Lyra Redfield has been pushed around ever since she cut ties with the famous Anthony Stark. When fate happens to bring them together again, she realizes just how little her life meant to her. She wanted to make a difference-be better and do better...
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"COME on, Tony," Pepper whispered as Pietro stood by the end of the bed with Charlotte at his feet. She was holding his hand as they stared at Tony struggling to sit up. "Let's get you guys home, okay?"
Tony shook his head. "Can you stay with us?" he asked brokenly. "For a little while. I can't do this alone. Charlotte needs a woman around, and without L—Pietro and I won't be enough."
Pepper smiled. "Just you would be enough, Tony," she said before pausing, "but yes, I'll come stay with you for now."
Pietro picked up Charlotte. "I'll go put her in the car."
"Thanks, Speedster," Tony said softly as he finally stood up all the way. Pietro ran, Charlotte's laughter following as they left. Pepper kept her arm around Tony as she helped him get outside the compound. The remaining Avengers stared sadly because none of them knew what they were going to do. There was no way to reverse it since Thanos destroyed the stones. They would never see their friends again.
"Tony," Steve called. Tony ignored him, but Steve tried again. "Tony, I'm sorry about Lyra. I really am. She was important to all of us."
"She was the reason we stayed connected. She brought hope in every situation," Natasha called softly. "We're sorry, Tony."
Tony nodded, continuing to walk with Pepper. "I couldn't protect her," was all Tony called back as they left.
When they made it home, Pepper set up her clothes in the guest bedroom as Tony sheepishly told Pietro he would have to share with Charlotte for now. Pietro shrugged, having no problem. There was no way in hell Pepper and Tony would share a bed.
Charlotte knew her mother was not returning now. Maybe not ever, but she tried to keep her father smiling as much as possible.
In the next year, she started school with the small amount of children her age in their area. Pepper decided to stay at the house full time as she and Pietro helped Tony extend the house to have an extra room. They also added a porch that wrapped around the front. It was something to do to move on.
Tony stopped working, spending every day with Charlotte as she reminded him more and more of Lyra. Pietro decided to take up learning things from Tony when he would tinker in the small workshop he made for himself. Pietro would go visit Natasha often at the compound when he was not home.
As for Pepper. Pepper became the Stark family's rock. She kept the house clean and meals cooked. She kept Charlotte dressed and made sure to document everything on camera.
As each year passed and Charlotte grew, Tony saw his wife more. He would cry a lot of nights, ending up with Pepper hugging him until he calmed down. He started drinking again, but not until Charlotte was asleep. Pietro caught him one night, and he drank with him. Pietro cried, telling Tony how Wanda had to kill Vision—how it pained her to do it—just for Thanos to bring him back and kill him himself. The two men mourned for years, never truly believing this was their life now.
After five years, Charlotte was going to be nine. Tony was so proud of her. Pepper had gotten her into dancing, and she was doing so well with ballet. They would go to her productions all the time, and Pietro would push off any boy that tried to compliment her from school.
They had healed, somewhat. Pietro worked in what was left of Tony's company with Pepper as she helped him learn the business side of it. After all, Pietro did not want to be an Avenger anymore without Wanda.
Tony was outside with Charlotte as he took a photo of her running around, a bright grin on her face. He quickly sent it to the groupchat, sadly watching as no one responded as usual. No one said anything as he tried to keep Lyra's tradition alive of sending photos of the Avenger Baby. He knew some were viewing them, while others would never get them. He scrolled up, gulping at Lyra's last message of her smiling brightly with Charlotte making a duck face. He laughed quietly as Charlotte sat next to him.
"Tell me another story," Charlotte demanded, eyes on her mother.
Tony and Charlotte laid back as they stared at the clouds. "Okay, have I told you about the time she fell over two hundred feet into fire?"
"You have, but it's one of my favorites," Charlotte said with a grin.
Tony placed an arm behind his head as he heard a few birds chirp near them. "There we were, the President strung up as Uncle Rhodey went to help him, and I could see your mother struggling under rubble. Her body was crushed underneath, and I could tell the bad guy had hurt her. When I tried to reach her, the bad guy swooped in, trying to melt my suit!"
Charlotte scoffed. "Like he could."
"Well, your mother almost did a few years later," Tony quipped before snorting. "Anyway, I shoved him off of me, and the force made your mother fall down a level. I reached for her, I really did, but the level broke. She fell right into the fire."
Charlotte nodded encouragingly. "Good going."
Tony rolled his eyes. "I thought she was dead, of course, so I fought the bad guy with so much anger, and I almost lost. Then, out of the fire came this beautiful woman with orange ripples under her skin, and BOOM, she hit him with a metal pipe!"
"She sounds fricking awesome!"
"Bad language word," Tony tutted.
"You sound like Capsicle," Charlotte said with a grin.
"A very optimistic man to sound like," Tony admitted with a grin. "When was the last time you visited Auntie Nat and Capsicle?"
"Like two weeks," Charlotte said with a shrug before sitting up quickly. "I need to ask Aunt Pep for materials. I have a project for school."
Tony scoffed. "I can help. Let's check the garage," he offered.
Charlotte grinned, opening the shed immediately to find the shield. She picked it up with a smirk and a wiggle of her brows. Tony gave her a look. "Nope."
"One time?"
"Nope. Pietro almost threw you into a tree last time," Tony said. Just then, a blur appeared next to them. "Aha! See, he was waiting for me to remind you of how bad of an idea this is."
Pietro smirked as he shrugged. "She was smaller two years ago. I could do it easier now! Please, Dad. Come on."
"Yeah, Daddy, please," Charlotte groaned, giving Tony the eyes. Tony looked away before scoffing.
He rose his hands. "Don't tell Captain!"
Pietro laughed loudly. "He's a sucker for your sad eyes."
"I know, Piet. Say, should we try the roof this time?" Charlotte whispered as Tony walked away.
Pietro smirked mischievously. "I like the way you think, Lottie."
