The Disappearance of Jessica Stark

26. Heartbreak and Celebration

      "And about April?" I asked my Father as we walked down the hallway of the Avengers facility. We had just left the hospital room. Vision was right beside me. They had redone some of the building since I had been away. It looked good. Dad has his arm draped across my shoulder as we walked towards the stairs. I was dressed in a plain grey sweatshirt and sweatpants.

"April Killian is dead" Dad replied in a monotone.

      I paused in my tracks. I remember holding the rifle at her head, prepared to fire. But then I lost conciseness. Did I actually pull the trigger before passing out? I ran my fingers through my hair, looking up to him "What?"

      "Yes, she killed herself that night we found you. The night that Agent Henry Morgan saved your life by removing the bullet from your heart" Dad turned to face me, his hands shoved in his pockets "She shot herself with the rifle before officials could arrest her" I closed my eyes, allowing my hand to rub over my chest where my heart is. April Killian is dead, killed by the extremis neutralizer bullet that was intended for me. I can't tell if I'm lucky or at fault.

      We reached the balcony of the second floor that looks down to the first floor. A wall of glass opens up the space nicely, allowing rays of sunshine from outside to enter. The 'A' symbol is built into the wall near the main door. That symbol can either mean hope or destruction in my eyes. A lone boy stood in the room below, he was looking down at the floor with a bored expression.

      I swerved around Vision and started down the stairs to him. He heard my footsteps and looked up. Several healing cuts and bruises were present on his skin, but he didn't look too injured. His eyes were brown and sparkling as a smile crept up on his lips. He tried to hide it, but his nerdish grin always finds a way.

      I hopped down from the last step and walked right up to him, stopping no less than two feet away. I shoved my hands in my sweatshirt pocket "Spider-man saved the day I heard" I bit my bottom lip and tucked some hair behind my ear. He placed his pointer finger over his lips and shushed me quietly, then he smirked with amused eyes "He did good" I nodded, playing along. I lowered my voice "He even spared the bad guys life which is something you don't see everyday"

"He's something else, that's for sure" Peter shrugged.

      I remembered April laying on the grass below me with panic in his eyes as I rose the rifle up in front of her. She could have been spared as well, she should have been. No one deserves to go out like that. I felt my lips turn down in a slightly frown "I'm... sorry..." I crossed my arms across my chest "Sorry for getting you involved in all of this"

      "I would have been involved anyway. Nothing could have stopped me from gaining these powers" He was talking about his Spider-like abilities. He took a single step closer. I stretched out my back slightly to stand a bit taller "Nothing could have stopped me from wanting to be with you-" My eyes perked up at his words, he noticed my reaction and stuttered "h-help you, help you! Nothing could have s-stopped me from helping you haha" he laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed disappointed in himself.

      I chuckled, closing my eyes for a long moment. Something in my chest was tight, like a weight was hovering over my heart. He needs to know "Do you remember, I think it was last year. We walked together in the hallway that one time. I approached you first, and you were... startled" I laughed slightly at that memory "You asked me why I was talking to you. Why was the daughter of Iron-Man himself talking to you?" I looked him in the eye "Do you remember?"

      "Of course" Peter nodded quickly "I remember the entire conversation" my eyes widened, but then I recalled that he literally had a photographic memory "I remember that you told me We don't talk that much Peter Parker, but when we do, I quite enjoy it." He smiled at the memory "I can't tell you how much that one little comment meant to me, especially then"

      "You were just everything that I wanted to spend my time with" I studied his face as his head was turned towards the window. I noticed the small freckles that dotted his cheeks, the curve of his nose, the off shape of his eyebrow. I could see how his lips would involuntarily move. He looked in that moment like a model on a magazine, but he's far greater than any of those artificial hunks.

      "Mr. Stark asked me to become a member of the Avengers" Peter spoke, breaking me from my concentration.

"And what did you say?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I told him no" he said simply.

      I sighed with relief "That's good" I nodded "You don't want this" I raised my arms up slightly and looked around the facility "This isn't a life per say, it's more a... constant reminder of a failed idea" I remember the words of Nick Fury himself all those years ago when we were just starting out. Before the world seemed to fall apart "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, and to fight the battles we never could"

      "It didn't fail completely" he reached out and took my hand, I looked down to his fingers in mine "it brought me to you"

      "No" I shook my head slowly and placed my hands on his cheeks softly "Mrs. Stan in 8th grade Biology brought you to me" then I kissed him, it felt like the first time. He was caught off guard, but gradually melted into it. I didn't know if he still loved me like he did before I disappeared. But this kiss was a long time coming.

      After a few moments, we both pulled apart at the same time. He closed his eyes and let his shoulders drop "Thaaaank you, Mrs. Stan" he breathed. I smiled excitedly and wrapped my arms around him in an embrace. I must have laughed for a full ten minutes. He just held me as we spun around in the sunlight. Peter Parker loved me back, he really loved me.

      Two months of wondering if he even still cared, two months of longing to see him. He kissed me back. The nine year old me would roll her eyes at the thought of romance. And I know I'm young, adulthood hasn't even reached me yet. But I know when something is real. I let my fingers play with his brunette hair as we held each other.

      I didn't know where to go from here. I couldn't promise him forever, or ten years, or even tomorrow. All I knew is that right now the whole world feels right.

                                       ***

      "My room" I stepped into the bed room that was nearly fully packed and loaded with boxes. They must have assumed that I wasn't returning, which they had every right to "I've missed this place" I opened some of the boxes to find my old decorations and photographs.

      "Everything will be put back where it belongs, and we'll redecorate it as well if you'd like. I have someone special working on that for you already" Dad sat on my blanket-less bed and folded his arms across his chest.

      I closed the lid on the box and gave him a strange look "No offense, Dad. But Vision cannot decorate to save his life"

      "It's a good things it's not him then" a woman's voice said suddenly from my open bedroom door. I actually gasped at her sudden appearance. She wore a black dress with sleeves along with heels. Her strawberry hair was down and cascaded across her shoulders. She stood in the door way, her hand resting on the frame.

"Jessi, I believe you have met Ms. Potts" Dad extended his hand to her.

      My heart started to pound in my chest. All the memories came back to me in a flood. Our first meeting, the operation incident, the rides to school every morning, her keeping me company when no one else would, our heart to heart moments, her holding me when I heartbroken and celebrating when I was stoked. I lost my Mom at the age of 8, but at 9 I found Pepper Potts. She became my Mother, she is my Mother.

      I don't remember running to her, but in an instant I was in her arms, telling her how horribly sorry I was. How much of an idiot I was. She didn't care about any of that. Pepper never did see me for my flaws, she just loved me.