—home, sweet home

( post-credits scene )

Tony Stark sat on the barstool of one of the kitchens scattered through the new Avengers Compound with a half-eaten glazed donut in his hand. He had been taking in all the information Bella had blurted out during the past couple of hours, which was a lot, by the way. He was trying to wrap his head around the fact that his daughter wasn't fully human. And that he had dated a goddess.

"You did," Arabella Stark sat on the barstool opposite from her father, swinging her legs as she took a frozen raspberry out of the bag.

"Huh."

"Huh, indeed."

"And you've got powers?"

"Yeah."

"Half Asgardian?" Arabella hummed in response, popping two raspberries in her mouth.

"Lordy," Crossing his arms over his chest he leaned backwards, keeping his eyebrows raised. "That's a lot to take in, Belles."

"I know!" She exclaimed. "There's just so much new stuff, Dad. It's all over the place—I'm all over the place." Her hands dropped the bag of frozen blueberries as they moved in exaggerated gestures, demonstrating how all over the place she really felt. "Like, Jesus, I've got a sword! Odin gave me that soul-eating sword. Can you believe that? Odin, Dad!"

"More like 'Grandpa Odin'."

"Dad!" Bella whined.

"But it's true!" Tony whined back.

"I know but it's just, you know—I mean, you don't know but it's just weird. Hold up." She raised her finger up, and Tony knew she was trying to think of a reference to explain her point. So he waited. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! That's it! Without the grotesque part of Mr. Hyde, though. But not really, you know. After what Odin said about the dark side of the force I could become Mr Hyde, who knows. Or Darth Vader. Yeah, Darth Vader seems more fitting—"

"To the point, Belles."

"Sorry. So, like before I left I was Bella from Earth. And now I'm not only Bella from Earth, but Ara from Asgard. Like a split personality or something. Two people inside one body kinda thing." She placed another blueberry in her mouth. "But I don't have that, obviously. I'm still me, but with a cool sword! Talking about swords, now that I have one and I've fought Ultron, can I be an Avenger?"

He didn't realize Bella was trying to distract him of the fact that she could end up all messed up. She could be a real life Darth Vader. Or if he did, but he didn't comment on it.

She gave the sweetest smile she possibly could, prompted herself with her elbows and leaned forward. Tony mimicked her actions, minus the smile which was replaced with a thin line.

She's too young, he thought. Still his baby. Tony knew, however, how much she had experienced for such a young age. Plus, she was right, not about the sword but about the fighting. She did fight Ultron and saved the world with them. She had been fighting all her life.

"You already were, kiddo."

el fin.

it took me two years to finish this book, but i finally did. thank you for your patience and for reading of course. book two will be up tomorrow, so stick around!

ily