Chapter Text
Chapter 1
AN: So yep, I started a new story. This one will be a little different when it comes to the way it is written. This chapter you could consider a prolog, then there will be 28 chapters, each chapter focusing on one of seven characters over a 29-year period which will very in lengths, until chapter 30 which is what will be ‘present’ day for this story and will continue on from there. Hope you like this story.
I have been rather obsessive when it comes to planning which is how I ended up with 28 chapters before getting to present day rather than just the 7 I was initially planning, due to that format I will not just update one chapter at a time for the 28 chapters that follow this one, rather I will update chapters in groups of 2 or 3 depending on what I think fits best. The first 2 chapters will be out in 48 hours.
October 9th 1986
After a life dedicated to service Peggy Carter-Stark publicly known as Peggy Carter has made a lot of sacrifices, but as she stands with her husband, Howard Carter-Stark, who is publicly known as Howard Stark, and their closest friends Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym in the secret base they built together, a base that will be known as the Playground in the future, she knows that the sacrifice the four of them are about to make is going to be the biggest one yet.
As the four old friends stand together they are standing in the doorway to a lab looking across a hallway through large window at their children who are together in the common room, Peggy and Howard’s children; seventeen, almost eighteen year old, Melinda Qiaolian May Carter-Stark, sixteen year old, Laura Margret Ana Carter-Stark her twenty six minute younger twin brother, Anthony ‘Tony’ Steven Edwin Carter-Stark, Laura’s six week old daughter Barbara ‘Bobbi’ Adrienne Margret Carter-Stark, who Laura is now a single parent to after Bobbi’s father’s recent death, and Hank and Janets six year old twin daughters Maria Janet Pym and Hope Elizabeth Pym who is fifteen minutes younger than her sister; they know that even after everything they have been through what they are about to do is going to be the hardest thing they have ever done.
“When does she get here?” Hank asks, breaking the silence they have been standing in for about half an hour as they try to comprehend what they are about to do.
“About ninety minutes,” Peggy reveals, after checking her watch. “Fury’s bringing her,” Peggy explains.
“Then I guess it’s time,” Howard realizes. “We should talk to them,” Howard tells the others, knowing that it is going to take a bit of an explanation.
“Are we doing the right thing?” Janet asks, needing to be reassured as she has gone back and forth about whether they are doing the right thing.
“They’ve just spent three weeks being held captive, and the six weeks after that hiding in a secret base, because it was the one place they would be safe, not to mention watching Jarvis and Robert being killed, and everything else they have been through prior to that, they deserve better,” Hank says, feeling that the lives they are living isn’t what he wants for his kids, or the kids he considers his nephew and nieces.
“They really do,” Peggy confirms. “If this goes the way it’s meant to, they won’t know what they’ve lost, only we will,” Peggy admits, being sure that that is going to be incredibly difficult to live with, but it seems to be necessary.
“And that is the price we should pay for what we’re doing,” Howard says, knowing that what is going to happen is going to be extremely painful, but after everything that has happened, not just over recent weeks, it is necessary.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Janet confirms, as now that it is pointed out she feels like the kids have gone through more than enough already. “Howard’s right, we should talk to them before Fury and Agatha get here, they deserve to know why we’re doing this,” Janet tells the others, accepting that they have made a decision, that the kids won’t change their minds, but that they still deserve to know.
“They do,” Peggy confirms, and after she does the four of them exchange looks before heading to the other room.
Walking into what is designed to be the common area of the base Peggy, Howard, Hank and Janet find Laura, who is holding Bobbi, sitting on the couch with both Melinda and Tony, while Hope and Maria are sitting on nearby armchairs; all five of them clearly in the middle of a conversation.
“It’s actually amazing that that she doesn’t cry too much,” Tony comments, feeling a little impressed by that.
“Yeah, it is,” Laura says, smiling at down at her daughter, who she loves dearly.
“If she is anything like her mother, Aunt, and Uncle the crying is coming, I promise,” Peggy says, remembering what all three of her kids were like as newborns, as she walks over and sits down on the leather bench, which is against the wall, where Howard also sits as Hank and Janet pull over chairs.
“Good to know,” Laura says amused.
“You’ve all got serious looks on your faces,” Melinda notes, looking between her parents, uncle and aunt. “Have there been more threats?” Melinda asks, feeling concerned, knowing there have been a lot of threats and that is why they have been staying, or technically hiding, at the base for the last six weeks.
“Yes, but nothing specific we have to act on,” Janet admits. “The number of threats is actually what we want to talk to you about,” Janet explains, causing the three teenagers, and two kids to exchange looks.
“What do you mean, Mom?” Maria asks, feeling confused.
“We mean the four of us love you, all of you, more than anything, and all we want is for you to be safe to have lives where you don’t have to worry so much about your safety,” Howard explains.
“That’s not going to happen, I mean Mel’s chosen to be a SHIELD agent,” Tony points out, he and Laura being the only ones who Melinda let’s call her Mel.
“You have, and we respect that choice, even if we don’t like it,” Howard confirms, looking at his oldest daughter, knowing he would prefer she didn’t join SHIELD because of the risks, something which she was well aware of so she did all the entrance tests without telling them, but he, quiet reluctantly, respects the decision she made.
“Which I appreciate it,” Melinda confirms, knowing it took a hell of a lot, but she is glad that her parents eventually decided to respect her decision.
“I know,” Peggy confirms. “But that’s been your informed choice, professionally you can choose the danger you’re in, but in your personal life you have no choice, because we’re family, and it shouldn’t be that way,” Peggy explains, feeling incredibly guilty about the effects their lives have had on their children.
“We love you so much, but what we want more is for you to be safe, even if that means making a decision that is difficult for us,” Hank explains.
“What do you mean?” Hope asks, feeling confused about what her parents, aunt and uncle are talking about.
“Fury, who you all know is bringing…. I wouldn’t exactly call her a friend but someone we’ve dealt with over the years,” Howard explains, not sure if there is an actual description for what their relationship with the person Fury is bringing is, and knowing that the only reason why Agatha will even deal with them is because she likes Peggy.
“Her name is Agatha Harkness, and she is a witch,” Peggy explains, and it is a testament to how much that the kids have been thought that the kids don’t look overly shocked at the fact that their parents know a witch.
“A real witch?” Larua asks, though after everything she wouldn’t be surprised.
“Yes, a real witch,” Janet confirms, causing the five kids to exchange looks. “She’s going to perform a spell for us,” Janet explains, and as she does, she, Howard, Peggy, and Hank exchange looks, all four of them exchanging looks which tells Tony, Laura, and Melinda, the three of them being old enough to recognize the looks, that whatever they are about to say is going to be painful for them.
“And what’s this spell going to do?” Tony asks, getting a really bad feeling.
“Protect you,” Howard says.
“I think Tone is asking how it’s going to protect us?” Laura asks, having a bad feeling, she being the only person who calls Tony, Tone.
“Yep, Lor is right, exactly what is the spell going to do?” Tony asks, being the only one who calls Laura, Lor, also getting a bad feeling, as he watches his parents exchange looks. “Mom? Dad?” Tony asks, looking between them.
“Melinda, Laura the spell will cause you to forget that you’re our kids, cause you to forget that the two of you, and Tony, are siblings,” Howard explains, it looking like every word is causing him pain, because it is.
“Tony, we wanted to do the same for you, but according to Agatha because basically the whole word knows about Tony, the Genius son of Howard Stark, we can’t, but what we can do is make it so you forget you’re my son; you’ll be safer as just the son of Howard Stark,” Peggy reveals, how painful that is for her being perfectly clear in her voice, as while she wants her son to be safe she knows it is going to be incredibly painful not to be in his life.
“You’ll also think we have a difficult relationship,” Howard reveals, knowing that will add to how they are going to protect him, and that from Tony’s perspective the memoires he has of a very positive father-son relationship I will be Edwin Jarvis in the father role rather than him, and while that will be incredibly painful for him he thinks that after everything, the pain that this decision will cause, he deserves to be the villain.
“No,” Tony says, looking upset, as he shakes his head, knowing he doesn’t want that.
“No way,” Laura says, looking between her parents, like Tony she knows she doesn’t want what her parents are saying.
“We don’t want to forget you,” Melinda adds, tears coming to her eyes, which for Melinda who never shows much emotion, everyone knows is a big deal.
“We don’t want to do this either, but we’ve talked about it a lot, it’s the best way to protect you,” Peggy admits, and as it is clear that Melinda, Tony, and Laura need a chance to comprehend everything Janet and Hank decide it is time for them to talk to their girls; who are already looking upset.
“Hope, Maria, we had hoped we could keep you together, but a lot of the threats we have discovered are against the Pym Twins, or the Twins, so you will be separated from each other, as well as us,” Janet explains, it being incredibly painful for her to do that, as she had desperately hoped that her daughters could stay together, but Agatha said it just wasn’t possible.
“What if it was just one of us?” Maria asks, getting an idea. “What if Hope, was Hope Van Dyne, and the world, including me, forgot about the Pym Twins, would she be safe?” Maria asks, being prepared to make a sacrifice for her sister if needed.
“Ria no!” Hope exclaims, looking at her sister with a shocked look on her face. “I don’t want that!” Hope exclaims, looking at her sister, feeling that that wouldn’t be fair.
“Is it possible?” Maira asks her parents, ignoring her twin as if her sister could stay with their parents, if they could be together, then that is what she wants.
“It is,” Hank confirms, as that was one of the options they were presented with, but because he and Janet didn’t want to even consider which daughter they would keep and which they would give away they didn’t even consider the option.
“Then that’s what I want done,” Maria reveals, as she feels like it would be best option to protect her sister.
“Are you sure?” Janet asks Maria, feeling that if the girls can have an ounce of control in a situation that is so out of their control, then they should.
“I am,” Maria confirms, causing both her parents to exchange looks.
“Okay,” Hank and Janet say, tears coming to their eyes, as they feel both incredibly proud of the choice their daughter is making, but also devastated by it.
“This is beyond unfair,” Tony says standing up. “I’m not doing this,” Tony says before hurrying out of the room.
“TONE!” Laura calls after her twin brother and she quickly hands Bobbi to her sister, before hurrying after her brother.
After Laura hands Bobbi to Melinda, she looks down at her niece and as she stares at her Melinda knows that she hates that she isn’t going to be able to watch the little girl grow up to the person Melinda is sure she will become, but she knows that what she wants more is for Bobbi to be safe and it seems like the plan her parents, uncle and aunt have come up with is going to be able to give her that.
After leaving the common area, Hope looks around and she sees Tony walking towards the exit that leads to the hanger, clearly wanting to lead.
“Tone!” Laura yells, calling after her brother and she runs to catch up with him. “Tone!” Laura yells, and she finally gets to him and manages to block his way out. “Can you talk to me?” Laura asks her twin as she puts her hand against his chest.
“I don’t want to forget you, or Mel, or Bobbi, or Hope, or Maria, or anyone,” Tony says, his voice breaking as his sisters, and family, mean everything to him and he doesn’t want to forget them.
“I don’t either,” Laura admits. “But I also don’t want Bobbi to grow up the way we did, I don’t want her to look over her shoulder every time she leaves the house, I don’t want her to assume everyone she meets is a danger, and I certainly don’t want her to have to kill someone at twelve years old like Mel had to,” Laura admits, knowing that Melinda did that to protect her and Tony, but that doesn’t mean it is something she would have liked her to have to do.
“Our lives haven’t been all bad,” Tony tells Laura, feeling that everything Laura just said is all the bad parts of their lives.
“No, they haven’t,” Laura admits. “Growing up with you and Mel, siblings who are also my best friends, has been amazing, and it breaks my heart to know that Bobbi won’t grow up with her Uncle Tone and Aunt Mel, but I want her to be safe,” Laura admits. “She’s already lost so much, I don’t want her to lose any more, and I would do anything to make sure she doesn’t’; so, I get why Mom and Dad, and Aunt Janet and Uncle Hank have made this choice,” Laura explains. “That doesn’t mean I like it,” Laura admits, as she absolutely hates it.
“I would be worried if you did,” Tony admits, and the two of them exchange amused looks, and he sighs. “We’re not going to be able to talk them out of this, are we?” Tony asks, as that is what it seems like.
“I don’t think so,” Laura admits. “I think they’ve made up their minds, so all we can do is enjoy the time we have left together,” Laura tells Tony, and in response Tony hugs his sister.
“I love you so much,” Tony tells his sister. “You are an incredible sister, and I know you’re an incredible mom,” Tony tells Laura, wanting to make sure she knows that, and feeling devastated that she isn’t going to get to watch Bobbi grow up, that he isn’t going to get to watch Laura be a mother to his niece.
“I love you too,” Laura says, and she hugs her brother, holding him close the two Carter-Stark twins knowing that this is highly likely it is the last time they will ever hug like this.
After a few moments, neither wanting to be the first to break apart, the two of them finally break apart and they head back to where the rest of their family are, where they all take advantage of the little time they have left together.
About ninety minutes after Peggy, Howard, Janet, and Hope talked to their children about what they have planned the four of them have contacted Fury and told him the version of the spell they have no decided on in regards to the Pym/Van Dyne family, so that he can tell Agatha, and have embraced every moment of the time they have left.
“If we don’t know you are your parents, who will we think are?” Laura asks, looking between her parents.
“I had an old friend Susan Morse, she died earlier this year, you’ll remember her as your mother,” Peggy reveals, she and Howard having decided on that as Susan is removed from SHIELD so it would keep Laura, and Bobbi, safer.
“Oh right,” Laura says with a nod.
“Melinda, you’ll remember William and Lian as your parents,” Peggy tells Melinda, speaking of the people who all the kids knew pretty well before they were killed.
“Makes sense,” Melinda confirms, knowing it will help explain why she decided to join SHIELD.
“Mashmellow, we’ve talked to Elizabeth Hill, she’s going to look after you,” Janet explains to Maria, knowing the Elizabeth was willing to look after both girls if needed, not that she will remember that, and that while she long stopped being an agent Elizabeth has enough training to protect Maira if needed.
“Okay,” Maria says, with a nod, and before Hope can raise the objections, she still has Fury and with a tall dark-haired woman in a purple coat walk into the room.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” The woman, a powerful witch named Agatha Harkness, says as she walks into the room, and everyone stands up.
“We love you so much,” Peggy tells her children, fighting back tears, as she and Howard hug their kids, and granddaughter, all five of them who are old enough to comprehend what is going on trying desperately not to fall apart, as Janet and Hank hug their girls.
“We love you too,” Melinda tells them, as she feels her parents kiss her head, and after what feels like both a lifetime and far too short, they break apart; Hank, Janet, Hope, and Maria doing the same, and once the adults break apart from their kids, the kids hug each other, all assuming this is the last time they will ever be together.
“Okay, if you want to keep your memories hold this,” Agatha says, throwing a talesmen at Peggy, who catches it, and with extreme difficulty she, Howard, Hank, and Janet all step away from their children and all hold the talisman between them.
“You too Fury,” Howard tells him, the four of them having decided that Fury is the only other person they would trust to keep their knowledge and that it could be a good thing to have someone outside the family who knows the truth.
“Yes Sir,” Fury says, walking over to his four mentors and taking the talisman as well.
“Any last questions?” Agatha asks.
“Is there a chance we’ll remember?” Tony asks, as he looks between his sisters and cousins, knowing that he doesn’t want to completely forget them, not forever.
“The spell won’t reverse on its own, and your biology won’t change, but there are other forces that could break it, cause you to remember, and if one of the five of you remember all five of you will,” Agatha explains. “Anything else?” Agatha asks, looking around and she sees that no one else has questions, so she begins to cast the spell.
Over the next couple of minutes multiple things happen, Agatha casts the spell, causing the kids, and the entire world except for their parents and Fury, to believe they are, Anthony Edward Stark, Laura Margret Morse, Melinda Qiolian May, Hope Elizabeth Van Dyne, Maria Janet Hill, Barbrara Adrienne Margret Morse, and once the spell is cast the kids fall unconscious while Agatha makes herself disappear as the adults rush to check on the kids as she doesn’t want to risk being confined.
October 12th, 1986
Having no idea what has been done to get him back to his dorm room at MIT unnoticed Tony is fast asleep in his bed, at least he was until he is woken by a pounding on his door. Feeling annoyed and an emptiness he can’t explain Tony gets up and heads to the door, opening it to reveal the person who was his best friend before the spell and still is after, James ‘Rhdoey’ Rhodes.
“Why am I not surprised,” Rhodey says, taking noticed of Tony’s disheveled look. “You know we have class in twenty minutes, right?” Rhodey asks his best friend, looking annoyed.
“We do?” Tony asks confused, as unknown to him his new memories sort themselves out.
“We do, so hurry up and get your ass ready,” Rhodey tells him.
“Okay, okay, okay, I’ll be ready in five,” Tony says, closing the door on his friend before heading back into his room where he procedure to get ready. As he gets ready, he sees an open bottle of scotch, and very much hoping it could help with the emptiness he is feeling he takes a drink, but too his disappointment it does nothing so instead he grabs what he needs and heads out of his dorm; taking one last drink of the scotch before he goes.
Having no idea what was done to get her to where she is Melinda has awoken much earlier than her brother, but like her brother she woke up in a dorm room, though in her case it was a room at the SHIELD Operations Academy where the world believe she is just a late starter.
As it is something she does every morning, even before her memories were changed, Melinda has headed to the gym so she can do Tai-Chi, to her surprise as she expected the gym to be empty considering the time, she sees that another student, a student who is clearly not an operations student, is already using the gym.
“Hi your Melinda May right?” The student asks and for reasons that she can’t explain Melinda finds it odd to be called that.
“Yeah, I am,” Melinda confirms, despite the fact that it doesn’t feel right. “Who are you?” Melinda asks, curious.
“I’m Phil Coulson, I’m a second year communications student but Intend to be a field agent so I like to use the gym in the morning before anyone else,” Phil explains.
“If you want to be a field agent you should work on your form a little, your overcompensating,” Melinda advises, wanting to help him.
“Oh? Can you show me what you mean?” Phil asks, wanting to get better.
“Yeah, I guess I can,” Melinda admits, and as she starts to help Phil it is like she can remember how she was taught, even if she can’t completely remember who taught her.
Unlike her siblings Laura doesn’t awake in a dorm room, rather she wakes up in the two bedroom house in San Diego that her memoires tell her that her mother left her but in reality her parents brought her and made sure was completely safe.
Waking up Laura spends a few moments feeling confused, as her new memories cement themselves, but she doesn’t get the opportunity to lay in peace for long as Bobbi starts to cry and so she gets up and hugs her daughter, knowing she doesn’t have long before she has to go to what she believes is her first day back at work as a gym instructor.
Like Laura, Maria and Hope don’t wake up in dorm rooms but rather they wake up in separate bedrooms. As Hope wakes up, she unconsciously looks over at where Maria’s bed used to be, but now is just a pile of toys, while Maria has a moment where she feels confused about being in such a strange bedroom before she ‘remembers’ that it is the room she has always had.
Arriving back at the Playground, after confirming to make sure Melinda, Laura, Tony, Hope, Maria, and Bobbi have gotten settled into their ‘new’ lives, Fury walks into the office where Peggy, Howard, Janet and Hank are.
“Are they okay?” Janet asks concerned, the moment she sees Fury.
“Considering everything, they’re okay,” Fury confirms. “I’ve checked on all of them, they’re doing okay,” Fury confirms.
“Thank you, Fury,” Howard says.
“You don’t have to thank me,” Fury assures them. “I will continue to look after them, protect them, and I will make sure that if they ever remember I will give them back all the mementoes you have saved,” Fury explains, feeling that, considering everything, it is the least he can do.
“If they remember they are going to hate us,” Peggy says, feeling that they would deserve it, and that she just hopes that if the kids do remember they remember at a time when they would be safer.
“Yeah, they will,” Hank confirms, feeling just like Peggy, and the five of them drift into silence as they sit together, all desperately hoping that the sacrifices they have made will be worth it and their children will have better lives.