Happy Family

“So—are you happy with your Happy Meal, Little Lady?” You asked your niece as she ate her chicken nuggets and fries with gusto. A cheese burger—which she had also requested was also waiting to be consumed.

Morgan wasn’t a handful as you had come to realize.

With the young girl on your waist as you made your way to the fastfood chain, she was quiet and obedient when out in public. Never once did she even try to throw a tantrum throughout your shared journey to the nearest McDonald’s She was more focused on getting to know you, a trait you somehow always knew was of a Stark. Curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction always brought them back.

“Why are the Ice Cream machine always broken?” she inquired breaking you into fits of laughter, inquisitive as always too.

“At this point, even I don’t know.” You spoke honesty. Resting your chin against your hand.

You took a good look at the little girl, a part of you was thankful for Pepper for raising a well mannered and intelligent kid, far from the horror that came with being a dysfunctional Stark you and your older brother had been known to be in your youth.

“Are you staying in the company for good?” She asked.

“I’m not sure, Little Lady.” You spoke honestly turning your attention away from her and towards the window that showed the chaos of the afternoon rush of the city. A part of you always hoped to move away from New York, but there is still this small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, your brother could change his mind. “Your father never asked me to stay.” Not in the way you wanted him to.

“Daddy and Mommy always talk about you, even with Uncle Bucky and Uncle Steve.” The girl said and you found yourself turning to look at her—the thing about kids is they are inquisitive, not capable of lying and you’ve gotten your experience with Monica to know this kid wasn’t lying when she said it.

“What do they say?” You inquired.

“About you being in another company—SHIELD or ARC?” She spoke. “They wished you would finally come back home.”

Home, the home you never thought you could make for yourself in Stark Inc, the same company your father had created from the ground up and you had once hope you could help in bringing into different heights. Your anger instead found you ruining the company and ruining everything your father had worked so hard for.

A part of you blamed your father for it, for not choosing you, but the bigger blame was on Tony that could never live up to your own potential. A spoiled brat through and through. Without either of your parents alive anymore, it was just bound to happen. No one to clean up his mess.

“I actually liked working in SHIELD.” You turned back towards the window. “I was treated like family in the company.” You spoke remembering everything being offered to you by Fury and his people. All in the good grace of Peggy Carter, the company’s Chairwoman and CEO.

Just the thought of the elusive powerhouse of a woman, from the window, you caught sight of her. She had also somehow found herself looking right at you. Blinking you waited with bated breath for anything to happen and the last thing you would have ever expected was for her to make her way towards you, inside the McDonald’s of all place.

“Y/N, it’s been a while.” There was always a motherly warmth in Peggy that you never had with your own mother growing up. Even after being named as Stark’s biggest rival, she had opened her arms for you when you started your freelance gig post-tenure with your father’s company. “And didn’t know you already have a pretty little daughter.” Her longing smile turned towards Morgan that looked too shy for her own good.

“She’s Tony’s.” You corrected with a smile. “Just thought of spending some time with her—to make up for lost time.” You spoke honestly. Never any ill towards you so you thought it was only fitting to be the same towards her.

“She’s beautiful either way, she must have gotten her look from her mother.” She snorts making you giggle and shake your head at her, you had also known about her disdain for your brother for reasons still unknown to you at this point. “Listen, I was just in the area, and I was hoping to be able to catch up with you.”

You blinked at the offer and with your instinct readining nothing to her request, you found yourself nodding in agreement.

“Let me just take Morgan back to her father. You can come with me if you like.” You spoke.

“If it’s not too much for you.”

After letting Morgan finish her meal, and taking the burger out for later, all three of you made a small walk back towards the building. You had noticed Morgan becoming too shy as she held onto you more tightly as you both made your way to reception to where the annoying receptionist had resided and the look of shock in her features.

“Hello Sharon.” Peggy smiled towards the blonde.

“Can you get vistor a pass?” You asked annoyed still at the woman that had been rude to you on your first day back.

“I’m sorry but Aunt—Ms. Carter is from—” Sharon stuttered still at lost for words.

“She’s with me, Sharon.” The familiar voice of Steve Rogers had broke everything into an even more awkward situation for you to be in.

The last thing you would want is to be in between the former husband and wife. But the tension broke as soon as Sharon had finally handed Peggy a visitor’s pass and all four of you made your way towards the elevator. Even Morgan had felt the tension in the air as she had asked to be carried by you.

“You enjoyed Lunch, Little Lady?” You asked the child, hoping to separate yourself from the pair.

“Yes. Can we do it again tomorrow?” She asked.

Your eyes turned towards Steve and knowing you had another meeting with him and the rest of the team, it would depend on him whether or not you could have lunch on time.

“You need to ask your Uncle Steve if he’s gonna give me a hard time again.” You cooed glaring at the man before turning your attention back towards the door, hoping that the elevator ride could be faster.

“I swear Steven if you’re giving Y/N a hard time, I will be more than happy to take her back to me.” Peggy had warned without even looking at the man.

From the door’s reflection, you could see the man blushing in embarrassment. If only Peggy know the extent of Rogers’ treatment towards you since you got here.

Finally arriving at Tony’s floor, you had allowed Peggy to step out first, to the look of shock in Tony’s secretary’s face.

“She’s with me, Nat.” You reassured. “I’m just stopping by to drop this little girl back to her father.”

Without even waiting for another word from the secretary, you had made your way inside without knocking, a fact that the two people behind you had noticed. Seeing Tony looking at fed up as he was just boosted your mood for some reason.

“I come to bring her back.” You smiled cuddling with Morgan one last time before placing her back onto her father’s lap. “Sam will take over the setup for today, got something I needed to catch up with.” You explained.

“Y/N, just because you’re paid favorably, doesn’t mean you could slack off.” Tony scolds but halted mid-word as Peggy and Steve had knocked and made their way inside the room. “Who let you in here?”

“I did.” You snapped. “Unlike you, I don’t burn bridges with the people I work with. So don’t call for me until I get back.” You muttered guiding Peggy right back out of the room and away from whatever snarky words your brother has planned for the woman.

“Every single day, Tony is becoming more and more like his mother.” Peggy points out as the both of you slipped right back into the elevator, neither of you missed the sight of Steve watching the two of you by Tony’s door.

“Should I be offended that you’re insinuating that I am just like my father?” you smirked.

“On the contrary, you should be thankful that you didn’t turn like that bitch of a woman—no offense.”

“None taken.”
~
“Is this your way of getting back at me for choosing Stark Inc. over SHIELD?” You teased but humor had become your coping mechanism now as you found yourself in the far too familiar gravesite where your mother and father were buried.

You could count on one hand the times you had visited your father’s grave. It was more than just guilt, it was this longing that you could never bring back the past and say the things you could to your illing father. You didn’t see the signs until it was too late. Peggy and her team had witness you break down when you found out about the news alongside the public—a good three days after your father died. You still resent your brother for not telling you about it.

“Has your father ever told you about our association before?” she inquired, eyes focused solely on your father’s gravestone.

“He hasn’t.” You spoke honestly. “But every single time your name would be mentioned, it’s Mom or Tony that would be quick to change the topic.”

“So he did keep his promise.” She chuckled caressing the stone before turning her eyes toward you, shocking you with teary brown eyes. The ever strong and formidable Peggy Carter now stands in front of you like this. “Before I was what I was, I chose to work my way from the ground up, just like you.” She spoke.

You nodded, knowing very well about her story, knowing fully well you had her as your inspiration for years while you had worked for your father. Fighting your way to deserve the position to be given to you. But unlike Peggy, you were never given the position that you worked your life for.

“My father wanted to give me an experience away from our company and I was lended to Howard’s company, working as his secretary.” She explained.”But I got more than experience from the company.” She chuckled bitterly before turning her gaze back towards the grave.

A part of you could already guess where this was leading to—but you wanted it to come out her own mouth.

“I fell in love with a married man and it caused a dangerous rivalry between our companies.”

You took a deep breath, knowing fully well that your father was never faithful to your mother. The arguments that you had witnessed growing up. The tears in your mother’s eyes and the lack of regret in your father’s own. It was one of the many reasons you had chose never to get married, to lock yourself in a marriage that would only end in divorce and so much complication along the way.

“I don’t hate you.” You spoke towards Peggy honestly. It was your father’s decision to cheat on your mother, and whatever relationship he had with her has nothing to do with you. “You had been good to me throughout my time in SHIELD and it was one of the best time I could ever have in my career while I tried figuring things out.”

“I want to give you a position in the company.” She spoke. “CEO.”

How you had wished those same words had been spoken by your own father. Things would have been more different then, a little less complicated than it was now. You couldn’t sellout on your father’s dying company. A part of you could never see yourself do it.

“I can’t do it to my father, Peggy.” You shook your head. “I can let everything my father had worked on become nothing.”

“Then we can wait when you are good and ready.” Peggy spoke once again turning to you, the sight of tears on her eyes finally falling had shook you to the core.

“Please let me think about it.” You spoke.

If you could save Stark Inc. in the end, if you take the position within SHIELD, Tony’s greatest rival, wouldn’t it be counterproductive at the end.’

“How long do you need?” she spoke, the desperation that lingered in her voice had you scared for her.

“I-I don’t know.” You answered nervous with what was actually going on. “Is there something wrong, Ms. Carter? Do you want me to call for Fury to help you out?”

“I’m dying, Y/N and I need to make up for lost time.”

“What?”