Aurelia Stark, the girl with everything. Only daughter of billionaire, Tony Stark, she has anything a girl could of ever wish for. But when her father goes missing in the Afghanistan desert, the cracks in her seemingly perfect life start to show.
Wh...
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We keep this love in a photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Hearts are never broken And time's forever frozen, still -Photograph, Ed Sheeran
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March 22nd 2008 Malibu, California
Pepper watched the plane door opening in slow motion, her heart in her throat. She'd managed to pull herself together, trying to hold her tears back for Aria's sake. The second she saw the girl appear at the top of the plane stairs, all of that shattered.
She walked down the steps slowly, clutching the handrail desperately. Pepper's breath caught, she rushed forwards and tossed her into a hug the moment her foot touched the tarmac.
Aria had no tears left to cry. Her chest shook with sobs, she trembled, her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. Pepper held her tight, like she was a toddler again, "Ari, sweetheart, I've got you."
She lifted her head, it took all her strength, and her eyes met Pepper's. She was broken. Pepper had never seen that look in her eye. It shook her to her core.
"Pep..."
"I've got you, honey, I'm here."
She helped her to her feet and guided to the car, where Happy waited. Every one of them looked hollow.
Aria hesitated at the door, "Pepper," she glanced back to her, lip trembling, "I can't go home. Not without..."
Her body began to shake again as she choked back sobs and Pepper held her tight, like if she let go she might lose the girl too, "You can stay with me, honey, as long as you need."
"You don't know what I said to him. The things I said... before he..."
"I know, I know."
"You don't, you..." she shook her head, pulling back slightly, like even saying it out loud was too much, "You didn't hear it."
Pepper led her to the car, her hand never dropping the girl's. Aria didn't let go the entire drive. Her head fell onto Pepper's shoulder and she closed her eyes. She squeezed them shut until shapes danced before her eyes.
