Everything went wrong on April 11, 2014.
Tony's world went crashing down.
It was the best, and worst day of his life.
Nothing would be the same.
Because when there is life, there is death.
"Dad, when is Uncle Bruce coming to check on the baby?" Tony and Steve's daughter, Chloe, asked, placing a hand on her large and swollen, 9-month pregnant belly.
"Next week I think, he's still in India for his conference," Tony answered as he placed another pillow behind Chloe's back then moved away from the couch so he could help Steve with the tray he was carrying.
"But, you need to sit, relax, and eat until he comes back," Steve said, rubbing his daughters stomach.
"Thanks dads. It's been hard ever since Noah left me," she frowned, taking a sip of her water.
"Well, you don't need to worry about him anymore," Tony smiled, as Peter walked into the living room.
"Hey little sister, and Mr. Nephew," Peter laughed and looked at his little sister.
"Hey, to you too, and maybe its a girl," she corrected him, laughing.
"Well, I'm going to go to the la-"
"Sir, there is an emergency in the main lobby, Miss Potts will try to solve the problem, but it looks like it is not working," JARVIS spoke over Tony.
"Well, tell her I'll be down in a second," Tony sighed then answered the supercomputer.
BOOM
"JARVIS, what the hell was that?!" Steve helped his daughter up quickly, holding her close.
"It would appear there are intruders trying to breach the south wall on the thirty second floor, Sir," The super computer answered the super soldier.
"JARVIS, is there any way clear for us to get Chloe out?" Tony asked, panicked.
"Unfortunately, Commander, the assailants have already breached both stairwells, and have cut the power to both the private and communal elevators," was the reply, and Tony groaned. "Steve, get Chloe to the lab, I'll be there in a second. Peter, you come and help me," Tony said, walking into his Iron Man suit.
"C'mon honey," Steve said as he picked up his heavily pregnant daughter, bridal style down to Tony's lab.
1 HOUR LATER
"Dad? Daddy? Peter?" Chloe yelled from the lab, her water had broken and she could have sworn she heard the sound of footsteps. Sadly, when no one answered her cries for help, Chloe groaned as another contraction hit her. Dust and debris surrounded her, it had been a half hour since the lab was destroyed.
"Chloe?" Peter whispered as he slowly walked down the steps of what used to be the lab.
"Pete!" she managed to cry out, before she was struck with another hard contraction.
"Chloe! Oh my god, thank god, okay we need to go now," Peter said, rushing to his sisters aid, who was huddled in the corner of the far side of the lab.
"Peter, I'm a little busy at the moment!" She screamed as the worst contraction hit her. "Peter, you need to find dad or daddy, or someone like Bruce!" Chloe panicked.
"Hold on, I can get dad," Peter ran out of the dusty lab, racing towards the door.
"CHLOE!" Tony screamed from the top of the lab. "CHLOE WHERE ARE...you?" Tony stared at his daughter on the other side of the room, and the sight broke his heart. She was struggling to stand up, her face was red, and most of the debris that had fallen from the ceiling, had managed to bruise her body as well.
"JARVIS? How far am I?" She called out to the computer, not noticing Tony.
"My scanners indicate that the child is very eager to become part of the world, because you are already six centimeters dilated, miss."
"Woah, woah, woah, six?" Tony squeaked, surging forwards to pick up Chloe, and putting her on the couch in the lab. "How many does it have to get to before things start crowning?"
"Ususally ten centimeters, sir, until the mother is advised to begin pushing," was the AI's reply, and Tony so didn't need his snarky attitude right now. Four centimeters was… was nothing.
"Dad," she screamed as she grabbed Tony's hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Okay, so… what do I do?" he asked, deciding - there and then - that he wasn't going to let Chloe suffer this by herself. "Looks like you're having a home birth, honey. Sorry."
"At this point, I kind of just want it out of me," she panted, clutching her stomach with her eyes squeezed shut.
"I hear ya," Tony nodded. "JARVIS?"
"I would advise you fill a bowl with lukewarm water, sir, and have some clean towels and a pair of strong scissors on hand," he replied. "Also, I would suggest you wash your hands thoroughly - perhaps even douse them in alcohol."
That, Tony could do. Giving Chloe's had a reassuring squeeze, he sprang up and headed straight over to the little bathroom at the other side of what used to be a lab, to grab the towels, and then back out and over to the broken kitchenette for the bowl of water and to wash his hands.
"How you doing, princess?" he called, scrubbing his hands with soap.
"How do you think? I'm pushing a watermelon out of my stomach!" she yelled back at him.
"I would suggest changing into a more reclined position, miss," JARVIS suggested helpfully as Tony carried his supplies back over to the broken coffee table in front of the couch.
With a groan, Chloe managed to get her legs up onto the couch and swivel so she was propped up against the arm, and Tony - dutifully - took up his position at her lower end.
"At this point, I would advise removing the young miss' underwear."
Chloe shot him a horrified look, and hissed, "Don't you even dare -"
"Sweetie, please," he huffed, tactfully averting his eyes as he shifted her loose-fitting dress up around her bulging waist anyway. "Let's not pretend that I didn't change your diapers for years. I know what's going on down there."
Chloe sighed in embarrassment, her head thumping back against the arm of the couch, but allowed Tony to remove her sodden underwear as swiftly as he could.
"This is so not what I expected this to be like," she sighed, and then groaned again as another contraction hit her.
"You and me both, sweetie," he replied, clapping her knee softly in support. "How're we looking, JARVIS?"
"It would appear that the young miss has reached ten centimeters of dilation," the AI confirmed, and Tony felt his stomach whoop nauseously, because damn, that had been fast. "I would suggest that she start to push when her next contraction hits. This should be a natural urge by now - a sign that the child is ready to be born."
"Oh, its definitely ready to be born!" Chloe snapped, panting, as Tony maneuvered himself into his knees - bracing each of her feet on one of his thighs. "I still can't believe this is happen -"
But then she cried out - almost doubling in on herself - as another contraction hit her, and all Tony could do was lean forwards to grab her hands and yell - desperate and afraid - "Push, baby!"
Thank God, she did as she was told - screaming out with her face scrunched and red as she pushed as hard as she could - and squeezed Tony's hands for dear life in the process. Then, when the contraction was over, she slumped and let out a little sob, panting for breath.
"You've gotta keep breathing for me, honey, okay?" he told her, sweeping a little line of sweat off her forehead as comfortingly as he could. At this point, he was running on instinct and lines he had seen on television, because he was absolutely terrified and not at all prepared for this. "Just rest until the next one, okay?"
Chloe nodded, bottom lip trembling, but she only got a few seconds of peace before the next contraction was tearing through her, and she was forced to push again.
"Okay, okay," Tony nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay, baby, you can do this - you gotta push as hard as you can for me next time, okay?"
"I can't Dad," Chloe whispered, shaking her head as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm so tired, and I can't -"
"Hey, hey," he cut her off, shifting to her side so he could hug her close and pet her sweaty hair. "You can do this, okay? I absolutely know you can, honey, and you know how I know?"
"How?" she asked, sniffling.
"Because you are the single strongest person I have ever met," he replied sincerely. "You are so brave, baby, and you only need to push a couple more times, then it'll be here, and everything will change, sweetie, I promise. It will be better."
"Okay, Daddy," she nodded, taking a deep breath as the next contraction began. "I love you."
"Love you too, sweetie," he replied, moving back down into his precarious position. "Now push for me."
Again, she did as she was told - groaning aloud with effort and pain as she bore down - and Tony was pretty sure his hands were going to be no more than bloody stumps by the end of this, but he didn't care because - as he took a cautious look down, he realised he could see something emerging.
"JARVIS? I think I can see its head!" he cried, kissing Chloe's shaky hand in excitement as the latest contraction passed. "What do I do? Can I just pull it, or -"
"I would strongly advise against that, sir," the AI replied, and - at this point - Tony didn't even care that a machine was obviously making fun of him. He could see his grandchild. "Sir, I would, however, suggest you prepare the towels, because the child will be here very soon."
Towels, yes, I can do that," he nodded, reaching over to the destroyed coffee table and drawing them into his lap. "It's little head is crowning, Chloe, I can… I can see it. One more push baby - a big one - and it'll be here."
Chloe nodded and - as Tony prepared himself with the towels by her entrance - she let out a scream as she gave one, final push, and a little baby flopped out into Tony's waiting hands.
"Shit, oh my God, JARVIS, what do I -"
"The placenta is still yet to be birthed, sir," the AI cut in as the baby - his grandchild - began to scream and cry. "Whilst this is being done, the cord can be cut and the baby cleaned, dried and swaddled in blankets."
"Okay," he nodded, trying to keep hold of the wigging baby. "Chloe, can you -?"
"On it," she sighed, bearing down once more as he reached for the scissors on the coffee table and neatly cut the cord - a feeling of something intense and heady swelling inside him as he did so.
"Tony? Chloe?" came Steve's terrified voice suddenly from the door, as - with a grimace - Tony wrapped up the placenta in a spare towel and put it on the floor by his feet. "Hey, Chloe, you okay? Chloe?!" Steve screamed over the loud wails of the newborn. He walked over to his unconscious daughter, and took her pulse. "No..NO! PLEASE NO!" He cried out, looking at her emotionless face. The face that once brought glee and joy into the world, was now nothing. Steve sighed as tears rolled down his cheeks and Tony held the baby, still soaking everything in.
"What is it? The baby," Steve asked quietly.
"I-Its a girl. A baby girl," Tony replied, looking at his granddaughter, who had the same happy face as her mother. "We're calling her Chloe. After her mother," Tony kissed the small baby and held it close, as he stared at his daughters lifeless body.
"I'm so sorry honey," he whispered, closing his eyes and letting tears flow from them feely.