AN:

Please enjoy this first introductory chaoter! And if you haven't read the previous chapter, please go do so now!

Chapter 1

Ten Years Later...

Tony Stark Rogers grinned and cheerfully skipped out of the Brooklyn House for Wards of the State. Christmas Eve was the most important day of the year for the nine adopted siblings Rogers and, as second in command of the family, it usually fell to him to get everything ready for the anniversary. Natasha and Thor were in their attic (a dingy corner room that they maintained and lived in as a family - separate from the harried runners of the house), busy preparing for the quiet celebration. The other six were out in the borough, five probably annoying Bruce at his job at the library. Shivering slightly from the cold, Tony shoved his hands into his pockets and leant against the wall, internally perfecting schematics. Tony, like Bruce and Stephen, was an off-the-charts genius. Come to think of it, they all were unusual in their own ways. Steve (who Tony would admit was his best friend and closest sibling) was principled with an old-fashioned set of morals, but could also be a sarcastic shit, and spoke with a heavy Brooklyn accent when he felt strongly about something. Natasha was scary as hell, silent and partially Russian. Clint was the other half of the ninja assassin twins; sarcastic and an expert marksman, preferring heights and hating authority. Bruce was mild-mannered and shy, but had anger management issues and a deep love of science - nuclear physics in particular - and was Tony's science bro. Stephen was a little arrogant but brilliant and a wannabe future doctor; there was nothing he couldn't do if he set his mind to it. Thor spoke like something out of one of Shakespeare's plays, was built like the Norse god he got his name from, and valued his family over everything else in the world. Bucky was another marksman, loyal and trustworthy to a fault, the kind of guy who hated bullies with a passion and spoke like the Brooklynite he was. The final member of their family was Loki; a sarcastic, troublemaking prankster with a silver tongue and a marginally less stiff version of Thor's Shakespearean British accent. Separately, they were intelligent, resourceful and forces to be reckoned with - together, well they were damn near unstoppable.

Tony felt Loki's amused smirk before he even saw his raven-haired sibling, the prankster loping around the corner in jeans and an emerald green sweater that brought out his blue eyes even more. "Bruce kick you out of the library?" Tony guessed, knowing the glint in Loki's eyes all too well.

"There's only so many times I can read The Once And Future King without wanting to destroy something" Loki shrugged carelessly. "And I don't think that the Captain would be pleased if I destroyed something on the Anniversary."

"Ah yes" Clint's voice sighed, the ten year old archer dropping down from the old fire escape. "The Anniversary. Or a polite way of saying 'the day that we were dumped on the doorstep of the hellhole we call home with nothing more than ourselves, a note with our names and birthdays, and little silver keys that we can't figure out what the hell are supposed to open'." He spread his arms, resplendent in his usual black combat attire, and grinned. "Not that I'm bitter or anything."

"Heaven forbid" Tony smirked, smile widening at the sight of the four approaching them. "Cap! Cappy! Steve!"

"How much coffee have you had today, Stark?" Bucky called, Steve slapping him across the head.

"Hey, Tony" Steve smiled, bright and open. "You left early this morning."

"Sorry about that" Tony shrugged sheepishly. "The local clinic had another computer virus. I swear they've let that place go since Doctor E left. Stephen'll tell you that. Anyway, it took awhile, but I defeated it."

"I hope they paid you for it" Bruce interrupted, knowing Tony all too well. "The last time you were there you were so happy to actually have a problem to focus on that you skipped out before payment."

"Relax Honey Bear" Tony grinned, clapping him on the back. "It's all been taken care of. Now, if we could try to make it home? I'm freezing and I forgot my Avenger Sweater." Of course that was the wrong thing to say, Steve going all mother hen on him and hurrying them all back to the miserable excuse for an orphanage.

"Pizza is truly the food of the gods" Thor boomed the moment the septet returned to their tiny attic space.

"I'm glad you like it, Big Guy" Tony grinned, clapping him on the bicep. "It's the well-earned proceeds from defeating a tricky computer virus at the local clinic." Steve made a distressed noise like every other time Tony spent money on him.

"Tony, you didn't need to-"

"It's the Anniversary, Steve. We always do this. It's customary. I even got dessert."

"Apple Pie?" Steve checked, suddenly back on board with the plan.

"As if I'd get anything else" Tony sniffed, mock-offended. "You can't celebrate a Rogers Family celebration without American cheeseburgers, pizza or apple pie, Creampuff. I thought you knew that."

"Momentary lapse of memory, Shellhead" Steve replied fondly. Bucky made a noise of feigned disgust, leaning over Natasha for a slice of pizza. "Bucky, I'm pretty sure we all have manners. Use yours."

"Yes Mom" Bucky smirked, grey eyes twinkling as he took an exaggerated bite of pizza.

"You're worse than Barton" Natasha stated, shaking her head fondly at Clint's loud protestation. "Okay" the redhead amended. "Almost as bad as Barton."

"Hey!" Clint squawked, glaring around at his siblings as they - bar Steve - burst into laughter at his expression.

"Relax, Birdbrain" Bucky said, waving his hand in what was supposed to be a calming manner. "Tasha just clearly knows you really well."

"You don't say?" Clint gasped sarcastically, clapping a hand over his heart. "My own sister knows me really well. However will we recover from this travesty?" Natasha and Steve glared at the duo, Tony for once content to just enjoy the companionable atmosphere. Thor and Loki broke the ice by reciting odd scenes from Shakespeare's comedies with a little help from Stephen, Bruce howling with laughter at their antics. Somewhere near midnight, Tony and Steve occupied the piano seat, matching smiles on their faces as Tony played the intro to White Christmas with Stephen's violin accompaniment.

"Here's to ten years as a family" Tony smiled, raising a cup of hot chocolate.

"I wonder where we'll be next year" Steve murmured thoughtfully.

"With any luck, Cap" Tony began warmly. "Exactly where we need to be."

"And in a better place than this" Bruce added, leaning on the wall by them.

"I can get behind that" Clint agreed from his nest up in the rafters. "Boarding school, maybe?"

"Be careful what you wish for" Stephen intoned gravely. "It might just come true."

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