Unforeseen

Chapter 27- False realities

17th February 2015

It wasn't until midday when Jayden awoke, she would later find out that JARVIS informed the Avengers of her restless night so they allowed her to sleep. Doctor Cho had given her the all-clear to allow her to move back up to the penthouse under close supervision for any further unlikely complications.

Once she forced her lunch down, Pepper and Tony gave her clothes to change into. While they were comfortable, they felt foreign; their soft material and bright colours rubbed her the wrong way. Similar to the looks of concern many would pass to her, they sat uncomfortably as though they no longer belonged on her damaged frame.

Stepping into the elevator, both adults finally asked the question that had been on their minds since she awoke; where was Theo? They were met with silence as she stubbornly refused to answer, their worried gazes dug into the top of her head for the entirety of the elevator ride. As much as she tried to ignore it; it quickly became unnerving and constricting.

She wasn't sure what to do when they arrived at the penthouse, everything was identical to when she was last there; from the extravagant skyline of New York outside the wide-glass windows to the hidden but notable deep scratch in the living room table where Theo had once landed on it too harshly. Her room felt as welcoming as it did alien; the half-built Lego Millennium Falcon was still sitting on her desk but perhaps with a little more dust, the sun shone in the same way through her windows; setting everything ablaze with light, Mini Thor still dutifully stood guard on her bedside table to fend against any unruly dreams.  

She had forgotten how little time had passed; three weeks that crawled like an eternity. She would be correct in thinking Hydra was Hell for so many nightmares to be crammed into a measly twenty-one days.

Her hearts physically panged as her sorrowful gaze landed on a stuffed elephant hugging a black bear. Her eyes stung as nausea crept up her throat, she ripped the toys from the bed and marched them to the closet; throwing them into its depths with some force and slamming its door closed. She slid to the floor, clutching her knees, and bit hard into her lip to quell the bubble of distress building in her throat. 

"It doesn't matter" she hissed to herself. "The dream is dead" 

Curls and J. Curly and JJ. They were supposed to be mirrors of each other, they were supposed to have a happy reunion; one that was filled with warm embrace and laughter. Jayden was supposed to gift the elephant as a welcoming present,  a token of celebration. If anything was supposed to be happy for her then it would've been this.

Instead, her friend now saw her as her enemy, she would rip the toy rather than cherish it. The dream was dead. Everything had become hollow. She wouldn't look at them, she couldn't; for this was the image of bitter failure and regret. 

Tony was by the doorway for a mysterious amount of time, she flatly regarded him before returning her glare to her knees. He wouldn't have it, his shadow blocked out the ray of light and gently but firmly, guided her onto her feet and back to the living room. The silence was melancholic but she couldn't bring herself to care. 

Stiffly sitting in her usual spot on the couch, she reminisced on the last she was there; it was raining heavily that morning and she was getting ready for school as any other day. She remembered rushing around the apartment; searching for her missing English homework, Pepper was in the kitchen, admonishing her for leaving it so late and she eventually had to accept the loss and leave it behind; preparing herself for her teacher's reprimand. Miss Mandler ended up forgetting about it altogether, she was more concerned with Elizabeth's soaked, shaking frame from a lack of a raincoat. 

In almost every aspect, life was joyful. Her abilities were better than ever, she was settling well in school and making a good friend in Oliver; she was almost confident in knowing that she finally belonged somewhere.