

He smiled. "You decided to help Frank for no other reason than because what happened to him wasn't right. I want to help you because, if the tables were turned, you'd help me. And those are the kind of people we need in the world."

Mia swallowed down the lump in her throat. She hoped she could be even half as good as Curtis one day.

Checking his watch, Curtis stated that it was time for him to head back, and Mia decided to walk with him. They were silent until they were only a block or so away from his work.

"Before you go, I'm going to tell you something that I learned after I got back," Curtis started, turning to look Mia in the eye. "No matter how this all ends, you need to understand that loss is a part of life. And it's a sucky part. It's never fair, and it'll never be okay. But here's the thing you've gotta learn- you can't save everyone. And you shouldn't try. All you can do, is make sure that you try and save more lives than you lose."

Mia looked down at her feet. "What if it's not enough?"

"It is. It has to be. Because if you try to convince yourself of anything else, you're going to lose your goddamn mind. And you're going to lose everyone you love too. You're going to hurt everyone who loves you. You don't deserve that, and neither do they.

"You're doing the best you can in a shitty situation, kid. It's time to start giving yourself a little grace."


Mia was too tired to return to the tower, to send Steve on his way with a kind smile and a genuine show of regret at his departure. Which is how she found herself at Jessica's apartment, lying on a patch of relatively clean floor while staring blankly at the ceiling while the private investigator sat at her desk looking over a few files.

The fact that she was fine with silence was one of the reasons Mia was so fond of Jessica, despite her prickly attitude.

"Why now?" Jessica finally asked, and Mia heard her desk chair creak as she sat back in it. "Castle, I mean. Why now?"

She didn't look away from the ceiling. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't make sense, and you know it. Literally the day after Frank comes home, someone tries to kill him. Why? What happened in Afghanistan? And why would they wait until he was home to kill him instead of doing it over there and just labeling him as KIA?"

Sighing, Mia offered, "Because Frank either did something right after he got home that made someone suspicious, or they think he did. I personally think it was the latter simply because of what Frank told me about what happened after he got home. Which was basically nothing since he was tired, in case you were wondering."

"Whatever it was, it was big enough that they wanted Castle dead immediately. Someone decided that it was necessary to literally gun him down in broad daylight than wait for an opportunity to kill him quietly. Aren't you curious what it is?" Jessica persisted.

"Of course I am," she retorted, shifting to look at the other woman. "But Frank refuses to talk about what happened while he was serving, and Curtis hasn't managed to drag anything out of Billy yet."

Jessica tilted her head and smirked, eyes dark and a little mean. "Why are you trying to be subtle when whoever we're up against clearly can't be bothered? How about we stop waiting for someone to start talking and you have JARVIS start digging?"

Mia considered her for a long moment. "Are you ready for the kind of attention that's sure to draw?" she asked softly.

"They're going to find out sooner or later that you're working with Castle, Stark, and, when they do, any investigating regarding Frank is going to be noticed. Which means that you might as well tear through their systems now while they still don't realize it might be a possibility."

"And what if someone finds out about you?"

"Honestly? I've looked at these photos of dead kids too many times to care anymore. If they want to come after me then let them because it's going to be a lot harder to take me out than a fucking kid."

She could see that Jessica was telling the truth- that she was aware of the possible consequences of having JARVIS start going directly into the government records, aware that it could end up with her caught in the crossfires, and she was fine with it.

Pulling out her phone, Mia pressed down on the app that would connect her to the Stark A.I. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Stark?"

"It seems like we're past the point of being subtle. Use the information we've already gathered on Frank and start pulling at every loose thread you can find. Look into the backgrounds of everyone he's served with and every commanding officer he served under. Start from right before he returned home and work your way back. Something happened to spook a person with power right around Frank's arrival back in the States. I want to know what it is."

"Understood, Miss Stark. I will do my best to cover my tracks as I go."

"Depending on what you find, JARVIS, I may not want you to," she muttered, tracing her fingers over the grains in the wood floor. "We're a far more terrifying enemy than Frank Castle is; it might be better to make them focus their attention on us than on Frank."

"Perhaps it would be if it were only you," JARVIS cautioned. "But you are not the Stark they would target if they believed one of you to be looking into this situation."

Mia flinched. "You're right. I didn't consider that. Apologies."

"It's quite alright, Miss Stark. I will let you know what I'm able to find."

Setting her phone on the floor, Mia considered Jessica. "I'm sorry."

Jessica raised a brow. "What for?" she asked, opening a Red Bull.

"I know you don't like having to care about a case," she answered simply. "I should have realized that anyone who's not a heartless monster would likely feel an emotional connection to this case."

The P.I. snorted. "I don't like caring on cases because that can make it difficult to solve them and then move on. Especially now that people think I'm some kind of vigilante. But I don't need to worry about that because you'll be the one handling things and you don't want me to use my powers for anything other than dragging Frank's ass around when he's being dumb."

Lips quirking, Mia quipped, "I solemnly swear that I don't want you taking on this case, Jones. I've got plans for Reyes that don't involve you and your abilities."

Jessica let out a huff of laughter before changing the subject. "How'd it go last night?"

"It went," she shrugged. "The food was terrible, the decorations hideous, and the scolding Tony and I received on the car ride home soul-crushing. And very undeserved."

"Yeah, Potts has some incredibly high standards," Jessica responded dryly. "Can't change up the music, can't purposefully make grown men cry, can't punch assholes. It's like she hates fun or something."

"That's what I said! For some reason, it just upset Pepper more."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "I wonder why." Then, quick as lightning, Jessica changed the subject. "I'm surprised there aren't any rumors going around about you, Steve, and Billy after last night. I was positive one of them would do something stupid."

"If you haven't heard anything, then how did you know they were both there?" Mia asked, trying to buy herself some time. "I know you don't keep up with gossip."

"Tony told me."

Mia flew up. "Absolutely not. I did not authorize this."

"Fuck you, you're not my mom."

"Wow, for a moment there you sounded kind of like Frank."

"Has anyone told you that you're a real bitch?"

"I believe the more often used term is 'heinous bitch'," Mia retorted loftily.

Jessica snorted. "Yeah, I can see that."

Settling herself back onto the floor, she stated, "I already got reamed by Frank this morning. I refuse to have yet another uncomfortable conversation regarding my feelings or intentions."

"I'm sorry, have you met me?" Jessica scoffed. "I'm shit at giving advice. I'm just here for the drama."

Mia released a dry laugh. At least Jessica could be counted on for honesty. "Well, I am sorry to disappoint but the only drama here is that I'm apparently toying with Steve and Billy's emotions. I'm sure the magazines will soon be reporting about how much of a whore I am."

Making a noise of disgust, the other woman asked, "Have you even kissed one of them yet? Because I know you aren't getting laid; you'd be a lot funner to hang around if you were."

"Nope," Mia answered, lips making a popping sound as she emphasized the 'p'. "Which I guess is for the best. Last thing I need is for the press to somehow catching wind and making more of a spectacle of my love life than they already have. I probably shouldn't risk get caught 'locking lips' as Tony would put it until I've figured out my feelings."

"Fuck that. Maybe swapping spit will help you figure out your feelings. If you kiss and feel nothing, then you can move on."

"And what happens if I kiss both of them and it's all heat and fireworks?"

She could almost see Jessica shrugging in her mind's eye. "Then you make sure they both know it's not exclusive and fuck them both to see who's better. Which I would bet good money is Billy since the Boy in Blue gives off a strong virgin vibe."

Mia thought about that for a beat. "I don't know if Steve is a virgin. But even if he's not, I don't think he's very experienced. Though, neither am I."

"Then go for Billy," Jessica immediately stated. "If you're fucking someone, at least one of you needs to know what they're doing. Fuck Billy, get some experience under your belt, then fuck Steve."

"My heart knows that's stupid advice, but my head feels like you might have a point and I don't know what to do now," Mia groaned, picking up her phone as it dinged.

I'm ready to call in one of those favors now.

Her eyebrows rose. "Speak of the devil…"

"Which one? Steve?"

"Billy."

Here I thought you didn't have my phone number. Wasn't I supposed to reach out to you first?

He responded seconds later. Patience isn't one of my virtues. Pick you up in 20?

"He wants me to meet him," Mia announced, fingers hovering over the screen.

"Go get him, tiger," Jessica mocked.

"Tony is right- you are a terrible influence."

"Whatever gets you off my floor and out the door. And just an FYI, I can't remember the last time I cleaned so you may want to burn your clothes."

Hopping to her feet, Mia typed, Give me thirty.

Turning to look at Jessica, she brightly told her, "I had your apartment cleaned last week when I knew you were out. It was getting dusty. I'm surprised you didn't notice." And then she raced out the door as the PI cussed up a storm behind her.


Monica was a grown ass adult. Which is why what she was doing was not 'eavesdropping' but 'spying'.

"That is the stupidest shit I have ever heard," she could hear her mom telling Aunt Carol. "Seriously, what kind of fuckery is that?"

Carol groaned, and Monica could see in her mind's eye her aunt slumping forward in exhaustion. "You're telling me. And now Loki is being an idiot and trying to act like suicidal bullshit is the only route to go here."

"What are you going to do? If you need that stone and the only way to get it is by giving into the mystic voodoo that requires a human sacrifice…"

Monica's stomach dropped, and she pressed herself closer to the gab in the stair rails.

"If it was just a human sacrifice, then it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not proud of this, but, if all it took was killing someone to get the stone, then I'd do it. But the whole 'it has to be someone you love' bit makes it a no go, no matter what Loki says."

Her mom was silent for a long beat. "Look, if what you told me about Thanos is true, then we're all at risk while he's still around. And if you need that stone to stop him, then you'll have to sacrifice someone to get it."

"But that's the thing- we don't necessarily need the stone to stop him. Especially if we can collect all the others. Yeah, the Soul Stone is one powerful rock, but so are the Time, Power, Space, Mind, and Reality Stones. We have the Space and Reality Stones, and we know where the Mind Stone is and are working to find the Power Stone. If we can get all the other Infinity Stones, then we don't need the Soul Stone to stop him.

"Besides, there's no telling if Thanos can even get his hands on the Soul Stone should he find out where it is. From what I can tell, the only thing he loves is Death. Who would be a little tricky to kill, ignoring the fact that killing Death would make Thanos' whole war irrelevant."

"That's fair," Maria muttered, sounding relieved, and the pressure in Monica's chest eased. "But are you really trying to tell me that Death is an actual person and not a concept?"

"Yep. No idea how that works but Death is a woman."

"… Nice."

Carefully shifting away from the bannister, Monica hurried back to her room and grabbed the phone Mia had given her. Sitting down on her bed, she considered her options.

A large part of her wanted to immediately call Mia and tell her what she'd heard, get her insight into the situation. But Monica also knew that her cousin was dealing with a lot of shit and after she'd told them about HYDRA and what was happening with SHIELD, Monica didn't really want to pile any more onto her plate. Plus, it seemed like Aunt Carol had a handle on things.

Setting the phone back onto her nightstand, Monica decided to hold off talking to Mia until she knew more. If Aunt Carol could handle things, then she saw no point in giving Mia more stuff to stress about. But, if Monica thought for even a second that Aunt Carol was in over her head, she was going to tell Mia. Her cousin was more stubborn, creative, and downright ruthless than anyone Monica had ever met. If someone could find a solution that didn't involve Aunt Carol losing someone she loved, it would be Mia.


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