Two years passed with the new arrival to the family and there had been no major issues. Sarah-Maria (or Sarah as everyone called her) had settled in perfectly. The only issue with her now being 2 was that she was still sleeping in her Dads' bedroom. The two Dads were not concerned about it as after being told by a very trustworthy doctor (Dr Bruce Banner) that she was fine. But still having a toddler in their bed after 2 years was alarming and some nights they also had a lumpy, but still cuddly, 6 year old in their bed as well. So it could get hectic in the bed of the Master Suit. The Doctor reassure the parents in saying that she was probably just a very insecure child; and this was okay with them. They took it as "we are going to have to be there for her most of the time". The great thing about all of this is that, it really did not bother them. Tony then made it his mission to protect her and be there for Sarah whenever she need one of her Dads. Unlike his farther was for him!
The following year they eventually got her in her own room. It was similar to Peter's in that it had two stuffed bears which were dressed like Captain America and Ironman. Otherwise known as Steve and Tony, or better yet known to the children of the household Pops and Dad. They did this with both of their children so they knew they were with them all the time. As for Sarah this really did not matter as her Dads still found her in their bed more than her own. This is when it became clear to the family she was shy, nervous, scared, worried etc. about everything. So when it came to getting her to go to school it was hard and as a result she didn't go to school properly till she was 7.
On one dark stormy night in New York, everyone in Stark Tower was asleep, (this is what I mean by 'house'; the Avengers family lived in Stark Tower where the penthouse was located at the top overlooking Manhattan, but I will talk more about the living accommodation later) except for one young 3 year old Sarah. She was a restless sleeper anyway because of how she was (you know, scared of everything) but this night felt different. At the age of 3 she did really know why. To be honest there was no difference. She woke up to the sound of a loud rustle outside her widow. It was the wind! Her most hated thing about storms was the wind; the constant movement, the stop and start of the wind rushing past leaves on trees, the howl of a wolf it made. She was then alarmed by the crashing rain that had been falling like this for only a couple of minutes. It was thunderous and to little Sarah it felt louder than ever. She had already had her Ironman teddy in her hand so she quickly grabbed her Captain America one which was close enough that she didn't have to move. A bright streak of lighting came down close to the tower's window followed by a roaring thunder that to Sarah felt like it was shaking the whole tower and that it would fall to the ground like how the lighting did.
She shoved her face into to her two favourite teddies and buried herself under the covers. She once again she heard the howl of the wind. She made a b-line for the 'cave' in her room. It wasn't an actual cave, it was known as the "Pillow Pile" to Sarah and her Dads. When knowing about the nature of Sarah, Tony felt it be best that there was a place she could go to and cry and hide from the outside. The small contained area of the room was filled with pillows to block out sounds and so Sarah had something to shove her face into. This also allowed for a lot of things to be cried into. It was also big enough for one other adult to be in there with her; most of the time this would be Tony. He had a special connection with her, he could sense she was going to be intelligent like him and her grandfather, Howard Stark; co-founder of S.H.I. . She tried to stay brave as best as a 3 year old could but after a third flash and crash of a thunder and lightning she stormed (similar to the one outside) teddies in hand, for her Dads' room, which was just across the hall way.
Tony had made the door easy to swing open since they had Peter for situations just like this, so it was not hard for the little girl to open. As she ran into the room she dropped the teddies that she had clutched in her hand by the door. Neither Tony nor Steve woke to this. But having a 3 year old crawl up from the bottom of the bed to the top under the covers did disturb Steve's; once again, not Tony's. With a sleepy and groggy voice Steve said "Are you okay Baby Girl?" She just dug herself under Steve's arm and on to his chest. She then once again shoved her face only this time into her Poppa's chest. It was like a pillow to her, only more comforting, though as it was her father (well, one of them). She proceeded with muffled crying which did wake Tony up.
He turned on to his side to see what was going on. He put a hand on Sarah's back, rubbed it slowly like how Steve did with Peter. A trick he learnt from Steve's parenting. Once the crying was less violent and more of a sobbing, he started to stroked her hair. This was a small thing he had picked up from both Steve playing with his own and from spending much time with Sarah in the Pillow Pile, it was his way of relaxing her. This movement of his soothed her right down to stop crying. She revealed her wet face to her Dad and crawled over Steve's arm to him. He brought her in close and cleaned her face with a tissue that he grabbed from the tissue box on his bed side table. He continued to stroke her hair till she was sleeping on his chest. She had done a similar thing to what Peter does, found herself a spot on his arc reactor and kept her hand there. The two kids were similar in things they did, probably from the perfect parenting of Steve and Tony, along with the help of the other Avengers. Steve had lay awake and had witnessed the whole thing. He had a tear on the corner of his eye. As a little parenting joke, Tony wiped it from his face just as he had done with Sarah.
Steve was so proud of his husband, he whispered once Tony had finished "you are so good with her you know". He kissed him on the forehead and continued quietly to not wake the sleeping toddler "why did you never do something like for Peter?" Tony blushed at Steve's comment, and smiled; glancing up at his husband and then back down to their little baby girl. Tony's reply was also whispered, "I don't know, I guess I pick it up from you and Peter. I love taking care and spending time with Sarah. I love her, she needs to be protected and this time it is my job to do that Cap." Steve kissed his forehead again, longer this time and a tear rolled down his face. He brushed it off. "I love you Tony". This is all he could say. Nothing else. "I love you too Steve, and Peter" Tony this time finding it hard to even whisper as he wanted to cry, but managed to hold it back. Steve squeezed Tony into him with Sarah sandwiched between them. She still had her hand in the same place as before (bottom left side of the triangle in the centre) unmoved. The two of them drifted back to sleep and continued like this for the rest of the night, undisturbed.