Chapter Two: Under My Wing

"Hello again," said Christina the next morning, this time wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. "Can I have my driver's license back now?"

"Here," Tony handed her the folder. "You want a drink?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks."

Tony studied her. "You're not lying about this."

It sounded more like a question then a statement.

Christina nodded slowly. "I'm telling you the truth."

Tony stared at her for a minute. "Here's the way I see it. Your mom's death set the ball rolling, you tried to find your father, your brother, the answers you wanted. But why did you come here?"

Christina shrugged. "I thought you deserved to know you had a half sister living across the country."

Tony glared. "You're lying."

"No I'm not!" she stood up. "I've told you nothing but the truth-"

"All of it?"

"Maybe I don't have an ulterior motive! Maybe I just want to have a family!"

There was silence. Christina took a deep breath.

"I know my story is unbelievable. And I know it's corny and cliche, but...I wanted to find you because..." she looked down. "...you're all I have left..."

Tony looked at her curiously as she tried to inconspicuously wipe her eyes. "...How long are you staying in New York?"

"I don't know," she said. "I only have my friend's apartment for a few days until she comes back. After that..." she shrugged.

"You can stay here." Tony said.

Christina looked up at him. "R-really?"

Tony nodded.

She frowned. "How much-" she began skeptically.

"Nothing."

"I can stay here for free?" she asked, incredulous.

Tony nodded again.

"Why...?" she asked.

Tony shrugged. "You're my sister."

The look on her face showed how grateful she was; she had not been expecting this. "Thank you."

Tony shrugged. "Come on sis, let me show you around. Then we can go get your stuff so you can move in."

Pepper smiled at her. "You must be Christina. I'm Pepper."

Christina nodded. "Thank you for letting me stay," she said, suddenly shy.

Pepper smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Alright alright, come on," said Tony, steering his sister away.

"So are you two dating, or is she just your bedtime buddy?" Christina whispered when Pepper was out of earshot.

Tony smirked. "What would you know about bedtime buddies?"

"Enough to know a pair when I see one."

Tony laughed. "Clever."

"And this," he said, leading her into the room he and Dr. Banner had been working on only a day ago, "is my favorite toy."

"Whoa..." Christina stared in awe at the Iron Man suit. Then she looked up excitedly. "Do I get to meet the rest of the Avengers?"

Tony smiled at the look on her face; she looked like a child. "I suppose you will, eventually."

"Yes!" she exclaimed. Then she blushed.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "So, you want to know what really happened a few months ago?"

"Yes."

Tony pulled up the graphics of all the Avengers' information, including footage from the Chituari attack, and information on Thor and Loki. Tony pointed them out first.

"That's Thor, god of thunder, with his crazy adopted brother Loki, god of mischief. Everything that happened was pretty much his fault. He's a bit of a diva."

Christina studied Loki's picture. "I'm sure he's not crazy. He's probably just...severely misunderstood."

"Enough to try and rule Earth?"

"People lash out when they feel misunderstood and angry. They do something crazy, rebellious. I did." She tucked her long hair behind her ear, revealing four studs.

"On the 'lashing out' scale, I think getting piercings is notably lower than killing 80 people in two days."

Christina smiled. "I know. It's just an example." Then she frowned. "Where are they now?"

"Back in there own galaxy. Loki is under strict surveillance...but I have no doubt he'll stir up trouble again soon."

Christina nodded as Tony continued pointing out the Avengers.

"That's Agent Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye-you wanna talk about bedtime buddies, there you go-and Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, and finally, Mr. Star-Spangled Banner, Steve Rogers."

Christina looked at him closely, and odd expression on her face. "That's Captain America...the guy our...dad found in ice?" She stammered on the words "our dad".

"Yep. Sometimes I think he should've stayed there."

"Oh, stop." she said, smiling. "He's part of the team, isn't he? He wouldn't have been called to be part of the Avengers if he didn't have something to offer."

"Yeah, but sometimes I think Nick Fury's got more than an eye missing in his head."

Christina rolled her eyes, then looked back to the footage of Captain America, the "before" and "after" pictures. "I'd like to meet him..." she said softly.

As news of Tony's little sister had spread, the Avengers slowly showed up, one by one, to meet her before S.H.E.I.L.D got wind of the news. She had met Natasha, Hawkeye (and his younger sister, Sam, whom Christina immediately became friends with), and Bruce Banner.

Tony and Christina became close almost instantly, as if they'd known each other their entire lives instead of only a exchanged brother/sister banter day in and day out, to the point where they could finish each other's sentences, but they had their arguments. Christina would rather discuss what to do, not how to do it, and she found it hard to sit still. This was often a source of conflict. Today, for example, they were arguing so loudly that they didn't hear a visitor's approaching footsteps.

"If you'd just sit still and focus-"

"I am focusing!"

"No you aren't. That's the wrong wire. Christina, that's the wrong-"

There was the sound of something being smashed, and Christina exclaimed, "Damn it, Tony!" She stormed out, literally running straight into the person waiting outside.

Christina slipped, but he caught her, one arm around her shoulders and another on her waist, and she looked up at him in awe.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"No, no, it's fine-"

They got lost staring at each other for a moment, not noticing that Tony had walked in on them until he stopped and said, "Oh hell no."

They both blushed as he set Christina up right, and held out his hand. "Steve Rogers, ma'am."

"C-Chrissi Stark," she stammered, blushing and shaking his hand.

"Oh dear God," mumbled Tony, pulling his sister away from him. "Why are you here, Rogers?"

Steve tore his eyes away from Christina and composed himself, handing Tony a manilla folder.

"Loki?" asked Tony.

"Loki."

"What's he up to now?" asked Christina.

Frowning at the papers, Tony said, "Run along and play now, little sister."

"But I want to help-"

"Go." he said, mussing her hair. She swatted his hand away, pouting. "Fine," she mumbled resentfully, walking away.

When she was out of earshot, Tony stepped closer to Steve and said in a low, threatening voice, "Don't go near her. Don't touch her. Don't look at her, don't even think about her. Don't even think about thinking about her."

"I wasn't-"

"If there's nothing else, Rogers, you can go. I've got some homework to do." Tony talked over him at normal volume.