Take Me Home

Force Her

Valda sighs deeply, her feet hurting as she gets closer to the address that was given. The sun was rising again when she gets to the building, a huge A on the front. She rubs her hands nervously looking towards one of the sections of the building.

Damien? Vincent?

Valda? VIncent sounds shocked, she sees a figure in one of the windows. What are you doing here?

The kids are in danger.

Vincent curses, running down the steps and outside to the front door where Valda meets him.

"Are you ok?" He asks, hugging her.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"How did you-"

She holds up the bag, "I need to talk to Piccolina."

Vincent nods leading her into the compound and up to the floor where everyone is.

"Valda!" She says running to hug her, Valda smiling into Piccolina's hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to come see you."

She pushes Valda back, concerned, "do the Elders know you're here?"

Valda looks away at Vincent hoping he'd save her but he shakes his head. Valda sighs looking back at Piccolina , shaking her head. Piccolina sighs but lets it go, motioning her into the room where she introduces everyone. She waves high to them all, watching the way Piccolina interacts with them.

"Why did you come?" She asks Valda, who takes out the files, placing them on the table.

"The kids we've been finding, they were kidnapped."

"What?!" She yells, staring at Valda. Tony grabs the files, grabbing his tablet to check the names.

"Don't ask how I know." Valda says staring at Vincent who nods. "But I found all this."

"Most are runaways from abusive homes or foster care." Tony says watching the information fly by. "Out of the 70 names, 23 have families that searched for them. There's 12 that have families still looking for them."

"What 12?" Piccolina asks, looking at Tony. She gasps, staring at younger versions of 7 of the kids still in the orphanage and three she regularly talks to up in the mountains. The two missing babies, it's hard to tell if it's the same ones but she knows, she knows it has to be.

"What are-what did- how come- oh my god." Damien catches her as she falls.

Valda wrings her hands nervously as she watches. "I knew I had to bring it to you, something going on in the island and it starts there."

Piccolina paces back and forth as Tony gets all the information he can about all the children. Steve and Bucky look through all of them while Vincent help. Damien keeps his eye on Piccolina, Thor and Loki watching from the other side of the room.

"We should notify the families." Tony says softly.

"No," She says harshly.

"Nia, they need to-"

"No!" She starts shaking her head, her hands clenching and unclenching. "We need to talk to the kids. We need to tell them, they have to understand." She rubs her temple, pacing as she keeps talking. "They were so young, some of them have lives, families. They need time, they need time to remember. They can't-"

" Piccolina." Vincent says softly catching her by her shoulders.

"It's too much. Too much." She shakes her head. "Too much at once. Have a life, have a new family. Too much pressure. Old family, feel inadequate, disappointed. It's too much. Too much. Need time. So much pain. Need time."