My family , starting from Howard,started moving out to the car. Mum was still slightly teary eyed as she tried to hug me without making eye contact with me. Anna and Connor both greeted me goodbye happily, not knowing the small conversation I had with my mother.

"Mommy." A sleepy voice called out from my shoulder.

Anna smiled a bit, as she took her daughter who was resting on my shoulders still. Hugging her tight, she whispered something in her ear. Sofie nodded happily and then jumped into Connor's wide arms.

"Daddy! I love you! I bill miss tou." She had that cute pout on her face , which was almost impossible to resist. But Tony saw Connor visibly restraining himself from cancelling the program and just sit down with his daughter and play some games. But a honk from Howard in the car woke him up, and he tightly hugged his daughter.

"Now, be good to your uncle for me, okay? No naughty things or santa won't bring gifts for you, ok?" He tenderly told her, then kissed her forehead.

Sofie nodded, " I pwomise I bill be good daddy. I love you mommy and daddy!"

With that she ran inside our home, us watching her in slightly sad amusement.

I again hugged my sister, as now I knew how dangerous it was going to the Pentagon, with the extra luggage Howard had decided to pack. Giving Connor a 'man hug' I finally bid them goodbye and went inside the house.

«................»

December 21 1991

Sofia's pov

It's been what? Five days since I heard from my family. Since then, for the three days I had obeyed Dad's order, and didn't create a mess in the house. Tony was gone all five days, three days he was in a friend's house as Mrs Jarvis told me, and the next two days , although he was home, at the same time he wasn't.

Today, being the fifth day of mum and dad, Grandpa and Grandma's absence, I think Uncle Tony finally decided that enough is enough, so he threw a party. So, half of Malibu is in my house as we speak. The music was too loud, even though I was in my room which was two floors up. Tightly clutching the pillows to my ear, I prayed that the voice died down.

But it didn't. So, I forced myself to count as far as I could, and in the process, fell asleep.

-.......-

"Wake up honey. Someone is here to see you." A wavering voice woke ne up, as if the person just spent some time crying. Opening my sleep filled eyes, I rubbed at them to display away. The fog cleared and I saw Pepper.

"Pwepper?"

"Yes baby girl, its me. C'mon let's get you downstairs."

As soon as I reached down, the first thing I noticed was the red eyes of Tony.

"Uncle tony? Whats wrong?" My sleepy voice made him look at me.

"It's uh its better if you come sit down honey."

******

Tony's pov

How do I tell my niece that her parents are dead?

If it were anything else, any machine or a frayed part, I could have easily fixed it. But how do you tell a toddler that her parents and her grandparents – the one who loved her endlessly – are never coming back ? That they are dead, possibly due to her own grandfather and his speedy - reckless driving?

The reasons could have been many, but the end product remained the same. Me and my niece are officially orphans. We both have no one now, except for each other.

Pepper saw that I couldn't make any words, so she took the difficult step herself , and started slowly telling her. Sofia is intelligent, and caught up what was being said to her pretty fast, as I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. A quick glance from pepper and I took her in my arms, as she started bawling .

My own heart was broken too, but for a toddler who hadn't had much time to spent with her family to be ripped away so soon, I had to be strong.

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"