A/N- This story is going to follow Morgan Stark and others as she copes with the loss of her father and struggles to find a way to make it right.

Morgan sighed and snuggled deeper under the blankets as thunder rumbled through the room. She had been awake for a while, listening to the rain thrum against the rooftop, dreading the thought of getting out of bed. She could hear her mother rustling in the kitchen and could smell bacon crisping in the pan. Typically, she would have been out of bed an hour ago chattering to her mom before running out the door to meet her friends. But not today. Today was her fifteenth birthday and she felt miserable just like she did every year.

Every year her sweet mother would go out of her way to make the day special. Family friends would come over, presents would be exchanged, food cooked and eaten, laughter would ring through the house but to Morgan it always seemed to be a façade. Every year she would see the tightness around her mother's eyes, would hear their friends start a funny story only to bite it back when they remembered the man who was no longer alive to laugh with them. Every year her father's shadow darkened her birthday but she didn't resent him for it. If anything it was a balm on her soul to see that she wasn't the only one who remembered and cried about his loss. Throughout most of the year her mother was very good at pretending that she had moved on, that her heart wasn't broken even ten years later, but every year on every holiday Pepper's eyes told the story she wasn't willing to.

Lightening cast scattered shadows across the room and the clatter of dishware told Morgan that she had a few minutes at most before her mom would come knocking at the door. She sighed again, looked at the framed photo on the bedside, and tossed the blankets off her body, shivering at the sudden cold. By the time Pepper knocked on the door Morgan was dressed with clean teeth but tangled hair.

"Happy birthday, peanut butter cup," cheered Pepper entering the room carefully shielding the tiny flame sitting atop a purple cupcake. Morgan rolled her eyes at the childhood nickname but grinned when she saw the cupcake.

"I thought you said I couldn't have cake until everyone arrived?" Her mom giggled as they sat down on the bed together.

"I won't tell if you won't." Morgan took the cake from her mom and took in a deep exaggerated breath, holding it in until her cheeks turned pink. "You're going to explode," warned Pepper laughing at her daughter. The storm boomed loudly just as Morgan made her wish and blew the candle out forcefully, exploding into giggles when she accidentally blew spit onto the cupcake. "So classy," commented Pepper dryly.

"When are the others going to be here?" asked Morgan licking the purple frosting.

"Noon. So you have some time to straighten up in here before they arrive," answered Pepper looking disapprovingly at the clothes tossed on the floor, the makeup haphazardly strewn across the dresser, and the unmade bed.

"Mooooooooom," moaned Morgan. "Its my birthday." She pouted at her mom's unimpressed expression.

"At least put the clothes in the hamper. Then come and have breakfast with me. I made your favorite omelets." Morgan considered that compromise before reluctantly agreeing. What Mom wanted was typically what Mom got. Pepper smiled warmly, kissed her on the forehead, then moved to leave. Morgan listened to the latch snick shut before setting her half eaten cupcake on the bed stand, depression settling on her again. It was going to be hard to pretend this year. Perhaps because she was already dreading the trial of her sixteenth birthday or perhaps because the older she got the harder it was to live without a father. When she had been younger she had especially missed her dad on father's day but as time passed and father/daughter dances were skipped she had begun to realize what a hole he had left behind. It didn't help when she finally became old enough to understand that her father hadn't simply left on a business trip. He would never return. He would never be able to give her advice, would never threateningly stare down potential suiters, and would never walk her down the aisle.

Morgan bit her lip and picked up the old photo she kept on the bed stand. In it she had just turned four years old. She was wearing a ridiculous tiara that read "Happy Birthday" in large glittery letters, and was smiling joyfully, blissfully unaware that it would be the last birthday she celebrated with the man beaming beside her. He had both arms wrapped around her small body, another tiara was perched on his head and he had a smear of frosting on his cheek where Morgan had gleefully attacked him before he could get her.

"I miss you," whispered Morgan. The picture hurt her as much as it comforted her because the man in the photo was becoming more and more of a stranger to her with each passing year. She used to have such clear memories of his voice, of his laughter, the way he smelled when he hugged her, so many different things that made him real. But now her memory was fuzzy. The clearest impression she had of him was captured in that photo. Everything else was colored water slipping through her fingers as she desperately cupped her hands, trying to hold on.

"Mrs. Boss wants you to know the food is growing cold," said the disembodied voice of Friday, her father's virtual assistant.

"I'm coming," answered Morgan scooping up her errant clothes and lobbing them into the hamper. Breakfast was lukewarm by the time she made it to the table but she didn't mind. Her mother's bacon and cheese omelets were delicious no matter the temperature. She spent the rest of the morning talking to her mom, and admiring the decorations Pepper had strewn over the home. They still lived in the same house that her father had built for them after the Dusting.

Twenty minutes before noon her uncle Rhodey let himself in, balancing her gift in one hand and stuffing the keys into his pocket with the other. "Where's the birthday girl?" he asked grinning as Pepper took the wrapped box from him.

"Hi, Uncle Rhodey," answered Morgan giving him a hug.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," said Rhodey giving her a paternal kiss on the hair. Of all her family's friends Rhodey had been the one to step up and try to fill the hole her father had left. He had never tried to lay claim to her father's role but he had always been there with an open ear and tissue if she needed it.

"What'd you bring me?" asked Morgan eyeing the present her mother had set on the table. Rhodey laughed, the sound deep and pleased.

"I see how it is now," he teased. "No 'how are you doing' or 'was the drive ok'. Its just down to the business of what I brought you." Morgan laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"Well you're going to have to wait until everyone else gets here to find out. I came a little early to help your poor mother prepare for the hoard."

"Well this year I finally learned," answered Pepper. "We're all having pizza and if anyone doesn't want pizza they can order their own." Rhodey nodded, huffing to himself at the memory of perfectionist Pepper mistakenly believing that she could cook for everyone at last year's party. She had gotten her timing and proportions wrong so she had ended up with some side dishes ready half an hour before others while other dishes weren't large enough to feed the crowd. They chatted together as guests started to trickle into the home. Natasha and Clint arrived a few minutes before Nick Fury and Maria made their entrance. After them came Scott with his family as well as Happy and Peter. Bruce and Brunnhilde came fashionably late, explaining that Thor was still busy gallivanting around the universe. Morgan's friends from school were never invited to her birthday celebrations at home due to her identity as Tony Stark's daughter being unknown at school. She would have another party next weekend at a local park for her peers. Once everyone had arrived they sang her happy birthday with huge Bruce drowning out everyone else. If Thor had been able to come he would have given Bruce a run for his money. Next, Morgan unwrapped her gifts, smiling and thanking each person who though not blood had become close family over the years. Once that was finished they all gathered in the living room to play board games.

Pepper put her arm around Morgan's shoulders as they sat curled on the couch, watching as Natasha stuck her tongue between her teeth to help her concentrate on removing the Jenga block without knocking over the tower. Clint's supporters groaned as she succeeded and help up the block smirking smugly as Clint studied the precarious tower. Natasha was the only one that Morgan kept at somewhat of a distance. She was a nice woman but Morgan couldn't forgive her for finding a way back from death when her father hadn't. Morgan didn't know the details of what had occurred but she knew that Natasha had died during the Titan's War only to return from the dead a few years later. Morgan had spent many misplaced nights trying to badger Natasha into revealing the secret of how she had escaped so that Morgan could work on a way of getting the information to her father. Instead of explaining her feat to Morgan Natasha would look at her sadly and inform her that her father would never be able to return like she had. Every time she would break Morgan's heart and have the gall to look crushed.

Finally, after a long night of games, jokes, cake, and pizza it was time for the party to end. Morgan smiled and hugged everyone goodbye, glad that she had made it through another year without the others understanding how difficult it was for her. When it was finally finished and the house quiet again Morgan took a moment to breathe just for herself. The silence made her heart swell with pain. If there was only one thing she remembered clearly about her father, it was that when he was around the house was never quiet.

She jumped a little when she felt her mother drop a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok, sweetie?" asked Pepper, her eyes concerned. Morgan forced a smile past the lump in her throat.

"Yeah! Just thinking." Her mom didn't look appeased.

"What's wrong?" Morgan looked down at her hands feeling her eyes prick with tears. "Honey?" asked Pepper with just the right tone to break down the last of Morgan's walls. She swiped at her eyes.

"I just miss him is all." She didn't have to say which him she was referring to. Pain flashed across her mother's face.

"I know, darling. I miss him too."

"I can't really remember him anymore." whispered Morgan. "I wish I could. But it's like trying to look through grandma's glasses and see the world." Pepper pulled her into a hug. Morgan wasn't surprised that her mom didn't say anything else. There wasn't much to say that hadn't already been said over the years. Morgan thought about the photo on her bed stand. "Are there any videos of him?"

"Like news conferences?" asked Pepper in confusion, pulling back slightly. Morgan shook her head.

"Like home videos? Something I can watch to try to get to know him?" Pepper stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry sweetie. All I have left are the videos your father made before he…" Pepper hesitated. "Before he passed away. I don't think you're old enough for those yet." Morgan looked away and sniffed as she felt her nose burn.

"Mrs. Boss there are years of footage of Boss in my archives if you would desire to access them." came Friday's voice from the ceiling. Pepper frowned at Morgan's sudden hopeful expression.

"Years of what footage?" asked Pepper.

"Security footage from Boss' lab, suit, and tower. Boss mandated that all security footage was to be kept indefinitely to provide for the eventuality that it would be needed to investigate an incident." Morgan seized her mother's hands.

"Please, Mom? For my birthday? Can I please have access to that footage?" The worry lines in Pepper's face deepened as she gaped at the suggestion.

"Honey, I don't know what's on those tapes. I really don't know if I feel comfortable…" she trailed off seeing the brokenness start to seep back into her daughter's eyes. Morgan wasn't a child. She was strong, intelligent, and wise beyond her years. She deserved the chance to see her father even if it was just video of him goofing around the lab. "Alright," agreed Pepper reluctantly. "But Friday I want you to censor any nudity, or anything else that would be rated R."

"Understood, Mrs. Boss." Morgan tackled her mom in a bear hug, smiling genuinely for the first time.

"Thank you," gasped Morgan through tears of happiness. "This is the best present you could ever give me!" Pepper patted her on the back trying but failing to feel good about her decision.

A/N- This is going to be a bit of a slow burning story. I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter. =)

P.S. I don't own anything.