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Chapter 3: Diana Granger

Neither Tony nor Pepper reappeared that night. None of the Avengers believed that he would show his face that quickly either. Tony does not show emotion unless it's filled with sarcasm. The past month had been so frightening with the show of such grief, that the fact that whatever relief he felt was assumed to be held in private.

So when the team got up to see a clean, dressed up and humming AC/DC Tony Stark flipping pancakes in the kitchen, most of them thought that they were still dreaming. Iron Man in an apron was definitely something they never thought they would ever see.

"Eh," a bemused Bruce asked his friend as he looked over him, "Tony, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm making pancake."

He flipped another pancake expertly, and the group of friends stared at him in surprise. They had never seen Tony in the kitchen. Up until now the team didn't even know that he was capable of turning on the stove. That may have been due to the fact that he had a billion other things on this mind and would much rather fidget with new tech than have a nutritious meal. He was smiling brightly as he placed three fluffy pancakes on a plate and grabbed a couple of blueberries and placed them on top. The billionaire looked very pleased with himself.

Pepper walked in looking a lot better than she had done the other day. Kissing Tony's cheek, she grabbed the newspaper off the counter and opening it up. The team just kept on staring. Six months of complete and utter mental shut down and in one night they are back to normal. Well… almost too normal, actually. Natasha could understand Tony; as soon as things looked somewhat brighter, the billionaire would repress bad memories and return to his arrogant, snarky self. Pepper, however, the assassin could tell that her friend looked a little strained in her efforts to seem normal.

"Tony?" Steve began watching the two with a critical expression. Tony didn't even look at the man as he handed Pepper the plate of pancakes, starting a new batch.

"Yes, Spangles?" He flipped the first pancake.

"Don't you think it's time to explain what's going on here?"

"Emm…nope."

"Tony." Pepper's warning made the billionaire reconsider. He flipped another pancake, having the look in his eyes. The one he got while considering a particularly tricky reporter (a.k.a Christine Everhart). Placing the last pancake on the stack, he sighed and looked at the team. Pepper took the plate out of his hand which Tony seemed to be using as a life line.

"I'll take this up to Mione," she said before kissing his cheek again and vanished out of the room.

The Avengers stood in silence, no one daring break the silence. Tony didn't want to share as usual and the rest of the team didn't want to push him, knowing fully well that if they did he would clamp up even further.

Well… that was what most of the team thought. Steve, however, was looking at his friend with clear impatience. Ever since they met, the two have been butting heads. Steve could never get over the fact that Tony wasn't like his father and Tony was sick of being compared; first to Steve whilst growing up and now by Steve with his father. Pressing his lips into a tight line Tony, to everyone's surprise, he swallowed his pride and nodded towards the living room.

Natasha had been keeping a mental tally of how many earth shattering revelations where going to be made in the room. She looked over to Bruce who seemed to be thinking the same thing as he watched his friend who started, nervously, tapping on his arc reactor. He was seemingly fighting with himself on where to start.

"Okay. Look, I'm going to more honest with you than I ever have been." The tapping on his chest increased as he looked at them, "And I'm only telling you because Pepper would kill me if I don't and Rhodey will probably slip up." He sighed pulling out something that looked like a piece of glass framed by black, which the genius had many a time reassured them was a computer although he never explained how. With one swift move, Tony transferred the content from the screen into the hologram system though the room. A faint smile crossed their friends face as he pulled a photo closer, similar smiles spread on his friends' faces when they recognised a goofy looking ten year old Tony standing next to a younger looking girl.

"That," he said whilst pointing at the girl with a sorrowful smile, "is Diana Amanda Carter Granger."

27th May, 1980

Tony was watching his father with wide eyes. His father was sitting on his arm chair reading some files tapping his fingers in a happy little rhythm that he only did when he was enthusiastic about something but attempting to contain it. Howard was rarely this enthusiastic about anything that didn't involvesearching the Arctic for a sign of Captain America. Not that Tony minded. He was actually relived that he didn't have to hear about the 'War Hero' for the hundredth time that day. Instead, he was sitting with his parents and Nany (to his dismay) awaiting the arrival of his Aunt Peggy. He always liked her visits and this one was going to be even better as she was staying for his birthday.

Tony loved her visits. They were always filed with souvenirs of her travels and some chocolates and other sweet treats she brought back from England, just for him. Peggy would listen to him ramble about the things he had built since the last time he had saw her. She would patiently sit with him and even ask good questions (unlike his Nany who didn't seem to even grasp the basics). It was one of the rare times Tony felt like he was being listened to. Sometimes, Aunt Peggy's husband Martin would also be in tow ready to cause a little trouble with Tony, much to the exasperation of Jarvis who would be the one left to clean up the mess after the two left behind. He was a somewhat childish man who told Tony stories about the war.

Unlike his father he didn't moon over Captain Rodgers (he refused to call him Captain America), but he held the Captain in high regard. Telling the boy about the time his life was saved by his father's friend, but he mentioned other men and women who deserved the same respect as Rodgers. That was probably one of the reasons Tony liked Martin, he was the only one who called out his father for comparing Tony with a man he idolized for years. Yelling at Howard more than once. His favourite argument being "You idolize the man to the point that you can't seem to be able to separate the man from the legend."

He practically leapt out of his seat when he heard the knock on the door. If it weren't for his Mom he would have ran off and swung the door open. Tony was first to wait for their guest to come through to them whilst Jarvis went to open the door for them. He could hear multiple voices and the excitement Tony felt rose in his chest. It looked like Uncle Martin had decided a bit of birthday madness was exactly what Tony would need. When the two came in to his view, not even his mother's arms could stop him from running towards them as he saw their big smiles and heard their greetings of both his parents and their friends.

"Hey there, Tony!" Martin grinned at the boy as he ruffled his hair, "Excited to see us? Or just the presents?"

"Hmmm…" he tapped his chin as he pretended to think, "The presents, definitely the presents."

"Tony!" His Mom playfully scolded him when she came to greet her husband's friends.

That's when Tony noticed the girl and the boy standing behind Peggy. The girl was, he supposed, a little younger than him whilst the boy looked to be a two years older. Peggy noticed his gaze and pulled them both from behind her.

"Howard. Maria. Tony. May I introduce our children," she placed on hand on each of her children's shoulders, looking incredibly proud, "John and Diana."

The room had been quiet when Tony told them about how he first meet Diana. Natasha and Clint shared a look. You most certainly couldn't be higher up then one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D. No wonder the files Natasha had searched were so strongly protected.

Bruce only nodded taking note of Tony's expression which had turned nostalgic, something he recalled his friend denied doing ever since they had met. But he also took note of the sadness that he tried to hide.

Steve just stared at the image of the girl in front of him. He could see it now the little girl had Peggy in her. Dark hair, warm dark eyes and even her smile was a direct replica of her mother's. A sad smile crossed his face when he noticed some forgotten features in the girl's face. Her nose was straighter than her mother's and her cheek bones were well pronounced. Steve was only half listening to Tony when he continued.

"Diana, unsurprisingly considering Martin, was a wild child. We got into a lot of trouble that week. Became best friends. Something about blowing up your Dad's Royce really strengthens a friendship. My mom had made a point of us seeing each other. She was my first real friend." He smiled sadly as he conceded the old photo.

He sighed and waved it away to pull forward another photo. This time it was of a fourteen year old Tony lounging around on a small garden next to a twelve year old Diana and a sixteen year old Jon.

2nd August, 1984

"So you hacked into the Pentagon on a bet?" Diana asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Tony smirked at her. She knew fully well that he wasn't lying. He was known for doing stupid things like this all the time and she had been right there with him some of the time.

"Why else would one want to hack into the Pentagon." The smirk widened when he heard her huff in disbelieve.

"Ignore him D. He's just trying to show off," came from John who was lying on his stomach on the grass a book in front of his nose, "No one can hack in to the Pentagon." Tony was about to shout back at the older boy only for Diana to shake her head at him. Her brother wasn't worth it.

"So what did you win?"

"Win?"

"The bet. What did you win?"

"Oh that… the glory of knowing I'm smarter than everyone." He grinned whilst puffing out his chest. She rolled her eyes at her friend.

"You already knew that."

"Yeah but know they have to admit it."

"Wait! You hacked into the Pentagon at fourteen?" Clint yelled out looking at his friend. He was attempting to keep his shock and admiration of his face.

"Yes." Tony answered looking at them as if it were nothing.

"For a bet?" Steve asked his disapproval clear in his voice.

"Oh spare me your judgment, Capsical. I was fourteen and bored."

"Yeah and you would do it right now if somebody dared you to." Bruce quipped, an eyebrow raised at him. Tony merely gave him an innocent look (well as innocent as he could be) and continued his story, by pulling another picture in to focus. The group looked surprised to see a seventeen year old Tony wearing a cap and gown, standing in-between a sheepish looking Rhodey and a grinning Diana.

28th July, 1987.

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

The three of them smiled down the camera of Maria Stark who was properly taking pictures of her son at every given chance. Next to her stood a smiling Peggy Carter. Diana nudged Tony playfully. "Got you graduating from MIT." She chirped. He grinned.

Tony's smile flattered when his mother came over to hug and coo over him, "Look at you. My little boy all grown up. I'm so proud of you," she gushed as she held him tight. Her son's expression looked pained as he heard Rhodey supressing a laugh behind him.

"Mom!" he winced.

"Maria, let the boy go you're embarrassing him." Peggy mercifully stepped in.

"I'm his mother, it is in my right to embarrass him." She pinched his cheek. Rhodey and Diana couldn't hold back their laughter any longer. Tony's face reddened. Maria pulled him closer. "Your father's proud too." She whispered in to his ear and looked at him serenely as he pulled away. Tony gave his mother a doubtful look.

If his father was so proud why wasn't he here?

Maria ruffled his hair and smiled brightly again. He turned back to his friends who seemed to be in an argument.

"All that I'm saying is you will never know him as well as me," Diana claimed, her arms crossed and a wicked smile on my face.

"Yeah well we're guys, so therefore we are closer," Rhodey mocked.

"Sorry but that's not how friendship works, buddy."

Tony smirked at the both of them. "Girls, girls you're both pretty. Now what do you say we ditch this robes and go crash some party?"

Tony went on to tell the story of how the three of them crashed some guys party (he couldn't remember his name) and proceeded to get so drunk that the three of them ended up back in Tony and Rhodeys apartment with no recollection how they got there nor the strange companion that had curled up on the sofa with the now Colonial. Tony did however remember that Diana described Rhodey's companion as rather handsome in his bowtie and suit.

"Don't tell them that!" came Rhodey's voice from behind them as he entered the living room in grey sweatpants and a t-shirt. He's face full of mortification. "They'll believe you."

Tony shrugged. "I can't help it if it's true." Rhodey growled and as he sat down next to Tony.

"How's Hermione?" The colonial asked as he looked over the group with a small smile.

"She wasn't awake when I got up." Tony's voice was laced with concern even though he tried to hide it from the rest of the group as he kept his face an emotionless masked. "I made her some pancakes. Pepper's with her now." Rhodey nodded.

"Come on then, keep spilling your guts. It's a rare sight and I might as well be here for the inevitable argument that's going to break out, between you and Steve."

Rhodey pulled a news article, with a picture of the seventeen year old Tony drunk out of his mind stumbling out. The words: "Robotic Wunderkind out of the Picture?"

13th October, 1987.

Ice cold water crashed over him and Tony jolted upright in the bed. He was greeted by the familiar brown eyes of his Aunt Peggy.

"Rise and Shine!" She sang, with a sweet smile at a grouchy wet Tony. "Breakfasts on the table you're Uncle Martins made pancakes." Tony let out a moan, as he rolled out of thebead in the room that had become his since he had appeared on their door step after a fight with his father three weeks ago. His disappearance had made the front page back home.

Peggy hadn't asked any questions, simply called his mother to tell her that where her son was. He had been rather grateful that she had lied and told her that he had been asleep. Tony hadn't wanted to face his mother. Peggy did, however, force him to go to work with Diana at the small café round the corner where his friend had gotten a Saturday job. It occupied him for a couple of hours when Diana was in school. Also in the time that Tony had spent with the family Peggy and Martin have separately been called out to work for a couple of days. They never talked about their work and when they came home they greeted their daughter and Tony with hugs and souvenirs.

"Are you coming or do I have to get another bucket of water?" she called from the hall.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Tony called back as he got to his feet. "What's with the water in this family?" This was the fourth time that week he was woken up by an ice cold bath.

"You didn't get up again?" Diana asked has she passed him in the hall. She was already dressed in her school uniform ready for her day at school. Tony merely yawned as the both of them made their way down stairs where they were greeted by her father dancing around in an apron around the kitchen. Martin merely smiled at their laughter and placed pancakes in front of them and pulled letters out of his pocket.

"There's a letter for you Tony, from your friend James judging by his hand writing. Jon wrote you a letter D."

"Jon's fine." Diana informed her parents has her mother sat at the table receiving her own pancakes. "Training's hard but he's made friends with this boy named Patrick Moor. Their bunked together. Same old really." Jon had signed up to the army two weeks before Tony showed up. "What about Rhodey?"

"Not saying much talking about joining the army. Seems like our brothers think alike."

The ringing of the phone interrupted the happy family get together. Peggy excused herself to go answer the phone.

"So Tony, what's the plan for today? It's your day off, isn't it?" Martin asked tucking in to his own plate.

"I was planning to upgrade Dummy's arm. It keeps jamming," He stated absentmindedly.

Martin looked confused, "Who's Dummy?"

"Tony's Robot Dad. He named him Dummy."

"He's an IA," Tony interjected. But before he could go on his usual rant, Peggy entered the room looking pale and shaken.

"Kids, go pack your suitcases," She almost whispered.

"But I have school."

"Not today you do not. I called the school, you're coming with us. Go pack now, Diana!" She yelled the last part when neither of them moved.

"Tony when you're ready, I'd like a word in the office."

Swallowing hard Tony nodded, thinking about everything he might have done.

Half an hour later Tony came down the stairs still just as nervous as when she had demanded to see him. Once he entered, he could see that Peggy had been crying.

"Aunt Peggy?"

When her eyes fell on him they softened immediately, "Oh Tony… I am so sorry."

Tony sighed as he looked over the news article of Howard's death. The usual pictures of his father's coffin, covered in an American flag. Tony remembered how angry he was that all the papers cared about was his father. When he was interviewed it was all about Howard, no one seemed to care about his mother's death; no one apart from the Grangers and himself. In the same article, there were photos of Tony mourning his parents, being given condolences by several associates of his father. One of them was given a particular dark glare by Tony and Rhodey. It was a picture of Obadiah Stane clasping Tony's shoulder in support.

Natasha looked at him with surprise, "So that entire time when S.H.I.E.L.D was looking for you to recruit you, you were sitting in one of the founder's house?"

Grinning Tony nodded, "Yeah. S.H.I.E.L.D agents never really were all that bright."

"You were really close to Peggy growing up?" Steve's voice was merely a whisper. His brow was furrowed as he leaned forward, head resting on his hands contemplating his friend with sad eyes. Tony shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

"I still am. I visit her at least once a month and in the summer and holidays. I make sure I either see her or call her," He smiled awkwardly, not liking the show of emotion he was giving his friends.

Steve looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he was cut off when Tony hastily added, "If I didn't, Diana would have my head on a spike." The spark in the billionaire's eyes didn't go unnoticed as Clint and Bruce shared a look.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, suspicion rising in his gut. "Did you and Diana ever…" he weighed his words carefully, "date?"

Rhodey let out a laugh at that as he took in the words. "Tony and D? No. No way!" he continued to laughed but then suddenly stopped to look at his best friend. "Although…"

"No!" Tony practically yelled, "I told you, we were drunk. Very, very drunk!"

"Hey man, you can't blame me for wondering."

"Despite what you believe men and woman can be friends."

Rhodey raised his brow. "Yes I am aware, that men and woman can be friends but can you just be friends with a woman Tony.

The two were about to bicker amongst themselves, and the group sitting there watched them with wide eyes.

"Excuse me but would care to share the reasons of wonder. Not all of us are quite up to speed yet." Natasha looked annoyed at the both of them fiddling with the hidden pocket that the team knew concealed throwing knives. The two friends grew quieter and Tony's face became conflicted.

The team realised that this was what Tony was dreading. This was the point where they couldn't push otherwise the genius would clamp shut and walk out, probably with some snarky remark to never open up again. Waving his hand, he disregarded the hologram pictures of his younger self and friends to pull up on picture that made the group go completely silent. It was an ultrasound.

"Tony?" The group turned round to see Pepper standing the hallway leading to her and Tony's quarters. The teenage girl was clinging to her side as she tried to stand straight on her feet. Realisation hit the group, when Thor who had been unusually quite spoke up, "I believe your information regarding friend Tony's family is incorrect, Lady Natasha."