A/N - The photo above is Erin's outfit for this chapter (without the purse). I am so sorry that I haven't been updating! For the readers who are in high school (especially in Canada) exam season is upon us so I haven't had the time. But I will be updating regularly again! Hope you all enjoy!
Happy Reading
|LeeandSara11|
Dad and I decided to stay at the new compound for a while after everything that happened. Rhodey needed help with his paralysis and Dad had to develop something to stop my attacks permanently so the new compound seemed like our best option.
Slowly slipping out of bed, I open the blinds in my room to see a beautiful view of the ocean. The waves collapse on top of one another, giving me a sense of calm. My hand slowly rises to the back of my neck and I softly touch the regulator that is poking out from my skin. It lays on the top of my neck and travels a little bit onto my scalp, but luckily my hair hides most of it. But my hand grazes the cold metal and it feels like I've lost what little control I did have left. Now I have to rely on it instead of myself.
After a while, I break my focus from the sea and go over to my suitcase to get dressed. Pulling out my clothes for the day, I strip from my pyjamas. As I got to put on my new set of clothes, I catch a glimpse of my broken body in the mirror. Even though I try to fight it, I look fully into the mirror. Scars line my midsection and travel towards my chest, making my toned body look horrible. When I stretch I can see my ribcage, as well as my hips and the very sight of the bones, makes me tear up.
Sitting on the end of my bed and curling my knees up to my chest, I cry. I let it all out. No judgement, no criticizing words, just sobbing. Everything that I've kept pent up comes out and the weight that I have carried for so long begins to fade away. I was so lost in the moment that I didn't even notice that my phone was buzzing... multiple times. Suddenly, Friday's soothing voice emits into my room.
"Ms. Stark? I have Mr. Parker on the phone. He says it urgent."
"Oh, I'll get it. Thank you, Friday."
"Your welcome, Ms. Stark." The A.I replies.
Crawling across my bed, I grab my phone from my nightstand and quickly answer.
"Erin? Why weren't you answering? You had me worried." Peter says quickly, his voice laced with panic.
"Sorry I was just...thinking." I say with a sniffle.
"Thinking or crying?" Peter asks quietly.
"A bit of both." I answer with a soft chuckle.
"How can I help?"
"You can't. I just have to work through a lot of baggage."
"Okay. Well, I'm here if you want to talk." he says reassuringly.
"Thank you, Peter. I'll see you at school soon okay?" I say.
"Okay." he replies.
"Maybe okay can be our always." I say with a laugh.
"I take it you have been catching up on your reading." Peter states with a chuckle behind it.
"Well, I've had a lot of time on my hands." I explain. "I'll see you soon, Parker."
"Same here, Stark." Peter says before hanging up.
Softly chuckling, I leave my phone on the bed and finish getting dressed. And this time when I see my scars, I don't cry.
I smile.
____________________
I wait outside the front doors of the compound, waiting for Dad to return from his outing. You see, he's been disappearing a bunch of times ever since my surgery. For weeks I watched on the security cams and now I've decided to confront him about it. I look at my watch and see the time is almost 3:30, Dad arriving right on time. He pulls up in his favourite Audi and parks before stepping out.
"Erin, it's freezing out here. Why aren't you inside?" he asks.
"Why aren't you telling me where you're going?" I remark. Dad stays silent for a moment before answering.
"Fine, you win." he says with a sigh. "I was with Pepper."
Instantly I begin to smile.
"We are trying to work things out, you know. Make compromises where we can." Dad explains.
"But you're trying to get back together?" I ask to which Dad nods in response.
I could no longer control myself so I quickly walked up to Dad and gave him a hug. He hugs me in return and we both laugh quietly.
__________________
While Dad and I were developing the regulator that now sits in my head, we also tinkered with some possible options on how to help Uncle Rhodes get back up on his feet. During my recovery time, Dad was able to create a prototype to help him walk again. Now, the two of them were testing it out in the gym while I sat to the side, floating a throwing knife in mid-air above my hand.
I listen to the two of them talk about the prototype. Things that need to be added and things that need to be taken away. Suddenly I hear a stumble and see Uncle Rhodes falling to the ground. Using my other hand, I quickly catch him from where I stood. He looks over and smirks at me and I smirk in return.
"How am I supposed to learn if your there to catch me everytime?" he asks. In response, I remove my hold on him and he instantly drops to the floor, making Dad chuckle.
Dad then goes to help him up, but of course, Uncle Rhodes refuses. He struggles to sit himself up and turning around was obviously much harder. Laying my knife back on the table, I slowly walk over and sit beside them.
"138." Uncle Rhodes says. "138 combat missions. That's how many I flew. Every one of them could've been my last but I flew them. Cause the fight needed to be fought. And it's the same with these accords, I signed because it was the right thing to do. And yeah this sucks, it's a real bad beat. But it hasn't changed my mind."
Dad begins to tear up and so I sit beside him and give him a side hug. He wraps his arm around my waist and squeezes me tightly before letting go and offering a hand to Uncle Rhodes. Thankfully, he takes it and we all stand up again. Uncle Rhodes looks out the window and I immediately turn around, my old habits taking over. Luckily I had nothing to worry about since it was just an elderly man.
"Delivery for Tony...Tony," the man says while squinting at the label. "Tony Stank?"
At the pronunciation of our last time, I chuckle quietly.
"Yeah, this is Tony Stank. You're in the right place!" Uncle Rhodes replies. "Never dropping this by the way. Yes table for two, Ms. and Mr. Stank. By the bathroom."
By now both Dad and I are laughing and I shake my head. Once Uncle Rhodes made it safely back to his room, Dad and I returned to his office. He sits in his chair while I sit on the end of the desk behind him. He quickly opens the box and pulls out a letter addressed to both of us. And as I read, it was like I heard Steve's voice with it.
"Tony, Erin. Glad to see that you both are back at the compound. I didn't like the idea of you two wandering around an empty mansion by yourselves. The Avengers are yours, Tony. Maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in, even in the army. And I'm sure you understand how I feel, Erin. You've been in the same position. But my faith is in people I guess. And I'm happy to say, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced but maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you both. I thought I was sparing you both but I can see now that I was really sparing myself and I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do, but I know you were doing what you believe in. And that's all any of us really can do."
"Primary call from Secretary Ross." FRIDAY's voice interrupts.
"Put him through." Dad says.
"Tony we have a problem." Secretary Ross states.
"Uh, please hold," Dad says while clicking the button.
As Dad quietly chuckles to himself, I walk away from the room and go outside. As my suit appears around me, Steve's final words in his letter echo in my mind.
"So no matter what. If you need us. If you need me."
My mask appears across the bottom of my face and my eyes light up.
"I'll be there."