" perhaps you and I will find our way back "

Chapter 2:

Mistakes and Memories

FIVE YEARS LATER

Everyone made mistakes.

You make mistakes; I make mistakes. So do the Prime Minister and the Queen. Children and adults, rich and poor, young and old, male and female. It ties us together. Mistakes are part of being human. They're inescapable. And that's why, it's relatively facile to believe that even through all of her shows of bravery, Annabeth Carter was not prone to mistakes.

We can make dozens, hundreds, even thousands of mistakes a day, ranging from the minuscule (forgetting to take your medicines one morning) to the massive (following a wrong turn and getting hit by a car). Granted, most don't commit such tremendous mistakes.

Lives are changed for better and worse by mistakes. Children are born, people die, inventions are made, lives are saved or lost, millions in each beat of your heart. Mistakes are supposed to be a valid, a natural part of life.

Annabeth usually felt as if she was not permitted to make a single one. Mistakes were sternly forbidden in her sunken eyes, and yet her she was incapable to ever do a single thing correctly. Malibu felt a lot like a grave mistake when it did not seem to appreciate Annabeth's unusual presence this time of the year.

It had now been about five years since the girl had packed up her bags and left this place to go to London with her mom. Oh, how she had turned from that nineteen year old party girl to a quiet twenty-four year old med-school dropout still seeking a stable job.

Annabeth vainly tried her best to look at least acceptable as she walked through the cracked sidewalks, setting her hair every now and then and smoothening down her skirt.

She had an interview today— at Stark Industries.

She was wary of it, but it was the only place hiring someone with her credential. There seemed to be a position empty as someone's assistant— and as foolish as it may sound, in the desperate hurry with which she left her cramped apartment, she had forgotten to review the name or really... anything. Her cousin Sharon had set up the entire thing.

Astonishingly, she was qualified barely enough for the job.

This job was crucial for Annabeth because if she got it then her deceased mother's hospital debt could be cleared soon enough and she can go back to medical school. Money was ridiculously scarce.

There was only one problem with being over here in Malibu— Tony Stark.

I am probably not even going to see him, Annabeth thought, so he might not get the chance to fire me before I even get the job.

Annabeth was glad for the little college she went to in East Kent to graduate with her business degree while also getting a chance to work a little more than a part-time job.

Shaking her head, Annabeth's nervous hand reached her neck where she had her ring. It was habitually there— a piece of Tony she never indeed seemed to be able to completely let go off.

Sometimes, Annabeth wanted to stop remembering the negative aspects of her life, she would make a wish, thinking that wishes never came true. After all, when she wished for positive things... for good things, they never happened. Why would this time be any different?

She didn't grasp that when she made that wish, that it would be the one wish that would come true. Be careful what you wish for, they consistently said. You only just might get it, they said. After a while of wishing, she stopped believing in them. How could she nevertheless believe? She had slowly watched as her entire life fall apart around her. This time, however, they were right, and her wish did come true. She merely stopped remembering the negative aspects of her life.

But as with all impossible things, the good and the bad must go together. Without the bad, there can be no good, without the dark there can be no light. When she wished she didn't remember the negative, her wish came through. She could no longer recollect the details of the negative aspects of her slowly withered life. However, she started to overlook the positive aspects as well.

At this moment in time, she was nothing but an hollow shell with long-forgotten dreams that still haunted her at night.

She was dead now, her unfortunate soul having left with her cherished memories and her wishes and desires.

Some of her selective memories were still there, however, foggy and blurry, barely remembered, just like a dream. He was still a part of her.

But numbing the unbearable pain for a vulnerable minute merely made it worse for when you finally felt it.

Annabeth came to a convenient stop and there and in all it's eternal glory, there stood Stark Industries. It looked distinctive from what she recognized. The profound influence of Howard Stark seemed lost and the familiar place looked softer— more like Tony's but Annabeth could note Obie's notable work all over it.

Obadiah Stane was someone that Annabeth would have formerly considered a dear friend. He had supported her a lot as a teenager, especially in matters that revolved around her father and maybe even cops.

But then, there was a voice in Annabeth's head that just screamed 'DANGER' whenever she glimpsed him— even in cultural magazines and such, not to prominently mention her ghastly nightmares.

Just like that, Annabeth's prevailing thoughts had soon drifted away from her job interview.

How was Rhodey doing?

Was her dad happy with the new family he abandoned Annabeth and her mom for?

She naturally wondered if she would ever cross paths with him.

Gently taking a deep breath and letting go of all negative thoughts that haunted her mind, Annabeth entered Stark Industries only to come face to face with Harold Hogan, who was nicknamed Happy by herself and Tony.

The man, who was only but a few years older than her seemed inevitably to age more as he caught the eyes of the young brunette.

"Hi, Happy," she greeted sadly. Her voice was hoarse and painfully neutral... hovering over the blurred line of heartfelt apology and evident regret. From her rosy lips, the gentle words had sounded like ultimate defeat.

Annabeth thought about all the voicemails Happy would address her about Tony being a wreck about her.

She listened to every single one, but she never called him back.

"Anna..." his voice contained remorse as he spoke but his face was blank; expressionless.

"I think you need to talk to her," He pointed scornfully at an attractive woman in the lobby when he saw the files Annabeth carried in her hands.

He walked away without saying goodbye.

It hurt Annabeth, but she understood why he did it.

It was all her fault.

Annabeth walked up to a strawberry-blonde woman who was, without doubt drop-dead gorgeous. She instantly recognized the woman as Tony's personal assistant.

"Hey! You must be Miss. Pierce," the lovely woman spoke earnestly, "I am Virginia Potts but everyone here calls me Pepper."

Annabeth instantly admired her, instantly reminding the girl of the youthful days when she too smiled like that and sincerely meant it.

"Hi, Pepper," Annabeth smiled serenely, and boy, did she wish she didn't look unusual, "and please, call me Annabeth. I also prefer Carter, not Pierce."

Pepper nodded her head and politely told Annabeth about SI and it's lengthy history with the U.S. Governments and the economic development of the country. Though it come to be a matter of Annabeth's apparent confusion but Pepper even briefed her about how it was working for Tony.

As much as Annabeth would naturally hate to willingly admit it— she was an experienced expert in all possible things Stark, past and present so she didn't really pay attention as the woman spoke passionately.

The pair stopped instantly at an enormous door which was opened only briefly.

Annabeth couldn't see much through it.

In the present circumstances, this was a place Annabeth was not aware of, barely recalling that it may have been an area for Howard Stark's personal labs.

Pepper smiled brightly— "All the best! Don't allow him to intimidate you, and I really hope I get to work with you Annabeth."

The girl just smiled back as Pepper left when the specific words the strawberry-blonde had said humbly sunk in.

She still didn't know who was behind that door.

Trying to hold on to her sanity and keeping her hand steady, Annabeth opened the door desperately hoping to come face to face with anyone really, but—

Some people come in and out of your life without possible consequence; some linger and tread the path alongside you. But on the rare occasion, the deterministic universe will intentionally throw someone in your chosen path whose life becomes inexplicably inseparably bound to yours. For better or worse.

Memory was a strange thing, for one it shaped the person you were supposed to be; yet you were helpless as to which memories you kept and which you abandoned when the moment disappeared. Existence was a strange, extraordinary thing, and there might be more to inevitably dying than the lack of a heartbeat. There was surely more to life than continuous pain. There were memories— memories of people you love, more auspicious times. Glorious memories of inexplicable euphoria.

At least that's how Annabeth was finally comprehending it.

She never wanted to face her past again.

But sometimes— well, sometimes, every so often the universe conspired against you anyway.

ENEWS: Lately the rumors have been revolving the most famous place in biz which is Stark Industries. It is reported that the young C.E.O. Tony Stark is looking for a new assistant and all the fan girls of the handsome billionaire have been jumping at this opportunity.
Who do you think is going to get the job?

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Is Pepper Potts fired?

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Tap for more

edited: 22.01.2022