Hey all so I'm just getting back into writing after being gone for a very long time. I've had this idea playing around in my head for Elena since about the time the Age of Ultron Movie came out. I'm excited to see where she takes me and I hope you are too! Please be kind in your critics as I am still a little rusty. XXX
Pacing was all Tony could do at the moment. Pacing back and forth down the long hospital hallway, quietly thinking to himself about how he was in no way ready for this day. He thought he had at least another two months to prepare for this, but as fate would have it today was they day. The nurses kept telling him any minute, any minute now he would be a father. Did he even know how to be a father?
Was Howard really the example he wanted to follow or would he try his own approach to the job. April, however, would make a wonderful mother. It's seems as if she was preparing her whole life for this role. If she could take care of him and his eccentric ways, than a child would be no problem for her. She was a born to be a nurturer, kind and gentle all the way through. From the moment he had first met her in the ER at Mass General, she had wiggled her way into his heart.
Not many people could get away with putting Tony in his place, especially at the age of 17, when he assumed he was invincible in all aspects of his life. But there she was all 5'5 of her standing toe to toe with him, telling him he could either get back in the hospital bed by himself or she would force him back into bed and restrain him. That was the moment when Tony first fell for April. Her red hair reflected her inner fiery personality. April didn't take shit from any body, not even a bratty teenage millionaire, who if he wanted to could have had her fired in a second.
After his hospital stay for excessive drinking, it had taken a lot of convincing for April to agree to go out with him. But after a few accidents that conveniently sent him to the ER, and the promise that he would never bother her again, if she just agreed to one date with him. After that one date, he and April were inseparable. Even though she was older than him, April never grew frustrated when Tony acted out. In fact she was incredible patient with him, offering him a place to crash and ear to listen. She never judged him for his issues with his dad, or his anxiety over being the heir to a multi-billion dollar company that Tony wasn't even sure he had wanted anything to do with it.
April was there for him when nobody else was. She loved him, faults and all and he would never be able to figure out why. His father called him crazy when he went home one Christmas to tell his parents he intended to propose to her. His dad once again disapproved of his life choices. He told Tony, he was in no way to propose to April. But then the accident happened and April was there in heartbeat to comfort him and help him take care of the arrangement.
That had been a year ago, and now at the age of 20, he was ready to step up and be the man his mother knew he could be, his father maybe not so much. As he paced back and forth waiting for the nurses to get him, Tony fiddled with the small jewelry box in his pocket. He should have done this months ago, but he didn't want her to think he was only doing it because of the baby. He was doing this because for once in his life he wanted to do something the right way. He wanted him, April, and the baby to be a family. Maybe he wasn't completely ready to be a father, but April would be there to help him along the way. Just as she had been doing for the last 4 years.
Tony looked up from the ground when he heard footsteps approaching. There waiting in front of him was the nurse who had told him where he could find April's room. He had stayed outside when he had heard yelling not knowing if he would be welcomed in.
"Mr. Stark, Ms. Jones is all done and is ready for you to meet your new baby girl." She smiled at him and ushered him through the door.
Tony looked dazed as he started to walk through the doorway "A girl" he whispered to himself in amazement.
As he walked through the door Tony couldn't help the face splitting grin that had spread across his face. There April sat, in all her sweaty glory, cuddling their brand new baby girl. She looked up at him as he step towards the bed, a smile of equal size spread across her face.
"Hey there Hot Shot come meet your daughter." She whispered as if she would wake the bundle in her arms.
Tony quietly slid in bed next to her. Taking a second to quickly kiss her forehead.
She adjusted the bundle so that Tony could see her tiny face under all those blankets. The moment he laid eyes on her, he knew he was done for. Gone were all his doubts and concerns, he knew in that moment he would do whatever it took to make that little bundle the happiest person on the planet.
She was so tiny he was afraid he might break her if he touched her. He wasn't always the gentlest with things.
"Hey there Squirt, you're a little early' Toney said as placed a his pointer finger gently against her cheek.
He was amazed at how soft she was, by the fact that she was actually here.
"She's as impatient as he father." April murmured against his arm. She was exhausted after such a hard labor. Even though Squirt was tiny, because of how early she was, it had still be a difficult labor.
Tony chuckled at April's words as he stared at their daughter
"So do we stick with Squirt or does this little rebel get a real name?' Tony asked a tired April.
With her head against the pillow and her eye partially closed, April groaned and opened one eye to look at Tony
"We still had over 20 names on the list how are we suppose to narrow it down?" She asked.
Tony grinned "Well I could just start spitting out some names and see how they sound?"
April smiled and shook her head, squirt lying peacefully against her chest. April gently started to caress her tiny head.
"We'll be here forever if we do that. I was thinking this morning, that maybe we could use our mother's as inspiration."
Tony rendered speechless by April's thoughtfulness. It never ceased to amaze him.
All he could do was nod his head
April turned her head to look at him "I was thinking Elena Marie Stark sounded good, we could call her Ellie for short."
"I don't know, I really had my heart set on Squirt" Toney chuckled as he went to kiss his daughter's head.
April laughed and softly hit the back of her hand against his chest.
"Come on Tony be serious."
Tony took his hand and move Aril's face so that he could kiss her on the lips. "I think the name is perfect!"
He gently took squirt from April's arm and she fussed for second but she settled down once he started to rock her.
"Elena Marie Stark welcome to the family."
April smiled at Toney with loving eyes as she placed her head against his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes. before Tony quickly handed Elena over to April.
"Here take Squirt for a second." She had a disapproving look on her face, as she took her baby back.
"Tony we are not calling her that." He chuckled at her disapproval, as he dug into his pocket.
"So I was thinking that Squirt over here can't be the only female Stark there is. I think she needs someone else to share the name with."
April looked at him with a bewildered look on her face and said "Don't tell me you want another baby all ready! You just got this one, maybe wait till she's house broken, before we think of having another one."
Tony laughed at her as he sat back on the bed, the small box hiding in his hand.
"While I would love nothing more than to have a whole horde of children with you, I was thinking along a different line. I was thinking maybe you could take the name Stark."
With that he opened the box with one hand, to revel the stunning ring nestled between two cushions.
April's jaw dropped as she realized what exactly Tony was implying.
"April Jones would you make the terrible mistake, well on your end not mine, of becoming my baby mama, I mean wife."
April's eyes filled with tears as a laugh escaped her lips. Shaking her head up and down she responded "Yes!"
Tony quickly went in and peppered kiss all over her face, trying to be gentle since she was still holding Squirt in her arms. As they closed in to each other, Squirt began to fuss and a small cry left her lips.
April quickly separated from Tony and started to shush Ellie. "It's okay Ellie. I know Daddy smells, but I promise it isn't always this bad."
Tony pulled away affronted, "Hey, it's not my fault Squirt decided to come two months early, while I was in the middle of putting together some new weapons in the shop!"
April just roller her eyes and went back to cooing at Ellie "She just couldn't wait to meet us. Isn't that right Ellie?"
April began to rock Elena in her arms and hum to her.
"It's okay Squirt I forgive you for the heart attack," Tony said as looked lovingly as his new family.
April look up Tony annoyed " Say it with me Tony Ell-ie."
"Sqa-irt" Tony replied with a grin.
She roller her eyes at him "Oh you're imposible"
"Yeah but you're stuck with me now." Tony smiled as he placed the ring on April's finger."
She shrugged, "Ehhh I could always divorce you, and hook up with Rhodey."
Tony's jaw dropped in fake shock "Hey now!
April giggled as they gently touch foreheads. As Elena lay sleeping in April's arms, the both of them content to just take in the feeling of everything. Tony at that exact moment couldn't remember a time were he was more content. He had his two girls now, and nothing else mattered to him. Not his company, not Obie, hell not even his fleet on antique cars he had been working on. All he needed in life was April and Squirt and he would be just fine.
Tony was so captivated by Squirt and April that he almost didn't hear the nurse roll in with an incubator. April held Ellie a little tighter to her, as if she was afraid that the nurse would steal her daughter away.
"Sorry to interrupt but we need to take Baby Stark for her hearing test and Dr. Hollows wants to check and make sure her heart and lungs are doing just fine. She may need to spend sometime in the incubator to build up her lung strength"
April looked at Tony concerned, 'Does he think something could be wrong with her?"
The nurse shook her head, "I'm sure nothing is wrong. It's is all simply routine checks, and if it makes you feel better, her new Daddy can follow us down to the testing area. Doctor Hollows wants you to stay in bed anther day or two Ms. Jones."
April nodded and bent down to kiss her Ellie on the head. She smiled as she handed her gently over to Tony.
"God she's no bigger than a socket wrench." Tony joked as he took her and gentle placed her in the incubator. Elena started to fuss, as she lost the comfort of her parents.
Tony quickly looked back to April to see a look of distress cross her face. Tony quickly walked backed over to the bed and kissed her comfortingly on the lips.
"We'll be back before you can miss us Red." He said lovingly.
April warmly kissed him back, and pushed him in the direction of their daughter.
"Go on Hot Shot, make sure our daughter will be able to hear all you obnoxious banter."
"Hey" He said offended. "My witting banter is the reason you fell in love with me."
"Sure, and the millions didn't hurt either." She winked at him.
Tony left the room still not being able to stop his smiling. Everything was perfect for once in his life.
The nurse was a few steps a head of Tony with Elena by the time he exited the room. However, when Tony heard his Squirt start to cry, he hustled to catch up with them. When he did, Tony stuck his hand into the opening of her incubator and she latched on to his pointer finger.
He noticed Squirt seemed to calm down a little a soon as she had contact with him.
Looking down at her, Tony smiled and said, "I know Squirt, I don't like being away from mommy either."
The nurse lead him and Squirt into a new room and there waiting was Ellie's doctor.
He walked over to Tony and shook the hand that wasn't currently being commandeered by Elena.
"Congratulations Mr. Stark." He said in a kind manner.
Tony just nodded and even though he really didn't want to he removed his hand from Squirt grasp.
The doctor looked over Elena for a few minutes and then turned to Tony saying, "So her breathing is a little strained, her lungs still need sometime to develop. So I would like to put her on oxygen for the next week and we can see how she does after that. It's not a big deal. I don't want you and Ms. Jones to worry. She'e perfectly healthy for being born as early as she was. I'm also concerned about her weight, I don't think I'll be giving you clearance to take her home until she hits at least 5 pounds and again depending on her lung development."
Tony was completely floored by all the doctor was throwing at him. He was an engineer not a doctor, and while he may be genius, health and medicine was April's field. After all she was a trauma nurse. Tony was busy trying to compute everything, so he wasn't able hear the doctor's next question
"I'm sorry what was that?" Tony asked shaking himself out of his stupor
"So does this little one have a name or is she just going to be baby Stark for right now?"
Tony started to answer but then a devious idea came to him, "Actually Doc, do you mind helping me with a joke?"
The Doctor looked at Tony skeptically, "Depends on the prank Mr. Stark."
"Tony, please. And I was wondering if when you write Elena's birth certificate you could add a little something for me?"
Tony went on to explain what he wanted the Doctor to write on Elena's birth certificate. The doctor got a good chuckle out of it, and agreed to Tony's prank. Just as he was finished signing the form, a nurse burst into the room
"Dr. Hollows we have a code blue." And with that she was out of the room.
The Doctor turned to Tony "A nurse should be back to take you and Elena back to Ms. Jones's room shortly."
An hour later Tony was still sitting alone in the room with Elena humming Back in Black to her, as he sat next to her incubator, watching her as she slept. It wasn't until his beeper buzzed that he even realized how much time had passed. Shouldn't someone have taken him and Squirt back by now? Maybe they had forgotten they were in there?
Tony went to leave the room. but then remembered Squirt would be all by herself, if he did.
"Come on Squirt we are gonna go get some answers. I don't know how any one forgot about us, were too cute to be forgettable. Don't you agree?"
Tony carted Squirt with him as he headed to the nearest nurses' station. Tony walked up to the nurse at the closest computer "Hi um excuse me someone was suppose to take me and this little trouble maker back to my fiancée about an hour ago? Is there any way someone can show us back?"
The nurse look confused for a second. "Um sure Mr. Stark, what let me look it up, what's the name of the mother."
Tony answered and waited while she typed the information in. Suddenly the nurse's face went pale
"Is there a problem?"
She looked at him nervously, "It says here Ms. Jones was taken in for emergency surgery about 50 minutes ago."
Tony fumed "Are you kidding me you've kept me waiting down here in the dark while my fiancée is in surgery! Why is she even in surgery she was fine when I left her? How do you mess up a healthy patient? Is this Hospital that incompetent?"
The nurse paled even more during Tony's tirade.
"I'm sorry Mr. Stark, I can take you back to her room and her doctor will explain everything once he has an update. That's all I know for now."
As soon as Tony was back in the room with Elena, he was on the phone with Rhodey. Fuming about what was happening and about how he was going to sue this whole hospital for the mix up with April, because there was no way she was in surgery right now, and they probably just took her for test.
While he was raging on the phone Elena start to cry in hunger. Tony hung up and was immediate by her side, pressing the button for the nurse.
"What seems to be the problem Mr. Stark?" It was the same nurse that had come for the doctor when he was in the room with Tony.
"Yah two things one, I can't get her to stop crying and two, where the hell is April?"
The nurse walked over to Elena and assessed her.
"She hasn't eaten in awhile she's probably hungry. I'll get her some formula, since I don't know how much longer Ms. Jones will be in surgery."
Tony whipped around in anger at the nurse. "She is not in surgery, you guys have her mixed up with someone else. She was perfectly fine when I left."
The nurse gave Tony a sympathetic look and shook her head, "I'm sorry Mr. Stark but after you left Ms. Jones's blood pressure spiked drastically. We called Dr. Hollows back immediately, and he determined that she needed emergency surgery. All signs lead to something called preeclampsia. It's a disorder the doctor didn't catch during her pregnancy, and it's probably what lead to your daughter being born so early."
Tony's head swirled again with all this medical information and he could barely get the words out, "But it's treatable right? I mean April's going to be fine right?"
The nurse just looked at him and said, "I can't say Mr. Stark, Dr. Hollows will let you know what is happening once he is out of surgery."
So there Tony sat, alone with Elena, praying for the first time in his life that April would be okay. A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts.
"Mr. Stark, may I come in?"
Tony didn't answer, not sure if he wanted to know what news was on the other side of the door. But the doctor took his silence as approval and opened the door, a grim expression on his face.
"Is April okay Doc?" Toney strained to say.
The doctor just stared at Tony and with a somber tone said, "I'm sorry Mr. Stark but it seems that due to Ms. Jones undiagnosed preeclampsia, the strain of labor was too much on her heart. We tried everything we could but unfortunately we could not save Ms. Jones."
Tony laughed out loud, "This is a joke right? Red put you up to this because you told her what I did with birth certificate, This is her twisted way at getting back at me?"
The doctor just shook his head, "No I'm sorry Mr. Stark this is no joke, Ms. Jones is no longer with us."
"No you see because when I left she was perfectly fine, so you must be joking with me."
Doctor Hollows just sighed, "I assure you Mr. Stark this is not a joke. I'll give you sometime with your daughter, before I take you down to say goodbye."
"There is no one to say goodbye to because April is fine." Tony yelled as the doctor exited the room.
In his anger tony flung the beside lamp off the table, and it crashed onto the floor. The loud shatter sending Elena back into another cry fit. Only this time it was much more shrill, as if she were crying with ever fiber of her being.
Again Toney ran to her side, phone in hand, trying to comfort his daughter. He rubbed his hand gently on her belly.
"Shh, It's alright I'm here Squirt, daddy's here. I'm sorry I scared you." While trying to calm her down Tony fumbled with his satellite phone frantically trying to get a hold of Rhodey.
"Rhodes I need you here buddy, they keep telling me that April is dead, and Elena is crying. I need you to come tell them they are mistaken and messing with the wrong family because I will buy this hospital and shut it down if I have too."
Before Rhodey could even respond, Tony hung up and put all of his attention back on Elena.
"Shhh Squirt it's okay Momma's okay she'll be back any moment you'll see."
Tony was in such a state he didn't even realize that there were tears rolling down his face.
The nurse came back bottle in hand
"Mr. Stark I can feed her while Dr. Hollows takes you to say your goodbyes."
"Fine, I will go with him, but just to prove you have all made a terrible mix up."
Toney huffed out of the room, his anger making him forget his reluctance to leave Squirt by herself.
He walked out to see Dr. Idiot, as he deemed him, standing by the elevator
"I swear to you, this joke is no longer funny,"
"Mr. Stark-"
Tony interrupted, "Save it Doc. Just take me to my fiancée so I can yell at her in person."
The doctor just sighed and hit the button for the basement floor. "Now the will probably be a shock for you Mr. Stark, so just remember that it isn't April anymore really, it's just something you get to say goodbye to."
Exasperated Toney said, "Man Doc you can really hag on to an act, not even a crack in the façade. You really should- "
But Tony's words fell short when he saw the name of the floor they had landed on.
MORGUE
Tony felt his throat go dry and cold sweat take over him. "Hey Doc, this isn't a joke is it?"
Somberly Dr. Hollows said, "No Mr. Stark it is not."
In utter silence the doctor opened the door for him and there on a cold metal slab laid a figure cover in a white cloth. In the moment, Tony would have given his entire fortune over for April not being under that cloth.
In tortured silence the doctor removed the cloth and as soon as Tony saw the bright red hair, he knew it was his Red under there.
Tony stared down at what was once his vibrant loving April, and he lost all sense off self. He was completely removed from his body and his emotions. He just stared at her as if he didn't recognize the person on the table in front of him.
In shock he choked out, "I don't understand how this happened, the whole reason we are here is because you people were suppose to be the best of the best. I don't understand how you people missed this. "
In a patient manner he explained, "Your fiancée had strange disorder where blood pressure is normally low, so when it spiked, it didn't register as anything but normal. It never set off any warning signs during check ups or even when she came in for delivery. We obviously saw some distressed from your daughter, but that can happen with pre mature labor. By the time I got her into surgery she was already in heart failure. This disorder can wreak havoc on the organs if gone unchecked, which it is was. I'm sorry Mr. Stark there was nothing I could do."
Tony just glared at him, "You could have been a god damn doctor, and realized what was going on with her. I don't understand how you are supposed to be the best in the buisness and you never saw this. Trust me you will be hearing from my legal team in the near future. That I can assure you DOC"
He spat out the word Doc with such venom Tony was honestly surprised the doctor didn't leave right then and there.
"I'll give you a few minute alone with her Mr. Stark. When you're done, I'll meet you in the hallway."
And with that Tony was left alone with what was once the love of his life.
He looked at her and sobbed, "Oh Red what am I going to do without you? You were the whole reason this normal life thing was going to work out, not me I'm not the normal one. And what about Squirt? How am I gonna raise her by myself huh. She'll be just as screwed up as I am, and I never wanted that for her. "
Tony just stared at April for a few moments, before he had to turn away and look at something else, "I'm not sure I can do this without you Red. "
By the time Tony came back up to what was once April's room, Rhodey was sitting in the room talking to Elena in a very embarrassing baby voice. If it weren't for the fact that April had just died, Tony would have mocked him mercilessly for it.
Rhodey looked up at Tony as he entered the room, and just by looking at him knew that April was gone
With a shake of his head Rhodey said, "Tony, ma I'm..."
Tony sharply interrupted, "Don't "
Exhausted, "Tony."
Toney shook his head, "I can't focus on it right now Rhodey, I have to keep Squirt in mind. If I think about April I'm going to be of no use to her."
Rhodey looked at his friend in sorrow, "Hey man I'm here for what ever you need. If you want I can take some time off till you and her get settled. Hey what is my God daughter's name anyway? "
Toney had a ghost of a smile cross his face at the mention of Squirt. He walked over to look down at sleeping daughter. Slightly envious that she was totally ignorant to everything going on around her. Oblivious that she was now without a mother and the poor kid only had him as a parent.
He looked at Rhodey,"Elena Marie Stark"
Rhodey clapped him on the shoulder, "Elena is beautiful man."
A nurse knocked on the door with a chart in her hand, "Hi I just need to check baby Stark's vitals and confirm some information for hospital records."
The Nurse started to look over Elena's vital as she spoke, "Father is Anthony Edward Stark, Mother April Margret Jones?"
"Yeah", Tony has a solemn look befall his face at April's name.
The nurse continued with her questions, "Baby's full name Elena Marie Squirt Stark Born October 2nd 1992 3 lbs 9oz."
"Yes", Tony answered.
Rhodey interrupted, "Tony Squirt is just a nick name. They must have accidently placed it on the records when you said it."
Tony actually smiled, remembering what he had had the doc do. "Nope that's her name and I even had the doc put it on her birth certificate."
Rhodey looked at him in shock, "The name Squirt is on her birth certificate?"
He just looked at him with mischief in his eyes, "In parenthesis yup."
Rhodey in a deadpanned voice "April is going to haunt the shit out of you for that,"
Tony let out such a belly laugh at that, that he even surprised himself. He looked down at the official Squirt and hopped on day she too would give him hell for the name. That the fire of her mother, would live on in her, and that one day the two of them would be okay. Until then Tony would just have take this one step at a time
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