=Chapter Twenty-Five=
Abby made her way down the stairs of the large mansion passing her fellow class-mates and smiling at them as she passed. The young girl had been in New York for almost a week and her father and Pepper had agreed that she should go to the school for Mutants while she was there to keep up with her school work. Professor Xavier immediately agreed after he had been trying to get Abby to agree to be a full-time student at the school for over a year.
Abby enjoyed being at Xavier's school, however, she couldn't help but want a normal life. Well, as normal of a life she could get with Iron Man as a father. She had been taught how to control her abilities and explored the different levels that she could access.
As she made her way to the bottom of the stairs the young girl passed Peter, the mutant that had been with Xavier when he had attempted to recruit her as a student. When Abby had started attending the school at the beginning of the week Peter had been there to show her around and keep an eye on her.
"Hey, Abby." He smiled down at her.
"Hi!" Abby greeted.
"Where you headed?" Peter asked her as students passed on their way to their dorm rooms.
"I have to go and see the Professor before I leave. Then I'm going to my mum's cafe to get some food." The young Stark shrugged.
Peter nodded with a smile before he was shouted over by one of the teachers. With a small goodbye, the two parted ways. Abby made her way to a large wooden door knocking and waiting to be called in.
"Come in." A voice called from inside.
Abby opened the door to see Professor Xavier sat behind his desk facing Storm and Logan.
"Sorry to interrupt. You told me you wanted to see me before I left." Abby spoke politely.
"Yes, of course. We can continue this conversation at a later date," The professor nodded at the two.
Abby quickly moved out of the way as Logan made his way past her. He had frightened the girl since she first started attending the school and she had tried to avoid him like the plague. Storm smiled softly at the girl as she passed causing the girl to smile back brightly.
"I hope you've enjoyed your week." Xavier smiled at her.
"I have." Abby nodded taking a seat across from him.
"And have you reconsidered my offer to attend permanently?" The professor questioned.
"My home is still in Malibu with my parents and I have a school there." Abby reminded him.
"Of course," Xavier nodded with a smile.
Abby glanced down at the watch on her wrist seeing the time.
"Happy is probably waiting for me. May I leave?" Abby asked looking up at the man.
"Yes. I hope you'll still be coming for training?"
"Definitely." Abby nodded as she stood from her seat.
Abby made her way out of the large school seeing Happy waiting in the car. With a smile, the now twelve-year-old climbed into the car greeting the man.
"Hey, kiddo. How was school?" Happy asked glancing at her through the rearview mirror as he drove.
"It was good. Are we going to my mom's cafe?" Abby questioned looking up at him.
"Yeah, and then your dad and Pepper want you home." Happy nodded.
The rest of the car ride was silent as the girl watched as trees and cars passed. Abby loved New York. She loved Malibu too, but New York will always be her home it was where she lived and grew up with her mother.
Arriving at the cafe Abby quickly jumped out of the car making her way in going straight to the man stood behind the counter and wrapping her arms around him.
"Hey, little miss James." Joey smiled down at her.
"Hey, Joey." Abby greeted with a grin.
"You want something to eat?" The man asked as the girl jumped onto one of the stools to sit at the counter.
"Yeah, but I should probably take it to go. My dad wants me home," Abby shrugged glancing around the cafe. Her eyebrows furrowed when she laid eyes on a familiar-looking man. He was tall and had large muscles. His blonde hair was barely visible beneath a cap that cast a shadow over his blue eyes. He was looking at the photos on the wall of the cafe, "Joey? Who's that?"
"Who?" Joey asked looking over in the man's direction, "Oh, him. I don't know his name, but he's a new regular. Comes in every day, breakfast, dinner, and lunch. Always looks at your mom's photos while he waits.
Abby jumps down from the stool she was sat on as Joey began to make her food and made her way over to the man. The blonde man didn't notice her as she made her way to stand beside him, his eyes focused solely on the photos.
"Hello," Abby spoke dragging the blue eyes from the photos toward her own green ones.
"Hi," The man replied with a smile.
"That's my grandmother." Abby pointed towards the photo he had been looking at. It was her grandparent's wedding, her grandmother stood with a large smile on her face.
"Really?" The man asked looking down at the girl slightly surprised.
"Yeah. My grandparents got married in the fifties. That photo is from their wedding." Abby told him.
"How old is she there?" He questioned.
"I'm not sure. She had my mom in her forties and my uncle Stephen was about ten years older than mom so they probably got married when she was in her late twenties early thirties." Abby shrugged, "My mom used to own the diner and she hung these photos up."
"You grew up in New York?"
"Yeah. I was born in Brooklyn but we moved to Queens when I was three. And then I moved to California with my dad." Abby explained, she didn't know why she was telling him this. She felt as though she could trust him, he was familiar to her somehow.
"What about this one?" The stranger asked her pointing towards one of the photos. Abby stepped closer looking at the photo, her eyes widening slightly.
"I've never noticed that one before," Abby spoke her voice almost a whisper but the man heard it.
"Who is it?"
"Well that is my Nanna Sandy and Grandad Michael," Abby spoke pointing her mother's parents out as she spoke, "That is my aunt Peggy."
"Aunt?" The man asked looking down at her quickly.
"Yeah. Not by blood, but she and my grandmother were really close. Aunt Peggy helped look after nanna after her older brother died in the war. Nanna's mom, Sarah died of TB in the thirties and her dad died in World War One." Abby explained before turning her eyes back to the photo, "And those are my dad's parents, Howard and Maria Stark."
The man was about to speak again but he was stopped when someone called out to the young girl.
"Abby, we need to go." Happy's voice called out causing the girl to turn back.
With a small nod, Abby moved to walk towards the man but first turned back to the stranger.
"I'm Abigail, by the way. But everyone calls me Abby." The girl smiled.
"Steve." The man replied before Abby turned to get her food from Joey and followed Happy out of the cafe.
Steve turned back to the photos his eyes landing on a certain one. It was a small photo and looked to be from the 1930s. There stood a young girl in a dress, a large smile on her face as she sat beside a short boy. It was clear the two were siblings, and that they were close. Steve stood staring at the photo with a distant smile on his face.
"Sandy."