One for the Team || Sequel to - Lost and Found

ONE: Birthday Surprises

THREE YEARS AFTER SIBERIA

~~V's POV~~

Stupid pickle jar. The d**n thing wouldn't open. V tried everything from her teeth to the countertop trying to get it open, since a stupid sandwich wasn't stupid enough without PICKLES.

V set it back onto the counter and glared at it. [He liked pickles], she thought. [Always sweet and sour, never dill]. She missed him. Them. Wanda, Vision, Steve... Pietro.

She shook her head to get his name and face out of the way of the pickles and grabbed the jar again, this time trying to use some kind of nutcracker thingy on the lid, when Rhodey came in.

"You need help?" He asked. Rhodey was doing better walking, and so was V. She could tell Tony liked seeing them get to know each other better.

She stepped away from the counter. "Go for it. The stupid thing won't work."

"You know Pepper's bringing a cake and Tony's got pizza, right?" He said as he popped the lid off with no effort, setting it back where V left it.

She sighed. "Yeah."

Rhodey gave her a look. "What?" She asked, although she didn't have to. She felt his surprise.

She could do that, feel others' emotions. V was an empath. Projecting and sensing, and it came in very handy if she needed to bribe someone or convince someone she wasn't there.

"When was the last time you had a birthday party?"

V shrugged. "I was seven." She recalled, almost fondly. "The theme was Captain America."

"Sounds terrible." Rhodey joked.

She laughed. "Could've been worse. It could've been my dad." They both laughed and V popped a couple pickles into her mouth and then Tony came into view, carrying pizza boxes.

Rhodey darted over to help take half of the boxes from Tony, who turned to set them on the counter. "It's eight-thirty in the morning." He told V.

"Okay and?" She said through a second mouthful of pickles.

"I have a plan and I can't have you roaming around unattended. Go sleep in or something."

She grinned, going back to her room, but taking the pickle jar with her.

~~Tony's POV~~

Today was Violet Stark's nineteenth birthday, and Tony was determined to make it her best one yet. He knew, of course, that he could never fully atone for his actions. But he was grateful, to V, for letting him try.

It was hard enough being a father for a three-year-old girl, but with a nineteen-year-old girl? That was another story entirely. Of course he loved both of his daughters, V and Morgan, equally. But after three years with V, he still had a hard time adjusting. It hurt like hell that he had to live with the fact that he was never there for her the way he would be with Morgan. Tony guessed that V was, deep down, jealous of Morgan for that.

So now he was trying his best. And V had it said herself, "We're here now. That's what counts." And Tony couldn't agree more.

He adjusted the pizza on the counter, sectioning off what was for guests and what was for V, knowing she ate more than Pepper had during her maternity leave. V could eat out anyone, maybe even Hulk, although Bruce rejected the idea every time either Tony or V brought up the idea. Although Bruce had been MIA for the last two years.