Call Me Carter | Avengers and Captain America Fanfiction |

Goodbye Cali, Hello NYC

After talking with Pepper and clearing everything up with Karen, Gracie was alone again in her house. Tomorrow, Pepper would be back and Gracie would be leaving sunny California to head to the crowded city of New York.

Gracie flopped back on to her bed. Having finished packing all her things, she didn't know what else to do. She was having an internal debate on whether or not she should scavenge through her families rooms. She was still angry that they never told her about Tony, but she still loves them. With a sigh, Gracie climbed the stairs to the top floor of her house and entered her parents room.

She stood quietly at the door way, not sure what to do. She knew she wanted the family photo on her mothers bed side, so she went for that first. Next she grabbed her fathers camera, knowing there were more pictures on its members card.

Gracie retreated from her parents room and moved to her brothers. Looking through the door way, she couldn't thing of anything specific she wanted from him, but she saw his favorite baseball hoodie and quickly grabbed it. Gracie rushed back to her room like had she had been doing was against some rule. Back in her room, everything hit her like a truck. They were gone. Gracie crumbled to the floor and sobbed.   She cried for her mother and father, but she mostly cried for her brother.  He was barley 13.  And he was gone. They all were.

*********

Gracie stood in the middle of her living room with her last suit case and purple guitar case in hand, Pepper leaning in the doorway. Their driver, Happy, was waiting outside. Gracie didn't know what she was doing, going to live with a millionaire that didn't even come to meet her before she went. She sighed and turned to face Pepper.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" She asked quietly. Pepper gave her a sad smile.

"Come on, it'll be easier if you do it fast, like ripping off a band aid." Gracie cringed. Taking off band aids sucked, just like this.

Gracie followed Pepper out the door and into the sleek black car, the door held open by Happy. Pepper thanked him before sliding in beside her.

The car ride was quiet, neither women knowing what to say. What do you say to a girl who just lost her parents? Or to young women who's picking up her boyfriends daughter that she didn't even know about till a week ago?

They pulled up to the airport and Pepper pulled Gracie inside, telling to leave her bags for Happy. Following obediently, she tried keeping up with Pepper's long strides, seeing as Pepper was a good 4 or 5 inches taller then her.  Instead of going through security, Pepper led them towards a door on the right of the check in stations.

"Hey, Denise," Pepper said to one of the girls behind the desk.  The girl waved a Pepper before turning back to her computer.

"Where are we going?" Gracie asked tentatively.  Pepper smiled over at her, but said nothing.  They walked along some more before going through a door that led to the tarmac. Gracie gaped up at the planes as Pepper stopped in front of one.

"Y-you have your own plane?!"  She exclaimed. 

Pepper laughed as she climbed the steps up to the plane.  "It's technically a jet, and its property of  'Stark Industries.'"

"How rich is Tony, exactly?" Gracie asked tentatively.  And again, all Pepper did was smile.

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The girls were mostly silent during the 6 hour flight.  Pepper did work on her tablet while Gracie watched T.V.  Well, she tried.  Her eyes drooped every couple of seconds until he fell back on the couch.  Pepper looked at her and realized how alike her and Tony looked.  If the hair didn't give it away then their brown eyes definitely did.  She sighed. 

She was still upset that Tony was agreeing to let her stay.  Sure, Pepper wanted kids, but she wanted her own kids.  The only reason that Gracie was staying with them was because S.H.E.I.L.D insisted.  Not that she knew that; her life was bad enough without knowing she wasn't wanted by her own father, not that she would ever call him that. Gracie rolled over in her sleep and Pepper put her attention back on her tablet.  She had a feeling that none of this would work out well.

Roughly 6 hours later ,when the pilot gave the signal that they were preparing to land,  Pepper shook Gracie awake.  She shot up, embarrassed that she fell asleep.  Truth be told, she hadn't had more than 12 hours of sleep since, the incident. She didn't really like to mention it though, she was already the orphan girl, she didn't need more reasons to be avoided or treated differently.

Her and Pepper exited the plane into the chilly New York air. It was warm for NYC, but Gracie considered it freezing compared to California. Just another reason to hate her life.