True Lies - Steve Rogers X OC

Chapter 19 - Finding Maddy

Howard's POV

Howard had felt a weird sense that something was wrong and quickly made his way up the stairs and into her room. When he saw the letter on the pillow he panicked, running through the house screaming her name desperate to find her. When he couldn't find her he called a secret detective and hired him to find her. Then he spent the next few years looking Steve. "If I find Steve, Maddy will come back." He told himself. 

Years had passed and he had fallen in love with another before he ever saw Maddy again. "Maria! Wait for me!" He yelled as she ran up the stairs laughing. "Mr. Stark, detective Sharp is on the phone for you." Martha says stopping him from running up to meet Maria. Howard freezes when he hears the detective's name, and Maddy's smiling face pops into his head. 

"I'll take it in the lab Martha, thank you." He walks back down the stairs and into his lab. He takes a deep breath before he answers the phone. "Stark," 

"Mr. Stark this is Detective Sharp I have some information on the young woman you sent me to find." 

Howard sits down at his desk and says, "I see. Come by the house and we'll discuss it." 

 "Yes Sir Mr. Stark." Howard hangs up and then opens the secret compartment in his desk and pulls out the necklace carrying Maddy's parents' wedding rings.

His thoughts go back to the night before she left. He closes his eyes and sees her smiling face beaming up at him while they made love. A knock on the door pulls him out of his trance and he replies, "Come in," he quickly hides the rings in his pocket as Martha lets the Detective into the room. Howard stands and meets him halfway between his desk and the door. 

"Nice to see you Mr. Stark." 

"Pleasures all mine Paul. I hear you have some information for me." Paul retrieves a vanilla envelope from his coat pocket and hands it to Howard. Howard opens it to see pictures of Maddy right here in New York. "When were these taken?" Howard says as he looks at Maddy's smiling face. She looks like she hasn't aged a day these past twenty-eight years. 

"They were taken this morning outside the plaza." 

Howard stared at her in disbelief and then said, "Come with me." he stands and walking over to door of his lab grabs his coat and walks toward the garage.

"What's wrong Howard?" he hears Maria say and he looks up the stairs and smiles. 

"Nothing Maria I just have to run to the office I'll be right back." She smiles down at him and then turns and heads back up stairs. Howard's face changes as they walk outside and step into the car. 

"Where to sir?" The driver says as the detective gets in beside him. 

"The Plaza." The driver nods and we surge forward out of the driveway and into traffic. Howard looks down at her picture and says, "Thank you for your help detective." 

"No problem sir. If you don't mind me asking, who is she that you would drop everything and go find her?" 

Howard tenses as he says, "A very old companion of mine." 

"She doesn't look older than twenty sir." 

Howard nods as he says, "I know." 

The drive to the Plaza was long for Howard he had rushed out not thinking of what to say to her. Before they reached the Plaza he saw her. He looked up from the picture and saw her walking with a group of young adults all smiling and laughing back and forth. "Maddy," he said only loud enough for him to hear. "Pull over!" he says as he watches her make her way into the Plaza leaving all her friends. Without thinking he rushes across the street and into the Plaza. He follows closely behind her all the way up the elevator and to her floor. He made no noise as he followed her to her room. When he was outside her door he froze. "What am I doing?" he starts to leave when the door opens and Maddy stands there frozen.