Tony heard what he most feared when he answered his phone.

"Tony, it's Aldric's men! There in the home—" Pepper shouted, followed by screaming and crashing with bullets. He broke into his suit and took off in a massive race to home. Pepper, Morgan, and Evelyn were all home without his protection. Where was the security detail he paid for?

Pepper had her hair pulled back as her body covered the door to the baby's room. "Where is Tony Stark?" the man yelled, but Pepper stayed silent when she noticed a shift on the wall; a painting moved independently. Suddenly, one of the assailants flew back and hit the wall. The men panicked as an all-blue figure with red hair went into action. The assailants shot bullets, and Pepper was suddenly in her baby's room beside her baby. She didn't think twice. She grabbed her baby and went into the closet, where she heard the chaos in the home: crashes, bullets ricocheting off the walls with glass breaking, and painful grunts. There were a few moments of silence, and Pepper didn't know what to do.

"Mrs. Stark? It's clear." Pepper heard Evelyn's voice, and she came out slowly. She screamed when she saw the figure standing in the middle of the bodies. The figure was all blue with a skinny tail, except her human eyes with dark brown eyes and ginger red hair. The person jumped when Pepper screamed, and she saw that the person had changed to Evelyn. She nearly cried when she saw Pepper's hurt and scared look. She stood covered in blood, but Pepper saw no injury on the teenager.

"Evelyn, I'm sorry. You startled me. I didn't know you could- are you okay?" Pepper came to her, and Evelyn nodded. "Are you and Morgan hurt?" she asked, still putting her hand on Pepper as she healed her, just to be safe.

"We're safe, thanks to you-"

"Pepper!"

Tony landed in the Tower when he saw the chaos around him. His family was safe, but Evelyn was the only one with anything on her. "You... did you do all this?" Tony asked, and she nodded with an apologetic look. "They were looking for you but trying to get the baby, too. Evelyn saved us," Pepper explained.

Looking at the skinny teenager, Tony was stunned, "How?"

Pepper looked at Evelyn, but she was hesitant. "Show him, sweetie. It's okay." Pepper encouraged her, but she looked at Tony with hesitant eyes. Tony was curious when Evelyn slowly changed before him. She was now all blue, almost devilish, with a devil-like tail, and he was stunned. "I...can camouflage in this form," Evelyn said, looking down. "Why didn't you...is there anything else?" Tony asked. His mind was running with questions and anger about being told just now, but he remembered how he had met her. She was cautious, just like how he was.

"I have night vision, too. You know everything else," she added. "I'm sorry I kept it a secret. I didn't want you to be scared of me." Tony's heart broke a little from hearing that, but he sighed when she changed back. "Were there others like you?" Tony asked as he came out of the suit, approaching her as she nodded.

"One...my brother. He was red. They gave us these numbers." The couple saw when she moved her hair on the back of her neck and saw '003'. Pepper was horrified, but Tony was enraged. She was just a kid, and it was clear they had other kids they experimented on. Tony nodded when he considered the next question. "I won't do it unless you're comfortable, but you saved both of them when I couldn't be here. Will you let me make you a suit?" Tony asked.

"Tony!" Pepper shouted.

"No needles or anything, but to make sure you're safe in the future?" Tony asked Evelyn, and she nodded silently. "I...trust you. Test what you need." she spoke.

"Good, now. Can you make sure not to show this to anyone but us? To keep you safe?" Tony asked her carefully. She nodded with a small smile. "Sweetie, for everyone's sake, try not to use that other side of you unless you have to, okay?" Pepper asked. "I will. Can I train soon? To better protect you all?" she asked. Pepper wanted to say no, but Tony saw the same determination he had when he tried to achieve something.

"Done, kid."

Slowly but surely, as the years passed, the Avengers were formed. Tony and Steve co-led the team with very different mindsets, but they worked well when the opportunity arose. The team consisted of Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Banner, Peter Parker, and Rhodey. Tony kept Evelyn out of the Avengers, not wanting SHIELD to discover her abilities or history, but Natasha and Clint were the most suspicious. That was their job, but they should have pushed on this as they looked at everyone's dossiers. Against his better judgment, Pepper encouraged him to let Evelyn be his assistant at the Avenger compound. Still, he benefited from Evelyn's sarcasm and humor, which she picked up from him and himself.

Evelyn was in her young 20s now, and she had her heart on her sleeves, which is what he expected from her trauma. Hearing her voice was always super soft, making it easier for her to blend in and be secretive. With the Compound built, he gave her a tour of the building and made Evelyn her room there if she had to hide or stay until he returned. Ezri followed Tony diligently throughout the Compound as SHIELD agents walked around, ignoring the looks they were giving her.

"Okay, besides Rhodey, you should get to know Banner. You two have more in common than you think," Tony encouraged her. Bruce Banner was the only man he could trust with her secret, and she nodded. "I will talk to him," Evelyn said with a smile when she saw the famous Steve Rogers, Captain America, approaching them with Sam Wilson.

"Stark, I see you are already hard at work," Steve stated when Stark gave him a cocky look. "Yeah, well, it's my building, my money. I'd hate you guys to destroy what I just built."

"You mean SHIELD's building."

"No, no. My building."

Steve shook his head when he saw the young woman with him. He smiled and offered his hand. "Hi, Steve Rogers. You are?"

She shook his hand back, "Evelyn Stark."

The man beside him widened his eyes as he offered his hand, "So you are the lovely Evelyn? My name is-"

"Sam Wilson, I know who you are. It's sweet to meet you."

Sam raised an eyebrow at Steve, but Tony ignored it, as Evelyn was oblivious to the motion. "I'm just getting Ms. Stark here more familiar with the building. She'll be here when I'm here, so don't get too close to her," Tony said passively, but she smiled, knowing this was his way of keeping her uninvolved safely.

"Well, regardless of who owns the building, you are always welcome here," Steve told her, receiving a warm smile. "Thanks, Rogers; I'll let my father know when I visit his building," she said, Tony smirking proudly as he waved his hand. "Let's continue the tour, shall we? Gentlemen." Tony guided his daughter away, leaving the two men watching and Sam chuckling.

"Real close, those two."

Steve merely smirked as he watched them leave, watching Evelyn closely.

Throughout the next few days, Evelyn stayed with Pepper and Morgan until the day finally came when everyone was meeting at the Compound, and she was nervous. "Just stick with me the whole time; this is no different when we do on-site at work," Tony assured her, but she nodded. "I know; I'll be careful. It's different when people like Natasha are good at reading people. She already requested a meeting with me," she told him.

"Don't worry; I'll be joining you for that. You need to tell her the partial truth."

"Partial?"

"We rescued each other; I adopted you after the Hydra kidnapping; she'll take that. It'll throw off the scent."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, that's what I told her, so yeah, there's no need to drag it out."

Evelyn gave him a dubious look as they arrived at the Compound. She kept close to the team as they went to the main floor. Walking into the living room and the kitchen area, she knew that this was their living quarters where everyone would mostly be. She took a deep breath but held her head high as the elevator doors opened and stood close to Tony. She saw the team amongst themselves but had to admit, it was nice to start putting a face on everyone.

"Evelyn Stark?"

She smiled when she saw the red-headed woman walking her way and offered her hand. "Nice to finally meet you. Tony has been making sure I don't run into you. I'm glad to see he's coming to his senses," she said, looking at Tony.

"It's more like the misses made me bring her. I'm not a fan of family being near danger." Tony confessed. "It's nice to meet you; you're very pretty and impressive, might I add," Evelyn stated, and Natasha smiled more.

"You're nicer than him. That's good and something we could use around here."

"Yeah, well, remember she's my assistant- not any of yours." Tony declared as he saw everyone gather when he got a call. Tony took a deep breath and looked at Evelyn, "Give me a moment."

When he went outside, she waited for him in place, looked around at everyone, and smiled at them apologetically.

"So, Ms. Evelyn," she looked up at the archer and recognized him as Clint, "You don't look like Tony or Pepper. May I ask how you are related?"

"Oh, well, Hydra captured me when I was a teenager, and Tony was, too. There was a window of opportunity to escape, and we helped each other get out when we could. I don't have any living family, and Pepper didn't want me to go into the system, so I'm a Stark now."

"He didn't tell me about Pepper..." Natasha considered.

Evelyn giggled, "It's Tony. He likes to think all ideas are his. And...he's always trying to keep her out of things." Natasha smirked, looking at Clint, and she could tell there was a silent communication there.

"If I could ask," she looked to Sam, noticing he was standing beside Steve, who was also looking at her, "do you have any training done or...?"

"I do. I wanted to protect Pepper and my sister. Being a Stark comes with a risk, you know? I want to be able to pay back for them taking me in," she explained.

"Any weapons training?" Steve asked now, curious.

"Oh, a staff and batons, I was a huge Donatello fan from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." She smiled.

"Oh, I like the turtles!" Peter chimed but blushed when no one said anything. "Honestly, same!" Evelyn said, her smile getting brighter, and Sam chuckled.

"Man, she's nicer than Tony..."

"I heard that," Tony chimed as he returned, "Why don't we head to the meeting room? We have something we need to discuss." The team followed him to the meeting room, Tony glancing at Evelyn as she followed him. Walking into the conference room, Tony looked back to his daughter, and she followed, preparing for what was to come.

Tony watched as the team sat together around the conference room. "We're all adults here, right? Minus, Parker," he looked around the team, "I shouldn't have to explain too much. Your rooms have been assigned; you are your maid. Your rooms are all soundproof, so please knock or tell Jarvis." The team merely observed, giving each other looks, but then he snapped his fingers, and Evelyn came over with a box in her hands.

"Also, as adults, respect our privacies, shall we?" Tony stated as Evelyn flipped the box, showing spying tech equipment and surveillance items. "I'd like it if we started being open, no secrets. I agree wholeheartedly, but let's do it respectfully." Natasha took a breath and looked over the table as the meeting continued. He spoke of possible assignments, teaming up in pairs for all missions. The team listened, Steve, jumping in occasionally to reinforce what Tony stated as the meeting carried on for the next two hours, surprisingly.

As the meeting was over, Steve approached Tony, his face hardened. "What did you get from doing that today? It can derail morale around here." Steve challenged, but Tony seemed unfazed. "Lighten up, Capsicle. I want us to be careful; this isn't the Boy Scouts. Unless you're looking for one, there's no ribbons to give out." Tony joked, Evelyn smirking.

"Why don't you grow up and act your age? Your father would be embarrassed by you," Steve said, getting close to Tony when Evelyn approached him. Her five-foot height was a joke and laughable compared to him, but her smile was gone and replaced with a cold, stoic face.

"Aren't you a little old to be picking fights?"

She heard Peter snicker in the back, Steve's jaw tightening.

"Listen-"

"Ah!" she looks at her father briefly before looking back. "You are old. I forgot hearing is a problem when you get older. Because my father told you he funded and owned this whole building. Of course, SHIELD can pay for it, but I can get you the number of our legal team if you want."

"This doesn't concern you."

"See, it does because I'm his assistant. And at the end of the day, you all are a team. Your attitude could also dampen morale, " she explained, her eyes unfazed and stilled.

"That's my daughter, lady and gentlemen." Tony jumped in, smiling as he put on his shades. "Come on, we have another I need to attend to."

She nodded, following behind him as the team watched the scene.

Natasha finally spoke, "I like her."

Over the past few months, Evelyn has not been called back to the Compound with Tony, and he has been going in and out on his own despite Pepper's protest. She keeps herself busy with Morgan, taking her to school, running around, and helping Happy to make his life easier. Pepper cannot find Tony when she realizes he's been at the new Compound all this time.

She arrived at the Compound with bags of food, and Peter met her outside.

"H-Hey, Ms. Stark."

"Hi, Mr. Parker! What brings you out here?"

"I saw you pull up." Peter took most of the bags for her, "Oh, allow me."

She smiled, "Aw, thanks, Mr. Parker."

He smiled shyly, "Oh no, please, call me Peter."

"Only if you call me Evelyn or Eve."

He smiled, "Okay, Eve."

He took the lead, guiding her inside as she saw the team in the common area, all tired. "Hey guys, look what Ms. Stark brought us!" The team looked up, their faces beaming when they saw her and the food.

"Our hero," Sam chimed, taking the food as she and Peter handed it out. Steve kept his eyes on her, but she looked around carefully. "Where's Tony?"

"I'm here, kiddo."

When he came out of the hallway, she looked towards the hallway but frowned when she saw his face. "Oh my god!" she came to his side, looking at the injuries on his arms. "You say it just like Pepper..." he grumbled, but she handed him his plate.

"What happened?"

"The Winter Soldier happened. He came out of nowhere. He managed to infiltrate us, but we caught him eventually." Sam explained. Steve sighed, unsure what to make of things.

"His name is James Buchanan Barnes, but he goes by Bucky. We've been trying to talk to him for days, but he won't say anything..." Steve said, clearly at a loss. She could see the defeat in his eyes, which she had never seen before, and she looked at her father. "I know you have a lot going on here, but I need to talk to you." Evelyn stressed, and her father nodded.

Tony took her down the hall to the conference room, cutting off the cameras as he turned to her and ate his food. "What's going on?"

"It's Aldric. Someone let him out of prison a few days ago. He's on the run."

Tony's face turned cold, "What did you find?"

"I sent it all to Jarvis, ready for you. I'm updating you on any rumors or people we suspect, but I've already detained a few people for you. Security has tightened with Pepper and Morgan, but I'll get back to them in a moment." she answered.

"Good, no stone unturned," Tony said, "thanks for telling us this and looking out for our family." She smiled, put her hand on his arm, and healed his arms, making sure not to get the ones on his face, which he was grateful to have most of the aches gone.

"Since you're here..."

She looked at him suspiciously.

"Do you think you can take a crack on that guy in there?" he threw his thumb over his shoulder.

"The Winter Soldier? Are you sure? People will..."

"People will know your people skills enough to make Steve and Natasha jealous? Come on, take a crack at him. We've been here for a long time." Tony insisted, making her sigh.

"Okay, okay, but you explain it to the team. I need to get back to Morgan; school is almost out." she agreed as he guided her to the cell. Guiding her out of the conference room and towards the cell down the other end of the hall, she finally saw who they spoke of.

Opening the door, she saw a man in a red shirt and blue jeans with medium hair and a stubble beard. What struck her was his smokey blue eyes, not the color themselves, but the pain in the eyes.

Tony closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone. She was startled momentarily but realized she had her food box and put it on the table. He looked at her, not annoyed, but just stared at her momentarily before looking away. She swallowed hard before smiling at him, "Hello."

He merely looked back at her, glancing over, and realized she wasn't in SHIELD armor or clothing. She wore simple blue jeans, a white muscle shirt, boots, and a midnight blue bomber jacket with her ginger hair braided to the side, going to her stomach.

"Hey."

He looked down, clearly done amusing her, but she came closer. "My name is Evelyn, or you can call me Eve or Evie. What's yours?"

"You know who I am."

"Everyone has said many things, but I'd rather hear them from you. You're the one with your name, right?"

"...I'm James Buchanan Barnes...You can call me Bucky."

"Hey, Bucky. I won't ask how you are doing or if you want to talk. You probably got that a lot, huh?"

He smirked weakly, nodding before his smirk disappeared. Evelyn bit her lower lip, nodding slowly. "Are you okay, though? Are you hurt anywhere?"

He looked at her curiously. Did she ask that? Everyone asked how he was, if he wanted to talk, or if he remembered anything. But these were slightly different. "I'm fine."

She saw his pained face and came closer to him, showing her hands and spinning, showing she was unarmed. "I...Can I help with something? Just for a moment."

He looked over her cautiously but observed that she was approaching him and didn't respond. He didn't move—he couldn't anyway—in the big box with his harness on, his hands clasped, and his feet, too.

Knowing his predicament, she frowned and carefully touched his cheek. His eyes widened as if she were crazy to do that, but before he could say anything, he felt warmth from her hand sweeping over him. He closed his eyes, letting out a breath as he felt a sense of calmness. His body aches disappeared, and some of his injuries seemed to disappear, but not all.

She momentarily felt him lean into her hand before catching himself, but she didn't mind. She smiled before slowly removing her hand. "I know...the only person you know here is Steve. I'm not asking you to trust all of us, either. We are worried about you and want to help you figure things out. Whatever it is. I just got here, so I know nothing."

He merely watched her. She wasn't afraid or unfazed as she went to the table. "It's not much, but...I brought food. Are you hungry?"

"I can't eat."

"I can see that, but I can feed you." she offered. Bucky looked at her questionably before he shook his head. She slowly nodded, not wanting to force him, but the sound of his stomach grumbling could be heard. It had been a few days, and I couldn't last much longer, whatever she had. She smiled, opening the container to reveal chicken fried rice. She used the spoon and came back to him. She chuckled, maneuvering around the holding mechanics on him before finally being able to feed him.

Bucky watched her as her short and petite frame moved everywhere until she found a spot to feed him. He ate slowly but was grateful she fed him. He felt silly being in this position, but he was still confused by her behavior toward him. She didn't seem to be with SHIELD, but he was still cautious of her- despite her showing some kindness.

Once he was done eating, she cleaned him up before getting down. When the door opened, Steve and Tony came in. Steve looked over at Bucky before coming to him. "What did you do?"

She looked at him. "I was checking on him."

"Really."

"I fed him and checked on him," she explained, showing him her plate. Tony saw the tension and saw that Bucky was watching them cautiously.

"I'm...ready to talk," Bucky finally said. Steve looked at him in surprise, and Evelyn smiled to see him open up. Tony squeezed her shoulder. "Come on, why don't you get back home?"

Evelyn looked back at Bucky one last time with a gentle smile; his eyes gazed over to her, and then she left the room, leaving the two friends alone.