Just a Little Time

In Spring will the Robins Sing?

Steve spent the next two weeks a complete and utter basket case. Missions were a little messy. The Avengers closed ranks around him providing support and doing what they could to help. Steve had left everyone even remotely resembling family seven decades in the past. He wanted this so badly he didn't know what to do with himself but at the same time he didn't want to pin too much hope on this. They might defrost the child, do their level best to revive him and well would it make sense to have a funeral for a child that died sixty years ago and had probably already had a funeral? Would they just bury him? Would SHIELD confiscate the body? They'd had no choice but to get SHIELD involved.

"Snap out of it!" Natasha swatted Steve on the back of the head. "You're making funeral plans in your head again. I can see it in your eyes."

"What if he survives but he's so badly brain damaged that he's just a shell? I've seen what cold damage does to extremities; blackened toes, noses and fingers. Are they going to have to amputate bits off of him?" This could be a real life horror story.

Clint snorted. "My wife got like you before the birth of our first child. This is a chance at a miracle. Focus on the miracle. Go paint a room for him. Spend the day picking out some quiet toys that might keep a sick child entertained for a few hours, buy him some clothes from this decade and do the happy thoughts thing for a while. Bad stuff might happen but all we can do is the best we can do."

Bruce was in full research/doctor/scientist mode getting ready to attempt to revive the child.

Tony was arranging for transport and acquisition of equipment. He was also trying to child proof the tower. There were a lot of open access landing platforms and balconies. How safe did he have to make things for a kid whose brain was developmentally 7 years old? It was actually a serious concern as child protective services could potentially be involved when they got to the stage where they were submitting paperwork so Richard Grayson would have an identity as a living person.

Steve would move out and find the house with the white picket fence in a heartbeat if that's what it took. Tony and Nick Fury of Shield had had a lot of talks over the last little while. The kid's blood and genetic makeup were a state secret and he had big time, scary-ass bad guy organizations after him when he was just rumoured to have been Steve's son. The tower and all the massive amounts of security that went with it, was the only good option.

Thor walked in, Clint grinned. "THOR! My wife's expecting me in like twenty minutes. Natasha was supposed to head out on a mission 5 minutes ago. Steve is a hazard to himself and others. Take him shopping for youngling equipment. He needs to focus on the positive for a while."

Thor frowned at Clint's mocking but nodded. Thor placed a lot of importance on family.

They came back with a few things only having stopped at a kid's clothing store and a high end toy store. The era Steve was raised in wasn't highly commercial. He didn't believe in flooding a child with everything under the sun. He picked up a Penny Press Book of Word Puzzles and Number Games, a model rocket kit, some simple art supplies and a few neutral but modern children's clothes.

Steve explained to Thor what he knew, "He's had fourteen years of life experiences but he's biologically seven. He's old enough to have well established interests, likes and dislikes. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot by not respecting that."

Thor bought the child a beautifully handcrafted mug. "A child blessed with a warm hearth and a full mug will know joy," proclaimed Thor handing the mug to Steve.

"Will thou officially name him, as is a father's right and duty?" spoke Thor.

"His identity was lost decades ago. I intend to add my own family name to the names he was given," answered Steve.