Saving Grace Extras

Grace Meeting the Avengers

After the Battle of New York, Grace and Pepper returned to Stark Tower. SHIELD, the Avengers, everybody had already gone, and Tony had some shawarma to heat up in the microwave and a lot of hugs and explanations for his family.

He left, having to go back to SHIELD, and when he returned, he had a friend.

"I can show you to the lab, your room. There's some renovation happening eventually, don't mind the mess — your guy is responsible for some of that, anyway."

Grace, sitting on the couch drawing, heard her father's voice getting closer and closer. The person he was talking to didn't say much; his voice was quiet.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"No, no apologizing. We have the money to pay for it — and we needed the upgrades. Don't worry about it."

"I just-"

"Don't worry about it."

Grace looked up as they walked in, and Tony spotted her and smiled.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you drawing?"

She held it up to show him. "Look, it's Pepper!"

"Oh, it's beautiful! Just like the real thing." He turned to his friend. "Oh, uh, by the way, Bruce, this is my daughter, Grace. Grace, this is Dr. Bruce Banner."

"The Hulk?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's... me."

"He's going to be working in the lab here with me," Tony added.

"Cool," Grace said, going back to her drawing.

"Well..." Bruce said quietly to Tony "... that went well."

~~~~

Nat tapped the punching bag with her fist. "Alright, kid. Go for it."

Grace, already breathing heavily from kicking the punching bag, threw her whole self into punching the bag. Nat stopped her. "Hold on, you're not holding your fist right. Let me show you."

Before she could, they heard footsteps approaching, then Jarvis announced, "Agent Clint Barton has arrived."

"This place is crazy, Nat!" Clint walked in, holding a sandwich. "I mean, the cafeteria downstairs — and he lives here!"

"You mean my dad?" Grace asked.

Clint stopped dead in his tracks. "You- I'm sorry. You must be..." He trailed off, unsure.

"Grace," Nat reminded him, with an eye roll.

"I forgot Stark even had a kid." He took a bite of his sandwich. "Hey. Gosh, this turkey is good."

"Grace, this is Clint Barton."

"Hawkeye," Grace said. "I know. I like the turkey sandwich, too."

Clint went to finish his sandwich while Nat continued showing an enthusiastic Grace how to punch — with the promise of turkey sandwiches.

~~~~

Steve Rogers wandered the halls of Stark Tower — on the upper floor, the place where Tony actually lived. Where he's about to live, now that SHIELD is... no longer a thing. He was meeting Tony about things, talking about what happened, when he asked where the bathroom was. Tony's directions were... unclear.

At the other end of the hall, a young girl rounded the corner, then stopped when she saw him. "Hi! Are you Captain America?"

Steve paused. "Yes. And you are?"

"Grace." She hurriedly approached him to shake his hand.

"Stark's daughter," Steve realized, shaking her hand. She had a surprisingly strong grip. "I'm Steve Rogers."

"I know. Dad said you were coming to live here with us. You're gonna like it. Jarvis is the best."

"Thank you, Grace," Jarvis said. Steve looked around for where the voice came from as it went on. "I believe Mr. Rogers is having trouble finding the restroom."

"Oh! I'll show you where it is. Come on." She turned and walked back down the hall, forcing an embarrassed and confused Steve to follow.

~~~~

Thor was just getting engrossed in a conversation — argument? — with Tony and the others about why he was back on Earth, what they were planning to do on their recent missions — HYDRA and whatnot — when there was hard, incessant knocking on the door.

"Is he here? Is he here? Dad! Dad, let me in!" a young, muffled voice shouted through the door.

Tony sighed and got up, opening the door. A small girl ran into the room, features similar to Tony's, and she came right up to Thor. "Hi, Mr. Thor! Can you really do all the lightning stuff? Can I see your hammer? Is it heavy? Do you think I could lift it? I think I could-"

"Sweetheart, you haven't even told him your name," Tony said.

"Oh! Right. I'm Grace." She stuck out her hand for him to shake.

"My daughter," Tony supplied.

Thor hesitated in shaking her hand, confused by the approach of the small child, but he ultimately did. "You talk very fast." He considered. "But then again, so does your father."

"So can I?"

"May you what?"

"Lift your hammer!"

"Oh, I-"

"Maybe later, sweetheart," Tony jumps in. "We're discussing work right now."

She sighed. "Alright, fine. Can I least give him a tour later?"

"Sure."

Grace turned to go, then paused. "Will you come have lunch with me later, Nat?"

"Absolutely," Nat said.

"Okay. I'm going to start making it! We're gonna have peanut butter and jelly."

"Sounds great to me, kid."

"And I'll make everybody one!"

"Sounds wonderful, sweetheart," Tony laughed, watching her go. He got up and closed the door. "Ah, kids. Ya know?" Everyone at the table shook their heads. He waved them off. "You will. Anyway, where were we?"