The Woman from the Plane [Lost Fanfiction]

Chapter 10: No Place Like Home

Valerie slept in Ben's bed. She'd decided that he owed her as much after caging her.

She had a long shower, dried her hair, and settled into the reading nook in Ben's office. She was happy to stay prisoner here—particularly compared to her other options.

Alex wandered in later in the morning. "Making yourself at home?" she asked brightly.

Valerie smiled. She knew Alex was only interested in befriending her because Ben was antagonizing them both.

"Trying to stay out of trouble," she explained, holding up the book. She looked closely at Alex and stood up, leaning against one of the bookshelves. "I was in a boating accident, a long time ago—I nearly drowned. It fucked up my lungs for a while." She gestured at the window. "I was cooped up for weeks, desperate to be outside."

Alex smiled politely, not sure where Valerie's story was going.

"The point is that I am perfectly capable of being stuck in this house for as long as necessary."

"How long is that going to be?"

"Depends on your dad, I think."

Alex made a face at her. "Can you tell me what's going on—honestly?"

Valerie thought about it for a moment. The girl had been kept in the dark about so many things—she was too smart to ignore it. But her father was too stubborn and frightened to let her know the truth.

"Alex, it's not my place to tell you everything—"

Alex started to interrupt, but Valerie continued. "—but I'll explain what I can—sit down."

Alex sat, eyes wide, and Valerie took a seat next to her.

"Your dad has a tumor on his spine," Valerie began. "He's going to be fine," she added quickly, before Alex could panic. "That's what all this is about—why he's got those people from the plane on Hydra."

"What?"

"One of them is a spinal surgeon. The other two—it's complicated. Needlessly convoluted, really. He's using them. I tried to stop him from doing things this way, but he decided that he doesn't trust me anymore." She rolled her eyes.

Alex looked uncomfortable. Valerie realized that she'd dumped a lot of information on the girl very quickly. Alex knew the kind of man her father was, but it didn't make it any easier to be confronted with that reality.

"My dad was not a good man either—not quite like yours, but he was involved in a lot of shady business. He had an obsession with guns and martial arts—that sort of thing. He cheated a lot of people—lied all the time. He wasn't a bad dad, but it was always hard to reconcile the things he did with the person he was to me."

Alex nodded.

"This is part of who your father is—but it's just part of him. He really does have a good heart—deep down."

"Why do you believe that?" Alex asked with a hint of scorn. "I don't even think he believes it."

Valerie smiled wryly. "I'm a pretty good judge of people. He's a fundamentally insecure person, Alex. He's constantly scared—scared that everything he cares about can be taken away from him—his position, his power, you."

"Me?"

"Why do you think he gets all worked up about Karl?"

"I don't know."

"It's not because he hates Karl, or he doesn't want you to be happy," Valerie explained. "He's scared for you."

"Why? I'm not stupid."