Quiet
Tony watched helplessly as Christi climbed back into her car and drove away, leaving a silent dark eyed child on his couch. "Well, so this has been uh-interesting and-fun but I have things to do, projects, stuff. So uh, Pep, you can watch Ada-"
"-Addy!" The child said exasperatedly.
"-Addy, I knew that." Stark responded instantly, sending a pleading look at Pepper.
"uh no."
"No?"
"Sorry Tony I have to go to the office, you know the company? Someone has to run things." She told him as she headed towards the door.
"Oh come on Pep! Please?!" He shouted out the door, "Pepper! You can't leave me here with the kid!"
"Bye Tony," the woman replied chuckling, "you'll be fine. Bond!"
Tony turned slowly to stare at the child, who eyed him nervously in return. "I'll be back, don't move." He instructed before hurrying from the room and down the stairs.
Addy stared after him helplessly. "Well, that happened." She mumbled standing and wandering to the wall of windows to her right. She stared out in awe at the crashing waves of the ocean yards below her. It hadn't fully hit her yet, her mother gone, a father she'd never known taking her in. What had hit was the exhaustion, pulling all nighters was not something her seven year old body was used to and she found herself crashing hard. As she was still in her pajamas, what she'd been wearing in preparation for a sleepover when the call came, Addy pulled her soft purple and green blanket from where she'd tied it to her backpack's straps curled into a chair in the corner and promptly fell asleep.
Tony twiddled a screwdriver in his hands, absentmindedly tinkering in his workshop. "Jarvis can you pull up anything on a Candi Noble?"
There was a pause before information was displayed via hologram. Pictures filled the room of a sandy blonde woman in crisp, designer dresses and stiletto heels, only a few including Addy. "Candi Noble graduated top ten in her class at Yale university. She went on to parent one child Adeline Noble now Adeline Stark. In her early career she was a coroner's assistant until five years ago becoming head coroner to the city of San Bernardino. Miss Noble was known to be a stubborn woman with a brilliant analytical mind her only downfall in the opinion of her peers would be that she liked to party on her off time, more so than was considered strictly responsible. Miss Noble died of smoke inhalation from a fire set by a forgotten curling iron last night. Survived by her child Adeline Stark-"
"That's enough Jarvis." Stark mumbled staring unseeingly at the random car part in his hand. "You think I could be a good dad Jar?"
"I have no frame of reference for such queries sir."
Tony shook his head chuckling despite his bad humor. "Crank up the toons k pal?"
"Right away mister Stark." The A.I. responded before blasting ACDC through the sound system.
Addy woke at noon, she sat up with a start not quite remembering the night before. It hit her then, she was alone. Well, not technically, she reminded herself. There was Mr Stark but he'd run for it the moment miss Potts left. The young girl sniffled quietly hugging her blanket to her.
"Are you alright miss?" The same automated voice from before questioned as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Are you a real person?" Addy questioned rather than replying to the query.
"I am Jarvis, I am mister stark's artificial intelligence system."
"Artificial intelligence, so you're like a robot?" The child clarified.
"I have no physical form, I run the house."
Addy stood running her fingers thoughtfully along the walls."So you're a robot butler built into the house?"
"If you like miss."
"It's Addy! Why can't anyone around here use my name?" The child responded in frustration. "It's like you lose a parent and suddenly you're a stray dog, people wanna rename you and you keep telling them your name and they just won't listen!"
"Are you certain you're alright, Addy?"
The girl sighed curling back into her chair as she dug through her bag and what was left of her belongings, "yes Jarvis, thank you."
It was nearly four when Pepper entered the house to find a sleepy Addy sitting quietly in the living room. "Hey kiddo, did you have a good day with Tony?"
"I'm not sure he's here." The girl responded quietly.
Pepper's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "hold on Addy I'll be right back." She promised before stomping down the stairs to the workshop. "Tony! Tony!"
The billionaire turned father slammed his head into the underside of the sports car he'd been tinkering with, "Hey Pep, short day?" He questioned obliviously.
"Short? Tony it's 4:00 have you been down here this whole time?"
Tony hesitated knowing his next words weren't what she wanted to hear, "Uh, yes?"
"Honestly Tony! There's a little girl sitting in a chair upstairs who isn't even certain she hasn't been on her own all day! What were you thinking!? Has she eaten anything?!"
"Miss Addy slept until noon at which point she retrieved a granola bar from her bag and resumed her seat near the window." Jarvis supplied helpfully.
"So your daughter slept in a chair till noon, had a granola bar as her only meal since the death of her mother, and then sat staring out a window for four hours?!" The woman snapped angrily.
"Honestly Pepper I forgot!"
"Oh that makes it all better," Pepper replied sarcastically, "it's ok that you're probably starving and bored out of your mind kid, your dad forgot you existed!"
Stark eyed her in confusion, "What is your deal?! I said I was sorry! It's not like she's hurt."
Pepper sighed sadly, "no Tony she is hurt, that's the thing. She's in a completely new place on her own hours after losing her mother and the person that should have looked out for her and made her feel welcome ignored her and forgot she existed all day."
"I'm sorry Pep," he tried again quietly as she headed for the stairs.
"It's not me you should apologize to." The redhead responded quietly before leaving him alone to ponder her words.
"So, you hungry?" She asked the child upon reentering the living area.
Addy nodded, "yes ma'am."
"Why don't you go wash up and I'll see what I can whip up."
The girl hesitated uncertainly, "I don't know where the bathroom is..."
"Right," Pepper responded, a muscle twitching in her jaw in irritation at Tony. "Up the stairs second door on the right."
"Thank you miss Potts."
"You can call me Pepper, Addy." The woman reassured gently.
Addy nodded before hurrying from the room, and up the stairs. Opening the door to a large white marble bathroom she dropped her bag beside her before fishing out a burgundy colored tunic decorated with elephants and a pair of black leggings. The girl changed quickly shoving her discarded pjs back into the bag and racing back down the stairs to where Pepper waited in the kitchen.
"Feel better?" Pepper asked brightly as she entered the room.
Addy nodded, "will Mr Stark eat with us?" She wasn't quite sure if she wanted him to or not. Addy had never had a father before but so far he was nothing like the fathers she'd seen. Cam's dad made stupid jokes and liked peppermint gum. When he got home from work Cammy always went running to him leaping off the porch steps into his arms, Addy couldn't imagine trying that. She wasn't sure if Mr Stark would catch her if she did, or maybe he'd be angry?
She'd been around Marisa's dad in her children's group at church, he was more serious but he always hugged Marisa. They seemed close.
She wondered if perhaps Tony was really like Cammy or Marisa's dads and she just hadn't noticed because she hadn't seen much of him. If he was like Marisa's he'd want her to be quiet and behave. If he was like Cammy's it wouldn't matter so much. She wished she knew what he was like so she knew how to behave.
"What's got you so focused?" Pepper's voice pulled the young girl out of her thoughts.
"What's Mr. Stark like?" Addy questioned quietly, stealing a glance down the curved staircase.
"Tony? He's uh, well...Tony's interesting that's for sure," Pepper began uncertainly, "guess it depends on if he trusts you or not."
"Does he trust you?"
The woman laughed, "I would hope so."
Addy accepted that stepping a bit closer to the stairs, "so what's he like if he trusts you then?"
"Why don't you head down and see what he's like for yourself hmm?" Pepper replied with an encouraging smile.