Upon entering the kitchen Tony found himself doubting that asking the Avengers to move in after the Battle of New York was the decision of a sane man. The room was chaos. Clint had his feet kicked up on the island away from the pizza boxes with a half finished slice in his hand, Phil was next to him sitting properly in a chair with a knife, fork, and plate with two slices in front of him. He was talking to Thor who had four slices stacked on his right palm while he gesticulated with his left hand, which was clutching his Hammer. Natasha was perched upon the counter facing the rest of the company with Sam sitting next to her leaning against a corner cabinet so that she could see everyone. Bruce was leaning against the cabinets chatting with Nat while Sam surveyed their conversation.
She was the first one to notice their arrival but it was Pepper who announced it as she walked down the hallway. "Fancy you two making an appearance in your own kitchen!" she exclaimed, "Hi, Steve," she said kissing the super soldier on his cheek, "Tony," she acknowledged hugging the man tightly.
"So I've been introduced to that lovely young lady over here," she gestured to Sam, which quieted everyone else's conversations, "Congratulations, it's a girl!"
Sam ducked her head to try and hide her blush, which she should not have even tried to do because of course Nat noticed. "Steve she looks like you when Phil had you sign his trading cards."
"I stand by that request," stated Phil while a series of chuckles made its way throughout the room. Sam bit her lip but there was no fear in her eyes, a touch of embarrassment perhaps but that made Tony relax a little more.
He pulled Steve, who was now also blushing, over to the counter and pushed a box towards the super soldier. Steve gladly took a piece of pizza while Tony thrust a napkin at him.
"Plate?" offered Sam, placing two plates from the cabinet behind her on the countertop. She lifted one up to hand to Steve but only nudged the other one closer to Tony. Her fingers ghosted over the plate and its edges before she pushed it once more to sit around two inches from her Dad.
Tony froze, staring at the plate while Pepper and Steve had a furious conversation with their eyes. They both seemed to be asking the same thing, "Was Tony not better in the future?"
Sam noticed the tension and opened her mouth when Tony choked out a quip, "So I guess old habits die hard?" He sought to make a joke and keep his tone casual but he could tell that it had fallen flat.
"No," said Sam quietly, and Tony's head snapped up, "It's just I figured that at this time you still wouldn't be completely on board with being handed stuff…" she trailed off, unable to read the expression on her dad's face. He picked the plate up off the counter tossing a slice onto it and fixed her with another inscrutable look.
"To clarify," he said, "I do get over this then," he gestured to the empty place on the counter where the plate had been sitting.
Sam nodded slowly, a light blush staining her cheeks again, "Pops handed me to you just after I was born, you didn't even notice. At least that's what he says," she finished awkwardly looking at Steve and then Tony again. A genuine smile decorated her dad's face while Steve was looking at both Tony and Sam with great pride.
"Damn life just sounds hunky dory in the future," exclaimed Pepper as she clapped her hands, "Tell me more," she requested as she grabbed Sam's hand pulling her towards the common area just off the kitchen. Natasha followed a glint of mischief in her eyes while Bruce looked torn between pursuing the women and going to his room to sleep. Shaking his head with murmurs about time traveling children and once in a lifetime opportunities he went after the trio with Thor bounding along beside him.
Clint clapped Tony on the shoulder, "See Stark, what do I always say? Always look on the bright side of life!" he warbled in an awful impression of the song made famous by Monty Python. He then skipped out of the kitchen to join Phil who was waiting at their end of the couch in the common room.
"You okay?" Steve asked as he and Tony both made their way to the common room. Tony nodded, he didn't trust his voice to not crack so he just nodded emphatically in answer to Steve's question.
Just then Jarvis' voice sounded above Pepper's excited remarks and questions that Sam was barely understanding let alone keep up with, "Sir, War Machine, Sergeant Barnes, and Falcon have all just returned from their mission and are making their way back here should I inform them of the situation?"
Tony looked at Steve who was finally eating his pizza and just shrugged, "Uh," he turned to the room at large, "Suggestions?"
"No, it'll be easier to explain it to them when they get here," said Phil.
"Explain what?" asked a deep, hearty voice from the elevator. The doors opened to reveal Sam, Rhodes, and Bucky all seemingly intact given that their mission had been a simple extraction that was to be expected. However, the original Avengers all let out silent sighs of relief that their newest team members were all right.
"What'd we miss?" queried Sam as he walked into the room, "Pizza!" he cried happily noting the piece on Tony's plate, "Y'all know how to throw a welcome back party - you could say something you know," he chattered away glancing back at his comrades for support. Bucky however, had noticed the new face and snapped his fingers to get Falcon's attention.
"What?" demanded Falcon who then saw the young woman sitting with Pepper looking extremely uncomfortable under all of the scrutiny, "Who are you?"
"You look familiar," said Colonel Rhodes as he spoke for the first time since entering.
"God, is there any portion of today that will not be extremely tense and awkward for this poor girl!" interjected Natasha impatient with the obvious way that Sam Stark was trying to appear as unobtrusive as possible, "She's Tony and Steve's daughter from the future. Now go get some damn pizza, stop staring, and then get back in here so we can explain this situation."
The men in the room all jumped at her words while Pepper nodded. Rhodes ducked into the kitchen and quickly returned with a box of pizza, which he arranged on the coffee table for his teammates to partake in with him. Falcon draped himself on the carpet a couple of feet from Sam fixing her with a curious look that he stopped only when Nat kicked him in the shin; her eyes were flashing at him and her mouth in a thin line.
Bucky though hadn't moved and Sam forced herself to meet his eyes. "Buck?" asked Steve lightly; his tone was firm but careful. He wasn't sure what to make of the interaction going on between his best friend and his daughter.
"Yup?" he responded a brilliant grin on his voice, "You need something
Rogers?" Tony laughed at that and shook his head as Steve sighed loudly, "No, just sit down Buck."
"Can do buddy," he walked over and settled on the couch where Pepper and Sam had been sitting. During Steve and Bucky's short exchange though Sam had moved to sit on the floor leaning back against the couch. Nat noticed how the girl seemed calmer on the ground and stored that information away to go over later.
Sam snatched up the last turkey bacon slice of pizza from the box Rhodey had brought out and wordlessly handed it to Bucky. He accepted it with a nod of acknowledgement but before he bit into it he spoke, "What's your name kid?"
"Samantha but most people call me Sam or Carter," she replied easily. She acted more naturally around Bucky than she had around anyone else all day.
"You named your kid after him? I'm touched," joked Rohedy pointing a finger at Falcon.
"Well, what did you want her to be called, Rhododendron?" demanded Falcon, and Sam burst out laughing.
"You're both still so freakin' ridiculous!" and she was laughing again, heartily this time. Tony couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face at the time.
"She's not wrong," said Bucky grinning at his teammates who were sputtering in response to her words.
"I wasn't named after you," Sam conceded to Falcon once she regained her faculties, "I was named after a television character…a witch from the 1960s/70s era show Bewitched. It was what Dad and Pops watched while I was growing in the genetically engineered womb Dad created."
"So that's how we did it," remarked Tony and Sam smiled at him.
"Why Carter?" queried Bucky, nudging the young woman with his foot that she casually swatted.
"Why do think?" she shot back playfully tapping his metal arm with three fingers lightly. He gazed at her in awe, she wasn't afraid at all of him, and she drew back slowly seeing his confusion. A flicker of anxiety, fearing she had pushed too far flashed across her face and that was enough for Bucky to slide down and sit next to her looping his metal arm around her shoulders. She almost curled up against him as if seeking solace.
Steve wasn't sure how he felt about this sudden development, after all of the tension and fear she had conveyed to the rest of the Avengers she was contentedly sitting with his best friend. Steve didn't want to admit it but he was jealous. Why wasn't she afraid of him? He knew that thought was cruel, Bucky dealt with enough prejudice on a daily basis that he deserved some real acceptance. Still, she was his daughter, not Bucky's. Tony could see the turmoil in Steve's mind and instead of addressing it just knotted their hands together. For his part he was happy that Sam seemed comfortable with someone at least. Sure, it was unexpected but was he jealous? No, no, not at all.
"Peggy," said Phil to break the quiet that had fallen over the room, looking at Sam, "Just to be clear you're called Carter because of…"
"The one and only Peggy Carter, yes, after Pops' best girl and Dad's favourite aunt. So yes, Carter is a nickname that I will respond to. Especially, since you're here," she gestured at Falcon, "If I didn't have a nickname it would get confusing."
"Carter," said Pepper as if tasting the name on her tongue, "I like that."
"Me too, it's almost as good as Sam," said Falcon. Bucky chuckled warmly and Sam just snuggled closer to him. He looked at her in wonder at how relaxed and happy she seemed, especially considering she had been thrown back in time. He tried to catch Steve's eye to ask something but his best friend wouldn't face him. Tony on the other hand noticed his attempts. He tipped his head toward Steve and rolled his eyes, Bucky got it. Steve was being difficult; he would talk to him later.
"How old are you?" asked Rhodey bringing Bucky's attention back to the situation at hand.
"Nineteen, going on twenty in November," Carter replied.
"How far along are you in your degree?" queried Bruce.
"I'm going into my third year and I'll be graduating in my fourth year," she answered.
Tony then posed the question, "And what will you do after that?"
She didn't reply right away, instead she fiddled a bit with her hands and Nat noted that once again her right hand was tucked away behind her, nails scratching at her palm. "I'm hoping to get my masters and then my PhD," she said quietly, not looking at anyone particularly Tony. She even tensed up in Bucky's embrace.
"Well, that's quite the career path. Chip off the old block eh Tony?" remarked Rhodey. Tony didn't respond though. He only had eyes for Carter who seemed extremely uncomfortable and he knew in the rational part of him that it was late, that they should not get into anything heavy now, but to hell with it he wanted to know what was making his daughter so scared. But Bruce beat him to it, "So we've verified the emergence of Tony's DNA in your life - what kind of effects does the serum have on you?" Now, normally Bruce was the most sensitive of all of the Avengers but his excitement had overshadowed his regular tact.
At that question Carter went stock still, moving only to push herself up off of the floor to stand in front of the large window looking out over the city. Her hands were clenched at her side, shaking, "None," she whispered so quietly none of them could hear her. Nat, and Clint had taken up defensive positions behind her she knew because it's what they always do when she found herself like this recently. She shook her head violently trying to keep the voices away but she still heard them.
Pops was always first. "Breathe. F**k stop screwing up. You're supposed to be the daughter of a f**king super soldier. You're not even a soldier." The voice got louder and she scratched at her palms discreetly but, "I guess you're not my daughter then," hissed the harsh voice of her Pops.
Carter realized that Pepper was calling her, she felt herself coming back from the memory. She whirled around to answer Bruce, taking no note of the concern and fear painting the faces of the Avengers, "None. That is the answer to your question Dr. Banner. When I was seven I had my IQ tested; I am no genius. I am not my father's daughter. As for the serum, one would have better luck recovering any affects of it from you than they would from me. Again, I am nothing like my father. I am not who I should be and I know that. And…" her voice cracked, "I'm so sorry." Then she ran.