When lightning always strikes, you know she's not far behind.
Kidnapped at a young age and recused seven years later, Avalyn Stark is forced to try to navigate a new world far from what she remembered. With threats around every corner, she was nev...
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2008 MALIBU
Florence Meadows-Stark had never been someone who was scared easily.
She hadn't even been scared to find out she was pregnant, even though it wasn't planned, because she knew she could be a good mother. She knew Tony would step u,p too despite his childish ways.
When her husband disappeared, she had been terrified. She never wanted him to go in the first place, but he insisted.
When her daughter had been taken, Florence was petrified. She didn't know what to do other than spend every minute of her life trying to find her after getting out of the hospital. She had gone nearly insane as her entire family dropped off the map within weeks. It broke her.
Yet, standing waiting for Tony's plane to land seemed more nerve-wracking than either. It shouldn't have been but Florence didn't know how she was going to bring herself to tell Tony she'd gotten their daughter taken from them and it was likely they would never see her again. If HYDRA could hide the daughter of the Winter Soldier, they could hide her daughter.
"Flo, are you sure that you're okay?" Pepper questioned. "I can tell him."
"No, this is my j-job." Florence choked on her words. "Oh god, Pepper, he's going to hate me."
"No, he—"
"He told me to quit my job, and I couldn't."
Florence and Pepper both stayed silent as the plane landed and moved to the end of the area where they stood. Florence could barely concentrate as she watched Tony exist with his arm in a sling, eyes watering as they made eye contact.
"Florence," Tony whispered, and his wife wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."
"It doesn't matter," Florence replied back softly. "God, I missed you."
"I thought of you and Ava every day," said Tony, breaking the hug. "Where is she?"
Florence's eyes filled with tears immediately and she found herself choking on her words.
