𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗.
Charlie Stark-Rogers has grown up in the shadow of the world's greatest heroes. But spending your entire life in the face of danger takes its toll on anyone. She has secrets, thi...
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𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒.
That's how long Charlie Stark- Rogers sat in that cold, empty cell.
Her knees were pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on her arms. A single tear trickled down her cheek, dripping off the end of her nose, her eyes red and puffy from crying for hours on end.
The cold night had come and gone, leaving Charlie shivering and exhausted. Her watch had run out of battery about and hour ago, with no response from the Avengers Tower.
She was alone.
"Since I can't remember when... It's b-been a long, long time."
Her voice was hoarse, mumbled into her forearms. With her eyes closed, she could almost pretend Pops and Dad was sitting right next to her, singing the lullaby Aunt Peggy had taught her when she was little.
"You'll never know how many dreams-" Charlie hiccuped, pulling her knees tighter as an exhausted sob let go from her throat. "I-I've dreamed a-about you... o-or just how empty they all seemed without you."
The sun had begun to peak through the window, several stories up from the ground. The light caught Charlie's knotted braids and the strands hanging in her eyes, making her squeeze her eyes shut.
"So- so kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then k-kiss me once again." Charlie's voice broke and she pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, letting her legs fall to the floor with a sob.
"It's been a long, long time."
The words came out a whisper and she was unable to say anything more. Sobs began to rack her chest again and she moaned into her hands, a feeling of devastating hopelessness sinking in through the sleep deprivation.
It had been a long, long time since she'd felt this alone.
She just wanted her dads.
"I'm sorry," Charlie choked into her clamped fingers. God, she'd fucked everything up. Her dads were going to have to live the rest of their lives without her. "I'm sorry, Pops, I'm so sorry, Dad..."
"Charlie?"
It was quiet, almost inaudible. Charlie froze, her eyes swollen and her chest seizing in confusion. The hunger must be getting to her- she'd started to hallucinate.
"Charlie?! Sweetheart, please, if you hear me..."
It sounded so much like Tony that Charlie's chest ached. It was cruel, really- she so tired her brain was playing tricks on her. Her final hours alive were going to be spent with her own mind taunting her.
Then a red and gold suit peeled around the corner, and Charlie sucked in a shuddering gasp.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y, help me out here." The voice was slightly muffled behind the faceplate.
