Fallout (Sequel to Aftermath - Steve Rogers Love Story)

Chapter 16: Puzzle pieces.

"Daddy, why is there a pirate in the living room?"

Steve chuckled, pulling Lily into his lap "That's not a pirate Sweetie."

"But, but he has a eyepatch, and black coat." She protested mimicking the directors eyepatch with a hand to her face.

"He does, but he does it to try and look scary..." Steve wiggled his eyebrows, causing the infant to giggle. "That man is Daddy and Uncle Tony's boss; he's called Nick Fury."

"That's a funny name for a pirate..." Lily mused before jumping off her fathers lap, before he had a chance to protest against Fury's new identity as a pirate.

Steve laughed again and followed Lily silently, she wandered around the corridor for a few moments before Steve snatched her up in a tickle war.

-----------------

Meanwhile April and Pepper where in the kitchen having 'girl time' over a cup of coffee.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" April asked referring to Tony, Johnny and Dr Banner being briefed next door by Fury.

"I don't know-" Pepper replied "-But Tony will spill the beans later, he always does..."

Coincidentally it was then that Tony strolled through into the kitchen.

Pepper raised an eyebrow "That was quick?"

"Yeah, Nick was just rambling on about some sustainable energy business; no actual ass kicking involved..." Tony replied nonchalantly.

"I can imagine your disappointment." She smirked.

"What does Nick want with sustainable energy?" April queried.

"I don't know?" her brother shrugged "But he wants me and banner to do some homework on it for him, easy stuff. I'm not entirely sure why Johnny needed to be there for it though?"

"I'm not sure why I needed to be there for it, either?" the youngest Storm announced as he stepped into the room "That was so boring."

Tony laughed and shook his head, "Well it looks like your gonna be pretty useless to us for the time being Johnny so, go entertain yourself."

Johnny obliged, grabbing a can of soda before stepping into the tower lift.

--------------------

Steve hadn't even thought about it, but as he continued tickling the giggling infant he could feel he start to heat up.

He immediately stopped.

Lily let out a little whine as her face scrunched up in confusion.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, that's enough of that now." he explained

"But Dadd-"

"No, Lily." He snapped.

The little girl looked up at him, hurt. She quickly scrambled to her feet and started to stomp off down the hallway.

Steve called after her "Lily, wait."

"I'm going to find somewhere else to play." She grumbled, taking her toys out into the hallway in front of the lift.

Steve sighed "Lily, come back inside. You don't have to play out here..."

"I want to."

Steve sighed heavier and breathed out an exasperated "Fine." returning to their room, but leaving the door open a jar so he could listen out for her.

Steve flopped down onto the couch, he was exhausted. He listened to Lily playing quietly in the hallway for a few minutes before he felt himself drifting into sleep.

Whilst Steve slept, Lily continued to occupy herself with her dolls. She was placing one of them into their tiny plastic car, when she heard the elevator doors open.

"Pew pew torch!" She acknowledged him excitedly "Wanna play?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow and set himself down beside her "What are we playing?"

Lily held up a handful of her different kinds of dolls, a big grin on her face.

Johnny took a sip of his soda and smiled pointing to the doll furthest away from him, "This one looks like your mommy."

"I know, she's my favourite one." Lily said holding the doll to her chest. The rest of the dolls, she laid on the floor. "This ones called Lucy, that ones Susie, and this ones Ella. Who do you wanna be?"

"Erm. I think I'll be Lucy." Johnny smiled picking up the blonde doll. "You know, my sisters called Susie..."

"I didn't know you had a sister, pew pew."

Johnny nodded "She's married to Reed Richards. I don't know if you've met him yet?"

Lily nodded "The doctor man? Yeah, mommy took me to him after I pew pewed."

Johnny chuckled lightly, still engrossed in dressing his doll "After what?"

"After I went pew, like you do..." Lily told him, not understanding the importance of the information she was divulging.

Johnny slowly put down the Lucy doll, turning to look at Lily. "How old are you, again?"

"Almost four." she smiled

"And you can 'pew' like me?" Johnny's expression started to contort from confusion into realisation.

"The Reed man said it's only when I get excited, like a sue."

"Like a sue?" Johnny echoed "or like sue?" Johnny remembered back to when the four had first contracted their powers, and his sister's only worked when she felt a certain emotion.

Lily shrugged "Can't remember."

Johnny's eyesight ran along the doll in Lily's hand, that they had both agreed looked like her mother, and then up to the little girl herself.

His brows stayed furrowed and his jaw was slack. It couldn't just be a terrible coincidence, there was more to this...

He put the pieces of the puzzle together in his head: 'Me and A ended around four years ago, she starts dating Steve and gets pregnant straight away? Then it turns out that the kid has the same powers as me? And Reed knows about them? Reed...'

Johnny stood and hastily wandered to the lift, before he heard a voice call him.

"Pew pew, where are you going?"

"Uh," Johnny jogged back over to her and bent down "I just need to go and see someone real quick squirt, that okay?"

Lily opened her mouth to protest before a newly awakened Steve poked his head around the door, "Lils, it's time for bed sweetheart."

She sighed lightly "Okay, daddy."

'Daddy' Johnny thought to himself, as he rose back to his normal height, giving Steve a figurative glare as Lily toddled into the super soldier's arms.