Y'all would not believe the situations I can put ocs in. Rotate them in my brain microwave.

Stay With Me (Damien X MC)

Book: Perfect Match (Timeline chapter 7-8)

Rating: PG/PG-13ish

Note: This is the continuation of my canon-ish fic following Damien and MC's relationship development, taking liberties where I can without changing too much of what happens in the actual book. Much of the quoted dialogue comes directly from the actual chapter but there is original dialogue and character/s as well. Also, I totally altered the rooftop conversation because my MC chose Drake, not Liam.

Tag List (I took the liberty of also tagging a couple people who have been following along. If anyone wants to be dropped or added, please let me know): @simplyaiden-blog, @kamybelen-blog, @butindeed, @lizeboredom, @parkerattano, @hhiggs @kamilah-sayeed-xoxo, @milliehxoxo, @tmarie82, @viktoriapetit, @asprankle, @choices-fanatic

Word Count: 2206

Master List Damien X MC Series - Find other fics in the series here

Kai stepped into the cold night air. She couldn’t hail a cab fast enough.  Just when she thought she and Damien were getting somewhere, fate interrupted in the form of Amber. Sure Kai told Damien to stay, but she was hoping he wouldn’t listen. This was kind of petty and immature she knew, but she wanted to push him to fight for her and he didn’t. He never did. He just kept letting her get away.

The cab dropped Kai off, and she ran up the stairs to her apartment as fast as possible. She threw on some pajamas and collapsed into bed, trying and failing not to think about Damien. She should have done things differently. She should have stayed instead of trying to test him. Instead she left him with Amber. Was he going home with her again? Or worse, was she going home with him? Kai begged for sleep to come fast, so she didn’t have to think anymore.

======

Damien stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. “Amber, I should really go. Kai and I came together.”

Damien made a motion to leave, but Amber grabbed his arm and pointed to the window. “She’s already getting in a cab. What’s the harm in staying for one drink with me?”

“Look Amber...that night was a one time thing. Like I told you then, I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“And like I told you then, I’m not looking for anything either. What’s the harm in having no strings attached fun?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m just not up for it right now.”

“Wow, you are really still hung up on Kai. I’m not exactly sure why, but I won’t push you any more..at least for now. But my offer stands, anytime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. It’s been a long day, so I really should go. See you around.”  

Damien texted Kai on the way out:

Let me know when you get home, so I know you’re safe

He still hadn’t received a reply by the time he got home, but he was so exhausted he fell asleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow.

=====

Kai had just woken up the next morning when Hayden showed up unannounced. He was honestly a welcome distraction so she didn't have to think about last night. Hayden was a little out of sorts, forgetting that he had just just handed Kai a cup of coffee and trying to bring her another, but he brushed this off as being stressed about the Steve situation. He asked Kai if she wanted to come over that evening at Sloane's request to all hang out together. Damien made his choice last night, maybe it was time for Kai to make hers and fully commit to Hayden.

But things had gone very wrong at Hayden's place. Soon after Kai arrived, Hayden collapsed and was in and out of consciousness. Kai tried to see him in the hospital that night but was denied because she wasn't family, so she went back home to bed. Sloane tried to take Kai to the planetarium but Kai wasn't up for it. It was kind of weird that Sloane was, when Kai really thought about it, but maybe that was just part of her social and emotional awkwardness.

The next morning, Kai brought Nadia with her to the hospital. She saw someone unexpected at the receptionist desk: Damien. 'Ugh, what is he doing here?" Kai thought. She hadn't spoken with him since the night at the bar. Nadia must have filled him in.

"That bracelet is great, where'd you get it?" What was he doing? Was he flirting with the receptionist?

She was clearly into him, smiling bashfully and batting her eyelashes. "Oh, on vacation in San Juan."

"No kidding! The sea glass design is impeccable. My aunt actually owns a jewelry store there. I can refer you to her. I'm sure she'd find something special for you..."

Not wanting to see any more of this display, Kai interrupted by catching Damien's attention and signaling him over.

"Perfect Timing! I'm trying to see Hayden but this receptionist is a tough one to crack. She's not letting anyone through...For now," Damien said with a sly smile.

It finally dawned on Kai what Damien was doing. He was trying to charm his way into seeing Hayden. Kai's jealousy was getting a little out of hand, and something had to give.

"All this for me? I didn't know you cared so much." Kai was using his sarcasm against him. She had such mixed feelings. It felt good that he was there for her, but she was still upset about the other night.

"Yeah, yeah...your best interests happen to align with mine, so consider this your lucky day," Damien countered. He hid behind his defenses like usual, but Kai knew that he cared, and she desperately wanted him to admit it. But for now that would have to wait because they really needed to focus on finding Hayden.

They came up with a plan for Kai to distract the receptionist with flattery while Damien stole her access badge, and somehow it worked. But when they got to Hayden's room he was gone. They were met by the receptionist and security who told them Hayden had been moved to another unit. First Steve disappearing and coming back with a new identity and now Hayden being kept out of sight had Kai, Nadia, and Damien all agreeing that something was very wrong and Eros was to blame.

"I'm going to go home and work on my evidence board," Nadia said, and she descended down the subway stairs, leaving Kai and Damien on the street.

"What do you think we should do?" Kai was at a loss.

"Well, I'll look into what leads we have, and we can meet up tomorrow. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up. In the meantime though, there's no use worrying yourself sick. We'll figure it out." Damien paused, seeming to notice the dejected look on Kai's face. "Hey, I've got an idea to take your mind off things. How about I take you to my classic stakeout spot. I can give you some tried and true detective tips. Might come in handy...Unless you are still mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you. What or whom you do is none of my business."

"Come on Kai, you hadn't talked to me since you left the bar the other night. Plus, the way you just said that proves that it bothered you."

"I'm sorry, I overreacted. I'm with Hayden and I really shouldn't be trying to dictate your love life. I would love to go with you."

"Great. And for the record, I left about 2 minutes after you...Alone. Now let's go."

======

Damien brought brought Kai up to his favortie rooftop spot in the center of the city. Kai seemed genuinely interested in his stories, and it looked like the weight of the last couple days events had lifted, if only temporarily.

"Sometimes I get unexpected clients. You see that building over there?" Damien pointed. "An engaged foreign royal stayed in that hotel over there. He was sneaking out on dates with a 'commoner' and someone he knew suspected it. I was asked to keep an eye on him. The case ended up taken an unexpected turn."

"Ooh this sounds exciting! Go on," Kai urged.

"While I did see the commoner sneak out with him a couple times. It seemed mostly platonic, at least on her end. You could tell she cared about him, but he was crazy about her. I started keeping tabs on her as well and figured out why she was keeping him at bay. She was sneaking around with another man, who upon further research, turned out to be the royal man's best friend. He was also a commoner. I spotted them making out along the boardwalk, and even on top of a ferris wheel at Coney Island that the royal man was also riding. Poor guy had no clue this was all going on under his nose."

"This keeps getting better! So what happened?"

"The royal man proposed to her and she turned him down. I heard the two commoners are now getting married, but that she is no longer a commoner. Even after she stabbed him in the back, the royal made her a duchess and she moved to his country permanently. It makes no sense to me why she would turn down a King, who was a great guy and could give her everything, just to be with his average best friend."

"I totally get it. You meet this amazing guy. He's a perfect match for you on paper and can give everything you ever wanted and more. There is no reason not to fall madly in love with him. But your heart doesn't care what your head says. Your heart craves someone who challenges you...someone whose personality differences ground you, give you balance, and make you feel complete. And when you meet that person, none of that other stuff matters..." A longing look crossed Kai's face.

It suddenly hit Damien that Kai was no longer talking about the royal couple, and he was still not ready for this conversation. "Yeah...uh....C'mon, I want to show you something."

=====

Damien took Kai down to the street to test her profiling skills. She was nowhere near as good at it as Damien was, but it was fun nonetheless. However, she wasn't going to let Damien off the hook so easy. There was still a conversation to be had.

They arrived back on the rooftop and Damien's demeanor shifted. "All this reminds me of a client I once had. He thought his wife was cheating. He did something rash, blew my cover, and messed up the investigation. Things would've turned out okay of he hadn't let his emotions get the better of him."

"So...what are you trying to tell me?" Kai wasn't sure if this had something to do with Hayden, Damien, or both.

"I guess...I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've seen love at every stage. In all of its...ugly glory, and it's hopeful wide-eyed naivete...We'll figure out what's going on with Hayden Kai, I promise. But though all of the ups and downs, there has to be one constant. We can't let emotions get the better of us. We have to play it smart."

"Damien, emotions can be a good thing. Being worried and scared comes with the territory. It means you care about someone." Kai still wasnt sure if Damien was talking about her feelings for Hayden, or Kai and Damien's feelings for eachother, but Kai was defintely trying to send a message to Damien.

"Anyway, we won't give up our investigation, but there is no use in despairing either. I got your back, Kai."

Kai stepped forward to hug Damien. "Thanks for taking me up here Damien."

Damien held Kai close for a moment longer. A moment longer than a hug between "just friends" should last. He pulled away with a bashful grin on his face. Now was Kai's chance.

"Damien...I need to know-"

"Kai...," Damien cut her off. "I think I know where this is going, and we just can't right now. These past couple days have been hard, and your emotions have got to be all over the place. Once we put it all out there, we can't take it back. We need to figure out what is going on with Hayden first. I don't want to hear what you have to say until your head is clear, and I'm sure that nothing will change your mind. Just know that that no matter what, I'll be here for you."

"Thank you, Damien" was all Kai could think to say. As much as it pained her, Damien was probably right. It wasn't really fair to Damien or Hayden to do this while Hayden's status was unknown. Kai would just have to take satisfaction in knowing that Damien would be willing to talk when the time was right.

"Let me take you home. I want to make sure you get there safe."

Kai smiled. "I'd like that."

=====

Damien walked Kai up to her door. "Goodnight, Kai. It was nice spending time with you."

"I don't really feel like being alone tonight. Would you stay here with me?"

Kai looked so sad and vulnerable. It would be cruel to say no. "I guess I can sleep on your couch. It's pretty comfortable."

"No, I mean in my bed, with me."

"Kai, I don't think that's the best idea..."

"Don't worry Damien. I won't throw myself at you this time. And I'll even wear pajamas."

Damien felt his cheeks grow hot and redden. They had never brought that night up again, and Kai hadn't admitted at the time that she remembered that part of it.

"Come on Damien. Let's get some sleep."

They got ready and climbed into Kai's bed together. Kai snuggled up to Damien, placed her head on his chest, and was out within minutes. There was no better feeling for Damien than falling asleep with Kai in his arms.

100 Favourite Character Asks:

Thought I'd make my own one of these because I'm bored~ Sorry, they're very long ones... Mention the favourite Character that you chose each time you answer...! _______________________________ 1. Who do you ship them with, if anyone? ❤️ 2. Do you know their middle name? If they don't have one or one isn't mentioned what would you choose for them? 💬 3. How do you view them in regards to yourself? (i.e. Would you call them your spouse, partner, child, friend, more of a sibling, etc, or even enemy (cause we all know how far loving to hate characters can go). 👬 4. What colour do you associate them with? 💛 5. What do you headcannon their hogwarts house to be/ do they have a canon one? (i.e. They're from Harry Potter). 📚 6. In one sentence, summarise why they are your favourite character. 🖊 7. Are they, by definition, alive? If not and you'd choose to bring them back, how would you go about that? ⚰️ 8. If they were to meet another character you like from any other franchise, who would you choose and why? Would they become friends? 👽 9. If you met them do you think you would both get along well? What would you bond/ argue over? 🤓 10. If you were organising a nice, well deserved break for them, what place would you choose, what kind of holiday would it be, and who would you invite along? 🏖 11. You're making them breakfast on a chill Sunday morning, what do you give them and do they stay to eat with you? If so, what do you chat about? 🍳 12. You can change one thing about your character for better or worse, what is it? Do you think it would affect their personal storyline/ how they interact with other characters if this happened? 🤔 13. What flower would you associate with them and if for any particular reason, why? 🌸 14. Would you rather your character be killed off (despite their current canon status) and the franchise keep going without them for a long time or have the series/ book/ game/ comic/ anime, etc, last long enough with them in it to see them gradually loose personality and focus, becoming out of character? 🖥 15. Your character gets to canonically punch somebody else in the franchise in the face, who do you choose and why? (Did they do something to them or do you as the person who enjoys the show, etc, just have a personal vendetta so it wouldn't make sense in terms of plot?). 👊 16. They're organising a surprise date for their significant other, what do they plan and can they keep it a secret before the actual event?! 🔐 17. What sort of weird, hidden talent would you not be surprised they had? 🏸 18. Headcannon something cute and sentimental that they would characteristically do, for example, keeping a photo album of friends or impulsively getting their partner flowers for no specific reason? 💌 19. Do you dislike any ship that they're canonically a part of? Or any that's popular with fans that you don't agree with/ anybody at all really that you would theoretically hate to see them in a romantic relationship with? 💔 20. Who do they view as their best friend and what kind of inside jokes do you think they would have with this person? 💞 21. What kind of music do they like/ do you think they'd like? How do they choose to listen to it- vinyl, cd, download, cassette, live, etc- and can you name any specific modern artists that they'd enjoy? Would they like your personal taste in music? 🎶 22. Give one canon bad habit they have and a headcannon of one you think is plausible. 🍺 23. What is your favourite quote of theirs? 🗯 24. Who in the franchise do they not interact with a lot or not at all that you think they should see more of? 🤝 25. The main few characters of the show gets them a birthday present from each of them, what do they buy your character? Do they like it? What would you give them? 🎁 26. What do you think their mbti type is? Is it the same as yours? 😯 27. What do you imagine was their favourite story/ fairytale as a kid? What would their small self enjoy about it? 📖 28. Are they part of Lgbtq+ canonically/ do you view them to be even if not canon? 🏳️‍🌈 29. What is their nighttime routine? 😴 30. What do their canon interests/ hobbies include? 🎮 31. Top 3 things you wish you had seen them do/ become or that you wish for them to do in the future, if still ongoing? 💍 32. You and them have a hand wrestle- who wins- how do they react? Are they a sore loser, passionate winner or indifferent at the whole scenario occurring in front of them? 💪 33. They're your favourite character right? You intensely appreciate their fictional existence- what do you wish casual fans would appreciate more about them and, in turn, what factor of their hidden depth as a character, if any, do you find the most interesting? 👁 34. You're introducing them to your family, how and where do you do it? How does your character behave/ what does your family think of them? 👥 35. You swap roles for a day and you take on their daily routine and they take on yours...How do you find that? How do they? 👩🏻‍💻 36. You're allowed to design a tattoo for your character? What is it of? Or would you appreciate that they characteristically wouldn't like one and walk away? If they get it, and it's revealed, how do they react? 💘 37. Do you relate to them on any level? 🔍 38. You're placing them into the world of another franchise you enjoy for a week, what is it and can your character cope for that long, in terms of physical thereat, drama and other characters? Might they even enjoy it? 🌎 39. In your opinion, what's the most out of character thing they've done/ said in any form of canon? 🙄 40. They're asked the common question 'if you were stranded on a desert island what one thing would you take with you?', what do they answer? Are they logical or sentimental? 🏝 41. You get to say one sentence to them at one point in their timeline...what do you choose to tell them and when is this? Is it something hopeful when they're in a bad situation, is it thanks, a general joining in of present celebrations with them, a congratulations, a tip or clue to help them at the time, or even a joke to cheer them up, etc? 📢 42. If it's the same day and time in their location as it is presently is in yours, what would they currently be doing? ...I'm guessing the majority of answers here will be 'sleeping'... ⏰ 43. What percentage do you think their phone is usually on, or would be on if they don't canonically have one, what's their home screen and lock screen? 📱 44. What's their 5 most prominent character traits? Are they common traits within your other loved characters? Do you personally think that you posses any of these traits? 😎 45. If they weren't doing their current job what do you think they'd be good at? Is it something you'd enjoy to do too? 👩🏽‍⚕️ 46. Describe their handwritings appearance/ if not seen or plausible what do you think it would look like? 📝 47. What common fear do they have? Are they scared of spiders, heights, clowns, etc... do they have any canon unusual fears? 🤡 48. You are gifted with their company for 24 hours- but you can't leave your home town/ city, etc- what do you choose to do? Where do you go? Would they enjoy the company and change of scenery or would they storm off? Do you or them take charge with the planning or do you have similar interests and compromise? (Relates to number 9, in a way). ⏱ 49. You have to rename them after anybody you know in real life, what do you think would suit them? Would it make sense in their world/ location/ time period? 💭 50. When asked 'truth or dare?' what do they pick? Have they got something to hide or are they just really courageous and unpredictable? Are they genuinely honest and love to share or are they simply scared of acting inappropriately? Do you relate to their answer and reasoning? 💡 51. At what moment were you the proudest of your character? ☺️ 52. Is your character your current tumblr icon or background on any of your blogs, main or side? 💻 53. Your character meets the one character you associate with each of your friends, does it go well? Who are they meeting? Do any of them get along? Do any of the interactions shadow that of you and that particular friend compared to their character and yours? ☕️ 54. Can you think of any specific plot point or character storyline that would have been drastically influenced if your character did not exist in that franchise? In what way? Does their existence impact the bigger picture to the point of the canon or future estimated ending being completely different? 💥 55. It's a Saturday and they've invited you to theirs to watch a film or two for the evening with a takeaway, what is their movie and menu of choice, (specific or in general), and would you have chosen differently? Who falls asleep first and who, after seeing 3 films is eager to play another? Or are you both messes? 🍕 56. You have to swap favourite characters with a friend for the day? Who do you trust with this one and which character out of all of the options would you rather spend the day with? 😟 57. With your current set of cooking skills you have to make a meal for your character, this is your one chance of impressing them, what do you make and how does it go? If it goes wrong are they angry or do they have an alternate solution? 🍴 58. Does their fashion sense play a large part in their overall character, does it represent them, personality, uniform, etc, what is your favourite part about it and how long could you pull off wearing what they wear for, if at all? What would they comment about how you dress? 👔 59. Does any particular song, album or artist remind you of this character? 🎧 60. A bit weird, but considering you can't sense it through a screen or the pages of a book, what do you think they smell like? 🍉 61. If they had tumblr what would they blog about? What would their url be? Would they be aesthetic or are they meme trash? ...Would they follow you and your current content? 🐸 62. Would you rather kill them or could you not bring yourself to do it and they would kill you? 🔪 63. What do they dream about? 🦄 64. You take the reigns for a bit, write an episode/ chapter, etc, and whatever you say about the character becomes canon- what do you do with that power? 👀 65. If they were an animal what would they be and why? 🦋 66. What is their place of living like? Do they keep it tidy/ what's in it, etc? Is this canon or do you have any any theories about what their apartment or similar area might look like/ be organised? 🏠 67. What annoys your character the most? Pet peeves and the like. Traits and actions- Lying, feet on furniture, cluttered space, disloyalty, etc...in the same way, what do they value the most in a person? 😒 68. What is the difference between you and your characters last known/ current age- go to that number question if possible- it might be unknown or they could be immortal so estimate how old they look in mortal terms or how you imagine them to- and list another one of your favourites that you haven't been answering this for and answer that question alone on their behalf instead. 🔢 69. What about them/ which of their scenes makes you laugh? What makes you smile contently? What makes you frown? What makes you role your eyes? And finally what makes you want to give them a good shake? 🙃 70. Everyone's a critic- name something genuinely problematic and unnecessary about your character. 👎🏼 71. Do they have a pet/ if they did what would it be and along what lines would they call it/ would they not like one? 🐾 72. What's their idea of an ideal weekend? 🌤 74. What's their most valuable skill/ power? If it's something of significance in the plot do they ever use it to save/ harm anybody? 🥇 74. If they started a band, what would their role be, what would it be called and which other characters would be in it? 🎸 75. If they acted arguably unforgivably against another character in the franchise that you love, would you defend them when faced with other fans or at least let it slide? Or would you loose a significant amount of respect, enough to degrade them so they weren't your favourite anymore? 😨 76. Okay it's the majority vs the few scenario, save the world at the cost of a life- Would you choose to save every character that you have ever loved from all of the franchises that you follow if it meant sacrificing this all time favourite character to an irreversible fate? 💀 77. If you asked them 'What is the worst then best thing that has ever happened to you?', what would they tell you? 😬 78. On a scale of won't-walk-on-cracked-pavement to the-worlds-supposed-to-end-this-year-I-gotta-pack, exactly how superstitious are they? ☄️ 79. Name another favourite character of yours that is the polar opposite to this ultimate fave and in what way is that so? 🎭 80. What revelation shocked you the most about them, if any? Or what scene they were a part of did you find the most surprising and intense? 😱 81. What rules do they live by? Do they seem to have a sort of moral code? If they go by their own set of rules that dramatically conflict most people's or none at all has this ever caused them to clash with anyone or caused issues in any way? How strongly do they believe in this set of morals? 🚫 82. Are they 'the chosen one'? Or even a main character? 👑 83. They can time travel- either theoretically or in canon- and have no limitations on this ability: they can go back in time and influence their past- what do they change, how and why? Is it for their own sake or somebody else's? 🌀 84. Picture your character in your head...just imagine them a little bit...there we go: What expression is on their face? What are they wearing? What are the doing? What mood are they in? this is how you view them the most prominently...wow no... 🤠 85. Are they religious in any way? 🕍 86. How's their poker face? 😐 87. How do they pose in a photo if they have to be in it? Are they happy about it? Or are they the one taking it? 📸 88. Gimme one interesting fact about them that most people don't know, something random or obscure briefly referenced in some decade old short story or a long lost webisode? If you can't think of one... make it up and sell it. Make me believe it- not many people will be able to tell either way 🙊 89. Do they prefer sweet or savoury foods? 🍰 90. How did/ would they/ do they do in school, are they top of the class? Popular? Shy? Intelligent? Weird? Quirky? Bullied? Are they the bully? Do they have a stereotypical highschool sweetheart, are they in any clubs? Do they often get detention? ⚽️ 91. What is your character unapologetically confident about? When do they get passionate and excited? Where do they feel welcomed and comfortable? How do they express this? 🔭 92. If your character was a part of Disney, if they're not already, who would they be and why? ⭐️ 93. You want to get somebody to become interested in the characters franchise? How do you go about selling it and is this character your main selling point? 🗣 94. Tell me about them on Christmas Day? Where are the planning to go? Who are they with? What are they wearing? What do they eat? What do they get and how do they react? Are they excited? Do they help cook or decorate? How are they with the weather? Did they put the star/ angel on the top of the tree? How do they kick back on Christmas night? What do they do on Christmas Eve in anticipation? Do they work through the holiday? What are some personal traditions for this character this time of the year? Do they sing along to all of the songs? 🎄 95. Write a quick and catchy summary of your character for their dating profile 😏 96. Your character is an undercover spy: what do they choose to call themselves as a code name 🕵🏼‍♀️ 97. What common stereotype, if any, does your character fit? 💋 98. If your character was a sim what kind of stupid situation would they get themselves into a daily basis? If they are a sim up until this point I'm calling u out 😂 99. A zombie apocalypse breaks out, or an alien invasion or some kind of sudden, doomsday scenario- what is their instinct? Who do they call? Where do they run? What do they pack? Where do they hide? Or do they stay and fight for their home? What side of them is shown in this time of desperation? What methods do they use to stay calm? Or are they the first to loose it? Do we see some true colours coming to the surface? Bravery? Selfishness? Rebellion? Protectiveness? 🔦 100. Have they influenced your life in any direct way? For example, influencing your opinion on something, anything they've said making you think, what they represent having meaning to you, something about them helping you or guiding you in any way ...💝

Molly Hooper Unplugged.

Series 4 Sherlock is not what I expected. Over all, I liked it. A lot. It’s not without it’s problems though. From a viewer’s perspective that is. I'm not going to trash the writers because, in fact, I have tremendous appreciate for their creative process, intelligence and brilliance.

As with the books, the writers set out to tell us stories in similar fashion to the canon literature. John Watson is considered the narrator but, in fact, is the peripheral story-teller. Sherlock, himself, is the primary narrator. Not only that, Sherlock tells us his stories retrospectively. Meaning that from beginning to end the story has already happened. It’s done and over, with Sherlock telling us: ‘Okay, this is what went down.”

Mark Gatiss made an interesting comment once that he and Moffat write the stories from end to beginning. It’s the only way they can detail the cases, the story-line and Sherlock’s elaborate deductions. Truly, it’s a clever approach. But, and this is important, it’s also why the audience rarely receives the resolution they want, or feel they deserve. Sherlock – as the narrator – won’t say. He gives the viewer what he chooses and then leaves us to figure out the rest.

As I looked back upon every episode from the very beginning, this particular format is consistent. It also explains why there’s an abhorrent lack of Molly this season. Sherlock is her avenue and narrator, and he’s not talking. Throughout the series, there have only been two exceptions to this: The Sign of Three and His Last Vow.

The writers love Louise Brealey. They adore her and they adore Molly. Molly is introduced to the audience in ASiP with Sherlock. It’s their “meet cute” – which tells us she’s important – even though she was initially considered a one-off character. Sherlock, however, had other plans and wanted her to stick around. He’s the one who’s chosen her fate in the stories, not the writers.

I know, I know – it’s a weird and unusual way to look at this. The writers are, after all, penning this series and in charge, right? Yes, of course. At the end of the day, however, they are two of the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan boys and they have deferred many decisions to this fictional character.

So, strange as it might sound, anyone who writes stories knows there’s more than a kernel of truth in this. We might think we’re in charge of the characters we create, but really – we’re in guardianship. Sherlock is no exception to this because he’s a long established character in literary fiction.

Many years ago, the ground-breaking television series, The X-Files, elucidated this fact (in an extreme way) with an episode called, Milagro. The writer, Phillip Padgett, experiences his character come to life, who creates all sorts of murderous mayhem.

“When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be truth.”

Fox Mulder used that exact quote from Sherlock Holmes in the Milagro episode to convince his FBI partner, Dana Scully, that this is exactly what was happening.

So, if anyone, besides myself, is wondering why we’re not seeing Molly all that much – it’s because of Sherlock. At the same time, he also gives us wonderful clues (because that’s what he does) as to why this is and what happened. All we have to do is observe and don his methods of deductions.

This, by the way, will have little to do with sub-text. That’s a very different animal. Instead, we have to infer and make some logical leaps based upon the evidence given. To be honest, this has been part of the fun of watching Sherlock. But, it can also be frustrating, exhaustive, and even disheartening, when viewers aren’t given any kudos for figuring things out, or for even trying. That does, in my opinion, lie within the hands of the writers. After all, they do have creative latitude.

There are two things that left me saying ‘Huh?’ regarding Molly in series 4.

Her diminished presence.

Her strong resistance to say, ‘I Love You.’

For me to understand, I did a cursory review of Molly’s history, which isn’t hard. Especially as there’s this infuriating, ongoing belief with journalists, casual and not-so-casual viewers, that Molly’s emotional hesitancy in saying ‘I Love You’ to Sherlock is somehow the result of a bizarre form of post-trauma from season one.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Molly / Sherlock ‘shippers’ (and I'm one) know this because we’re not simply watching a television show, we’re observing all the nuances of what’s presented / not presented, that others either don’t see, choose not to see, or believe unimportant.

First, I want to lay the basis that Molly’s “unrequited” love for Sherlock has not remained an issue since A Scandal In Belgravia (s2e1). Nor has she been mocked or ridiculed by Sherlock over her affection for him. The opposite of this is true and also shown.  

Beginning with The Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock and Molly have grown closer and share an intimacy that none of the other characters are made privy. It’s not romantic intimacy, that we know of, but a deeply valued and trusted friendship.

Sherlock turns to Molly in one of his greatest moments of need. She becomes his confidant at a time when things are, quite frankly, frightening for him. Molly, along with a host of others, help Sherlock plan his demise. Her role, as Sherlock later reveals, was not only invaluable, but that she is the one person who mattered the most. Whether his comment is based on the Moriarty deal, or a commentary about how he now views her, it doesn’t really matter. What this scene from The Empty Hearse showed viewers is that Molly and Sherlock have grown. Their relationship dynamics have shifted to a new dance. There’s more than a hint of attraction from both, and whether or not you want to ‘friend-zone’ them, the sentiment still stands: they hold a palpable love for one another.  

Viewers are also made aware in this episode that Molly has “moved on” and engaged to a guy who is a distorted facsimile of Sherlock’s physical characteristics. We think that scene is about Molly and it is – but it’s also about Sherlock. The look on his face when he meets Tom is priceless.

Sherlock has never dealt very well when confronted with Molly’s involvement with other men. It’s not sub-text or speculation…it’s shown. Given the fact this man lives in a state of emotional infancy, especially during The Great Game, he might not really understand why he viciously cock-blocked Jim-from-IT-Moriarty, angering / embarrassing Molly in the process.

He does learn, however. Otherwise, he’s not a very good genius.

I'm not sure why it’s hard to understand that series 3 Molly is not harboring unrequited love. Sherlock is. Yes, it’s a strange sort of love because he represses his emotions and impulses, I'll grant you. He doesn’t show it overtly, but it’s there.

The tables have been flipped on Sherlock, because although his seeping emotions are masked behind logic and rationalism, or ridiculous excuses – he’s actually the one seeking out Molly.

Molly keeps him on his toes by her openness and authenticity. She even shared that she’s having quite a bit of sex, which really does blow the gasket in his Vulcan mind. He has no idea how to process this info. Ironically, her words are sort of a call back to his from The Great Game, when he’s having a hissy fit and tells John he’s not interested in the solar system, or who’s having sex with who. Molly’s having sex, Sherlock. Does it need mentioning that their romantic involvements have always mirrored one another, too?

Sherlock does find a way to get in another deliberate, but very subtle cock-block regarding Molly’s fiancé during John and Mary’s reception. Of course it bothered her, somewhat. She wasn’t devastated or traumatized over the fact that Sherlock just showed her, again, that her choice in men will always be woefully inadequate compared to him. She’s really rather proud of him in this episode, and swooning a bit.

Truthfully, both Molly and Sherlock have some version of brainiac jealousy / possessiveness going on, but still, Molly adores him, OPENLY, by the way. She’s not hiding it.

All of this gels to demonstrate that Molly’s emotional 180 in The Final Problem over saying ‘I love you’ is NOT because she’s been sitting around for seven years, crying in margaritas over this guy.

It’s about something else entirely. The timeline between TSoT and His Last Vow hold the answer. Something happened between them that came very close to destroying their relationship. Sherlock gives us a few clues in HLV. First, there’s this:

“How dare you throw away the beautiful gifts you were born with. And how dare you betray the love of your friends. Say you’re sorry!”

“Sorry you’re engagement’s over, although fairly grateful for the lack of a ring.”

Great dialogue! Especially if we’re looking through Sherlock’s eyes and know he’s been staying at her beautiful home, which we find out later on. This bit of info comes from Molly, when she breaks the fourth wall of television by interacting with viewers directly.

We can take Molly’s scolding of Sherlock at face value. He’s using (drugs) and by doing so letting down his friends and himself. Bad Sherlock.

I believe, however, this is more than chastising Sherlock for reckless behavior. The following, by the way, is about subtext, because that’s where we have to look and infer. Subtext, while a valid form of information, can be a dangerous little guy, because we project based upon our individual filters and desires. It’s important to keep this in mind when inferring possibilities.

I'm also not being dismissive of drug use, at all, but attempting to fill the blanks that currently hold cognitive dissonance based upon everything we’ve been show up until now. We went from HappyMolly and HappySherlock to ‘what-the-hell-is-going-on’?

Clearly, whatever it is, it’s origin lies in love and betrayal. And, other than in Sherlock’s mind palace after being shot – we only see Molly one more time, when she tells us about her bedroom as Sherlock’s bolt hole.

His Last Vow ends without any resolution between the two. Or so we believe.

But, I'll get back to this.

There’s head canons and fanfic to fill in the missing gaps of HLV, but The Abdominal Bride does a great job at summing things up in a nutshell.

This episode, in which Sherlock sets about solving 121 year old murder case from the Victorian era, is about the long-lasting consequences of using, objectifying, misleading, abusing, disparaging and basically the all around diminished and misogynistic treatment of women.  

There’s also quite a bit of symbology wrapped up in Sherlock’s psychedelic trip. He’s solving a crime from another century, but he’s still got his Scooby gang by his side. They’re all consistent with their modern, present day counterparts, filling the same functions and roles when Sherlock isn’t following Alice down the rabbit hole.

With the exception of Molly.

The role of a pathologist / medical examiner was not typically filled by a woman in this era. As a result, Molly has to be concealed as a man. Perfectly reasonable. What’s different, however, is the relationship between she and Sherlock. It’s cold, if not a bit derisory and bitter.

John’s role is interesting regarding Molly because it’s not John, but instead Sherlock’s projection. Victorian John tells ‘Dr Hooper’ that he’s not Sherlock’s puppy, that he can see through her disguise and sympathizes with what one has to do to be recognized in the world.

We can take that conversation at face value. It is what it is. But, maybe it’s worth considering that this might also be Sherlock’s conscience seeping through, imprinting itself on the state of affairs between he and Molly. In Sherlock's words, John is a "romantic" - he sees things Sherlock can't - so there is some validity with the idea that he might need John's 'eyes' to see his way through this. To see Molly past the façade of anger and self-protection. I'm sure there are other great interpretations.

From a symbolic perspective, TAB was Sherlock reconciling, or at least beginning to make amends to Molly (as well as other women he’s used: Janine).

Now is where speculation comes in regarding the timeline between TSoT, HLV and TAB.

Let’s say Sherlock was using Molly’s home as a bolt hole. Maybe not the first time, so he likes it, and it gives him the space and privacy to work on the Magnussen case. If this is true, it’s probably because it’s too complicated for him to work at Baker St, especially as he’s fake wooing Janine to get to her boss.

The other thing that’s taking place is that he’s using. How often and how much is unsure, but he did look pretty strung out at the hospital. And, when Sherlock uses, he’s a very different person.

Molly and Janine mirror one another, although Sherlock’s feelings, thoughts and opinions toward each are drastically different.

Dependent upon when Sherlock began using Molly’s home, if he’s using her home (he does have other bolt holes) – she might still be engaged to Tom. It’s conjecture, but she probably is. Sherlock tells John that he’s been fake dating Janine for a month, which means this started almost immediately after the wedding.

Realistically, I don’t think anyone expected the engagement between M/T to last, but it doesn’t mean Molly wasn’t sincere or didn’t love him. So, Sherlock’s presence and the use of her home – especially her bedroom, a space that implies intimacy - is bound to inflict some legitimate strain on a relationship that’s already falling apart.

Any number of scenarios could have played out. Tom might have given Molly an ultimatum? M/T might have decided to take a time-out? Guess away.  

Sherlock might be influencing Molly through subtle means to end her engagement. He might turn up the charm and possibly – in one way or another – woo her as well. Maybe lead her to believe something was possible between them? Which he might consider true, at some point. He doesn't want her with other men, but won't allow a proper resolution to their attraction. His use of drugs could make it easier for him to make those personality / conscience shifts necessary to do what he’s doing.

If this happened, and there’s nothing to say it did – just using TAB as a blueprint since Molly was included with the ‘brides’ – it really is unconscionable on his part. Although, and this is NOT in any way an excuse of his behavior – his superiority and arrogance did slap him hard - because he actually cares and loves Molly, so his potential motivations with her are very different than with Janine. Knowing this does not make it better or right. He’s taking drugs - he’s in ‘the Game Is On’ mode and not making good decisions.

Perhaps Molly found out about Janine and they had a chat? Yeah, it’s a bit soap opera-ish – but how else would Janine know Sherlock used her? John? Magnussen? She was very quick with her ‘for profit’ revenge plan. More than likely Magnussen told her…he enjoys the suffering of others.

However she found out, Molly would have confronted Sherlock. Sherlock might not have shown any remorse for using someone as a ‘means to an end’ (Janine), while attempting to deduce Molly by saying her LOVE for Tom was equally specious. He did say, during his best man speech, that “All emotions, and in particular love, stand opposed to the pure, cold reason I hold above all things.” We know this isn’t entirely true, and he knows it as well. But, if he attempted to make a point to Molly about her actions, as a parallel to his, all while HIGH, wow – it crashed and burned.

I'm not saying this is what happened. Just tossing out the idea. But, it does make the M/S hospital scene even more poignant. It’s their break-up fight.

If Sherlock did any of this, it would be hard to forgive. Molly would have to dig really deep inside her to make a journey back as his friend. Their relationship is fractured and rests on a precariously balanced fulcrum. Betrayal by love is a huge theme in His Last Vow.

There are two external events, which help pull them back into each other’s orbit.

Sherlock is shot. Sherlock murders Magnussen.

I'm sure this would help soften Molly, in as much as tragedy can put things into perspective very quickly. Being deeply wounded by someone you love doesn’t mean you stop loving them – although it’s possible. Maybe the time between being shot and killing Magnussen Sherlock made a sincere effort to make amends with her? I imagine he would, but their relationship has been severely strained and Molly keeps clear distance.

I'm really, really, really speculating on this one – but, maybe Mary reached out to Molly as someone to lean on? We never see these two interact (other than the christening) which is a shame. There is, however, an ever-so-slight seed that might suggest Mary’s involvement, which we got in TAB. Mary is the one who discovers the brides. And, Mary is put on the case by Mycroft. So, maybe Mycroft knows there’s been a fall-out. Again, sounds like a twisted sort of soap opera – but there’s some precedence for this, too.

Mycroft knows Molly. She was a the most significant person in TRF plan. We’ve also seen him request her assistance at the morgue prior to this (ASiB). Who knows. What we do know, is that when Sherlock uses and comes off drugs – Mycroft calls in as many resources as possible. If there is a fracture between Molly and Sherlock, it will be seen as a risk, which requires a fix. Mary could help with this. Furthermore, in TAB, Mycroft tells Sherlock this is a war (women) he (they) must lose. Meaning, Sherlock fucked up. Big time. He’s got to set it right.

Some headway is made, because the bride scene in TAB shows Sherlock acknowledging his mistakes and remorse. We then see where the relationship is left between M/S with two words: “Hooper / Holmes.”  

They can face each other, be in the same room, but it’s chilly.

Series 4 reflects this in Molly’s absence as well as her presence. But, she and Sherlock will continue to be pulled together through more external events.

They are Rosamund Watson’s godparents and on speaking terms.

They are also hit with a devastating, irretrievable blow: Mary’s death. This, along with profound grief, is enough to set aside any personal differences to come together and focus on the needs of others. Even though Sherlock takes himself to ‘hell and back.’

Molly speaks with Sherlock in TLD, and even acquiesces to his request for an ambulance. Molly does this on faith - she really doesn’t know what’s going on. There’s still an edge between them. He’s using, she’s stressed, he’s dying. She’s agreed to do her part in watching Sherlock through his withdrawal days, and meets he and John for birthday cake.

Concessions are being made.

Now we come to The Final Problem, where Molly is Sherlock’s third task. He has to get her to say I Love You, but their relationship remains somewhat perfunctory and cool. A lot of water has passed under their bridge and blind trust has not been established.

If anything remotely took place between them such as the above – whoa – it’s no surprise why this scene went down the way it did.

It also makes sense of Molly’s words: “Leave me alone.” “Why are you making fun of me?” “You know why.” “Of course you do.”

There’s two different events taking place that cause an intense emotional build-up and break-down between these two characters.

Molly is unable to push down her stress and sorrow any longer. It’s risen to the surface. There’s been too much, in a short amount of time, and something’s gotta give. We see her ignore Sherlock, which is an eye-opener for him, and even when she does answer her phone she’s direct and not interested in idle chit-chat.

Sherlock’s stress is mounting too. By virtue of Eurus’s game and the previous month’s events. He needs to ask something of Molly that he knows won’t be received well. Even if he tries to convince himself otherwise and feign ignorance.

It was a life or death moment from Sherlock’s perspective, but a ‘push come to shove’ for Molly. Both of them went through an emotional vivisection. Still, they said I love you and it was sincere and authentic.

At the end of that scene, however, neither one knows the consequences of this event. It’s not a happy moment, but instead filled with uncertainty and possibly more loss. Sherlock killed a coffin. Molly looks absolutely forlorn.

The ending montage is disappointingly neglectful of resolution. This is where the writers could have used a more creative latitude – more than .3 seconds of Molly’s happy smile. At least it was nice to get that, but gees, really?

If we’re looking at this from Sherlock’s point of view – Molly is happy. More than happy – she’s vibrant. Personally speaking, I can’t see any reason Molly would be presented this way had she and Sherlock not achieved some satisfactory relationship understanding regarding romantic love.

My heels aren’t dug in the sand regarding the above. I am truly open to other interpretations. For now, though, this was my exercise in explaining what wasn’t explained. She might be an insane murdering psychopath and brilliant beyond Newton, but Eurus was right when she said - context is everything.

Walking The Wire (133/158)

Summary: Tony Stark always knew about Peter Parker. He didn’t know that Peter was going to get superpowers and become Spider-Man, but he always knew about Peter because Peter was his son.

This will span from pre-Iron Man up through the rest of the MCU (eventually including Infinity War) and will be for the most part canon compliant except where I’ve taken some liberties and interpreted canon a certain way.

Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Tony/Steve (endgame), Tony/Mary (past)

A/N: If you want me to tag you when I post new chapters let me know. This fic is also on AO3

I used Collider’s MCU timeline to stay canon and the title of this fic is an Imagine Dragons song that is just so fitting for Peter and Tony

@findmeinthestarss

Masterpost

Chapter One Hundred Thirty Two

Ned didn’t know how to respond when May told him. She was already sort of crying. He kind of mostly just felt hollow inside. Ned had been expecting it though. He had known that it was a likelihood. He didn’t know if Peter being one of the decimated was better than if he had actually died. It was sort of just nice to know for sure.

The media was reporting on the return of Tony Stark. No one even mentioned Spider-Man. It was probably on purpose. Ned stayed out of any discussion sparked online because it was just easier to not get mad at the people that seemed to blame Tony for everything that happened. Granted, no one really knew exactly what had occurred. They just knew an alien threat was involved.

The world world was a mess.

Too many people were gone. Too many injured.

“They’re working on it, Ned. The Avengers -- they’re working on it,” May said.

It wasn’t all that reassuring. Ned just dropped his face into his hands. He was getting really tired of crying and yet it was one of the few things that he had energy for these days. That and spending time with MJ.

MJ was stronger than he was, or at least she put up a strong front. He didn’t know how he was going to tell her about Peter. Ned thought that she probably already knew. Or if she didn’t then she had her suspicions.

“I’m sorry, May,” Ned said.

She wiped at her eyes and nodded. “Me too.”

---

Before Tony knew it a week had passed and they were no closer to figuring out how to defeat Thanos. Nebula had brought some insights into it what with her having once been his adopted daughter but even then it turned out that coming up with a plan -- any kind of plan was difficult. They didn’t even know where Thanos could be. So far all they could really think to do was to go after him and the stones and use them to change everything back. It was just -- they needed to find him.

In the meanwhile, life moved on. There was grief and pain everywhere and no one could get away from what happened, but people were resilient.

Tony for his part kind of buried himself in work. It was the easiest thing to do. It was easier to work from the compound from one of the many labs that didn’t remind him of Peter and easier to deal with building a new suit than everything else.

Since his breakdown in the lab at the tower, Tony refused to return there. Steve had made him take the mug and it was the only thing from that lab that Tony could actually look at. It reminded him what they were fighting for.

Everyone else was keeping busy too. Rhodey had started helping Pepper and he made the perfect liaison with the U.S. Government -- what had been rebuilt of it. For the moment they could afford to have him working in that respect, but as soon as they figured out where Thanos was, Tony knew that Rhodey would be right there with them ready to fight. Natasha had gone to find Clint after they realized that he actually wasn’t listed as missing but that his entire family was.

Bruce buried himself in research and work mostly done on himself. He was trying to figure out what the Hulk’s problem was and Tony thought that he wasn’t having a lot of luck with that. Thor tended to hang around Bruce’s lab and Tony didn’t know quite what to make of how quiet and morose Thor was. Tony had gotten a full story about the destruction of Asgard and the loss of Loki and Odin and Hela -- the sister Thor had never even known he had. All of it felt like an overdramatic plot from a movie or book. But having met Loki, Tony kind of suspected that Asgard was just that dramatic.  

It was Rocket that figured out how to make it so they had some way of way of knowing if Thanos used the stones again and combined with Friday’s monitoring they were waiting for it to happen. But it just didn’t. It gave them no alert because Thanos hadn’t used the stones.

Rocket spent most of his time doing repairs on the Benatar and Nebula hung out with him. All in all, their alien friends were odd. They didn’t seem to know quite what to do and Tony could tell that a part of them wanted to leave Earth all together and never look back. Tony wouldn’t have blamed them if they did. Only their mutual goal to get their loved ones back and rid themselves of Thanos kept them around. Tony liked both of them.

Steve spent hours upon hours going over everything that happened and trying to figure out what they could do next. When he wasn’t strategizing, he was with Tony -- tugging him away from the lab to get sleep or bringing him food and snacks. Steve made all of that -- the normal stuff -- easier. Still, Tony couldn’t really sleep for very long without nightmares.

At one point, Tony had spent a full twenty four hours trying to figure out Fury’s pager. It was more than just a pager but the technology was strange. Alien. Nebula confirmed that for him and yet neither he or Rocket could figure out who the message had gone to. It just kept blinking as if it was still sending some sort of signal and no one could figure out what the screen was displaying.

“Could have gone to anyone in the Universe,” Rocket said at some point.

“Yeah, well, maybe that person got dusted too. Or they didn’t even get it.”

So, it sat in the lab and just kept blinking and they were waiting for something to happen with it. Nothing ever did. Tony saw it as some sort of lost cause. Yet another of Fury’s secrets that didn’t make sense to them and wasn’t useful.

---

Steve could tell that it was all driving Tony crazy. The not knowing what they should or shouldn’t do. At one point Rocket had suggested that they actually leave Earth and go see what kind of clues they could find to lead them to Thanos. Nebula was still technically his daughter. Finding him wouldn’t be all that difficult.

None of them knew if it was a good idea and they were hesitant to agree to it. Even Thor didn’t seem entirely sold on it. Steve knew they were being cautious and he didn’t blame them.

“How is he?” Natasha asked.

Tony was in the lab with Bruce.

“Better. But he still thinks that we can win and so far we have nothing. And Clint? Find him yet?”

She shook her head.

“Traces of him here and there. I don’t know what he’s -- I think he knows I’m looking for him. He’s avoiding me.”

It was late, but Natasha had just arrived and it wasn’t like any of them really slept. Tony and Bruce were too busy in the lab to notice the passage of time. Rhodey had gotten in from Washington just a few hours earlier.

An alarm went off.

“What is--”

Steve and Natasha ran to the lab. Tony and Bruce were already crowded around the table where the pager had been put. Rhodey showed up behind them, looking confused.

“It stopped,” Tony said. “It’s stopped completely. It’s not doing that blinking thing anymore.”

The tiny screen had gone blank and it wasn’t blinking. It was as if it had been turned off.

“And that means?” Steve asked.

Tony didn’t seem to know.

“Whatever signal it was sending...maybe it finally crapped out,” Bruce said.

But the battery couldn’t be dead. Tony and Bruce had made sure it wouldn’t just in case.

“Can we...can we reboot it?” Natasha asked.

Tony nodded at once. They still really knew nothing about it or who it was supposed to signal. They were trusting Fury on this because he had known and he had deemed it important enough to do before he was dusted.

Steve stared at the pager for a while longer. This was a piece of technology that Tony had explained to him as being ancient. Pagers pre-dated mobile phones and were used to send simple messages. But this particular pager was different because it had something else to it -- something alien and advanced. It was an entire contradiction and Steve knew that Tony was fascinated by it.

Natasha stepped back, turned and gasped. The rest of them turned just as fast.

“Where’s Fury?”

---

She was something to behold. Tony had no idea what to make of her. All he knew was that she impressed him from the moment he turned and found her standing there as if breaking through all their security measures and not being detected by any of them and then also going unnoticed by a super spy and a super soldier and Friday was easy.

It was easy to put together that she was the one that Fury had sent the message and signal to and that her arrival had shut down the pager. That still gave them no indication as to who she was.

“Who are you?” Natasha asked. “And how did you get in here?”

“Signal led in here. Now, where is Fury?”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Natasha said.

Tony stepped forward. “Fury isn’t here. I don’t know if you’re aware, but a giant purple man decimated half the population of the universe. Including your pal Nick Fury.”

She backed down a little, falling back. Still, she looked like she would be ready to go at any moment and they truly knew nothing about her or what she might be capable of.

“So,” Steve said, “you going to fill us in on who you are?”

She looked at each of them, eyes narrowing. They settled on Steve. “You -- you’re familiar. Kind of look like--”

Tony smirked. “Captain America,” he offered. “He’s the real deal. And if you know who he is, then it’s safe to say that you’ve been to Earth before.”

“You can call me Carol.”

Tony extended his hand at her. “Tony,” he said.

She hesitated before shaking his hand and pulled back quickly. “Fury is gone?”

“Yes,” Steve said.

“But before he turned to dust he sent you a message,” Natasha said. “Why you?”

Carol motioned behind them. “Because I gave him that. In case of emergencies. Don’t you suppose this qualifies.”

After days of not knowing how to proceed and back and forths on the value of going out and looking for Thanos, something was finally happening. The pager thing had been resolved and it resulted in Carol. A friend of Fury’s who was more badass than anyone that Tony thought he’d met in a long while.

“Well, this probably requires a team meeting, then,” Tony said. “We can fill in our new friend.”

Natasha seemed wary, but Tony could tell that she was impressed by the nod that she gave Carol as she walked past her likely in search of Thor, Nebula, and Rocket.

By the time that Natasha was back, Rhodey and Bruce had introduced themselves. Carol was friendly but stiff and unsure and Tony didn’t blame her for it.

“You know, I could do with some coffee about now,” Tony said. “Anything for you, Carol?”

She gave a small shake of her head.

“Anybody else?”

Thor got there a few moments later and he walked and sat down without even stopping to greet Carol and Tony saw Nebula slink in with Rocket at her side. Tony finished fixing his coffee and he walked to stand next to Steve.

“Right,” Tony said, “so, what do you know about Thanos?”

Carol quirked an eyebrow. “I know who he is. I know the kind of destruction he leaves in his wake. I know he’s behind all of this.”

“And so you know that he has the infinity stones and that he won’t be easy to defeat,” Steve said.

Carol stepped forward. “I know that he is a threat. I know that he’s the reason half the population of the universe is gone but I’m here to set things right. And I hope everyone here is too.”

Carol looked around, looking at each of them and Tony liked her even more. His eyes met Steve’s and Steve gave a short nod. So, Tony launched into explaining that they didn’t know where Thanos was. Carol didn’t seem to have any idea either, but since he wasn’t on Earth, she was all for going to look for him.

“I can do it on my own, if I have to,” she said.

That was when Tony realized that they still didn’t know a whole lot about her or how she’d gotten to Earth or into the compound. Tony didn’t distrust her -- he just had questions. That was of course the moment that for the second time, Friday let out an alert.

One of the holographic tables came to life with a planet on display. Natasha was the closest and she turned to look at the display.

“He used the stones again,” Natasha said.

Tony moved forward. Steve went with him.

“What did he do?” Tony asked.

“Terraform,” Rocket said and Tony hadn’t even noticed him move. “Is that--”

“Titan,” Nebula said. “He’s reforming his home planet.”

Tony didn’t know what to say. It shouldn’t have been too surprising, though.

“We know where he is,” Natasha said as if the rest of them hadn’t already figured that out.

“That answers what we have to do, then,” Nebula said.

It did. It meant they needed to go to him -- they needed to make all of it right. Tony looked around and his eyes landed on Rhodey who looked unsure.

“We know where he is but that doesn’t mean we’re prepared. We’d be going in short handed--” Bruce said

All of that was true and yet--

“He still has the stones,” Rhodey said.

“So, lets get him,” Carol said. “Use the stones to bring everyone back.”

She said it like it would be easy with almost a nonchalance that even Tony hadn’t expected from her. It reminded him that she actually didn’t know what Thanos was capable of -- that out of everyone in that room she had no idea what Thanos could do.

“Just like that,” Steve said.  

“We owe it to them. To everyone that isn’t in this room. To everyone that isn’t on this planet or the rest of the universe,” Natasha said. “Even if there is a small chance. We have to try.”

Tony agreed with her. He also had to keep hoping that Strange had seen this and that he knew it would come to this and that they would win. Somehow. And this was what they had been waiting for. What Tony had built a new suit for and what would hopefully lead them to actually defeating him.

“And if we do this, how do we know it will end differently than it did before,” Bruce said.

“Because before, you didn’t have me,” Carol said.

Cocky. She was so sure of herself.

“Hey, new girl, everyone in this room is about that superhero life and if you don’t mind my asking, where have you been all this time?”

Rhodey had his Colonel face on. His no nonsense face -- the kind that spoke to his training and who he was as a person and as a hero. Tony had had that face look at him before and it never felt good.

“There are a lot of planets in the Universe and unfortunately, they didn’t have you guys,” Carol said. She was so calm and collected.

Tony could tell that Rhodey was impressed. He himself was still very impressed. That was of course the moment that Thor stood up and walked towards Carol. He had said nothing to her since he’d entered the room, but he walked over seemingly with purpose. Carol didn’t seem intimidated in the least and then Thor raised his hand and Stormbringer came flying towards them, flying just over Carol’s shoulder before landing in Thor’s hand. She didn’t even flinch. Tony didn’t really understand what Thor was doing, but then he sort of smirked.

“I like this one,” Thor said.

“It’s settled, then,” Steve said.

Tony nodded. “Yeah, let’s--”

He was cut off by yet another alert because apparently all of them were going to go off on the same night. Except that this time it wasn’t something inside the compound or the lab but it seemed to be one of the side doors.

“Did you bring a friend?” Tony asked Carol.

She shook her head, frowning a little.

Friday pulled up footage. The compound had one main driveway that led directly to one side of the building, but there were other entrances. This was one of the more unused ones because it was the garage door. A van was idling in front of the closed door, but then Scott Lang appeared, just in front of the car, waving at the camera.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty Four