Work Text:
Family reunion.
The three of them pulled over so y/n could take a look at the van. Y/n has a flat look at the one man.
Stark.
"Honey, stay here."
"Ok mom."
Steve keeps an eye on the woman who makes her way over.
"What's going on?"
"Van died. Can't tell what's up."
"Alright. Pop the hood. I'll see what I can do."
It is obvious to her.
"Shit."
"What's wrong?"
"Bomb. I got it. Just need something to cover it." She hauls herself into the engine block. She pulls a pair of pliers from her pocket. Working a little hard.
"Will this work?" Y/n looks up and over and sees Steve holding the shield.
"Yup. Pass it over will ya?"
Tony is watching y/n as she works. She looks familiar some how.
"Bomb girl?"
"Not now dimple dick." Tony can feel the team look over to him.
"Do you two know one another?"
"Yeah. Dimple dick over there stole my iron suit design. Had a crush on him while we were in collage together. Can't tell you how many times I was trying to sleep while Tony was howling from his latest conquest." She's a little bit dry. The team looks over to Tony. Bucky blinks.
"Why am I not surprised."
The bomb goes off under the shield. Y/n goes over to the car. Looking at the car again. Her eyes go wide and she throws Steve, the one nearest to her, off to the side.
"Mom!" The pair in the truck are shocked as the van explodes inside a forcefield. With her left hand on the van.
"How did you..." everyone looks over to her. She pulls back the palm of her hand and the illusion flickers off.
Tony's eyes go wide. He goes over to her and takes a look at her hand.
"Y/n. What happened?"
"Prototype failure." She sighs looking at the limb. Doing a system check. "Lost my leg at the same time. Honestly I'm surprised that I didn't die from that." She clenches her hand and pulls it away from him. Avoiding his gaze.
"I'll be right back. You guys got a backup plan?"
"I'm sure we can find something."
•
Y/n is resting hard on her left leg. Letting the limb work for her. She keeps an eye on the team. Lost in thought.
"How bad was it?" She looks up and sees Bucky near her.
"Bad. As I said. I'm lucky to be alive right now."
"And the kid?" Y/n locks eyes on a certain Mister Stark.
"He doesn't know. Does he?"
"No. I'm keeping it that way."
"Thanks for the help."
"It's no problem. My gran would have been disappointed in me if I didn't help you guys out. That's the kind of family we are."
"Who is your gran?"
"Rebeca Proctor."
Bucky gives her a wide eyed look.
"Huh. Small world."
"Why's that?" Y/n turns to look at him. Curious.
"I use to know a Rebecca Proctor. Hell of a gal. If she is the same one that I'm thinkin of. Think she would be proud of you."
A van and the truck come and they all pile in their respective cars.
•
Tony tracked down her home address. Along with her work address. He takes a look into her history. Doing a deep dive. Seeing what went on since he left her.
He sees the hospital reports. Hand to his face. The damage was extensive. Her arm and leg. She has to have a few ribs replaced as well. Her lung never healed properly.
"What are you doing Stark?" He turns and sees Bucky, hair tied back standing in the doorway.
"I...know her. I lost track of her after I graduated. She was nineteen I think at the time. The shit happened with my parents and..." Tony shakes his head. He can't believe what he saw.
"She went through hell. She can't breathe right." Bucky comes in further. Sighing. Looking at the screen before him.
"She's a survivor. That's for sure."
•
Tony takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. The man that was with her answers.
"Can I help you?"
"I was wondering if I could talk to Y/n."
"She's at work right now. Won't be back till ten pm."
"Oh." For once Tony is at a loss for words.
"I will let her know that you came by."
"Is she free this weekend?"
"I will let her know that you came by." The mans voice takes a darker tone. Closing the door in Tony's face. Making Tony sigh.
~
She hurts. She jammed something in her arm. She is covered in oil and grease. All in all she just wants to go home and clean up. Say good night to her kid and black out.
She was not looking to talk to Tony fucking Stark. She sighs.
"What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you. That's all."
"Can this happen later? I'm tired, I hurt. I want to go home to our kid and make sure she is safe. So if I name a time and place can we do this then?" Tony looks her over. Nodding.
"Ok. Text me your number when you get home then."
"You ok to get home then?"
"Yeah. I'll be ok. No worries."
Tony stays in the air above her watching to make sure that she gets home ok.
•
The team sees Tony in the den. With a glass of water. No coffee or bottle of booze in sight.
"You ok Tony?"
"No. I'm not." The team looks at one another.
"What's wrong?"
"It's two fold. I left y/n pregnant when I left collage ten years ago."
"And the second thing?"
"It's because y/n is my sisters grand daughter isn't it?" Now the team looks at Bucky. Tony nods.
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Saw my older sister get married. When she mentioned her I looked into it. My sister lived a long life."
"Hold up. Are you saying that Tony fucked your great neice?"
"Yup."
"And said dingbat got her knocked up."
"Yup."
"You want to kill his ass for leaving her alone and knocked up?"
"Nope. Something tells me that y/n can do more damage then I ever could."
"I don't know if I should be thankful or not for that." Tony mutters under his breath. "I have ten years to make up for."
"Why are you treating this differently Tony? This isn't like you."
"The truth is I fell in love with her. She may have been an underclassmen but we had many of the same advance classes. She would keep pushing the teachers with her questions. Making everyone think. Staying late to try to understand things. The one robotics course we had..." He stops. Letting the memory roll through him. "God. Seeing her covered in grease hair messy..."
Bucky pours a cup of water on him. Drenching the man.
"I don't need to see your boner while you're talking about my niece. Have some respect."
"That's rich coming from you."
The area goes silent.
"Say that to my face." Tony turns and faces him. Using the two inches he has on the man to his advantage.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did your geriatric brain forget that you killed her daughter's grandparents?"
"You're lucky you found out on your own Stark. She was never going to tell you. I mean, I don't blame her. Not really. Not when you left her a single mother at a time where that was frowned upon. Y/n was lucky that her dad had her back. That she was able to not only graduate but get a job as well. Spend time with her daughter.
You did nothing. You lost track of her. She had to live with the fact that she was tossed to the side. The first one to get into collage.
Y/n had to balance classes, appointments, child care, her job all without your support. It's been ten years Stark. It's too little too late to start caring."
Bucky stumbles back awe struck as his nose begins to hurt. Reaching up to touch the blood under his nose. Tony has gauntlets on and goes to throw another punch.
•
Y/n waves her daughter and father off. She is still at the small booth with some water. Tony comes over and sits across from her.
"Lose the glasses." Tony takes them off and she sees one of his eyes swollen shut and black as sin.
"That's a pretty nasty shiner." Tony nod slowly. Pressing the cold glass in front of him to his eye. Tension bleeding from his shoulders.
"I earned it. Picked a fight with the wrong super soldier."
"I'm surprised that cap would do that."
"He helped. Took me a few hours before my nose stopped bleeding."
They sit in silence for a bit.
"I know that you know Tony."
"I know."
"I should hate you."
"I know."
"I should tell you to get your prostrate poked by a rusty hanger."
"I know."
"You missed everything."
"I know."
"I missed you."
"I..." Tony cut himself off. Looking at her. He can see how old she truly feels. The weight of her daughter's world on her shoulders. Trying to be both mother and father to their daughter.
"I never mailed them. But I wrote to you. Constantly. One twice a week. Until she was five."
"Would you give them to me to read?"
"Yeah. I will. The man that came over to talk to me that day. That was Sargent Barnes. Wasn't it?"
"Yeah. That was. He's your great uncle."
"I'm surprised that you want anything to do with us then. Given what happened."
"What happened was a long time ago. It is time to move on."
"Ten years isn't that long."
She is right. They both know it. Tony lowers the glass from his eye. Hanging his head in shame.
"She likes to go by her middle name. Beth. Short for Elizabeth. Keeping that going." Tony huffs. A small smile on his lips.
"You ok if I let him know?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"Why Elizabeth?"
"I wanted her and her father to have the same middle initial."
"Just you and your dad huh?"
"Yeah. Dad was a huge help with her. Had a mental break down at times." She smiles and chuckles a bit. Shaking her head softly.
"You're going to laugh. But I set up a mech battle arena. Kinda like battle bots."
"Do you still have Killer Storm?"
"Really? 'Do you still have Killer Storm?' Do I ever! You wouldn't recognize her."
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
"Prove it."
Tony sees that fire that she would get whenever someone challenged her.
"Fallow me then."
•
She took him to a barn on some old farm land. Inside is a massive arena.
"Side gig."
"Nice."
"Storm!" He can hear the clunky sound of a bot. His eyes going wide as the bot comes into view. The robot has gotten a major upgrade.
"Holy shit!" Tony is wide eyed. Circling Storm.
"Is this Anthony Stark?"
"Yeah Storm. It is."
"Is sister with her grandfather?"
"Yeah. She is."
"There are some things that need your attention. The Junior league is asking for an arena inspection."
"Ok. Has that been scheduled yet?"
"It has. But they request that you be here for it."