Who: Tony and Morgan What: Reassurance Where: Tony's office When: Monday November 11th directly after this Warning: Other than language? Nah.
Morgan had foolishly thought that her parents were going to be spared by Goodland’s aging stunt. Everyone was slowly returning to normal, but perhaps she should have known better? She didn’t quite know which was worse; her father coming from the events after the snap or if he had come from a time so early in his life that he wouldn’t have known her at all.
She decided then, as she approached his office, that younger would have been better. There may have been a lot less pain on his end if he had woken up as a teenager, and less pain for him greatly outweighed any selfish need she had for him to know her.
Taking a deep breath, Morgan hesitated just outside of his door. She didn’t want to overwhelm him, and she needed a moment to compose herself. She needed him to believe she really was alright. That her mom, Peter, and even himself were alright.
Once she was sure she could confidently walk through the door, and not appear too worried, she opened it slowly and stepped inside. “Hi,” she began with a small smile. “It’s me. The daughter who shouldn’t be old enough to swear so much.”
Tony gave up on reading the comments to his post. Clint mentioned teenagers (or ducklings), but other than the girl named Liz and Morgan, no one seemed to be missing him too much so he assumed said ducklings were fine. What was he supposed to do anyway? He caught on to what was happening, but he still didn’t feel like he was some alternate version of himself. He felt heartbroken and angry. He didn’t come from a good time. However, seeing his daughter lifted his spirits. Sure, she wasn’t the Morgan he knew, but he could easily see his daughter in the older girl.
He stood up from the desk where, until Morgan walked in, he had been sulking and reached out for a hug. “Swear as much as you want so long as you hug me.”
Morgan looked him over carefully and felt a slight twinge of guilt at the way her heart soared. He looked just as she remembered him, just as he had right before she lost him. The girl never thought she would see him again, and that’s where the guilt came in. Should she feel happy to have him here, when he was clearly distraught? The time he had come from was bleak, not to mention the fact that she had him here already. She had been with him for months, and she loved him dearly. This whole situation was just fucked.
But then he was holding his arms out to her, and she forgot all about the guilt- racing over to hug him tightly. “Hi, Daddy,” she whispered- repeating her greeting because she wasn’t too sure what to say to him just yet.
“Hi, sweetheart.” Tony held her close to his chest where his heart felt like it was beating way too many miles per minute. Holding her calmed him. Maybe this strange world wasn’t so bad if he had his family with him. He thought they had been kidnapped or worse so having Morgan close to him made him forget his anger and concern for the moment.
“Your mother...she is alright too?” Sam told him she was fine, but, still, he needed to hear it from someone he knew. Someone he knew who wouldn’t betray that trust.
Morgan laid her head against his chest, allowing him to hold her there as long as he wanted to do so. It was helping soothe her mind as well; she had been so worried on the way over that she practically ran the whole way. Initially, she thought to fly, but she hadn’t wanted to show up in her suit. Tony had enough to worry about without adding in the fact that his daughter was now a card-carrying Iron Girl.
“She is. She’s perfect. We’re all okay, I promise.” Pulling back just enough to look up at him, she arched an eyebrow. “I’m more worried about you at the moment.”
It was odd having his daughter reassure him. She, in his timeline, was five years old an hour ago. Now she was rushing to help him. Worrying about him. It was all wrong.
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “Wrapping my head around all this, but it is fine.” He gestured around the office. “The digs are pretty cool,” he added with a wink. “Now, come on, sit. Tell me everything about you. I missed your childhood! New meaning to ‘blink and miss it.’”
“Fine, right, that’s my line, you know?” She was teasing, but partly serious. Starks were notorious for saying they were ‘fine’ when they were anything but. Morgan wouldn’t press the matter, however. She knew all too well what it was like to not want to talk until you’re ready. “It’s a bit of a head trip at first. I’ve been here for three months, and it’s still a head trip at times. But the labs? And the offices? They are pretty damn cool.” She gave him a wink of her own before moving to take a seat.
“Well, let’s see. I’m almost eighteen; I recently graduated a whole semester early, I love science and would much rather be in the lab that anywhere else. I specialize in holograms, and about two months ago, how to make food and beverage holos taste like their real counterparts.” She was rambling and intentionally leaving out her life before Goodland. “I know this whole alternate reality shit is a lot to take in, but I want you to know that I’m really happy here. I have you and Mom and Peter and...I really am happy.”
Tony chuckled when she mentioned fine being her line. She took after him in many ways; that was plain to see in little Morgan, so he could only imagine it intensified as she grew older. Poor Pepper having to deal with two of them! His expression, however, grew soft as she spoke about Goodland and how happy she felt. That was all he could ask for, right? His heart swelled at his baby girl feeling at home in Goodland. He just wanted her to be happy wherever she was; besides, being together was the most important thing. “That is all can ask for,” he admitted when she seemed to end her tale. “I am so proud of you! Graduating early. Specializing in holograms. You are brilliant. And, obviously, a kind person.” He once didn’t list kindness as particularly useful, but now he thought it was everything. The world taught Tony Stark some big lessons. He pulled a chair up next to her and ran a hand through her hair. “So, so proud of you.”
Morgan smiled as he ran his hand through her hair. “Thank you, Daddy,” she replied softly. It really was so good to see him, and for a moment, she just stared at him, wanting to commit the father that she knew as a child to memory. “I try to be kind, even when I would rather not be. You know, the high road and all that.”
“You do realize that I’m still worried about you, right? I won’t push you to talk, because I wouldn’t do that to anyone- least of all you. But, if you have questions,” reaching to take his hand, she gave it a squeeze. “I’m here.”
“Do I have drool on my face?” He laughed when he caught her staring. “Or do I just look way too young to be your dad in your time?” He easily accepted her hand and returned the squeeze.
Morgan winced on the inside at his question. How was she supposed to answer that without causing him pain? So, she forced a little laugh and shook her head- running her friend hand through her hair. “No, it’s just really good to see you, that’s all.”
“It is good to see you too. Always.” He leaned over to kiss her forehead. There were so many thoughts running through Tony’s head, but he kept coming back to Clint and Sam talking about more kids. “Morgan? What did...what teenagers did Sam and Clint mean?” He thought her laugh sounded “off” but didn’t press.
She smiled at the kiss to her forehead, and couldn’t help but laugh- for real this time- at the inquiry about the teenagers. “I think they were trying to prepare you in their own way. You’ve kind of adopted a few here in a sense. Not with paperwork or anything, but none of that legal stuff really matters.” Tilting her head to the side, her smile remained. “There’s Peter, but that shouldn’t be a surprise. He’ll always be my brother in every reality, and there’s Michelle. They both live with us. And then there is James and Laura. Their stories and their pasts with you from their realities isn’t my story to tell. But, they are yours too.”
Tony frowned. James didn’t seem too keen on him, but maybe he was just thrown. Tony, after all, knew another version of himself had been in Goodland until quite recently. “Pete’s really…” He trailed off. He wouldn’t believe it until he saw the kid. He’d spent five long years mourning that loss, but the hole never fully mended. He didn’t know who the girls were, but he’d make sure to reach out. He forced a smile. “Sounds like a full house.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about the expectations he undoubtedly faced.
Morgan frowned as well, leaning forward to wrap her arms around him again. She couldn’t imagine how overwhelmed he felt; it was a lot to take it, especially given the state of the world back home. “Pete’s really,” she stated firmly, remembering the picture of him Tony had framed in the cabin. It pained her to think of a world without her brother, almost as much as it pained her to think of the world without her father. Suddenly, she appreciated Goodland a hell of a lot more. It was selfish of her to think of it at that moment, but she couldn’t help but be happy that she now lived in a world where she got to have them both. “I wish I could make all of this make sense, or better for you.”
“You’re here,” he reminded her. “Besides, I take care of you, even if you did become a young lady overnight.” He held her close for a moment. “I will always take care of you no matter how old you get, sweetheart. Love you 3000.”
“I take care of you, too, you know.” It was just a little gentle reminder, as he held her close. She loved him so much; she would love him at every age. “But I’ll take that. I love you 3000.”