Heartbeat (Natasha x Wanda + One)

Eleven

"Allie you have to go back to school," I tell her as gently as I can. "It's been two weeks, I'm out of excuses to tell the school."

"Then tell them I'm not coming back until the person I love is out of this damn hospital and if they have a problem with it, then they can kiss my Stark white ass!" She answers, her anger finally boiling over.

For the past two weeks she hasn't left Ash's side, despite the doctors telling her that Ash probably won't wake up anytime soon. After the first day, she refused to talk about what happened.

And not wanting to upset her anymore than she already was, I didn't push.

Not until I'd gotten a call from the truancy office this morning and they'd demanded that she return to school. I'd tried to explain what was going on but they didn't care. I'd then tried bribing them, which turned out to be a bad call, but how was I supposed to know that they were technically part of the police department and as such I'd just tried to bribe a law enforcement officer.

And all that now leads us to the argument with Allie.

"Allie please," I beg. "If you don't go back they'll send someone to drag you back."

"Then can try," she scoffs. "I'll sue anyone who puts their hands on me. I'm sure there's a lawyer out there who'd be thrilled to represent a Stark."

All I can do is stare at her, at the girl who I hardly recognize. "Allie.." I say eventually.

"No, Megan," she says without looking at me. "I'm not moving until Ash wakes up. And not you or anyone else can make me."

My heart nearly shatters as she uses my name. She hasn't called my anything other than mama in years. I'd grown so used to it that I'd almost forgotten that I wasn't her mom.

"Ok," I whisper as I try to keep the hurt from my voice. "I'm just gonna.."

I don't even finish my sentence as I leave the room and stumble to an empty secluded waiting room, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. Just as I close the door, my phone rings, an unknown number popping up on the screen.

"Hello?" I say tiredly.

"Hi," says a chipper but business toned woman. "Is this Megan Stark?"

"Depends," I tell her. "Who's asking?"

"I'm Amanda Carter with child protective services, I'm calling in regards to-."

"Look," I say cutting her off. "You can tell that son of a bitch that Ash isn't his problem anymore. And quite frankly, I'm appalled that your organization would allow a man like that around children!"

There's a pause before she says, "I'm calling in regards to Allie Stark. Is this her legal guardian, Megan Stark?"

Suddenly I'm wide awake, my heart beating quickly, "yes, sorry, I'm Megan."

"Good. Now, the reason I'm calling is that we got a very concerned report from Allie's school saying that she's missed sixteen days and is in the hospital. Is that correct?"

"Um technically yes," I admit. "But it's not her that's in the hospital, or.. I mean.. she is but she's not sick or anything it's her partner Ash, they're in a coma and Allie won't leave their bedside."

"Be that as it may, Miss Stark," Amanda says briskly. "Allie is a minor and in the state of New York any minor missing as much school as she is falls under the jurisdiction of my department."

"What does that mean?" I ask her as I take a deep breath.

"It means that we will have to open an investigation, do home visits to make sure that she is in a safe and stable environment and then determine a course of action from there," she informs me. "Now, my files indicate that you are her godmother, is that correct?"

"Yes," I whisper.

"And you petitioned for legal adoption several years ago but were denied, is that also correct?"

"Yes," I answer, my voice cracking. "The judge said that I was too young."

"I see here that you also filed five times for emergency custody of an Alice 'Ash' Mayhan, is that correct?"

"It's," I start as I clear my throat. "It's just Ash. And yes I did."

"And once again, you were denied each time." This time it wasn't a question but there was a note of suspicion in her voice. "And why was that?"

"The court didn't find any reason to remove Ash from their current foster home," I explain slowly. "But if they would have then-."

"And I see here that you also own and live above a nightclub," she interrupts. "Does Allie have access to the club?"

My heart speeds up at her question, "yes but she never-."

"You do know that allowing a minor access to alcohol is a federal crime, Miss Stark?" She asks as she cuts me off.

"She doesn't.. have access to the.. alcohol," I try to tell her as I struggle to control my breathing. I could feel myself panicking as fear grips me, the evidence showing up on my watch in notification after notification from my monitor, all of which I swipe away as I try and focus on the woman on the phone. "She never.. goes into the club. She knows that.. she's not allowed."

"Children are sneaky," Amanda tells me. "But that's all I need to know for now. In the meantime, make sure Allie goes back to school and I'll call later in the week to set up a home visit. Have a good day Miss Stark." She hangs up without waiting for my answer, not that I could give her one anyway.

Not with the way my chest was hurting, or the way the air seemed to escape my lungs.

I drop my phone as I slide down the wall, my hand over my heart as I gasp for breath, my watch yelling for me to seek medical attention. But as I sit on the floor, the yelling seemed to get slower and slower as my eyes got heavier and heavier, until finally, everything stopped.