Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.

AN1: So, this story started with a simple concept then I kept thinking about different things which I added to this story and this was the result. This will include a lot of flashbacks to explain certain things as you can see from this chapter.

Things that you need to know: Some things that will be different from cannon, one of which is that Clint Barton was born in 1967 and not 1971 as in cannon, and AU from Avengers AOU and the end of AOS season 2. NO BRUCE/NAT, Pietro Lives. Simmons doesn't get sucked in by the monolith and May leaves S.H.I.E.L.D, but not with Andrew.

When Clint Barton inform him that they are going to a safe house after Wanda Maximoff messed with the minds of the Avengers Tony Stark doesn't think anything about it until the plane lands and Tony sees just where they are and when he does he can't help but smile.

"Really Barton, bringing us home?" Tony asks as they walk inside to the confusion of everyone but Natasha who is currently being helped by Clint.

"You and I both know that this is one of the safest places on the planet." Clint tells Tony as Bruce, Thor and Steve look around all three of them being very confused about what is going on.

"That's because most of the people who know about this place are either dead or pretending to be." Tony reminds Clint as Thor, Steve and Bruce walk around the room they are in, in an attempt to try and figure out where they are.

"True."

"Be careful with that." Natasha says as Steve picks up a photo that is on the mantel place.

"Is this you?" Steve asks, looking at Tony in surprise as it seems like this place is Clint's so why would there be a picture of young Tony be there.

"Yeah. I was about six." Tony answers, being pretty sure that everyone, but Clint and Natasha are becoming more and more confused.

"This other boy looks a bit like Coulson." Steve says, a sadness to his voice, as the young Tony in the picture is with another, older boy, and an older girl.

"That's because it is Coulson." Tony answers.

"You knew Son of Coul when you were a child?" Thor asks surprised.

"Yeah, I've known him my whole life." Tony explains, no one noticing his use of present and not past tense, "The woman is Melinda May. Phil's Dad worked with my parents and Millie's Mom before he was killed." Tony reveals, thinking about how even after Robert Coulson's death Julie Coulson could always count on both his parents and Melinda's, "The three of us were kind of like siblings growing up." He says which is why he calls Melinda Millie, just like Coulson does when they are away from work, and everyone else in his family, Coulson, and Melinda's do, their families being the only people that Melinda lets calls her Millie.

"Oh. Why didn't you mention this before?" Steve asks confused.

"Because not many people know, it was too dangerous for them to. Up until last year Pepper didn't even know." Tony explains, remembering how pissed Pepper was when she found out that he had been lying about that, which is one of the reasons why they are no longer together "We've been keeping secrets our whole lives. We're rather used to it." Tony says, not being able to help but think of all the secrets he keeps.

"I see." Steve responds as he turns to put a picture back and as he does Tony winches as he realises that Steve is going to see the picture next to that which he is going to have to explain, "That's Peggy, and you, and Howard." Steve says surprised, "Was this your graduation day?" Steve asks curious and Tony nods while Natasha and Clint hope that no one notices some of the other pictures on the mantel, or hanging around the room, as neither of them are up to explaining some of the pictures that they may see, "Where was your Mom?" Steve asks as the picture looks like the kind of picture that parents would take with their child.

Hearing the question Tony looks at Natasha and Clint out of the corner of his eyes and sees Natasha give him the smallest nod, Tony knowing that she is encoring him to tell the truth.

"You're looking at her." Tony says and upon hearing this Steve drops the picture, causing Tony to reach out to try and catch it, but he's too far away.

"What?" Steve asks shocked as he saves the picture inches from the ground, to Tony's relief.

"Maria Stark wasn't my mother, wasn't even really Dad's wife, just close friend of the family." Tony admits, knowing that it's not the time to go into that whole story. "But everyone outside family thought she was because it was too dangerous for me, and my parents, for anyone outside family to know the truth." Tony explains, Steve looking more and more shocked by the minute, "My public name is the name you know me as, but my real name is Anthony Steve Carter-Stark, and I'm the son of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark." Tony reveals, knowing that the reason Edward is his public middle name is after Jarvis, and Steve, Thor and Bruce are shocked by that, Natasha and Clint aren't though as they have known for almost three decades.

"But, but, but… Everything you've said about your father." Steve says shocked, not sure how to react to everything and not being able imagine that Peggy would ever let Howard treat her son badly.

"Lies, mostly, to support the public persona Dad put up." Tony explains, "You know my Mom do you really think that she would let Dad treat me badly?" Tony asks Steve and his automatic reaction to that is, 'No way.' "If he had treated me how I've said he has she would have taken me and left him in less than a second." Tony says, knowing that for a fact as there was a couple of times when he was really young, that he vaguely remembers, where Howard got a bit too obsessed with his work so Peggy had to remind him of what was important, and as he thinks about that he can't help but think back to something that happened not long after his fifth birthday.

June 1975

"Mommy, where are we going? Where's Dad?" five-year-old Tony asked from the backseat of the car that his mother was driving and had been for about fifteen minutes.

"Your father is working." Peggy said, un undertone of anger, something that Tony was too young to pick up on, having been present in her voice, "And we're going to stay somewhere else for a while." Peggy informed her son.

"Why?" Tony asked curious, having not understood what was going on.

"Because… I'll explain when we get there, okay?" Peggy asked her son as she wanted to speak to him face to face, not through a rear view mirror.

"Okay." Tony said in response before he went back to putting together the objects he was playing with.

After twenty minutes Tony and Peggy arrived at a S.H.I.E.L.D safe house, though at the time Tony was too young to know that that's what it was.

"What is this place, Mommy?" Tony asked curious as Peggy lead him inside, while she watched for signs of danger.

"Somewhere we're going to stay for a little while." Peggy said as she closed and locked the door behind them.

"What about Dad?" Tony asked curious.

"Dad's going to stay at the house." Peggy said as she led Tony over to the couch and he sat on the couch while Peggy sat down on the coffee table right in front of her son.

"Why?" Tony asked as even though she was expecting that question Peggy wasn't overly sure about how she should answer that question as even though her son is a genius, he was still only five years old.

"Because sometimes people just need some time apart." Peggy explained to her son.

"Why?" Tony asked as he started to look upset.

"Your Dad is an amazing man, but sometimes he gets rather obsessive when it comes to his work." Peggy explained.

"What does that mean?" Tony asked confusion having been more than clear in his voice.

"It means that sometimes when your Dad is working that's all he sees. He forgets about everything else and that's not okay." Peggy explained, "So for now at least it's better that we don't stay at home." Peggy told her son, honestly she wasn't sure whether she would go back to Howard, all she knew is that the best thing for her and Tony were for them not to be around him at the time.

"I'm not going to see Daddy again?" Tony asked as he started to cry.

"Of course you are, just not right now." Peggy explained and Tony threw himself into his mother's arms "It will be okay, Tony. We'll be okay, you and me." Peggy promised her son as she hugged him tightly and internally cursed Howard for the way he had been acting and cursed herself because she let it get that far.

For four days Tony and Peggy stayed at a S.H.I.E.L.D safe house and the entire time that they did Peggy did her best to ty and help her son through the difficult time, she tried her best to make things seem like they were normal.

It was late at night, well after midnight, and Tony woke up thirsty and so he got up and headed to the door to the room he was staying in, but when he opened the door Tony heard voices so he just hid by the open door and listened to what was being said.

"Keep your voice down, Howard. Tony's sleeping." Peggy told her husband in an angry hushed voice and upon hearing that Tony realised that his parents were sitting in the living room, and it was only the anger that was in his mother's voice that stopped Tony from running out so that he could hug his dad.

"I'm sorry, Peg. I'm so sorry. I was an ass." Howard said, "I want to do better, please. Come home." Howard begged, "I miss you and Tony, I'll do better."

"No." Peggy said in response.

"Peg, please." Howard once more begged, "I need you, I need our son; and I'll do better. I won't get so obsessed with my work; I'll be there for you both more." He said and even though he didn't realise what it meant until he was older Tony could tell that his father was desperate.

"I want to believe you Howard, I really do." Peggy informed him, "But I'm going to need more than you word."

"What do you need? Whatever it is I'll do it, I just want you and Tony to come home." Howard said as he once more begged Peggy.

"Show me." Peggy requested, "Show me that you're willing to do things differently, that you can be there for me and Tony more and we'll talk about us coming home." Peggy told Howard.

"I can do that. I will. I just can't lose you two, I'll do whatever it takes." Howard informed Peggy.

"I hope you can." Peggy said in response having meant that as she didn't want things between her and Howard to be over, but at the same time she knew that she had to put her and Tony first. She had to do what was best for them. "It's getting late. I think you should go." Peggy informed Howard.

"Can I see Tony first?" Howard asked as he wanted to see his son.

"Not tonight, he's sleeping, but how about we have lunch together tomorrow." Peggy suggested as she wanted to see if Howard could do something as simple as showing up to lunch on time.

"I'd like that." Howard said in response.

"Say, twelve here?" Peggy suggested.

"Sounds good." Howard said in response as he realised that he had a long way to before he could have gotten his family back and he was more than willing to do whatever he had to do to do that.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow." Peggy said.

"See you tomorrow." Howard said in response before he left.

As he heard the door close Tony quickly hurried back to his bed and pretended to be asleep as he knew that he would get in trouble for eavesdropping which is something he didn't want.

End of Flashback.

Due to the fact that he was so young, even with his memory, Tony only has vague memories of the months that followed that, but he does remember that he and his Mother spent over three weeks at the S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house, a week at the Coulson's, and a week at the May's, before they went home, and he remembers that after that Howard never again let work become more important than his family, he stuck to his word and always put Tony and Peggy first.

"Oh my gosh." Bruce's shocked voice says, snapping Tony out of his thoughts, and right away Clint, Natasha and Tony know what photo he has noticed, "It's…. you two, and Melinda, and a baby." Bruce says, being able to tell that it is Melinda as there are pictures of her, Coulson and Tony together getting older all around the room, looking at Natasha and Clint in complete shock as it looks like the kind of picture that parents take with their newborn child, in fact if he didn't know better he would swear that that is exactly what it is.

"It's our daughter." Clint says before heading out the back door.

"Explain, please." Natasha says to Tony in a pleading voice as she really doesn't want to have to do that.

"Of course." Tony responds and Natasha follows Clint out the door, Tony watching them go with look of pain on his face.

"There's more, baby photos." Steve realises, looking around and seeing a lot of pictures of a baby, and picture of the same baby with, Tony, Coulson, Fury, Natasha, Clint, Melinda, Peggy, Howard and very few other people that he doesn't recognize around the room, "But none of a toddle or child." He realises as the only pictures of children are the ones of Tony, Melinda and Phil.

"That's because they don't exist." Tony says, walking over to Bruce and taking the photo like it is something precious, "Millie, Clint and Natasha used to be together. Clint and Millie since Clint was brought into S.H.I.E.L.D in '85 and all three of them after Clint brought Natasha in in late '86." Tony explains as he gently puts the photo back on the mantel.

"1986? Natasha would have only been a year old." Bruce comments and Tony can't help but laugh at that.

"Natasha's actually older than me, hell she's older than Fury by a year." Tony revels to the shock of Steve, Bruce and Thor, "When Natasha was fifteen she was given a serum that slowed down her ageing she has seemingly only aged fifteen years in fifty." Tony says, trying to be as vague as possible as it's not his story to tell.

"That would have been nice to know." Steve mutters to himself.

"Why are there no pictures of the baby as a child or toddler?" Bruce asks, being pretty sure the answer isn't going to be good.

"Because at seven weeks old, when she, Natasha, Clint and Millie were staying at the Stark Estate in Long Island, she was taken from the room she was staying in. We still don't know how, and we've never found her." Tony reveals, looking guilty about that, "It killed Natasha, Clint and Millie to lose their daughter and almost did the same to me and Phil who are her godfathers and Fury who unofficially is." Tony explains as he stares at the picture of the happy infant who is asleep in her parent's arms, as Steve and Bruce exchange a look both of them thinking that there are a lot of things that need explanation but they realise that now isn't the time, "But none of us, or Mom, or Dad when he was alive, or Millie's Mom have ever given up." He reveals, "and we won't. We'll find her one day" he says, turning away from the photo to look at Steve, Thor and Bruce, all of whom are looking sad and shock.

It has been two days since Steve, Thor and Bruce found the truth about Tony's childhood and that Natasha, Clint and Melinda May have a daughter together and in that time The Avengers have fought against Ultron and joined forces with the Maximoff twins to defeat him.

It is just after dark and the Avengers are at Avenger's tower and most of them are celebrating their victory. As Clint isn't really feeling much like celebrating he is out standing on the balcony and has been for a while, when he hears footsteps. Footsteps that he knows right away who they belong too.

"Here, I thought you could use this." Tony says, handing Clint a beer.

"Thanks." Clint say as he accepts it.

"Why don't you come join the party, everyone's there. Well, everyone except Wanda she's still sitting with Pietro." Tony explains as after almost losing her brother Wanda isn't going to leave his side.

"I don't feel like it." Clint responds.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Tony asks and right away Clint knows exactly who he is talking about.

"I'm always thinking about her." Clint responds as he takes a drink, "About how much I've failed her."

"You didn't fail her." Tony says, it being a reflex as he has been a part of this conversation many times, he has even been the one saying the words.

"Yes, I did. I should have realised something was wrong. I should have done more." Clint says, pain in his voice, "I'm her father, I should have protected her."

"You couldn't have done anything more. There was no way you could have known that she was going to be taken." Tony says, trying to reassure him.

"I guess." Clint says, it being clear that he doesn't believe that, and as he does he can't help but think about that night, the worse night of his life.

February 23rd 1989

Just like they had every other night for seven weeks, though at a different place as usually they were home, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, and Melinda May were standing over the crib where their infant daughter had just been put down to sleep.

"Goodnight, Baby Girl." Clint said as he bent over and placed a kiss on his daughter's head.

"We love you, малютка." Natasha told her daughter as she too bent down and kissed her daughter's head.

"Sleep well, 花生." Melinda told her daughter as she, just like Clint and Natasha bent down and also placed a kiss on her head.

As their daughter slept for a while Clint, Natasha and Melinda just watched her. As they watched all three of them were thinking that they had never felt the kind of love that they felt, and still feel, for their daughter.

After they spent a while watching their daughter Clint, Natasha and Melinda went to bed in the room that they were shearing in New York, and because they had been taking turns waking up to feed their daughter Clint's internal body clock woke him up at the time he had been waking to feed their daughter.

Once he woke Clint looked at the bedside table and as he did Clint noticed that the time was slightly later than when his daughter had been waking him up. Having seen that Clint couldn't help but frown at, and so he got up, having done his best not to wake Melinda and Natasha, to go check on their daughter, having wanted to make sure that she was okay.

As he walked across the room Clint felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach and so he basically ran to the room next door and once he was in the room he ran to the crib, which he found empty.

"No." Clint said horrified as he picked up the baby monitor next to the bed, "MEL, NAT, WAKE UP! GET IN HERE!" Clint yelled as he hurried over to the window, which was still locked. Having found that he ran over to the phone that is in the room, having gotten to the phone just as Natasha and Melinda hurried in, both of them having had their guns drawn.

"Clint? What is it?" Natasha asked as soon as she saw him, panic having been more than clear in her voice.

"She's gone. Our Baby girl is gone." Clint said, as he looked at Natasha and Melinda, having looked both horrified and broken as he said the words that broke the people he loved the most.

End of Flashback

"Clint, hey, Barton." Tony's voice says, snapping Clint out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Clint asks confused.

"Nothing. Where were you?" Tony asks curious.

"Twenty-six years ago." Clint answers and hearing that Tony reaches out and places his hand on Clint's shoulder, squeezing it, before letting go, "Do you think we'll ever find her?"

"I don't know." Tony answers truthfully.

"I wonder sometimes, if I've ever on the street and not realise." Clint reveals, "I worry that I won't even know my daughter when I see her." Clint tells Tony, "Is that stupid?" he asks.

"No." Natasha says, walking out onto the balcony, "I wonder the same thing." Natasha says as she walks over to Clint and Tony.

"I'll leave you two alone." Tony says before heading inside, knowing that they need time alone.

"You do?" Clint asks Natasha, being surprised by that.

"Yeah, so many times I've passed a girl on the street and wondered if she's our girl." Natasha admits, saying so because it's Clint.

"Do you think she's still out there somewhere?" Clint asks curious, voicing something that he has always been too scared of the answer to ask.

"I have to believe that she is." Natasha admits, showing the side of her that she only lets people she considers family see, "And I have to believe that we will see her again." She says and Clint reaches over and takes her hand while they drift into silence, both of them thinking about their baby girl that they lost so long ago and how much they desperately want to see her again.