Chapter Text
You stepped out of the taxi after paying the man and giving him a generous tip. He was nice. You learned that being a taxi driver was his second form of income, he was helping his daughter pay through medical school. So you didn’t feel bad slipping him an extra $50. You stood on the sidewalk of New York City, fixing your beanie that rested on your head. It wasn’t cold but people always gave you weird looks when they saw your bald head. You stared at the Avengers Tower. Letting out a shaky breath, you ventured inside. You didn’t want to be here but it was your last resort. You much rather be on your sailboat, miles away from any land mass but life had other plans for you. Those plans included talking to a man who was your biological father. You pushed open the door and stepped into the excited lobby.
People walked around with a purpose. Arms filled with papers and briefcases and even small Stark Inventions. You were ignored by some and offered a small smile but others as you walked over to the receptionist. According to her nameplate, her name was Rebecca and she was talking to a man that wasn’t thrilled at what he was being told. Soon he stormed off mimicking a child throwing a tantrum. As you stepped forward, her phone rang. She gave you a kind smile and answered, “Stark Industries, how can I help you?”
“Take your time,” you whispered and zoned out to the conversation she was having on the phone. You looked at the stuff she had on her desk. It was filled with family photos, and a few figurines but what caught your eyes was a picture of Rebecca on a research boat, holding a measuring tape to get the length of a black tip reef shark. You loved ocean conversation. You double majored; in marine biology and mechanical engineering in college then got your doctorate in marine biology.
“Hi,” you looked back at Rebecca. She was exhausted. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, Rebecca,” you said, putting your arms on the counter. “I’m looking to speak with Tony Stark,” you suppressed a groan. “I’m guessing you get a lot.”
“Do you have an appointment?” You winced.
“So no but I tried. I called and I was told he wasn’t available till 6 months from now,” you didn’t have the heart to tell her that in 6 months you’d probably be dead. “And I can’t wait that long. It’s really important.” She gave you a look that screamed, ‘I hear that all the time.’
“Look, the best I can do is schedule an appointment in two months.” It was better but you needed to see him today. Your eyes went back to the picture of her on the research boat. You recognized someone else in the photo, Captain Henry Mills. You were close to him. He allowed you to shadow him when no one else would because of your age. It was a cheap card to play but you were desperate.
“Is that you with Captain Mills aboard the Auro?” You asked, pointing to the picture. She seemed surprised.
“How-how do you know him?” She questioned. You smiled.
“I got to join him for a trip when he was researching mating patterns of black tip sharks on how global warming is affecting them,” you explained. “What were you doing with him?”
“I was helping him track sharks off the coast of Florida,” she said. “I won a contest that paid for the entire trip.” She blushed.
“Are you interested in marine biology?” You asked. She nodded.
“I take night classes,” Impressive. Now that you looked at her she didn’t seem that much older than you.
“Look, I’m not normally this type of person but I know Henry well. He took a chance on me when no one else would. If you call Tony and tell him that someone that knew Jessica Easton is here to see him then I will get you back on that boat with him,” she looked conflicted. It was a little unethical to put her in this position but you were desperate. She sighed.
“I can call him but I can’t promise he’ll see you.” You smiled, it was better than nothing.
“Thank you! Thank you! You are beautiful.” She smiled, picking up her phone.
“Hello, Mr. Stark. I-” Pause. “I know you are busy but I have someone here that wishes to speak with you,” you rolled your eyes. “She said she knows Jessica Easton.” Another pause. “Jessica Easton,” Rebecca repeated. “Will do, sir. Yes sir.” She hung up. “He said to take the elevator to the main floor and he’ll meet you there once he finishes in his lap.” Your stomach dropped. You did it. You managed to see him.
“Thank you!” You said, snapping out of your shock. You must have looked like a fish out of water. “Thank you! I promise you I’ll get back on the Aurora.” She laughed, blushing slightly.
“I’m glad it worked out. Have a good one.”
“Bye!” You waved and headed towards the elevator. You pressed the button and waited for it, bouncing on the balls of your feet as you waited. Finally, the metal doors opened and you walked in.
“Hello, Miss,” a female’s voice said overhead. The doors closed behind you. “I am FRIDAY, an AI created by Mr. Stark, who will meet you on the common floor. May I have your first and last name for my voice recognition software?”
“Woah! That is so cool!” You weren’t surprised that Tony had an AI software that controlled the entire tower. Maybe once the heavy conversation was out of the way you could ask to see how he did it. “Oh, sorry. My name is Y/n Easton.” The elevator began to rise.
“Welcome to the tower Miss. Easton,” you thanked the AI and were grateful for the silence. Your leg began to shake as anxiety began to find a home in your bones. You suffered from anxiety from a young age, your mom used to say your head was filled with too many thoughts. You slowly exhaled for 5 seconds and inhaled for 5. You did it a few times before the elevator door opened and you stepped out. It was quite beside the TV that was playing. You were staring at the few Avengers on the floor.
“Hi,” you said, waving. You recognized the people in front of you immediately. Sam Wilson was sitting on the couch with Steve Rogers by his side. Behind them were Wanda Maximoff and Vision, standing in the kitchen. They stared back at you, a level of confession written all over their face.
“Hello?” Steve slowly said. “Can we help you?” You shook your head.
“No,” you didn’t elaborate further, choosing to look around the floor. They had a beautiful view of the city. Their eyes were still on you. “I’m just waiting for Tony.” They relaxed immediately.
“Pop a squat stranger,” Sam said, hitting the spot on the couch next to you. “Sam Wilson.” He introduced himself.
“Steve Rogers.”
“I know who all of you are,” It was hard not to know. The Avengers were everywhere. With their fight against Thanos and bringing half of the population back, it was impossible to not know who they were. “I’m Y/n Easton,”
“So Miss. Easton,” Vision said, you turned to face the android. “How are you acquainted with Mr. Stark?”
“Old friends,” you said. Wanda turned her head to the side, matching the way a dog did when they didn’t understand a sound. “It’s complicated,” Sam laughed as you turned back around.
“That is the only way to describe Stark,” you giggled, putting your attention on the movie they were watching. The Sound of Music. You were surprised by the movie choice since the man watching it fought in the very war it was depicting.
“Sound of Music?” You questioned. “Kind of a strange movie to watch when the man sitting next to you is old enough to have lived through it.” The others laughed as the tips of Steve’s ears turned pink. You smiled.
“We have to show this fossil some of the classics,” Sam said. “And between you and me I love Julie Andrews.”
“Who doesn't,” Wanda said from the kitchen. “She’s a national treasure.”
“The Nazis apparently,” Steve deadpanned. The living speech devolved into laughter at his joke and it died down as a pair of footsteps walked over. You turned around to see the one and only Tony Stark. He looked like he saw a ghost. His eyes were wide.
“Hi,” you said, standing up to face him. You knew all about the man standing in front of you. You just never saw him in person. He was created by what the papers wrote about, the interviews you watched, and your mother’s letters.
“You look so much like her,” you said. You smiled. You got that a lot. Everyone said you and your mother were twins.
“I got that a lot,” you told him. “Besides my eyes.” Jessica’s eyes were blue and yours were brown. “She said I got my eyes from my dad.” His brown eyes flickered to yours. “Hi dad,” The room was silent besides the pounding of your heart you could hear in your ears.
“Oh shit,” Sam whispered. You heard a slap followed by a yelp but your eyes didn’t leave Tony, trying to gauge his reaction. Sam’s comment snapped him out of his trance
“Why don’t we go talk somewhere private?” You nodded, picked up your bag, and followed him. You ignored the eyes on your bag. The silence between you and Tony wasn’t awkward but tense. He opened a door and held it open for you. It was a simple office room with a desk and TV. You sat down and Tony closed the door and then sat down next to you. You weren’t sure to start this conversation. Hell, you never thought you would need to have this talk. “I didn’t know Jessica was pregnant. She never told me. Are you sure-?”
“That I’m your daughter?” You cut him off. He nodded. It was a valid question. You wondered if other people have come forward and claimed to be the billionaire’s kid. You unclipped your bag and pulled out an envelope. “I found this,” you handed it to him. You watched him open it. It was a letter written by your mother the day you were born. She included a photo of you. “She was going to tell you. There are more letters all addressed to you.” Tony held the picture of you in his hand. You pride yourself on the ability to read people’s micro-expressions. Those expressions showed the person's true feelings when they tried to hide behind a mask. Tony went through a mix of sadness, anger, and happiness.
“Why didn’t she tell me?” He asked, putting the letter and picture back into the envelope. “I would have been there for you.”
“Would you have?” You asked. You didn’t want to hurt him with the question but you were curious. “Maybe she didn’t think you could have been. You both became successful so maybe it was for the best.” Tony sighed, rubbing his hand across his face.
“Does she know you are here?” He asked. You smiled, looking down, and shaking your head.
“No,” she whispered. Gods, you missed her so much. “She died 6 years ago. We were in a car accident. I woke up from a 2-week comma and she never did.” It was a hit-and-run. The police tried to figure out who caused the accident but the trail went cold. “During the Blip, I went through her stuff and found these letters. I put the pieces together.”
“I’m sorry,” he tried to keep his voice from shaking. You’ve thrown a lot at the man. “What your mother and I had was brief but she was an amazing woman.”
“I know,” you said. She was a remarkable woman, putting herself through law school and working her way up to become a state attorney all while being a single mother.
“Are you living in the city?” He asked. You were surprised by the sudden change in the conversation.
“I am,” you moved here at the beginning of the year. So you’ve only lived in the city for 4 months. It was easier than commuting to your doctor's.
“We could get you a room here,” he said. “So we can get to know each other.” He added quickly. Oh. You weren’t expecting that. To be honest, you weren’t sure what to expect from America’s Playboy.
“I’d like that a lot,” you said. He smiled.
“Great, I’ll show you around.” Tony stood up and opened the door, almost running into Pepper Potts. You saw Tony panic not expecting to see his wife.
“Sam told me I could find you here.” That didn’t surprise you. Sam seemed like someone to cause trouble. She looked at Tony to you then back to Tony.
“Mrs. Potts,” you said, standing up and extending your hand. “My name is Y/n Easton. I’m a huge fan of how you’ve transformed Stark Industries.” She shook your hand.
“Your mother was Jessica Easton,” you nodded. “I was sad to hear of her passing. My condolences.” She glanced at Tony with a tilt of her head as if she was trying to put all the pieces together. “Tony, what’s going on?” That was your cue to leave.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” you said, putting your bag on your shoulder. You didn’t miss the pleading look from Tony for you to stay. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. You left with a smile.
*
Tony watched as the door closed the door behind him and felt all the air leave his lungs. Your question stumped him. Would he have been there for you? His gut instinct was to say yes. He would have been there; to see your first steps or hear your first words. But he had to be realistic. Everything he created was here, not in DC. Now you were here and he wasn’t going to lose his second chance. First, he had to explain everything to Pepper. With a sigh, he sat down. “What’s going on, Tony?” She asked, sitting down in front of him. He pulled out the letter from Jessica and handed it to her.
“She’s my kid,” he answered. His wife blinked at him before opening the letter. “Jessica and I slept together, once maybe twice before you and I were together,” he rubbed his hand over his face. “I didn’t know she was pregnant.” Pepper was silent as she put the letter away and tapped it against her hand. “Please say something.”
“What does she want?” Tony wasn’t stupid maybe a little dense but not stupid. You were here for a reason and he had a feeling it was a medical reason. Maybe you needed help with bills. God knows he could fork over a few hundred to help.
“She hasn’t said.:
“And this,” she pushed the letter back to him. “Is the only proof that you have that she’s yours.” Tony nodded. Pepper sighed, resting her chin on her hands. “Tony..”
“I know, I know this whole thing is ridiculous,” he stood up and leaned on the back of the chair. “We’ll do a DNA test but if she is mine and she needs help I can’t turn her away,” he looked at the door you left through. “When I’ve already missed so much.”
“Okay,” his head snapped back to look at his wife so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “Okay, we’ll help her.”
“We?” Tony questioned. Pepper rolled her eyes and stood up, walking over to him.
“Yes, we,” she said. “We do things together.” Tony kissed her, cupping her cheeks with his hands as he tried to pour every ounce of love he had for the woman standing in front of him.
“Have I ever told you that you're amazing?” He asked. Pepper laughed.
“It’s always good to be reminded,” she smiled.
*
You sat at the kitchen island staring at the glass of water. You’ve learned to manage the symptoms but some days were better than others. There was a deep ache in your bones today. You contributed to all the emotions you were feeling. You fished a bottle of ibuprofen out of your back and took two pills, washing it down with water. “Here,” you jumped at Wanda’s voice. “Sorry,” she placed a small bowl of gelatin and a sleeve of saltine crackers in front of you.
“I’m guessing you know then,” you said, taking a small bite of the gelatin. She nodded, smiling sadly at you.
“I didn’t mean to,” she said. “Sometimes I just travel into people’s minds.” You weren’t mad at her. They were all going to find out shortly. “Have you told Tony?”
“Not yet. He’s explaining to Pepper who I am. Can you imagine being a fly on that wall?” Wanda giggled but soon her laughter stopped and her smile fell.
“Is your treatment not going well?” She asked. You bit your bottom lip. There was no reason to lie so she could see through your mind.
“No,” you admitted. Before you could explain more you saw Tony walk over to you.
“Ready for a tour of the tower?” You nodded, downing the rest of the water from the glass and taking the role of saltines as you stood up. You ignored the look Tony gave you, questioning why you had those. That conversation would come, all in due time.
Touring the tower was a whirlwind and it didn't help that your body protested every step. But you put on a brave face and listened to Tony explain all the features of the tower and met some of the other Avengers. You were impressed and excited to explore after a much-needed nap. At the end of the tour, you were joined by Pepper and walked outside to one of the tower's many patios.
It was beautiful outside and the patio provided a great view of the city. “I’m going, to be honest with you both,” you looked at the couple sitting next to you. “I was never going to reach out. You were living your life and I was living mine and I had no reason to. But I need help,” you took off your beanie. “About a year ago I was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia or AML. I’ve gone through chemotherapy and treatment but now it’s not touching it. My doctors said I need a bone marrow transplant and you are all I have left.”
“There is no one on your mom’s side?” You shook your head, playing with the beanie. It was a gift from your old neighbor back in DC.
“Mom was an only child. I’ve met her parents once and it was at her funeral,” you looked back at them. “I know this is insane and I came here and turned your life upside down so I’m not expecting anything. I just-” you sighed, rubbing your hand over your bald head. “I’m a little out of options here.” You laughed.
“How long are they saying you have?” Tony asked. You looked back at the city skyline. You hated this. You hated telling people you were dying because of the pity in their eyes.
“6 months. Another year if I’m lucky.” You didn’t look back at them. “But you know life has been good for me.”
“We’ll help you,” you looked at the couple in front of you. Tony wasn’t looking at you with pity but determination. Pepper had love in her eyes and it was something you haven’t seen since your mother.
“Yeah?” You questioned. Pepper nodded.
“We’ll figure it out. Together."