When Love Goes Wrong

Chapter 11:

OBSERVATION

Everyone was silent after witnessing Adeen's therapy session with the doctor. Steve, Tony, and Bruce looked at each other then left the room to go after Adeen. As they left the room, Dr. Williams walked out of the room Adeen had just left. Tony shot her a nasty look and continued after the others to catch up to Adeen. Dr. Williams looked rather confused by the treatment she was receiving from the others and continued her way into observation. Clint stayed behind, staring through the glass with his arms folded across his chest, thinking about everything that was just discussed in the interrogation room. Nick stood there in angry silence as he waited for the Doctor to come into the room.

Meanwhile...

Adeen was halfway to her room. Everything that had just happened left her emotionally unstable. She didn't want to talk about anything with anyone. She didn't want to talk to a specialist about how she was feeling. She just wanted to be left alone. No one was ever going to fully understand all the Hell she had gone through. No one would ever be able to feel the pain she went through. The guys finally caught up with her and stood in front of her. She tried to get past them, but they refused to let her pass. She looked down at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with any of them.

"Oh no, I can't deal with this right now..."

"I didn't know all those things about you... How come you didn't...actually I can see why you didn't tell us." Tony gently spoke to her, keeping his distance.

Adeen glared over at him.

"Oh you do, do you!?" she coldly inquired, her eyes never leaving his.

"Yeah, I do actually." Tony answered, unmoved by her anger and glare.

"How would you know?!"

"Okay, one, I almost died; two, try having a piece of shrapnel in your chest, making it's way closer to your heart; and three, no one wanted the new me when I returned home. I saw things over there. Those things can change a man. You of all people should know this." Adeen remained silent and stared down at her feet. "So I do know how you feel."

"You think I wouldn't have understood the whole mutant thing? About wanting to be normal?"

The sad timbre of his voice caused Adeen to quickly raise her head to study Bruce's face. Every emotion she had been experiencing a moment before had been replaced with guilt. She should have thought more before she said all that she did in the interrogation room. It was insensitive and selfish of her to make it seem as though she was the only person out there experiencing the same anguish. She stepped forward, raising a hand to rest on his cheek but second guessed herself. She sighed sadly and slowly brought her hand back down to her side.

"I should've just kept my mouth shut..."

"No, you were right to open your mouth. We're just trying to tell you that you aren't alone. You have a family who understands you." Steve told her.

"I know you guys have it rough. That's why I don't say anything. That's why I didn't want you guys to know all that stuff because I know my life isn't as bad as yours..."

"That's not necessarily true." Tony told her.

"Your father killed your family, tried to make you kill yourself...that is pretty messed up." Steve explained to her.

Steve instantly regretted his example when he saw the resentment in her eyes.

"Don't you dare talk about my father! You didn't know him! Someone made him do all those things, and I'm going to find out who. All this is coming from the guy who was asleep for 70 years and lost everyone he cared about and you're telling me my life is Hell?"