The Press Conference
CHAPTER 10: THE PRESS CONFERENCE
Steve had given him a name of a therapist not even a day later. He likely called up this Sam guy as soon as they left the penthouse that night. According to Steve, Sam dealt with cases wherein the vet themselves ended up abusing or neglecting their children, and he can personally endorse the child therapist he often refers his clients’ families to.
Ironically, the therapist referred to him ended up being British. Tony wasn’t sure if Steve told his friend who the therapist was for, or that the child needing therapy is from England himself. Her name is Hermione Granger, 31 years old, and a single mother of a 3-year-old girl named Rose. Her CV mentioned she graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and took a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at UCLA before moving to New York sometime 4 years ago. She volunteers frequently in the VA, which is where Sam must have met her, and currently runs a small private practice with a fellow child psychiatrist named Draco Malfoy who deals mostly with behavioral issues and learning disabilities.
Tony wondered why he hadn’t found her before, but then realized he’d been looking from a list of renowned and distinguished therapists, ones that could fill a page with their titles alone. A lot of them were as, if not more, well-studied than Dr. Granger, and they clearly had more experience in their line of work, being older and all. However, what others may find appealing from famed therapists, Tony only saw drawbacks. He’s had numerous therapists since his childhood years. As a kid with ADHD and mild OCD, his parents made him jump from therapist to therapist— all of them expensive and famous. It wasn’t until Jarvis, the human one, suggested a fresh name in the industry that Tony showed signs of improvement. Since then, Tony only ever talked to unglorified psychiatrists. He found many of the prominent ones have too big of an ego to actually sit down and help a kid. Instead, he’d always been nothing but a notch on their belts, so to speak.
Thinking he had nothing to lose if he makes an appointment with Dr. Granger— alone first, so he can study her more closely, Tony called up her office and scheduled a meeting first thing on Monday.
With a potential therapist crossed off the list, Tony now had to worry about the press conference he’d been avoiding since taking Harry home. If he hadn’t been seen barging into a hospital with his kid in his arms, they might have avoided the whole press issue for at least another two months or so, just until Harry has to start school.
But since the public had become aware of the possibility that Tony Stark might have a child, the rumors have grown out of their roots. Just yesterday morning, Fox News reported that Tony stole a child from a respectable family because the child was said to have an IQ of over 300, as opposed to Tony’s 270. One magazine even theorized that the child is actually Loki that got de-aged and exiled to Midgard by Odin. That had Tony throwing a fit. Harry definitely didn’t have similarities to the God of Mischief. Well, they have the same eyes, maybe comparable hair colors, and the British accent. But, no. Nothing similar about them.
The company’s PR staff had appeased them long enough. Pepper even had to turn down interviews from news outlets all over the world including BBC and CNN to give Tony time to focus on Harry. It’s a wonder how his personal life had become a worthy tale for bigger news outside Fox and celebrity tabloids.
Reporters all but camped outside Stark Towers, making it impossible to leave the building without using vehicles with black-out windows. At one point, Harry got so scared by the crowd when they were off to his doctor's appointment that he burst out crying and didn't stop until they reached Brooklyn. It was the last straw that made Tony finally decide to call a press conference.
When Pepper found out about it, she got every name of the reporter in the crowd that day and blacklisted them from attending any of SI's and the Avengers' press conferences. No one was allowed to make her godson cry.
The conference was quickly scheduled in two days. It allowed them enough time to discuss which questions they'll be answering and which they'll ignore. Tony vetoed hard on giving up Harry's full name and providing them with a photo. The best he'd allow was one of Harry's recent ones that hid his face. Tony didn't want his son to go through what he experienced as a child, where everyone knew his name and face. He was also adamant about denying any allegations of cheating and affairs. Tony would never allow Lily and James's names to be disrespected.
The PR team had given them the rundown of the rumors circling around the news outlets and social media. Apart from confirming that the boy is indeed Tony's son, he will most likely be asked about what happened in England and why he had to take his son to the hospital. Against the staff's wishes, both Tony and Pepper refused to inform the public of Harry's past. The records of the case against the Dursleys are technically public knowledge, but because it's considered high profile and it involved a minor, the court had not disclosed any information to the press. And they didn't have to worry about Dr. Kline breaking doctor-patient confidentiality issues because she voluntarily signed the NDA right after she did the initial check-up.
Tony really didn't want the world to know about Harry yet, but it wasn't something he could fully control. Giving the media enough filtered information would hopefully calm them down. He never had to worry about the results of his media appearances before, always doing what he wanted and ignoring the cue cards given to him. Tony couldn't do that now. He had to prepare for every possible question handed to him and which answers would grant his son the most privacy. He needed to be firm with the reporters, instead of his usual casual mood during interviews and conferences. This wasn't about him now. It's about the most important person in his life.
Actually telling Harry about the press conference hadn't gone so well. In hindsight, they shouldn't have told him 3 hours before it started. The five-year-old could barely even understand what a press conference meant. The only information that mattered to him was that his daddy had to go meet with the scary camera people and talk to them. It clearly distressed Harry and he refused to let go of his father, glaring at every PR staff member present, including Pepper and Happy, for making Tony do it. He still hadn't forgotten the car episode.
The whole Avengers team had to provide backup and distract Harry enough to pry him away from his dad. The problem was that Harry wasn't easily distracted. They all had to take turns coming up with new games or pretend they didn't know something about dinosaurs or lions. For Clint, that had been easy. Bruce? Not so much.
While the team worried about keeping the tiny Stark occupied enough to stop him from going full-on overprotective-toddler on dad, Tony had to worry about that and the press.
They had to use one of the bigger conference rooms in the building because of the number of reporters on the scene. In most situations like this wherein a celebrity or a high-profile person announces the birth of their child, press conferences aren't even needed. A simple statement would often do it. However, like most things in Tony's life, it just had to be complicated.
The room was in chaos when Tony arrived with Happy. Pepper was already on stage, looking poised and scary as ever. "Good afternoon," Pepper spoke clearly through the small microphone. "Before we start with the questions, I would like to remind everyone that due to this being a serious matter involving a minor, every news and story whether spoken or written regarding the minor from here there forth shall undergo complete scrutiny. We will be imposing stricter rules as to what can and cannot be reported. Anyone that does not comply will be facing legal consequences."
The whole room went quiet. No one dared to question the CEO of the world's biggest tech company.
"Thanks, Pep," Tony said loudly when he took the stand. The crowd immediately continued yelling out their questions.
“Mr. Stark, is it true that you had an affair with a married woman and fathered a child?”
“Mr. Stark, there are rumors that you had the couple sent to prison because you want to take the child as your heir.”
“How old is your child, Mr. Stark? Are they going to inherit your company?”
"Is it true that Loki got de-aged and sent to Earth in exile?"
"Can you confirm the child in the photos is in fact stolen from a British family because of their high intelligence?"
Tony cleared his throat and began, "I'm not sure if any of you remember but I wasn't even a month old when I attended my first press conference. I know what it's like to grow up in the limelight. Every achievement and mistake were broadcasted. Let me tell you, it wasn't a delight. I told myself before that if I ever have a kid of my own, I'd never put them in the same position. This life is not the life I want for my son."
The whole room erupted in chaos from the clear confirmation that Tony Stark is indeed a father. The billionaire quickly raised his hand for silence. "Yes, I have a son, but no, he is not a product of an affair. I am only telling you this because three days ago, your fellow reporters who are no longer welcome to attend any of the press conferences SI and the Avengers will conduct in the future, had camped outside our home, disrupted our lives, and made a little boy cry for half an hour because he was frightened by all the flashes and the yelling. As I said, I grew up in this environment; so, I'm used to dealing with you people. However, my kid isn't, and he doesn't deserve to be locked away or hide in a tower his whole life just because he can't go out without reporters hounding and scaring him. Ms. Potts already said this, but I am saying it again: I can and will sue anyone who dares to take a picture of my son without his and my consent or write false stories and accusations. I have more lawyers in my pocket than you have lightbulbs in your homes. Think about that. I am now open to some questions."
Even with the threat, that didn't stop any of the reporters from shouting questions and raising their hands. “How old is your son, Mr. Stark?” One yelled out a question from the back of the room.
“My son is five. He’s turning six next month. And no, I will not be inviting any of you to his party," was Tony's quick response.
“What’s his name? Can you give us a description of his appearance? Maybe show us a picture?” That one came from the front line. Huh, WHiH World News.
“His name is Harry, and that’s all you need to know. I am not releasing any pictures of his face as of the moment, but this is him,” Tony gestured back to the screen behind him. After careful deliberation, he and Pepper decided on a photo of Harry in the kitchen sitting on the counter wearing one of Tony’s old MIT hoodies. The hood had hidden most of his face apart from the wide, toothy grin. It’s adorable, surely enough to make even the press fall in love with the boy. As expected, coos and awes echoed throughout the room.
“Will he be inheriting the company? How soon will you start training him to take up your place?”
Tony didn’t bother resisting the eye roll. “Again— he is five. He does not have to worry about that yet.”
“Can you tell us anything about her mother? What's her name? Where did you meet her? Where is she now? Are you going to co-parent?”
Now for the harder questions, thought Tony. This was not unexpected at all. “Unfortunately, his mother and adoptive father passed away a few years ago. They were good people. They loved our son very much and I am thankful for both of them every day of my life. No, I will not be disclosing their names or any information pertaining to their personal lives.”
“Mr. Stark, an anonymous source said that this is the result of sperm-theft conducted by an ex-lover of yours. Were you aware that there’s a possibility that your son’s parents had likely bought them in hopes of staking a claim in the Stark billions?"
Well, that was unexpected. For a second, Tony made eye contact with Pepper. She obviously hadn’t expected the question herself. No news station, magazine, or even online blog had mentioned any of those rumors. Of course, they prepared a backstory as to how Harry came to be. They agreed on the basic sperm-donation narrative but alluded that Tony knew James beforehand and offered to donate himself. Giving away the real story might possibly cause more ruckus than it already did, and everyone is trying to avoid that. Elijah, wherever cell he’s in, could not sell his story without anyone from SI knowing, and only the director and the lawyer of the fertility clinic were aware of the matter. Whistleblowing that sort of information could only destroy their reputation. The source was most likely second-hand and incomplete, judging by the follow-up allegations. “I do not know where you got that information, but I will not allow anyone to accuse my son’s deceased parents of such a thing. I am fully informed of the events that resulted in my son.” Technically true. No one had to know Tony only found out about it when Lily was already in her third trimester. “I knew Harry’s parents. They had no need for my money. All they wanted was a child of their own, and I am glad I was able to help them achieve that. I will say no more on the matter.”
Tony ignored the follow-up questions and directed his attention to a younger reporter in the middle who asked, “Has Harry met the Avengers? What does your son think about his father being one of the world’s mightiest heroes?”
“Oh, he had, and he has them all wrapped around his little finger. If my kid ever turns out spoiled, I am not the only one to blame. His favorite is Iron Man, by the way, even before he knew Iron Man is his dad. Starks always had good taste.” Tony checked his watch and realized he only had a few minutes left. Three hours was the most he could do without putting Harry in a fit.
A familiar face appeared amidst the crowd. Tony immediately recognized Christine Everhart who apparently left Vanity Fair and joined a different news outlet. “Earlier, you say they died a few years ago, so then why didn’t you take up the responsibility back then?” Thankfully, her tone wasn’t truly sadistic. Maybe she had changed over the years, or at the very least, her opinion on Tony.
“You have to understand, I did not have Parental Rights because his adoptive father had them since even before he was born. I was only a sperm donor. When they died, the information was purposely kept from me by a wrongly-trusted person. I didn’t even know they placed me in their wills as Harry’s guardian. It took me a while, but as soon as I found out about it, I flew straight to England and took him home.”
“Mr. Stark, there are rumors that your son, Harry, was abused. Is this true?”
“Okay, time is up!” Tony quickly announced, and wow, it wasn’t even a lie. The loud beeping noise of his watch was a definite proof of that. “Ms. Potts will be giving final instructions, but I have to leave now before someone, possibly below four feet, would come barging in with tears.”
With that, Tony got off the podium and let Pepper handle the crowd he left. He trusts fully in her capability to dodge unwanted questions. Meanwhile, he now had to worry about what sight might greet him when he comes back to the penthouse. So far, JARVIS hadn’t notified him of any trouble, but he had no confidence whatsoever in his teammates’ capabilities to resist Harry’s doe eyes.
What greeted him was nowhere near Tony’s expectations. The living room didn’t look like the living room any longer. Blankets and pillows littered across the room; some he couldn’t even recognize. He was pretty sure the team grabbed them from their own rooms. In the middle was a surprisingly sturdy fort with fairy lights and maybe a projector, judging by the sound of a movie being played. It was completely covered, and big. It had to be if it needed to fit four adults, including one supersoldier, and one child.
“J, how long has this been happening?” Tony asked quietly with a smile when he heard his son giggle from the inside.
“The construction started approximately 35 minutes after you left, sir.”
For a second, he considered announcing his presence, but he’d really rather not disrupt their movie. After taking off his shoes and removing his tie, Tony crawled into the only entryway of the fort.
Everyone apart from Harry apparently already knew Tony arrived. None looked particularly surprised by his arrival. Harry, on the other hand, gasped loudly, hand covering his mouth in a full show of his surprise.
“Daddy!” the five-year-old whisper-shouted from his position between Steve and Bruce. He wasn’t showing any indication of moving from the warmth and comfort provided by his uncles.
Tony continued to move until he reached just behind his son. He pressed a long kiss on his hair and whispered, “Having fun?”
Harry nodded enthusiastically and pointed at the projected movie on the white cloth in front of them. “We’re watching Jack Frost,” he cheerfully observed.
It’s actually Rise of the Guardians. Tony saw it once when they allowed Phil to choose for movie night. He remembers it being good. Harry seems to like it very much if the happy glint in his eyes is to be considered.
By the time the children start believing again in the Guardians, Tony had taken Harry’s position between Steve and Bruce, with his son on his lap, snuggled under his ratty, old, and obviously sanitized baby blanket. Clint and Natasha were both still sprawled on their stomachs at either side of the trio, not changing their positions once since Tony joined them. Wrappers of chips, cookies, and candies were littered in front of them. The only thing that eased Tony’s concern that his son might have eaten way past his sugar limit was that Bruce was with them. He sure as hell can’t rely on Steve on that matter, given that Steve’s the most likely to feed him candy. His excuse that they used to eat candy bars as meal substitutes sometimes back in the ’30s and still turned out fine was vetoed by everyone.
That night, when everyone finally finished putting away the fort and returned Tony’s living room back to a living room, Tony gave Harry a quick warm bath and listened genuinely to his son’s play-by-play narration of his afternoon like he hadn’t heard him say it twice before.
Weeks ago, he worried whether he’ll be a good father to Harry or he’ll end up like his dad. That night, when he tucked his son in bed and read him a story or two, Tony is a little bit more confident in his answer.