Thursday

February 11, 2016

6:45 PM

Pepper Potts' Apartment

"Are you serious?" Ned asks, his voice breathless and excitable.

Morgan told her mother after dinner that she was going to head up to her bedroom to think about everything. Her mother looked like she wanted to protest but had instead allowed Morgan the freedom to try and wrap her head around this mess. She immediately phoned Peter and Ned and hastily explained the situation.

"Your dad showed up?" Peter asked, sounding just as stunned as Morgan felt.

"Yeah," Morgan nodded even though she knew neither of them could see her. "I went to the door thinking it was some creep and when I opened it, he was just there."

"Why would you open the door if you thought it was some weirdo?"

Morgan paused. "Maybe not my brightest move, but at least it wasn't a psycho murderer. Only my father... who never knew I existed until now... and is having me picked up from school tomorrow... in a car that's probably crazy expensive... what am I gonna do?!"

"Hey, calm down Morgs. I'm sure everything will be fine." Peter was trying to reassure her, she could tell, but that didn't ease her racing heart. What would everyone at school think if they saw her getting into some fancy car? What if they thought she was the kind of girl who got a sugar daddy.

Morgan shuddered at the thought.

"Yeah, Peter's got a point. I doubt Tony Stark would send someone to get you in some crazy sports car. If anyone recognized it as his it would draw attention back to him. He probably doesn't want the press in the middle of all this, y'know. Celebrity stuff and all."

Morgan starting biting her lip. "You don't think he's ashamed to be seen with me, do you?"

A moment of silence, then, "I don't think so, but you've got to keep in mind that he is Tony Stark. If anyone finds out the press will be all over you. You'd never be left alone. Everybody would follow you around trying to get pictures and asking favors from you. Not to mention any enemies he has as Iron Man. It would endanger you as well," Peter said, sounding almost wise.

Morgan sighs, running a hand through her hair. "What am I supposed to do now? How do I even talk to him? What would I even have to say that would matter to someone like him? Like you said, he's Tony Stark."

"How about those neat gadgets of yours, or anything he's working on. You're good at engineering. Which now makes sense considering... but my point is you have plenty of things to talk about. How about your favorite things, like movies and shows. There's hobbies and if in doubt, school," Ned said. "When do Peter and I get to meet him? You can arrange that right?"

"Ned..."

"Ned!"

Peter sighed and Morgan exclaimed their friend's name at the same time.

"Sorry, I'm just... well this is exciting y'know?"

"Okay, I'll see how things go and maybe, and I mean maybe, I'll see if he'd be up to meeting my best friends. But I'm not promising anything."

"That's Aunt May, I talk to you guys tomorrow," Peter says, hanging up.

"Yeah, I'd better go too, see you later Morgs."

The line goes dead and Morgan sets her phone face down on the table.

"Yeah... tomorrow."

Friday

February 12, 2016

Midtown School Of Science And Technology

8:15 AM

Stepping into school is like walking into a building on fire. Or at least that's what it feels like as Morgan crosses the threshold of the school entrance. She wonders if a sudden and inexplicable illness would allow her leeway to go home early. She shakes her head.

What does it matter, he knows where she lives. He'll just send this Happy person to come pick her up at her apartment after school. Mom had given Tony Stark her phone number and Morgan's. She's sure he could trace her phone down in a heartbeat.

This was real.

Her stomach is in knots and her intestines feel like they've miraculously transformed into squirming snakes. All she could think about was the coming afternoon.

"You look like you're going to hurl," a female voice chimes to Morgan's left.

Michelle Jones is looking impassively at her, but she was the only one around. To be fair, she wasn't exactly wrong. All Morgan wanted to do was vomit.

"I wish I could," Morgan agrees, opening her locker. "I... well let's just say I met someone I wasn't expecting to ever see and now things are... complicated."

"Understandable. Everything works out in the end... usually."

Morgan shoots the girl a weak smile. "Thanks for trying, MJ."

"Anytime."

With that Michelle turns, leaving Morgan alone.

Morgan shakes her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand that girl," she mutters as she shoves her backpack into the depths of the locker.

...

The school day passes much too quickly.

Morgan can only seem to focus on the coming storm waiting at the end of the hour. Normally she'd be thrilled to finish the day, but now she only wishes that it was ten times longer. Her wish was not granted though for the bell did come to ring and she hesitantly walked herself towards her fate.

The jostle of rushing students propelling her forward.

It wasn't hard to spot the ominous black vehicle parked outside the building or the tall, yet somehow stout man standing beside the passengers door. She reluctantly made her way forward, noting the way the man seemed to recognize her without ever having seen her before. Tony Stark probably found a picture or told him what she looked like.

"Harold Hogan but everybody just calls me Happy," the man held his hand out for Morgan to shake. Which she does.

"Morgan, but I bet you already knew that."

He nods. "I did. Get in kid, the boss is waiting."

Happy opens the back door for Morgan and closes it once she's inside. It has the wonderful smell that always seems to come with a new car, plus the hint of leather from the dark seats. Happy climbs in the drivers seat and then they're off. Heading towards the very thing she wished to avoid.

"Tell me kid, how was school?" Happy asked, eyes not straying from the street.

"Why would you care about something that boring?"

"I figured it'd be better than spending this whole drive sitting in uncomfortable silence, I thought school would be a nice neutral topic."

"Fair enough. It was fine."

Silence eclipsed the vehicle. All Morgan could think about was what was waiting for her at the end of this drive. Where were they going? The Avengers Tower surely, but that also left the feeling of overwhelming nervousness. She'd never even stood outside the building before and now she was going to be inside it. Everything was probably so classy and expensive. What if she broke something? She had a bad habit of being quite clumsy when her emotions run rampant and right now she's a big ball of nerves.

"I can practically hear your heart beating a mile a minute. Relax."

Morgan scowled at the back of the man's head. "Easy for you to say. You've know the guy forever and he's your boss. I know nothing about him, what am I even supposed to be doing. I don't get why he wanted you to pick me up in the first place."

"He wants to get to know you. I'd say that's pretty obvious. And you're right, you don't know anything about him and this will give you the chance to. I've worked for Tony for a long time and he's changed a lot. He's doing this because he wants this and he's willing to put the effort in and I think that's counts for something. I mean, it's not everyday you find out you have a teenage daughter you never knew about. I remember your mother y'know."

Morgan blinked, the scowl vanishing. "You do?"

Happy nods. "Yeah. She was always so good at rallying Tony. Keeping him on schedule. Well, as well as anyone could keep him in check I mean. Your mother was always no-nonsense and strict, but her heart was always in the right place and she genuinely care about Tony. It always seemed like there was something happening between the two of them. If she hadn't quit all those years ago, I think they would've gotten together."

"Really? You think so?"

Morgan didn't really get why he'd think that. Tony Stark never really seemed like the type to settle down with anyone. The type of rich bachelor that would forever spent his days bedding any and every beautiful woman that caught his eye. Though she hadn't heard anything about relationship scandals about that man in a very long time. Which either meant he hadn't been sleeping around like he used to or he hasn't been caught doing so.

The latter seemed quite unlikely though as Tony Stark was well-known as Iron Man and as the owner of Stark Industries so eyes were always on him.

"Tony's always been much harder to read but I know Pepper had feelings for him. Now whether it was just a passing crush or something more lasting," he shrugs. "I couldn't say, but I know she felt something for Tony and by the way he acted, well, I'm pretty sure he felt the same. Pepper wouldn't have dated him back then though. He was too wild and unstable. Going from one partner to the next. Back then he wasn't exactly that interested in a committed relationship, preferring to... uh—" Happy trailed off, probably trying to find a PG term.

"Sleep around," Morgan suggested.

"I wanted something a bit less overt, but yes."

"If that would've happened, if Mom had stayed and they did date, do you think it would've... gone well?" Morgan was hesitant to ask, trying to fish for something without stating it outright.

"If you're asking if I think things would've gone sour by Tony being unfaithful then I'd be doubtful. They guy's not always the greatest, but I think even he would cut things off if he didn't feel up to it. "

Morgan didn't know if she was grateful that Happy was so easily able to read through he crummy question or annoyed that her intentions came across so easily.

Before anymore questions could be asked, Morgan stared wide-eyed out the window as she saw the looming building of Avenger's Tower in all it's glory.

"We're here."

A/N:

Originally this was supposed to be the chapter of Tony and Morgan but then it turned into this. It took me so long because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to have happen. and even now I'm not entirely sure. I did come up with one thing for Tony and Morgan to talking about but hopefully next chapter won't take me nearly as long. I just kept putting this off because I couldn't figure it out. So sorry it's not the chapter you all really wanted but it will for sure be next chapter. If I can come up with enough stuff I'll try and make it a bit longer than all the other's to make up for the long wait for it.

Anyways, until next time.