Flashback From The Future XIII

"Come on Joy, eat your breakfast so we can go" said Dom as he called out to Joy as she was in the kitchen sitting on the stools of the kitchen island.

"Okay daddy" said Joy as she lazily ate her cereal, she did not want to go out, she did not want to go anywhere at all, but her Father needed to take her to their family Doctor for a check-up, since she had not being feeling well lately.

"Are you sure that you only want cereal?" asked Dom.

"I can make you some eggs" said Dom as he brewed his own coffee, he needed to stay awake, he was just plain tired.

"No daddy, I am fine, I am not hungry" said Joy as she was forcing herself to eat her cereal, but she just could not stomach down the food, which was why she choose something light like cereal, but still, she did not feel hungry at all.

"Are you sure princess?" asked Dom as he took a sip of his coffee, and he turned to look at her.

"Yes daddy" said Joy as she nodded her head.

"Alright then princess" said Dom as he saw Joy stand up and she walked to the kitchen sink and she poured down the remaining bowl of her cereal, she felt sick right now, very, very sick.

"Are you okay princess?" asked Dom as he sounded worried.

"I am fine daddy" said Joy as she nodded her head and she washed her bowl, she just could not eat, and she did not feel hungry at all.

"You sure?" asked Dom as he walked to Joy and he put his hand on her forehead, he was worried that maybe she was sick and she had a fever, but her temperature seemed fine.

"Yes daddy" said Joy as she nodded her head.

"Alright then, well go wear your shoes princess, and then we can go" said Dom as he removed his hand from her forehead.

"Okay daddy" said Joy as she nodded her head and she walked out the kitchen, leaving Dom alone in the kitchen as he looked very worried.

Dom quickly drank his coffee as he washed out his mug, and he dried his hand as he walked out of the kitchen as he saw Joy walking down the stairs with her shoes on already.

"Are you ready princess?" asked Dom as he smiled, and Joy nodded her head as he opened the front door for her, and she walked out the front door as he followed after her as he closed the door behind him.

Dom was about to walk to his car when he noticed someone walking towards them from the driveway.

"Commander Peter!" said Joy in surprise as she noticed the man and without warning she ran towards him as Pete removed the black glasses from his eyes as he smiled and Joy hugged him.

"Hello princess" said Pete as he smiled and he picked her up, he was glad that she was happy to see him, because he was happy to see her as well, whenever he looked at her, she just reminded him of Natasha, her mother, because to him, she would always and forever be his one and true love.

"I am glad that you are happy to see me, I am happy to see you as well" said Pete as he smiled and Joy smiled at him, she did not know why, but she trusted him so much, so very much, even though she had just met him, it was like he was one of her uncles.

Dom was surprised as he saw Pete here, but he was even more surprised that Joy had smiled, she was smiling, she had not smiled in such a long time, that he forgot just how cheerful his princess used to be, he was relieved that she was smiling again, even if it was only this once, he found it hard to smile.

Dom walked to where Pete and Joy were.

"Yes, I am happy to see you Commander Peter" said Joy as she smiled.

"You know, your mother and I were very close, she used to call me Pete" said Pete as he smiled, just remembering Natasha and the way she used to call him.

"She did?" asked Joy.

"Yes she did" said Pete as he smiled.

"So you don't need to call me Commander, you can just call me Pete" said Pete as he smiled.

"Okay Uncle Pete" said Joy as she smiled and Pete smiled at her.

"Good Morning Peter" said Dom as he gave a quick smile.

"Good Morning Dominic" said Pete as he looked at Dom, he did not like the guy, but he had to come here, there was a case that he needed to solve, and he would not be at rest until he solved it.

"This is a surprise" said Dom as Joy looked at him.

"What brings you here?" asked Dom.

"Yes Uncle Pete, why did you come here?" asked Joy as she was curious, did he had any news about her mother's case? If he did, then he needed to tell her, he promised her that he would find whoever did this, did he find them yet?

"Well princess, I came here to speak with your Father, there are some questions that I need him to answer" said Pete as he smiled and he looked at Joy.

"Do you have any news on my mother's case?" asked Joy as both Dom and Pete looked at her, and then at each other, she was too young to sound as desperate as she sounded.

"Well no, not yet princess, but I am working on it" said Pete as he smiled to assure her that everything was okay.

"But for now, there is something important I need to discuss with your Father" said Pete as he looked at Dom.

"But you promised me that you will find whoever did this?" asked Joy.

"I know that princess, but these things take time, and I need to make sure I have enough evidence before I say anything, please understand" said Pete as he smiled, and Joy didn't say anything, it frustrated him, he felt the same way she did, if only investigating was so quick.

"Princess, he's trying his best" said Dom as he smiled and Joy looked at him.

"I promise you that once I solve this case, you will be the first to know, okay?" asked Pete as he smiled.

"Okay" said Joy as she nodded her head.

"Thank you" said Pete as he smiled.

"Dominic, I need to speak with you" said Pete as he looked at Dom, and Dom nodded his head, he understood that he meant that they needed to speak alone.

"Princess, the commander and I need to talk now, why don't you go to the car, I will be right there" said Dom as he smiled and Joy nodded her head as he smiled and he handed her his car keys as Pete put her down.

"Bye Princess" said Pete as he smiled and Joy walked to the car.

"Bye" said Joy as she opened the car door and she opened the door to the back seat as she closed herself in the car.

"How is she?" asked Pete as he looked at Dom.

"*Sigh*, Bad, she has nightmares, she can't sleep alone" said Dom as he sighed.

"Do you know the cause of her nightmares?" asked Pete.

"I don't know, fear I guess, but I am trying to assure her that everything will be okay, but she doesn't seem to believe me" said Dom as he sighed.

"She doesn't have an appetite to eat, it worries me because I am sure she will get sick If she continues like this" said Dom.

"Have you considered therapy?" asked Pete.

"She's just a child, she doesn't deserve to feel like this" said Dom.

"Maybe talking to a professional will help, after all, she just lost her… her mother" said Pete as he sighed.

"She doesn't talk to me, I want her to talk to me, I am her Father after all, what good am I, if I can't be there for my daughter when she needs me the most?" asked Dom.

"Sometimes, you can only do so much as a parent" said Pete as all he wanted was for Joy to feel okay.

"I guess you are right" said Dom as he sighed.

"So what did you want to ask me?" asked Dom.

"Yes, do you by any chance know who this number belongs to?" asked Pete as he brought out Natasha's phone from his pocket and he showed Dom the phone number as Dom squinted his eyes.

"Wait, let me check" said Dom as he brought out his phone and he unlocked it as he went to his contacts and he typed the number.

"No, I don't know this number, I don't have it on my phone" said Dom as he looked at Pete.

"I see" said Pete as he seemed to have reached another dead end.

"Why do you ask?" asked Dom.

"Well I think this was the last number Natasha received a text from before she… well before whatever happened, happened" said Pete.

"Any luck finding who it belongs to?" asked Dom.

"No, that's why I came here" said Pete.

"From the looks of it, whoever this number belongs to was someone very close to Natasha, for her to listen to them and go wherever they had agreed to meet" said Pete as he put Natasha's phone back in his pocket.

"You think they might be the killer?" asked Dom.

"Highly probable, but if not, they have an accomplice" said Pete.

"Which reminds me, can I have access to all the security footage in the house?" asked Pete.

"Of course, you can" said Dom.

"Do you have any cameras installed at the front door?" asked Pete.

"Well yes, ever since, what happened with Natasha, I had front door cameras installed" said Dom.

"You can check through the footage whenever you want to, although not right now, no one is at home, and I am running late for Joy's doctor's appointment" said Dom.

"Alright when can I check them?" asked Pete.

"Tomorrow, Alfred will be home, he can let you in" said Dom.

"Alright, tomorrow it is then" said Pete.

"Oh and one more thing, everyone who resides in this house has to come down to the station for questioning , including you" said Pete.

"As you wish" said Dom as he was ready to do anything that would solve this case, and bring justice for Natasha.

"When do you want us to come to the station?" asked Dom.

"On Thursday" said Pete.

"Consider it done" said Dom.

"I also need to speak to Natasha's closest friends" said Pete.

"She didn't really have any, but well there is Lia" said Dom.

"Well she will need to come in for questioning as well" said Pete.

"I will tell her" said Dom.

"Well then, that is all I wanted to see you for" said Pete.

"Peter…thank you" said Dom as he smiled.

"I am not doing this for you, I am doing it for Natasha, because she did not deserve the hell you and your family put her through, and also for Joy, because she doesn't deserve this too" said Pete angrily.

"I understand" said Dom.

"Good" said Pete as he turned around and he walked away.