What Should Have Been

Christmas (Chapter 14)

****Tony's P.O.V****

I rolled over to find the bed next to me was empty. I looked at the clock on Virginia's side of the bed. It was seven in the morning. I heard giggling outside of the bedroom door. The door opened slowly and there were whispers. Suddenly there were two small children jumping on my bed.

"Daddy," Gen giggled, "Wake up."

"Yeah Daddy," Seth giggled, "It's Chriwsmas."

"Five more minutes," I whined with a hint of humor in my voice.

"No," they both whined.

"Come on kids," Virginia said from the doorway, "Let your Daddy sleep. He'll just be missing all the presents and the pancakes."

"Pancakes!" the kids said excitedly.

I pushed the blankets back and hopped off the bed, "Oh no way. Those are my pancakes."

"No!" they exclaimed and jumped on me trying to slow me down. I grabbed both of them and ran to the living room.

"Mommy help!" Gen exclaimed.

Virginia laughed, "Sorry kiddo. He's got you now. You awoke the monster."

I froze and gaped at her, "The monster?"

She shrugged and walked into the kitchen.

"Daddy, can we open presents now?" Gen asked.

I smiled, "How about we eat breakfast first?"

"Okay," she said. I set her down and she ran into the dining room. I carried Seth into the dining room and set him in his booster seat on the chair. He giggled and reached for the plate in front of him. He started to pull it off the table. I grabbed it before he and the floor could be covered in syrup.

"Slow down, sport," I said pushing his chair closer to the table.

He grabbed one of the pancakes with his hands and shoved it in his mouth. I sighed and took it from him so I could cut it up. Once I had them cut up I handed the plate back to him.

"Go crazy, kid," I said. He smiled and dug into his pancakes.

"Daddy?" Gen asked.

"Yes munchkin?"

"Are the Avengers coming today?" she asked.

I looked up at Virginia, who nodded.

"Yeah they're coming today."

"Yay!" she exclaimed.

After breakfast we cleaned up then went to open presents. It was around lunch time when the team started showing up. First it was Clint, Natasha, Sage, and Steve. I opened the door to let them in. As soon as Clint walked through the door a plastic arrow was stuck to his forehead. Nerf bullets started to hit Natasha. They both feigned injury.

"Oh I've been hit," Nat exclaimed falling back onto Steve.

"No Nat, stay with me," Steve said a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Avenge me," she breathed out before she 'died' in Steve's arms. Steve laid Nat down by Clint who was faking being dead from having an arrow in his forehead.

"You two better run," I said to the two kids, "The Captain is coming after you."

I heard Seth squeal and run away.

"Coward," Gen said coming to stand in the end of the hall, "Bring it Captain. You don't scare me."

Steve grabbed the plastic shield that was leaning up against the hall table, "Agent Stark. I should have known."