Hi there! This is a story that has been in my head for a while and I wanted to get it down now. I own nothing but my OC. No copyright infringement is intended, I just love the Marvel Universe and am trying my hand... Not everything is perfect within the Marvel timeline, but I tried to line it up for the most part before it goes more AU. Hope you enjoy!
PS, also trigger warning about death and suicide in this chapter.
December 2011:
Maggie returned from school to find another bill in the mailbox that she wasn't looking forward to paying.
After the death of her parents, she had been able to get the help of a few of her dad's friends to sell the family house, but they learned there was a second mortgage on it and it had taken most of the accounts in her parents name to clear that as well as some other debt they had incurred over the years. In the end she was left with enough money to live for a couple of years and maybe help a bit with college. But she still had a few part time jobs on top of going to high school.
Maggie sighed and grabbed the envelope before locking the box back up.
She trudged up the 3 floors and got to her one bedroom apartment. It wasn't much, and she still didn't consider it home. But it was a place to stay until she could finish high school.
Her parents had both gone to college at well-known state schools, but Maggie had the drive since middle school to go to Columbia. After her parents went to school in Minnesota, they stayed in the same small town once they got married and had Maggie.
But now, Maggie couldn't wait to leave.
She had filed for emancipation about a month after her dad died, leaving her an orphan. She hired a lawyer that she found online and who decided to take on her case pro-bono because of the letter she wrote him. Maggie didn't think it was anything special, but he apparently did.
So they filed the paperwork, showed proof of her best interest staying in her hometown until she had her diploma at which point she would go to college as well as continue to work part time jobs to provide enough money to support herself.
The lawyer did a great job and the process moved quickly enough. So after 8 weeks, Maggie was an emancipated teen and cared for herself.
The kids at school stopped talking to her, finding her an enigma since she had no parents and lived on her own. Maggie figured if she had been more popular before, kids might think it was cool that she lived on her own, but she had been quiet before and now she was almost silent. She was the sad girl that had no parents. Not someone many teenagers want to be associated with someone like that.
She had 1 more year left before she could graduate a year and a half early and head across the country and get out of the town that haunted her thoughts every day. By the time she graduates, she should have taken enough PSEO and college classes to transfer almost a year's worth of credit into Columbia too.
She threw the bill on the kitchen counter and sat on the futon and pulled up her computer. She scanned a few websites before looking at her email again.
She had been upset when her mom was killed. Stacy Brady had been a retired soldier in the Army and worked for a security company. There had been a big even out in New York and while she didn't travel often for work, they had offered time and a half since it was an important event and they were bringing in "the best they had" for the civilian section of the event.
It was the Stark Expo, hosted by billionaire playboy named Tony Stark. Maggie had thought it was so cool that her mom was going and made her promise to try and get a picture with Iron Man. Instead of a picture, her mom had been killed trying to stop someone named Vanko who had a debt to pay with Tony Stark after using Stark technology to create a suit that he used to kill Maggie's mom.
There were papers in the local newspapers and an article from the New York Times even mentioned her mom's name, but most of them talked about how Tony Stark risked his life and saved thousands of lives. Maggie's mother name soon disappeared and Maggie didn't react well, but her father reacted worse.
Her father started to become distant right after the funeral. Maggie would try to cook dinner but he would say he wasn't hungry or was too tired. Growing up, he always glowed when he told Maggie how much she looked like her mother. Now he couldn't look at his own daughter, haunted by the ghost of his wife.
It was the first week of school her sophomore year, less than 4 months since her mother had died, when Maggie got back after her last class of the day and found her father in the garage with the motor of the car running. The doctors and police said that he had been gone for nearly 4 hours by the time Maggie found him.
That was when she got mad. She blamed many people for losing her parents. She yelled in the house at her dad for leaving her, cried that she had no one, but the person she blamed the most was herself. She shouldn't have asked her mom to try and get near Stark. Maybe then she wouldn't have been posted where she was. She should have tried harder to make her dad happy. Maybe if she hadn't been so sad he wouldn't have left her.
Yet now she was alone. And as much as she blamed herself. She found another person to blame. Tony Stark.
It was his technology that gave the Vanko guy so much power. Stark was his recklessness to show his technology to the public without thinking of repercussions that might happen if the wrong person copied it. And if her mom hadn't died because of Stark's technology, her father wouldn't have killed himself, and Maggie would still be normal.
But she wasn't normal. And so she had written an letter to Tony Stark. She wasn't sure it would ever even find him, but she put her heart and soul, her pain and her hatred in the letter. And she sent it.
Two weeks later, she was sent an email from a "Pepper Potts." Maggie immediately laughed at the name, thinking it was made up. But she clicked on it anyway and when she read it, she learned that Pepper Potts was the new CEO of Stark Industries and had been instructed by Tony Stark to provide a rather generous monetary gift as well as a few sentences from Tony of how sorry he was for her loss.
Maggie almost deleted the email. She wasn't even sure how they got her email address. She mailed a physical letter and they sent her back an electronic reply that Maggie associated with hush money. It's not like she threatened to sue him or anything. She was just hoping for some kind of acknowledgement that he had messed up. And instead, she got offered $100,000 and a few generic lines about losing someone you love.
Instead of deleting the email, she responded back. She tried to be civil, especially since she was emailing Ms. Potts, not Stark himself. But she told them she did not want their money and hopes he saw the error in his ways and to not contact her again. He had damaged her life enough.
Then she didn't think back on it again. She had other things to think about now. Cooking herself dinner. How to avoid people during the upcoming Christmas holiday, and figure out when she could apply for college to get out of her town and away from the sad looks people constantly cast her way.
Late-January 2013:
There was a knock on Maggie's door.
Odd, she didn't order food and her neighbors still hadn't talked to her yet, probably because she was the new freshman who started half way through the year and they had already been there for a semester.
She lived in a single room in the freshman housing units. It was nice enough and Maggie thought it was worth the extra money for a single. She didn't want a roommate if she could help it. She hasn't interacted with many kids in high school school and she didn't want a forced friend to start her college experience.
She got up from sitting on her bed and left her laptop open before walking over to the door.
She looked through the security hole but someone had their finger over it. Odd, again.
Maggie frowned and tried to look again, but they were still blocking it.
She carefully opened the door and was met with none other than Tony Stark.
Immediately, Maggie tried to close the door, but he shoved his foot in the way. "No, no. Please Maggie. Let me in. If anything, to save me from the college students in the hallway that are starting to recognize me.
"Ugh!". Maggie said as she swung the door open and he slipped in as Maggie closed the door quickly and locked the door.
Sure enough, she heard a few people in the hall through her door but she ignored the chatter and turned to Tony.
"Why are you here?" she asked, not wanting to be too rude, but also not wanting him as a guest longer than needed.
He walked around the small room. "This is what they put students up in? Geesh. Sucks to be young."
Maggie sighed, he was ignoring her. He had started their last conversation this way too. "Tony, look- I know I'll never be able to repay you for-"
"Stop right there," he said, holding his hand up and facing her. "You don't owe me anything. I just talked to the Dean and told him what a great student you would be."
Maggie rolled her eyes and walked past him so she could sit back on the bed. "And you forgot to mention your "talk" started with you flying into his office in your fancy metal suit. There isn't really anyone that can say no to that."
Tony looked thoughtful. "That's true... So, if I wore my suit here, would you take-"
"No!" Maggie almost shouted. "Nothing more. You've done enough to help me."
He looked down, and Maggie realized that her words couldn't been taken negatively.
But he rebounded and looked up. "So how are you settling in. Looks like you've unpacked."
Maggie nodded, "Yea, I'm doing fine. It's a bit smaller than the apartment, but it'll do."
They fell into a silence. Maggie had been able to sell a lot from her parents estate like furniture and clothes. At the time, she didn't want to be surrounded by their things and not them. But what she wouldn't give now just for a sweater or jacket of her mom's to smell her again. So the dorm room actually held most of what was left of Maggie's. What was left was in a storage locker back in Minnesota with rental paid for four years so she didn't need to worry about it while she was in college. She wasn't too sad about her meager belongings, but she could tell Tony was squirming it was so small.
"So you just came here to check on me?" Maggie asked tentatively. As much guts as she had and had grown to know him in the last 2 year and a hlaf, she was still just a 18 year old talking to one of the, possibly the, greatest minds in her lifetime.
"Well yeah." He said, shrugging. "You're basically right down the street from my new tower. Figured I could stop by every once in a while. Save you from dorm food, see if you need a maid service... you know, normal stuff."
Maggie smiled softly, "Okay. That'd be nice - visits, not a maid. But a text or something before you come would be appreciated. I can't do anything now. I have about 30 pages to read for my politics class for tomorrow that I haven't started."
He nodded, excited that she agreed to his visits. "Great! Well, not great for today, but great for later days. I'll also make sure that you have Happy's number. If you need anything or go out partying or anything, you'll want a safe ride home."
Maggie laughed out loud, "I don't think I'll be going to any parties soon. I'm 18 Tony. I don't think I could pass for 21 at any bar in the city."
He looked at her, scrutinizing her face. "Yea, probably not. But frat houses don't card - I don't think... So just be careful, yeah?"
Maggie nodded, the small smile on her lips appreciating the concern he had for her.
Maggie didn't know what to say, so they were silent yet again.
"Well, then, I'll be off," Tony said, motioning for the door. "Think it's safe that way or should I go out the window?"
Maggie looked at the door then the window. "I would say the door if you can stand the 10 students that will fawn over you. The window would make it seem like this was a rendezvous that I don't think either of us would want in the press."
Tony looked at her and nodded. "Yes, that sounds just like what might happen. Okay, well, I'll drop by again when you aren't as busy. And I'll get you Happy's number so you have a safe exit from... wherever you need."
Maggie nodded and then frowned as he opened the door. "Don't drop by, text me! Before hand!"
She had tried to shout the end, but Tony just waved his hand in the door as he closed it behind him. A rush of ohhs and ahhs filled Maggie's ears until it shut. She got up and locked the door quickly and then laid on her bed as she immediately got a text from 'Tony S.". It was Happy's number. Maggie smiled. For a guy that lived his life like like nothing mattered, Maggie had to admit he had a good heart.
It had taken a few months for her to agree to meet with him after she had denied Pepper's initial email offer. And by that point, Maggie was less mad and more upset with the person that actually killed her mother. And he was dead thanks to Tony, so at least justice had been served.
So Maggie met with the Stark billionaire and found she actually sort of liked him. She would never admit it, but she thought he was like a fun uncle. He had a good heart at least. Even though he joked that he didn't have one.
April 2014:
Maggie was early, as usual.
The event was an opening for a new science lab that Tony Stark was premiering as a new wave of technology with a specialty in something that Maggie couldn't quite remember. But she did know that it was a high brow event that would have very many famous people. There had even been a rumor with her co-workers that the Avengers would be attending as well.
Maggie was excited about it, but she had met with Tony so many times, that the awe of superheroes had worn off a bit in her mind.
The last year and a half were a blur and at the same time moved slow as molasses. Being on her own since 16 made Maggie realize the little things in life, like small acts of kindness for others or people watching in the park as parents played with their kids, or dogs chased down balls playing fetch. But is also make her realize she was lonely. She had shut more people out after her father died. Not entirely by choice, but with the issues and stares, she didn't want to talk with anyone that knew her before losing her parents.
And being in New York now wasn't a lot better. She knew a few people at work, and some people that were in more than one or two of her classes, but overall, she stuck to herself. Reading books and escaping into school work.
Working actually helped her get distracted from everything. Working events was tiring, but made her sleep quite well after being on her feet from 6-10 hours a day depending on the event.
So today, working an event hosted by Stark Industries would be nice that Maggie was able to work as well as possibly see the one person she actually had regular contact with - Tony Stark.
Maggie got to the venue early and realized that it really did look like a science lab, not an events center. But there was supposedly a large atrium area where the event would take place.
Maggie parked her beat-up Honda in the back where her boss had told her there would be parking for employees.
Getting into the venue was also easy enough, showing her ID and them taking a quick scan of it to verify and walking through a metal detector.
Maggie wandered through the back halls and heard soft music playing. Following the melodic notes, she found her way into the auditorium. It had been a bit of a maze through the hallway with rights and lefts, but it was easy enough to find.
Immediately, Maggie saw her boss, Randy, and made her way toward him to see if there was any last minute prep that they needed help with. She was there only to serve tonight, but she had done set-ups many times and figured it was such a big event for the company that Randy might not mind an extra set of hands.
"Oh dear, yes, that would be wonderful. Can you help Patrice with organizing the assignments? She's been a mess all day after Grace called in sick."
Maggie smiled and nodded at her boss and made her way over to his right-hand woman, Patrice.
Patrice immediately saw Maggie make her way over and ran to Maggie to give he a hug. "Oh thank goodness you're here! Grace is sick and we need someone to help with the VIPs for the night!"
Maggie frowned a bit. She knew that they always had a few servers for the "VIP" parties of events to ensure they had everything they needed, but Maggie had never done that before. She had made the normal rounds, cleared cocktail tables, and helped where needed. But never catered to the VIPs specifically.
"Um, well, I mean if you don't have anyone else..." Maggie said, somewhat accepting her assignment.
"Yes yes hun. We need you. You're the only one tonight that has a sense of propriety and won't fawn over the guests." Patrice said quickly, waving her hand to the rest of the room. "I can only imagine what Stacy would do if she was assigned to the Avengers, that won't work. I'll have to double check her tonight and make sure she doesn't try to get any autographs!"
Maggie realized from Patrice's speech, the VIPs Maggie would be catering to were the Avengers. The famed heroes that saved the world. Not a big deal. No, she would be completely okay with that... Right? She knew she could handle Tony, but she hadn't actually met any others.
Maggie just took a deep breath and asked if there was a profile sheet. When Randy had a high level event like this, the VIPs normally had small profile sheets so their server would be able to address them by name and recognize them.
"Oh yes, hear you go, Maggie." Patrice said, handing Maggie a small stack of papers. "These are your VIPs. There are 2 other groups, but those are taken care of, so just focus on these ones."
There was a total of 12 people, but 3 of them had "No" next to the attending row meaning they hadn't RSVP'ed for the event and most likely wouldn't be there. And there was one with a Maybe marked. Maggie looked.
The 'Maybe' was for Steven Rogers AKA Captain America. Obviously she addressed them by last name but knowing he had his alter ego on the sheet was a little mystifying to Maggie.
She scrolled through the other papers, recognizing the 5 other Avengers from the news including Tony. There was also a file for Pepper Potts, two people just listed with their names and no titles or descriptions; Ms. Maria Hill and Mr. Brock Rumlow. Maggie figured they worked with the Avengers or were scientists at the new lab they were premiering tonight. They tended to group VIP groups with people they would be near, so Maggie considered their line of work leaned more toward superhero than scientist.
Maggie had found a spot to sit and read the minimal details about the VIP list before she went to find a bathroom.
There was one close in the atrium and since no one was there Maggie used that one and as she stood washing her hands, she looked at herself and saw her hair had already started to fall out of the up-do she had attempted.
"Dammit," she muttered while pulling an extra bobby pin from her black dress.
While the black dress was a uniform, Maggie liked that it was still somewhat flattering and could even potentially be worn out of the job too. And it had pockets that Maggie could keep things like chapstick, gum, and a nail file - just the necessities. So Maggie didn't mind wearing the same thing as the other female servers. She technically had the choice to wear a button up shirt and black slacks, but none of the other girls that worked there wore the pants option, and Maggie didn't want to be the odd one out.
Doing the best she could in plugging her hair up, Maggie looked at herself and shrugged. Her brown hair swooped a bit before it was pulled back into a bun. She had put on mascara and lip balm, but other than that, she didn't like applying much make-up since she rarely remembered to take it off the night of and would get acne if she didn't wash it off before bed.
Maggie also twisted her feet a little. She had bought new flats and she was beginning to think it was a huge mistake to wear them for the first time here.
The servers were allowed to wear short heels, but being 5'8", Maggie never felt the need to add more height to herself and she had never been a huge fan of heels since she struggled to walk at a normal pace even with smaller wedges.
She was glad she hadn't told anyone that she knew Iron Man. She was sure it would have made this night awkward, but it might also have meant she was on clean up duty to stay away from people she knew. So she kept mum about knowing the two people hosting the event.
Looking at the analog clock in the bathroom, Maggie realized it was about 30 minutes until the doors would open, so she grabbed her VIP profile sheets and walked to the back room that the events staff had been given for the night. She needed to drop off the profile sheets as she couldn't use them during the event and then she needed to make sure she didn't lose them.
Maggie had taken an immediate liking to the Avengers and their group. Mr. Rumlow didn't end up showing up, at least not yet, and it was almost an hour and a half into the event. Tony and Pepper had given short and sweet speeches about steps forward in science that could change the world and mostly mingled with the other guests in the atrium. Maggie had offered them both champagne when they came in and Tony clasped her on the shoulder and said he didn't realize she was working jobs like this.
"I really wish you'd let me help you out, Maggie." he said softly so no one would hear.
Maggie shook her head and frowned knowing he meant giving her money, "No, I told you many times before, thank you for offering, but I'll never accept. The help you gave me in getting into Columbia was more than enough."
He just nodded and looked down. Pepper took the champagne and then told Maggie they shouldn't need too much the rest of the night. Tony wasn't drinking for now and Pepper said she didn't want to get tipsy. So Maggie nodded and asked them to find her if they needed anything.
Since Tony told Maggie to keep "the others" happy" Maggie had been running for drinks for the 5 Avengers that were there and had been standing at the same cocktail table for the night.
Maggie had introduced herself to Ms. Romanoff first as she was the first to arrive, and Maggie felt like this woman wasn't someone that would make others feel like lesser people just because they were serving. So Maggie kept the drinks coming and Ms. Romanoff continued to thank Maggie and try to tip her. Though tips weren't allowed, Ms. Romanoff and Ms. Hill, who the group let slip was in fact an agent working with the Avengers, began to "tip" Maggie in compliments that ranged from her hair, to her eyes, to her ability to make a good mixed drink, a compliment that Maggie laughed at and deferred to the bartenders.
Maggie had just dropped off two new beers for Dr. Banner and Mr. Barton when she had reached for the empty glasses on the cocktail table, Ms. Romanoff reached softly for Maggie's wrist, stopping her from walking away.
"Maggie, if you don't mind waiting just a second, I'm sure Steve will want something." Ms. Romanoff, said. Maggie nodded and felt out of place just standing there, but decided to wait anyway.
She heard one of the men in their group say something and Maggie looked over her shoulder to see who the others were snickering about. She saw Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, make eye contact with Ms. Romanoff, and make his way over to the small table.
"Rogers, we thought you might not show, seeing as we all know you love this time of schmoozing event. That and you and Stark actually seem to be talking again." Natasha said.
Captain America who was now at the table but had yet to notice the server, rolled his eyes.
As he rolled his eyes, they fell on Maggie. When he saw her, he straightened up and turned to fully face Maggie, with a seriousness that honestly made Maggie think she was doing something wrong by just standing there.
Before she could introduce herself and ask what his order would be, Ms. Romanoff, broke in, "This is Maggie, a lovely woman that has been bringing us copious amounts of alcohol. We like her, so be nice."
Steve didn't even acknowledge Natasha's words and took a step closer to Maggie, already being close, but now it was like he was staring down at her in an interrogation.
"Um, well, if no one wants anything right now, I should go check on the other guests and um... go get Ms. Hill another round." Maggie said, grabbing Ms. Hill's glass as it was now empty.
As she took a step back away from Captain America, who was still staring at her intensely, and she tried to turn and start to walk away but was stopped short as she felt a hard pressure around her right arm. The movement made her jerk the small serving tray of empty glasses in her left hand but she managed to keep them balanced.
Then she turned back and saw who it was holding on to her arm.
Steve Rogers was staring at her, still slack jawed and with an iron vice grip on her arm just above the elbow.
"Hey Rogers, stop being so handsy with help," Mr. Barton said somewhat jokingly, but then his brow furrowed as Captain America didn't let go. Instead of listening to his friend, he took another step toward Maggie.
Maggie wasn't sure what to do with the man holding on to her.
Captain America started to speak but then just shook his head like he forgot something.
"Well," Maggie started, rolling her shoulder to try and release herself from Steve's grip, "I'll be going for those drinks."
Captain America released his grip and looked from his hand to Maggie like he was burned. His grip had been much harder than she had though Maggie now realized because she winced as she straightened her arm where he held her. She took two large steps back, still facing toward the man that had held her.
As she stepped back, Steve stepped forward, still staring at Maggie, not saying a word.
At this point, the other 4 people at the table, including the Maria, stepped toward the odd pair as they did not know what was happening with the Captain.
"Hey, seriously, step back and let the girl be." Dr. Banner said, now almost in between Captain America and Maggie, trying to put himself into the line of fire, or whatever was happening between the Captain and the polite serving girl.
Maggie, now terribly embarrassed and somewhat scared, said "I'm sorry, I need to go um, do something in the back quickly... I'll um, check back soon if you need anything?"
"Yes," Ms. Hill said immediately, "Thank you, Maggie." and motioned for Maggie to leave.
"Maggie stop!" Captain America almost yelled. Maggie froze mid step and looked slightly over her shoulder to the man that was now terrifying her more than she had ever been. A few groups of people in the main room were now looking at the group of Avengers too, curious as to what Captain America was yelling about.
Ms. Romanoff, and Mr. Barton just motioned everyone on as Maggie and Captain America stayed frozen. For the most part, the eyes of outside people left the Avenger group and went back to minding their own business.
"Maggie?" Captain America asked. "Is it - is it really you?"
Maggie fully turned toward the group, now desperately confused as why Captain America, Steven Rogers, was asking if she was herself.
"Um, yes, that's me." Maggie started. "I'm your server for the event tonight..."
"Maggie." the Captain cut her off. "Margaret Brady. Maggie, I know you. C'mon, it's me Steve. You know me, don't you? But how are you here - I don't understand..."
Maggie looked at the man, pleading her to remember him, but she had exactly zero clue as to how he knew anything about her, especially her full name, and saying that she should know him. And then he was trying to reach out to her again!
"I'm sorry!" Maggie said quickly and turned tail and walked quickly away down the closest hallway, setting her serving tray on the nearest cocktail table that was empty before disappearing down into one of the many halls that diverted from the atrium, not seeing Tony Stark staring at her as she ran away.