Hi guys I hope you haven't been too impatient for this chapter, just get ready and hold onto your feels.

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Kennedy's POV

I flip cards as fast as I can trying to process all the numbers and snatch up the ones I need before Peter. I snatch up the last king and place it in my hand, but alas Peter shouts,

"DONE!" Just a half second before I do.

"Awe, that was so close! Come on, rematch." I start collecting up all the card to shuffle them, this in one of few games that Peter can beat me at, so he insists on playing it at every opportunity. I start to lay the cards again and just as we are about to start, there's a knock at the door.

"Come in." I say, looking up to see who it is, Pepper and Tony come through the door and look down at the two of us playing cards on the floor, there is something in their eyes that makes me feel like something bad is coming. Tony scratches his ear and says,

"Can we have the room Pete?" Yup definitely something bad, Peter seems to sense it too, and shoots me a worried glance before retreating out of the room. I try to stay peppy in the face of certain bad news as I pick up the cards from the floor then take a seat on my bed.

"What's up guys?" The two of them sit down on either side of me, obviously neither of them want to start this conversation.

"So, Firecracker, so you remember earlier when we we're talking about how long it takes Fury to make decisions?"

"Yeaaaaah." I draw out the word uncertain of where this is going, and I start absently chewing on the inside of my lip.

"Well as it turns out, it only takes him about three months." My heart sinks.

"You mean I only get to stay here for three more months?" Tony seems reluctant to continue, but I can tell there's more coming. After a moment of silence Pepper picks up where he left off,

"Actually Kennedy, it means three months is already up." My already sinken heart crashes through the floor when her meaning sinks in.

"What?" I ask in despair, but I already know perfectly well.

"Coulson will be here soon to pick you up." Tony finishes, and places a hand on my knee. My eyes feel like they're on fire as I try to blink back the tears threatening to spill, I can't believe I'm crying, I've known all along that I would have to leave. Pepper wraps an arm around me, trying to comfort me.

"We tried to convince Fury to give you at least a few more days, but he says he can't" I nod my head and look up at Tony.

"So much for the best day of my life," I try to Joke without letting my voice crack, "Where is he sending me?"

"Back to the same orphanage you ran away from." He reluctantly answers, and if it's even possible, my heart even farther into the abyss.

"Just kick a girl while she's down why don't you." My voice fades to a whisper with suppressed emotion.

"Hey, you asked. What's so bad about that place anyway?" Tony asks gently. I sniff and take a second to regain control over my voice.

"It's not so much that the people are bad, but I think they were just severely under funded, they couldn't afford to hire enough staff, so most of the time we were just left to ourselves, the only thing they could afford to feed so many kids was rice and beans mostly, and worst of all there wasn't enough room for all the kids, the building needed an expansion but couldn't get one, so most of the time there were at least two kids to a bed, and if you weren't fast enough you would have to sleep on the floor." I explain in a whisper.

"Well maybe it's gotten better in the last five years." Pepper tries to reassure me.

"Here's hoping." I sigh, wiping away the tears forming in the corners of my eyes, and standing up off the bed, "I guess I'd better pack up." Without another word I go to my closet, looking for my backpack, I can feel their sympathetic eyes still on me, but after a moment I hear the door click quietly shut. With my backpack in hand I turn back to the bed, picking up my laptop and the pack of cards that Peter gave me, Then opening the nightstand drawer and pull out a few other knick-knacks I have collected. I put everything in my backpack then make my way to the bathroom to grab the toothbrush and toothpaste that Pepper gave me. While I'm in the bathroom I decide to take one last hot shower before I leave, back to the world of cold group showers. I relish the feeling of hot water streaming over my face, and the fresh smell of peppermint shampoo. When I finish showering I change into the clothes I was wearing the day this whole adventure started. I neatly fold the extra pair of clothes and place them on the bed. With a sigh I look around the room that had been mine for three months, I don't want to go back to crowded rooms and scratchy sheets, even the grass in central park is better than that. But I guess this is what I get for thinking I could get away with that hack, and to think, I thought my life was changing for the better. Last of all I grab my hat, faded and worn from years of almost non stop, and my journal, still lying open on my bed. With my hat now snugly on my head, I shoulder my backpack and exit the room for the last time. I head straight across the hall and knock on Peter's door. He opens it within seconds and lets me in. I know he can tell that there's something wrong, so I cut to the chase and tell him,

"My luck is expired, Fury's sending me away." His face goes through a wave, from shock, to sympathy, to sadness.

"What? We'll still see each other won't we?" I sit down on Peter's couch and lean my head back, every moment just making me more gloomy.

"I doubt it, unless the rules have changed nobody is allowed to leave the premises by ourselves, and visitors usually aren't allowed."

"Well then, we can still call each other?" He sits down next ti me, distress being the number one feature in his voice. I smile gratefully at him.

"I'd like that, though I don't know how often I'll be allowed to use the phone."

"One way or another we'll keep in touch." He pulls me into a tight hug, which I heartily accept.

"Peter, have I ever told you that you're the best friend I've ever had?" I ask, letting go of him. He smiles at me.

"What a coincidence, I was about to say the same thing about you." I stay in Peter's room, wanting to spend as much time with him as possible. We talk and laugh, remembering all the fun we've had together. The hours go by way too fast, and long before I am ready, F.R.I.D.A.Y. informs me that Coulson is waiting in the lobby. I stand up slowly, slinging my backpack onto my shoulder again and taking a shaky breath. My feet feel like they're made of led, I can't seem to convince them to move forward. Peter stands with me and gives me another comforting hug. I can feel tears threatening once more.

"Goodbye Peter." I whisper into his shoulder.

"Yeah," He clears his throat, "See you Ken." I let go of him and turn around walking away from the only best friend I've ever had. The ride down to the lobby seems like the longest elevator ride of my life, at the bottom Tony and Pepper are standing by the door waiting for me, with Coulson nearby. Tony and Pepper are standing by the door waiting for me, with Coulson nearby. When I am standing in front of Pepper she holds out a picture frame, upside down to hide the picture.

"A little parting gift." She says as I take the frame and turn it over, the picture is a selfie of the three of us, taken a few weeks ago when Tony had shown us his new holographic phone. The tears I had been suppressing on the way down now flow freely, I hug Pepper, silently thanking her for the gift, "We'll miss you." She whispers before letting go. Next I turn to tony and hug him for the second and last time.

"Promise me you won't run away again Firecracker. Because if you disappear I won't know where to find you." I nod, unable to say anything. Then I turn away from them, my vision clouded with tears as I follow Coulson out of the tower.

I sit silently in the passenger seat for the whole ride across the city, Coulson tries to talk to me but I can't bring myself to respond. The view of the city, which on a normal day I would have been admiring wholeheartedly, now goes by in a blur. We land at the front gate of the orphanage and I look up in disgust at my new home. I dismally follow Coulson into the colorless building and stand quietly as he talks to the receptionist. I notice a line of about fifteen girls, some no older than three, walking single file, quiet as mice, through the room led by a nanny. I let out a sigh at the thought that I will soon be joining them. Coulson takes a seat on a small wooden bench, waiting for someone to come get me, I take a seat next to him.

"Are you okay?" He looks over at me with angry eyes. I just shrug, my tears had long since subsided, leaving their place a feeling of dejected resignation. The minutes pass by silently, I try to pass the time by looking at something interesting, but the grey walls of the establishment are just as dismal as my mood. My eyes are drawn away from the dull walls by a movement to my left, the movement turns out to be a woman, probably in her fifties and dressed in black, walking toward us. Coulson notices her too and stands to meet her, I stay seated as they briefly talk about the situation, then the woman beckons for me to follow her, I comply but glance back as we walk. Coulson watches me until he disappears as a door closes behind me. Now I find myself in a room that I know all too well, it is long and dimly lit with rows of cots on either side of the center walkway. The room is currently empty, I assume that's because everyone is off eating dinner, but I know the room is usually crowded full of girls.

"THis is the room you will be staying in, we don't quite have enough beds, so you might have to share." The woman explains in a kind voice, then leads me to a small door at the back of the room, through the door is a small bathroom fit with a sink and toilet. She continues to tell me about the room and how the schedule works, and finally, after what feels like forever, she takes me to the mess hall and leaves me to ead dinner with the other girls. I take my bowl and find a seat at the back of the room near some of the older girls. I stare blankly at the bland food as my stomach churns sickeningly, and as I place a bite of the tastless food in my mouth, I can't help but remember Vision's monday omelets. When dinner is over, and teeth have been brushed, girls clamor into bed. I grab a blanket off the pile and sit down on the bed closest to me, but a short blond girl comes over to me and says.

"Are you new?"

"Yeah, kinda." I respond, unfolding my blanket.

"Well we kinda have a system of who gets to sleep where, we rotate so it's fare. You have to sleep on the floor tonight and we'll work you into the rotation."

"Uh, I guess that makes sense." I don't have the energy to argue over use of the bed, so I move and find a space on the floor between two small girls. I lay down and close my eyes, all I want to do is forget that i'm there, if I close my eyes maybe I can pretend I'm still at the tower, in a comfortable bed, surrounded by people who care about me.

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It's not that long, sorry,  but leave a comment and tell me what you think, on a scale of 1 to 10, how sad did I make you? Don't forget to go over to 'This is My Life' and vote on the name of my YouTube channel!