It was the following morning, and though Grace never really slept much normally, meeting the avengers, and travelling had given her a rare respite from her nightmares. So after showering, plaiting her hair and getting dressed in a light purple sweater and blue jeans, she took the elevator downstairs, and was going to make herself breakfast, only she was surprised to see everyone at the dining table.

"Morning Mini Stark" Grace looked at the archer for a moment, slightly confused.

"Morning… are you having a meeting? I could leave if-"Tony shook his head

"Nope! We're having breakfast, we were about to wake you up" Tony grinned "You normally get up pretty early kiddo, tired were we?"

Grace simply shook her head as he sat next to him

"I'd forgotten how exhausting it is with you dad "Bruce pretty much choked on his tea, at this, much to Clint's enjoyment.

Grace, seeing the doctor in such a state looked horrified.

"Oh Bruce, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Bruce coughed

"Fine "He managed. "Just didn't think you'd say that" Tony laughed

"My kid's quiet doc, but she's inherited her amazing wit from moi"

Grace, poured herself some orange juice.

"Least I didn't inherit anything else" She muttered to herself, as she had a drink. Natasha smirked at this.

Steve who had been cooking breakfast, chuckled softly.

"Morning Grace, would you like some pancakes? "Grace turned to the super soldier

"Morning Steve, pancakes sound great. "She smiled, and Steve, felt himself feel a bit warmer, and turned back to cooking, hoping his face would cool down.

"So kiddo, what are you plans for the day? Are you actually going to go out there and get a social life for once? "Grace frowned at this, her face red with embarrassment as all the avenger looked at her.

Steve, noticed her discomfort, and presented the girl with a small stack of pancakes, which she thanked him for.

"What are you talking about tony? "Bruce asked, seemingly confused.

"Well, Grace here, has never been great at making friends have you kid? "Natasha didn't particularly like how tony was bringing this up, in front of them, after all, even though they got along well, she had only met them yesterday. She knew he could be insensitive, but to embarrass his daughter like that…she felt sorry for the girl.

Clint frowned,

"Not good at making friends? I can't believe that, Mini Stark here is hilarious" Grace smiled shakily at the archer in thanks.

"It's true! She never introduced any of her friends to me"

"Wonder why" The redheaded assassin and the younger stark muttered at the same time. Upon noticed this, Natasha smirked, as the girl blushed red.

Tony glared at the pair

"NO! You two are NOT teaming up against me!" Natasha grinned slyly, and Grace smirked.

"Kid, I see this as the beginning of a beautiful alliance" Grace nodded

"Likewise, it will be a pleasure to work with you Agent Romanoff" Natasha was glad that the girl hadn't declared them as friends yet. She liked the kid sure, but it took a while before she felt she was close to someone to call them someone she could trust.

"NOOO!"

Grace, had finished her food, and picked up her plate, and put it in the dishwasher. She smiled almost sadly at her father who was still pouting.

"Besides dad… you've already met my only friend" Before anyone else could say anything, she headed towards the lab.

There was a moment when she'd gone, but Natasha turned her glare to Tony.

"Do you enjoy humiliating your kid?" Tony glanced at the redhead.

"It's how we communicate, don't worry about it"

Steve just frowned,

"How you communicate? You just ridiculed her" Tony shook his head.

"Listen spangles, Grace doesn't do heart to hearts, and frankly, neither do I, "He snapped "I wanted to find out whether she made any friends at uni, and based on her answers. She hasn't"

Bruce raised an eyebrow…It seemed a strange way to find out information to him.

"So the two of you… are you not close then Tony?" He turned to his science bro.

"Na, we're close, we just don't talk about things too deeply "He scratched his neck, as for once, Tony found it hard to explain.

"Since I met her…she's never been one to open up, so I've come up with other ways to find things out.

"Since you met her?" Steve echoed, confused.

"I only found out about her when she was 8 Capisicle" He frowned for a moment, before quickly standing up.

"AH!"

Bruce looked at his friend in concern.

"Tony?" He asked, despite fearing the answer.

"The woman that was with her…that was Maria!" Clint blinked at this.

"Maria, you mean from shield?" Tony nodded

"That bitch!" Natasha raised an eyebrow, at the suddenly angry stark.

"And you're calling Agent Hill a bitch…why?" Tony snapped his head towards the redhead.

"She tried to get me to sign away my parental rights away, that's why!"

Clint, was pretty confused at this point.

"Wait, you're saying that you first met your daughter with a shield agent, who tried to get you to give up your daughter…and you only just realised that that the woman was an agent of shield." That last part, was said in a rather smug way, much to Tony's annoyance.

"Shut it Clint, the woman pissed me off, I didn't see the point of remembering who she was. She told an 8 year old that her dad wouldn't want her because he doesn't like kids!" The avengers could only watch as tony began an angry rant, that they only half paid attention to. However it was Steve that interrupted the man

"Why did shield even have Grace with them?" The other avengers were puzzled by this, and even though tony knew what had happened to his daughter, he too wondered why Shield had known about his daughter circumstances…it wasn't usually the sort of work they did.

Whilst grace liked the avengers, after her father had basically declared how socially inept she was, she found comfort in her father's lab, in the company of Jarvis. It was always a place of solace for her.

"Miss, are you aware of the incoming messages your phone is receiving?" Grace nodded. She had already read the angry messages she was receiving on her stark phone, they'd been continuous since she'd left, and she'd been doing her best to ignore the threats and the insults.

"Then you are aware, that they highly damaging to your emotionally and mental psyche miss.

May I suggest that Mr Stark is made aware of them?"

"Jarvis, you should know me well enough by now, my father isn't to be aware of things that would bother him. He has other things to worry about, instead of me"

"Miss, I think it would bother him more if he wasn't aware of this." Grace laughed slightly.

"Ignorance is bliss, J. Remember, you don't mention anything unless he asks"

Which he won't

If Jarvis was human, he probably would have sighed.

"Understood miss, though I still think this is a poor decision, and I urge you to reconsider"

Her phone vibrated again, and she looked at the latest message.

YOU THINK I'D LET YOU GO THAT EASILY BITCH? YOU ARE FUCKING MINE! I'VE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH CHANCES, SO NOW I'M COMING FOR WILL REGRET LEAVING ME WHORE!

She paled for a moment, before she composed herself.

It was fine, the other messages had been more explicit. Much more threatening and detailed about what he was going to do when he saw her again. What concerned her was her inability to block the phone number.

When ignoring them hadn't worked, she'd blocked the number, only to receive the messages from a different number.

However, what concerned her about this message, was that he said, that he was coming for her…

But he couldn't possible know where she was…could he?

A few days later

"Thanks again Grace…I-im sorry about this" Grace smiled softly at the super solider.

"It's no bother Steve"

Tony watched the pair with a fixed gaze, as they sat together, as Grace slowly and softly explained the functions on his stark phone. He didn't see why he suddenly needed to learn how to use it, and why he was asking his daughter to explain. Plus, they seemed to be sitting a little too close together for his liking. He narrowed his eyes, unaware of the amused Bruce, and the smirking redhead.

Steve and Grace had gotten along quite well, since she had come to stay, Natasha mused.

She wasn't sure when it happened, but, Steve was often found with the small stark, when she wasn't in the lab, or being embarrassed by Clint, who had been playing video games most of the day, trying to beat his high score.

Typical man.

Steve would go to her with modern day things he didn't understand, perhaps he assumed she had the most patience amongst the group. But whilst she enjoyed watching the pair.

She took great joy in watching Tony's reaction.

With Pepper, at a business conference out of state, Natasha could contently watch how protective Tony was over his little girl.

Take now for instance, Grace was planning on going out, to do some shopping, and to reacquaint herself round New York. Steve, being the old fashioned guy that he is, offers to go with her, which Tony obviously isn't happy about.

Natasha eagerly watched what was about to unfold, when she feels a tap on her shoulder. Turning she sees that Clint has taken the seat on the other side of her, and offers her and Bruce some popcorn. Smirking, the trio of heroes watch the battle before them.

"Absolutely not! Grace you are not going with spangles here alone. I will go with you" Tony huffed. Steve frowned at the nickname and was about to argue, when Grace simply raised an eyebrow.

"Dad, you are the last person I'd go with"

Clint choked on a piece of salted popcorn at her blunt words. Natasha simply shook her head, not in the least bit concerned at her partner's near death experience.

Tony also ignored the choking sounds from the side, and instead looked horrified.

"But why?!"

"Because you're…you" Natasha grinned at that, and even the polite Steve, couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

Tony pouted at this.

"And what's wrong with me?

"Tony, you do attract… a lot of attention" Steve added. Tony turned to glare at the super soldier

"Your just jealous spangles!"

Grace smiled slightly

"You do realise, that Steve's life is taught to most children in the world… I don't think he's jealous of the attention you get" Clint who had recovered from almost dying, whistled, impressed, at the quiet girl's, sharp wit.

"Yeah Tony, they aren't teaching kids about you are they?" He added, unhelpfully

"I'm an inspiration to children everywhere, I'll have you know!"

"Doesn't mean they teach your life story" Nat deadpanned.

Tony, feeling that he was being ganged up on, turned to his only ally.

"Bruce, bro help me!" Bruce just shrugged.

"Jarvis?" Even His AI wasn't faithful to his maker

"Sir, you are easily recognisable, which may hinder the trip for Miss Stark"

"Dad, why exactly do you have a problem with me going with Steve?" Tony turned back to his daughter.

"Because!" He whined, Natasha, having had her fill, of Tony's whining for the morning, turned to the brunette.

"Just ignore him kid, he's being an idiot" Tony however still continued

"Why can't you go with someone else?"

Grace sighed, and seemed to ignore tony altogether, and looked at Steve

"I'm sorry about him, Steve "She said apologetically. "We can head out, once I get my coat on" Steve nodded, ignoring Tony's spluttering

"I'm used to him grace, so don't worry."

So after Grace got her coat, she said goodbye to the rest of the avengers and ignore the complaining of her father as they left…