October 31, 2001

"Are you almost done, grammy?" Avi whined with impatience while her grammy put green make-up on her face and hands.

"Almost, little sparrow." She replied as she placed some final touches on Avi's face. "All right, all done." Avi opened her eyes and let out a soft gasp. "What do you think, little sparrow?" Avi gently touched her black pointed witch hat with her green finger tips.

"I love it, grammy! It's perfect!" She cheered and spun around, her black dress swirling around her. Avi turned to her door as her father stepped in. "Daddy!" She raced over to him. Tony caught her mid run and swung her around. "How do I look?"

"Just like the Wicked Witch of the West." He told her. Avi gave a satisfied nod and looked around her brother.

"Where's my lion full of courage?" She asked him. On cue, Al walked into the room in a tawny lion suit, arms crossed and a pout on his face.

"Apparently full of grumps." Tony teased, setting Avi down.

"Why do I have to be a lion? Why couldn't I be Doctor Abraham Erskine?" Al asked.

"Cause we wouldn't match then!" Avi chimed, booping her broomstick on Al's make upped nose. Al wrinkled his nose and swatted the broomstick away from his face.

"Fine, but next year I get to choose what we dress up as." Avi and Al turned to their father for the final agreement.

"Al get's next Halloween." Tony told them both.

"Fine." Avi huffed but smiled at her brother. They both looked up when they heard a knock at the front door. "They're here!" Avi squealed and raced to the door, Al close behind her.

"Al! Avi! No running on the stairs!" Tony yelled after them. They continued to run to the front door, Al reaching it first. He opened the door and Harry, Peter, and Gwen stood on the other side with their parents.

"Elphaba!" Gwen and Avi hugged each other.

"Glinda!" The girls giggled. The released one another and turned to the boys.

"Hey, Al. Hey, Avi." Harry said as he walked in dress as the Tin Man.

"Hi, Harry." Al and Avi said in unison. Peter looked at Avi a bit shyly and waved. Avi gave him a soft smile and hugged him.

"Hello, Peter. You look very cute in your scarecrow outfit." Peter blushed a bright red.

"T-thank you." He stuttered.

"Your welcome!" She replied brightly and turned to her father, missing the knowing looks the adults gave each other. "Can we go trick-or-treating now?" The adults chuckled and nodded. All five kids cheered and ran out the door going across the street to the neighbor's house. The adults ran after them quickly before they could get to far ahead from them. The five kids quickly went to each and every house in the Starks neighborhood in a couple of hours. The group soon got into their cars and head to the kids school.

"Daddy, there's a haunted house in the gym, can we go? Please please please?" Tony chuckled at the puppy dog eyes Avi was giving him.

"Oh, I don't know Avi, only if the lion of courage goes with you." She squealed and grabbed Al by the wrist to the entry, Peter, Harry, and Gwen giggling behind them.

"Avi, I don't wanna be in here!" Al whined, wringing the tail of his costume.

"Oh don't be such a baby, Alfie." Avi teased.

"Yeah, Alfie don't —" Peter was cut off by the sudden dropping of a fuzzy orange and black spider that knocked Avi's hat off her head. The two kids squealed and ran into what they thought was a split in the curtain only to tear the whole pvc pipe construction down. Everyone there stared at the two kids in shock for a few moments before Tony burst out laughing as he tried to help his daughter out of the wreck and the Parkers doing the same with their son. Once they were out of the curtains Avi and Peter just stared at one another before bursting into giggles. Tony watched his daughter laugh and smile brightly with her friends. Tony smiled as he realized that everything was going to be okay.

ASPP

November 22, 2001

Al, Avi, Peter, Harry, and Gwen chased each other around in the backyard as they waited for everyone to show up and for dinner to be ready. The men chattered with each other on the porch and kept an eye on the children while the women got dinner on the table.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Stacy called from the porch door and everyone quickly rushed into the house. "You five go wash your hands." The children whine but quickly did as they were told and soon the group was sitting around the big dining table. Just as they were about to say prayer there was a knock at the door.

"Now, who could that be?" Peggy asked while Tony got up to answer the door. He soon returned with another person walking beside him. The chocolate skin man chuckled and shook his head at something Tony said before turning his attention to everyone else.

"Sorry, I'm late. Colonel James Rhodes." The man introduce himself and sat down next to Avi.

"Hi, I'm Avi!" She gave him a bright smile.

"Hello, Avi." Rhodes smiled back. They quickly quieted at Peggy's stare and they said prayer. Rhodes turns his attention back to Avi. "What would you like to eat, Avi?" He asked while taking her plate.

"Mash potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, and the cranberry sauce, please!" Rhodes served each item onto Avi's plate and placed it back in front of her. "Thank you!"

"Your welcome, Avi." Rhodes chuckled and served himself. Avi watched him out the corner of her eye as she ate some of her potatoes.

"How do you know my daddy, Rhodey?" Rhodes turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Rhodey?" He questioned. Avi smiled and shrugged.

"I give a nickname to all my daddy's friends." She told him. Al turned his attention to his sister and the new person.

"Road? Like autobahn?" He asked with a tilt of his head. Avi laughed and shook her head.

"No, Al. Not like autobahn." Tony told him with a small smile. "But Autobahn and I met at MIT when we were younger." Rhodes rolled his eyes.

"Really, Tony?" Al and Avi looked at each other then nodded their heads in unison and turn to Rhodes.

"We now dub you Uncle Autobahn!" They told him with beaming smiles. Tony burst out laughing while Rhodes shakes his head in exasperation. Everyone chuckles and goes back to eating. Rhodes continues to help Avi with her food until she was full. She waits patiently for the others to finish and they retire to the living room. Avi climbs onto the couch next to Rhodes.

"You work for the Army, uncle autobahn?" Rhodes rolled his eyes at his friend's snickering but nodded his head to Avi. "Like Captain America!" She exclaimed with excitement. Rhodes chuckles.

"I guess you could say that but Captain America is much better if you ask me." Avi's eyes shined brightly as she begins to tell Rhodes everything she knows about Captain America. Tony chuckled and smiled as his little girl became full of life again, that's when he knew that everything was right again.

ASPP

December 25, 2001

Avi's eyes slowly open as shuffle nosies come closer to her bed. She rubs at her eyes and sits up.

"Daddy?" She questioned him curiously as she watches him walk to her bed with a tray in his hands.

"Morning, owlet." Tony placed a kiss to her forehead and place the tray in her lap. "I brought you breakfast." Avi looked at the harmless food then to her father, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Did you make it?" She asked him.

"Yes, I did." Tony said proudly. Avi turns back to her food and took a closer look.

"These are Eggo waffles and orange juice from a bottle, daddy. But thank you for the banana slices." Tony pouts at his seven year old.

"How can you even tell that?" He ask as he takes a drink of the orange juice then pulls a face at the bitter taste. "Okay, totally understand now." He placed the glass back onto the tray. Avi giggles at her father as she nibbles on the banana slices and waffles.

"Did you take Al his breakfast already?" Avi asked him as she finishes the juice.

"He was first to wake up actually. He helped me make breakfast." Tony told her and took the tray back. Avi frowned then looked at her clock. In bright red numbers the clock read 11:30 am.

"You almost let me sleep Christmas away!" She cried and scrambled out the bed. She raced pass her father but slowed down once she got to the stairs not wanting her father to yell at her again about running on the stairs. Avi picks up her pace once she's on the first floor and runs into the family room.

"Morning, little sparrow. Why are you out of breath?" Avi spun around to find her grandmother.

"Grammy, daddy and Al almost made me miss Christmas." She told her. Peggy pulled a shocked face.

"Well, we can't have that! The world would be thrown into chaos if Avi Stark misses Christmas!" The kids laugh at their grandmother's silliness and got into their spots to start opening their presents. Peggy went first and opened Avi's and Al's present to her first. It was a beautiful handmade metal picture frame with a picture of a younger Peggy and her two daughters. She turn to her grandkids and brought them into a tight hug. "Thank you so much. I love it." She whispered to them. Al and Avi beamed at her with joy.

"Daddy helped make the frame." Avi told her.

"And find the picture." Al said. Peggy turned to her favorite son-in-law.

"Thank you, Tony." Tony just gave her a small smile and a nod of his head. After Peggy was done opening her gifts it was Tony's turn. The kids got him some new tools with the help of their grammy and Peggy got him cooking classes claiming that she didn't want her angels eating junk once she goes back to England. Then it was Al's turn. Tony got him his own kid safe tool set to help with his tinkering, Peggy got him a book about science, and Avi got him parts to tinker on. Avi bounce with glee with it was finally her turn to open gifts. The first gift she open was from Peggy, it was three new dress with matching shoes and hair clips. Then the gift from her daddy which was four new broadway music books. Al got her a sketch book and color pencils. Just as she was about to thank everyone she spotted a small present under the tree.

Avi crawled under the tree and pulled the present out. It was addressed to her but didn't say who it was from. She opened it and pulled out a silver heart shape locket. Avi stared at it with wide eyes before bursting into sobs. Tony quickly reached for his daughter and brought her into his arms holding her to his chest. Peggy picked up the locket and let out a watery gasp then held it out to Tony, allowing him to finally see it. Tony let out a choked breath as he stares at his wife's heart locket, the one he gave her when they first began to date. Tony took the locket and the fallen note from Peggy and took his still crying daughter to his room. He held onto Avi for awhile until she cried herself into a restless sleep. Tony unfolded the note and began to read it.

"Dear Avi,

If your reading this sweetheart it means I'm no longer there to see you grow up into the beautiful, talented, young woman I know your going to be. I was waiting till you were older originally but you're such a mature young lady I thought you earned this. This locket was made by your father for me. He gave it to me on our first date. It was my most prized possession and greatest gift your father had ever given me until you came. You were my world, Avi and I would do anything to keep you safe from the evil in this world. Even if that means my own death." Tears began to shine in Tony's eyes.

"Now Avi, I need you to pay close attention to this part. There was a prophecy made when I was pregnant with you. I won't go into what the prophecy said but it made me scared enough to hide you and your father from the Wizarding World, my little one. It's why it took Him so long to find us. To find you. I had to protect you from Him whatever the cost. I hope when you're older and understand what I did that you don't hate me. Now that I realize what my actions have cause I wish I could take it all back. So many have died because of my choice and I am full of guilt and regret but Avi, I would do it all over again if it meant you being safe from harm." Tony holds his sleeping daughter tighter to his chest as the tears begin to fall.

"Tony if your reading this, please take care of our little bird. Tell her stories of when we first met, of our wedding, everything. Please keep me alive in her mind. Merlin, Tony I don't know how to say how sorry I am that it ended like this. Just know I love you with all my heart. In the thirteen years that we knew each other and the seven years we were married, I've never been so happy, so loved. You gave me everything I could ever wished for and I thank you for that." Tony let out a soft sob at his wife's words.

"I love you both so very, very much and I wish I could be with you. I'll be watching you both from heaven so don't you dare do anything stupid, Tony and don't encourage Avi into the same habits or I'll come down there and hunt your arse, mister." Tony laughed to himself at that.

"Avi take care of your father for me, Merlin knows he won't. Oh my precious girl, I love you so much. Take care of yourself and don't let the darkness of the world take your light, my Avianera.

All my love,

Mummy." Tony moved away from Avi and walked to his dresser. He hid the letter in one of the drawers and shut it. He vowed to himself that Avi would never see that letter, not until she was much older and over the death of her mother. She was finally going back to his little owlet, full of life and adventure. This letter would ruin everything and he couldn't have it. For once in the last seven year, he allowed himself to be selfish. It was his turn to protect his daughter from the dangers of the world and the first one was this letter. He holds up the locket in his hand and stares at it. Avi deserves to have it, she would love it and take great care of it because of it's last owner. Tony opened the locket and saw a picture of him and Lily on one side of it. He walked over to his desk and looked around in it's drawers until he found a picture of Avi and Al. He cut it out and placed it on the other side. Going back over to his daughter, he carefully placed the necklace around her neck then got back into to bed and stayed with his owlet until she woke up again.