Don't You Worry Child

Keep Your Head Up

Chapter Summary: Samantha is left traumatised by the events at Golightly's and the press certainly aren't helping matters.

Soundtrack: Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer

She clamped her eyes shut and breathed deeply as she counted the seconds in her head '10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...'

'1' She didn't feel any pain, but why would she? Her guts should be splattered all over what used to be a kitchen, she'd be dead, instantly or at least so close to instantly that she wouldn't even notice her death. She opened her eyes and saw she was still in the kitchen which confused her no end. Had she miscounted the amount of time she had left? She looked down at the phone that acted as a timer and saw "00:01" flashing on and off of the screen. She sighed in relief, it had worked, the bomb was disabled "You okay there?" she heard her father say and she smiled a smile of both relief and happiness, so glad that she had heard her father's voice again.

"Yeah," she said tears of joys streaming down her face. She stayed quiet for a few moments feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath she took as she stared straight ahead, waiting for Steve to enter the room. After what felt like an age, she heard a door creak open and then there he was, standing in front of her appearing both concerned and relieved. "How about we leave the typical happy reunion thing for a bit so you can untie me," she suggested as Steve made his way over to her. Quickly, he set about cutting the binds with a pocket knife he just so happened to have until she could slip them off. The moment the binds were off her, Samantha stood up and removed the vest, throwing it across the floor in anger, and fell into Steve's arms as he hugged her and kissed her, holding her so tight that it felt like he may never let go "Let's get out of here," she whispered softly and as they left the room, his hand gently resting on the small of her back, she smiled and leant into his side, just happy to be alive.

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The moment she got home, Samantha was ambushed by hugs, even one from Natasha – which shocked the teenager no end. "Uh happy new year?" she said once she'd recovered, a slightly apprehensive look on her face.

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Tony and Pepper lay on their bed trying to get some sleep. Memories of the night replayed in their minds. Between unanswered proposals and assassination attempts, sleep seemed to be evading them. Pepper turned to face Tony, knowing that, if anything, he needed an answer to his earlier question "Yes," she said softly and carefully, a small smile on her face.

He faced her confused for a second before groggily saying "What?" as he squinted to see her in the darkness. He may have thought himself invincible but even Tony Stark could admit that he found it difficult to see in the dark.

"Yes, I will marry you," she told him watching how his face lit up instantly with one of those genuine big, beaming smiles that so few people got to see.

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Samantha padded quietly through to the living room wearing her teddy bear pyjama bottoms and turquoise pyjama top. Every time she had closed her eyes, memories of the night's events flickered through her mind like some kind of news reel from an old cinema. Turning on the TV, she flicked through the channels until she found Roman Holiday was showing. She smiled and curled up on the couch to watch.

"Can't sleep?" she heard the familiar tones of her boyfriend before she even met his eyes. Pepper had set up a room for him after Christmas, in case he'd needed it – neither she nor Tony thought that he'd actually use it at that point. Steve's blonde hair was messed up and he'd switched out his suit for a set of flannel pyjamas.  He looked far more youthful than the worried man she'd seen not three hours earlier. She shook her head no, hoping that just that action would tell him enough "Neither can I. What are you watching?"