The best day

I do not own The Avengers in any way. Lyrics belong to Taylor Swift.

I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

"Annabelle!" I heard my father yell.

"Go get her Steve!" my mother yelled.

I ran past the little pumpkins to the big ones.

"Oh where, oh where is my little Belle?" my father asked tapping his chin.

I giggled softly. "Here I am daddy!" I said. I ran out and hugged his legs.

"There you are pumpkin", he said smiling.

"I'm not a pumpkin daddy!" I protested, "That's a pumpkin".

"Do you want it to be your pumpkin?" he asked.

I nodded excitedly.

Daddy paid for the big pumpkin. "Come on, maybe we can get Uncle Tony to use his laser to carve it", he said.

Mama picked me up and put me in my car seat.

The last thing I remember is Mama reaching over and taking Daddy's hand while he drove.

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

"Daddy, why do the trees change colors?" I asked him.

"I don't know. I'm sure Uncle Tony would know", he said.

"But Uncle Tony would make it complicated", I whined.

Daddy smiled and laughed at me.

That night, he told me the story of the Battle of Manhattan again.

I had already heard it from Uncle Tony, Uncle Clint, Aunt Tasha, and Uncle Bruce, but I loved to hear him to tell it.

It amazed me how he could be so fearless.

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

"You're Annabelle Rodgers right?" one of the football players asked.

I smiled and said, "Yeah".

"I heard your dad is Captain America", he said.

"Yeah, he is", I said, proud of my father.

"I heard he was frozen in ice. Never even kissed a girl before your mother", another said.

"Yeah. The 70 year old virgin", they said bursting into laughter.

My eyes filled with tears.

"Awww…the baby's gonna cry", one of my 'friends' said.

"Clear out! Or you'll have to deal with my father!" T.J.'s voice yelled.

They all ran off, except Trent.

"Oh really Stark?" he taunted.

T.J. got in Trent's face. "Yeah. Or maybe I'll get my Uncle to Hulk-out on you", T.J. said.

Trent's eyes went wide and he ran off.

I was leaning against the lockers, still crying.

T.J. gathered me in his arms.

"Thanks Tone", I said.

"Want me to take you to the counselor's office? They'll call your mom", T.J. said.

"No", I said, "I'd rather spent the rest of the day here…in your arms".

T.J.'s face went red, matching his hair. He had Tony's eyes and charismatic smile and attitude, but his true self was like his mother, Pepper. "Want me to call your dad?" he asked.

I nodded.

T.J. pulled his phone out and dialed my father's number. "Hello, Cap?" he asked, "No. She's fine. Just having a bad day. Could you come get her? Thank you Cap". T.J. hung up and said, "He's coming now".

I set my face in T.J.'s neck and breathed in his calming scent.

The bell rang.

"Damn. I gotta go B", he said, "I'll call you later". He kissed my forehead, before going to class. He got to the corner and turned around. He gave me a wink and disappeared.

I smiled and went to go wait for my father.

He pulled up and got out of the SUV. "Princess, what's wrong?" he asked.

I ran into his arms and clutched onto his trademark bomber jacket. I burst into tears.

"Hey, shhh", he said, trying to calm me down.

I got the passenger seat.

As my father drove, I explained what happened.

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping.

I even got my own bomber jacket.

We sat Steak 'n Shake since it was the closest thing to the diner's my father remembered from his day.

My phone rang and I immediately picked it up. "Hey T", I said.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah", I told him smiling.

"How are we going to make them pay?" he asked.

"Leave that part up to me. I have an idea", I told him.

"K. Talk to you later. Love you", he said.

My cheeks turned red as I breathed, "Love you too". I shut my phone and looked to my father.

"Love you?" he asked smiling.

"It was T.J. It didn't mean anything", I told him.

"Uncle Loki?" I asked.

"Yes love", he said while he made both of us a cup of coffee. He handed one to me. He sipped his coffee as I launched into my story and plan.

When I finished, a mischievous grin spread across his lips.

Early in the morning at school, we heard an ear piercing scream.

"RODGERS!" Bethany said storming up to me and T.J, "You did this!"

"Did what?" I asked.

She took off her hat and she had no hair.

"How would I do that?" I asked.

"I had hair this morning!" she shrieked.

"Well that's you problem, not mine", I said.

She stormed off again.

I turned to T.J. and burst out laughing.

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

"Hey B", T.J. said, "You're always welcome to eat at our table at lunch".

"Thank T.J.", I said.

He leaned over and took my hand.

That's how our parents and everyone found us.

Hand-in-hand with me sleeping on his chest.

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

I don't know what I would do without my father. I knew I was his princess, even if my brother was better than me.

He was named after my father's best friend, James Buchanan Barnes.

I grew up in a house outside of New York City, surrounded by all the love of magic of the Avengers.

When we got old enough, we moved into Stark tower.

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

I was going thru my laptop files when I found a video of me.

"Belle, what are you doing?" Daddy asked.

"Painting!" I said, "See? This is me, and this is you, and Mama. Then there's Uncle Tony and Aunt Pepper and T.J. Then there's Uncle Clint and Aunt Tasha with baby Avery. Then Uncle Bruce and Uncle Nick. It's our family!"

I smiled at the video.

T.J. walked up behind me and placed a kiss on my head.

"I love you", he whispered.

"I love you too", I told him.

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today

My father and I waltzed around on the dance floor.

"I never thought you and T.J. would get married", he said.

"I'll always be your princess Daddy", I told him, "My hero".

He looked down at me.

"Thank you for making this the best day with you", I told him.