Tony had been at to work looking through files of Hydra for almost three months now to see if he could find anything useful from them. Most of the content of the files had been blacked out but that wasn't going to stop Tony. He might not have had the best relationship with his own father but he wanted to give this chance to Bucky and oddly enough Loki as well to be the parents that they clearly wanted to be.
All the kid talk around the tower had him thinking of kids of his own. Being an Avenger made it difficult to even have a family. Somehow clint did it but not without much difficulty and he and Steve hadn't even discussed barely was able to get Steve to come to terms with the fact that it was ok to be together. Most days better than others, but it was like pulling teeth with him. He loved steve, he really did but sometimes his old fashion ways were too much.
He knew eventually he would have to talk with Steve about it but it never seemed to be the right time. Before it was Ultron then Bucky, well technically it was still Bucky that was taking a lot of Steve's attention. He wished he wasn't feeling as neglected as he was but he figured he'd tough it out for the simply fact that if Steve really didn't want to be with him, well they wouldn't be together.
It was at that moment that his thoughts were interrupted by both the super soldier and Friday.
"Tony can we talk a second" Steve said while Friday had piped in with " Sir I think I've found a way around the files to find the child."
"Uh yeah we can talk, Friday do whatever you need to to find him." Tony said in response to both. He walked over to the couch he had in his lab to sit down with Steve right behind him.
"What's up Stevie?" Tony asked nervously. "I know this whole situation is difficult for you Tones considering we haven't really had time together since Bucky got here but I really appreciate you doing this for him. He deserves to have his family back together more than anyone."
" Yeah, it's no biggie Steve. He's your family so that makes him mine as well." Tony looked down at his hands unsure if he should bring up what's been on his mind lately. He still wasn't sure how steve would respond and even though things aren't how they use to be between them Tony couldn't imagine starting family with anyone else.
"Tony what's wrong?" Steve asked. He might be oblivious but he knew for sometime now that something was wrong. He was hoping Tony would come to him about whatever was bothering him but he never did and when Tony let things fester is was never good.
"It's nothing really, I just…..I know that this is hard for you, our relationship that is and I know you feel a little weird about it still. I was just wondering if maybe we could start thinking about expanding our family?" Tony asked still looking down. He didn't want to see the look on Steve's' face if he said wasn't sure he would be able to handle it if Steve told him no.
Steve Looked at Tony and could see the worry written all over his face. He hadn't realised how long this had been on Tony's mind until now. They had been together for a few years now and not once had he brought it up and that was most unlike him. Tony always seemed to say whatever was on his mind whenever. Steve was starting to realize that maybe his Tony wasn't as confident as he'd like everyone to think that he was.
Steve reached out and tilted Tony's face so he was looking at him. All his fear and worry clear as day in his eyes. " Tony it's clear this has been something you've been thinking about for awhile now besides the fact that we clearly have things to work on with us, I'm not…." was all Steve could get out before Friday gave his latest update.
"Sir I seemed to have found the family that has taken in the child. Forwarding all information to you now sir."
" Thank you Friday." Tony said. He knew Steve wouldn't be ready for kids. He could feel his tears ready to fall and didn't want Steve to see him.
" Um, It's ok Steve. I'm sorry I brought it up. I knew you weren't ready for that step yet and I shouldn't have pushed. If you don't mind can you let Lokes and Bucky know we have an update." Tony said with his back to Steve.
"Anthony Edward Stark if you think for one second this conversation is over you're wrong. Before I was interrupted I was going to say that I'm not opposed to looking into it but we need to work on us first. I don't want to bring a child into our home to make things better with us especially when I didn't even realize there was anything wrong to beginning with. I love you Tony and yeah that scares the crap out of me but I'm willing to fix us if you are." Steve said Tony had let the tears fall in his silence listening to Steve.
Tony turned and held on to Steve. He knew he should be more open in their relationship but this was the first one in a long time he wanted to last. He saw forever with Steve and it might have been why he hadn't said anything about everything that was bothering him. He didn't want to lose Steve but he knew the way things were they couldn't stay that way.
"I want to fix us too." Tony said softly. Neither noticed Loki or Bucky walk in. "Um we don't mean to interrupt but Friday told us you had some news." Bucky said.
" Oh yeah right um, we'll talk later right Steve?" Tony asked unsure. " Yeah we can talk later. I'm actually kinda excited to find out where he is." Steve said with excitement.
"Alright then. Friday what have you got for us?" Tony asked. " Well sir it appears that Virgil was given to a family by the surname Snape. Mother Eileen Snape neé Prince and Tobias Snape. They previously had a daughter Evelyn Snape before taking in Virgil who they renamed Severus, but there isn't much information on her after the age of 11. Same seems so go with the boy as well. Once he turned 11 it's as if he drops of the face of the earth with the only record of him being on CCTV Street cameras every summer leaving and going to Kings Cross station in London sir." Friday explains.
"Go ahead and roll the footage Fri." On the screen they could see Severus leaving the station with his mother and willing to a dead end ally but never leaving from the ally way until the end of August.
"Well that doesn't make any sense. They can't be living in the ally could they?" Steve asked. "No they aren't there's only one thing I can think of but I would like to go there to be sure." Loki said with curiosity on his face.
Could it be that their son was a sorcerer like himself. Was this woman and her family as well. Her name sounded so familiar. Mortals having magik he'd never heard of it, but then again he'd been wrong about Mortals once before. He needed to look more into this later but for now his concern was his son.
"What's the other option then? Where'd they go?" Steve asked. " That's the million dollar question isn't it." Tony said.
"Well there is only one way to find out. Are you coming with me love?" Loki asked "Is it safe for me to go?" Bucky asked Tony.
In addition to looking for their son Tony had been running test with Bruce in a way to help Bucky.
"Short answer no. Long one we've managed to stop the code phrase from affecting you but we found a back up. Simple terms here is your brain back before your encounter with Hydra and here it is now. These red parts here should be blue. The red represents how radio waves affect you and at what frequencies. The more red that shows up the higher the frequency that's near you. Traveling wouldn't be good right now not even by you methods." Tony said.
" Well that answers that question." Bucky said.
"Hey we're gonna figure this out I know a guy that might be able to help just try to hang in there a little longer." Tony said reassuringly.
" It's ok love I'll bring him home." Loki told Bucky.
The cold of winter broke through Loki's outerwear. He had left yesterday and was waiting in the ally way hidden to see if the child would show up. He had spent the last few weeks gather information about anything to do with magic in London. He found out about a school in Scotland that was currently on winter break meaning the kids got to go home. Based on that footage he could tell that his son and the woman were close.
She still felt familiar to him. He couldn't for the life of him figure out how. It was as if he knew her from another life time but when he tried to remember that feeling he would lose the slightest bit of memory he had of it.
Concealed in the ally by the shadows he waited he knew that his son had sent home for the holidays. All he had to do was follow him to the school. He could have simply taken him in the ally but Loki was actually curious about the school his son went to.
A whole place dedicated to teaching young minds how to mold their craft. He only ever had tutors and his mother in occasion. He would have loved to have others learning with him. It might be why he didn't have any friends like Thor did. He was always alone and set aside by himself because he was different.
Thinking on it didn't help him now. The past is the past and he needed to stay focused. There was a pop and then there right in front of him was his son and the woman Eileen.
"Ok Sevvie now when you get back you make sure you give this to Poppy. It's a new batch of potions for you. Come on we need to get to the station before the train leaves." Eileen said to Severus. "Yes mother. Mother, what do I do in defense class. We're on Boggarts this term and i'm still having nightmares. I don't want them to know." Severus said. He looked scared of what the other students would was bad enough what James and his friends were doing but he did not need this to be added to their fire.
Loki had half a mind to go to him and hold him but something told him not to. He wanted to see how this would play out.
Eileen held Severus in her arms and told him "Severus it doesn't matter what they say. Your parents would be proud of who you are if they were here today. I'm proud of who you are. The things you went through only made your stronger. You can handle anything that gets thrown at you because you've endured so much. This is the easy part now, living. One day your birth parents will find you and you can tell them that you were ok without. That they didn't have to worry about you because the hardships your family went through taught you how to be tough. Now let's get you to that train. You've got about 30 minutes before it leaves and there's someone I need to have a word with."
Eileen looked back at where Loki was standing. He knew for certain he was hidden well but he had this feeling she was looking right at him. Could she really know he was standing there.
Eileen waited until Severus was on the train before walking to the corner in which she saw Loki walk to when they arrived to platform 9¾. She hadn't seen him in years and thought that he had left for had met when she was little and she instantly attached herself to him.
Losing both her parents and not having anyone else in her life she learned how to care for herself but there was only so much she could do on her own. He had found her steal food at one of the local stores in a muggle city. She knew she wasn't allowed to do magic and figured being in a muggle area would bring less attention to her.
Loki had felt her power right away and became curious about it. He did something out of character that day and took her in. he cared for her and when anyone asked he simply said she was his younger sister. And to this day she still felt that way about him.
She was surprised the day that Severus came to them she hadn't known that Loki was even seeing anyone but even more so that he would just leave his child behind. She wanted answers and she would be damned if she didn't get them.
She stood there in front of him and waited. Loki was confused to why she was standing in front of him. He knew he was well hidden in the corner farthest from the train.
"Loki I know you're there. You might as well take down your concealments." Eileen said to him. Loki, who was never shocked slowly lowered his charm and looked even more confused that she knew who he was.
" How do I know you and why do you have my son?" Loki asked her staff in hand ready if he needed it for anything. Eileen laughed because the alternative was too upsetting for her at the moment. He really didn't remember her. He didn't remember everything they had been through. Which could only mean one thing Odin must have really taken her from him like Loki told her he would.
"He really did really took your memories. I mean I know you said that he probably would but i thought that being the man that raised you he would have some sort of compassion towards you, but he really hated you being here with me so much that he made you forget it all."
"What exactly are you talking about? You also seemed to have avoided answering my patience is running out here as you are keep me from my son." Loki wasn't really mad at her. She clearly knew him and knew him well, he just really wanted to see what his son was doing. He had hoped that she would see him off to the train and leave but that was not the case.
"My name is Eileen and once upon a time you called me your sister. You told me that might not remember me the next time we met because Odin would more than likely take your memories but i didn't think that he really would. I had hoped that he wouldn't, seeing how you are so difficult to convenie of anything. Severus was brought to me not long after you time with that muggle group they told me that you would have brought him yourself but you were called home, or at least that what they told me."
Loki looked extremely confused. Something told him that this sounded true but due to the lack of memories he had he wasn't sure. How could he remember his time with James their son but not remember this woman who has raised his son and claims to be someone he considered his sister.
"I know this might seem really hard to believe but you gave me this the last time we saw each other. You told me that it was important to you and to keep it with me at all times until next we meet. If nothing else surely you would recognize this and believe that we had to be close inorder for you to give me this." Eileen reached behind her neck and removed the necklace that was concealed by her robes. "How did you get that?" Loki whispered.
The necklace she wore had a wolf head with green eyes like his eldest Fenrir with the shape of a serpent on the bridge of its nose for his other son Jormungand. Half of the wolfs head was a bright silver while the other half was a dull silver made for his daughter Hel. his three oldest children. He would have never given this necklace to just anyone. "You gave this to me Loki. You asked me to hold on to it for you as a reminder that you would be coming back for it" Eileen more he looked at her the more he wanted to remember her. "Help me remember you, please." he said to her.
Eileen pulled out her wand to see if any spells had been placed on him and found that a strong Obvilvate was placed on him. Being a natural Occlumens and Legilimens she was able to recover his memories easily enough. She worked slow making sure to not hinder his mind, revealing the memories stored deep in his mind.
As she worked all the memories of their time together began to come back to Loki. He cried silent tears of all the things he forgot. As soon as she was finished he rushed forward and hugged her "Systir" Loki cried in her arms. They stood there for what seemed like hours. When Loki finally settled down the whistle for the hogwarts express went off.
"You better hurry or your going to miss it bróðir. We'll talk soon. I have questions for you but Severus is more important right now, or Virgil as he was once called." Eileen said "Thank you for looking after my son I don't know how i could ever repay you for that."Loki said tears still in his eyes. "You don't need to repay me, we're family. Now go, meet your son." Eileen said pushing Loki in the direction of the train.
Eileen looked on as loki put his concealment charm back on and boarded the train. She walked back through the barrier and down the alleyway to apparate home when a hand covered her mouth dragging her away.
AN: This took me longer than I wanted it to. I had a bit of trouble with the follow almost took out half the chapter because I didn't think at first that it flowed well but I love the text to speech feature because I can listen to it and then it makes sense. I want to make sure im kinda true to the characters personalities as well as make them fit the story. Really this story is writing itself im just here for the ride which further explains why it took so long. You might have noticed I was on a role with posting either every sunday or every other sunday. that's the goal but sometimes life happens and I don't always get to write being a full time nanny. My niece only lets me do things for about three hours a day and that when I get to eat and fix dinner as well so a good portion of my writing happens when I'm dead tired at night but I won't put out trash, it might come with spelling mistakes and lower case I's but I want you guys to enjoy this ride with me. I already have the ending planned out and our big climax if you will it just taking some time getting there. I want to make sure everything is explained well and you really feel like your there with them. Also doesn't help that I have so many other ideas running in my head for other fics as well as working on other ones like my original Serena Black which I did a complete rewrite of…...ok i'm rambling i hope you are enjoying and as always review I love the feedback and try to respond when I see them.