After a good fight, Mike won big and Peggy Carter and Maria gnashed their teeth in defeat.
Tony, for his part, didn't care about the small sum of tens of thousands he had lost, and instead felt that the afternoon had been wasted.
But Pepper Potts, on the other hand, looked on with glowing eyes.
How could you win so much money?
She stole a glance at Tony and decided to take some time to learn the ropes.
Mike looked at the clock and said, "Time's up, I've got to go pick up the kid."
"Wait!" Peggy Carter said sharply, "One more fight, I think I'm going to wi-"
"Wait, what did you say?"
Peggy Carter asked with a puzzled look as the other three also looked at Mike with and said, "Kid?"
"Didn't tell you guys?" Confused, Mike also asked as he then said "I adopted a daughter some time ago."
"No, congrats though."
They shook their heads in unison.
"Then I'll introduce you when I get back."
Mike got up, pointed aside to Pepper Potts, and said, "Let Pepper keep you company."
He had long seen the intent look in Pepper Potts' eyes.
Pepper Potts was a little hesitant.
She was tempted to try, but this loss of money, her salary ...
Tony glanced over and with a big wave of his hand, said, "I'll pay for you if you lose!"
Without hesitation, Pepper Potts sat down and said, "Thanks boss!"
Looking at the four men who had started shuffling again, Mike got up and headed out the door.
The school bus would normally arrive at the station on time.
As Mike walked towards the station, a familiar car pulled up near him instead.
Turning his head to look, the car's window slides down as a little head poked out of it.
"Dad!"
Mike smiled and looked over to the driver's seat and saw his good neighbour John.
John smiled at Mike and said, "I happened to pick up Luke and saw Gwen waiting for the car, that's okay right?"
Mike nodded and said, "No problem, thanks."
"Dad!"
Gwen opened the car door and ran down with her own school bag and hugged Mike.
Mike stroked Gwen's head, lifted Gwen's school bag in his hand and said to Luke, "I made some snacks, I'll have Gwen bring you some later."
Luke said a little nervously, "No, no need!"
"Don't be shy, Luke" Gwen turned her head and puffed out her chest and giggled, saying, "It's delicious, I'm sure you'll like it."
John looked at the two with a smile and said, "Say thank you."
Luke was a little embarrassed, but smiled anyway, "Thanks."
"Bye, Uncle John!" Gwen waved happily.
"Bye, Gwen."
John nodded to Mike and drove off.
As father and daughter walked home, Gwen chattered to Mike about the day's events like a little bird returning to its nest.
Mike smiled in response and said, "I bought you a mobile phone this morning, you'll have to take it with you if you want to ride the school bus by yourself, and call me anytime you get into trouble."
"A mobile phone?"
Gwen looked at Mike with wide eyes.
Mike nodded and said, "It's just for contact, there's no games there."
"Oh... got it"
Gwen nodded her head and suddenly said, "Dad, Luke and I are going to school together from tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about that!"
"Luke?" Mike raised an eyebrow and suddenly said, "What do you think of Luke? Is he handsome?"
"Luke is ..." Gwen said, biting her finger, "I don't know, but he's being bullied by the other students at school, and he also gets into fights with people because of his mum."
"Fights?"
Mike was a little surprised.
Because Luke seems to be like his father, both seemingly mild-mannered and good-tempered sort of people.
"Yeah.." Gwen nodded, but sighed like a small adult and said, "His mum was put in jail, and many of his classmates bullies him with it and said bad things about his mum, saying that she was a murderer, but Luke said that his mum was wrongly accused, so in the end Luke would fight with them."
So that was it?
Mike let out a whisper, no wonder John looked sad sometimes despite always smiling.
"So what do you think of him?"
"I don't know" Gwen sighed and said, "But he's good to me."
Mike smiled and asked, "So would you then stop being friends with Luke because your classmates are bullying him and saying bad things about his family?"
"Why would I?" Gwen said seriously, "Luke and I are friends, And Uncle John is also good."
Patting Gwen's head and seeing Gwen look at him with a puzzled and questioning gaze, Mike affirmed, "You are doing the right thing."
Gwen gave a happy smile.
"Come on, there are guests in the house."
"Guests?"
Gwen said in surprise and anticipation, "Is it my brother's?"
Mike ruffled her hair and said, "How is your brothers a guest?"
"Oh, right!"
Gwen face-palmed as she nodded in realization shook her head and followed beside her Father.
---
When they returned home, Peggy Carter and the others were still fighting a tough battle.
However, by the looks on their faces ...
Peggy Carter had won?
Just as the thought fell, Peggy Carter who saw him immediately bragged proudly, "See, I told you that spell worked! I won! Maria won too!"
Mike just smiled wryly as he shook his head.
The four then turned their heads as their eyes fell on Gwen.
Mike introduced, "This is Gwen, my daughter"
"Kyaaa! She's so cute!"
Maria immediately rushed over to Gwen saying, "I'm Maria."
Gwen then said, "Uhh.."
"Just call her Aunt Maria".
Mike then just said.
"Aunt Maria."
Gwen said as she smiles.
Maria's also smiled and she suddenly said as her eyes wandered to Tony innocently sitting, "And I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to be a grandmother in my life."
Tony held his forehead, here we go again.
Maria then pointed to Peggy as she introduced her, "She is Peggy, you can just call her Grandma or Grann-".
"You dare ruin my image!" Peggy immediately cuts her sentence off as she raged and then immediately switched back to calm as she faced Gwen and said, "Don't listen to that woman, kid, so you can just also call me Aunt, Aunt Peggy".
Gwen nodded as she turned to Tony.
Tony spread his arms wide as he said, "I am the one and only genius billionaire, Tony Stark, you can call me Mr. Stark or Uncle Stark what ever you want kid"
Then turning his hand all the way to Pepper Potts, he said, "And that is my secretary, you can just call her Ms. Potts"
Gwen blinked at his over dramatic display as she turns her face to look at Mike with a 'what the heck' face.
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched at the sight and just sighs.
Seeing Mike nod to him, Gwen said politely, "Uncle Stark.."
Tony nodded proudly, feeling that the kid must be happy having him as his Uncle.
This little girl had eyes!.
"The few of you hurry up and clean up the card table for me."
"No problem!"
Tony's cocky face dissappears as he nodded and turned his head to Pepper Potts, saying, "I'll leave it to you."
He then continued to sit on the couch like a Chad.
"Fondue tonight, you guys want to join us?"
Mike asked again.
Tony nodded, and Pepper Potts, baffled, said, a little embarrassed, "Is it ok for us to have dinner here?."
Mike waved his hand and said, "It's no trouble, they stay for dinner every time they come, I'm already used to this torture."
With that, he walked into the kitchen and went to prepare the ingredients.
Gwen, on the other hand, was surrounded by Maria and Peggy asking questions like if she's good at school or if she already have a crush etc, until she escaped from the enthusiastic pair as Mike came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks for Gwen to deliver to Luke's.
...