Chapter 2
"Stop it."
"Huh?"
"It's Peggy."
"Huh."
"And Sousa, in case you didn't notice."
"Huh?"
"The one that saved the world with you?"
"Huh?"
"Mr. Carter."
"Huh."
As much as Edwin Jarvis enjoyed this conversation (and he really did), it was the time to put an end for it. He put a hot, fresh mug of coffee in front of the genius.
"Sir, you need to wake up."
"Huh?"
"It's Young Master Anthony's birthday, Sir."
Howard finally removed the pillow from his face. "Already? But today is only-"
"Already." Peggy interrupted and took the dirty pillow. "Gross, Stark. You drool in your sleep." Daniel took the pillow from her hands and threw it, missing the garbage can.
"Crap." he muttered, and Howard suddenly rose up. "That was my favourite pillow!" he protested, but the rest didn't actually care.
"Fine, give me ten minutes to put a suit on." the not-so-young genius finally answered, and the three of them left the room, leaving him alone.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty minutes passed.
Half an hour.
Peggy decided that it's enough time to be ready (even with Howard's obssesive feelings for his hair) and opened the door.
Howard was actually less ready then when they left him. He was in his underwear (which didn't leave much room for imagination), covered with grease as he was working on some strange cell. He froze when he noticed that they entered the room.
"You are not supposed to be here!" he said, and his brow twitched like it did anytime that Peggy caught him doing something wrong.
"And you are supposed to be ready." She answered, angrily.
"But-" "Spit it out, Stark." Daniel ordered calmly, and Peggy's lips curved up with admiration to the man besides her. She could never be that calm with Howard, but somehow, Daniel did. No matter what mess the genius entered, Daniel managed to find the right solution, just like Steve. But unlike Steve, the man besides her never identified the look that Howard gave him.
Peggy gave Daniel's hand a small, encouraging press. Daniel didn't smile, but his eyes became warmer.
"I might have built a machine that would get Steve back?" Howard suggested. That was definetly not the answer they've been expacting for. Daniel froze, pale. Peggy's eyes widened, and Jarvis-
Jarvis took a step back. His eyes were cold, hard, the usual warmth disappearing. He looked like someone just kicked his favourite puppy. That look made Peggy cringe, and a small part in her wanted to get away from the furious man.
"You did it again." he said, surprised and angry. All of them looked at him, confused. "Did what?" asked Howard, who probably realized that he was walking on thin ice.
"In Anthony's birth, you were outside the country, for a bussines trip. In his first birthday, you were in Canada, negotiating about some bloody factory. In his second birthday you were in Japan, in the third- Russia, in the fourth and fifth on this stupid searching delegation for Captain America, and all while you always, everlastingly ramble about Steve here and Steve there and how he was the best man you knew." Jarvis spoke vehermently, moving forward at Howard, who subconsciously took a step away.
"There is always this- endless talking, endless acting, so much time and effort that you've invested on finding a man which, now, is good as dead. Never, ever looking at your son. Today he becomes six years old, and this time you still won't come because of some stupid invention that you've made for your precious Steve. Well, congratulations. You've finally managed to break him." Jarvis clapped twice, sarcasticly, almost spitting the words. "Two weeks ago, he came to me and called me dad. Me, Edwin Jarvis, a father. I cried, I won't deny that, but I couldn't take this title from you- so, I've asked- 'what about your father, Howard?' and you know what he has told me, Howard?" he poked the shorter person's chest with each word. "That you don't seem to hear when he calls you anyway."
Peggy couldn't remove her eyes from the butler and the genius. Howard's face twitched in anger. "YOU KNOW WHAT?!" he shouted at Jarvis, and the man didn't move. "LET'S SEE HOW BAD FATHER I WAS! COME WITH ME TO SEE THE FUTURE, WHERE ANTHONY IS JUST FINE ON HIS OWN, AND THANKING ME, PROBABLY NOT REMEMBERING YOUR STUPID BRITISH ASS!" before anyone could stop him, He stabbed his own finger, driping the blood into some bottle inside the strange looking machine. It made a few cracking noises, and Howard's blood blend in a green-blue liquid, which looked close to the original serum. Peggy and Jarvis caught Howard, trying to stop him. Daniel lifted his crutch, ready to destroy the machine-
But it was too late. All of them disappeard into the thin air, leaving a destroyed lab behind.
The cleaning crew had some hard time explaining to the cops what exactly happenned.