Universal Displacement

Finding, Plotting, Falling

"Sutton," Avery said in mock firmness. "Axel is a catch. You can't tell me you haven't stared at his dreamy cinnamon skin, dark hair combo. Plus, he works in IT, so he's not an idiot. Especially if it's with Stark Industries. So what is holding you back?"

"Is it another guy," Maggie asked sympathetically. "Was it someone you knew in foster care?"

Sutton bit harshly at the inside of her cheek. She hated it when people brought up her phoney past. Not that it was their fault. They didn't know. But she had a mother, darn it! She wasn't an orphan! She had a brother and a step-father and shecouldn't even talk about them. Instead of blowing up and crying out to the world that she, Sutton Regan, had a family and a home that she desperately missed, she smiled stiffly.

"Something like that," she said. "I just don't think that I'm ready."

Maggie was about to protest, but Avery nudged her in the side with an elbow and shook her head 'no'. Sutton greatly appreciated it. Avery actually reminded Sutton of Vicki, in a way. Maybe that's why she kept the woman at arm's length. Not that they looked similar or anything, but they had the same firm dedication that they carried themselves in. Avery and Sutton could be good friends if Sutton let her.

"Well," Sutton said as she tossed some cash on the table. "I better get going. I still have one more meeting I have to be at. Thanks for joining me, this was nice." Mostly.

They said their good-byes and Sutton made her way back to Stark Tower. Her legs were starting to tingle as she walked back, as if they'd fallen asleep and the blood was just moving again, but she pressed on. Only a couple more hours and then she could go back to her lone apartment.

Maybe she should think about getting a cat or something. Were guinea pigs low maintenance?

It was a boring meeting; at least to her. But luckily it finished up quicker than she expected and she was released out to do whatever she wished. She stopped by the still-partially-under-construction library to drop off some borrowed books and picked up some milk from the grocery store before heading back to her apartment.

It still amazed her how much of the city had been demolished in the attack. Not that she hadn't known it was extensive. Heck, she was that person that pondered what reconstruction costs would look like in films. But living in the middle of it was a constant reminder. She couldn't just take out a DVD and move on from it. There were still huge construction cranes standing through the city like sentinels over charred remains. They still had a long way to go.

But she liked her apartment, it wasn't half of a crumbled heap. Her apartment was quiet and safe and didn't ask her why she didn't have any childhood photos. (In fact, she hardly had any photographs at all.) The few people who had visited her place, which could probably be counted on one hand, probably left thinking that she really was the poor, lost orphan her new background made her out to be.

It was sad enough that she literally had nothing besides work going on until her doctor's appointment the next day. What was wrong with her? She hadn't been this pathetic before. It frustrated her, but then it was like there wasn't anything she could do to force herself to break from the pattern of it. Sutton sighed and shook her head as she finally arrived at her apartment door.

What did it matter anyway?

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Vicki dug through her belongings, packing away everything she wanted to keep. Her parents were insisting that she move back in with them until the whole terrorist debacle died down more. Vicki wasn't entirely looking forward to it. Her mother would insist that her room have the correct feng shui and they'd be more apt to pressure her into attending different formal events. It would be such a drag.