"Here is your new office." Pepper said with a cheerful voice as she showed me the new said office. It was huge. Spacious. Luxurious. And there goes the guilt again.
"Pepper, this is too much." I muttered as I went to the desk. Name plaque, pencils, binders, pens and my very own private tool bench in the corner of the room. A couch, a wine/beer cooler. It was so white and shiny and pristine.
"It's only the best for the new head engineer of STARK INDUSTRIES." Pepper praised, "Also might be a birthday gift. And speaking of." Pepper paused to pull out a box from one of the shelves. It was an old cardboard box that looked like it hadn't been touched in years.
I stared at the box in amazement and wondered as I recognized everything that was inside. "But- but I thought everything was lost at the compound." For the past month I've thought that everything I owned went up in flames. Destroyed, gone forever.
Pepper sighed, embarrassed as she handed the box over. "After you disappeared, Tony packed up a few things from your bedroom and put it in a box and shoved it in the basement. I would have brought it to you sooner but with everything-"
"It's okay." I quickly assured her. I hugged the box close to my chest. "Thank you Pepper."
Pepper nods. "If you ever need help adjusting you'll know where to find me."
I nodded thankfully and Pepper left me to adjust to my new office. The new office almost gave me chills. It looked like an office. My old office never looked like this. What I mean by that is that I basically lived in my office back at the compound. But I never had a pullout because Tony literally built a bed inside the lab for me to crash in.
And Vision would fly through the walls and leave behind his little quotes from famous scholars and philosophers. And then my hundreds of cups of frozen ice chips that I would get hungry for. All the things I had left of pietro.
And all of that was gone. Or I thought it was. I looked down at the box and opened the flap to see everything inside. A few of my mugs, the saved notes I had of Vision. The only picture I had of Pietro. It's been 8 years. Just a month ago, for me at least, he'd been dead for only 3 years. I closed the box up. No, no, no.
I shake the feelings away. New technical year, new life. I sit down at the swiveling chair. Time to start fresh. "This is nice." Wanda mused as she strolled in my new office with Steve. We took the time to stop by the office and see the new apartment we were moving into. It was already furnished, considering this was Pepper we were talking about.
I nodded with a grin. "Right?"
"As much as I would like to continue this," Steve said. "We gotta go." I nodded and lifted the box. "Let's go."
We stopped by Starbucks to get me some coffee. At least that's one thing that hasn't changed.
"I see the attention still hasn't gone down." I muttered as I walked with Steve and Wanda down the streets of New York City and tried not to notice that we were being followed by paparazzi and a few onlookers taking pictures. It hasn't changed in the slightest in the past 5 years since we've been gone.
It's almost comforting.
Steve shrugs as he lugs the bags of groceries we had just bought. Aurora sent us all on errands. But I suspect she just wanted some time to herself and honestly I can't blame her for it. We have been living there for the past 2 weeks.
"The attention went down, but now with everyone back it's skyrocketed."
"Doesn't that draw attention to you and the kids?" Wanda wondered and it was a good question. Steve nods. "It's why Freya's been attending classes online. Once everything settles down it'll be safe again."
"Well here's to hoping." I sipped my ice coffee, enjoying for a second the walk through the city. It's still hard to believe so much time has passed. It doesn't feel like it. "Have you guys seen the apartment yet?" Steve asked as we finally reached the car.
Wanda nods as she climbs into the passenger seat while I help load the groceries into the trunk. "We're supposed to move in by the end of the week."
Thanks to the new job Pepper set up for me, we had a brand new and shiny apartment. I start work next week, so that leaves us this week to pack and move. Not that we had much to pack in the first place.
"No offense but thank god." Steve said as we both got back inside the car. "I missed you guys but I need my house back."
"Offense taken," I muttered as he started the car and we were on the road. Although I guess I understand. Sam moved out 2 weeks ago, and Bucky moved out just last week so now it was just Wanda and I living with them. I lean forward and poke my head between the seats. "And here I thought you loved us."
"I never said that." Steve defends himself. I laughed and sat back down, I yelped when I felt something sharp dig into me and pulled out a toy from the seat. These toys are everywhere.
"Jesus Steve, you really became that dad." I swear I find toys everywhere. "Oh leave him be." Wanda shushed me. I chuckled. "I didn't mean anything by it Steve, you are doing far more than my dad did." Much much more.
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"We're back!!" Wanda called as we entered the house. "Yes!!" Jamie shouted as we lugged the groceries into the kitchen. "Snacks!"
"Oh so no "Hi dad or Hi aunt Wanda or Veronica huh?" Steve said slightly offended as Jamie dug around through the bags to find some snacks. Jamie looked up for a second to smile politely before digging back into the bag.
"He definitely takes after his mother." I noted. "Yes I think he does." Aurora said as she came into the kitchen. She ruffled Jamie's hair and he smiled triumphantly, holding up a sneaker bar and holding it up in the air.
"What is for dinner?" I asked, licking my lips as I sat down on the kitchen island. I was starving. "Pasta Alfredo, with cake for dessert."
I groan and bang my head against the counter. "I told you I didn't need a birthday cake." Besides, technically my birthday is tomorrow, but we are leaving tomorrow which is why she's doing this.
"You haven't had a birthday for the past 5 years," Aurora reminded me. "You're the first birthday we've celebrated. And don't worry it's going to be small. Just us really and anyone else if they can make it."
Great. Kill me now. I knew out of everyone that came back my birthday was up first. It's been a month since everything happened. So it's not exactly what I wanted. I don't mind my birthday. But this year is just not it. I forced a smile on my face. Don't get me wrong I was grateful for being back and grateful that I had a birthday to celebrate (and the fact I am way younger than I should be) but I didn't feel like celebrating.
"Just accept she's throwing you a party," Steve told me. "Trust me. She'll make it happen either way."
Aurora smiles cheekily and wrapped her arms around Steve, acting all lovey dove. Wanda and I pretended to be disgusted and slowly left. They didn't even notice us leaving. Maybe it actually is a good thing that we're moving soon.
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"So how's school been treating you?" I asked Peter as I ate a popsicle while sprawled on the guest bed. It was finally all mine. With the boys gone we finally ended up getting the guests room. Yeah, neither Sam or Bucky would give up the comfort of a bed. Assholes.
Back to my conversation, Peter had to go back to school. He was still 16. And he wasn't the only one who went. Nina actually went with him. Yup. Thanks to my hours of brilliant work her new alias is Imogen Karina Rushman. She picked the last name. One of Natasha's old aliases.
"It's not bad." Peter admits. "My friends are still here. And there are already plans for a field trip around Europe at the end of the year."
"Europe huh? Well you tell me if you happen to pop by Germany and I will gladly give you a tour." I could use the excuse to visit again anyway.
I heard his laughter and then the grumble of a girl's voice with a chorus of laughter after it. "Oh I'm sorry Vee but I have to go." I nodded understanding. "It's fine. We'll play scrabble later."
"Okay and Vee, happy birthday."
"Happy birthday Veronica!" shout three more voices behind him. Ned, MJ, and the most recent addition Nina. I smiled. "Tell them I said thank you Peter. And remember-"
"Stay in school." He finished for me. "I got it. See you Vee."
"Bye Pete."
"Aunt Viv!" Freya shouts, her voice getting louder as she approaches. Oh no. I toss the popsicle in the small trash can next to the bed and throw the covers up and over me. "Wake up." Freya nudged me.
"Let me sleep." I whined as I curled into the bed. "Mom said to take drastic measures if you don't get up." Freya states, and she said it in a tone that implied she really wanted to that.
I throw the blanket off and sit up, narrowing my eyes at Freya. "And what exactly are you going to do?"
Freya smiled all mischievously and held up a toy bucket filled with water. I raised an eyebrow. "You know I can turn that to ice right?"
"Not if I throw it on you first."
Touché. "Alright, fine." I got up and slipped my shoes on. "Let's go you terror." Freya smiled victoriously and walked away. I huff after her. Children.
I wasn't surprised by the balloons. When I went into the city I received some birthday presents from some of the others, Sam, Pepper, Kilorn. All those gifts were nicely wrapped and set together on the counter with the cake Aurora baked. "Happy birthday!" Wanda, Jamie, Steve and Aurora cheered when Freya and I entered the kitchen. Again not surprised.
"Happy 31st!" Aurora cheered, the first to throw her arms around me. I laughed. "Stop, you're making me feel so young."
"But you are! Consider yourself lucky. I already have gray hair."
"Yeah but that's different." Wanda said as she swiped some frosting from the cake with her finger. "You're a thousand years old and a mother."
"Still my greatest accomplishment." Aurora said with a warm smile, picking Jamie up to balance him on her hip. "Cake please!" He begged.
"Shouldn't we sing happy birthday to Aunt Veronica first?"
"No please!" I rushed to the cake on the kitchen island and quickly blew out the candles. "Let the children eat cake!"
"You didn't even let me record it!"
"Come on, we both know I was never going to let you!"