Hey guys, long time no see. We're now set in 2015 and hopefully this story will move on a bit. I don't really get that much time to write anymore, and what little time I do get, I have to try and split between all the other fics I have yet to finish.

I've been (and still am, really) in a bit of a writers block that I just can't seem to get myself out of. I am trying, so for all pf you still reading and waiting, I sincerely thank you, you are all amazing.

May 30th 2015

The air was thick and sticky with early morning heat as Annabelle strolled with purpose along the streets of the English Capitol. The stores and various businesses that lined the sidewalk had been open for hours, yet it was still too early for the crowds to reach it's high. It was closing in on six years since she'd last been to the city; six years since she'd vowed never to return... six years since she'd lost the one person who meant more to her than any other. This year the time just felt right; she felt as though enough time had passed for her to return to the place where everything had fallen apart. She had spoken about it at length with both Pepper and Tony, even discussed it with Gina over their weekly call, all of them offering their full support. Tony had even offered to bail on his commitments and accompany her but she declined. She didn't plan on this being a long trip, only a day or two at most, but it was something she wished to do alone.

Annabelle had checked herself in to the first available hotel she could find. It wasn't the same as the one she and her mother had been staying, of that she made sure of, and it was only about a twenty minute walk from where the accident had happened. Annabelle trailed her way through a few select stores on her journey, emerging with a huge freshly bought bouquet of lilies and a small reel of yellow ribbon. She didn't make another stop until she hit a set of traffic lights that made her breath hitch. Annabelle was standing a mere few feet away from the spot where she lost her mother.

Annabelle stepped forward, almost right to the edge of the road and closed her eyes. Tears slipped beneath her lashes as she allowed herself to completely remember that day almost six years ago and the pain she's carried with her every day since then. She gripped the flowers a little harder than was necessary, almost squashing them against her chest. Annabelle let the sounds of London wash over her as she remembered the bus making impact with the taxi, the feeling of broken glass hitting her face as the car rolled over, the feeling of the seatbelt restricting her from falling from her seat and she hung upside down. She choked back a sob as she remembered their last conversation.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Annabelles eyes flew open as a hand made contact with her shoulder, causing her to flinch and spin so quickly on the spot that she would have toppled straight over had it not been for the elderly man in front of her.

"Careful, now, or you'll end up in the road."

"Sorry," Annabelle said quickly. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"You seemed it." The man eyed her. "Are you lost?"

"No, I'm not; this is exactly where I needed to be." Annabelle said, trying to give the man a smile, though she wasn't sure it was entirely convincing.

"I see," he said, and Annabelle could tell he wasn't believing her. "Waiting on someone then?"

"Sorry?" Annabelle said, before realising then man had been glancing down at the flowers in her hands. She shook her head sadly, correcting him. "Remembering someone."

She looked up and caught the look on the mans face, the pain behind his eyes that reflected her own. She couldn't take the intensity of his stare any longer, choosing that moment to turn and step towards the lights once again. Using the ribbon, she attached the flowers to the base of the pole. They'd probably be gone or damaged to the point of ruin by the thousands of people bound to pass through by the end of the day but she didn't care – they were there now. They meant something now. Annabelle turned back to the man, who was now staring in to the middle of the road, unfallen tears in his eyes.

"I lost my son here." His statement made her eyes widen as she stepped to his side. "Going on six years now but I come here every year around his anniversary. Did two tours in Afghanistan only to come home and be killed by an idiot who didn't know how to brake. His wife was expecting their first child."

"My mother," Annabelle whispered over the increasing sounds of city life. "It's the first time I've been back here in years."

Annabelle felt the man take her hand in his and for a few minutes they both stood there silently comforting each other over their losses. Neither of them spoke until the mans phone started chiming from the depths of his pocket.

"That'll be the wife wondering where I am," he laughed slightly and Annabelle gave him a light smile, the both of them wiping away tears.

"I better not keep you longer than I already have, I should get going anyway; people to see before I fly home."

"Take care of yourself, sweetheart."

"You to."

They bid their farewells but it wasn't until she watched him walk away and turn the corner that she realised who his son could have been. There was one other person who had died in the accident that killed her mother, an accident caused by a bus driver failing to brake in time for the changing lights. The man who had been driving them to the gallery at the time.

The large glass doors of St Thomas Hospital were as imposing as the day she'd walked out of them with Tony by her side. This hadn't been in her original plan. At first all she wanted to do was fly in, visit where they had the accident and fly out again. Coming back to the hospital she had been treated at was not something she initially panned on doing, but only decided on doing so upon waking that morning in her hotel room. There was only one person she wished to speak to, the only person who had made her few day stay bearable.

Annabelle walked through the doors and straight up to the desk situated in the centre of the hall. There were two women working at either ends of the desk, each with their own lone of people to see, so she picked a line and joined it. Her line slowly dwindled down until she was the one standing directly in front of the woman now furiously typing at her computer. She looked up as Annabelle came in to her line of sight.

"Welcome to St Thomas'. May I help you?"

"Yes," Annabelle said. "Could you possibly tell me whether or not Sam Carrol still works here, please?"

Annabelle couldn't be sure, but it was almost as though the woman in front of her had to fight to keep the smile on her face. She turned back to her computer but now seemed to be taking her sweet time in typing. Letter by single letter. Annabelle was not an impatient person, but this woman was seriously testing her resolve.

"He's currently Senior Staff Nurse on one of our wards."

Annabelle was both relieved and slightly apprehensive. At least she be able to get today over and done with, without having to search every possible hospital in London for the man. She smiled brightly at the woman. She did not return it. "Would it be possible to speak with him?"

The woman was visibly refraining from rolling her eyes, as if the request was a major inconvenience. "He's extremely busy at the moment," she said matter of factly, as if that would stop Annabelle from wanting to see him. "May I ask what it's concerning?"

"I was in car accident a few years ago; he was one of the nurses that took care of me whilst I was here."

"I see," Annabelle could tell that, for whatever reason, the woman was conflicted over what she should do, though it was baffling as to why. While it took her a good minute and one or two raised eyebrows from her colleague, she finally sighed and picked up the phone. "I'll make a call but I can't guarantee anything."

"Thank you."

Annabelle stepped off to the side, allowing space for someone else to approach, though there was no one standing behind her. She took the opportunity to have a look around. She couldn't remember much about the layout but she was pretty sure it was almost exactly the same as it was six years ago. While waiting, she occupied herself with scanning the many pamphlets littering of to the side of the desk. There seemed to be something for everyone. She was scanning the titles when she caught sound of the woman on the phone.

"... she says she was in a car accident. She said it was a few years ago. I am not you're personal messenger – oh, hold on." The woman huffed loudly and Annabelle looked at her as she waved a hand. "Your name?"

"Annabelle Cooper."

"Annab-," the woman actually did roll her eyes this time as she handed over the phone. "He would like to talk to you himself."

Without offering her much acknowledgement, Annabelle took the phone, the woman muttering to herself. "Hello?"

"The day Annabelle was discharged, I gave her something." said a voice she vaguely recognised, one that no longer seemed to have a constant edge of joy to it, but rather exhaustion. "What was it?"

Annabelle smiled. She remembered exactly what he was talking about. She remembered Happy complaining that hospital staff were unprofessional on the ride to the hotel and Tony demanding he shut up. "A tracksuit," she said, laughing along with him. "And you claimed not to be the type of guy to wear one." The receptionist was glaring at her in between answering the man she was seeing tos questions. It was evident the woman was not happy about what was clearly a personal call happening on her desk phone.

She heard Sam sigh on the end of the line. "It really is you," he breathed, as though he'd been waiting a lifetime for this call. "I'll be down in five minutes."

The line went dead and Annabelle handed the receiver back to the woman. "He's on his way down. Thank you so much for all your help."

She turned on her heel and strode over to the set of chairs that lined the wall, leaving the woman to be reprimanded for her less than hospitable behaviour. She found it both funny and confusing. It was clear the woman disliked Sam but why? She'd have to find out, because as far as she could remember, Sam Carrol was a lovely man.

Only a few minutes passed before Annabelles attention was drawn to the mutterings at the end of the hall. A small group of people had congregated by a set of double doors, blocking the path from someone trying to exit. Annabelle could hear voices being raised and watched as the crowd dispersed, though it was clear that no one was pleased about evidently being ordered to move. A man dressed in dark blue scrubs was now stalking in her general direction, scanning the faces of everyone he passed until he stopped a few feet from her, recognition clear on his face.

"Annabelle?"

"Sam?" Annabelle questioned. He nodded.

Sam pulled her in to a lingering hug before holding her at arms length, like a Great Aunt greeting a niece at a distant relatives wedding. "You look amazing."

Annabelle blushed before giving him a once over. "You look like a completely different person. No make-up?"

This was not the same person as the one who had taken care of her during her stay. Yes, people changed, but rather than ageing six years, Sam Carrol seemed to have aged twenty. While the unshaven appearance appealed to her age, it did nothing to draw attention away from the dark shadows under his eyes. His eyes no longer had a twinkle to them, instead they seemed dull, as if he had been struggling with a great burden that had been placed upon his shoulders.

"I hit thirty," he shrugged, as if it were that simple, that there was nothing more to it, but Annabelle could sense he wasn't being completely honest. "Decided it was time to act my age. Anyway, enough about me, how about you – how have you been?"

Now that was a question with many different answers. "I've been..." she paused, trying to figure out the right word to use. She sighed. "I've been good. To be honest, the last few years have been all different kinds of crazy. Still adjusting but... I think I'm getting there."

"That's great. I'm happy for you."

He genuinely did seem happy for her, which Annabelle was touched at, with it coming from someone she barely knew, Yet, at the same time, she felt as though she had known him all her life. She felt it the first time she met him; that sense of safety that makes her feel a though she could reveal her deepest darkest secrets to him. It was strange. She smiled at him, receiving one in return.

"What brings you back to London?"

The question threw her, but only for a moment. "In a few few days... it'll be six years since the accident." Sam's eye widened and he reached out to her but she shook her head. "This morning I laid flowers where she died and tomorrow I'll fly to Boston to visit her on her actual anniversary. I just wanted to come here and find you before I leave, to say thank you , again."

"Sweetheart," he said, embracing her. "You didn't need to do that. I was just doing my job."

"But it was so much more than that," she said, with as much conviction as she could muster. "And you know it."

"Well," Sam said, without really knowing how to respond. "It's nice to know my actions are appreciated."

Annabelle saw the change in his demeanour. The way his back stiffened, the slight darkening of his eyes and his apparent discomfort. Something was going on.

"Something wrong?"

Sam looked at her, about to shake his head but instead glanced around them, sighing. At his reaction, Annabelle did the same, now noticing their surroundings. Every few seconds, they were being glanced at, dirty looks thrown their way, mutterings aimed in their direction. Annabelle could tell by their appearances that every single one of them happened to work at the hospital. Some were just passing through, but others were standing and staring. It took her a good minute to realise that none of this was actually aimed at her. She looked at Sam, only to find him with his head down, shaking it. Whatever had happened in the last six years was big.

"Let's go outside."

Annabelle grabbed Sam by the hand and pulled him from where they sat. She led them through the doors, down the street to the first coffee shop she could find, Sam trailing willingly along behind her. Nothing was said until they were sitting facing each other at a table in the back corner, a coffee before each of them. Annabelle kept her voice low. "There a reason everyone was staring at you like you'd just been sentenced for murder?"

"That obvious?"

Annabelle tilted her head at him. "How could it not be?"

Sam rubbed at his tired eyes. "You really don't need to trouble yourself, Annabelle. I can handle what they're saying, the way they act; don't concern yourself, please."

"But I want to." She felt compelled to help him – she really did. She couldn't explain it. Sam sighed.

"Some years back, I came in to a bit – well, actually, a hell of a lot - of money." He sighed again and she groaned inwardly. She'd quickly learnt since entering Tonys life that having money brought more problems than not. Sam downed half of his coffee while looking at his watch. "I told anyone who asked that it was just inheritance, that it wasn't going to change who I was. About eight months later, I was straight out offered the job of Senior Staff Nurse over many of those who applied. They were always going to hire internally but I applied without expecting to get an interview let alone the job. There were others who'd been at the hospital longer, with more experience and yet for some reason they offered it to me outright... and everyone heard about it." He drained the rest of his drink and pushed his cup away before giving out a harsh laugh. "As you can probably tell, no one was pleased – they all thought I bought myself the position."

"And did you?"

"No I bloody hell did not!" Sam exclaimed, making to stand but Annabelle stopped him with a shake of her head. He collapsed back in to the chair. "Word travelled through my hospital and most of those closest to us. It's been a nightmare. People have quit, refused to work with me in protest and any new staff hear the rumours and make their minds up about me before they even set foot on my ward."

"That's horrible," Annabelle said, truly shocked by what she was hearing.

"I made a donation to the hospital but it wasn't in my name – it was completely anonymous. Yeah, they make my life difficult but I still do my job because I love it." Sam sucked in a breath, calming himself down from where he'd been getting increasingly agitated. Annabelle couldn't blame him, not after everything she'd just heard. "I know I've done nothing wrong. I'm good at my job and those making the decision thought so to. At least I can sleep at night knowing my conscience is well and truly clear."

Silence settled between them. His voice had been slightly raised while he'd been talking, causing the few patrons nearest to them to give them sporadic glances. Annabelle wasn't too concerned about them at the moment, she was too preoccupied with the man slowly unravelling in front of her. She wished she could call Pepper and ask her advice on his situation but she knew the woman was backed up in meetings all day. She was on her own with this one.

"Did you ever consider putting in for a transfer? Maybe starting somewhere new would have been beneficial."

"Why should I?" Sam exploded, causing heads to turn. He covered his face with his hands. "I've worked incredibly hard for what I've got at St Thomas', Annabelle, and I sacrificed a lot to get it. I shouldn't be made to give it up."

The last part was whispered and Annabelle instantly felt guilty at making the suggestion. "No, you shouldn't." She reached out her hand, placing it on his arm. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He waved her off and gave her a tight smile. "I've always had other options, but I've never really entertained them because of Isaac... but I guess that doesn't really matter any more."

"Who's Isaac?"

"My ex," Sam said, a look of pure disgust on his face. "Cheated on me with his ex, who he cheated on with me... I didn't know that at the time though. It's all very complicated and I'll need to consume copious amounts of alcohol before getting in to that."

Annabelle nodded, not really knowing how to comment.

"So," she said lightly. "There's nothing stopping you now?"

Sam sighed, shaking his head. "Not really. I see what you're doing." Annabelle smiled, pleased that she'd at least got him thinking about it. "I'm settled here and I'd have to move – that's honestly the biggest thing putting me off."

"To another part of London?" Annabelle assumed, shrugging. "That's not hard."

Sam genuinely laughed at her, leading Annabelle to raise an eyebrow. "Not London, Love. Not even the United Kingdom. I'd have to move to another country. I'll get us another."

"Ah," Annabelle said as he left the table. She could see now why he'd been reluctant to entertain the offer before. Long distance isn't always an option for everyone and asking someone to move with you isn't always an option either. She was still thinking about it when Sam placed a fresh, steaming cup in front of her. "Thanks."

He waved a hand at her and took his seat, pulling out his phone and typed at it for a minute before putting it away again and leaning back in his chair, eyes closed and sighed.

"You know, it's not as hard as it sounds... moving, I mean," she said sipping at her drink. "And sometimes we have to do what's best for us and not for any one else."

Sam cracked an eye open to stare at her, finally smiling and nodding his head, agreeing with her for the first time since they started the conversation. "Maybe you're right."

"That has been known," she said, sipping her coffee now with a smirk on her face. "Frequently as it happens."

"That so?"

"So come on, tell me, this job offer – how long have they given you to make a decision?"

For reasons currently unknown to her, Sam suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He sat up straight in his chair again now, but kept his gaze trained on the napkin he was now fiddling with. "I've, um, had the offer for about six years or so," he said glancing at her quickly in time to see her mouth drop open. He looked away again. "I'm pretty sure the offers indefinite; I've just never actually been in a position to check and find out."

"Six years? Wow." Annabelle was astonished as she lent back in her own chair. She'd never heard of a job offer being extended for that long before, even if it was because of ongoing negotiations – and that certainly wasn't what was happening in this instance. She was well and truly intrigued now. "Still with the NHS but on an international basis?" He shook his head. "What organisation?"

"A private one," he said, though he continued to be coy with his answers. "Still in a medical capacity."

"That's perfect!" Annabelle was giddy even thought this had nothing to do with her. "Is it a small organisation?"

"It's definitely not small," Sam said, still evading giving too much away. "It's pretty well known."

"Where is it based? Maybe I've heard of it."

"Oh you've heard of it all right," he muttered, but she still managed to hear him.

"Come on, then," Annabelle pushed, her excitement for him coming through in full force. "Don't leave a girl in suspense."

She had worn him down, they both knew it. Sam sighed. "Stark Relief Foundation."

Annabelle froze. "Stark Relief what now?"

"Know it?" He tried to keep his voice light but neither of them were buying it.

"Know it -" She huffed and shook her head in disbelief. "As in my dads company?"

"Yes."

She shook her head again. "I'm so confused right now. You said you were offered this six years ago?"

Sam nodded. "Day you were discharged I got home to find a very very large cheque sitting on my kitchen counter, along with a note thanking me for taking care of you and saying there was a job open at Stark Relief Foundation if I ever wanted it."

"Son of a bitch." Annabelle pulled her phone from her pocket but paused before going any further. She wasn't exactly annoyed and she wasn't particularly surprised that Tony had done something like this, it wouldn't be the first time, and with it happening so long ago, there wasn't much that could be done about it now. She set the phone down on the table next to her cup and thought for a minute about what this could mean. This opportunity could be the answer to Sams problems... that was, of course, if he was really and truly willing to consider it. If it turned out that he did actually want it, she was sure Pepper or even Tony himself could get the whole thing sorted relatively quickly. She stared directly at Sam and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Did you ever actually consider it?"

He tilted his head at her, pondering the question a bit before answering. "A few times maybe, but never seriously. Like I said – Isaac."

Good thing Isaac was no longer in the equation then, she thought. "How about now?"

He thought again. "I have nothing keeping me here, not really." Annabelle noticed the moment the realisation of his statement fully hit him. He bit his lip. "Honestly? It's sounding like a pretty good idea at the moment."

Annabelle nodded, mentally vowing to take charge of this for him, because clearly he needed more time to process this decision - there was a lot for him to consider, and it wasn't something that would be easy to just back out of... but at least getting the ball rolling just in case wouldn't hurt, right?"

"I need to -" she trailed off, picking up her phone and instantly pressing her contacts.

"Need to what?"

She looked up at him and smiled, a glint in her eye. "Call my Dad."

After the battle of New York, the only letter remaining atop of Stark Tower was 'A', unintentionally but effectively renaming the building. It was a place the Avengers could reconvene between missions, should they wish to, before going their separate ways. More often than not, it was where they all chose to spend majority of their time, settling on to the individual floors Tony had designed for them. Aside from Thor and Clint (both of whom preferred to stay for shorter periods of time), it was where each of them had come to call home. Tony would never admit it, and point blank deny it, but he secretly liked having them close by. They were sort of like a family. It was... comforting.

He, himself, was not always in the tower. He tried to equally split his time between both his families. He and Pepper travelled to the Malibu mansion as often as they could, spending three weekends out of four there with a couple of days during the week if their schedules would allow it. When it was clear Tony needed to remain in New York for an extended period of time, Annabelle had decided against joining him. He had been disappointed at first, but also understood her need for freedom. She was an adult after all. So, the day he boarded his jet, he had gifted her the mansion to do as she wished. They all talked constantly, Tony sometimes donning the suit just to spend dinner with his daughter. They had a routine, and it worked for them.

Tony had changed since Annabelle entered his life. Everyone noticed, but, for the most part, it was just put down to him finally growing up and the influence of his relationship with Pepper. No one had suspected the appearance of a daughter that he tried so hard not to disappoint or let down. When she first arrived, there were a few photos of the two of them together that had somehow been obtained from the airport and even one or two from their time together in Boston. Tony had had JARVIS wipe them from the web. The possibility of being thrown into the limelight had scared Annabelle, especially so soon after entering each others lives, and Tony had gone above and beyond to make sure that didn't happen. Luckily, it hadn't. Tony, however, couldn't stay out of the front pages, the rest of the Avengers joining him.

The group of them, minus Thor (who was presumably on Asgard), were currently en route back to the tower, which according to Clints recent estimation, would be in about thirty minutes. They'd been sent by Fury to retrieve data stolen by a former associate of SHIELD, the person in question having hacked in to the servers with the intention of potentially leaking the secrets and identities of every Agent ever in service. It had been a simple task – or so they thought. The man had been ready for them and the whole thing had turned dirty very quickly. Tony was sure the bruises would take weeks to fade. It had ended in their favour though, when did it not? The data had been recovered and the man was safely in SHIELD custody. Fury would be a very happy man but all the lot of them craved now was to get back to the seclusion they tower offered. Tony had allowed Clint to pilot the quinjet home before the man even had to ask, choosing to mentally debate with himself over whether or not to call Annabelle.

Very Late May to mid June was a difficult time for the young woman, and was the one time of year he worried about her more than usual. The last couple had been easier for her but the first few haf been especially hard. With what she had chosen to do this year, Tony couldn't help but worry about her even more. He completely understood her need to go back to London alone but he wished she had at least allowed Happy to accompany her. She had said no, of course, before he had even brought the suggestion up. She had come to know him very well in recent years. He even refrained from sending the man in secret to follow her, knowing that if she found out it would be a very big betrayal on both his and Happys part, one that he didn't think she'd forgive easily. He would have felt better about her going it alone if her could track her every move and pinpoint her exact location but he had promised her years ago that he wouldn't do that, and for the most part, he didn't. JARVIS was programmed to know where she was at all times, same as Pepper, and the AI would only ever give him a general idea of her location should he have reason to do so. This wasn't something Tony could control, and that he was something he would never get used to.

Before long they were touching down on the helipad and the door opening for them to disembark. Tony wasn't the only one who groaned when he stood, Bruce having felt the affects of sitting for too long. The Hulk hadn't been needed, but Bruce had come along just in case, remaining in the jet until his teammates came back. They all made their way in to the tower, depositing their weapons in the designated area ready to be taken down to the respective quarters. Bruce set about making them all something to drink, while everyone else set themselves on the many chairs littering the common area. Tony however, wondered through to the kitchen, checking his phone, only to find nothing of interest displaying on the screen.

"We should debrief with Fury, this was a SHIELD matter."

Tony didn't even bother to look up before shaking his head at Steve. The man couldn't even even them a chance to rest before getting straight down to business. Tony decided to let the man fret a little before informing him he'd already had JARVIS send a full report of everything that had happened in apprehending their target the moment they boarded the jet.

"Fury can wait," Clint said as he clapped Steve on the back and walked to one of the kitchen cabinets. "I need to eat."

"And shower," Nat called to him, making Tony snigger. Clint just turned and gave her the finger before continuing his quest of finding food.

"Fine," Steve said, relenting once he realised his fight was futile. "But we meet with him in a few hours. Agreed?"

There was a collective mumble of agreement that Tony didn't join in with. He was too busy staring down at his phone, once again debating whether or not to call his daughter. She had let him know she had arrived safely in London the previous night but he hadn't heard from her since. He knew she would have a lot on her mind, and that was exactly why he was worried. He just wanted to know that she was okay, that she was coping with being back in the place where the life she had known had fallen apart.

"Stark?"

"Yeah," Tony glanced up briefly at Steve to find him staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Tony waved a hand at him. "Fine, whatever, you're the boss. JARVIS?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Any calls for me?" Tony already knew the answer, but it was always better to double check.

"I'm afraid not, Sir."

Tony sighed. He wondered if Pepper had heard from Annabelle at all. "Where's Pepper?"

"The nineteenth floor, Sir."

Tony winced, Pepper being there was never a good thing. That was the one floor you never wanted the CEO of a company to go to... things never ended well when that happened. Steve had seen the wince, as had everyone else. He aimed his question to Natasha.

"What's on the nineteenth?"

With a smirk on her face, Natasha answered. "Personnel."

Clint laughed from where he was now sitting in front of the TV, brandishing a slice of toast at Tony, acting as though he was a disappointed father. "And who have you managed to piss off this time?"

"Funny," Tony said, rolling his eyes as the others joined Clint in laughter. "Did you come up with that one all by yourself? Here, have a candy bar." He tossed the bar of chocolate he picked up from the counter at Clints head, the man catching it with no effort at all. "What about Anna, J?"

"Who's Anna?" Tony could tell Clint wasn't the only one who wanted that question answered. After all, her name had never been mentioned in front of any of them before. He ignored him.

"Sir?"

"Come on, I don't want her exact co-ordinates," Tony pleaded, earning himself bewildered looks. "Just a general idea."

"Very well, Sir. Miss Cooper is still in London; she's scheduled on a flight out at nine tomorrow morning, her time."

"Now was that so hard?"

"Does Pepper know about this Anna?"

Tony ignored Clint again. "Download her flight plan, and see if Gina will meet her at the airport." He knew he was pushing it but he knew JARVIS would refuse if the AI didn't think it necessary. Thankfully, he was playing ball.

"Of course, Sir,"

That, at least, did something to ease his mind. He knew Annabelle was looking forward to seeing her Godmother again, the last time being months ago when he'd flew her in to surprise Annabelle for New Years. The look on her face when Gina had stepped up behind her was priceless and they'd ended up hugging through the countdown.

Tony was aware of someone coming to stand very close to him and he turned to raise an eyerbow at Steve. "Yes, Capsicle?

"You're hiding something."

Tony had to refrain from laughing. "I'm always hiding something. Your point?"

"We're a team, Stark."

Tony stood straight, even though he was nowhere near a match for Steves height. Just because they were a team didn't mean they needed to know everything about each other, and this was definitely something that was currently none of the man's business. "And my life is personal," Tonys voice was sharp, and it gained interest from the rest of those present. "Certain aspects of which I do happen to prefer being kept private."

"Are you cheating on Ms Potts?"

Tony stood with his mouth agape, as did the others, but he could tell that the others seemed to wondering this to. He didn't even know how to begin to answer that question, being far too shocked that it had come out of Steves mouth to begin with.

"Sir, Miss Cooper is on the line."

How was that for timing? Tony narrowed his eyes at Steve, the other man not even flinching. "I'll take it in my lab." He left them all wondering what was going on and made his way down one floor to his personal lab, the one only he had access to. As soon as he stepped in to the room, JARVIS opened the call for him. He settled himself in to his desk chair, sighing. "Hey, Kid."

"You sound tired."

Tony smiled at hearing her voice. She sounded fine. "I don't get tired."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "You're just always too stubborn to admit you are."

They both laughed at how true that statement was. There was a brief few seconds of silence before Tony broke it. "Miss you. How you doing?"

Again there was silence. "I'm okay. It's just strange being here again, you know?" Tony nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. "I'm near St Thomas' at the moment."

"The hospital?" Tony questioned. He had no idea she was planning to go there. He could guess why she'd gone there, and he probably should of figure it out. "I thought you were only going to Trafalgar Square?"

"Last minute decision. Speaking of which," she said and Tony had a pretty good idea where this was going and he groaned quietly. "Do you remember Sam Carrol?"

"Nurse that took care of you," Tony replied automatically. It was going there. JARVIS brought up everything they had gathered on the man over the years on the screen in front of Tony. Tony knew one day Annabelle would do this, it was the type of person she was, he was just waiting for the moment. He briefly scanned it, finding his currently employment. "There's a chance he might still be employed there."

"Have you, by any chance, been keeping tabs on him?"

Busted. "No comment." He knew she knew he had been, he was too obvious. "Why do you ask?"

"Because he's sitting right next to me."

"Oh." At this point in time, Tony really wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. There were a few things he'd been keeping from her.

"We've just had a very interesting conversation."

"That so?"

"Listen, Dad," Tony smiled, he did so every time she called him that. The first time she did so was when she had a fever so high, Tony honestly considered donning the suit and flying her to the nearest hospital himself, but Pepper had stopped him. Annabelle had been nearing twenty at the time. "I'm not gonna say anything about you tracking a man you had a two minute conversation with, or that you paid him a god awful amount of money years ago because, quite frankly, it's in you nature to do so and nothing I say is going to stop you from doing it again."

Tony laughed. She really did know him so well. "Then how can I help you, Sweetpea?"

Annabelle giggled down the line. It was the nickname he used for her whenever she'd caught him out in doing something he shouldn't have been. "That job you offered him; is it still available?"

Tony thought back, remembering when he'd first had JARVIS look in to the man who had made such an impression on Annabelle that he'd written a cheque, along with a note, and had Happy break in to the man in questions apartment. To be honest, Tony didn't really think the man would ever look in to it, but he still always made sure to have a position open. Without even needing to be prompting, JARVIS brought up the SRF database, scanning the list of open positions. "You need it to be?"

"I think it's a fair possibility." There was something in her voice that told Tony it wasn't just a possibility, and that it was something she did need from him.

"I can have Pepper draw up some paperwork. It'll be with him by the end of the week to read through and we'll go from there. Everything after that I can have rushed through."

"Thank you," Annabelle said softly.

"Anything for you, Annabelle." Tony cleared his throat. "When will you be home?"

"I'm coming to New York for my birthday."

That was still almost a week away but Tony couldn't moan. He expected her to want to spend in with Gina this year. "Okay. Love you, Anna."

"Love you to, Dad."

They ended the call but Tony remained where he sat. She sounded as though she was handling the time of year better than she had done previously. It seemed that, she was being preoccupied with whatever the reason behind her asking for the job at SRF to be open. He was glad that she was coping, in her own way. He stayed sitting, not wanted to go back to the common area and be bombarded by more questions that he wouldn't answer, and besides, Anna had been right – he was tired. Tony closed his eyes, intending to nap in his desk chair, only for JARVIS to interrupt him seconds later.

"Sir, your presence is required upstairs."

Tony groaned but dragged himself out of his seat and left his lab. He could only imagine what his group of misfits needed now.

"What's going o-"

Whatever if had thought it could be, was nothing compared to what he found himself faced with. Upon reaching them, he found every single one of their attention focused on the now paused TV, the TV that was showing a very clear picture of Tony and Annabelle walking on the private beach attached to the Malibu mansion. It showed Annabelle with carefree laughter on her face with Tony having his arm slung over her shoulders, kissing her hair. He remembered the day, a couple of weeks ago now. How the hell had this been taken without either of their knowledge.

They were all staring at the stony expression now on Tonys face. Bruce came and stood next to Tony, staring between him and the TV. "Tony, who exactly is Annabelle Cooper?"