Storm ≛ Tony Stark ≛

84.

FIVE YEARS LATER

'Mummy!'

'What, love?!'

'When Ruby gets here, can we play with FRIDAY?!'

'Ask your father!'

'Daddy!'

'What?!'

'When Ruby gets here, can we play with FRIDAY?!'

'Ask your mother!'

Sue's eyebrow twitched in frustration. The washing machine underneath the sink beeped to signify the end of its cycle and FRIDAY automatically turned it onto the dryer function. While the AI did her chores, Sue finished the last of the manual jobs. Putting away the last of the dishes from the dishwasher, Sue walked around the counter to head into the living room. She grabbed the stack of comic books that were left on the sofa and headed into the hallway, where she dumped them on the staircase.

As if like clockwork, a knock was heard at the door. The woman spun on her heel and grabbed the handle to pull it open. Standing on the porch, was Pepper Potts-Storm and a four-year-old girl. Unlike her professional attire that consisted of pencil skirts and blazers, Pepper was dressed in a white t-shirt and a denim jacket. Her legs were covered by a pair of green pants and her orange hair was in a ponytail while her fringe skimmed against her forehead. The woman wore a warm smile and at the sight of the Storm.

'Hey, Pep,' Sue's eyes moved down to the girl who waited patiently by her mother. 'Hey, Ruby!'

'Hi, Aunty Susan,' the little girl shyly looked up from under her fringe. She pushed the platinum blonde hair away from her eyes that were bright blue and clamped her hands together in front of her. Her mother could be credited for how well-behaved Ruby was, and Sue only wished that she had the same disciplinary skills as Pepper. It was a change from the little girl's cousin, who bounded down the stairs at the sound of the front door opening.

'Come in, guys,' Sue stepped aside, and Pepper stepped through the doorway with Ruby. The owner of the house closed the door behind them just as the bounding footsteps made it into the hallway.

'Hey, Ruby!' the voice chimed loudly.

'Hi, Booker,' Ruby replied in a small voice.

Booker grinned and reached forward to take her hand. He was gentle, but firm before he led her upstairs. The four-year-old boy's brown hair bounced as he thudded up the wooden steps while his cousin did her best to keep up. Sue and Pepper watched as Ruby looked over her shoulder to her mum, who gave a smile of encouragement. They arrived at the next floor before disappearing behind a wall, most likely to Booker's bedroom where FRIDAY would be setting up a game for them.

'She's getting better,' Pepper said while still staring at where the two kids disappeared. 'Coming out of her shell a bit more.'

'Well, Booker needs to go back into his shell,' Sue rolled her eyes and Pepper laughed. 'The kid's a ball of energy, I tell you. I don't know where he gets it from.'

'I assume that Tony was somewhat like that when he was young. I'd say he would be the culprit.'

The two settled in the living room with mugs of tea in their hands. It was slipping into winter and Maine's temperature was dropping by the day. Sue made sure to have some blankets at hand in case they got cold, but FRIDAY always heated the house to a constant state of warmth. They would never have to worry about dampness or drafts.

'Ah, the lounging ladies,' Tony stepped into the room with his hand gripping his own mug. A lazy grin sat on his face as he looked down at the two, who twisted their necks to see the man behind the sofa.