‹ Prequel: Can't Handle This
Sequel: Can't Keep Suffering ›
Status: This installment is finished. Stay tuned for the next part!
Can't See the Truth
Chapter 18
Toni sat down in the lab, coffee cup in hand as the engagement ring tapped impatiently on the ceramic.
It was two in the morning when she had stumbled down to the workshop. Now, two hours later, she was still trying to figure out when she could do to occupy her time.
Tap, Tap, Tap
Toni didn’t want to go back to bed, even though she was just starting to feel exhausted.
Tap, Tap, Tap
It had been because of sleeping that she was down there in the first place, feeling exhausted.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She had been back in the forest with Bradstone, watching him die over and over again, pulling the knife out and suffering before his body would finally fail.
Tap,Tap, Tap
But it ended differently than before. The sky didn’t fall. The forest didn’t die. Instead, she was by herself for what felt like ages until the sound of branches breaking and crunching leaves alerted her.
Tap, Tap, Tap
There was Bradstone, holding his midsection with a bloody arm wrapped around his frail frame.
Tap, Tap, Tap
“Bradstone?” she had asked him as he tried to stumble through the trees.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She rushed forward to help him, suddenly knowing what she had to do to save him.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She worked quickly, stitching him up and cleaning out the wound. As he dozed off peacefully, Toni knew he would be okay.
Tap...
“I’m sorry,” he had said quietly to her.
Tap...
“Why? I don’t understand?”
Tap...
“I’m sorry your lover left you. You didn’t deserve that.”
Tap...
That was when the cracks appeared. Pieces started to dislodge and threatened to impale them both.
Tap...
He pulled her close, sensing the danger, hoping to shield her from whatever he could.
Crash!
The coffee cup slipped out of her hands, throwing shards of baby blue ceramic and hot coffee all over the floor and on some of the walls. The feeling of glass piercing her skin was what made her wake up from her nightmare. Now here she was sobbing to herself in the dimly-light lab by herself while she had a mini panic attack.
****
Nothing was making sense anymore. Brooke and Schaefer, who were completely ready to get married, were calling off the wedding. Patty seemed a lot more on edge. Roman was almost done with CHERI, but was trying so hard that Hetalia begged him to go see a doctor. Steve and Tony were on the brink of fighting again, but nobody really understood why. They were both incredibly short and to the point with each other. Bruce was hardly ever home anymore. The scientist spent most of his time in the SHIELD labs. Thor had been going to visit Jane more and more often, most of the time he’d leave without even letting anyone know. Pamplemousse was having nightmares, but was too afraid to tell anyone besides her daddy about what they were. And Toni? Toni felt very similarly to everyone. She didn’t know exactly what was happening to her, but she knew it couldn’t have been good.
“So wait,” Patty said to Brooke one morning over a steaming cup of coffee. “Why did you and Schaefer call off the wedding again?”
Brooke sighed. “He wants to go back home for a while and doesn’t think I’d be able to go with him.”
“When does he plan on leaving?”
“I haven’t a clue,” she responded dully. “He’s got a lot of shit to go through with SHIELD before he can even consider going over there.”
“Is he leaving forever?!” Pamplemousse asked from the other side of the kitchen.
Brooke shrugged. “I don’t know. I certainly hope not.”
“But I thought he loved you?” she replied sadly.
Brooke shrugged again. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know anymore.”
Later that night, Clint and Thor were both woken up by Pamplemousse’s soft sobs at 1:30 in the morning. The two of them walked into the ten-year-old’s room and both sat on the edge of the bed, one on either side of her, and started to comfort her.
“What’s wrong, young one?” Thor asked and he ran his fingers through her long, brown hair.
“Did you have another nightmare?” Clint asked.
Pamplemousse nodded, sniffling quietly. “It was really scary.”
“Honey, please tell me what happened. Maybe I can help,” Clint said.
“In my bad dream, CJ was there. She...she did mean things to me.”
Clint paused and shared a quick, worried look with Thor. The memory of a disheveled Schaefer running into the waiting room when Natasha was injured came crashing back into their minds. “What did she do, honey?”
Pamplemousse sniffled and leaned up again Thor. “I was tied to a chair and there was a lady tied up in front of me. I think...I think she was my mommy. She told me she loved me and that I shouldn’t be afraid. Then CJ came and cut her throat with a knife.”
The ten-year-old broke down crying. As if summoned by the young girl’s sobs, Francis waddled over to Clint and growled softly and pulled at his pant leg until the archer pulled him up on the bed. He sat down right in front of her and cocked his head to the left before licking her hand.
“I’m sure it was just a dream, young grapefruit,” Thor said quietly. “I don’t believe she would do such a thing to you.”
Pamplemousse sniffled again and wiped her eyes. “You’re probably right, Uncle Thor.”
It was two in the morning when she had stumbled down to the workshop. Now, two hours later, she was still trying to figure out when she could do to occupy her time.
Tap, Tap, Tap
Toni didn’t want to go back to bed, even though she was just starting to feel exhausted.
Tap, Tap, Tap
It had been because of sleeping that she was down there in the first place, feeling exhausted.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She had been back in the forest with Bradstone, watching him die over and over again, pulling the knife out and suffering before his body would finally fail.
Tap,Tap, Tap
But it ended differently than before. The sky didn’t fall. The forest didn’t die. Instead, she was by herself for what felt like ages until the sound of branches breaking and crunching leaves alerted her.
Tap, Tap, Tap
There was Bradstone, holding his midsection with a bloody arm wrapped around his frail frame.
Tap, Tap, Tap
“Bradstone?” she had asked him as he tried to stumble through the trees.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She rushed forward to help him, suddenly knowing what she had to do to save him.
Tap, Tap, Tap
She worked quickly, stitching him up and cleaning out the wound. As he dozed off peacefully, Toni knew he would be okay.
Tap...
“I’m sorry,” he had said quietly to her.
Tap...
“Why? I don’t understand?”
Tap...
“I’m sorry your lover left you. You didn’t deserve that.”
Tap...
That was when the cracks appeared. Pieces started to dislodge and threatened to impale them both.
Tap...
He pulled her close, sensing the danger, hoping to shield her from whatever he could.
Crash!
The coffee cup slipped out of her hands, throwing shards of baby blue ceramic and hot coffee all over the floor and on some of the walls. The feeling of glass piercing her skin was what made her wake up from her nightmare. Now here she was sobbing to herself in the dimly-light lab by herself while she had a mini panic attack.
****
Nothing was making sense anymore. Brooke and Schaefer, who were completely ready to get married, were calling off the wedding. Patty seemed a lot more on edge. Roman was almost done with CHERI, but was trying so hard that Hetalia begged him to go see a doctor. Steve and Tony were on the brink of fighting again, but nobody really understood why. They were both incredibly short and to the point with each other. Bruce was hardly ever home anymore. The scientist spent most of his time in the SHIELD labs. Thor had been going to visit Jane more and more often, most of the time he’d leave without even letting anyone know. Pamplemousse was having nightmares, but was too afraid to tell anyone besides her daddy about what they were. And Toni? Toni felt very similarly to everyone. She didn’t know exactly what was happening to her, but she knew it couldn’t have been good.
“So wait,” Patty said to Brooke one morning over a steaming cup of coffee. “Why did you and Schaefer call off the wedding again?”
Brooke sighed. “He wants to go back home for a while and doesn’t think I’d be able to go with him.”
“When does he plan on leaving?”
“I haven’t a clue,” she responded dully. “He’s got a lot of shit to go through with SHIELD before he can even consider going over there.”
“Is he leaving forever?!” Pamplemousse asked from the other side of the kitchen.
Brooke shrugged. “I don’t know. I certainly hope not.”
“But I thought he loved you?” she replied sadly.
Brooke shrugged again. “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know anymore.”
Later that night, Clint and Thor were both woken up by Pamplemousse’s soft sobs at 1:30 in the morning. The two of them walked into the ten-year-old’s room and both sat on the edge of the bed, one on either side of her, and started to comfort her.
“What’s wrong, young one?” Thor asked and he ran his fingers through her long, brown hair.
“Did you have another nightmare?” Clint asked.
Pamplemousse nodded, sniffling quietly. “It was really scary.”
“Honey, please tell me what happened. Maybe I can help,” Clint said.
“In my bad dream, CJ was there. She...she did mean things to me.”
Clint paused and shared a quick, worried look with Thor. The memory of a disheveled Schaefer running into the waiting room when Natasha was injured came crashing back into their minds. “What did she do, honey?”
Pamplemousse sniffled and leaned up again Thor. “I was tied to a chair and there was a lady tied up in front of me. I think...I think she was my mommy. She told me she loved me and that I shouldn’t be afraid. Then CJ came and cut her throat with a knife.”
The ten-year-old broke down crying. As if summoned by the young girl’s sobs, Francis waddled over to Clint and growled softly and pulled at his pant leg until the archer pulled him up on the bed. He sat down right in front of her and cocked his head to the left before licking her hand.
“I’m sure it was just a dream, young grapefruit,” Thor said quietly. “I don’t believe she would do such a thing to you.”
Pamplemousse sniffled again and wiped her eyes. “You’re probably right, Uncle Thor.”
♠ ♠ ♠
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