Okay, so this story is a bit of an experiment, so bear with me. One of my very closest friends (aside from Jessie Brown 4 and FlyingMonkey76 of course), and I started these stories a long time ago, when the Avengers movie first came out. We each created our own characters, and eventually our own little version of the Marvel Universe. It has been something that has definitely changed and developed over time, and I for one am very proud of our work. That being said, I cannot take all the credit for the characters in this story. In addition to not owning Iron Man or any of it's original characters, I also do not own the amazing Redalyn Rogers. That is where this comes to the experiment part. I can't in good conscience continue to post, this or any of our stories (though this story in particular is written by me, as my OC is the main character), without her permission. So I have decided to post this portion here for about a week, and if it gets enough positive reviews I will speak with my friend and see how she feels about our publishing the rest. If not, then my friend and I will continue to build this Universe together for our is a very talented writer, and I would love for others to enjoy her work as much as I do; but as I said, these stories hold a dear place in our hearts, so I do not know how she will feel about the idea of publishing them at all. But I thought it'd be a fun experiment, as either way works for me. So, without further ado, welcome to a sneak peak of our Marvel Universe. Hope you enjoy!
Danica de la Cruz stirred as she heard someone making their way through the halls of the gorgeous Malibu mansion she and her cousin, the famous Tony Stark, lived in. Groaning she turned over in her bed, sighing in aggravation as she caught sight of the nearby clock. 5:25 a.m. Of all days for Tony to get up early, he had to pick today. As if not showing up to the awards ceremony she had taken such great care to make sure she made it to, partying in Vegas and then bringing a girl (a reporter no less) home wasn't enough. But then again, what could she expect? Danica had been around her cousin long enough to realize such irresponsibility was practically ingrained into his very nature. It sometimes made it hard for her to remember why she bothered to stay.
Realizing the chances of her getting any more sleep with her ever growing to do list swirling around in her mind, she decided to follow her dear cousin's example and slip out of bed. "Good morning, Miss Danica." Jarvis gentle familiar voice filled the room, as she busily set about getting ready for the day. "Up a bit early I see."
"Well, you know what they say. Early bird gets the worm." She tried to reply cheerfully, hoping it didn't sound forced. "Besides today's a special day, and I wanted to start it out right."
"Just so, Miss. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"If you could send the dry cleaner's a message I'll be by to pick up our guest clothes in about an hour or so that would be perfect."
"Of course, Miss. I wish you a very special day."
"Thank you Jarvis." Danica smiled, as the interface went silent, leaving her 'alone' once again. It surprised her how comfortable she had grown, talking to the computer, but with everything Jarvis did around the household he was practically a member of the family. Especially considering Tony's cold long absences and almost indifferent attitude when he was home. But he was the only family she had left, and like it or not she loved him. Shaking her head, Danica forced her attention back to the task at hand.
Once she really got started it didn't take her long to finish all of her prep work (including touching up on that night's speech, making the day's lunch reservations, forwarding on the information, glancing over a few pressing files from her work as a world leading psychologist and medical doctor, etc.), and then flew herself to the nearest city to grab the clothes.
"Good morning." She heard Jarvis voice upon re-entering the house, giving his usual morning 'broadcast'. "It's 7:00 a.m. The weather in Malibu is 72 degrees with scattered clouds. The surf conditions are fair with waist to shoulder high lines. High tide will be at 10:52 a.m." Danica nearly rolled her eyes at the announcement, but she figured it either meant their guest was up and about or would be shortly; and the sooner she could get that woman out of her hair, the better. Now only to find her.
"Tony? Hey, Tony?" She heard a feminine voice calling from somewhere on the first floor, immediately heading in its general direction, struggling to pinpoint her exact location until Jarvis booming voice rang out once again, this time in warning. "You are not authorized to access this area."
"Goodness!" The woman (dressed in one of Tony's shirts) gasped, taking a step back from the computer access panel on the wall just as Danica stepped into the room.
"That's JARVIS. He runs the house." She explained, doing her best to smile pleasantly as she made her way to the surprised woman's side. "I've got your clothes here. They've been dry-cleaned and pressed, and there's a car waiting for you outside ready to take you anywhere you'd like to go."
The woman continued to stare at her for another moment, before appearing to finally put the pieces together. "Are you the famous Danica de la Cruz?"
"Indeed I am." Danica replied, a little taken off guard to actually be recognized, though doing her best to appear cool and confident. She'd always done her best to stay out of the limelight, seeing as that had always been more of Tony's thing anyway and he was absolutely determined to make sure their relationship never got out into the public. Probably his cruelest act of all.
"But you're one of the leading humanitarian's in the world. I thought you hated Tony Stark."
"Hate is a very strong word." Danica replied, shrugging slightly. "I do not agree with all of his decisions or those of his company, but a true humanitarian has no room for hate. That, after all, is the world's leading killer. More than any man or machine."
"Huh." The reporter rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed by Danica's little speech. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?"
"About five seconds, which is probably a lot longer than it took Tony to convince you to come home with him." Danica shot back, smirking at the furious blush spreading across her cheeks.
"At least I'm not the one he has picking up the dry-cleaning. What are you the maid? " She sneered in return. "I always wondered why such a brilliant mind with so much to give the world, such as yourself, would be so insistent on sticking to the shadows. Now I know."
Oh how Danica wished she had followed her instincts and put both Tony and this woman out the second they reached the bedroom, or better yet before they even entered the house. But she knew from experience that the dreams would've been worse from the reality, or even the biting remarks of this moment. Besides she had one last card up her sleeve. Taking a deep breath, and putting on her most 'kind' and 'hospitable' smile she took a few steps forward once again holding out the clothes for the woman to take. "I may not be able or willing to do everything for my brother, but I do what I can, including occasionally taking out the trash. Will that be all?"
Nothing could taste so sweet as the absolutely enraged and shocked look on her face, as Danica literally turned on her heel to escort her out of the building. The absolute best part, however, had to be hearing the words 'her brother' slip so naturally out of her mouth. Perhaps it was a bit of a stretch from the truth, and sure Tony would probably kill her if he ever found it, but she couldn't deny it was how she felt. Besides she had the carefully written contract the reporter had signed the night before, unwittingly promising never to disclose the events of the previous night, Tony's address, or her meeting Danica, upon threat of losing basically everything she owned; let alone respect.
Danica glanced at the clock as she came back inside, shaking her head at the time realizing that Tony was late; yet again. Almost as if on cue she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket. "Hello Rhodey," She answered, not even bothering to check the caller i.d.
"Please tell me he's on his way." Rhodey replied, sounding even more annoyed (if that's possible) than he had been the night before after the awards ceremony no show.
"He will be in a few minutes." She assured him, trying unsuccessfully to keep the frustration out of her own voice. "I was just heading down to check on him. He got caught doing a piece for vanity fair…"
"I see." He said, as her voice began to trail off and her own annoyance gradually began to grow. "I'm sorry Danica, but we really need to get going. Do you think you could hurry him up a little?"
"I can try. He doesn't exactly listen to me… or anyone else for that matter."
"Amen to that." The two forced a quick chuckle, before Danica let out a sigh, and squared her shoulders.
"But I'll see what I can do. Good luck today, and Rhodey, please keep him safe for me?"
"I'll do my best. Thank you, Danica."
"Anytime."
Hanging up the phone, she made her way to Tony's workshop, wincing at the blaring music as she walked down the stairs. "Give me an exploded view." Tony's voice carried over, and she knew he was working on yet another of his projects. Back when they were children, and even into their early teens, Danica had loved to watch him work; at first peeking over his shoulder, and then observing from the shadows at his growing complaints. Something about the confident way he used his hands, the way she could almost see his mind stretching, was so comforting to her; almost like watching a surgeon conducting a vital operation. Now that she was the surgeon such feelings had only deepened. But unfortunately for Tony, now was not the time to indulge in such sentimental memories/feelings; and she doubted they could have lessened her ire anyway.
"The compression cylinder three appears to be low." Jarvis informed him as she strode to the control panel on the nearby wall.
"Log that." Tony ordered, just as Danica punched in a few keys, and the surround
sound immediately quieted, effectively catching his attention. "Please don't turn down my music."
"You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now." She told him glaring disapprovingly, completely ignoring his protest.
"How'd she take it?" He asked, effectively dodging the conversation a little longer, and making her grind her teeth.
"Like a champ." She replied sarcastically. "Or a chump. Depending on your point of view. Just like all the others."
Tony rolled his eyes at her critical attitude, turning his attention back to his current project. "I can guess what your opinion was. Don't know why I bother asking."
"And I don't know why I bother building a perfectly beautiful beach house less than 30 minutes away, when you insist on bringing all your girlfriends home." She shot back angrily. "You do know what a guest house is, don't you?"
"Yes, actually I do, and you are perfectly free to use it anytime you'd like Nica." Her hands clenched into fists, biting back the burning tears threatening to rise to the surface, refusing to back down or let him know how much his quips truly hurt her.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your generosity." It was his turn to glare at her, glancing up from his project in time to catch her fleeting smirk. "Now if you're ready to quit dodging the real issue here, I believe you have a plane to catch."
"Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?"
"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago."
"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there."
"You would." She muttered rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"Doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?" Tony insisted, pulling away and beginning to pace around the workshop as he put some of his tools away (only to tinker with other ones).
"Maybe if you actually flew your own plane it would." She pointed out.
"That's what I have you for." He argued, without missing a beat, smirking at her in return. "Which reminds me, how can I miss my flight when my pilot is right here talking to me."
"For the millionth time I do not work for you! I'm not your pilot, your intern, your maid, or anything else. I'm your cousin!"
"So my father told me." He said nonchalantly, almost as if their relationship meant nothing to him. "That's the reason he left you half of my inheritance right? Why I have to share my house?"
"MY inheritance is one fifth of yours. And Uncle Howard had nothing to do with the house. That was your own stupidity and apparent inability or unwillingness to read the fine print."
"Stupidity? More like foul play. How was I supposed to know my supposedly innocent, humanitarian cousin would pull a stunt like that?"
"First of all, humanitarianism does not necessarily equal innocence. Second of all, I think you've stalled long enough. I've been deflecting calls for you all morning, and I think Rhodey is on the edge of a nervous breakdown, so I suggest you'd better get moving."
"What kind of calls?"
"Larry about the Jason Pollock, MIT about the commencement speech, and Colonel Rhodes about your little demonstration on the other side of the world."
"Seriously, what are you trying to get rid of me for?" He asked, sounding equally exasperated.
"I wonder."
"What, you got plans?"
"As a matter of fact I do." Danica replied, turning to face him with all the confidence she could muster. "I am allowed to have personal plans you know?"
"Really? I don't remember that in your contract, Nica." He teased, using the name she pretended to hate; the own she had firmly and legally forbidden him to use (earning one's law degree, has its perks, even if you're not a practicing lawyer).
"You don't remember much of anything in YOUR contract, do you Tonsy? Including that name." He gritted his teeth, at the nickname he truly did hate, but legally had to endure.
"What kind of plans?"
"Well, there's that speech for the medical conference I had to postpone so I could attend somebody's award ceremony that they didn't bother to show up to," She began, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
"And…" Tony pressed.
"And if you must know, I have a special lunch appointment."
"With who?"
She rolled her eyes. For supposedly not caring for her, he sure did ask a lot of nosy questions. "Red."
He let the information sink in for less than a second, before immediately straightening and heading for the door. "Well that's my cue to exit."
Danica couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head, and sighing with relief. Should've known Red would be the one to frighten him off. "Goodbye Tonsy. Please, be careful."
"Of course. I always am, aren't I?"
"Sure, we'll go with that." She chuckled, rolling her eyes at his signature cocky grin.
He actually laughed as well, before sobering quickly, to Danica's complete surprise. "Anything in particular you'd like from this trip?" He'd never asked her before.
"You back in one piece would be more than enough."
"I'll do my best." She nodded to him in stunned gratitude, as he turned to enter the staircase, before turning back for one last comment. "Oh and Danica, happy birthday."
With that he was gone, leaving her alone in the workshop, as one stray tear trickled down her cheek and a grin spread across her entire face. "I love you, Tony. Thanks."
* * * * * * * Danica decided to have their special birthday lunch brought in, figuring with Tony out of the way a private meal at the mansion would be best. Especially considering how long it had been since she'd seen her longtime friend. Everything had just been laid out perfectly, when someone simultaneously knocked and opened the door. "Hello? Is there a certain birthday girl in the house?"
"No, but there's definitely a hungry one. Come on in." Danica called happily, turning to see none other than Redalyn Rogers wandering comfortably into the charming dining room.
"Wow. This looks absolutely fantastic. You've really outdone yourself this time Danica." Red complimented gazing over their fare for the evening.
"Oh yeah," Danica agreed, shaking her head good naturedly. "Because ordering out on Tony's dime is really hard." Both girls laughed, reaching out for an embrace.
"Well it's a good thing our dear Tony's so generous isn't it?" Red teased, as the two sat down at the prepared table. "Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Out doing a presentation somewhere in the Middle East or something. Or at least that's what he's supposed to be doing. You know Tony."
"Yes, I do." Red agreed, nodding her head slowly. "What I still can't figure out is how you've put up with him all these years. Why you still put up with him. You deserve so much better. You know that right?"
For a moment it was exactly like talking to Melina, the words burning their way into Danica's heart as a vision of her sister just as she remembered her came to the forefront of her mind. Her sparkling eyes usually so full of life and love, were squinted with bitterness and hate. Her mouth turned down in a scowl, fists clenched in indignation at her side. She had never cared for her cousin either, calling him arrogant, self-obsessed, and cruel, among other things. All of which was true (to a point), of course, and Danica knew it; but it didn't change how she felt. Melina couldn't comprehend that. Melina couldn't comprehend a lot of things. And so she'd left. Danica hadn't seen her in years. Not since her parents death when she was 12.
"He's my cousin." Danica explained, using the exact same words she'd said to her sister that dreadful night so long ago before she'd abandoned her. "Familia. I can't just desert him, not when I know he needs me."
"Even if he doesn't"
"Exactly."
"I can relate to that."
"Really?" Danica asked flabbergasted. "The sister of Captain America? I thought your brother was perfect."
"He was pretty good." Red admitted, smiling sadly at the memories both good and bad. "But he wasn't exactly perfect. We had our problems too, especially when we were young; nothing like you and Tony of course, but then our family situation was different."
"Not to mention Steve's different."
"That too." Red chuckled in agreement, before sobering once again. "I know it was hard for him to have me looking out for him all the time when we were older, before he became Captain America. And then when he did, he could get pretty worried and against having me around; especially after losing Bucky. But I couldn't leave him. Not only did I believe in the cause we were fighting for, but I was determined to stand by my brother's side… to the very end."
"I'm sorry Red." Danica whispered, reaching out to take her friend's hand, nearly wanting to kick herself for bringing up such a painful topic. "I shouldn't have…"
"No, it's okay." She insisted, blinking her eyes fast as if to dissipate the unshed tears gathering in her eyes. "I know you never meant to hurt me. I just wanted you to know that I do understand… at least a little."
"Thanks Red." She smiled, grateful for at least one friend who could at least try to emphasize. "Tony can be a real pain in the neck sometimes, and I can't deny that his ambivalence toward me and our relationship has cut me to the core; but I know somewhere deep inside, he has a good heart. He just needs to discover it for himself."
"Let's pray he does. And soon."
"Agreed."
With that out of the way, the two began eating, the topic of conversation gradually moving to less stressful things as they did so. They discussed their latest trips and little 'adventures', Danica's job (Red was rather allusive about her own), plans for the upcoming year, their need to get together more often (though knowing both of their schedules it was highly unlikely to happen anytime soon), etc. Then Red finally began reaching for something in her bag, signalling Danica to do the same.
"Well, I guess we know what time it is." Red began, before Danica cut her off.
"We certainly do. Happy belated birthday." Red's eyes widened as she took in the small, delicately wrapped box, before narrowing in disapproval.
"Danica, we've been over this a million times."
"I know. And we will keep going over it, as long as you persist in trying to fight me. Now please, just open it." Red rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, though she knew Danica better than to try and argue things further. It had become a tradition basically ever since Red had briefly moved in to watch over her and Tony after the premature passing of Howard and Maria Stark, when Danica had first learned the details about Captain America's death and Red's subsequent aversion to celebrating her own birthday, that the two would exchange gifts on Danica's birthday. Out of respect and appreciation for all the older girl had done for Danica and her family.
"Fine, but you need to open yours as well."
"Same time?"
"Of course."
The two carefully began to tear open their gifts, a contagious eager excitement traveling between the two of them as they did so. Red was the first to open her gift, unwrapping a handcrafted porcelain fairy figurine: dressed in a glittering golden dress with red designs, red violet tipped sparkling gold wings, fair almost transparent skin, hair that matched Red's, and beautiful Emerald eyes that absolutely twinkled with magic and mischief. "Danica! She's beautiful, thank you!"
But Danica was too busy gaping at her own present with complete awe to notice or respond. Before her, still lying in the box, was a timeless dress: a gorgeous deep purple, short sleeves, a twirling skirt, and a delicate white lace trim. "How? Where?" Danica whispered, looking up at her dear friend as tears began to brim in her eyes. "Is it… Is it really?"
"Yes." Red nodded solemnly, smiling slightly. "It was Maria's favorite dress. She left it to me after she died. As a kind of memoir, and thank you gift for watching over her children. I figured it was time you had it."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Danica positively threw herself into the other girl's arms, and the two held each other for a long moment, in tender memory of the loved one's they'd lost. Finally Red forced herself to pull away, smiling proudly at the girl she thought of almost like a little sister, warmed to see the absolute delight shining in her eyes. It had taken a lot to let go of Maria's dying gift. It brought back so many memories of the good old days, her friendship with Howard Stark, and from there the life she'd shared with her brother. But at the same time she understood how precious momento's of a loved one could be, and while Danica clung to her mother's music box, Red knew a piece of her favorite Aunt and surrogate mother was perhaps the greatest gift she could ever receive.
"Well, don't you have some medical conference in Utah you need to be heading to? It's a long flight, and I know how much you hate tardiness." She teased, as Danica sighed in mock aggravation thinking of Tony's annoying habit of constant nonchalant unpunctuality.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Care to come with?" Danica invited in return, not quite daring to hope she might actually accept (what with her busy secret schedule and all) but it was worth a try.
"Sure." Red agreed easily, to her absolute delight. "I don't have anything else planned for tonight. Might as well support my favorite doctor."
"Right. Which is exactly why I haven't seen you in my office, operating room, or anything else of the sort even once."
"Of course. Those are the best kinds of doctors. The ones you never have to see."
The two of them laughed again at that, Danica so hard that she could only nod in agreement; and that just barely. Then they quickly cleared the table and drove toward the Stark's personal private jet hangar where Danica would fly them across the country. She'd gotten her pilot license when she was about sixteen, determined not to depend on anyone including her older cousin for her personal transportation. Flying provided her with a great comfort of security and freedom; knowing that if things ever got out of hand at home (which they sometimes did) or anywhere else for that matter, she always had a means of escape. She'd even flown Tony to a few of his demonstrations/conventions, forcing herself to stop the second the practice started going to his head and he began treating her like his personal pilot. Red on the other hand never asked Danica for a ride anywhere, though she'd always been supportive of the pastime and tagged along on her trips whenever she could. This particular trip was no different from any of the others. They talked, laughed, sang, and made fun of Tony basically the whole time making Danica feel more like she was going on vacation then a medical conference. At least until the moment they finally arrived.
They weren't there more than five minutes when Danica's phone suddenly buzzed within her pocket. Confused, and slightly concerned to see Colonel Rhodes name pop up on the caller i.d. she quickly answered wondering what trouble Tony could have possibly gotten himself into this time to earn her such an honor. "Hey, Rhodey! How did it go?" She immediately asked, while Red watched her with faint interest expertly masking her own surprise at the unexpected call. "Did he make the sale? Is it going to be an 'early Christmas' as Tony always says."
"Danica," Just by the way he said her name, she knew it was bad news. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Tony… he… I…" He trailed off into silence and Danica's heart began to plummet to the darkest deepest pit of her stomach. What could have happened to make the ever strong and confident Colonel Rhodes sound like this: almost as if he were on the edge of tears. Had Tony offended some high ranking official? Had he blown his relationship with the U.S. army with some sarcastic, or drunken (or more likely both) comment? Had he been arrested by local authorities? Millions of similar situations flew through Danica's mind, though she refused to seriously consider any one of them. No, Tony was alright. Perhaps in some serious legal or related trouble, but predominantly alright. She wouldn't believe otherwise until she heard it from his lips.
"What's wrong, Rhodey? What did he do this time?" This further caught Red's attention, and she couldn't help but glance at Danica with intrigue, the same concern and annoyance reflecting in her eyes; only missing the pure panic raging in Danica's own.
"I'm so sorry, Danica. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have… I should have… I'm so so sorry."
"Spit it out already! What happened?!"
"He's gone, Danica." He replied, his voice barely a whisper, before regaining its professional firm but gentle tone. "Tony's convoy was ambushed. He's been kidnapped by terrorists."
It was as if the entire universe had come to a screeching halt. Without permission her fingers released their grip on the phone, causing it to tumble toward the hardwood flooring where it would have been smashed to pieces had Red not managed to deftly snatch it in the nick of time. After which she began swiftly and authoritatively speaking into the phone, demanding to know what was going on; but Danica hardly noticed. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't breathe. All she could feel was an all consuming numbing pain. A part of her wanted to seize the cell from her friend and dial the police, army, and whoever else she could think of and demand they rescue her brother. Another wanted to scream at Rhodey, force him to explain exactly how this could have happened. And yet another part, the far more fragile and vulnerable part, wished she could close her eyes and shift reality as easily as she had eased her family's bad dreams throughout her childhood and (in the case of Tony) even the adult years. By perhaps letting loose the sleeping powder she felt building within her under the stress; maybe even allowing those around her to face the same agony she was experiencing. Yet in the end she would still be left alone as one living her own nightmare; and there was no relief.
"I'm so sorry, Nica." Red's voice penetrated through the fog of numbness that had begun to settle around her shoulders, causing her to wince at the sound of her paradoxically hated and loved nickname; the one only Tony used. "I promise everything's going to be okay. I will see to it personally that actions are taken towards Tony's rescue. He's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Everything will be okay." There was a lack of conviction to her words, but Danica nodded all the same.
"Come on, it'll be starting soon. Let's take a seat." At first Red was surprised by Danica's calm, and then concerned by the distant hollow look in the young girl's eyes. Nevertheless she followed her example, sticking right by her side as they slowly made their way through the crowd. The rest of the night was a blur as far as Danica was concerned. Every word spoken by her highly respected colleagues went right over her head, almost like misty clouds on an already pitch dark winter night. When it was her time to speak she did so flawlessly, her body and even her voice working like clockwork as she wholeheartedly shared her groundbreaking research/practice within the world of pediatric medicine. But it was all a facade, with her feeling as if her very soul had somehow been wrenched out of her body and was now watching herself from a distance; making sure she stood strong in front of all these people, she'd already let down once with her postponement. She hardly noticed the enthusiastic applause that filled the hall as she finished, giving a faint nod of grateful acknowledgement before returning to her seat. She certainly wasn't aware of the announcement that she along with a few of her other friends and colleagues within the conference had been selected as possible nominees for the nobel peace prize. All the congratulations and meaningful warm wishes felt like whips lashing out at her already bleeding heart; and with Red's help she shrank away from them as much as possible, a fragile 'courageous' smile plastered to her face.
When the ordeal was finally over Red escorted her back to the jet as quickly as she dared, practically carrying Danica at some parts when the girls legs threatened to buckle beneath her weight. "Danica? I know it hurts, and you've done so well, but I need you to be strong for just a little longer. Do you think you can get us home?" She asked soothingly but firmly, as she helped her sit in the pilot's seat.
Danica gazed up at her in a daze for what felt like an eternal moment, before the tears came in rushing torrents and she collapsed into her friend's arms while listening to the surreal sound of her own wailing sobs: a shattering heart, and a soul consumed with fear.
"Be good for your Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria, girls." Gabriella de la Cruz told her daughters as she reached out to give them one last hug, before she and her husband Raul left on a very important and secret trip. "Your Father and I will be back in a few weeks."
"Do you really have to go?" Melina asked both of their parents through their minds, her 'voice' sounding desperate and reluctant. "Can't we go with you?"
"I'm afraid not, honey." Their father answered, coming over to join in the family hug. "This is something your mother and I need to do alone. But you and your sister will be safe here, I promise."
Melina's frown turned into an outright pout, and Danica could practically feel her sister's disappointment and frustration with their parents abandonment. She could relate to the feelings herself, but she also knew how hard it was for her parents (especially her mother) to leave the two of them here to begin with; and she didn't want to make it any harder for them. "Don't worry." She assured them aloud, noticing the somewhat awkward glances her Aunt and Uncle were giving them; not to mention the downright death glare from her cousin. "We'll be fine. Enjoy your trip. We love you. Les amamos."
"Las amamos tambien." Both of their parents responded, leaning over and giving them one last kiss goodbye. Danica could tell by the tight grip of her mother's arms that she was terrified of letting go, which only made her want to latch on all the more. She wasn't sure how, but somehow she sensed this trip was different than any other her parents had taken. Ever since she and Melina had gone through the 'change', they had grown more and more anxious. They'd done their best to hide it from their daughter's, and had it not been for their 'gifts' they might have succeeded; but it wasn't simple keeping one's fears out of their thoughts, let alone their dreams.
"Come on, Sis." Howard finally said, coming over to place a gentle reassuring hand on his sister's shoulder, causing her to stiffen at first before allowing herself to relax at his touch. The whole family was still getting used to the siblings latest truce, after years of distance and fighting, and some (Tony) were taking it harder than others. "You heard Danica, they'll be just fine. We'll have a great time. Won't we girls?"
"Yes, Uncle Howard." Danica replied dutifully, while Melina pretended to stare at him with a blank face. Biting back the urge to roll her eyes, Danica dutifully signed the conversation to accommodate for her. Melina nodded reluctantly.
"See?" He said, sounding almost smug. "Now Tony, why don't you show your cousin's to their room while I see Gabbi and Raul on their way."
Tony redirected his glare to his father for a moment, while his mother gave him a soft pleading look. Finally he sighed in defeat, before reaching out to grab the younger girls bags and nodding for them to follow him. The only one who might have appeared more perturbed about the arrangement was Melina, but Danica merely mentally laughed at the look on her sister's face while giving her mother a final squeeze, her father a blow kiss goodbye, and then turned to race after her cousin down the hall. "Tony! Wait for us!"
He didn't respond, merely kept on walking like a man on a mission, heading straight toward one of the biggest, nicest guest rooms Danica had ever seen. Inside were two queen sized beds with purple and pink covers, tons of pillows, and a kind of princess canopy over the top. The entire room was painted a variety of soft colors, from pink to purple to blue and covered in all sorts of glitter. There were two desks, and a walk in closet already prepped for all of their stuff, and a balcony looking over Aunt Maria's garden. Never in all her life had Danica been surrounded by such luxury. Her parents were simple people, who dedicated their lives to helping improve those of others. As a result she and Melina had traveled with them all over the world, witnessing and often experiencing the painful desperation of poverty as they donated their resources to helping as many of those in need as they possibly could. Still, Danica had to admit this style of living would be a nice change, even if only for a few weeks.
"I'd rather stay with Mom and Dad than live in this place any day." Melina thought toward her scornfully, causing Danica to wince in self-deprecation.
"Me too. But it's still nice of Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria to go through all of this trouble for us."
"I suppose so. Though when you have that much money, I doubt it's much of a sacrifice."
This time Danica did roll her eyes at her sister's poor attitude (trying to do so as discreetly as possible) before redirecting her attention to their cousin who was depositing their bags onto their respective beds. "Thanks Tony, for all your help. The room is gorgeous. You, Tia Maria, and Tio Howard have been really good to us."
"I had nothing to do with the room." Tony replied rudely. "It was my Dad's idea, though Mom did most of the work designing, as usual. 'A princess room for Gabbi's two little princesses'." He rolled his eyes. "It's not as if anything we came up with would've been better than the dump you're used to."
"We don't live in a dump." Danica protested defensively. "Our house is more than suited to our needs. Maybe it's not as big or nice as this upon first appearance, but it's a place where we can all be together: it's home. And a true princess doesn't need a castle to know her worth."
He shrugged indifferently, before turning and heading straight for the door. "Either way, I honestly couldn't care less. So if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to get to before supper."
Danica watched him with enraged intrigue. She couldn't remember meeting anyone so rude and obnoxious, and yet there was something about him that fascinated her. Melted her heart, despite his harsh treatment so to speak. Something about the way his face seemed to fall when she mentioned 'home'. Deciding to pursue the instinct, she walked out of the room after him, Melina right behind her mentally protesting all the way. They hadn't gotten far when Tony turned back to glare at them with surprised disgust. "Exactly what do you think you're doing."
"Following you."
"I can see that, Princess. Why?"
"Just curious about your important business. Wanted to see if we could help."
"Yeah right, you probably wouldn't even be able to understand my business."
"Why not? We're pretty smart. Melina and I are at the top of our grade."
"Yeah, well I'm way ahead of my grade." He replied cockily. "I'm kind of a genius when it comes to mechanical stuff, and almost everything else. You two would just be in the way."
"But we're your cousins." Danica insisted stubbornly, even while Melina tugged on her shoulder in an attempt to drag them away (and perhaps as a reminder for Danica to translate the conversation). "Family is never in the way."
Tony visibly stiffened at that, before glaring at them even harder. "You're not my cousins."
"Um… hate to break it to you genius, but we kind of are."
"I don't have any cousins. Let alone hippy ones."
Now it was Danica's turn to glare at him. "We're not 'hippies'. At least not in the sense you're implying. We don't believe in drugs, or booze, or free love. Our only desire is to help and protect people from those with zero accountability policies who trample over them."
"Like you and your Father." Melina finished for her silently, almost making her smile, though she did her best to shoot her a discrete disapproving glance.
"And as long as we're airing our grievances," Danica continued, redirecting her full attention to Tony. "We're not too thrilled about having a full tail diva mechanic for a cousin either, so I guess we'll all just have to make do with what we got, won't we?"
"Or you could just stay out of my way, and I'll keep counting the days till your parents come to pick you up."
Melina had finally 'heard' enough. Stepping forward she began to sign furiously at Tony, causing Danica to laugh at the look of startled shock on his face. "What did she say?" He demanded, but Danica just shrugged.
"Why don't you take a sign language class and figure it out for yourself, boy genius?" She suggested sarcastically. "After all, it's not like there's anything you could possibly need our help with." He glared at them for a moment longer, before turning on his heel and storming down the hall and down the stairs while they watched him from a distance.
"What an arrogant pig." Melina thought with disgust. "Can you believe him?"
"Come on, he can't be all bad."
"You weren't the one reading his thoughts."
"No… but I think I was reading something else." She admitted thoughtfully, before shrugging at the curious look on Melina's face turning and heading back to the room to unpack.
The next couple of days might as well have been years in Danica's mind, with Melina growing more and more distant spending basically all of her time moping in their room; practicing the exercises their father had given them for learning how to control their gifts. Danica on the other hand practically became Tony's shadow: following him everywhere, arguing with him about basically everything, watching him work (much to his perturb). The worst parts however, were nights, when she was seemingly left alone with everyone else's dreams: Melina's worried nightmares about their parents, Howard and Maria's about their family in general, and Tony's facing his father's harsh uncaring attitude. That was probably the thing that drew her most to her troubled cousin. The fact that he wasn't as strong or invulnerable as he made himself out to be, but his gentle heart and desire to do the right thing; even if he hadn't quite figured out what that was yet.
One night it was more than she could bear, so rather than staying in bed to try and wait it out, Danica got up and wandered over to Tony's workshop at the other end of the hall. He'd done his best to try and keep her out, but there were few locks she couldn't pick. Entering she walked along the wall, glancing over his many projects, the most impressive being his nearly completed engine. Not long after she heard footsteps at the stairs, and in a panic Danica dove into a corner to hide just in time to secretly watch as Tony entered the room and immediately set to had to admit he was very smart and talented, and it somehow comforted her to see how he absolutely threw himself into his projects, reminding her of her parents whom she missed so terribly. Neither of them heard the phone's shrill ring throughout the rest of the house, neither did they notice Uncle Howard's steady oncoming presence until he had fully entered the workshop. "Tony, have you seen Danica?"
"Do I look like I've seen her?" He asked rudely, before softening his tone at the mourning glare on his father's face (if only Danica could shut him up so easily). "It's five in the morning, she's probably still asleep in bed."
"I already checked her room, she's not there. Melina thought she might be down here with you." For the first time, Danica noticed Melina's presence standing meekly behind her Uncle face as white as a ghost. It was probably the first time since their change that her sister hadn't reached out to her with her thoughts; add to that the lost look on her face and Danica knew there was something terribly, terribly wrong.
"I'm right here, Uncle Howard." She revealed, stepping out of her hiding place and causing Tony to whirl and gape at her with complete surprise.
"You little spy! I ought to…"
"Danica there's something urgent your Aunt and I need to tell you and your sister. Would you please come join us upstairs." He waited until she'd nodded meekly, before turning to his son as almost an afterthought. "You too son."
Tony almost looked like he was going to refuse, when his curiosity got the better of him and he followed the rest of his family up the stairs. Once they were all settled in the living room, Howard Stark broke the news, his voice flat, eyes hollow. "That was the police who just called. They were out on patrol when they discovered the… bodies of two mysterious persons." He took a deep breath, before looking Danica right in the eyes as he finished. "They were identified as your parents. They're dead."
Danica stared at him in shock for what felt like an eternity, before the tears began pouring down her cheek like a waterfall, her entire body trembling like jello. Melina on the other hand couldn't sit still. Leaping to her feet, she raced out of the room, slamming the front door as she exited the house as well. Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria were up and after her like a shot, but Danica doubted they would catch her. If she knew her sister at all, she had a pretty good idea where she was headed, and it wasn't a place their relatives could follow. The only two people left in the room were her and Tony. He didn't say anything, didn't even reach out to hold her while she cried, but he stayed with her sitting by her side until long after the sun had risen to take its place in the sky. And for Danica that one small gesture meant everything in the whole world.
Melina didn't return for the funeral. She didn't show her face until a few days afterward, when Tony finally convinced his parents to let him hold his little party; one she wasn't invited to. Not that she'd want to attend anyway. "Where have you been?" She mentally demanded as she reached out to hold her sister. "Aunt Maria and Uncle Howard have been worried sick."
"You know where I went." Melina replied simply, and Danica sighed disappointedly.
"I know. But it still wasn't right to worry them like that. They care about us."
"They're stuck with us. Our parents are dead and they have no other place to dump us, that's all."
"No it isn't. And how would you know if it was? You've never even given them a chance."
"I don't have to. If they cared they never would have let that brat son of theirs throw a party while our parents lie buried in their graves!"
"It's not his fault." Danica found herself defending Tony of all people. "It's just the way he deals with pain. With grief. In a way, it's how he shows that he cares."
"Yeah, by shutting you out while you're grieving so he can focus on his precious inventions and social life." Melina retorted sarcastically, before softening her tone and gazing at her sister pleadingly. "Look, I didn't come to argue about Tony. I came to convince you to come back to Afterlife with me."
For a split second Danica was sorely tempted to accept, but as she thought about the devastated looks on her Aunt and Uncle's face (perhaps even her stubborn cousin) she knew she couldn't. "I'm sorry, Melina, but my place is here."
"Why? Because of him?"
"Because we're family."
"He doesn't even consider you family, let alone treat you like it. I have no idea how you've put up with him this past month. Why you still put up with him. You deserve so much better. You know that right?"
"He's my cousin." Danica replied just as simply. "Familia. Whether he admits it or not. And I can't just abandon him, Aunt Maria, or Uncle Howard."
"What about me? I'm your family too. I'm your sister!" Melina shot back, obviously hurt by Danica's little speech.
"You don't have to go." Danica insisted. "I know it's hard, but together we can make this better. Face our problems, the way Mom and Dad taught us too."
"Mom and Dad aren't here anymore," Melina insisted, but Danica remained firm. She wasn't sure of all that was holding her back, but somewhere deep inside her, she knew that she couldn't go to Afterlife. Not even to be with Melina. Her place was here. Even if she didn't know why.
" I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too." Melina replied bitterly. "I love you Danica, but I can't stand to spend one more minute in this place, let alone the rest of my life. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."
And with that she turned and began to walk away, Gordon suddenly appearing by her side and whisking her away just as quickly. Leaving Danica totally and utterly alone.