Rosalind Stark
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any characters or variations of Marvel/Avengers. I only own my OCs.
Chapter Eleven: Aftermath
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked peeking into the room. Vivian had excused herself to her room earlier claiming she needed rest.
"I just don't know what to think," she replied softly.
"About what? The attack? Rosalind's safe here and so are you," Steve assured coming to sit on the bed.
"No, not that… Pepper," she gave him a pointed look.
"What about Pepper? Did you two get in a fight?" Steve asked surprised it wasn't the attack that was bothering her.
"No, but we were about to when Doom attacked… What I don't know what to think about is Pepper. She risked her life to save Rozz and me, and until today I was pretty sure she wished I was dead," Vivian explained sitting up next to him.
"Pepper's tough. She did what was right," Steve smiled hoping the simple answer was enough.
"But why? She tried to get rid of Rozz years ago, and now she's protecting her," snapped Vivian. She was getting frustrated.
"The most obvious answer is for Tony. Even if Pepper hated you, she would take care of Tony even if that meant protecting you," Steve watched she still seemed unsettled. "And something else is bothering you?" Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulder hoping it would be comforting.
"I, I always protect her," Vivian's eyes were starting to tear up.
"Just because someone else protected her one time, it doesn't mean she doesn't need you. She still needs her mom," Steve hugged her to his side.
xxXXxx
Tony spent most of the afternoon with Rosalind. Her bots had been mildly damaged in the attack, so they spent the afternoon making them good as new.
She was now having a tea party with Natasha, Loki, and Bruce. Tony was still in his lab.
Pepper headed into the lab to try to talk with him again. Tony was busy multitasking. He was repairing updating his suit whiling scrolling through multiple windows and talking with JARVIS.
"Tony," she called entering the lab. The lab wasn't locked since the door was still damaged from the battle.
"Hey Pep," he smiled. She came closer. He was researching the zoo and schools. She froze up.
"Tony we need to talk," she declared firmly.
Tony still seemed engrossed in his work. "Yeah, do you think it would be good to send Rozz to a private school or should I get her private tutors?" Tony asked.
"Tony that's not what we need to talk about," she stated firmly.
"Is this about me not telling you Vivian and Rosalind?" Tony asked stopping his work to meet her gaze.
She rolled her eyes letting out a sigh. "Tony, I know you are having fun playing dad, but they are going back… Vivian is only interested in money," Pepper stated confidently.
"I don't think it's considered playing since I am her actual dad," shrugged Tony.
"Tony I'm serious," she growled.
"Check it out if you feel so strongly about it," Tony turned back toward the screens.
"I was already planning on it," she replied heading for the door.
"One last thing!" called Tony not taking his eyes off the screens. "You should come to the zoo with on us tomorrow," he smiled. Pepper felt a little shocked at the invitation. Was Tony really going to take Rosalind to the zoo? The last time Tony went to the zoo he'd been plastered.
"We'll see," she muttered leaving the lab.
xxXXxx
"Loki, do you ever have daddy daughter time with Hel?" Rozz asked during the tea party. Everyone seemed worried and curious at the same moment. Thor had mentioned Loki having children, but he had never clarified whether they were the same children as the legends.
"Now that she is grown and running her own realm, I do not get to see her as much as I would like," Loki admitted his smile dimming slightly.
"Okay, so explain the whole kid thing," Clint demanded.
"If you're not at me tea party, you don't get to talk," Rozz wrinkled her nose at the archer.
"What!" Clint exclaimed.
Thor chuckled patting his back. "Come Son of Barton, we shall join them in drinking tea and regaling the tales of my brother's wilder years," announced Thor coming to sit around the coffee table.
"I'm in!" shouted Darcy running to join them. Clint and Jane came to sit as well. Rosalind was pouting.
"Did you all forget something?" Loki asked gesturing to Rozz.
"What now?" groaned Clint not understanding.
"You didn't ask if you could join," Natasha explained a smirk playing on her lips.
"My apologizes small lady Stark! May we join you?" Thor asked in a loud and polite manner.
"Everyone except him," she pointed at Clint.
"Why am I not allowed?" Clint glared at her.
"You have a bad attitude," she answered. Everyone looked like they were trying not to die laughing at Clint.
"I'm sorry… May I please joint your tea party?" he asked trying his best to keep the aggravation out of his voice.
"Okay!" she agreed happily handing him a cup. The others finally let out the laughter they were holding back.
xxXXxx
Steve knocked heading into the lab. "Hey Spangles," greeted Tony from his spot multitasking.
"Tony what are you doing?" asked Steve. There seemed to be a lot going on even for Tony.
"I'm updating my suit, making a plan of attack to take down Doom, trying to find a good school for Rozz, and planning a zoo trip," Tony motioned to each screen. Steve wasn't sure where to start. "Do you think Rozz would like her own lab? I would have loved one when I was a kid. Maybe I should just add a little area to mine for her," Tony wondered aloud.
Steve groaned he needed to start fast before Tony started another project. "Tony, why are you looking for schools? Are Vivian and Rosalind staying?" he asked though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer after speaking with Vivian.
"Probably, I just have to find Vivian a job out here," Tony answered quickly not truly seeing Steve's point.
"Hm, have you talked to Vivian yet?" Steve asked pushing the point a bit further.
"No, not yet… I'm just happy Pepper and Viv haven't killed each other yet," admitted Tony.
xxXXxx
"I have multiple children," Loki stated simply.
"Are all the legends true?" asked Jane feeling a bit bold, plus asking derived Clint the opportunity to say something stupid.
"I haven't read everything humans have written about myself, so I cannot confirm such a broad statement," replied Loki looking unphased.
"But you mentioned Hel, and you said multiple children. So tell us," Clint ordered trying not to sound as though he had an attitude.
"My brother is a great father and mother to all his children," Thor assured the group.
"The horse thing really happened," Darcy's mouth hung open.
"His name is Sleipnir," glared Loki setting his cup back on its saucer.
"Is it strange being a mommy and a daddy?" asked Rozz looking curious.
"No, I love all my children equally. Though, I do have a special bond with Sleipnir since he is the only child I carried myself," Loki smiled fondly of the memory.
"When you say all how many are we talking about?" asked Clint still not getting as much of an explanation as he wanted.
"How many do the legends say I have?" Loki inquired raising an eyebrow.
"Four to six depending on the source," answered Natasha taking another drink of her tea.
"I have four children," Loki clarified looking surprised that he was credited with more.
"Sleipnir, Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel," Rozz rambled out grinning the whole time.
"Correct," Loki stroked the top of her head in praise.
"You already told her about them?" asked Jane surprised.
"No, Mommy got me a book about Loki," Rozz corrected looking very proud of herself.
xxXXxx
Pepper grumbled. After leaving the tower, she went to the office. Tony had slacked off while she was gone but not as much as usual.
An assistant walked in handing her an envelope. She checked the label it was from the lawyer who handled the agreement. Inside she found the agreement that was drawn up when Rosalind was born. As she read over it she frowned something felt off about it.
xxXXxx
Steve put Rosalind to bed for the night. Tony told her good night on his way back to his lab. Vivian was already asleep. Loki left to follow after Tony.
"Hey Thor, since Loki's kids are the ones from the legends, is it true they are all locked up awaiting the end of the world?" Darcy asked trying not to show how upset the idea of locked up children truly upset her.
"The norms do predict they will bring forth Ragnarök, but mother would never let her grandchildren be locked up, no mater their forms," assured Thor.
Everyone stared, by the little they had heard, Frigga was very protective of her sons, so they could only imagine how she would act toward her grandchildren.
xxXXxx
Tony was already working on his multiple projects when Loki entered the locked lab.
"You know when I lock the door, you could at least pretend it's harder to break in," Tony rolled his eyes giving the god his attention.
"If you really wanted to keep me out, you would," a playful smirk played on his lips as he came to sit on the workbench in front of Stark. "What is the plan to end Doom?" he asked pulling the shorter man closer to the bench and himself.
"Direct attack. You know, we take the fight to him… The only problem is that we don't know where he is," Tony grumbled the last bit.
"I could be some assistance with that," offered Loki.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where he is?" Tony asked wondering if Loki really did or not.
"No, but he will gladly show me," Loki's eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief.
"Really?" Tony didn't seem so convinced.
Loki snapped his fingers. Green smoke flashed revealing Loki was now in his female form. "Anthony, Doom cannot say no to me," Loki pursed her lips leaning forward to Tony's ear. "The real question is, how long can you?" with that Loki disappeared leaving a wide eyed Tony.
xxXXxx
"So our master plan is to send Loki in as bait and hope Doom takes him home!" Clint nearly shouted. Tony had just explained the plan.
"It is a risky plan," commented Steve.
"My brother is quite capable," assured Thor smiling that the team was planning to include his brother.
"What if Doctor Doom isn't interested?" Natasha asked. Tony and Thor gave her a confused looks. "Some people don't go out when they are mid mission," she explained rolling her eyes at the men.
"Oh Victor will show up," assured Loki. He was in his normal form wearing his usual leather. "And he will be interested," with that Loki snapped his fingers and was transformed into a tall busty goddess in Asgardian armor including a long green cape that dragged the floor behind her like a train. Her hair was long and wavy with golden beads woven in.
All the men were speechless except Thor who gave a slight laugh. Tony was the first to regain his speaking abilities. "Yeah frosty, you do that tomorrow night, and we won't have a problem," Tony smirked.
xxXXxx
The next morning Vivian limped into the kitchen without her crutches. Steve was returning from his morning run. He had an envelope in his hand. "Good morning Vivian. The front desk had this for you," he handed it to her noticing the lack of crutches. "Should I go get your crutches?" asked Steve.
"No, I'm trying out walking again. The crutches hurt my arms," she answered while opening the envelope. She removed the papers a relieved smile painting her face.
"What's that?" he asked hoping he wasn't over stepping.
"All the documents from when Rosalind was born, including her birth certificate," she slid the document over to Steve.
He read it over. It looked similar to the one Natasha had shown him, but the hospital was different and Tony was listed as the father. "You didn't have to show me. I trust you," Steve said her handing the document back.
"I just figured it was better to have it all since Tony seems to have no idea what he agreed to anymore," she rolled her eyes.
"The other day, you said Tony was there when you gave birth. Is that true?" Steve asked grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Yep. He had a world-renowned doctor flown in. Once I was in labor, he came in to wish me luck, and I grabbed his hand and wouldn't let go," she laughed. "I broke his hand, but he was there the whole time," her laughter continued.
"Wait is that why Tony was in the media with a cast a few years back?" asked Clint joining the two in the kitchen. Natasha was close behind. Vivian nodded smiling broadly. "And he told everyone it was from a bar fight," scoffed Clint looking forward to teasing Tony.
"Are those the full records?" Natasha asked eyeing the envelope.
"Yes, I had my sister send me copies of everything," nodded Vivian. Natasha extended her hand requesting it. "Fine, just don't lose any of it," Vivian handed it over to the spy.
Loki and Thor joined the rest of the team. Rozz was sitting on Thor's shoulder laughing. She still wore her pajamas.
"Good morning Rosalind," greeted Steve.
"Steve what's for breakfast?" asked Clint realizing he didn't see any food yet.
"Oh, I got caught up talking to Vivian. Once I shower, I'll fix something up," Steve started jogging off to shower.
"I got it Steve!" called Vivian though it was unclear whether or not her heard her. "Rozz wanna help Mommy make breakfast?" Vivian asked moving to the fridge to see what types of food they had on hand.
Rozz rushed over to help. "Mommy can we make cheese omelets?" she asked tying to get a better view of what was in the fridge.
"Sure, it looks like we have everything to make a ton," Vivian gimped between the fridge and the counter. Loki and Thor were quick to assist.
xxXXxx
Tony headed into the kitchen for his morning coffee to find cheese everywhere. "Uh, what happened?" he asked turning toward Steve since he was who usually did the cooking.
"Thor and Loki helped make breakfast," he answered simply.
Tony sighed not needing any further explanation. Then he felt something slam into his legs. Looking down he found Rozz in her pajamas with cheese stuck to her face.
"Good morning Daddy!" she greeted him still clinging.
"Hey pretty girl," he wiped some of the cheese off her face. "You are going to have to get dressed soon," he informed her in a dull tone.
"Why?" she asked with a pout.
"Because I can't take you to the zoo if you're in your pjs," Tony announced his voice now brimming with excitement. Rozz's eyes were now the size of saucers. She made a loud squeal and ran off toward her room. Loki followed likely to help remove the remaining cheese.
"Viv you coming with?" called Tony filling his coffee cup and heading for the living room.
"Depends," she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Pep isn't coming. She has some work stuff to handle," Tony answered the unvoiced question.
"Hmm, I'm still not sure I can crutch or limp fast enough to keep up," Vivian replied surprised Pepper wasn't going on the trip.
"Oh come on, we can rent one of those little motor scooters, or Steve could push you in a wheelchair," suggested Tony laughing under his breath.
"Steve's coming too!" yelled Rozz rushing back into the room. She was now in a dress and tights but was only wearing one shoe and her hair looking wild. Loki was quick on her tail carrying the missing shoe and a hairbrush.
"If he wants too," snickered Tony looking at the captain as he worked to remove the cheese disaster from the kitchen.
"I wouldn't want to intrude on your Daddy daughter time," Steve interjected quickly.
"No biggie Spangles, this can be a team outing," announced Tony giving everyone a smirk. Rozz looked as though she were ready to explode with excitement.
"So everyone's coming?" she turned around excitedly.
"I will get to see the mighty beasts of this world!" yelled Thor.
"This is going to be the best trip ever," laughed Clint.
"Tony, shouldn't we be implementing our plan?" asked Steve looking worried.
"Not during the day. Rock of Ages is wearing evening attire," Tony smirked at Loki.
"I suppose we're going to the zoo then," chuckled Bruce watching Loki put the other shoe on Rosalind while Vivian brushed the tangles out of her hair.
xxXXxx
Tony held Rosalind's hand as they entered the zoo. Clint and Thor rushed off. Loki walked slower with Darcy, Jane and Bruce.
"Let's play the how long does it take to get kicked out of the zoo game," announced Vivian while she was being wheeled around Steve.
"They won't be that bad," Steve laughed.
"You can't see it because you're behind me, but I'm making a really skeptical face," she informed him. Steve continued laughing shaking his head.
xxXXxx
Pepper threw down another page. This wasn't right. She had reviewed all of the agreement before Tony signed it, and this wasn't it. Did Vivian have everything rewritten? She pulled her hands through her hair roughly.
"It's been altered hasn't it?" asked Natasha walking into Miss Potts' office.
"Why are you asking?" Pepper wasn't sure what to make of the unscheduled visit.
"The records that SHIELD acquired had been altered. I assume the ones you're looking through have been as well," the assassin stated calmly coming to sit in one of the two chairs across from Miss Potts.
"How are you so sure they've been altered?" Pepper raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"I have copies of the originals," Natasha held up the envelope she had borrowed from Vivian that morning.
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