Helena Stark: A WWII Survivor

chapter thirteen: Starry-eyed

Familiar music was blasting through the speakers, it wasn't AC/DC. I love my nephew, but I just can't stand his music choices. Instead, Big Band reverberated throughout the room. Since I had reunited with my family, I had been spending time figuring out the world.

As much as I can. 

I spend a lot of time with my family, because Tony insists I take his fancy private jet to visit them. Steve usually comes with. Tony doesn't usually come with. They offered for me to stay in the family villa that Tony bought, but I decided to stay in the Avengers facility to help Steve. 

I might not be what they would consider a superhero, but I could still design some pretty nifty things. And make improvements to older outdated models. Like Tony's suits. I was presently glaring at the suit he made, and trying to figure out how to make it better. 

By making it better, I mean making it so it could fit me, because I enjoy a challenge. 

"You've been busy," a voice said and I turned to see Natasha standing in the door. 

"Well, I accidentally blew up one of Tony's suits. So, I decided to start on another one," I said brightly. 

"What are you doing to them?" Natasha asked curiously. 

"Improving them," I said brightly as I pulled up a design. "I figured if ever Pepper needed one, or maybe-"

"If you needed one?" Natasha asked. 

I shrugged, "you never know. Plus, I do enjoy keeping busy. It's not the same work that I used to do, but it's similar. I used to work on cars, but that was always with Howard."

"You miss him," Natasha stated as she sat down on a table. 

"We were very close, and I do very much miss him," I said honestly. "But working with Tony, it's almost like working with Howard. Except Tony is less of a womanizer." 

"He used to be," Natasha said. 

"That's what Pepper told me," I said smiling. "But he changed his life around apparently. Still flirts up a storm."

"So what are you hoping to do with the suit?" Natasha asked. 

"Well, I wanted to make it faster," I said. "Which will naturally happen since I'm smaller than Tony. Women do tend to weigh less than men. I'm also taking out some of the weapons, I can handle a gun easily, but I don't know how I feel about some of the weapons in the suit." 

"You sound like you have a lot of ideas," Natasha mused.

I shrugged, "I have ideas, and solutions. Like, if you need more weapons, but don't want to carry them around. I'm sure I could come up with some sort of magnetized weapon system that will follow the suit, and just act like another system."

"I see why the files on you describe you as the smarter Stark," Natasha smirked.

"Question is, is that still true?" 

"You bet your ass it is."

"Language," Steve said as he walked in. 

"This is why you'll never live that down," Natasha said. 

~*~

"I always hoped you were still alive," Peggy Carter told me as we spoke over tea. As soon as I was able, I started visiting her. Tony did not begrudge me taking the private jet, he did tell me that I should get out more though. "Rosemary always believed you were, we just couldn't find you."

"Not surprising," I told her honestly. "And when I did show up, it was in the weirdest way possible. Tony couldn't believe I had never heard of him, I'm still surprised he didn't just shoot me."