[Possible Trigger Warning.]  

               "Jaedyn Maria!"

I shot up off the bed and onto the floor, barely catching myself. My arms gave out and I fell onto my stomach groaning against the cold white tile. The bones in my right arm were mending and getting stronger but I had most mobility. I still felt pain on my worse days but as of lately, training with Natasha has been much worse than the pain in my arm. My joints ached when I stood up off the ground and stretched my body. Since Dad destroyed the house, we've been staying in New York. I missed California weather, sure New York had nice Weather but I was overwhelmed with the winter. Thankfully we took a trip during the winter. Dad had told me he was rebuilding the house but when I saw pictures of the house it looked better, my room was almost the same. For now I was staying in a room I helped design in Stark Tower. I had a room on the top floor and I was able to walk all the floors with no hassle. My room had red furniture and white tile, pale walls. I had a computer at my desk, my alarm clock read 7:45 am. I already heard down the hall Pepper and Dad discussing something, lately he was better. The Arc in his chest was working perfectly and things seemed to be returning to normal. Dad normally worked with the suits and to work on repairing what happened at the Expo. I knew he still felt the guilt of not being able to save me and felt guilty for my arm.

Yet the doctors said that they were shocked to see my recovery and the physical therapy to work extremely fast. When I did leave for training Dad didn't notice and Pepper did but she thought it was just me needing my space. Tearing off my sweat covered pajamas I got into the shower and let the water cascade down my body. My eyes glanced to the scars that lined my right arm and leg. The minor cuts from the debris and me falling faded but the memories still remained. I didn't have too many nightmares but when I did dad normally had to come in an calm me down. I had scars that lined the joints on my arm, and a few on my forearm due to surgery with realigning my bones. Then there was the scar on my thigh and palm. Despite being scarred I had recently been covered with bruises from Natasha's training and then my freelancing time. Nothing to big just stopping some bad people hurting some good people. My hair was of course longer as time flew by, I didn't know I felt about it because every time it was grabbed I flashed back to both my kidnappings.

I hated the past months but they were better too, the gave me a chance to really fend for myself. Agent Barton was on assignment, but before he left for it, he had taught me how to shoot a bow. Every agent I met from S.H.I.E.L.D seemed to be dangerous and it scared me at times. Getting out of the shower I quickly , a wine red criss-cross top with some light colored ripped jeans. I carried my tall black boots and a black cardigan out of my room and down the stairs into the kitchen. Dad was going to be working in the labs so that meant I would be running errands and helping him. Tomorrow night we were going to be launching the Stark towers reactor and it was a big deal. Dad had finally finished the building, and we were going to start up a build running on clean energy.

Reaching the kitchen I smelt coffee which meant Pepper had made it and she was here. I put milk and sugar into it and noticed her at a table, typing away.

"Morning Pep!" I called over to her, resting my shoes on the floor and my cardigan on the counter.

"Good morning Jae, how is your arm?" Almost every morning same question, I shrugged. "Same?" I nodded and she gave me a soft smile before returning to her work. She had clue like dad, about what I did at my nights. The only person who knew, wasn't really a person. It was Jarvis and he knew I would really destroy his mainframe like I did when I was fifteen sneaking out on my first date.

"I'm fine. Where's dad?" She motioned to the workshop and I sighed. After that I nodded thanking her, drinking more coffee as I made my way over to dad's workshop.

When I reached the lab I saw many designs up on the multiple computer screens. Holograms of ideas spinning in the room, I peaked in the room and spotted him sitting at a table with pictures of ideas for suits and the Stark logo that was on the front of the building.

"Hopefully I'm interrupting you," I grinned when he looked up from the tablet an over to me. He motioned to me to come over and I walked over holding my cup of coffee in my hands. Sipping on it occasionally.

"Good morning Princess," He saw the coffee and decided to grab it quickly, taking a drink. He had a disgusted look that made me laugh. "I still don't understand how you can drink all that milk and sugar. It's hardly coffee."

"Well my taste buds aren't old," I saw him shake his head to my joke. "Now give me back my coffee." I held my hand out and he returned my drink with a grin on his lips.

"I should have known better after all these years to never get between you and your caffeine." He paused a moment before he started typing on his computer. "Can I talk to you about something," He didn't bother waiting for my response. "You know I'm up early, and I heard you in your room... crying." I stopped drinking my coffee and I sighed heavily. "I opened your door and you were crying in your sleep. Scared the living hell out of me when you screamed. I had to tell you everything would be alright, and I held you for a little while." I was still waking him up in the middle of the night? Was that why he had the dark circles under his eyes too?

"I'm- I'm sorry dad..." I hadn't known what else to say afterwords. He stood up and pulled a chair over to me, in his way telling me to sit down.

"No Princess, you are still having nightmares. I thought you said they were getting better? The other night you were screaming, and I raced to your room with a repulser blaster on." I couldn't meet his eyes as he spoke, but he lifted my chin so I was forced to look into his eyes. "What's going on Princess?"

"Nothin-"

"Don't do that. You know I can't stand when you do that. I hate it."

"It's just nightmares, I'm fine." I flashed a soft smile, he seemed to buy it which I was grateful for. Afterwords I stood and took the coffee from the counter and kissed his cheek. I stopped moving towards the door when I saw the the design concept on a holographic image. I zoomed in and looked at the pieces that were put into the design. "You should give it a C60 not C50, it would work better and provide more power when it uses the Arc's power source."

"Hey!" He paused again looking at the design as I was speaking. "When did you get so smart?" He dragged the word smart on for a little while before speaking again. "Your right, that would work better. Thanks Princess. Do you have anything going on today?" I shook my head. "Do you mind stopping by the mechanics, they have some parts for the designs."

"Sure," I nodded and made my way over to the door once more before I heard my dad calling me back into the room.

"Oh Jae!" I looked back to him and waited. "You know I don't like those types of shirts right? Stomach ones?" I nodded, giving him a cheeky grin. "Stubborn kid."

"Where do you think I get it from!" I yelled back laughing as I walked back into the kitchen to put my cup into the dishwasher and grab my shoes and cardigan. I wove bye to Pepper who was on her phone and looking at her tablet arguing with some one on the phone. Taking the elevator down to the lobby floor, I didn't bother taking the car, it was only a few miles from the tower. Dad use to fly in a suit just to get some mechanical parts, when I stepped out into the New York streets I was overwhelmed with the mass of people. I was instantly merged into the sea of people on the streets and blended into the public walking towards the mechanic. Despite being a Stark, and extremely wealthy and smart I just looked like another teenager. When I looked up the mechanics time schedule I realized they didn't open until 1 on Sunday because they were most likely at church. So I would have to wait, well I could wait. Or I could do something better.

"Again!" I hit the mat and groaned feeling more and more bruises form on my body. "Up Stark!" I pushed off the ground of the mat and moved my hands in front of me. Dodging the trainers attacks easily I had gotten knocked down twice and I wasn't going to let that happen again. I swung my right hand and pulled it back before my hand collided with with his jaw. Instead I dropped to one knee and I kicked the guys chest, after he stumbled back I ran at him jumping on him and wrapping my legs around him, using what Nat had taught me and used his own weight against him to slam him into the mat. Afterwords I rolled back onto my knees before I got onto his chest and put my forearm to his chest.

"Better?" I huffed to him.

"Good. Now off," I backed up to my feet and extended him my arm. He took it and he then brushed off his clothes. "So, how is your arm, Agent Romanoff wants me to ask after each session." I rolled my eyes and went to get a drink of water. "Hey her and Barton want to make sure your doing well."

"I'm fine," I muttered wiping off the sweat that covered my body. "Still has some stiffness but it's fine. Other than the dreams I'm of good health." I grinned looking at the clock on the wall, I could leave to go to the mechanic's soon. I hoped the guy hadn't heard the last sentence.

"Dreams? Explain." He sat on a bench and I did the same.

"Look Eric I'm fine-"

"Dreams, explain."

"I've been having nightmares here and there. Nothing to much," He motions for me to continue. "I was in a hospital bed for a long time because of a an explosion that caused me to lose mobility with my arm. As you can see, I have multiple scars on this arm hand and leg. Because of injuries that my father's hobby has given me. Anyways, the dreams are of me just getting tortured and feeling all the pain I felt again." I watched the guys face change as he was thinking about the words I spoke.

"Have you been having these for a while?" I nodded. "You should think about talking to someone maybe."

"I don't want to fucking see a therapist!" I yelled at him and it startled the two of us. "I'm sorry..."

"No it's fine Jaedyn," Eric sighed taking a drink of his own water bottle. "Well you could talk to me right now if you want."

"Not much to say, I remember the whole thing like it was yesterday. I remember every moment, every choice I could have made that would have changed the outcome, but instead I'm scarred for life because I couldn't help my instinct. I vividly remember each time I felt my body being struck by Ivan. The way the knife felt along my skin, how when it dug into my skin I felt the sharp cut throughout my nerves. Ivan's voice told me the truth about my father's Arc reactor and that he was dying. The tears that fell down my cheeks, the anger I felt boiling within my soul that just wanted to hurt anything and everything. The rips in my skin and the discoloration of my skin as time went by, I was losing too much blood. My vision blurred, but I still was able to get free of Ivan Vanko. Only to be sent back with an explosion, multiple explosions. Ringing in my ear that overwhelmed my senses, my clothes clinging to my skin I can't remember if it was blood or just another liquid. Darkness called my name and I gladly gave in, and I was my younger self in a good memory. I didn't want to leave, I was happy there, no enemies just a happy memory that seemed to feel like a lifetime ago." My hands were in folded in my lap and I hadn't lifted my head looking at Eric. But when I felt him grip my shoulder I acted without thinking and brought my fist quickly to his nose.

"Christ agent!" Eric exclaimed falling off the bench and onto the ground, gripping his nose. I shot to my feet covering my mouth when I gasped in shock of my actions. I went to walk towards him but he put his hand out and that's when I just knew I should just leave. And so I did, I made my way out onto the streets again, hailed a cab and found my way over to the Mechanics. It wasn't so far from the place, but it allowed me to keep a low profile from going out of my way. I stopped the cab a block away, paid the driver and walked the rest of the way.

Reaching the shop I was brought in and offered a drink but I refused. Twiddling my thumbs. The mechanic was delayed with the parts but the owner had left to make a phone call and figure out why that was. I had sat for a good hour before I got antsy and decided on walking around, my eyes stopping on a nice mustang in the shop. My feet moved quicker than my brain did and I was over at the car, lifting the hood. I started doing what dad taught me and checking on every piece of the car.

"Hey! Miss!" Someone was calling out, probably to me. I whistled at the engine. "Could you back away from the car please?"

"This is a nice header," I said while I took off my cardigan to not get caught on anything, the guy in his early twenties was staring at me, I saw his eyes were questioning the slight bruises on my skin.

"You know cars?" He seemed surprised, my brows narrowed to him. I wanted to say my dad was Tony Stark, but that always seemed to intimidate people. I grew up building anything and everything, from toys when I was a child to robots and cars. Cars were my toys now. "Look doll, could you just step away from the car. I wouldn't want the owner to be pissed at us for you breaking his car. So just step awa-"

"You have here a high-rise double-pump carburetor, pretty impressive," I let him check me out as I leaned forward into the car, testing the distributor cap which was loose so I tightened it with my bare hand. "Distributor caps loose, that's all I can see what's wrong with her though."

"How did you? What?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned under the hood seeing what I did. "How did you do that?"

"My dad's a big grease monkey. He's taught me how to build and fix all sorts of things. Your not from around here are you?" He shook his head. "I come in here a lot, you'll probably see me a lot. My dad helped the owner during a big crisis. Anyways, Just keep that tight and she should be runnin smooth."

"Uhh. Thanks, Miss?" I wiped my hands off on a rag then grabbed my cardigan putting it on once more.

"Miss Stark!" I turned at the sound of my voice being spoke. "The order arrived." The young man gave me a star struck look.

"Stark? As in Tony Stark? That's your father?" I nodded and put the hood of the mustang down.

"Yup," I grinned and popped the 'p'. "That grease monkey is my father, no big deal. I'll see you around." I wove goodbye to the young mechanic and he wove back. I gathered the small parts dad needed and signed the paperwork. The parts were in just a small box so they must have been inner pieces of the suits.

As I made my way down the streets and back towards the tower I hadn't even realized that the whole day had already gone by and the sun was setting. That's when it hit me I needed to get ingredients for dad's morning drink,. Ever since dad figured out the cure for the poison n the Palladium core I was almost religious about making him drink it. The corner store owner smiled at me and motioned back to the ingredients, I stopped by whenever I went to train. Both to get dad's ingredients and then to just give myself and alibi for a few minutes. I grabbed Kale leaves, Gala apples, Coconut water, Pineapple juice, and fresh Ginger, finally I grabbed the protein powder that Pepper insisted I get for dad. It made me grin because Pepper always made sure to keep him safe, even if she can't keep him safe while he's in the suit.

"How is your day Miss Stark?" The man asked me taking my items and bagging them for me.

"You know, the usual. Dad's busy, Pepper's the same, I'm kinda just waiting for life to hit me I guess." He nodded and rang up the total. $26.38. I gave $30, and put the rest of the change in the donation jar. "How are you?"

"Could be better, business is the same. Anyways you have a good night Miss Stark."

"You too." I smiled and wove goodbye as I exited the door. A small bell ringing as I opened and closed the door.

The walk back to the tower was quiet and I could see the dimly lit upper levels of the tower. I walked quicker than I would be once I heard steps start up behind me. I tightened my grip on the bag and small box and turned around the next corner. Right on queue I felt my arm gripped tightly and I was pressed against the wall, hard. The bag and box dropping from my hands.

"Well, well, looky here. Pretty Jaedyn Stark on her way home," His voice was low against my ear as I felt him press against my body. That's when I felt the chill feeling of the metal of a knife along my stomach. "All I want is your money and I wont have to hurt you."

"Well you see," I said shifting my body to have the upper hand, "I'm gonna have to hurt you." I brought my knee up and when he dropped to his knee I kicked him over. The knife dropped from his hand and I went to rush towards my things before I would sprint home. I had only gotten a few feet away before he pulled me by my long hair and punched me.

"Damn you. Now I'm gonna have to hurt you," He grunted and threw me to the ground. I started to stumble to my feet but he ended up tackling me to the ground, ripping at my cardigan and shirt. As one hand tore at my clothes I felt another on my neck, there would be a mark tomorrow. I bring my head up as hard as I could into his and he gripped his face. That's when I took the chance to kick him off of me my breath was quick and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I got to my feet and before I knew it I had the bag and box in hand as I was racing towards the tower. A few blocks, and I was closing the distance quickly.

I almost collapsed as I reached the tower, gripping the elevator railing. I stared at my reflection and saw my ripped cardigan, I rook it off and stuffed it in the grocery bag. I fixed my hair the best I could before the door chimed at the top floor.

"Jaedyn!" Pepper exclaimed as I stepped off the elevator. I cringed hearing my name, I was over and tired of the day, I really just wanted to be engulfed in my bed. "Where wer-"

"I got this Pep," I heard dad speak and I only cringed more, he stood up off the couch looking at me. "Where the hell were you? I gave you that phone to keep in contact with me, I can't live with you being kidnapped again. It's been too many times for a parent's liking," I groaned and rubbed my eyes, I was exhausted. "Don't give me that!" I jumped when he yelled, and that's when he saw I looked disheveled.

"I'm gone for the day, doing things you asked me to do and you lose your minds? You've been gone longer than I have," I went to move towards my room but I was stopped as Dad gripped my arm. "Let me go!" I yelled, yanking my arm from his grip.

"Jaedyn!" I heard Pepper yell to me, she hadn't seen me yell in a while. To be honest it shocked me as well I hadn't expected to explode.

"You should have taken Happy, you know how I don't like you walking alone."

"You can't just lock me up because you think I need protection all the time! I can't just be locked up all my life! I can handle myself." I took out the ingredients from the bag and tossed the box of tools to dad, he caught it easily.

"I'm your father and if I say you'll have a body guard, you will have a body guard."

"Screw you dad!" I yelled as I started towards my room, storming off.

"Jaedyn Maria Stark, get back here when I'm talking to you!" He was yelling after me but I only got to my room and turned back to him my hand tight gripping my door.

"Fuck you!" I screamed at him before I shut the door, getting the final word in. Thankfully he had respect for my privacy when it came to my room. I was glad he didn't have an override system to my door, but in case I barricaded my door. I slid my desk and desk chair over to the door, along with the two end tables I did have. Tearing off my clothes I got in pajamas and screamed into my pillow as loud as I could before my exhaustion from today's events overtook me.

The Author

I wanted to apologize if this triggers someone, if it does please let me know and I can put a warning at the beginning of future chapters.

Thank you.