When Tabby is 18 months old Steve starts to go out on missions again.
He is reluctant at first, and only agrees to do it when Maria is guaranteed to be at home, safe with Tabby. It is the only way he can focus his mission, knowing that he does not have to worry. And that is how Maria finds herself sat in the Avenger's living room, watching her daughter play with Tony who seems to be enjoying the toddler toys more than the one-year-old. Natasha has gone with Steve and Sam on their mission and so Clint insists on having the live S.H.I.E.L.D feed of the mission streamed on the ridiculously large and expensive TV Tony has in every room of the tower. Maria keeps one eye on the muted television while watching her daughter drool all over the millionaire.
Tabby is just starting to almost form words. She babbles at Tony in an unrecognisable collection of sounds, the man himself nodding and humming in agreement as if he understands what she says. Occasionally he says his own name slowly and deliberately, attempting to be the first thing the Avenger's sweetheart says. Maria really hopes she does not say his name first; they would never hear the end of it. She's selfishly holding out for 'mama', she's even put money on it in the betting pool Natasha's created that she definitely doesn't condone. Steve also wants Tabby to say 'mama' first, it was his first word (despite Tony's never ending teasing that it was something patriotic like 'America' or 'freedom') and he would much rather share that with her than have Tabby say 'dada'. He would never admit it, but she expects he feels guilty that Tabby appears to be daddy's girl and so Steve wants Maria to have something that proves otherwise, she kind of feels the same way.
Clint's sharp intake of breath brings her out of her head and snap her head to the screen where Steve's face is frozen in horror. At Tony's request J.A.R.V.I.S turns the sound on just as the target of Steve's mission makes his sinister threat. The audio and visual are both a little shaky, but they can still make out what he says.
"You can't keep them safe Captain," he taunts. "Your Maria and little Tabitha can't be safe forever."
The surveillance cameras S.H.I.E.L.D have commandeered show Steve's face harden. His jaw twitches as his eyes darken, his body trembling with the rage he is barely managing to contain. Maria can tell what he really wants to do is beat this man until he can no longer breathe in the way only a super soldier can do, but she also knows that he won't do that, he can't, not until he finds out how this man knows about his family. They have been ever so careful to keep Tabby's existence out of all files and the media. She is not on Maria's S.H.I.E.L.D file and they never take her out of the tower without disguises or cars with blacked-out windows. Maria knew that it would have to come out eventually, Tabby is around a group of celebrity superheroes too often to not be photographed; Steve has always been insistent, hopeful that they can keep this secret about her up indefinitely. It seems that this villain, some unheard of mission target, has found out about their daughter and is using it as leverage against Steve.
"You have no right to say their names, you have no right to even know of their existence."
He is very close to hurting him. Maria is actually frightened, she knows what Steve is capable of, she knows his own fears about losing control in a fight. Apparently Natasha is also aware of this.
"Steve, you need to calm down before you do something you'll regret." She does not dare touch him, recognising that he could snap at any given moment. He doesn't revert his stone cold stare at the target as he replies to Natasha's request with a monotone, lifeless voice.
"I don't think I'll regret this Nat." And with this he lunges at the man. His massive hands, the same ones that hold Tabby with such care and caution, grip his neck until his face is red and spluttering. Despite this the target still smiles as he utters his last words before his body goes slack under Steve's hands.
"I'd check in on your little family if I were you."
There is silence back in the tower, no one quite knows what to do. Even Maria who is usually so straight thinking and practical in these kind of situations (it used to be her job after all) cannot think clearly enough to do anything but sit and stare at the screen. Steve's face is frozen on it, the link had cut out just after the man had died at Steve's hand, Steve's face filled with terror looking just off camera. Of course this is the moment that Tabby, tiny little innocent Tabby, looks up to see her father's face on the big screen.
What Maria's baby girl does next nearly breaks her heart.
"Dadadadada!"
Her fat little fingers reach up at the screen, trying to grab at her favourite person in the whole world. There is a big smile on her round face as she squeals happily. All eyes are suddenly on this precious child who has no way to understand what is happening. Normal children's first words are met with tears of joy and praise, parents begging and coaching their child to say it over and over again. Tabby's first words are met with tears of fear form her mother and no one goes to encourage Tabby to say it again. Tabby doesn't need any encouragement anyway, she repeats the words over and over again, getting slightly more hysterical with each repetition. Maria still cannot move from where she sits on the sofa, even as tears leak from her child's eyes. The whole team just stare at the child, no one knows what do with the child whose very existence has just been threatened by some mad man hundreds of miles away, a mad man who was just killed by her father.
It is at this moment that Pepper Potts walks into to the room. Maria has always liked Pepper Potts, she eludes that kind of professionalism that Maria for some reason finds comforting, especially around Tony Stark, but she has never been gladder to see her than right now. The woman somehow assesses the situation within seconds of entering; several superheroes (and Maria) sitting frozen, Captain America's face frozen in horror on the TV and an 18-month old child crying alone in the middle of the room. The beautifully dressed CEO sweeps down to pick up Tabby, not completely quieting her sobs but bring them to a quieter hiccup every couple of seconds, she still whimpers the occasional 'dada', breaking the hearts of all in the room. Pepper holds the child close as she asks.
"What on earth is happening?"