Work Text:
2024
The first time Morgan had asked for a little sister or brother, her Daddy had gotten such a sad look on his face, even her young self could see it. He had picked her up, and taken her to her room. They'd settled onto her small bed, Daddy was much too big for it, but she'd been settled on his lap, cuddled against his chest. She'd listened to the rapid beat of his heart, and known that it was Serious Time.
Daddy had told her about her brother, though he almost entirely called him The Kid; after a bit of prodding, he had told her his name was Pete. She'd dubbed him Petey, which had made Daddy smile the saddest of smiles, and kiss her on the head. Morgan had soaked up everything he'd told her about Petey; how smart he was, and how much he loved to learn, but also how he was a menace who made messes and trouble bigger than even the Avengers combined. Morgan was impressed.
How much he would love his little sister.
Sometimes, Morgan would ask for stories about Petey, or she would draw pictures of him and then tell Daddy and Mommy the story behind the pictures. They always smiled at her, in that sad sort of way. Morgan didn't understand why they were sad, until she gathered up all her courage and asked Daddy why he was always sad about Petey. Daddy told her he had been Snapped. Morgan didn't understand what that meant, so she had just hugged Daddy extra strong, and let him hold her while he told her another story about Petey.
The Day of Superheroes came. Morgan only knew that Mommy was stressed because she got extra jerky in her movements, and she wouldn't smile, even when Morgan was being extra cute. Uncle Happy arrived to babysit her, and Mommy left. Later, Morgan heard that all the Snapped were Un-Snapped. Whatever that was, it meant that people who had been gone, weren't gone any more. She was extra excited, because she would finally get to meet Petey!
Except that never happened, because Daddy was hurt and no one had time for her demands to see Daddy, let alone her demands to meet Petey. Uncle Happy said he would bring Petey to her, but it didn't happen. Daddy was hurt for a long time. Morgan doesn't know how long, but forever was about right. He had lost his arm, and his ear, and one of his eyes. He looked really scary, but Morgan knew he was still Daddy, so she wasn't actually scared. She just wanted him to wake up and give her cuddles, and tell someone to go and find Petey.
When Daddy finally woke up, and Morgan got to see him, he was happy and talking and smiling even if he couldn't get out of bed, and his arm and his ear and his eye were missing. Daddy told her he would build new ones, and he'd be Iron Man all the time. Mommy had growled at him in the way she growled at Morgan when Morgan did things she shouldn't, like break into Daddy's workshop or climb up onto the cabinets to get to the treats. Daddy had just smiled at Mommy and given Morgan a kiss.
After that, Morgan forgot to ask about Petey for a while. She didn't even feel bad, because a lot of stuff was happening, and Daddy was always asking her about things, and she would spend lots of time talking about school and her friends and so she didn't get a lot of chances to bring up her brother. Eventually, she forgot she even wanted to ask, even when Uncle Happy brought around a lady that she was told was Aunty May. Aunty May had a nephew, but he was busy in the city, and practically a grown up, and couldn't make it out. Morgan dismissed the mention of him.
One day, Morgan noticed that Aunty May was not with the group that visited Daddy. Uncle Happy always had Aunty May with him, even when Daddy had said they 'weren't together' (which was silly, because they'd been together on the other side of the room!). So, when she couldn't see her in Daddy's room, Morgan had looked for her in the hallway, before marching over to Uncle Happy and tugging on his pant leg. When she'd asked where Aunty May was, everyone had gone still and silent.
Uncle Happy had left before Morgan even realised she wasn't holding onto him anymore, and she looked up at Mommy and Daddy and felt her lip wobble because everyone looked upset, and she didn't want to be in trouble! Mommy had picked her up, and taken her out of the room, telling her that Aunty May had died, and did she remember what that meant? Morgan did, so she'd nodded, and Mommy told her that Uncle Happy was still really sad about Aunty May dying, so Morgan shouldn't talk about her around him, unless he talked about her first. Morgan could do that, so she nodded seriously, and that was the end of it.
It was another Forever later, after they'd been home for at least half of the new Forever, when Morgan saw a picture she'd drawn of her and Petey beside a Christmas Tree, from the time before Daddy had been hurt. She couldn't remember which Christmas it was supposed to be. She picked it up, pouting when she realised she'd forgotten to make Daddy make someone go and get Petey for her when he woke up. She hoped Petey would not be angry with her, but he had been Snapped for her whole life, so maybe he had had important teenager things to do when he came back? Well, it was almost Christmas now, so it was time for him to come home.
Morgan wasn't at all prepared for the way Mommy and Daddy stared at her when she asked about Petey, asked if he was coming home for Christmas; they even frowned at each other when she showed them the picture!
"He's my brother!" She screeched, stamping her foot where she was standing on her chair at the dining table. Daddy and Mommy didn't even look angry, they looked sad and confused, and that made Morgan afraid.
"Morgan, honey," Mommy began, and Morgan burst into tears. That was the way she spoke when they talked about Aunty May. Why had Petey died? How had he died? Why had no one told her? She wanted her big brother! The one they'd told her stories about, before Daddy had gotten hurt. The one they promised would love her and play with her and teach her things when Mommy and Daddy were busy.
Morgan cried a lot, for a whole lot of Forever, not even Christmas could make her feel happy again. She missed her brother so much she felt sick, and she couldn't eat for days. When she did eat, it made her throw up almost every time. Daddy made Uncle Doctor Strange look at her on Christmas Day when their home was full of Avengers. Whatever he'd told her Mommy and Daddy, Morgan didn't know or care. She was so sad it hurt. She wanted her brother! No one would talk about him, not even a little. They just got these looks on their faces that Morgan didn't understand, and they would hold her or be sad when she threw a tantrum.
Morgan collected all the pictures she had drawn of her and Petey, and she carefully hid them in the very back of her wardrobe, where no one would find them ever, ever, ever. Not even her.
She wished she could forget ever learning about Petey.
Eventually, the Sadness got to be less painful, and Morgan could eat again. She wasn't happy or playful like she used to be, but eventually she was doing normal things again, and Mommy said it was time for her to go back to school. Morgan had shrugged.
Friday, January 17, 2025
Mommy and Daddy were up to something. Morgan knew, because they were whispering, and Daddy was sneaking out to his workshop, and when Friday said Daddy wanted Mommy there, Morgan was told to stay and that Mommy would be right back. But then she'd come back in she had that look on her face that said her mind was elsewhere. Then she had put Morgan in the bath with her socks still on.
Finding out Daddy was going into the city — without them! — had Morgan outraged, and on top of being put in the bath with her socks on, she'd burst into angry tears. Daddy had promised to take her to the zoo! He had promised!
Mommy tucked her, still hiccuping, into bed after cheese toasties and soup, and said Daddy would be back before they needed to leave tomorrow. Morgan wasn't sure she believed her, but she was exhausted and fell asleep before she could do more than sniffle sadly.
The soft sounds of Mommy and Daddy having a Grownup Talk woke Morgan later; it was still nighttime, and Morgan knew it wasn't time to be awake yet. She curled up, cuddling her favourite bear, and listened to Mommy and Daddy arguing; they didn't sound angry, but they were not agreeing with whatever Daddy had done. She was almost asleep, when she heard her name.
And then she heard Petey's name.
Morgan's eyes snapped open, and she sat up carefully, before she could think better of it. If Friday noticed she was awake, she might tell her Mommy and Daddy, and they'd stop talking. But… they mentioned Petey!
Climbing off her bed, Morgan slipped out of her room, and across the hall to where her Mommy and Daddy were in their room. She pushed the door open slowly. Mommy and Daddy didn't notice, and Friday didn't tell on her yet.
"I don't know how she remembered him, Pep!"
Mommy was hiding her mouth behind her hand, watching Daddy walk backwards and forwards across the room; she was crying. Daddy was holding a baby. Morgan didn't understand.
"Mommy?"
Both grown-ups turned towards her, both with wide eyes. Mommy came to her, and picked her up, hugging her tight. Morgan hugged her back, but she twisted her head to watch Daddy with the baby.
"Oh, Morgan," Mommy said, her voice breathless. Morgan tore her eyes away from Daddy and the baby, and frowned at Mommy.
"Little Miss," Daddy said, walking over to the bed and sitting down. Mommy carried Morgan over, and sat beside Daddy. Morgan looked up at him, then curiously at the baby. He was starting to wake up, now that Daddy wasn't moving. A moment later, big brown eyes were looking up at her, and they blinked at each other.
"Can you tell me about your Petey, please Morgan?" Daddy was being very serious; he was frowning, and he was using her proper name and his voice was quiet but had no fun in it. Morgan frowned, worried.
"Petey is my brother," she said, feeling sad about him dying, her bottom lip wobbling. "He was gone when I was born but he came back when Daddy got hurt. Then he died and no one wanted to talk about him any more." She sniffled, tears pooling and then falling down her cheeks. Daddy made a noise that sounded like he was in pain. Morgan sniffed again, curling into Mommy, wiping her eyes on Mommy's top.
"Maguna, baby," Daddy said softly, reaching out to run his hand through her messy hair. "Petey didn't die."
Morgan jerked her head up, staring at Daddy with wide eyes. "He didn't?" her voice was all messy and small, and Morgan clenched her fists in Mommy's top, staring at Daddy, hope blooming in her so fast and so full she thought she might burst with it.
"No, he didn't. I'm sorry we made you think that, Princess." Daddy took a deep breath. "Petey was a superhero, did you remember that?" Morgan shook her head, Daddy had never mentioned that about Petey! "He had an accident with magic, and everyone forgot who he was, including Mommy and I." Morgan's eyes widened.
"But I didn't?" She was having trouble breathing, words coming out in little gasps, and Mommy held her tighter.
Daddy had that look on his face he got when he was doing puzzles with Friday. "Did I ever tell you Petey's full name? Or was he always just Petey?"
Morgan thought, hard, for a long moment, her face scrunched up with the effort. "Just Petey." She finally said, opening her eyes and looking up at Daddy. "You called him Kid and Pete." She added, after another moment of thought.
Daddy smiled at her. "You didn't know he was a superhero, and that is what everyone had to forget, so you didn't forget."
Morgan considered that seriously for a moment, squinting her eyes at Daddy as she thought about it. In the end, she decided that Daddy would know best, and nodded her head slowly. "Okay."
"Well, Petey was lonely, being forgotten by everyone," Daddy said, and Morgan nodded seriously again. Being forgotten sounded very lonely! "So he sneaked in and played with Daddy's time machine." Morgan gave a loud gasp, stiffening on Mommy's lap and staring up at Daddy in horror. Daddy's time machine was very much not to be touched. Morgan had gotten in trouble just for looking at it from the other side of the door!
Daddy smirked at her. "Yes." He nodded seriously, and then looked down at the baby on his lap. Morgan looked at him, too. She blinked, and the baby blinked back.
"Morgan, I'd like to introduce you to your baby brother, Peter Stark."
Morgan looked at the baby, then at her Daddy, then at her Mommy. Then back at the baby, as she held out her hand and he reached out to take her fingers in his smaller hand. Morgan squeezed his fingers gently.
Then she laughed, a bright, happy, delicate sound that hadn't been heard since the Forever before Christmas.