***

don't forget to comment, react, and vote! thank you for reading!

***

"ARE THINGS FEELING AS SOLID AS THEY'RE LOOKING?" CARRELLI ASKED, TAKING A SWIG FROM HER WATER BOTTLE.

It was the next day, or rather, night, and Joey's one-on-one training with Agent Carrelli was coming to an end for the day. They had worked on sparring for most of the session, and were just finishing out with some power strengthening, specifically in her latest teleportation asset.

"I think so," Joey replied, confident. "It's getting easier. It's sort of like... I don't really know. I can project my energy wherever I want it. Maybe tomorrow we can start testing how far I can go."

"Totally," Meg agreed. "It might come in handy when we start sending you on missions, if you can teleport to and from coordinates. Which, speaking of, I'm in tête-à-têtes with Fury. I've been reporting back to him about your progress, and so far, it looks like he's on board with getting you on a mission by Friday."

Joey's eyes widened. "Friday, like, in two days?"

"Mhm. He agrees with me that a solo mission isn't the best idea for you this soon, but there's no reason you can't go on a group or dual assignment."

"That's— wow," Joey said, smiling. "I can't believe it."

"I can," Agent Carrelli countered. "You're a talented fighter, Joey. Don't doubt it, just because you've been out of practice for a little while. This sort of thing is like riding a bike. Once you've got it, you've got it."

Joey chuckled at this, because she wasn't sure that self-defense and superpowers were like riding a bike at all.

"Thanks," she said. "For everything. Really, you have no idea how much this has helped me keep my mind off... things."

"Of course," Meg said softly, walking over to Joey. "You know I'm happy to train you, and I'm happy you enjoy being trained. But you know," she placed a hand on Joey's shoulder, "you're allowed to feel your feelings, too. Your emotions don't make you weaker. Especially not ones like these."

Joey swallowed. She imagined the words going in one ear and out the other, even though that's not what they did at all. In fact, those words stuck inside her brain and echoed off the walls of it. Instead of replying, she nodded.

Carrelli clapped Joey's shoulder with the hand that was already on it. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jo. Sleep tight."

And Joey was left there, in the middle of the little gym, her hands at her side while she swallowed again, attempting to dissipate the lump in her throat that had formed after Agent Carrelli's unintentional confrontation of Joey's coping tactic.

She slowly walked out of the gym, stumbling slightly as she crested the doorway. Her legs were shaky, and she couldn't think— she couldn't think about anything except for her mom.

She made it to the elevator in her own time, and as she went up to her room, she pulled her hair out of its braid. In her room, she changed out of her gym clothes and into looser comfy ones before leaving right away again. She had to keep moving; maybe her body racing would cancel out the way her mind was racing.

She tried to neutralize her facial expression back in the elevators, going up again. All she could think about was how badly she missed her mom, how badly she wanted her here. The very thing she'd managed to keep her mind off of for weeks now, was suddenly taking over everything.

The elevator chimed on the top floor of the building— even higher than the party deck— and when Joey stepped out, she went for one of the two doors on this level: the one that led to Tony and Pepper's suite.

She knocked a couple of times before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Inside, where her dad was moving a couple of pillows off the bed so he could pull open the blankets.

"Nice shirt, scarecrow," Tony joked, taking in Joey's gray Stark Industries shirt (three sizes too big and stolen from the man himself), and a pair of worn-out red PJ pants. Joey didn't reply, and it was then that Tony took in her face. "What's wrong?"

That was it; Joey's face crumbled, and she couldn't help it. Tears were falling.

"Oh, duckling." Tony dropped the corner of the quilt back onto the bed, before walking around and meeting his daughter halfway across the room. He wrapped his arms around her, and she instinctively wrapped hers around him.

"I miss Mom," she cried into his chest.

"I know," he said, stroking her hair with one of his hands. "I know, J."

She cried for as long as her body would let her— which was an impressive amount of time, really. She imagined that her dad was getting sick of standing in the middle of the room when he was clearly trying to get settled in for the night, but she couldn't help it. She needed him.

When she was finally stable enough, she pulled away from him. He kept one of his hands on her shoulder for a minute, and he waited for her to move before leaving the moment. When she went to take a seat at the foot of the bed, he finally opened up the covers and settled beneath them.

"I'm scared, too, J," he admitted. "We are going to find her. I promise."

Joey nodded. "I just wish this never happened."

"Me too," he sighed. Silence fell for a moment. "How's training been?"

"Good," she said. "I totally kicked Scott's ass the other day." Joey couldn't help the small, humorous smile that crept onto her face with that fact.

"I don't doubt it," Tony chuckled. A loud sound came from the TV on the wall, catching Joey's attention. She looked around the room then.

"Where's Pep?" She asked.

"I think she might be—"

Tony was cut off by the door opening behind Joey, and Pepper walking in.

"—right there," he amended, smiling at his wife.

Joey looked over her shoulder in time to see Pepper smile at Tony, before turning her attention to Joey. "Hey, J." She tried not to let her smile falter when she noticed Joey's tear-stained face. Based on the look on Tony's face, which Joey could not see at the moment, Pepper decided against asking what was wrong. "What are you doing up here?" She asked instead.

"Just hangin'," Joey replied, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Sounds good to me," Pepper told her. She turned around and headed for the dresser, which was placed just below the TV, and she dropped a stack of papers that she had walked in with on the surface. When she looked up, she immediately turned around and gave Tony a look.

"Cops, Tony? Really?"

"It's a good show!" He defended. "It's not like I'm watching the episode we're in." Joey couldn't help but side with Pepper on this one.

"It is not a good show," Joey laughed, her face matching her words more than her tone. "And the episode that you and the guys are in is painfully Tony Stark-ish."

"I don't know what that means," he feigned.

"The shawarma shot," Pepper said.

"The section with you and Fury," Joey added.

"There's a clip of you calling Loki 'Reindeer Games'," Pepper pointed out.

"Ooh, and the part where you called Clint 'Legolas'," Joey remembered.

"That doesn't sound like me," Tony said flatly, shaking his head. Pepper and Joey shared a look before rolling their eyes.

"Whatever, Iron Man," Joey told her dad, standing from where she was sitting. She walked around the bed to give her dad a kiss on the cheek. "I'll let you guys get to bed. Night, Dad."

"Night, Duckling."

She walked around to hug Pepper. "Night, Pep," she said.

"Goodnight, Joey."

"Love you guys," Joey added when she made it to the door. She didn't miss Pepper's "Love you, too, sweetheart" and Tony's "Love you tons" as she let the door fall shut.

*

It was the middle of the night, and Joey was at her favorite place: the balcony.

The door creaked open, and she didn't have to look up to know who it was, but she did anyway.

She allowed a smile when she met his eye upon his closing of the door, and in one hand, he was holding a plate.

"I brought you this," Pietro said, taking a seat next to her on the bench. "To make up for stealing some of your food the other night. Now we are even."

Joey took in the pastry before her: a lemon and poppyseed muffin from the kitchen; one of the ones that Wanda and Vision made earlier that day.

"Thanks..." Joey tried, but Pietro caught on to the distressed eyebrows contrasting her forced smile.

"Don't tell me you won't eat it because my sister made them."

Joey shot him a look— he knew that wasn't why, otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a bold statement.

"It's a very sweet gesture," Joey said, slightly schmaltzy. Pietro was the one giving her a look now. "I'm allergic to poppyseeds," she finally said.

A hint of embarrassment appeared in Pietro's demeanor, but he replied smoothly.

"Just means more for me, then."

"And that we're still not even," Joey added. She laughed before turning away from him and looking out at the view. "What did you do today?" She asked with a sigh.

"Nothing special. I watched a movie with Wanda, and Barton, and the Parkers," Pietro replied through a mouthful.

Joey hummed in approval. "What'd you watch?"

"Alice in Wonderland," he said, no mouthful this time. "How about you, Jocelyn? No, shit, what was it? Josephine!"

Joey choked. "I never should have told you!" She cried, laughing. "Do I seriously look like a Jocelyn to you?"

Pietro snickered. "I don't know. I do not know any Jocelyns." Joey took in his facial expression as he continued to laugh and eat his pastry.

"You're such an asshole. You didn't really forget it, did you?" He shook his head, still laughing. She rolled her eyes. "I supported Thor and Bucky through a video game battle," she told him, in response to the question that was overshadowed by the name antics. "And I talked to Clint's family, on the phone, with him and Nat." She left the excessive and secret training part of her day out.

Pietro's laughter had faded, and he turned toward Joey a little more. "You know Barton's family?"

"Well, mostly Lila," Joey answered, surprised at the interest in his tone. "Back when the Avengers were first forming— like, back when Loki was still..." she trailed off slightly, twirling her finger around in the air next to her head: cuckoo. "...Clint used to let me FaceTime Lila, so I would have something to do while I was here and everyone else was working. I've never met her, or Laura, or his other kids, or anything like that in person, but she was— is— a great friend to me. She's always just understood me in certain ways that no one else really has."

"You grew up here," Pietro realized after a beat. Joey looked over at him. "I cannot imagine growing up in this place."

Joey took a breath. "Places like these are all I've ever known. Even before the Avengers, before my family moved to New York, we lived in Malibu. I miss that house a lot." She shook her head. "I spent the first 10 years of my life at Malibu Point. I wish I could go back, just for a day. Imagine what it might've been like if Fury hadn't... needed my dad. If New York hadn't needed him."

Pietro hummed.

Joey glanced over, without moving her head. She blushed slightly, but she hoped it came across as a result of the cool breeze and not the realization of her oversharing.

Her mind continued to roam, as peaceful silence came over the balcony. She didn't want to break it, but she thought, based on her last few late-night exchanges with Pietro, that it would be OK.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," he told her.

"What was the worst thing that came out of the Ultron offensive?"

"I would say... the murder bot."

Joey shot him a glare. "That's not what I meant, you jerk." She rolled her eyes, but didn't hide the tiny, humorous smile that washed over her expression. "I mean, after. When it was all over, how long did it take for things to... get back to normal?"

Pietro looked at Joey in contemplation before leaning back in his seat.

"I do not think I am the one to ask. This," he gestured around him, "was never normal for me, like it is for you, or like it was for, say, Cap and Romanoff. I did not get to come here for the first time until everything was over. It was a new world to adjust to, straight out of HYDRA."

"So that was hardest?" Joey wondered. "Adjusting?"

"Eh," Pietro vocalized. "That, and the nine gunshot wounds." He laughed slightly— tightly. Joey realized he was trying to make light of a situation that was obviously sensitive, but her eyes widened.

"Nine? Holy crap, Pietro. That's— I can't believe you didn't— oh my god."

Joey's eyes left him, and they searched the ground while she processed this piece of information. With Ultron, he and Wanda were in her mother's current position, in a sense. What if they located her, and they went to save her, and she was already—

"Hey," he cut into her thoughts, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "Nothing like what happened to me is going to happen to your mom, or– or anyone. Ultron was... Ultron was another level. Unlike anything we have faced since. There is nothing— well, no, there are things to worry about. But this is not one of those things."

Joey took a breath and she swallowed. Her eyes suddenly darted to where his hand was on her shoulder, and too quickly, he dropped it. Her eyes found him, and now, he was the one with a faint blush on his face.

She looked away while her mind eased, and her shoulders relaxed. Her questions returned to a place she so often found them: that night at the party.

They sat there in a mostly comfortable silence for just a while longer. No talking, no looking at each other— just quiet company, while the chirping of crickets said enough for both of them.

Pietro eventually stood from the bench and headed for the door, but before he stepped inside, he laughed to himself.

"What?" Joey asked.

His slight grin didn't fall when he looked at her over his arm which was resting on the door frame.

"Nothing," he said, looking from her, out to the view, and then back at her. "Goodnight, Joey."

***

Joey set her computer up in her dad's lab.

He was sitting beside her, and both of them fit in the frame on the call on her screen, where Claire and her parents and one of her siblings were seated at the dining room table, a background that Joey recognized, while her other two siblings joined from separate places, likely from their respective homes.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cherry, family," Tony greeted.

Though it had been about a week since S.H.I.E.L.D. had had security placed at the homes of the Parker family, and the Cherry family, since Claire had come up for the weekend, Joey and Tony hadn't been able to find a time to have a real meeting with the Cherry family to explain everything. Given the circumstances of their finding out— everything with Heidi— it was difficult to find a time to put aside the search for Heidi and instead address the people who were still here.

"Hi, Mr. Stark," Mrs. Cherry— Jessica— replied.

"It's good to see you, Ally," Mr. Cherry— Clayton— added.

"It's good to see you," Joey told them. "I miss you guys."

"We miss you, hon," Jessica returned.

"Thank you guys for coming on here," Tony said. "My assistant asked me to speak with you guys about the extra security and everything going on, especially since before this, you weren't aware of J's connections here— except for Claire."

"I did my best to explain what I could," Claire cut in.

"I hope you guys aren't upset," Joey lamented. "I never meant for Claire to find out the way she did, and I'm sorry that this is how the rest of you are finding out, too."

"We aren't upset," Clayton reassured. "We're glad you're OK, if anything we're thankful for the extra steps your team has taken to keep our family safe, as well."

"Of course," Tony agreed. "Right now, we don't know the source of the security breach that resulted in Joey's mother, Heidi, being abducted. But, we had a feeling that they located her due to the car that had come to pick Joey up at the beginning of the summer, and had in turn come and pick up your daughter, Claire. We have had most of the security stationed at your family home, but for extra measure, we've had a few officers stationed where your eldest kids live— Madeline and Steven?"

"That's right," Madeline said, simultaneously with Steven's "Mhm."

"Right. Now, this is a big ask, and I'm sorry to have to take so many legal precautions, but unfortunately, after a breach like this, I don't have much of a choice," Tony said. "Each of you has been emailed a non-disclosure agreement in regards to Joey's public identity. We've managed to keep her identity off the record and out of the public for 20 years, and I'm hoping, despite this breach, we can keep it that way. I'm happy to talk with a lawyer if you would feel more comfortable that way."

Joey drowned out the legal things her dad was starting to talk about, and instead took in the people in front of her. Madeline and Steven seemed engaged in the conversation, and she could see the care in their eyes. They had moved out not long after Joey met the Cherry family, and so, she knew them the least. But they loved their sister, and therefore, they loved their sister's best friend.

Jessica and Clayton were nodding along to something Tony was saying, and just like their kids, they had looks of care and concern on their faces. Clayton had an arm wrapped around Claire, and Jessica was writing something down.

Claire already knew what was going on— she and Joey talked almost every day. But it was Claire's other sibling, her brother Eric, who concerned Joey. She couldn't read his expression, and he wasn't saying anything. He hadn't said anything the whole time.

"Of course," Jessica said as Joey tuned back in. "Anything you guys need."

Tony smiled and nodded. "That covers everything, at least basically. I'm happy to answer any questions; you can always ask Joey, or you can email me or my assistant or my wife, and any of us are happy to get back to you guys. Joey had told me how understanding you all have been, and she wasn't kidding, so, thank you for handling this so graciously."

"Of course," Clayton said. "We can't imagine how things have been, searching for Joey's mom. We're happy to make things easier."

"Thank you," Joey said, choking up.

"Of course, sweetheart," Clayton said. "We love you. You know you're part of the family. We're here for you, whatever you need."

Joey nodded, and relief flooded her system at the family's reception of the news and the security, and, well, everything. It seemed that the more people she told about her truth, the more her fears regarding it dissolved. Her mom was right; she always was.

"I'll stay and talk to you both for a little while longer about detail things," Tony said to Claire's parents. Then, to Joey, "Love you, duckling. I'll bring this back to you in a while," he said, tapping her laptop.

"'Kaykay," Joey allowed, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Love you."

She left the laboratory, and headed for the elevators, heading back upstairs. She FaceTimed Claire as soon as she could unlock her phone and open the app.

"Hey," Joey said. "That seemed to go well."

"I told you it would," Claire said easily, though it wasn't snarky, or I told you so-y. "They love you, Jo. They just want you to be safe."

Joey nodded. "Mada and Steve seemed to take it well, too," she added. "Even though they shouldn't even have to be involved. They don't even live at home anymore."

"It's OK, Joey, really," Claire reassured. "This isn't your fault."

Isn't it though? She couldn't help but think. Heidi was kidnapped because Joey was tracked to the Avengers. The Parker and Cherry families were under extra security because Heidi was kidnapped. How could she not feel that it was her fault?

A beat passed. "Eric didn't say anything," Joey noticed.

Claire blanched. "Eric is right behind me."

Joey blushed— whoops. He came into the frame behind Claire, and he took the phone from his sister and stepped away as Joey asked him, "Are you OK?"

He had a disheartened expression on his face. "The timing of this is really interesting to me, Joey," he said.

Confused, Joey's brows came together as she stepped into the hallway outside the elevator. "The timing? Of my mom getting kidnapped?"

"No!" Eric corrected. "No. I'm really sorry about your mom. I seriously... I mean, I know how close you are. She doesn't deserve this. You don't deserve this. It's horrible, Jo. I can only imagine how you're doing." His face turned to a look of earnest apology. He was sorry that this was happening, even though he couldn't have done anything to change or prevent it.

"Thanks," Joey said, lamely. She didn't know what else she could say.

He looked over, presumably at Claire, and then stepped even further away. "Is this why you broke up with me?"

Joey's brain was short-circuiting. What?! "What?!"

"You have... powers. And you got them when you were 16, and you broke up with me right before your birthday, right when things started to get... serious, with us. You told me then that we were breaking up because there were family issues you had to focus on. And now, knowing that that was when the accident happened, and you stopped seeing your dad..." He gestured with a hand and shook his head. "Is that why?"

Joey didn't answer.

"I knew it," Eric said, dejected.

"Eric—"

"It's fine, Joey," he said, sighing. "I just... once Claire found out, why didn't you... we could've... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't," Joey admitted. "Claire was never supposed to know, at least not that soon. I didn't want to complicate things." A beat of silence passed. "I was scared. I didn't want you to look at me differently."

"OK," he finally said.

"I'm sorry," Joey told him. "But I am glad you and the rest of your family know now."

He nodded quietly and gave his phone back to Claire. Claire started up the stairs toward her bedroom, and Joey finally walked down the hall after having paused in the middle of her conversation with Eric.

"How awkward," Claire noted when she finally made it into her room.

"Ugh!" Joey groaned. "I feel terrible. He's right. The whole reason I broke up with him was because of the accident!"

"Whatever," Claire dismissed. "That was almost three years ago. It's not like you could actually get back together, anyway."

"Why do you say that?" Joey asked. Not offended, just curious.

"No reason," Claire quipped. Joey didn't know what she was getting at, but she knew that tone anywhere.

"Claire Harper."

Claire shrugged dramatically. "I just know that you live in a complex with a certain Avenger who led you on at the party we were at, and I have comprehension skills and context clues! It isn't like I haven't talked to you, or Eris, since then." Claire lay on her bed, propping her phone up to talk. "You like him, don't you?"

"What?!" Joey scoffed. "I don't know him! You said it yourself, he led me on! He's an asshole."

"Well, you think he's hot," Claire observed.

"Of course I do," Joey said softly, looking around. "I wouldn't have gotten led on if I didn't."

"You also wouldn't have gotten led on if he didn't think you were eye candy, too," Claire added. "Sooo..."

"Whatever." Joey rolled her eyes. "There's nothing there. He still hasn't tried to talk to me about what happened that night, anyway."

"Has he tried to talk to you about anything else?" Claire asked slyly.

A burble of laughter in the den sounded as Joey walked in.

"Speak of the devils. Here they are," Joey said, turning to show Eris and Pietro on the front camera, so they could also see Claire. The two of them were sitting on the couch laughing about something, but they looked up.

"Hey, Claire Cherry," Eris greeted, smiling. Pietro waved at the camera. Joey wasn't sure if Claire and Pietro had met at all when she was here, but it seemed as though Pietro knew who she was, at least in some capacity.

"Oh, you were talking about me?" Pietro teased, leaning back. "I would love to hear this."

Joey frowned. "Don't flatter yourself," she bit, rolling her eyes. She pulled the phone down when she saw Claire's face. "OK, Cherry," she said. "I'm hanging up now. Tell Eric I'm sorry, please."

"Will do. Love you, Ally. Bye."

"Bye."

She clicked off her phone, and sank onto the couch to the right of the one that Eris and Pietro were sitting on. She ran a hand down her face.

"Who's Eric?" Pietro asked. Joey looked over. Great.

"Joey's ex," Eris said, answering for her. "Claire's brother." Then, to Joey, "What happened? What are you sorry for?"

Joey looked at Pietro, whose face was unreadable, and then to Eris. She had no reason not to talk about this with either of them.

"The rest of Claire's family knows everything now. I didn't really have a choice, after Claire was here, and then my mom got taken. They had to send security to be with their family, so there had to be an explanation. So they found out about the accident, and the timing of it, and... Eric just basically realized that I broke up with him back then because I got my powers. I told him it was because of family reasons, which wasn't totally untrue, but. Yeah."

"Damn," Eris said. "How did the rest of her family take it?"

"Well," Joey said, lighter. "Her older siblings don't live at home, so they have less security on them, but they seemed to take it OK. Her parents were super supportive, too. But Eric didn't say anything until after the meeting was over, with their whole family and me and my dad, and he was just... I guess he felt misled, or something. I don't blame him. But, it is what it is."

Eris glanced at Pietro, and then back at Joey. "Are you OK?" Eris asked.

Joey nodded. "Yeah. Anxious, still. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of them, just because they know me. And now that they found out because of official shit, my dad's making them sign a bunch of NDAs— it's so weird." She sighed. "And not that I wanted to tell Nora or Emmett, at least any time soon, but now, that's completely out of the picture."

"That sucks, Jo, I'm sorry."

"Like I said," Joey shrugged, picking her feet off the floor and sitting criss-cross on the couch, "it is what it is."

"Is there any news on your mom?"

Joey shook her head. "No. They said they think they'll find her within the month, but I don't know how promising that is, now. There haven't been any new developments in days."

Joey brought her thumb to her mouth and bit the skin around it— she had been so anxious lately that her cuticles were beginning to hurt, bitten nearly raw. It was a horrible habit, but she couldn't help it.

"They will find her," Eris promised.

Joey didn't reply. It seemed that everyone knew that they would find her, and bring her home, but Joey couldn't figure out what made them all so confident. It had been eleven days without Heidi now.

"Yeah," Joey said, though she didn't know how much she really agreed with or believed Eris' words anymore. She stood up then. "I'll see you guys later, OK?"

She left the den and headed down the hall for her room. She wasn't sure if she needed to take a nap, or if she needed to cry, or if she needed a drink, or what the hell it was she needed. What she realized, when she made it to her room, was that what she needed was her mom.

She missed her mom, she felt like she messed things up with and for the Cherry family, no matter how they reassured her that they were OK and that they understood, she felt hopeless over what to do about any of it. 

***

don't forget to comment, react, and vote! thank you for reading!

***