Leah Stark - The Unknown Child

2.10.0

Trigger Warnings - Mentions of Torture

Tony's POV
The second I saw my daughter, I was sprinting over to her, checking to see if she was okay. I hugged her instantly, not wanting to ever let her go. She was gone for too long and now she was back.
I cried into her shoulder, holding onto her as tight as I could.
She didn't hug back. "Sir, are you okay?" My heart broke. It was smashed into a million pieces. I heard the gasps of the other Avengers behind me.
"Leah? You don't remember me?" I asked staring into her eyes.
She started laughing. "Oh my gods. I can't believe you fell for that dad. After all the shit I went through, you seriously think I wouldn't remember you?!" I laughed pathetically at my daughters sense of humour.
"I'm just happy you're okay. How you feeling?"
"Like I just spent 3 days on a train and walked half way across New York. But I mean better than being enslaved by a super secret evil organisation."
I laughed slightly, and so did she.
"Okay so, first things first, where's my phone. Imma inform the world of my return through Twitter. FRIDAY, send the footage of me leaving the elevator and screaming 'I lived bitch'"
I could have sworn I heard Steve mutter "language" under his breath, but I was too relieved that she was back to care about her language.
"You should probably call Lilith first, tell her you're back in town."
"Yeah, I should." She replied, escaping my grasp and walking to her room.

Leah's POV
I flicked through my Twitter and instagram. I had been tagged in a lot over the year and a bit I was missing. Mainly thoughts and prayers for me and my safe returns. I eventually built up the confidence to call Lilith.
I heard the ringtone go once, twice before she picked up.
"Hey Lils, guess who's back!"
"OMG your back?!"
"Yup. We are gonna need to organise our date soon."
"Yeah we are. What you thinking of doing."
"Something chill. Movie and dinner?"
"Oooohh. Sounds classy Stark."
"Only for you Lils."
"Damn straight. I ought to be the only woman in your life!"
"Well of course you are."
"I missed you Leah."
"Missed you too."
"Anyway, I've gotta go. I was in the middle of class when you called so I used bathroom privileges to answer."
"M'kay. See you around Lils"
"See you soon"
And with that she hung up. I smiled at our small interaction. From what I could remember, I liked her a lot. I still did.
I looked over the video FRIDAY had sent to my phone and smiled at it. The angle the AI has gotten was wonderful and it looked professionally made. I posted it on my instagram and Twitter with the caption 'Leah Stark has been returned to the wild after a year and 2 months in captivity!'. It was posted.
I sat on the ridiculously soft, oversized bed. Did I use to sleep in it?
I felt uncomfortable. The room was too open. It was weird. I thought I'd be okay with it.
I walked back out of the room and into the living room where the Avengers were sitting watching a film together.
"Hey kiddo, you wanna sit with us." Tony asked me, patting the extra space between him and Bucky.
I looked at it cautiously. I didn't really want to sit down. I couldn't do it. It was weird.
"I think I'm just gonna stand." I said, standing behind the couch with my hands held together behind my back. Tony frowned at me. "Okay..."
I looked over at Bucky who gestured at me to walk over.
I did so, and he asked me if I spoke Swedish. I did, so I nodded.
"Mår du bra?" Are you feeling alright?
"Jag vet inte. Jag känner mig verkligen konstig tillbaka." I don't know. I just feel really weird being back.
"Jag förstår. Jag var densamma när jag kom ut. Det tar lite, men du blir van vid det efter ett tag." I understand. I was the same when I came out. It takes a bit, but you get used to it after a while.
"Men om jag inte vänjer mig. Vad händer om jag bara vill fortsätta slåss och vad om jag skadar någon? Jag vill inte skada någon Bucky." But if I do not get used to it. What if I just want to keep fighting and what if I hurt someone? I do not want to hurt any Bucky.
"Du kommer inte att skada någon. Jag var densamma efter att ha lämnat. Det blir bättre. Jag lovar." You will not hurt anyone. I was the same after leaving. It gets better. I promise.
"Gör det?" Does it?
"Det gör det. Jag står med dig om du vill." It makes it. I'll be with you if you want to.
I smiled and nodded. Bucky got up and stood next to me, holding his arms behind his back, same as me.
"Okay, what is going on? You two were talking in a completely different language that I didn't even know you could both speak. And now you're both standing up to watch a film."
Bucky and I both looked at each other then back at Tony and the rest of the Avengers before looking back at each other.
"Ska vi berätta för dem?" Should we tell them I asked Bucky.
"ja förmodligen" Yes probably.
"I feel awkward here. Like uncomfortable. I don't know why. I just can't settle down. I feel like I shouldn't relax. I was perfectly fine on the way back. I don't know it's nothing." I shrugged.
The group looked at me sympathetically. I could tell Dad was concerned, as he looked at Buck for answers.
"It's normal Tony." Bucky said, calmly. "For a while I wasn't able to relax normally. Hell I'm still not able to. But it gets better. Don't worry."

Time skip until after the film.

Bucky's POV

Leah and I stood through all 4 movies before she got tired. Everyone said goodnight to her except me and Tony, who walked her to her room.
As soon as I stepped in I noticed a massive problem. It was too big. She spent the last 4 days in smaller rooms. And the last year in a cell. In hydra we are trained or forced to only sleep in small enclosed areas. When I moved into the tower it took a while for me to adjust. I slept under the desk several nights just to feel comfortable. I could tell what was going to happen.
"I'm going to get changed." Leah said, wondering into the cold tiled bathroom, leaving me and Tony standing in the room alone.
"Bucky can I talk to you?"
"Of course. What's up?"
"I understand that you went through all of the same stuff as she did but over a much longer period of time, but can you please stop trying to act as though you're her father."
"Tony, the rooms to big."
"What?!" He questioned. It made sense, normal people wouldn't see the problem with a big room.
"The room,its too big. She won't be able to relax. That's why she wasn't able to sit down earlier as well. The room was too big. Big rooms mean pain to people like us." I broke that news to him.
"What do you mean pain?" He asked, his mood changing.
"I mean memory wiping and torture, Stark. She'll probably try and find a smaller nook than sleeping in the bed for a couple of weeks. Like under the desk or in the wardrobe."
I could see the heartbreak in his eyes as he heard what I said.
"Will she have the nightmares, like you did?"
I nodded glumly. She was a good kid and we got along well before she went missing. She saw beyond the metal arm and what it had done and focused on what the real me had done. "I can handle them if they ever happen. She'll respond to Russian, I did. Me, Natasha and Clint will take care of her if they happen. They'll be pretty common for the first year or two. I'm sorry man."
"It's not your fault Buck. It's mine. If I had payed more attention to her, she wouldn't be suffering like this."
"You didn't do this to her. Hydra did. And trust me when I say this, but that kid is like a little sister, so I'm am gonna destroy those Hydra bastards one by one."
"May I join you?"
"Hell yeah!"

Whoop whoop Wednesday Update cause I couldn't update yesterday... oops...
Anyway how does this story have 750 reads?! That's insane!!!
I would like to thank you all so much for reading this book, and let me tell you it is not over yet!