December 25, 2012. Avengers Tower, New York.

'Merry Christmas!'

James and Howie shouted as soon as the video call connected. The girls on the other end, both wearing novelty hats, cheered and laughed. All four children smiled at each other as James and Howie sat down, the television in one of Stark Tower's huge living rooms showing their girlfriends. Sophie and Lizzie were perched on folding chairs, the desert behind them giving no hint of their location.

'Merry Christmas to you too.' Lizzie smiled. 'Have you opened any presents yet?'

'Nah.' James shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. 'Papa wanted to wait for Nat and Tony needed to speak to him anyway.'

'Oh yeah.' Sophie said with a slightly raised eyebrow. 'I hear congrats are in order. When's the wedding?'

Howie shrugged. 'Pepper thinks it'll take a couple years yet. But dad wants both of you to be bridesmaids. Me and James are best men.'

'Well, you're a best man.' James said, shrugging. 'I'm just a groomsman at this point, there's a difference.'

The girls nodded, both apparently quite excited although you couldn't tell from just looking at Sophie. The glint in her eyes and the minuscule upturn of her lips was the only betrayal of her emotions. She was raised by the Black Widow after all.

The boys both got it though and smiled widely at her. The stoicism dropped and she grinned back, never quite managing to keep up the lack of emotions around her friends. Lizzie gave the other girl a nudge with her shoulder, shaking her head slightly.

'Have you all recovered?' Lizzie said, looking concerned.

Howie nodded, raising his right arm as if to prove his point. His prosthetics were new and improved, although that didn't help with the strain he'd got in his shoulder when he'd fallen. James was perfectly fine, two short minutes as Monstrosity and all his injuries were gone. He barely even remembered the night of the fight.

'All good.' Howie said. 'Dad's a bit knocked up and Pepper's still got Extremis in her blood but other than that we're fine.'

'Really?' James said, glancing sideways. 'You didn't tell me that.'

'It's pretty much gone. It's just a mild healing factor and some enhanced strength.'

'How much?' Lizzie said, leaning forward.

Howie shrugged. 'Let's just say she'd beat your granddad in an arm-wrestle.'

Sophie whistled low. 'Impressive. He sends holiday wishes, by the way.'

'Same to him. Peter says hi.'

'Oh yeah.' Lizzie grinned, thinking of the new addition to their little group. 'Is he there?'

'Yeah but he's helping with the food.' James said with a sneer. 'His aunt said he could only come if he made himself useful.'

'She's not there then?'

Howie shook his head. 'No secrets in the tower. Its the only rule.'

The girls nodded for a while, understanding the want for transparency. The Starks had spent too long keeping things hidden, they didn't want to do the same thing anymore, especially in their own home.

'So its finished now?' Sophie said, head tilted.

'Pretty much.' James shrugged. 'Just a couple pieces of furniture need to-'

'James!' Clint shouted from the floor below. The vents that James had oh-so-carefully planned out were open, giving an easy line of communication between the groups in the two floors. 'Someone on the phone for you!'

'Tell 'em to call back later!' Howie shouted back.

'Yeah, I'm busy!' James chipped in, rolling his eyes slightly.

'Really?' Clint said, a teasing lilt in his voice. 'She seems very eager to talk to you. Do I need to get all protective dad? Hope you not cheating on my daug-'

'No! No! I'll be there in a second.' James shouted back, scrambling to his feet. Lowering his volume, he turned back to the girls. 'That's my mum. Her husbands family is going round, she probably doesn't have long to talk.'

Sophie waved him away. 'Just go. Tell her we say Merry Christmas and ask if the kids like their gifts.'

'We might have to go before you get back.'

James' face dropped but he nodded. 'Okay, I'll tell him and I'll ask. If you're gone before I return, goodbye, Merry Christmas. Love you, Soph.'

'Love you too.' Sophie smiled slightly. She blew a kiss almost mockingly and James turned and ran off.

Howie rolled his eyes slightly as James ran, almost falling over as he turned the corner for the elevator. 'He's crazy.'

'Yeah.' Sophie said, though her voice was less fond and more exasperated. 'You said it, Stark.'

'Well I am smarter than you, Barton.'

Sophie raised an eyebrow playfully but Lizzie looked between them annoyed.

'Could you not, maybe, use each other's first names?'

Sophie and Howie looked at each other, eyebrows raised. With huge smiles, they spoke at the same time. 'Nope.'

'Unthinkable.' Sophie quipped.

'Impossible.' Howie added, laughing.

Lizzie looked between them, shaking her head as if torn between being upset with them or finding their antics funny. In the end, she just waited for them to stop giggling at each other.

'Sorry we couldn't be at the tanker.' She said, changing the subject without any subtly. 'I heard it was quite a fight.'

Howie frowned, thinking about the fight. He hadn't managed to help much, just got in the way really. If he hadn't tried to save Pepper, his dad would have gotten to her and he wouldn't have thought she died. But, of course, they wouldn't be engaged if that had happened.

He thought about falling, and hitting the water. He had started to panic the second he was submerged, remembering the last time he had fallen into water. Unlike that time, he was conscious going into the water but blacking out fast. He couldn't stay awake and he could feel himself sinking, dying just like when his heart was pulled out of his chest...

'Stark!'

Howie's eyes snapped open- he hadn't even realised he closed them- and he stared at Sophie and Lizzie on the screen. The younger girl pointed behind him and he turned, scowling at the portals that had appeared there. He waved a hand, dispersing them. Lizzie watched him with slight fear while Sophie just looked concerned.

'Sorry about that.' He shrugged, refusing to meet his girlfriends' eyes. 'I guess I panicked a bit.'

'I'll say.' Sophie said, leaning back in her chair and pulling her knees up to her chest. Sophie had dealt with people suffering from bad memories, knew how badly it could affect them. She cared too much about her father, about Loki and, yes, about Howie to not learn all the signs. He needed to speak to someone. He seemed more awake that he had over the last few days, his eyes more alert. It was probably helped by it being daytime but he hadn't been trying to call them in the middle of the night anymore. 'It's alright, no need to explain.'

Lizzie looker for a moment like she wanted to press for more details but shook her head as someone else appeared in the picture, both girls straightening up when they saw her.

'Cadet Rogers, there are several packages for you.' She said, the side of her lip twitching.

'Thank you, Agent Carter, could you give me a moment?'

The agent nodded, winking at the screen before turning away. Howie raised an eyebrow at her, turning his shocked expression on Lizzie.

'Carter? Any relation?'

Lizzie nodded. 'Nana Peg's niece.'

'Which makes her your...' Howie thought for a moment. '...Aunt?'

'First cousin once removed.' Sophie said, looking at something off screen. 'Liz, you better go, that's a look of stuff.'

'Couldn't you go?' Howie said, not unkindly.

Lizzie shook her head, standing up. 'I have to sign for each package individually.'

Howie grimaced, gaining a small laugh from both girls. 'Okay, Merry Christmas.'

'Merry Christmas.'

Lizzie walked off, Sophie watching her go with an raised eyebrow. She turned back to the screen, looking slightly smug. 'No L-word, Stark.'

'Shut up, Barton, we can't all be completely comfortable with every component of our relationships.'

Sophie rolled her eyes at his dramatics but she seemed to get sadder. 'Yeah, well, I don't think either of us are doing great.'

'The tanker incident?'

'How'd you guess?' Sophie snarked, eyes widening sarcastically. Her face softened and she pulled her hair out of the bun in was in, letting the pastel pink waves surround her face. 'I just don't know what's going on with him, he can be such a jerk.'

'Most people can be jerks at times.' Howie shrugged. 'But I know what you mean. I've lost count how many times Pete or Bruce have had to stop him going on about my mutation.'

He looked at the back of his hand, now more purple than Caucasian. The pattern was spreading up his arms and had already started covering his face. It was mostly symmetrical but with no clear pattern, reminding Howie of a brightly coloured rorschach test.

'Yeah, he sometimes just goes off on one, complaining about everything. He once spent an hour telling me why me changing my hair colour was an affront to decency.'

'I though he liked your hair.'

'So did I.' She shrugged.

'So what did you do?'

'Put him on mute, played Angry Birds.' She smirked, Howie mirroring her expression. 'Has he ever talked to you about people dying?'

'Once.' Howie said, thinking back. 'A couple days ago. He had a nightmare and there was an earthquake somewhere and he kept saying there was no point in saving people because if they weren't dead already they would be. Like he knew for certain people would die.'

'He seems to think everyone's going to die except him. If Monstro wasn't so caring, I'd think he was going bad.'

Howie rolled his eyes. Only Sophie could call a giant green rage creature 'caring'. Of course, only James managed to be a jerk enough to make her think so. 'He's fine mostly though.'

'Mostly yeah. But should we have to put up with it?'

'We?'

'You're his friend too, aren't you?'

Howie nodded his head sideways, accepting her point. She stared at him slightly intensely, making him raise an eyebrow. 'What?'

'Just thinking about what Liz said. Everyone around here calls me by my last, without fail. I dunno, just, when you do it, its like a personal nickname but now its...'

'Ruined?' Howie guessed.

'I suppose.'

'So you want me to call you Sophie?'

'Oh god, no.' She said, looking affronted. She screwed up her nose slightly. 'And give everyone else the satisfaction? No, I just need to think of something else.'

Howie smiled, thinking to himself. She was quite cute when she was thinking.

'Howie! Nat's here!'

'Yeah. One minute!' Howie shouted back to his dad, sighing slightly. 'Any ideas?'

'Not really but-'

'Howard Edwin Stark! Get down here!' Tony shouted, evidently not hearing Howie's previous reply.

Howie shrugged at Sophie, who seemed to have had an idea. 'Well, I got to go. Say bye to Lizzie for me.'

'Okay, same to James. Merry Christmas, Edwin.'

He stopped halfway out of his chair. He thought for a second, making sure he had her middle name right. 'Merry Christmas, Anastasia, see you in a few weeks.'

She grinned, hanging up on the call. He smiled, standing up and jumping into one of the vents, pulling himself through to the floor below. He dropped down right next to his father, making the man jump.

'Hey dad. What did you learn in therapy?'

'That Bruce doesn't care about me.' Tony said, pretending to wipe away a tear. The other man threw a cushion at him from across the room as Howie walked over to hug Natasha.

'Hey, kiddo, done saying goodbye to Lizzie?'

'Actually it was Sophie I was saying goodbye to.' Howie said, sitting down on the same sofa as James. Peter jumped over the back, landing between the two as Tony and Natasha sat down with Clint and Pepper. Most of the people gave Howie a strange look but he shrugged, even as Peter patted his chest.

'Didn't get rid of this then?'

Howie looked down at his arc reactor, shrugging again. The shrapnel in his blood was gone but he kept the battery. 'Nah, it powers my limbs. Keeps me going.'

'Whatever.' James said, rolling his eyes. 'Gimme my presents.'

Everyone laughed, handing out gifts and settling into the tradition. Howie and Peter shot James a look as he pulled the wrapping off his first gift, barely muttering a thank you to Clint. Peter looked back at Howie, shaking his head and accepting his gift from Bruce. All the group had got gifts for Peter as soon as they knew he was staying. Howie shrugged at Peter, opening his own gift and smiling down at the jumper Pepper had got him.

Life was good. It wasn't always very funny, no matter how much the Starks tried to change that, but it was good.

And Howie Stark hadn't had a bad night sleep in weeks.