Chapter One Hundred One

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A/N: hiiii!!

so this will be the LAST chapter of this story and this chapter will just wrap things up before the epilogue— JUST KIDDING AHAHA we're seriously just like halfway through it lmaoo

so ive actually been writing and editing this specific chapter for literally 6 months now because i wanted to get it just right and absjxjs it's so much better than the original first draft and im super happy with the way that it turned out :,) it took forever to get it angsty enough but im happy to say this chapter is peak angst. everything that's been happening for the past like 30 chapters has been all leading to this one specific chapter along with the next few that follow, but mostly this one.

also!! i added a song up there called "i don't wanna watch the world end with someone else" by clinton kane and even though it's about romantic love, it fits tony and adie really well so just give it a listen as/before/after you read this chapter!! :)

i think i actually broke y'all in the last chapter haha. i even had one person tell me to go f*** myself (yikes) but dont worry it wasn't someone from wattpad haha.

anyway, yeah, the last chapter was a little bit too much, ill admit it. but this chapter is going to be a HUGE emotional rollercoaster. if you thought the last chapter was bad, you have another thing coming. be prepared and you have been warned.

last thing! if you want, go back to the previous chapter and rewatch the edits to get you back in your feelies!!

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"I'm sorry, but there's nothing

else we can do."
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"Adie, honey, wake up," the billionaire whispered, gently wiping the tears from the teenager's face with his thumb. Her eyes flickered and she stirred on the couch, pulling away.

"Adie," he said again as she opened her eyes in confusion.

"Tony?" she mumbled sleepily, barely making out the figure of the billionaire crouched down in front of her.

"Yeah," he said softly, studying her face, "It's me. I'm here."

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the couch, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders.

"God, what time is it?" she mumbled, fighting back a yawn.

"I saw you crying in your sleep," Tony said in a serious tone, pushing himself up off the floor to sit on the coffee table behind him.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, sighing and rubbing her face, "Sorry I woke you up."

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"I saw you crying in your sleep," he repeated and she sighed again, licking the tears off of her lips as she stared at the coffee table he was sitting on.

"I said I'm fine," she grumbled, feeling exhaustion taking over. She ran her hands through her hair, suddenly feeling hot and stuffy. Tony pulled his lips in and then let out a breath. He pushed himself off the coffee table and sat beside her on the couch.

"Come here," he said gently, holding his arms out.

Adelaide glanced at him hesitantly but obliged, curling up beside him. His embrace was warm compared to the temperature of the room. She realized she was shaking and Tony seemed to realize this too because he held her closer, soothing her hair gently. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" he mumbled without moving. Adelaide closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, feeling as if her walls, her barrier against the world, had just crumbled to pieces. No one had asked her that. With everything that was going on, everyone was preoccupied.

"Adie..." he said quietly and that was all it took to let her unravel completely. She broke into tears which got out of control until she was heaving with sobs in the billionaire's arms.

"Shh," he said, soothing her hair, "Let it all out. It's okay. I'm here with you, you're safe."

There was no use in trying to stop her tears. She had been holding them in for too long and it felt so good to let them all out.

Everything was always okay in Tony's arms.

"It's okay," he repeated gently, holding her closer, "It's okay."

She cried and it was the most heartbreaking sound Tony had ever heard.

Tony had been too caught up in his problems to give his attention to the teenager. He hadn't realized how broken the teenager had become in the past two months.

He didn't realize it when she woke him up from his nightmares, he didn't realize it when she laid beside him just so he would be able to sleep peacefully, he didn't realize it when she got dressed a bit earlier than usual to make him the best breakfast she could because she knew how exhausted he had been the night before.

He didn't realize that while he had been trying to fix his broken pieces, she had been falling apart.

Her body let out a final shudder and she was out of tears. Adelaide sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. For a moment, she simply stared at the coffee table as her eyes burned.

"I'm sorry," Tony suddenly said and Adelaide looked up at him without moving out of his embrace.

"Why?" she asked. Her voice sounded nasal and slightly raw.

"For not paying attention to you," he shrugged, looking across the room to avoid looking at her, "I didn't realize that you..."

"It's fine," she said, sniffling into his shirt, "You had a lot going on."

"It's not a good enough excuse," he said and Adelaide only shrugged, not knowing what else to say. A comfortable silence lapsed over them.

"I'm glad you showed up at this place a year ago," he said, and Adelaide could hear the smile in his voice, "And I'm glad that you're here now."

"Me too," she agreed quietly.

Adelaide didn't know how much time had passed that they had been in that position. It felt like time passed different in the dark. Maybe it had been half an hour, maybe an hour. She had thought Tony was asleep but he surprised her by what he said to her.

"I love you," he mumbled into her hair, drawing her closer and catching her off guard.

She never expected him to say that to her. She was the one who had shown up uninvited into his life and threw it out of proportion. And she didn't know why exactly he loved her or why she felt the same way, but Adelaide knew that whatever the reason that she was here, no matter how horrible it could be, she wouldn't have changed a thing. She nestled her face into his shirt.

"I love you too."

—————

3:01 AM

When you were awake, you were conscious.

When you were asleep, you weren't aware of your surroundings.

But there was a state in between where you were neither.

You were just...there. Time passed slowly. You were still breathing, you just weren't aware. You were still watching your daughter, but you weren't seeing her. You were still hearing the ring of the heart monitor flatlining, but you weren't sure what it was.

You were still alive, but you weren't sure if you wanted to be.

He stared at the teenager lying in the bed as he waited for the pain to hit him. He knew it was coming. The shock was shielding him, giving him a few more seconds in ringing peace before the pain came. Everything was muffled and distant and blurred. Tony felt like he had stepped out of his body and was watching his entire life crumble before his eyes.

And then he gasped in a gulp of air which seemingly brought him back to consciousness.

The doctors were already at work, charging a pair of defibrillators. Tony realized this was the only chance they had at saving her. If this didn't work...then...Adie would be...gone.

Just like that.

Gone.

He couldn't even comprehend that. How could Adie be gone? It didn't make sense.

He wanted to go inside and bring her back to life himself, but he knew that would do more harm than good. Had he already lost her? His mind was already frantically looking for a solution. But he knew the only thing he could do was watch. Maybe she wouldn't make it. Even then, all he could do was watch. He couldn't decide if he could see that. He was vaguely aware that Pepper had hidden her face into his shoulder. He wished he had decided to not watch. Would it have been easier? Did it even matter?

The first shock ran through and her body lurched off the operation bed.

What's your name again, kid?

Adelaide.

Uh, yeah, no. Too long. Can I call you Adie? I'm gonna call you Adie.

Tony clenched his jaw, just to have something to do. He held his breath with her. His fingers hit the glass pane, curling in agony.

I'll get over it, just give me a few more months It'll be like I never even knew her to begin with.

You don't mean that. I know you still love her.

She had to wake up. She had to wake up for him. She had to wake up for all the times that he didn't get to tell her that he loved her. She had to wake up so she could see that he was back. She had to wake up because...because she was his Adie. And he couldn't live without her.

Adie, please don't push me away. I'm here.

I know. And I'm here for you too.

"Wake up," he whispered softly in sheer pain as if she could hear him, feeling his entire body literally shaking. He wanted his whispered words to travel through the thick glass window and into her ear and start her heart again in a way the machines working on her body never could.

They were the words of a desperate father begging his daughter to open her eyes.

"Wake up, please wake up." It wasn't supposed to end like this. Everything had just been a mistake– his fault. If he could just– If he could just pray and beg to someone to bring her back. He couldn't lose his daughter over his stupid mistake. He just couldn't. Not now when he had just come to realize how much he loved her.

Another shock traveled through her.

See, I told you she's real. And she hasn't run away yet. Which means I'm a good babysitter.

Tony closed his eyes. His head dropped against the window and a sob ripped through him like a sharp knife. The universe had handed him a beautiful gift and he had thrown it away. He began to feel dizzy. He couldn't watch it again. If the first two didn't work, what were the chances that another one would work? Was she really...gone?

Her. She's the emergency.

An agonizing fire burned in his chest but he didn't let go of the breath that he was holding onto. His heart dropped down to his stomach and suddenly he could barely hold himself up on his own to feet. Pepper grabbed his arm to keep him from collapsing onto the floor. He might have asked her to leave him alone a few months ago, but he had never so badly before wanted to take his words back. He suddenly regretted every second that he had lived apart from her. Every moment of his life that he had wasted without her.

Tony, please don't – I can't, you know that. Please.

I said we're done, Adelaide.

He heard another shock.

His ears were ringing. All the sounds felt far away and muddled as if he were underwater. His head was pulsing with sharp pains. He felt something physically pulling at his heart. Like a heart string being torn apart.

I love you a-and I know you love me too. Don't do this, I'll do anything!

He swallowed as her words echoed in his head, squeezing his eyes shut hard until he saw sparks behind them. Had he really just walked away from her? What was the last thing he had said to her? What was there that he could do to bring her back? How could he get through to her long enough to apologize? He just had to talk to her one more time. A million memories all raced through his head at once, reminding of him of just how much that girl dying on that hospital bed on the other side of this window meant to him.

She was the girl who held him in her arms when he needed to cry. She was the girl who was always on his side no matter what. She was the girl who had changed his life. She had shown him how beautiful color really looked. She had shown him how lovely a smile could be. She had shown him how musical a laugh could sound. She had shown him that it was possible to love someone more than life itself. She had shown him what it meant to be alive. Because of her, he had seen the world through different eyes.

A few months ago, they had been inseparable. They been a team. Them against the world. He didn't think he would be able to handle hearing the doctors telling him that she was really gone. He didn't think he could walk into that room knowing that his Adie had died. He didn't want to say goodbye to the light and happiness of his life. He needed her to wake up.

Yes, you can! She is our daughter, Tony!

She killed my parents, Pepper!

She had been his crutch. His lifeline. A limb.

His daughter.

Maybe not by blood and not even by relation, but she meant more to him than anyone else in his life.

Adelaide Rivers was his.

His light, his life, his, happiness, his everything. And to imagine her so far out of reach for more than a second caused him to feel indescribable pain. A crippling agony that seared through his body and left him breathless and screaming. Guilt and regret surged his veins. He heard her laugh echoing in his head. He saw her running around the penthouse. He heard her crying in his arms. Every single moment in time that they had spent together flashed before his eyes like painful film. She had to survive this. She had to.

He prayed.

You were right. I miss her.

He begged.

We were happy. And I ruined it. I always ruin it.

He sobbed.

I'm glad you showed up at this place a year ago.

And I'm glad you're here now.

I love you.

And then...he heard a gasp.

I love you too.

His heart skipped a beat. The billionaire shot open his eyes and his head snapped up from the floor at lightning speed.

Adie.

There she was, alive and gasping for air.

He nearly collapsed in relief. He felt Pepper lifting her grip from his arm, watching the teenager as carefully as he was. He leaned in closer, fingers curling against the window pane. He hit his forehead on the window and let out a huge breath of relief. He was still shaking uncontrollably, but he couldn't help the smallest of laughs that escaped him. It was barely a laugh and more so a sigh of indescribable relief. Tears flooded his eyes again at the overwhelming wave of emotions.

She was alive.

Adie was alive.

"We need to stabilize her! Fast!" someone shouted.

Her eyes began closing again and her breaths became slow. He pressed both his palms flat against the window, as if trying to reach out to her. He wanted to hold her and hug the life back into her. He never wanted to let her out of his sight again. This had all been too much.

"We're losing her again!" Tony heard someone shout. His lips parted.

No.

Her finger twitched. She was trying to say something, but it just sounded like a gasp for air. She was losing consciousness again. And then, her eyes flickered closed and her head lolled to the side. The doctors all stopped their rushing and took a step back from the bed and sighed a moment later, dropping their heads.

Immediately, Tony's eyes snapped to the heart monitor beside her bed.

To his immense relief, her heart was still beating steadily.

But for how much longer?

—————

If she doesn't wake up in the next three hours, we'll lose her. I'm sorry, but there's nothing else we can do. This is her fight.

That's what the doctor had told him.

Once again, there was nothing that he could do. All he could do was wait. For the next three hours, there was still the chance that he could lose her again. He didn't think he could bear it. He was still recovering from when she had flat-lined earlier.

With the combination of the stress about the kid and decision to go back to Adie, it had been over 48 hours since he had slept a wink.

Even then, right now, you couldn't knock him out with a high-dosage sleeping pill. He was hell bent on staying awake. He had been staring at her face for hours now. He might actually know her face better than his own at this point.

She had a pointed nose and slanted cheekbones that looked nothing like his. She didn't even have a goatee like his. It was certain that she looked nothing like him. But Pepper was right.

She was his daughter.

Through and through. The stubbornness and the recklessness and everything in between. He didn't care what anyone said, she had his Stark genes. Maybe you couldn't see it in the blue eyes or pointy nose, but her Stark shone through in her laugh and her confidence and unwavering belief that she had to be in control. It was clear as day. Adie was his daughter. Today, tomorrow, and forever.

But there was a chance that he could lose again her tonight. And there was still so much he needed to say to her.

Pepper and Happy were talking to the doctor. The kid was getting checked by the doctors himself for any serious injuries, making all of them promise to call him immediately if something happened.

Tony walked over to sit on the chair beside her bed and took her hand into his. Her hand was so cold. If it wasn't for the steady beeping of the monitor, he would have thought she was already gone. Up close, she looked even worse. The veins were so prominent on her face and her skin had sunken in, turning to a sickly gray color. It looked inhuman.

He leaned over, gently kissing her forehead as if she could break at the slightest touch. He closed his eyes, feeling the hot tears welling up behind his eyelids again.

"Please," he said, his voice breaking. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Please wake up. I know...I know this is long overdue but I could lose you tonight and I don't even want to think about what would happen if I did...I can't without you either, you know."

He wrapped his other hand around hers, holding onto it like a lifeline.

"I know you can be stubborn and reckless sometimes. And maybe even a little hard headed. Sometimes you're just impossible to understand, but...I love you. Just so, so much."

"Do you remember," he sniffled after a moment of silence, "when you first met me? You twisted my arm behind my back. I thought you were crazy. I didn't even last a week. I hardly knew you and I loved you. I know, I sound insane. But I saw myself in you. And I was afraid that you would leave me any day because you weren't my daughter. I worried that you would walk right out of my life and go back to where you came from without looking back."

"But you stayed. And I became ridiculously dependent on you. I told Pepper once, 'Every time she smiles, I'm a little happier.' You...You owned

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