Song: deep end - Foushee

"I'm not going to tell her, you want her out. You're doing it." Pepper and Tony were whispering in the kitchen.

"No, I don't need that in my conscience. I already have a lot of things on my plate." He argued silently as he slipped on his cup of coffee.

Pepper brought the book to her lips, blocking the view of the girl from seeing what they were discussing, "This is on you, She is only 14, Tony. It's like running over an Abandoned puppy." Pepper gave Tony a deadly glare.

 Tony rolled his eyes, his posture was unsteady. "Well, you're going to do it with me." He commanded.

"What, why?" She questioned, as she squinted her eyes. "Who's going to make me? You?" She giggles, "You're going to die after this, Stark."

"You brought her in." He scoffed, He shifted his eyes to the girl. Anastasia was laying on the rail, overlooking the City. Tony wasn't a fan of Kids, he wasn't even close to thinking about kids.

"Fine." Tony looked surprised, as Pepper's face fell  "We'll set her down easy. Maybe take her to a nice restaurant, mayb-"

"Wait, are we just going to ignore the fact that you just agreed with me?"

"Don't make me take it back." Pepper warned him, Tony giggled as his face was filled with excitement. "Okay, I'm taking it back."

"No, no it's a good idea." he relied on the countertop for comfort.

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll tell her over dinner..." Her voice began to crack.

"Are you crying?" Tony's face was filled with confusion.

"No I'm not crying-" Pepper wipes a tear off her face, "It's like Abandoning a kitten." She scoffed as she got up from her chair.

"Who's Abandoning a kitten?" A youthful voice roamed around the kitchen.

Both Tony and Pepper flinched, "Jesus Christ." Tony Spoke, "We really need to put a bell on you." He joked, trying to push the conversation under a rug with a glamorous style.

Anastasia hung her head, tony looked at pepper giving pepper a chance to give him a reassuring nod. Tony walked closer to the teenage girl, "We're going to dinner later." Tony rubbed her shoulder, she looked at him. "Get ready." he added.

Tony and Anastasia stood in silence causing pepper to leave, He felt comfortable around the girl. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, He removed his hand from her shoulder.

"Here's the thing." He let out a puff of air, his frown turned into a grin. He couldn't get out the words he was thinking causing him to sigh. "My parents died when I was 17, it was hard. It was, but I didn't have it as hard as you of course." He pointed at her, she nodded.

The two were standing away from each other but the air was too thin to breathe from the tension, Anastasia waited for him to go on. "We'll talk over dinner." He smiled, he felt empathy for the young girl, he knew what she was feeling but he didn't allow himself to get into her life when she's not his. He smiled before he began to walk towards the lab, "Feel free to do anything you want."

Anastasia nodded, silently She walked to Pepper's room.

"Knock knock." She mimicked a knock, Anastasia shared a weak smile.

"Hey, come in." Pepper smiled sweetly. The woman sat on her bed reading a novel, she pats the bed signaling to sit next to her. Anastasia sat across from her, "What's up?" Pepper asked.

"Is everything okay between you and tony? or?" She asked as she squinted her eyes. Pepper was speechless, almost shocked. "You don't have to tell me or anything, I was just making sure." Anastasia added as she realized she could be pushing her to tell her something personal.

"No, no it's okay. Everything is fine, we just had a disagreement." pepper smiled, she pushed back Anastasia's hair to the back of her ear.

"Was it about me?" The young girl dangled her head causing her to lose eye contact with pepper.

Pepper gently pushed her chin back up, "It's okay, it wasn't because of you-" She rubbed Anastasia's chin for comfort. Her touch felt soft and genuine, it felt like her mother's touch before she died. Anastasia felt a rush of loss causing her to shed a small tear. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

"I just-" Anastasia searched for air, " I don't want to be alone again. I've been alone my whole life and I'm scared..." More tears fell off of her face.

"I know, It's okay." Pepper smiled "How about we do something fun, How about a movie?" Pepper proposed. She was trying to capture as much time she had left with the teenage girl. 

Anastasia nodded but was interrupted by a creak by the door, which pepper didn't pay attention to it. They both got up to walk to the living room, softly Anastasia heard footsteps quickly running away from the room.

~

The two sat in the living room watching movies for the past 4 hours, They shedded tears and bursts of laughter together. The two laughed so hard they could feel their ribs beginning to hurt, Pepper didn't want to let her go.

Tony would check in once in a while but he didn't want to interrupt the two. He just watched them giggling for what felt like hours, he would smile with them but from afar.

Tony was starting to regret trying to get rid of the girl but it was for her own good. He begins to walk to them, "You guys ready for dinner?" He smiled at Anastasia making sure she didn't grab a glimpse of eeriness on his face. He looked back at pepper, she gave him a weak smile.

"What? what time is it?" Anastasia asked, looking at Tony who was giving silent signals to pepper.

"4:30" he smiled.

"Isn't that a little too early for dinner? I don't know how you guys do it here but where I'm from we have it pretty late." She briefed them, Tony was staring at pepper almost ignoring Anastasia.

She waited for an answer but the room fell silent, Tony nodded to Pepper. "We have a reservation." Pepper interrupted as she stopped looking at Tony and gave Anastasia a warm smile.

Anastasia tugged on her jumper Pepper lent her. It smelled sweet, reminding her of the kind gentlewomen. Straightening out her high-waisted jeans. She watched as Tony entered the room, putting on her converses Tony brought her.

"Well, Okay. I'm ready if you guys are?" Anastasia's voice squeaked as she got up from the sofa, She felt a little bit more comfortable with the couple. Anastasia felt different about them coming from everyone she's met. She didn't want to let them go, They were different.

"Let me just get my coat. Tony, a word." Pepper grabbed his arm, "Gives us a minute." She yelled as sprinted to their room.

Anastasia sat back on the couch and waited patiently.

"How could you do this to her!" Pepper slapped Tony's shoulder.

"Me! You agreed to it too!" Tony silently argued back.

"NO!" She shouted out loud, "I didn't want to let her go, She will be alone again! She is afraid!" She yelled back.

"I know, but it's too late, they already have her in the syste-" Tony was cut off.

"She's just a KID!" She scoffed, "She's been alone her whole life. She's lost everything, girls her age are thinking about boys and having sleepovers but she's just trying to SURVIVE." Pepper put her hand on her forehead, she began to feel light-headed. Tony was lost in his head, Pepper looked at Tony as she waited for a response.

She scoffs as she grabs her coat and leaves the room, "Ready?" She approached Anastasia who was dangling her legs from the sofa. "We'll meet up with ANTHONY!" She raised her voice to be able to hear from the next room. "In the car!" She grinned.

They made it to the lobby, they walked outside to see Happy waiting outside with the car door open.

The two girls entered the car, pepper and Anastasia sat in silence. the woman looked flustered, and her skin was as red as a tomato. "Are you okay?" Anastasia asked as she put her hand on top of peppers, pepper put her other hand on top of hers.

"Ya, ya I'm okay."

Just then Tony enters, He was wearing glasses covering his face. Tony and Pepper sat in uncomfortable silence waiting for the arrival.

The trio arrived to a fancy Restaurant, "Reservation for Stark." Tony took off his glasses to look at the waitress. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked around the restaurant, it felt as if she had entered a dreamland, the happy chatter, the fragrances, the easy and natural colors.

The waitress sat the trio in a private area only people with luxury would be able to sit. Tony looks at Anastasia but he didn't open his mouth, he just stared.

"So, What do you think? Do you know what you're getting?" Pepper asked, tony tried to grab her hand but she rejected his touch. Anastasia glimpsed at the menu, her eye caught the prices of each dish.

"I-" She looked closer to the menu making sure she wasn't seeing things. "I can't afford this." She looked at pepper, the woman gave her a compassionate smile. 

Meanwhile Tony smirked, "Look kid, when are you going to understand I am a billionaire."

The teenager wasn't at ease, she looked at tony and so did. "Come on Anastasia, You haven't eaten anything. You hardly eat when I see you, pick something." Pepper looked back at Anastasia causing tony to cut Pepper off.

"My treat!" He sighed causing both women to look back at him, "It's my treat. Don't worry." Tony gave a friendly smile.

"What really?" Anastasia asked a bit confused. Tony nodded, "Wow, thank you." 

The trio ordered their food and began to eat, Anastasia hasn't eaten this much since her mom died. She hardly even had enough time to eat when she was back with her father, there were some days her father never let her eat at all. Her face was practically in the food, she didn't stop. Tony caught a glimpse of her shoving a rib in her mouth, "Slow down there, you're going to choke." He joked.

"Sorry," She chuckled, "I just haven't eaten this much since- MMM." she mumbled, her face covered in barbecue sauce. " I just haven't eaten this much in so long, This is amazing." She spoke with excitement, she grabs another rib and took a huge bite.

The couple smiled back, "Look kid, we have to talk to you about something important..." Tony said as pepper grabbed his hand. Tony looks at the young girl enjoying her meal, he smiles. He didn't want to hurt the girl, but he couldn't handle the responsibilities. He was freaking Tony stark for fuck sake and he doesn't even have the courage to break her heart.

"Before you go on I want to say something." She interrupted him, she wiped her mouth with the white cloth. She looks at the couple with a warm gentle smile, "I just want to tell you, I'm grateful for everything you've offered me. I've never felt this way, happy, free... like something has been lifted off my back." Anastasia almost jumped out of her seat. 

The couple looked at each other with defeat in her eyes, There was a tear falling off of Pepper's cheek. Tony looked down at his lap trying not to look at the girl and began to fidget peppers fingers.

"The point I'm trying to say but I keep babbling," Her smile was as bright as the sun, "Is thank you. I would have been living on the seats right now, but I want to thank you pepper." The woman looked at the girl, "For finding me and giving me a safe home. It was hard at first to adapt but something just clicked, you know?" 

Pepper gave a weak smile to the girl, she squeezed Tony's hand. Anastasia looked at tony who wasn't expecting a thank you. "And I especially want to thank you tony. Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home, and buying me food. But most importantly thank you for taking me shopping. " Tony looked up in shock, as the young girl laughed. "I appreciate it, nobody has ever done something for me like this, so thank you." She smiled.

She looked at the couple and notice something was wrong, "Is everything alright?" The teenager asked as she took a sip of her apple juice clearing her throat from the leftover food crowding her teeth. Tony looked at pepper but pepper ignored his gaze, she took back her hand causing tony to bring both his ontop of the table.

"Anastasia, we can't take care of you." Tony bluntly said as he looked straight into the young girl's eye.

"You can't or you just don't want to?" Her smile faded into a frown. Tony stood silent, so did pepper. Anastasia was shocked, she just poured her heart to them.

"You're kicking me out?" Anastasia's voice began to shake, tears began to fall off the rim of her eyes. She looked at tony then to pepper, "You're in on this too?"

Pepper dropped her head in shame, "I'm sorry." she spoke underneath her breath.

"What... I expected this from you." She pointed to tony, "But you... I thought you were different, you're just like everyone else." Anastasia's voice was filled with hatred and pain, she tried to bite her lip from a sob but began to shed tears.

"I literally just told you how much I appreciate you, and this is what I get." She rolled her eyes, "This always happens to me," She scoffed in disgust, "Every time." her blood began to boil.

"I'm s-" Anastasia cut Pepper off.

"I confided in you. I trusted you, and let you-" her lips quivered, her hands trembling from the amount of anxiety and sadness. "-you lied. When I asked you if it was about me, it was, all along. I thought maybe this is where I needed to be.-" Pepper was now slipping tears, and if she had to watch the happiness leave her she couldn't forgive Tony. Not this time. Tony felt the guilt, it bubbled in him. "-you made me feel all these things, loved, wanted. But I was just a pitied spare of the moment."

Tony tried to speak but hesitantly shut his mouth. "That's not it! We-" Pepper wanted her to stay, but Anastasia was blinded by the betrayal shutting her eyes, her knuckles turned white from squeezing her hands. "Don't. I get it, you never needed me."

She got up from her chair and left the couple. She begins to run out of the Restaurant, "Anastasia!" Anastasia heard from behind. It sounded like Pepper, but she was already out the door and on the street.

She felt the crisp air rushing to her face, The icy grey sky restlessly grumbled. Anastasia began to run as fast she could, She felt The heavy drops of water attack her body as she ran around the corner. Her shoes pounded heavily across the ground causing mud to slash up her leg and stain her new jeans. Anastasia took a deep breath reminding herself that it was her own stupidity that had put her in this situation.

Negative thoughts stirred in her mind. "How could I be so fucking stupid. To think-" Cars grumbled, blaring their horns as she scattered herself across the road evading, dodging oncoming cars.

She hadn't noticed the lights flickering.

Anastasia came across an empty road, she collapsed onto her hands and knees. She couldn't breathe. Everything was spinning and it felt as if the ground was melting under her feet. Breathing shallow and quick, struggling to regulate her breathing.

"Nobody wants me." She began to sob in the palm of her hands, everything felt still. She felt a brewing rage boil underneath her skin, she could feel the blood on her knees hit the pavement.

Anastasia ignored the noises surrounding her and listened to the voices in her head.

That is when she bellowed, a roar. It was strained with this immense pain and torment. It started to spit, the rain subtly dripping onto the concrete. 

She let it engulfed her. 

She began to hear voices crowding her head, she could feel the heavy raindrops splash on her.

"Anastasia!" A faint voice approached behind her, softly.

Run

Hide

kill them

Make them pay

She's dead because of you.

Rip them in two

Don't let them see another day

Show them who you really are.

Murderer

 fuck them all

I love you.

The voices grew stronger and louder causing her to scream in pain, "Help me!" She screamed for help.

"Anastasia?-" Somebody touched her shoulder causing her to get startled, she quickly jumped out of her thoughts. She began to hear car alarms going off all around her, she lifted her palms quickly to see who it was. It was Tony and Pepper, their eyes grew wide open out of shock.

Her eyes laid on the couple, "Your- your eyes." Anastasia looked around to see cars were moving and lamp posts bending towards her. "They're red."

"What?"

Anastasia stood in pain, the rain was like a sun shower. Dribbling from the sky, Anastasia wished it would stop.

And so her wish was her command. Tony watched the cloud dissipate. But Pepper watched the girl whose eyes inked red, face rid of any emotion. Surrounding her everything became bent and distorted.

Everything inside was brimming, confined. "Anastasia, please-" Pepper reached out to touch the girl, but Tony pulled her back casting a protective stance over her.

"You're scared." Anastasia stated aloud with an evil grin. Her confident voice differed from what she truly felt like.

"What are you?" Tony asked, sure, he was scared. But he was curious.

The light posts and cars began to become distorted and bend even more, "It's weird, I've never known who I was, but this power. This strange and unnatural gift, this is new." Her hands flared up in a fiery blaze.

Her body now afloat, Anastasia was not consumed by this new feeling, a new level of hatred and betrayal. Blinded by the poisonous pessimistic intentions of Tony Stark. It was hard to see internally she was in a battle.

"For moments you made me believe I was more than just shattered. For a moment you made me feel loved." Anastasia looked at Pepper, her eyes now maintained brown until she glared at Tony. "But you made me feel like I never belonged. Burdened by this child who stepped into your world." Red eyes leaked blue salty tears.

"She is still a kid Tony, she is scared she doesn't know." Pepper whispered, but they were more like screams to Anastasia.

"You made me feel weak and tired. Exploit my vulnerabilities." Tony had never seen such a sight,  He was wrong. All his beliefs were wrong, he no longer could see this raging light that blinded Anastasia.

"You're scared, this power is unstable. It's new like you said, please just calm down for a second. Let's figure it out together." Tony called over the erratic white noise that seemed to make way from her force field of blue light, that invaded her invisibly.

"please."

The couple watched as she descended, her eyes returned to their normal state. In a blurry sight she watched the couple, Pepper was reaching out even if they were a few feet away.

"What am I?" Anastasia wasn't clouded by the fear or anxiety, covered by the venomous hate or betrayal. No, Anastasia still was a fourteen-year-old girl, whose childhood remained broken and shattered like she was. Lost and confused, she never knew love or family only abuse and sadness.

It had been several minutes, though it felt like hours. Pepper was the first to touch her, when she realized it was safe she engulfed the girl in a tight hug. Anastasia could feel Pepper's heart beating erratically, Tony watched as he kneeled to her eye level.

And as Pepper pulled away, Anastasia couldn't help but ask the question. The first time, she's ever asked.

"Tony, I'm scared. And I don't know what to do anymore, and I am tired of running and dealing with it on my own. I just need help, please help me?" Tony sighed and held her hands into his.

"The bravest thing to do is just ask for help. No one should go through this alone, not even a fourteen years old girl like you, Ana."

"Ana?" the girl asked with a lifeless smile. Eyes drained but cheeks rosy.

"Yeah, Anastasia was too long. Besides if you are coming back to the tower. I preferred not to say a tongue twister." Tony smirked cockily.

But her heart was now unclenched and full, "Wait you're not kicking me out?" Anastasia's words seemed eager and now a lot less reckless.

"Well you did ask for MY help, and besides Pepper here-" Tony looked at Pepper. The woman didn't take her gaze off Anastasia, not for a second. Fearing that she might run away again.

"- would've beat me to a pulp. She never wanted you to leave. Watching her hate me like that-" Pepper heard his words, her eyes glistened in the lamplight flickering in its bent state, which now shone from the distance.

"So what do you say, Kid? Ready to come back?" Tony stood up, his partner by his side. Pepper with pleading eyes, "You comin'?" Pepper asked as Tony reached out with his hand to help her up.

Anastasia admits she couldn't do it on her own. She was shit scared, this power- where did it even come from? If anyone knew anything, Tony was the one to ask. Right? Anastasia took his hand. It was warm, weirdly, but when she felt the touch of his skin on hers. It felt homely and for a split second, a wave of calmness and trust washed her fears away.

It was like she was shrouded in a safety net of Stark and Potts. As they walked to the tower, where all was awaiting and their new lives began in a chapter just starting to unfold.

Anastasia never felt the feeling of love or compassion Pepper gave her, mentally taking note to apologize later for her unfaithful words earlier that evening.

~

Cute Chapter :0

Honestly, nothing special is happening in life anymore, it just makes me feel like I'm The extra in the background of a big movie when I could be the main character.

Now you're getting to the good kush, (vine reference.)

Not me crying over the new season of Wandavision because of Pierto. And not me crying because Miraculous Ladybug and Cat noir are fake.