Converto - Marvel Studios [8]

forty.

I slammed the car door as the light breeze blew past me, the leaves of the trees humming in cooperation as I turned towards the wooden house. Tony and Peppers house was picturesque, like a cabin from the front of a postcard from an upstate New York gift shop. I bent my knees as I picked up the large blue crate that held Charlie, the cat moving around at the moment as I started walking towards the house. The front door was open, chatter coming from inside floating out on the air.

"Hello" I called out as I walked up the stairs of the porch with the wood creaking under my feet just in case Pepper was outside somewhere. "Kitchen" I heard Pepper call out to me as I made my way to the mesh door that kept bugs from flying into the house when the front door was open. I pushed it open with one hand as I held Charlie's crate as still as I could, not wanting to freak out the cat after the long cat journey which he hated.

I moved into the house, the rug under my feet running in front of the door silencing my footsteps. "Ally" Morgan called from where she stood in the kitchen next to Pepper, baking equipment scattered all over the countertop island as the mother and daughter duo looked over at me. "Hey, bug" I said to Morgan as she showed me her hands that were covered in butter and flour, her fingers wiggling as Pepper grabbed a towel to clean them off.

"I brought you a friend" I said to her, a small smile on my face as I lifted up the crate gently to allow Morgan to see inside of the container. "Kitty cat" she squealed as Pepper worked on wiping the mess off of Morgan's hands. There was a bowl of cookie dough sitting in front of the little girl, chocolate chips scattered everywhere like the bag had been spilled. "Hey" Pepper said to me lightly, as she helped Morgan off of the stool she was standing on to see over the counter. She immediately tan over to me, dropping to her knees as she peered into the cat crate.

"How are you?" Pepper asked, walking over to me with her arms outstretched and a sad smile on her face. I probably looked about as put together as I felt, my eyes permanently red from all the tears they had leaked. "Not very good" I replied with nothing but a small sigh, Pepper nodded her head at me, embracing me warmly as she herself sniffed quietly. Everyone was morning, no matter if you knew Natasha for years or if you only knew her from the front of a newspaper. "Al" she said as she ran a hand up and down my back comfortingly, my arms tight around her back as we stood in our own bubble of sadness.

"It's" I started, my words getting stuck in my throat as I coughed lightly, my hands running up and down my biceps as she nodded her head comfortingly, her blonde ponytail bobbing up and down. "It's alright" she said quietly, Morgan's giggles distracting us as she stared at Charlie through the cage of his crate "You want a tea or anything?" Pepper asked me as I looked back over at her, trying to pull the corners of my lips up as I shook my head in reply. "That would be great thanks" I nodded as I looked around the bottom level of the house quickly, not seeing Tony anywhere.

Pepper walked back into the kitchen, filling up the kettle that sat on the stove stop with water as she looked back over at me. "Where is he?" I asked, Tony not being anywhere to be seen in the house even after having driven here late last night after the impromptu meeting. "He's out in the lab, has been for an hour or two" Pepper explained to me as I nodded my head, looking down at the ground to see Morgan trying to put her fingers between the bars of the crate.

"Can I touch him?" Morgan asked me, making me look down at her in her crouched position, pointing at the ginger cat as I nodded my head. "Of course" I said, pulling away from Pepper as I knelt down next to the short brunette. "After I get a hug" I added, stretching my arms out as Morgan fell into them, my arms squeezing her tightly as I set my cheek against the top of her head. I let out a heavy sigh, not moving for a moment as I just held my god-daughter, probably one of the only people I will meet for the foreseeable future that is not drowned in grief.

"That was a big hug" I said to her as she pulled away from me, my hands smoothing out her wild hair as I booped one finger in her nose quickly. She giggled as I smiled at the sound, her eyes drifting back down the carrier as I nodded my head. "Okay, let's see Charlie" I said to her as she squealed in excitement again. I fiddled with the latch as the little cage door swung open, Charlie taking a step out onto the hardwood floors.

His legs were stiff for a moment as he looked around the new surroundings, Morgan clutching onto my arm as she bent down. "Remember what we said, Morgan?" Pepper asked as she walked back from the kitchen, a mug in her hand. "Be gentle" the little girl replied, using her hands to lightly brush over her cheeks. I let out a small laugh as I stood up, running my hand down the back of Morgan's head as she crawled behind Charlie, who was busy exploring the house.

"Thank you for looking after him" I said to Pepper as I took the steaming mug from her hands, resting it in mine as I fiddled with the string holding onto the teabag. "I don't want him in the compound if" I started, not knowing how exactly to finish that question. Too many things could happen tomorrow night, and the uncertainty of it was probably the worst part. "It's no problem" Pepper said with an extended hand, giving my arm a squeeze as I looked down at Morgan.

Charlie was lying on the corner of the rug, his head resting on a ray of sunlight that was reflected through the skylight on the roof. Morgan sat by his side, reaching her hand out and stroking his stomach very lightly, a smile on her face. "What are you guys baking?" I asked her as she retracted her hand, looking over her shoulder at me.

"Cookies" she replied, my eyebrows shooting up as she turned back to the ginger cat, giving him her full attention. "Grandma's recipe" Pepper said to me as she threw a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. "You can take some back with you, we tripled the recipe so it would take longer" she told me as I nodded my head, lifting my cup to my lips and taking a small sip. "I'd love that" I replied as the blonde started making her way to the kitchen with me in her trail, a cabinet opening to reveal a shelf of plastic tubs.

"Can you make sure your alpaca doesn't attack him?" I said to her as I set my tea down onto the marble island. I knew Charlie probably wouldn't brave going outside, considering he was used to the cosy interior of Steve and I's Brooklyn townhouse, but just in case, I didn't know how aggressive the alpaca was. "He will be too scared of Charlie to even get near him" Pepper told me as she grabbed a spatula, beginning to shovel the chocolate chip cookies that were on the baking sheet on a cooling rack.

There was about 4 pans of cookies resting around the kitchen, and by the looks of it, one more in the oven and another batch of dough in the mixing bowl. They'll be drowning in cookies forever at this rate. "Morgan honey, don't pull on his tail please" I called out to the girl, who had her hand clasped around my cat's tail, Charlie barely moving from his comfortable position as Morgan let him go at my warning. "I have his water bowl and food out in the car, I'll bring it in" I told Pepper as I reached forward, grabbing a cookie form the tray as I took a bite from it, crumbs spilling onto the countertop.

"I think if she does well with him then we will get a dog" Pepper told me with a soft smile, holding the spatula in the air as she motioned towards the back door. "Tony always wanted a dog when he was younger" I replied with a small laugh, Pepper nodding her head as she smiled over at me. "Howard always said no" I added with a small laugh as Morgan ran over to me.

"He won't play" she said with a pout and a shake of her head. I bent down, picking her up as she rested on my hip, placing her head on my shoulder. "He doesn't really play that much" I told her as I swayed on the spot, grabbing a cookie off the sheet in front of me as I held it out to her. She outstretched her hand, taking it from me as she nibbled at it, my head resting on top of hers, just soaking in the calmness that engulfed the house.

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A/N: another??? Yall are eating good... keep going!