Uh, hi? This is the first fic I've posted in over two years and that's because I pushed myself by signing up for the FYDL Galentine's Day gift exchange, which I am so glad that I did! I'm still a little rusty, so I apologize for any mistakes, especially since this wasn't beta'd.
Anyways, my Galentine is McGregorsWench and I really hope she likes this! Her requests included ShieldShock, Darcy being related to Tony, baby fic, fluff, and having Jane & Thor in there as well. I wasn't able to add in any time traveling or a Stargate Atlantis crossover, but I might come back and add another little bit with Bucky & Jemma.
Again, sorry for any mistakes! And my usual disclaimer: If I owned any of this, Darcy would be in all of the Marvel movies.
Hope you enjoy it!
Steve and Tony were standing at the nursery window, both looking at a sleeping baby girl and both pondering what higher being there was in the universe that had decided to give them a second chance.
After a few more moments, Tony broke the silence, "I can't believe they were born on the same day. One a week late and one a week early."
"I still can't believe our wives became pregnant at the same time," Steve replied.
Tony chuckled in reply, "I swear Darcy and Pepper planned it that way just to stress me out as much as they could. Because it wasn't bad enough I had to worry about my wife having a high risk pregnancy, but my daughter having one as well. Thankfully though, they both stayed healthy and we both now have beautiful baby girls in our lives."
Steve nodded in agreement, still not able to take his eyes off of the hospital bassinet with the name 'Adalyn Marie Rogers' attached to the end of it. He finally turned to look at Tony after a thought came to him. "So how does it feel to become both a dad again and a grandfather on the same day?"
Tony turned to him with widened eyes as this realization finally sunk it. "Oh my god. I'm a grandpa. I didn't even think of that." After a minute Tony shook his head as if trying to clear a thought out. "Actually, now that I think about it, of course this would happen to our family. Seriously, out of all of the crazy things that our family has been through, this is the least craziest. And I'm perfectly okay with that." Another minute went by and Tony turned to look at Steve.
"So on a more serious note, how are you doing, Steve? Now that you're a dad," he asked. Steve let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding.
"I'm still in a bit of shock to be honest," he told Tony. "I still can't believe that I've been giving this second chance at life and I'm worried that this is all a dream. But then I think about when I held my baby girl for the first time and how she looked at me, and in that exact moment she became the center of my whole world. In that moment, I realized I would do everything in my power to keep both her and Darcy safe and protected."
Tony clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Yeah, I know exactly how you feel," he told Steve. "Those were all the feelings I had the very first time I held Darcy. Unfortunately, my paternal instincts took longer to kick in than I would like to admit. I'd like to think I was a better father to Darcy than Howard was to me, but because of my own selfish desires, I still missed so much of those early years; I missed so many of her firsts." Tony, now crossing his arms, looked back at the hospital bassinet were his youngest daughter, Anna Grace Stark, was still sleeping. "But," he continued after a minute, "someone, somewhere has decided that I get a second chance at this whole being a dad thing, and while I honestly have no idea what I did to deserve this, I'm going to do my best not to screw this up a second time."
That was the most Steve had ever heard Tony talk about his early years with Darcy and he took a few minutes to absorb that new information. Steve now had a new appreciation for the man he called friend, teammate, and father-in-law. After another few minutes, Steve started chuckling as a new thought came to mind. Tony looked over at him, "What are you laughing about now?"
"Our daughters are going to be holy terrors," Steve said. "The world won't know what to do with them."
Tony also started laughing, "Yep. Two girls who are both half Stark and both have strong, intelligent, and independent mothers, along with a whole bunch of kick ass aunts and uncles. Those two will take over the world one day and I can't wait to see what happens when they do," he said with a shake of his head.
"Now then," he continued turning to look at Steve, "I don't know about you, but I could really use some coffee right now. Let's go find some before our baby girls wake up and have all of our attention for the next eighteen years."
Darcy stared down at the baby in her arms. Her daughter had just finished nursing and was now sleeping peacefully in her arms. Steve was also asleep, having passed out in the chair in the corner of the room (it was with amusement that Darcy noticed that both father and daughter slept with their mouths slightly open). There was a soft knock on the door and when Darcy looked up, she saw Jane and Thor poking their heads around the door.
"Are you up for visitors?" Jane asked quietly. Darcy nodded and the two of them made their way into the room. Steve was now awake and Thor made his way over to him to offer his congratulations while Jane made her way over to Darcy.
"Oh, she is so precious!" Jane whispered once she got a good look at the baby. She brushed a hand lightly over the baby's head, careful not to wake her. "What's her name?" she asked.
"Adalyn Marie," replied Darcy. "Though we'll probably end up calling her 'Addy' for short."
"That is a beautiful name," Thor said, coming up to stand behind Jane while Steve sat down on the bed next to Darcy. He continued, "My mother, Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, Heimdall, and the rest of Asgard send their congratulations to you and Steven as well on the birth of your little one, knowing how you are like a sister to myself and Jane."
"Aw, thanks big guy," Darcy said.
"You are most welcome," Thor replied. "Also, as a gift from Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, they have all pledged to be Lady Adalyn's protectors should anything befall Steven and yourself or any other of Midgard's protectors; I myself also give you this pledge," he said while offering his hand to Steve. Steve grasped Thor's lower arm in a warrior's handshake, nodding his head as well.
"Thank you," Steve said. "That really means a lot, to both of us."
"Come here," Darcy said to Thor. "I need to give you a hug now before I start crying," she said, while reaching up to give Thor a one armed hug around his neck. "You are the absolute best adopted big brother a girl could ask for," she said after giving Thor a peck on the cheek.
"Okay, enough with the serious stuff," Jane said, while also dabbing at her eyes. "I want to know how in the world you and Pepper both managed to go into labor on the same day!"
Darcy laughed. "I wish I could tell you," she said to Jane. "But I swear Pepper and I didn't plan this in any way. Though, when you look at who my family is, this was the least craziest thing to happen to us."
"Yeah," Steve snorted, "that was the same thing Tony said earlier. Right after I asked how he felt becoming both a new dad again and a grandfather on the same day." There was a glint of mischief in Steve's eyes that caught Darcy's attention.
Darcy laughed; "I bet he just loved that reminder," she said while handing off a sleeping Addy for Jane to hold (she did not miss the look on her friends face when Addy was finally in Jane's arms and was willing to bet that by next year, there would be another little addition to the Avengers family).
"Actually, after the initial 'oh my god' moment, he was surprisingly zen about the whole thing," Steve said. "He then went on about how the two of them are going to grow up to be holy terrors that will change the world because they are both half Stark and both have intelligent and independent mothers."
With a nod and a laugh, Darcy agreed. "Yep, that sounds about right," she said as Thor handed Addy back to her for another feeding. There were a few moments of silence while Darcy got Addy situated.
"Well," Jane said after a moment, "we'll get out of your hair and let you two spend some alone time with Addy before everyone else stops by tomorrow."
Steve stood up from where he had been sitting on the bed next to Darcy and gave both Thor and Jane hugs. "Thanks again for stopping by, and Thor," Steve said, looking at Thor directly, "please let Lady Sif and the Warriors Three know that we greatly appreciate their gift." Darcy nodded in agreement behind him. "Knowing there are so many people in our lives who are willing to protect Adalyn for us," he continued, "well, it certainly takes away some of the worry and fears I had."
Thor nodded at Steve. "It is an honor, Steven, that you trust myself and my friends to keep your child safe and protected. I will relay your thanks to them and I know they will feel the same," he said. "And now, as my Jane as said, we will leave you all until tomorrow," he said before quietly closing the door behind himself and Jane.
Steve came back to the bed and sat down again next to Darcy; Darcy snuggled into his side while still feeding their daughter. With a glance down at his daughter in his wife's arms, Steve put his arm around both of them, placing a kiss on the top of Darcy's head, and again thanking whoever it was that decided to give him this second chance at life.