I Am Soul - Spider-Man / Peter Parker [2]

Chapter Seventeen - We Owe Them All Everything

The war was over. Mistakes were fixed. And the world was a completely different place. And Maria was learning to live in it ... without her father.

It was funny really how life just went on, how it just continued, people just go on even after a crisis - Carol Danvers had informed the Avengers it was happening all over the universe, everyone who was taken was back and life was moving on. It was like nothing had ever happened and for a lot of people that was true. It was only the families of the fallen Avengers whose lives had changed. They had lost something to this war whilst most others had gained something. To say she wasn't jealous would be a lie but Maria also knew she had gained other things.

Maria had returned to her friends and family, she had gained a second chance at life. She had gained a baby sister. For one evening Morgan and Maria had played together without a care in the world (at least on Morgan's part). Maria and Pepper had decided it was best that Morgan met Maria at a different time as to when she would find out her father was gone. Tony had always dreamed of Morgan meeting Maria and they didn't want their relationship to be destroyed before it began by having Morgan associate Maria with her father's loss. To say it was hard those couple of days would be lying as well. Maria had had to pretend everything was okay, that she was happy ... a part of the time she was happy as Morgan was a treasure who could light up a whole room, she had been so excited to have a big sister, to see Maria. Maria hadn't realised how much Tony had kept her memory alive until she had met Morgan who had known who she was instantly. Maria could still recall their first meeting...

Maria stood outside of the Lake House where her family had been living the last four years with trepidation. She hadn't really been around young children much and she had no idea how to react around them. Pepper was beside her watching her daughter with great care - Maria was well aware she was going to be having a protective "hawk" watching her for a while, after all Pepper had lost her daughter and was scared she would disappear if she turned away. The truth was every Avenger who had lived through the crisis was watching everyone like that, it was almost as if they were expecting the returned to turn to dust once more.

Climbing the wooden steps of the house was simple and yet each step was filled with dread. Maria was meeting her little sister whom her mother had said idolised her, Pepper hadn't wanted Maria to be surprised by the fact that Morgan knew practically everything there was to know about Maria. Pepper gave Maria a reassuring smile as she opened the door, as they entered Maria swiftly locked eyes onto two figures who were sat in the middle of the living room amongst a mirage of toys - barbie dolls and Avenger toys were scattered across the room, it did not surprise Maria these superhero toys were still popular.

In the small hand of a little brunette girl's hand was a doll dressed in a very familiar suit, it was black and gold trimmed with large white eyes on the helmet and a arc reactor upon the female doll's chest. Maria couldn't believe it, that was the suit she had worn whilst fighting Obsidian in the park back in 2018. They had created a doll of her!

Maria assumed this little child who was adorable and the spitting image of Tony was Morgan. Pulling her eyes from Morgan she suddenly looked towards the other figure who was sat on the floor with the four year old. Maria knew that face. He still wore his smart black suit but he had grown a goatee - it suited him. Though he was supposed to be the scary Head of Security, Maria still only saw him as a giant teddy bear whom she wanted to cuddle - he was aptly named.

Happy Hogan slowly got to his feet, his eyes locked on Maria in absolute shock. After all, he hadn't seen her in five years. Once he had awkwardly clambered to his feet, he shot forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Maria. The young Stark was engulfed by the man. Maria could only chuckle against his shoulder as she clung onto him tightly - five years was a long time not to see a person. Maria squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she fought back her tears.