Buffy appeared at the tower, huffing slightly. She looked at Steve. "I've totally lost all control of the minis. How do I get that back?" She had no idea how Xander did this stuff but she hated that he had skipped off on vacation.
"How did you have control before?" Stark asked from his seat.
"They looked up to me. Now they see me as an ancient slayer and a few think I'm mythical." She stared at Steve. "You do good in that stuff and I suck at it."
"Sometimes it's like being a big brother," Steve said. "Sometimes it's leading by example. Sometime's it's the pretty speeches you don't want to give."
She nodded. "I've given some of those but since the battle in LA I've lost all hope of them looking up to me. They look up to Xander."
"Yet they still trash him," Stark said.
"That's not my fault."
"It's partially your fault and he goes out to do heroic things to prove you wrong," Natasha said, staring at her. "The girls need multiple role models to look up to."
"I try really hard. I try to do mom things and all that too. I don't know where I'm going wrong."
"There's no manual for being the guy in front," Clint said. "You wing it as it happens." He stared at her. "They still follow you into battle. They're your slayers."
"They don't look up to me and a few don't even like me. I showed up to help some with problems and they all wanted Xander. I can do just as good as Xander. I'm a slayer, that should count for something, right?"
"Not always," Clint said. "I've shown up a few times and they wanted other agents. I proved I could handle it but they still weren't happy. It's like expecting a card for your birthday and getting an email."
"Oh." She considered it. "So I just gotta keep trying?"
"Maybe if you got out to do things with the girls," Suzette said, chin on the back of her chair since she had turned around. "The girls at the house say you never spar with them, you never help them with homework. You help with date stuff but not the important stuff. And when you do spar they said you're nagging."
Buffy slumped, pouting. "I don't mean to. I want to be like my mom. She was a cool mom. She did good with me and Dawn, I should be able to do the same thing."
"You can be their friend or their mother figure," Natasha said. "The two don't mix very well. If you're their mother figure then helping with homework and dates is usual. If you're their friend then you'd want to hang out with them and do things with them. It will not change overnight but you can change it once you decide what you want to be to the younger slayers. Even if they do see you as mythical."
"They expect you to show up, beat the bad thing, then do something else," Steve said. "I've gotten that. I hung out with the guys instead and they were confused but said it was nice that guys like me were there for the normal stuff too. What we are sets us apart. It's never going to be pajama parties and sleepovers. But it can be closer if you want. Invite the girls to watch tv with you. Or to go to the movies with you and don't be the chaperone."
"I hadn't thought about that," she said. "Thank you." She hugged him then Natasha, patting Suzette on the head. "When you're a slayer, you'll do great things." She disappeared.
Suzette looked at her father. "How do I not do that?"
"You don't start down that path because you're a friend, not a leader," Clint said.
"Oh. I can do that I guess. Dad, can I have a sleepover?"
"If their parents agree." He looked at Stark.
"Your apartment has sound proofing," he said bluntly. "And I'll be hiding in the labs from all the kids."
"Ditto," Clint said. "One kid is cool. Twelve kids is a headache."
Natasha nodded. "I do not understand children so I cannot chaperone either." She dug back into her dinner.
Suzette looked at her other aunt, who smiled at her. "There's an art to having a great sleepover party. You have to have good food and good movies to watch, plus games to play and stuff. We can plan it together." Suzette beamed and nodded, getting back into her dinner. "How many friends do you have?"
"Maybe five? Larissa can't come. Her mommy doesn't let her sleep over anywhere. Even on a brownie camping trip."
"That's fine," Stark agreed. "Five girls can take over your dad's apartment and do stuff. I'm sure Pepper can teach you girls how to do nail stencils or something fun."
Pepper smiled and nodded. "I can, yes." Suzette leaned over to hug her then got back to her food. She smiled at Steve, who gave her a grateful look. That was girl stuff he'd never understand. She could teach it to Natasha too.
***
Stark woke up to the feeling of someone staring at him. He blinked at the person. "Wow, you were almost quiet, Thor," he said dryly.
"I did not wish to wake the good captain," he said more quietly than normal. "What is wrong with his daughter?"
Stark sat up, staring at him. "What, did you sense something about her?"
"Widow warned me not to get my hammer near her."
"Oh. Um... Wow. How... do you guys know what slayers are?"
"No."
"Hell. If I had that book, which is in Steve's room," he said. Andrew appeared, handing over a copy with a grin then punched Thor on the chin, not hard enough to move his head. "He hit on your girlfriend?"
"Future girlfriend." He grinned and waved. "You hit on my woman." He disappeared.
"Ah, sorcerers," Thor sighed, rubbing the barely sore spot. "Do we know of that one and is he like my brother?"
"Not exactly, which is an answer to both." He flipped through the book and held it up once he got to the right section. "This is what started the slayer line, back when your parents were barely thought of."
Thor took the book to read, frowning. "That's foul."
"Yes but it happened before humans could farm."
"Oh, no wonder then." He kept reading, sitting on the end of the bed. He stiffened. "This girl...."
"They're all now active thanks to a major event that needed *seven* to stop." Thor stared at him. Tony nodded. "JARVIS, can you get Steve up?"
"I have. He's getting something to drink while looking for something specific. He'll be here in a moment," the AI said.
Xander appeared, staring at Thor. "The hammer will activate her gifts," he said in Norse, staring down at him. "That will make her a huntress at the ripe age of seven." Thor shook his head quickly. "We know she'll activate early but none of us want it now."
"I will keep it from her," he said.
"Thank you." He grinned. "My ex, Anyanka, used to think you were the hot boy of the day." He looked at Stark then back at Thor. "Andrew's been flirting with Sif's future little sister." He handed something to the demigod. "The things that could activate her. One is your brother."
"I will keep them apart."
"Might be handy." He disappeared.
Thor looked that list over, nodding. "None of these I would want near a child in my care," he said. Steve walked in. "Steven, how is your daughter?"
"Sleeping. She had weird dreams earlier of people riding deer." He shook Thor's hand. "I see you got the book."
"Thor was flirting with Andrew's future woman," Stark said.
"Ah." He nodded. "That makes some sense. Sorry. The new Council isn't like the old guys were."
"I'd hope not."
"They treat the girls like sisters who have an unfortunate calling they help with," Steve said. "The girls are protected and helped now."
Thor nodded. "That's an excellent thing. How did that second one know the Bane of Men Who Do Wrong?"
"He nearly married her," Steve said with a smile. "He left her at the altar because she would've been sad in their marriage."
Thor shook his head. "He is a bravely stupid warrior."
"He's very brave, and a bit nuts," Stark said. "But he does back up all the slayers."
Thor nodded. "How many are there now?"
"All of them over a certain age have been activated," Steve said. "Those below sixteen will get it activated then. The First Evil apparently showed up and it took seven so the witch of the new Council activated the whole line to get the seven needed."
Thor scratched his eyebrow, frowning while he thought. "Your daughter?"
"We think she might activate early because of a threat to her," Steve admitted. "Though we had no idea she was going to come into being. Someone mixed her in a dish and made her."
Thor nodded. "That is foul but it is good you took her in."
"She's my little girl. Suzette is a kick and a half."
Thor smiled. "That is good. May I meet her?"
"In the morning when she's up. Just keep the hammer from her please," Steve said. Stark handed over that list. "That's good to know those mystical artifacts can activate her." He nodded, tucking it into his pocket. "If it happens to protect herself then we'll deal with it but we'd hate it to be because she was petting your hammer, Thor. She does like weapons."
Thor nodded. "I will keep Mjolnir from her." Both guys smiled at him for that. "Is she well?"
"She's just fine. She's going to be cranky tomorrow from the weird dreams but otherwise she'll be fine."
Suzette leaned around the door, staring at them. "I'm not cranky yet and I'm skipping tomorrow. It's not every day that you get visited by a huge blonde guy who can create lighting and fly." The adults stared at her. She huffed. "It'll let me miss my history test?"
Steve laughed. "No. You can get there late."
"Shoot." She walked in and stared at Thor, then smiled at his hammer. "I promise some day I'll be big enough and strong enough to be worthy of you but right now I know not to touch magical things. It'll make me a big slayer way too soon." She looked at him again. "Your hammer has happy thoughts. Does she like ice cream?"
"I don't believe she eats," Thor admitted, smiling at her. "It is nice to meet you, Suzette."
"You're kinda neat and big enough to be a tree like Daddy is, so I can climb you later." She hugged him and climbed up next to her Uncle Tony, cuddling him. "Dwarves should not tunnel under the city. I should tell Beth?" she told her uncle.
"Let's find them first."
"They're looking under the part of the city that's on the island that's not this one."
"Staten Island?" Steve guessed. She shrugged. "We'll look at pictures. What are they doing?"
"They're paying back an ancient debt by undermining the town."
"I'll start scanning that way," Stark said. "JARVIS?"
"I'm already starting that and I do see recent mining activity."
"You should tell Bethie," Suzette said, looking up. "So she can go talk to them since she's the senior slayer locally, JARVIS. Kate said she could use an excuse to get out of her history class too."
"I shall once it's light," the AI said. "I see deer too."
"They ride them. Are dwarves in my identification manual?"
"No," he said.
"I know of many," Thor said. "I can help them." She smiled and hugged his arm. "You should try to rest. Schooling is important."
She sighed. "But it makes no sense! And humans were poopy heads and mean to each other for stupid things."
"Yes they were," Steve agreed. "They still are. Learning history means you know how people have changed and what they're likely to redo later on."
"Can't I not have history? I can read books or even watch it on tv. The show on Vikings is really nasty too but others aren't as bad."
"And rated R," Tony said, staring at her. "Which you're not old enough to watch."
She shrugged. "I watched it over Uncle Clint's shoulder when he fell asleep on the couch the other night."
Steve smirked and pointed. "Grounded." She huffed but went back to her own bed. Then she came back with her pillow and favorite blanket, plus Pasha the stuffed squirrel, and climbed in with Tony to sleep. "You could come nap with me."
"Uncle Tony doesn't move all night and if I have weird ideas they'll just have a tea party with his weird ideas so maybe he'll get more normal ones. My weird ideas give you weird dreams and you don't sleep either, Dad." She snuggled in and cuddled her uncle with a grin. "This way the tea party of weird ideas gives you better dreams than JARVIS in a dress and apron kissing Dum-E."
"I don't think my weird ideas are normally like that," Tony said but he was smiling. "Until you fall asleep." She grinned and snuggled in. Tony got comfortable, looking at Steve. "She's nearly as good at logic as Pepper is."
"I've noticed that." He looked at Thor. "Who told you about her?"
"Widow."
"Ah. Well, she's getting used to having a kid around too." He shrugged. "They're getting along okay." He looked back at the sound of footsteps. "Clint, you were watching the show about vikings?"
"Yup, mostly for the smut potential," he sighed. "Sorry, did she see it?"
"Watched it over your shoulder. They were mean and assholes," Suzette told him with a grin. "It's still better than history class."
"It's a tv show," Tony said. "A made up version of history. Not real history."
"Shoot. Then I probably shouldn't answer a question about them on my test with it?"
"No," Steve said. "Did you?" She nodded with a huff. "We'll look at it tomorrow at breakfast before you go to school." She pouted. "Tough." He looked at Clint then at Thor again. "Want shown to your room, Thor?"
"I will talk with the young maiden warrior-to-be tomorrow to see if I can teach her anything," he agreed.
"Of course you can," she said with a smile. "I've barely learned anything yet." He patted her on the head and followed Clint to his suite. Steve picked her up with her stuff and took her back to his bed so Tony could rest.
Tony thumped his head on the pillow. "Sure, she likes vikings," he decided. Now his weird dreams and ideas would be warped even worse. The 'tea party' they were having was coming up with ideas for her future hunting needs. And dwarves.
***
Suzette bounced up to the almost-slayer Kate and pounced her. "Hi!" she said happily. It was a happy day, she had managed to skip school after all.
"Hi, munchkin." She pulled her around to hug. "What's up?"
"There's dwarves digging under the other island place because they had an ancient deal or something and it's making them cave it in against their wills."
Kate blinked. "There's what where?"
Clint walked up to her, handing over the note. "Dwarves. Thor said he'd help. He just got in last night."
"Ah." She read it over, then called Beth. "It's me. It's really weird too. But you have big, buff, and talented help." She hung up. "She's getting ready to go out with her boyfriend, who we think is going to make a *major* move today." Clint grinned, taking the kid from her. "You good?"
"I'm kid sitting because she watched Vikings over my shoulder while I napped on a couch."
"Ah," Kate said with a nod. She looked at the baby future slayer. "That's all sorts of icky adult stuff."
"So? I've got to learn it sometime. Might as well be now. And hey, my weird dreams didn't get warped by them."
"That's probably a great thing," Kate agreed, patting her on the back. She nodded at the blond man walking up behind Clint. "You must be Thor. Kate Bishop, I took over Hawkeye's name when he was out of contact for a bit." She held out a hand.
He smiled and shook it. "I have heard you did the name honor, Kate Bishop. When can we go look at these dwarves?"
"I can go and let Beth do things with her boyfriend. It gets me out of a lecture in history."
"See, history sucks," Suzette quipped to Clint with a grin.
He smirked down at her over the rim of his sunglasses. "If I had to learn history, you've gotta learn history."
"Shoot." She heard screaming and looked that way. "Ooooh, that's a bad thing." She hopped down and ran off. "I'm going back to the car."
"Better yet, run home," Kate said, pulling her bow. "Because the car's not safe, kiddo." She looked at the mass of robot and huffed. "That's not good."
"Nope, it's not," Clint agreed. Then some guy appeared fiddling with a remote control until it turned off.
"Yay, it's Andrew!" Suzette cheered. "He's my sorta geek! Yay, Andrew!" Andrew shot her a grin. "You're so cool. And you make yummy slayer recipes." She ran over to hug him. Clint caught her and Kate took her while Clint shot at the robot that was trying to restart itself. Thor flew up and smashed it. Suzette laughed. "He still out geeked it first." She got free and ran over to hug him then ran back to Clint. "I'm being good."
"I'm sure you are," he agreed with a wink. "We're looking at places to start our evil empire. What do you think of Montana, Clint?"
"I think it's pretty out there but there's nothing to do in a lot of spots and not a lot of women in those anyway. They get on you again?"
"Yes! Tried to prevent me from taking a vacation. *Ordered* me not to take one. This is my first one since we moved to Cleveland that didn't include a concussion and Buffy said even if I'm sick I wasn't allowed to go. Thankfully the future girlfriends are all *much* more sane than Buffy and Willow. I mean, honestly! How petty can they be!" He disappeared. "Clint likes Montana," he called as he left.
Suzette looked up at Clint, eyes wide. "Are you going to join his evil empire against women who nag?"
"I shouldn't have to. Natasha never nags me." She hugged him around the throat. "You're a good girl so you don't nag either."
Kate shook her head. "I'm not like that. I would've went on vacation with him. Maybe he could introduce me to nice guys." Thor came back shaking his head. "It gone, Thor? Can I do anything to help?"
"Nay, tis in pieces." He looked at the cuddly one. "You need to eat. You look tired."
"I am." She grinned. "And nibbly but I'm okay. I don't need a snack yet."
Kate snorted. "Please!" She waved a hand and took the kid from Clint. "C'mon, we'll introduce you to coffee drinks. All slayers like coffee drinks." Suzette grinned and bounced along beside her to Starbucks.
Clint's phone rang. "Stark said to keep it low sugar, she had pastry for breakfast," he called.
"Whatever," Kate called. She grinned. "I'm very well aware of slayer diets, Clint." She opened the door and ushered the little one in. They came out about five minutes later with flowing cups of stuff that resembled coffee milkshakes with whipped cream and a cherry on top. She handed one to Thor too. "Here, have a treat for the good work." She and the kid walked off talking about slayer stuff like clothes for patrol.
Thor sipped and nodded. "That is nice." He kept sipping, following Clint and the girls. It would give him enough energy to follow the young women around. His Jane Foster was not like that Kate Bishop or like Suzette. She was much more sedate and quiet. Though Kate did remind him some of Lady Darcy.
***
Someone stomped off the elevator and Stark watched the angry brunette woman stomp past him, waving slightly. "Thor," he called. She looked at him. "He's in his suite. He'll be right out, Dr. Foster."
"You know me?"
"Of course I know you," he said dryly, staring at her then smiling. "I'm Tony Stark. Why wouldn't I know of you and your work?"
"Oh. Okay." Thor came out and she hauled off and slapped him. She stared at him.
He rubbed his cheek. "That's the second one this week. I'm starting to think it's a Midgard tradition," he said.
"You could've called when you got back down here, Thor," she said, staring at him.
"I came to check on rumors Heimdall had heard," he admitted. "I was going to call you tonight to talk to you and see where you were. The last I knew you were in London but you may have moved by the time I could get there." He pulled her closer to hug. She sighed and leaned against him. "I did not mean to upset you."
"Don't do it again."
"I shall not. I heard one of my compatriots had a child, so I came to give felicitations on her finding." He smiled at her. "But found out why she is not allowed near my hammer."
Jane looked up then at Stark. "Congrats on having a kid, Mr. Stark. It hasn't hit the papers yet."
"Not mine. I'm a favorite uncle." He smiled and pointed at Steve, who was in the doorway to the kitchen. "His daughter."
"Awww. That's sweet."
"She is sometimes," Steve said. "I haven't met you yet. Steve Rogers."
"You're...Captain America," she realized. She wiped off her palm. "Dr. Jane Foster." She shook his hand. "I came to rant at my boyfriend for ignoring me again."
Steve smiled. "We were tracking down your number for him."
"Thank you for helping him."
Thor smiled at Steve for helping him with Jane. "His daughter is just now seven."
"That's a sweet age. I found the stars then," Jane said.
Suzette climbed up Thor's back and looked at her over his shoulder, smiling. "Stars are pretty and twinkly but swords twinkle prettier."
"Should you be climbing your uncle?" Steve asked.
"Umm...."
"The answer to those sort of questions is usually no, even though he's using a mom voice," Jane said, smiling at her. "Not that I haven't wanted to climb Thor a few times myself." Thor kissed her. She smiled at him. "Darcy's going to swat you too."
"I'm sure the Lady Darcy will forgive me for stopping to check on the good Captain's offspring first."
"Probably," she sighed. She looked at the staring kid. "Hi."
"Hi. This way I get to know what big people do before I learn to be like Uncle Tony."
"Hey!" Tony complained. "I'm a good role model in adult things."
"Go ahead and kiss him. I'll be practicing my braiding." She squeaked when her father pulled her off Thor's back and carried her off to talk to her in the kitchen.
"Sorry, we're working on manners," Steve called. "Let's talk, daughter." He shut the swinging door so they could have a quiet conversation about manners.
Jane looked at Thor, who shrugged and kissed her again. "She is a very inquisitive child. She's sweet that way."
"I'm sure she is but I have *no* idea how to handle little kids."
Thor smiled. "She doesn't much play with the adults." He led her to his suite so they could talk, and other adult things that they could make sure the child could not witness to learn about.
Tony looked toward the kitchen, shaking his head with a huge grin. He sent the security footage to Pepper. The kid was so being warped into his mini-me. Then he got to work setting up offers for Jane to join his wacky bunch of scientists so she'd be safer and out of harm's way.
***
Three days later, Tony Stark walked into the sprout's classroom, taking off his sunglasses. "Her father's in DC handling some big political brouhaha over the recent messes we've found." He looked at the pouting kid then at the teacher. "Will I do since I'm the only one of us home?"
"You may," Mrs. Toliver said, clasping her hands on the desk in front of her. "Have you noticed she's...excitable?"
"Yes. Though we've talked to the people who handle such matters and they say it's about normal for who and what she is." He sat down, looking at the pouty kid. "What did you do?"
"Climbed the jungle gym to get the kitty down." She looked over. "It was stuck and hiding from some of the bigger girls, who're idiots."
"You know their intelligence scores?" Tony asked dryly. "Because your father's going to scowl for you calling other kids names."
"No. I think they're idiots because none of them talk very well and they're bullies and they like to hurt animals. I'm using idiots instead of a less polite term that Daddy would complain about. Just like the ones you use when you talk about the science bimbo you accidentally hired last week." She grinned. "Though I doubt these ones can spell science."
"It's not fair to pick on the mentally deficient or weak," Tony said.
"I'm not and they started it by trying to hit the kitty with rocks." She shrugged. "I protected the kitty and Larissa took it from me to put outside the fence so it'd be safer while I climbed back down."
"We like that you protect animals," Tony said. "What else did you do?"
"I yelled at them for having bad ideas?" she asked the teacher.
"You did, and the proper course of action would be to tell a teacher. You had no idea if that animal was ill."
"Animals like me."
"Scared cats bite," she said firmly. "It could've had rabies or something."
"Or it could've been scared since some of the bigger girls were throwing rocks at it," Suzette said more firmly. "People who hurt animals for fun suck. I'm never going to be like that." She looked at Tony. "Is Dad still in DC?"
"Yup."
"Shoot."
"Probably until tomorrow but I'm taping this so he can hear and you two can talk when he's free."
She shrugged. "I guess." She climbed into his lap. "One of the teachers yelled at me for being able to climb the jungle gym."
"I think that's meant for climbing," he said.
"She said I'm too little."
"Bullshit. I've seen you shimmying up Barton's tower more than once to hide inside it to try to pounce your dad during playtime." She grinned. He looked at the teacher. "Is she in trouble for yelling at the girls?"
"She had detention for that, and will for the next three days," Mrs. Toliver said.
Suzette shrugged. "I did what was right. Screw them." Tony bopped her on the back of the head. "Sorry, that was rude and Dad would be ashamed," she sighed. "Even if Auntie Pepper would agree with me."
"Your Aunt Pepper nearly got kicked out of college for going after some boys who were torturing animals," Tony admitted. "She'd be really proud of you. You still have to know the rules and follow the ones that are just and right. Your dad would like that."
"I do," she said. "I resisted the urge to pick up a big stick and beat them for it," she said, giving him that old lady, prissy, mouth-clenched look.
He hugged her. "I'm sure you did and it was a good thing you didn't attack them."
"We're more worried that she has no sense and much too much energy."
Tony looked at her. "I'm sure you've been told by now why she meets with Xander Harris sometimes?" he asked.
"I have."
"This is normal for the girls. Pre-called and all of them. They have energy swings throughout the day. There's a good one right before three, and then an energy crash before dinner. There's another one right after lunch." He looked at her. "You forgot your lunch? JARVIS mentioned it."
"Ooops. I bought lunch instead." She shrugged. "It was pitiful. Like when Miss Jane cooked the pasta and overdid it." She grimaced. "They kept yelling at me about needing a fruit or a veggie and I pointed at a few things, including the veggies on the pasta that were overcooked and tasted like cardboard. They made me take an apple, and it was bruised. They need kitchen help, Uncle Tony."
"It meets guidelines and you were one of the last through the lines so there wasn't much food left," the teacher said impatiently.
Suzette looked at her. "Don't I usually eat veggies?"
"Yes you do."
"Then they shouldn't yell at me. They had no right to yell at me that way anyway." She stared at her. "Not like I don't know that veggies are good for me. I eat at least four a day plus fruit." The teacher huffed. "Beyond that, it's all nasty food. I feel really sorry for the kids who have to eat that." She looked at her uncle. "I won't forget my lunch again."
He hugged her. "When you cook for a lot of people, you can't make it as good as you can from the home kitchen. You'll find that problem in every single school, college, business that has a cafeteria, all of them. The military is the worst."
"Eww, but I can't go there. It's forbidden." She grinned at her teacher. "Anything else you wanted to talk about tonight, Mrs. Toliver?"
"She is becoming a tiny bit sarcastic," the teacher said.
"That means she's more comfortable in her life." The teacher scowled. "Even her dad isn't all puppies and rainbows," he said dryly. "Even the women in her life aren't all puppies and rainbows."
"Or kitties and popsicles because Auntie Pepper is more into kitties than puppies," Suzette quipped with a smile.
"She is," Tony agreed.
"Surely there's some *decent* role model who can encourage her father's manners lessons?" Mrs. Toliver demanded.
"Everyone wants me to have manners," Suzette said. "Manners doesn't mean you don't think for yourself, it means that you're polite when you have to stomp on someone bad for doing bad things." She looked at the doorway. "Mr. Phil."
"Suzette. Stark." He nodded and handed over the sealed envelope. "We found evidence of someone trying to hack your servers again. Your AI shut them down fairly quickly but they were trying from this school. I was going to tell you later, after we found them. Then I spotted your car when I pulled in."
"It was probably Lizabetta," Suzette said. "Everyone says she's really good in computer stuff and I kinda threw a fit at her earlier when I was rescuing the kitty."
Phil smiled. "Rescuing animals about to be harmed is an excellent thing," he praised. "I'm sure your father would be proud of that, even if you did yell at them afterward." She grinned and wiggled. He looked at Stark, who shook his head but handed it back. "We're requesting to handle it for you instead of the FBI."
"Go for it," Stark agreed. "There's three competent hackers here by what I've seen." Coulson nodded and went to look that up with the principal. He looked at the little girl. "Have you been bouncy in class?"
"No. I've been bouncy after class. I've been bouncy during recess so I can work those calories off." She shrugged. "Isn't that what recess is for?"
"Next year you won't be having recess," Mrs. Toliver said.
She looked at her. "Then how are we supposed to work off lunch?"
"You'll have a gym before lunch."
"Shouldn't you be working calories off that you've eaten instead of ones you haven't eaten yet? We wear out breakfast in our morning classes." Mrs. Toliver stared at her. "It makes no sense."
"That's how the schedule goes, dear. Each year has their gym time. That year's is before lunch. The year after is the last period of the day."
"That's going to suck," she said, looking at Tony, who shrugged. "Won't that suck?"
"You can learn to let it out during gym class instead of recess."
"Usually by then I'm starving."
"Starving is a medical condition," Tony said firmly. "You're hungry, not starving. Kids in Africa are starving, you see them on infomercials at two in the morning." She bit her lip but nodded. "Thank you. That's an important difference. We work to help those who are starving. Those who are hungry could probably pack a snack and have it before that gym time instead of yours when you get home."
"I hadn't thought about that." She looked at the teacher, who shook her head. "We can't?"
"No. You've got classes before then. You eat breakfast and lunch here, not snacks."
"We're growing though."
"Yes but you don't need that much food."
"She's lost ten pounds she couldn't afford to," Tony said. The teacher glared at him. "She has. She has a higher metabolism naturally." He looked at her. "We'll start tweaking your lunches so you're not left hungry by three-thirty." She nodded, leaning against his shoulder. He looked at the teacher again. "Any other problems I can pass on to her father?"
"She really does need to do something about that energy issue she has."
"It's normal for who and what I am," Suzette complained. "I can't help that I'm a future slayer. We *all* have this level of energy." The teacher huffed. "Sorry but we do. It leads to later stamina work and then for battles when we're big slayers." Tony nodded at that. "Beyond that, I'm never going to be like Nevaeh. She's on way too many pills and she's not able to think at all. I'm not doing that. Ever." She shrugged.
"Your father wouldn't agree to it either," Tony assured her, giving her a squeeze. "We can talk about that issue when he gets home. I can already assure you he won't be doing more than working on a different exercise group to help her wear some out. Maybe some pre-breakfast yoga or something." She looked at him and he shrugged back. "You could."
"That takes *forever* and I'll never get up for it."
"Possibly true." He shrugged again. "We'll talk about it when he gets home." She kissed him on the cheek. "Is there another problem we need to discuss?"
"I can discuss it with her father when he gets home."
"If they found another HYDRA base, he may only have time to run home for a night and then have to head out again, Mrs. Toliver. In the past, he's spent four and five months gone at a time on missions." Suzette shuddered. "She's the reason he's not at this time." He crossed his feet. "Frankly, the only reason I'm home is because I'm working on some last minute things for the conference next week. Otherwise she'd have either Pepper or an agent watching her."
"He should be looking at someone to give her some stability. Like a nanny."
"Doesn't really go with the way he was raised," Stark said dryly. "Nor do we want her to be a kid like I was brought up like."
"Whenever I get an agent to watch over me, it's always someone who's on the injured list," Suzette said. "That's a neat thing because they all teach me stuff. The last one taught me how to sharpen smaller knives than my sword." She looked at Tony. "Is it okay to name your swords?"
"No. You should not name weapons. They're not pets," he said.
"You named your suits."
"I gave them a design designation," he corrected. "It's not a name like I gave Dum-E or the other robots. They're numbed as I make a new design change."
"It still sounds the same."
"It's really not. I'm not naming each suit, I'm naming each design the first, second, third, all that, and the suits are just done off the designs."
"Oh. So the suits are just the afterthought?"
"Kind of. Only special and mystical weapons get names."
"Like Mr. Pointy," she said with a smile. Her teacher choked a tiny bit. "It's a very special stake that one of the former slayers carved. Kendra carved that as she grew up and she gave it to Miss Buffy before she died. It's kept in a special case and we all honor it because Kendra was a good slayer." She looked at Tony again. He smirked at her. "Does Uncle Xander's axe have a name?"
"No clue. You can ask him during summer camp." She wiggled and grinned. He looked at the teacher again. "Any other notes you need me to make to her father."
"No. I'll see him when he gets back."
"I'll tell him you'd like to." He stood up, putting her on her feet. "Grab everything and let's go." He nodded outside. "Happy's waiting." She grabbed her bags and jacket and followed him out to the car. Happy accepted his hug from Suzette before letting Tony and her into the back of the car. "Let's get back to the office so I can email your dad this report. That way he knows what she's going to try to complain about."
"I think I'm perfectly normal," she said.
"You are. For being who and what you are, you're very normal," he agreed. "Even if you needed the medicine, it probably wouldn't work on you anyway." She hugged his arm. "I like you too, sprout." She laughed. "We'll call your dad before bedtime."
"Okay. Thank you." She smiled up at him. He grinned back. She hummed along with the song on the radio and it was good. She liked this.
When they got back, Tony had to stare at the nagging thing aimed at Jane Foster and Thor. "I can amend the offer to include nagging, mothering sorts," Stark quipped.
"This is Darcy Lewis, my intern," Jane said. "Darcy, Tony Stark and Suzette Rogers."
"Hi." She smiled. "I nag because otherwise Jane would fade away since she can't live on science." She looked at the kid. "I have no idea how to talk to kids."
"You're doing okay right now," she quipped with a grin, shaking her hand. "You're okay. I'm not a mean kid." She bounded off. "Can I have a snack, Uncle Tony?"
"Have Jane make up a big batch of smoothies for everyone," he said. "Pepper said I need more fruit too."
"Cool!" She ran into the kitchen, dragging Jane by the back of her shirt. "Come help, Auntie Jane."
"I can do that," Darcy said, heading in there. "The blender's a bit too complicated for Jane. She leaves the lid off and things go everywhere."
"Once!" Jane defended.
"And it was the sacred margaritas, Jane," Darcy shot back. "Therefore you only use a blender in the lab." She found the recipe on the fridge and pulled out what they'd need for four of them. Jane could use more fruit in her diet too. She and the kid did the cutting and she let the kid press the button, which made her cackle in destruction glee. "You're a pretty neat kid."
"Yes, I am." She grinned.
"And clearly warped by Stark."
"Well, he is a good uncle." She shrugged and let the blending end, then poured in the ice to blend some more. That got done quickly and they poured them into glasses. She took the bigger one as she bounded off. "I'm going to go climb."
"Sure. Yell if you get stuck or fall," Tony called after her. "Don't spill stuff on Barton's climbing gear, he'll yell."
"I won't." She disappeared into the elevator.
Jane looked at the glass she was handed. "What's this? It's blue."
"It has blueberries," Darcy said. "It's good. Drink it since you probably forgot lunch and breakfast." She handed the other to Stark. Who smiled and sipped it. Jane huffed but sipped and nodded, walking off drinking. Darcy smiled at Stark. "Sorry to invade but Jane needs help."
"Many scientists do," he said dryly, smirking at her. "I don't care, Lewis. Though you might get asked to watch over the sprout sometimes too."
"Sure, I can do that. I have no idea about kids but at the very least I can help with homework and social studies stuff."
"She hates history."
"So did I, that's why I'm a poli sci major." She grinned and followed. "Let me shadow Jane to make sure she's okay."
"She's probably climbing Thor again," Tony said. "She and Suzette both think he's fun to climb."
"Ah." Darcy sat down, shaking her head. "I don't need to interrupt that." Tony called up the footage of when Jane met Suzette, making her laugh. "Not like those two are so normal." She sipped her smoothie and relaxed until Natasha and the kid came back up. She was finishing her smoothie. "Too much?"
"No, she had me doing yoga with her instead so I didn't get to drink while I climbed."
"Her teacher thinks she has extreme amounts of energy and no sense," Tony said, looking at Natasha.
"I believe that's most children from what I've read." She looked at her. "What happened?" She sat down and let the girl tell them. Suzette could babble at high speeds about some things and she did about the idiot girls as she called them. And the kitty. Then she slowed down about the lack of recess because she was complaining it was no fair. She blinked at her. "I think you've had too much sugar today," she said at the end.
"I ate lunch at school. It was gross. And they *yelled* at me about taking a fruit or a veggie when I had veggies on my pasta already! They're not really smart and they can't cook and it's nasty food. I think we should help them do it better."
"Sometimes industrial strength cooking makes things gross," Darcy said. "College food is like that too."
"So is Auntie Jane's pasta," Suzette quipped.
Darcy smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is." She hugged the girl. "You did great getting the kitty, but stray kitties could be sick so you have to be careful. You don't want the huge needles in your belly if it had rabies."
"We've petted it before. It sneaks onto the playground sometimes."
"That's great, but in the future, always ask about stray pets or any you don't know. They might be mean and bite, then their owners would get to be sad when the pound takes them away."
"I can do that," she agreed.
"Good. And good job for not hitting those idiot girls who deserved to be beaten." She smiled.
"That was good to resist that urge," Natasha said. "I would not have resisted as much as you did." The girl bounded over to hug her. "As for the energy swings you have, we can work something out with the school so perhaps you and Larissa are allowed out to go stretch or something as a break before lunch."
"The teacher's highly against that," Tony said. "But we'll see what we can do." She snuggled into his lap and finished her smoothie, falling asleep after a few minutes. "I think the yoga wore you out."
"Yes, it did," Natasha said with a smile. "It's also good for her."
Kate Bishop came off the elevator with the local slayer. "Can you thank the big blond guy for taking over slayer duty since the seer we know said Beth would've died if she had went to talk to the dwarves?" Kate asked.
"I can do that," Stark agreed. "Natasha, this is Kate Bishop and the local senior slayer Beth."
"Ladies," she said with a nod. "We know seers?"
"Yeah but she's got an iffy gift. It only activates when she touches something. Unlike Xander, who sees huge battle things before they happen."
"That's an interesting yet problematic gift," Natasha said.
"Painful too. Migraines and brain ripping feelings," Kate sighed. She tipped her head to look at the kid. "We were going to go over crossbows today," she said with a slight pout.
"Stay. She'll be up in twenty minutes," Stark said with a wave. "This is Darcy Lewis, she's Jane Foster's assistant."
"Hi." She shook their hands. "I met the secondary slayer in London but she was uptight."
"Gwen or Ricanda? Though, yes, they are." She smiled. "They're fighting over who's really doing all the work again."
"The guy with the eyepatch," Darcy said.
"That's Xander. Yes, he does," Kate agreed, smiling at her. "He's supposed to be on vacation."
"He's starting an evil empire against women who nag," Stark said. "Including no women allowed and gay sex for everyone who joins. He's looking at compounds in Montana during his vacation."
"If I had Buffy and Willow around me all the time, I'd run too," Beth said simply. "And take Andrew." Stark nodded with a grin. "Good! And the fact they're putting out anti-magic stuff from Xander's corporation, that Andrew owns a lot of stock in." Stark sat up straighter, looking at her. "The 'is your girlfriend a witch, we can help protect you' line is great. I've used some of it on patrol."
Kate nodded. "The two witches in my school hate it and me but it's kept me from becoming a centaur recently." She looked at Beth. "The bulletin board said Xander asked Andrew to please draw the guys from SGA to be the new warriors so he could get away from the nagging. They both agreed they could hide behind Sheppard."
"I'd hide behind him too but only so I could get a handful of cheek," Beth quipped. "But my fiancé is really cute." She smiled. "If Andrew does pull them, that's great. Hopefully it'll be before a battle and they'll listen to Xander this time. The last time we got warriors they discounted Xander totally and he still proved them and the slayers wrong."
Stark sighed and shook his head. "He really needs to be around more supportive people." The girls nodded with a smile for him. "Maybe he should take over a house."
"He can't. He's the only one that can get to the minis in the wilds of the world," Beth said dryly. "Two other new watchers could but the girls hate them because they're military."
"It's a sad but good paranoid bit thanks to a few raids they had once," Kate agreed. "Beth camped in my closet for three days." Beth nodded at that.
"Wow, won't happen here," Stark said with a smile. "Fall back to here, girls." They nodded and hugged him. Suzette woke up and hugged them back and they took her to teach her about crossbows.
"Poor kid," Darcy said. "Having to put up with Buffy and Willow too." Stark burst out laughing, shaking his head. "I was study buddies with a slayer who didn't want to patrol. Her boyfriend hated it enough to try to drug it out of her. I was righteously good when they dropped that assault charge against me for beating the shit out of him." Stark smiled. "She is?" Stark nodded. "Then yeah, the energy's usual. Even that one had a lot of energy. She took a PE every semester." She shrugged. "Can I help with stuff around here beyond nagging Jane?"
"Sure," Stark agreed. "We don't do much of anything that needs the nagging."
Darcy stared at him for a minute. "I'm guessing you're like Jane in that science takes over and you don't come out of your lab for days."
"Yes, he does," Natasha said, glaring at Stark. "He lives on shakes to help with the palladium poisoning."
"I eat!" Stark complained.
"You drink coffee, it's not the same," Natasha said. She looked at Darcy. "I was going to teach Suzette how to fry meat tonight if you'd like to help."
"I can do that. I'm used to fixing food to compete with science." She smiled at Stark. He got up and walked off shaking his head but he looked pleased. They could conspire on that together, and with Clint when he got back.
***
Darcy walked into Stark's lab with dinner, putting the plate in front of him. He frowned at it then at her until she used the fork to pick up a piece and stuffed it in his mouth. "It's time for food. That stuff that makes you run so you can be the bitch for science." She handed him the fork and smiled as she walked off. "I put a cup of coffee down over here but the AI has a forcefield around it until you clean your plate. He assured me you like all that."
"Way to mom," he called after her. But he was hungry. He ate, shaking his head. When it was gone he got his coffee and went back to working on a new design. His music came back on too. "Thanks, Mommy JARVIS."
"You're welcome, sir," the AI said, sounding a bit smug. Tony glared up. "If you had answered the ten calls I had to get you to the table, there was strawberry shortcake for dessert but I'm afraid it's all gone by now."
"Whatever," he mumbled, getting back to work. He got a few hours until he felt something climbing up his back. "Your dad said to quit climbing us." No answer so he looked then yelped and yanked the shirt off as he reached for a gun. The rat died. "JARVIS, how many more of those are there?"
"It's New York, sir. They're all over the island. Scanning the building shows three not in cages for experiments and I believe that one had been in a cage at one time."
"Call her and tell her that her rats escaped."
"I have, she's on her way back to try to find the other two rats, sir."
"Thank you." He calmed himself and walked off to get coffee, and a clean shirt that didn't have rat brains all over it. He ran into Clint in the kitchen making coffee. "Someone's rats got free."
"Great," he muttered. "I'll check the kid's room with Natasha. One of us should be quiet enough."
"They're both on level 13," JARVIS noted.
"Tell us if they get up here," Clint said. "Thanks to a few jobs, we hate rats, J."
"I can and will do so."
Clint walked off drinking his coffee. "Nat, two rats escaped custody and they're on level 13."
She shuddered. "If I see them she will have to start over."
"I'm pretty sure Stark already got one." She looked at him and he nodded. "JARVIS will tell us if they get up here."
"Thank you, JARVIS. After being in a pit of them once, I do not like them very much."
"I probably wouldn't either," the AI agreed. "One's trying to free his cousins in lab 1, but the other is feasting on the insulation down there." Stark went to get a weapon to kill that one before it did real damage.
***
Steve sat down in the visitor's chair beside the hospital bed, smiling at the older woman on it. "How's my best girl?" he asked.
"You look tired," she said back, smiling and reaching over to pat his cheek.
"I'm between missions but on my way home for three days of rest." He leaned on the railings. "I haven't gotten to visit in a while and I'm sorry."
"It happens. Missions go as they go, Steve."
"There's been other things."
"A date, finally?" she asked with a smile.
"No. Um..." He looked at the door to make sure the nurses weren't listening then looked at her. "HYDRA or someone had a breeding lab," he said. She blinked. "Someone at the new Watchers Council found my daughter in one." She snorted. "They are a lot different."
"I've seen that. They never would let those of us with sense and compassion destroy the old ones but we certainly cheered when their own folly blew them up."
"Xander, the guy with the eyepatch, he found Suzette."
"How old is she?"
"Just now seven. We finally found a birthday on her a few months back." He pulled a picture out of his back pocket and stuck it into the corner of the frame next to her. It had his picture in it. He grinned. "She's a little spitfire, Peggy. Mouthy as anything at times but she'll tone it down around me."
She looked at him. "Did they find her for a reason?"
"They found she had a reason but it was natural, not coerced, and they found other kids. They didn't specifically go looking for her."
"Ah. So they found her and handed her over." Steve nodded. "Now they watch over her?"
"Sometimes. They hover a bit because they think something around me will activate her sooner. It's a lot different than the way it had been."
"I've seen. I'm happier for the girls, even if that is a dreadful future to face." She patted his hand. "How are you handling little girl things?"
"Not totally well but I've got Pepper and the others to help. Natasha and she have just barely started to get along but she treats Clint like a big brother and Stark like a favorite uncle. Bruce is good to her too. Thankfully I've got plenty of help with her or else I'd be nuts by now." She smiled. "She's mostly a good girl. A bit bouncy but a good girl."
"That's sweet. I'd love to see her."
"I can have her sent over," he offered. "Come back tonight?"
She smiled. "I'd adore that, Steve. The children are so important. Hopefully they'll learn from our mistakes too."
"I can only hope she will. I do wish she could've had a friend like Bucky was to me. Though I think she'd be Bucky in that set since she's highly protective."
"She's the best of you."
"She really is." He called Tony. "It's me. Send me Suzette for a visit with Peggy please?" He nodded. "That'll work. Thank you. No, don't ask Sitwell, how did he get out of jail?" He smiled. "Even better. That's great, Tony, thanks." He hung up. "She's on her way here already because some of the agents we found were loyal to HYDRA showed up at the tower to talk to her. One admitted she was their next great achievement and her other parent was their first."
She grimaced. "They're all fruitcakes."
"I know. She'll be here in about an hour. Tony got her out of school when he noticed people trying to show up for that visit." She patted his hand again. "Need anything while I'm here? I learned how to braid hair." She laughed and sat up to hug him. When Suzette got there with the agent escorting her, he waved her in. "Thanks, Paulis."
"Welcome, Captain. She's a good girl." He waited outside the door.
Suzette stared for a minute then walked over to stare at the older woman. "I know you're not my grandmother but I don't know you yet. I'm Suzette." She held out a hand. Tony had taught her if she wanted something, to ask and be bold about it.
"I'm Peggy, my dear. I knew Steve when he was in the army." She shook her hand. "Come sit and talk with us." She hopped up onto the bed and settled in to talk to this older lady who knew her dad when he was younger. It was kinda cool and she needed a grandma-like person. She asked her about doing grandma-like stuff and Peggy was delighted she'd get to teach her things too, including how to break codes.
***
Steve looked out the window of the cab and mentally berated himself for not accepting Tony's ride from the airport. "Crap," he muttered. Suzette leaned up to look. "Reporters on the building. Can you pull into the parking garage so we don't have to deal with them please?" he asked the cab driver, who shrugged but swung that way. Steve waved at the guard and they got let in. He paid him a good tip and got them out and up the inside elevator. They came off in the living room area. Suzette hurried to pee while he looked at the others. "Why are the reporters here?"
"We had three arrest sweeps by officers over the HYDRA agents," Stark said dryly. Suzette came back and pounced him for a hug. "Hey, sprout."
She grinned at him. "Were they mean?"
"Yup, they were, and they wanted to talk to you."
"Am I their goddess they pray to now?" she asked dryly.
"Apparently."
"Tell them to talk to Uncle Xander." She smirked at him. "That should fix that."
"We didn't want to make him do extra work so we let Maria Hill handle it," Stark said, passing her to Clint. He got up to get coffee. "How was your visit?"
"Miss Peggy's really neat and she agreed she could be like a grandma to me and teach me neat stuff. She's a really sweet lady but she can give Daddy this look that makes him shut up instantly."
"Pepper has one of those too," Stark quipped. "Most strong women do." He came back and sat down but she was cuddling Clint and playing with his hair. "He needs a trim."
"We all do," she sighed. "Why are the reporters staring out there? Do they expect more bad people?" Stark nodded. "Should we tell them they're all gone so they go away?"
"We will if they get annoying," Stark said. "Did they see you?"
"We came in through the garage," Steve said, sitting down. "How do we handle this?"
A video popped up on the tv. It was Darcy Lewis jogging up the street toward the building. The guys all smiled at that picture but then she ducked into the doorway of the building. Reporters were shouting.
"Get out of the way," Darcy called. "Before it smooshes you flat." Then a large rolling ball of Thor fighting something came up the street and did indeed smash some of the news vans, making it roll away from the people. Finally the demon died and Thor stood up with a huff, dusting himself off. "Great work, Thor. Jane's in the park waiting on you." Thor smiled and flew off with his hammer.
"Who're you?" one of the reporters shouted.
"I'm an assistant in a science lab, guys. I know nothing." She slid inside the doors and headed for the elevator. She came off the elevator. "Phew. I thought for sure I was going to be smashed flat by the ball of Thor and that demonic kitty."
"Pergals are cute and cuddly most of the time," Suzette told her. "Did Thor mess with her nest or something?"
"They were having a dominance fight to see who got to be a baby daddy," Darcy told her. "He broke it up because it hurt one of the baby kitties."
"Aww. That was nice of Uncle Thor." She got off Clint and came over to hug Darcy, getting cuddled back. "Are you okay? The tv showed you running like your foot hurt."
"It's the shoes. They're not practical for running."
"Oh." She nodded and cuddled her better. "Do you do yoga stuff like Miss Natasha does?"
"Not a bit," she admitted with a smile. "I'm not good at that super stretchy stuff she and other heros do. I'm a normal girl, I don't do hero things."
"Uncle Xander says everyone tells him he's normal but he does hero stuff."
"That's because he's good at it. I'm good at nagging Jane about stuff. That's my job. Not to do the hero stuff. I can nag heros to eat but I can't do hero stuff."
"That's cool. We all need people who help us take care of ourselves and teach us stuff. You should talk to Uncle Xander anyway, that way he knows that not all girls are mean and nag him like Miss Buffy and Miss Willow do."
"I'd gladly meet him. He seems like a neat guy." Something soft touched her throat and she nearly jumped out of the chair to look at who was behind her. "Asshole!" She hit him on the arm until Clint walked off laughing. She put the kid down and pounced him to beat him. She wasn't doing a very good job but Suzette jumped in to help.
Stark watched for a minute then looked at Steve. "Did you talk about the teacher?"
"I have and I called her. She said they used to be more project based but now the curriculum has changed so they've got more worksheets and testing." He grimaced. "She said the only school that's more project based is now a school for those trying to avoid going back to jail." Stark sighed but nodded. "Even among the more expensive prep schools."
"I'll ask Pepper to have her assistants check, Steve." He nodded. "If not, there's the school the children of SHIELD agents go to. It's a bit farther away."
"We can move back to Brooklyn most of the time if we have to," he said quietly.
"It's by the base," Natasha said, walking over the rolling and play-fighting people. "Suzette, be careful of his hands."
"I am."
"Thank you." She looked at Steve. "The school is in Queens. It's about a half-hour commute from here. Or from your off-duty apartment. I'll have Hill send you information on it." She went into the kitchen. "Barton, did you eat the last of the pie?" she demanded.
"Pie? There was pie?" Suzette asked, head popping up. She scowled down at Clint. "You ate the last of the pie and didn't even save me a piece?"
"Pepper ate the last of the pie and Darcy made it so she can teach you how to make 'em since she does it so well," Clint said to save himself another beating. Natasha hit harder than these two did. Xander appeared standing over his head in a sarong with a flower wreathe and walked off. "I did not need to see that, Harris," he called. "I'm not into guys that way."
"Sorry, I didn't pick my landing spot," he said. "Be thankful Andrew managed to keep it from being on your head." He looked in the kitchen. "Beauteous one, did you know someone named Natalie Arambla?"
"Vaguely and I am still going to shoot her."
"Too late. She decided I'd make a *splendid* husband." He grinned at her. "She wanted you to know that, yelled it as the guys in Hawaii hauled her off by her hair. And I don't mean the hair on her head. Thankfully they did untie me from the sacrificial cross she had set up so she could marry me, have me, then sacrifice me to a sea monster she was trying to appease so it'd quit eating her family." He sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this and her minions all really liked Andrew. At least he got some fun with them." He disappeared.
"Wow, Uncle Xander plays bimbo like the one in the book my teacher's reading over her lunch time," Suzette said. She hugged Darcy, giving her a hopeful look. "You can make pies?" she asked, sounding almost like she'd be worshiping her.
"No dessert tonight," Steve ordered. "You had cookies in the airport." He looked at them. "Tomorrow she can show you how to pick good fruit to put into pies and stuff then you two can bake on Saturday. I've tried, Darcy, but she keeps getting fuzzy strawberries."
"I can do that," she said with a grin for the kid.
Suzette squealed and hugged her. Clint groaned. "Oops, did I kick you in the boy ouchie spot again?" she asked, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm sorry if I did, Uncle Clint."
"No, you didn't. Just realizing I'm not the one being cuddled." They both hugged him and got off him to go figure out what sort of pie they were making. Darcy knew about all sorts of baking stuff. Clint stood up, seeing Tony smirking. "Hey, I got to be the table for the two cute things to cuddle on. Better cuddles than you get from Pepper," he quipped as he walked off.
"Keep it up, watch me adjust the timing on your explosive arrows," Tony shot back with an evil smirk.
"Don't do that, Uncle Tony," Suzette sighed. "Then I'd have to fuss over his injuries. Beth told Larissa that fussing is a natural part of us and we're all fantastic at it. I did good over your last booboos, didn't I?"
"You did, sweetheart. You're a great fusser at injuries. I'd have to lock him in his room with Natasha so she'd fuss over his injuries for him." She looked out of the kitchen at him. "I would."
"The only known person who could keep Barton in a bed when he's injured is Coulson and he had to use straps," Natasha said in French, which made Stark laugh. "I'm mean enough to let him suffer with you, as I'd be helping you be in the next bed if you did so. I'm making stew for dinner," she announced. "If anyone does not like it, tough."
"Ooooh," Suzette said, hurrying in there and pulling Darcy with her. "Teach me?"
"Of course. Pull over the stool so you can help me. Darcy, can you make a salad to go with it?"
"Of course I can." She got to work on that.
"Can it be a Wendy's salad with fruit and stuff?" Suzette asked.
"If it'll go with pork stew," Darcy said, looking at Natasha. She shrugged so she added berries and a different dressing. That'd be good and she could haul Jane off Thor's abs later. "Remember Thor's here." Natasha tripled her recipe. Just in case.
***
Monday Suzette came home from school and sighed, staring at her father. Who grinned back. "What is show and tell and why is it so darn important?"
"It's to show something that's important to you so the other kids get to know you better. Though some will use it to brag."
"What am I supposed to show? How to do my newest kata?"
"You could show a skill or you could show them Pasha."
"The teacher said no weapons, no dolls, no stuffed friends, and nothing cutesy."
"That's kinda strict," he agreed. "What about bringing in something you made with Darcy?"
"Dad, both the pie and the cake are gone," she said dryly. "Uncle Clint hoovered down the last of it last night."
He considered it. They probably didn't have anything to make another one with tonight and Darcy had said something about having a date. "You could show off the robot you built off that kit Tony got you." She beamed and went to find it on her shelves. "While you're in there, clean up your room, young lady. I tried to vacuum earlier and couldn't."
"Yes, Dad," she sighed. She heard his phone ring that special ringtone and ran out to hug him. He cuddled her back then went to be picked up with Natasha from the roof. She went back to pick up her room and find that robot. Life went on and she had to handle it. Her dad would be fine.
***
A few days later, Andrew was watching the news. "Hey, Xander?" he called. "Since when was our sixth grade english teacher some sort of superior soldier?"
TBC...
Congrats On Making A New Family.