For the Love of a Father ✓

Laying it Out on the Table

We exit the train and quickly find the Maximoff twins. "I'm fine. I just need to take a minute." We overhear Pietro say.

"I'm very tempted not to give you one." Steve says as we approach.

"The Cradle. Did you get it?" Wanda asks it.

"Dad will take care of it." I tell her.

She steps back, as though I slapped her. "No, he won't."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Stark's not crazy." Steve comments.

"He will do anything to make things right."

"At this point, things can't get much worse. Thanks to you two, Ultron made off with a shit ton of vibranium and no one seems to have any idea what his plans are for it." I tell her, my eyes narrowing into slits. She didn't know Dad; not like I did. Not like Steve did. But I turn to look at him and it seems he's buying into what she's saying.

"Stark, come in. Stark." Steve says over comms. "Anyone on comms." He looks down, defeated. Dad wouldn't do this. Not after everything that had already gone wrong.

"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it." Wanda says. "Where do you think he gets that?"

Something inside me snaps and my hands start glowing. "Look, I get you lost everything. But Dad didn't have anything to do with that. He wasn't even running the company when those weapons were sold."

"Exactly! His inactions then and now are going to lead to more unnecessary deaths." Wanda exclaims.

"You can't act like you didn't help out with any of this! You helped him out until what? You saw that he was no better than a regular man."

"This blame game isn't getting us anywhere. We need to get back to the Tower." Steve says, looking at me. "Can you get us there?"

"Oh, being a Stark is only beneficial when we can do something for you?" I ask him, looking at all of them accusingly. "Sure, let me go figure out how to chauffer everyone around." I say, mostly to myself as I walk away to go make some calls.

I try to keep the tears at bay as I pull my cell out and click on Pepper's contact information. "Hey," I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Oh my god! Myrabella, I saw the news. Are you alright? Is your dad ok?"

"Umm... Yeah I'm pretty sure Dad's ok. He didn't come with us to South Korea. He's back at the lab."

"What do you need sweety?"

"Other than a how to speak to girls book for the old man? A ride out of Korea would be nice." I sniff.

"What?"

"Nothing. We sent Clint back to New York with a package and now Steve and I are stranded."

"One of the company jets is at the airstrip by the military base. Can you get there?"

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem."

"And what about the other thing? Old men who don't know how to talk to women?"

"I'll fill you in on that one when the world isn't ending." I tell her. "Thank you Pepper. You're the best."

"Be safe sweety. And try to keep your dad from dying."

"I'll do what I can." I say before hanging up. I walk back over to Steve and the twins. "There's a Stark jet at the airstrip by the military base. We've been cleared to use it, if you all can manage riding around inside something branded Stark on the side." I say before lifting off into the air and flying to the airstrip, where a pilot was already getting the plane set up.

"Miss Stark, it's lovely to see you. Will there be anyone else?"

"Yes. Steve Rogers and two others will be here shortly. We're waiting for them." I say before heading to the back where there's a bathroom and peeling off my uniform and getting into the leggings and Stark Industries hoodie that Pepper keeps stocked for me in all of our jets.

About 30 minutes later, we're joined by the others. I do my best to avoid eye contact with them all, choosing instead to look out the window while they board. Once they're situated I walk up to the cockpit and inform the pilot and co-pilot that we're ready for take-off.

I'm on my way back to my seat when I'm pulled into the back. "What the hell Steve?" I ask and then immediately snap my mouth shut when I realize that he's shirtless, cleaning up a wound he got during the fight with Ultron.

"You're really not going to talk to me?"

"I think you made your view on what we are very clear when you sided with them." I saw, looking at the door that lead out to where the twins were sitting.

"My... problems with your dad have never fallen back on my feelings for you." He says quietly.

"What feelings? We never even seem to have that conversation. Something always seems to come in the way."

"These feelings." He whispers before he pulls me to him, placing a soft kiss on my lips. He's hesitant, like he's worried about how I'm going to react. I bring my hand up to his cheek, holding him there. We separate but our faces are still a breath away, mixing, intertwining like we are.