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2010

If there was one word that would describe Aurora Stark, it would be: sunshine.

She was often seen as the epitome of grace and joy, a contrast to her brother Tony Stark's bold and brash persona. With her soft demeanour and kind eyes, she radiated an almost ethereal presence that made people compare her to an angel. Her voice was calm and soothing, always carrying a note of compassion that put everyone at ease. Unlike Tony, who thrived in the spotlight with his quick wit and sharp tongue, Aurora radiated openness and kindness, always ready to lend a helping hand or share a comforting word. To everyone around her, she was the gentle light that once balanced the Stark family.

Though she carried herself with a sunny persona and a kind heart, there was no denying for her fondness for the glamorous and extravagant life she lead. Aurora embraced the spoiling with an almost playful delight, effortlessly blending her bubbly charm with a liking for the luxurious lifestyle that came with being a Stark. Thanks to undeniably being spoiled by her brother, Tony, he would indulge her every wish, showering her with lavish gifts that matched her taste for the finer things in life. She loved the glimmer of expensive jewellery, the feel of designer clothes, and the thrill of luxury cars.

Stepping out of her sleek, black Mercedes S Class, the soft click of her Louboutins echoing against the ground floor of the Stark's Malibu mansion. Her long, chestnut brown hair cascaded in gentle waves down her back, catching the light and framing her delicate features. Dressed in a chic, tailored custom dress that accentuated her slender figure, she slowly removed her heels from her feet and carefully tiptoed from the garage and into the foyer.

She almost shrieked when Tony's hydraulic arm robot, Dum E, nipped at her hair when she walked past the technology, almost clumsily falling to the floor. "Bad, Dum E," she whispered, pointing to the robot, who had once again started nipping at her hair. "Stop it!"

"Miss Rory has arrived home at 1:04am, Mr Stark," the AI, JARVIS' voice echoed from every corner of the walls in their home.

Aurora winced. "Didn't think you'd be a snitch, JARVIS," she murmured with an eye roll.

"I'm an AI to be correct, Miss Rory," JARVIS replied, confusion in his tone.

She quickly quickened her steps, running towards the stairs when the voice of her brother made her stop. "Stop right there, young lady."

Aurora turned, feigning an innocent smile, "Hey, Big T."

Tony scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You sneaked out behind my back," he pointed a finger at her. "Without the bodyguards and you've been ignoring my calls."

"Urgh- I don't need babysitters," she sassed with an eye roll. "And I technically walked past you, but you were too busy flirting with that Barbie wannabe," she shrugged.

"Did you roll your eyes at me?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, dramatically placing a hand on his chest. "Happy, did you see that?"

Happy nodded. "She did, sir."

Aurora raised a brow at Happy, before turning to Tony. "Happy was the one to have the last red, white and blue sprinkles donut."

Happy's face faltered, scratching the back of his neck nervously as Tony turned with a raised brow. "I just remembered I had an errand to do," he ran away.

"I'll deal with you later!" Tony pointed a finger at him.

Aurora let out a laugh, turning to walk away. "I'm not finished here," he spoke up. "Where were you?"

"Somewhere," she cheekily replied.

"Are you drunk?"

"No," she scoffed. Tony just narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe."

"Did you drive by yourself in this state?!" He exclaimed, resting his hands on his hip. "You should've called me to pick you up."

Aurora giggled at the sight in front of her. He was like a father, scolding his child.

"Hey! You've done worse," she exasperated. "Besides it was just one drink. I'm still here, aren't I?" She waved it off.

"So, where did you go?"

"Uh-" She pulled her most innocent doe eyes, making up an excuse. "I- I went to get you a cheeseburger!"

"Really?" His face lit up.

She didn't. She actually ate half of it.

"Mhm," Aurora gave him the brown paper bag.

Tony happily took it, opening the bag and taking the cheeseburger out, only to give her a glare. "This is half eaten."

She shrugged, her grin only growing wider. "Yeah, I got hungry on the way."

"I was just going to say how you're my favourite sister ever," Tony still ate burger as he spoke.

She laughed, running over to him and tried to snatch the burger off him. "I'm your only sister, unless there's secret siblings out there that Dad fathered."

"Let's hope not." Tony smacked her hand away, shoving the rest of the burger in his mouth. "You do realise that now you're going to have to get me another one, right? A whole one this time."

"Or, you could just be grateful for what you get and eat it. I hear half eaten food has half the calories," she sassed.

He narrowed his eyes at her quick remark. "Just remember, payback's a Stark family specialty."

Aurora giggled, wrapping an around his waist and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. "Bring it on."

Despite trying to hold in his glare, he couldn't help but smile widely, ruffling her hair and pressing his lips against her forehead. "Go to sleep, and make sure to take your medication."

"Will do, Father Anthony!" She called out, as she walked up the stairs.

"And take a shower, you stink!"

Aurora gave him the middle finger, in return he gave two back, laughing at her.

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The morning sun streamed into the room as Pepper Potts quietly entered Aurora's bedroom. The air was still, filled with the soft hum of the city beyond the towering windows. Aurora lay sprawled across her bed, tangled in a mess of blankets, her dark hair fanned out like a halo against the silk white pillows.

Pepper moved with light footsteps as she reached for the curtains. With a swift pull, the heavy drapes parted, flooding the room with a warm, golden light that danced across the walls. She turned, her eyes softening at the sight of Aurora still deep in slumber, a faint, peaceful smile curving her lips. She sat gently on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping figure too suddenly.

With a gentle touch, she brushed a stray lock of hair from Aurora's face, her voice warm and affectionate as she leaned in close. "Rory, darling, it's time to wake up," she said softly.

Aurora stirred, her eyelids fluttering as she was pulled from her dreams by the familiar, comforting voice. She blinked up at Pepper, still half asleep, but a smile tugged at her lips. "So, has last night's headline made her exit yet, or is she still gathering material for her Pulitzer?"

Pepper chuckled softly, a knowing look in her eyes. "Not yet, but I was just about to escort her out."

Aurora's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint, and she immediately tossed off the covers, springing to her feet with a burst of energy. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Nothing like a front row seat to the morning after walk of shame."

Pepper laughed, shaking her head at the younger Stark as she left Aurora to get ready for the day. An hour later, Aurora made her way down the stairs when she heard the voice, Christine Everhart.

"You must be the famous Pepper Potts," Christine pointed and walked over towards Pepper.

"Indeed I am," Pepper nodded, handing the reporter her clothes.

"After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry cleaning," Christine remarked arrogantly.

Pepper forced a fake smile, "I do anything and everything, Mr Stark requires, including occasionally taking the trash out, will that be all?"

Aurora finally made her way to Pepper's side, fighting back the grin threatening to spread across her face. She could feel Christine's eyes on her, practically boring holes into her as the reporter's expression shifted from surprise to an interest.

"Aurora Stark- I'd love to get an interview with you for our fashion column," Christine said, her tone suddenly dripping with charm as she tried to turn the situation in her favour.

Aurora tilted her head slightly, giving Christine a sweet but utterly insincere smile. "Oh, that's so flattering," she began. "But I'm afraid I'm already booked solid- keeping Tony in line, you know, the usual Stark family routine."

She paused, letting her smile turn just a touch more condescending. "But tell you what, why don't you give me a call when you're writing a piece on something other than how to undermine other's professions? Maybe we can pencil something in."

Christine's smile faltered, and Aurora gave her a cheerful little wave, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Pepper and I have some actual important things to do. But good luck with that story!"

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Tony was deeply engrossed in his workshop, surrounded by the hum of machinery and scattered blueprints, as Aurora quietly entered the room. Her footsteps were soft, but Tony's keen senses picked up on her presence immediately. He barely glanced up from the piece of technology he was working on. "Hey, princess."

Aurora rolled her eyes at the nickname- she had questioned him why he would call her that from the moment she returned back home to him. Tony told her that he and their father, Howard Stark would call her that when she was a child. Her childhood was filled with luxury, privilege, and the occasional indulgence, earning her the label of the "spoiled child" in the Stark household.

But from the moment Aurora came into the world, she was the apple of her parents' eyes, particularly her mother's, who had insisted on naming her Aurora, for two reasons;

1. She wanted both her children to have the same letter name.

2. Sleeping Beauty was Maria's favourite Disney Princess.

"Did you sleep well?" Tony asked, his tone warm but laced with genuine concern.

Aurora hesitated, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her sleeve. She was tired, the kind of exhaustion that sleep couldn't mend, but she managed to muster a smile. "Yeah. I slept fine."

Tony didn't seem entirely convinced, but he didn't press the issue. He was well aware of her struggles, especially with his impending trip to Afghanistan hanging over their heads. It was supposed to be a routine business trip, another one of those high profile weapons demonstrations that Stark Industries was known for. But for Aurora, it was anything but routine. It was the first time in ten years since the moment she was back home that Tony was leaving across the world without her, and the unease settled in her chest like a heavy weight she couldn't shake off.

For Tony, Aurora's return was nothing short of a miracle, one he wasn't willing to let slip through his fingers. They would spend long nights talking, catching up on lost time, or simply sitting in silence, finding comfort in each other's presence. Tony's protectiveness bordered on overbearing, but Aurora never complained. She knew that every step he took closer, every glance he cast over his shoulder to ensure she was still there, was just his fear of not losing his sister again.

Aurora mirrored this protectiveness. She had watched Tony's every move, and threw herself into supporting his work, his projects, even tagging along to meetings and events where her presence wasn't strictly necessary. It was as though they had formed an unspoken pact: never again would they let the other face the world alone.

Aurora lingered near the doorway, her eyes darting around the workshop before settling back on Tony. She hesitated, then took a deep breath and asked, "Do you really have to go?"

Tony's shoulders tensed slightly at her question. He sighed, setting down his tools and walking over to her. His face softened as he reached her, and he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know I have to, you'll have Pepper and Happy. The bodyguards are here too, so you don't need to worry about anything. You'll be safe."

"I'm worried about you," Aurora emphasised her main concern.

"I promise, I'll be careful."

"Careful is not in your dictionary," she scoffed.

He smiled, pinching her cheek. "You know me so well."

Her smile then faltered as she anxiously played with her fingers. "It just doesn't feel right for you to go," she whispered.

Tony wrapped his arms around her, doing his best to comfort as much as he could. "I'll be fine."

"I know," she mumbled against his chest.

"How about this? I'll be back tomorrow night," he suggested. "We can do a marathon of Friends, and have as many cheeseburgers as we want. Not half eaten."

Aurora laughed, nuzzling her face more into his chest. "That's a reasonable deal."

"It is."

"I want you back in one piece. That means all organs intact."

"Roger that."

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Aurora lay curled up on the couch, the dim light from the workshop casting long shadows across the room. She couldn't sleep last night and she had tried to stay awake for another night, waiting for Tony's return, but exhaustion eventually took over. And soon she was drifted into a dream- or a nightmare.

The room was a hazy blur of dark colours and distorted shapes. She saw a man lying on a cold, metallic table, his chest stained with blood. The scene was chaotic, the sounds muffled and echoing as if underwater. Another figure, in the shadow, was working frantically over the injured man, his hands steady as he inserted a piece of metal into the man's chest. The metal lit up under the harsh lights, and Aurora could see the distress in the man's face, even as it seemed to blend with the darkness surrounding them.

She tried to move, to scream, but her voice was swallowed by the silence. Her heart pounded, her breathing shallow as she struggled to wake up.

With a jolt, she shot upright on the couch, gasping for air. The room was quiet and still, the nightmare fading away but leaving her with a lingering sense of dread. She rubbed her eyes and glanced toward the workshop, the fear in her heart mingling with the hope that Tony would return safely and soon.

Her heart leaped when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. "Yay, you're back!"

But instead of seeing Tony, she saw Pepper, Happy along with, James Rhodes. "Rhodey!" Aurora beamed, excitedly running to hug the man. "I've missed you. You barely visit anymore, i'm all by myself picking on Tony. I need my partner in crime back!"

"Missed you too, kiddo," Rhodes chuckled, but Aurora had sensed the tension in the room when the looks on their faces were serious, their expressions heavy with concern.

Aurora's joy faltered, replaced by a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Where's Tony?"

Rhodey, noticing her distress, took a step forward and spoke softly. "We need to talk, Rory."

"No. He promised." Aurora's world began to spin as Rhodey's words faded into the background, their voices becoming muffled and distant.

Aurora's sense of reality continued to slip away, and the workshop around her seemed to close in. The walls felt as though they were pressing in, and the room itself began to sway, making her feel as if she were on the verge of losing her balance. The faded faces of the three in front of her seemed like they were falling with her too.

And they literally did. Only she was the one standing alone. She became the cause of it.

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author's note:

- first chapters are always nerve racking and boring, but i'm excited to reveal so much more in this story.

- don't expect to know Rory's story straight away and what happened to her when she went missing. it will slowly be revealed throughout the story, the story will mirror how her memory is lost so in a way you'll be experiencing things with her too!

- Rory is also a little sheltered, her world is small so please don't hate on her! she's just a girl who's very anxious and has a lot of trauma. she will have character development.